Hercules Oetaeus (Hercules on Mount Oeta) (Seneca's Tenth Tragedy) · chunk 3 of 44
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Studley, John · published 1581 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) tragedy T20 Hercules: labours, suffering and virtue typicality 0.81 · 499 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T20: hercules, hercles, ioue, deianeira, alcides, hand, lo, death, skies, hell.
Although she scatter them in Skies, or make the heavens forlorn More than the Earth, or hell-like gulfs, (whereby the Gods are sworn) Yet room for Hercles' shallbe made, if after monsters quelled, Or battles fought, or hell-like hound in Chains as captive held, If all exploits cannot prevail, in skies a place to gain, Then soaked up be the midland Sea twixt Barbarie, and Spain, That either shore may join in one, with channel none between There will I damn the running stream, that Sea shall none be seen: Or as for Corinth out shot land that tween two seas doth lie, It shall give way to either stream, that through the same shall fly. And when the seas on passage have, the Fleet of Athens town May float in Channel new: thus shall the world turn topsydown: Let Ister turn his stream, and Tanaus slow another way: Grant Ioue a placket, grant, whereby the Gods uphold I may. Discharge thy thunder dint. where I shall keep due watch, & ward, If either to the icy pole thou bid me have regard, Or burning zone, here let the God's full safe all force defy: Prince Paean purchased hath an house amid the crystal sky, And well deserved he the temples of Parnassus hill, For slaughter of a Dragon made? how oft recovering still In Hydra poison Python lay? with Bacchus Perseus' strong By less desert than Hercules, have crept the Gods among. But all the East (a mighty coast) to bond is brought, by him. Whom Iuno spites, how stern a bug was snaky Gorgon grim? What Imp is he, begot between my stepdame dire and thee, Whose praised pains have purchased him a place in heaven to be? The heaven that on my shoulders I have hoisted up I crave: But Lycas, (partner of my pains) dispatch our triumph brave. Display in pomp the ruin of Euritus' house, and Crown: And for the sacrifice with speed strike yet the Bullocks down, Where as the Aare (that doth advance the Church of Cenei Ioue.) lies open to Euboea sea: that wrackful wave doth move. THe Gods in bliss that man doth countervail, That can at once both Grave, & glory gain, Death upon death the whilst doth him assail Whose wretched life is lingered on in pain, With frowning fate in spurning spirit who shiues, And sets the Keel of gaping gulf at nought, Will not submit his captive hands to gives, As dish of dishonour in triumph to be brought: Like careful caitiff he shall never droop, Whelmed in storming thoughts of sour annoy Whose stomach scorns, for daunting death to stoop, Though seas amid the deep in hoisted hoy drive him aloof, whenas a southern gale Beats Boreas back, or eastern puff again Recoils the western wind, and seems to hale From deepest sands the surges torn in twain. That broken planks to catch he scrambles not Of wracked bark, as one that hopes to have
seed 43: T17 · seed 44: T19 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Although ſhe ſcatter them in Skyes, or make the Heauens forlorne More then y• Earth, or hellike Goulphes, (wherby y• Gods are ſworne) Yet roome for Hercles ſhalbe made, if after monſters quelde, Or battells fought, or hellike hound in Chaynes as captiue helde, If all exploytes cannot preuayle, in ſkies a place to gayne, Then ſoukt vp bee the midland Sea twixt Barbarie, and Spayne, That eyther ſhore may ioyne in one, with channell none betweene There will I dam the running ſtreame, that Sea ſhall none be ſeene▪ Or as for Corinth out ſhot land that tweene two ſeas doth lye, It ſhall giue way to yther ſtreame, that through the ſame ſhall fly. And when the ſeas on paſſage haue, the Fleete of Athens towne May floate in Channell new: thus ſhall the world turne topſdowne: Let Iſter turne his ſtreame, and Tanaus ſlow another way: Graunt Ioue a placket, graunt, whereby the Gods vpholde I may. Diſcharge thy thunder dint. where I ſhall keepe due watch, & warde, If eyther to the yſy poale thou bid mee haue regarde, Or burning zone, heere let the Gods full ſafe all force defy: Prynce Paean purchaſt hath an houſe amid the criſtall ſky, And well deſerued he the temples of Pernaſſus hill, For ſlaughter of a Dragon made? how oft recouering ſtill In Hydra poyſon Python lay? with Bacchus Perſeus ſtrong By leſſe deſert then Hercules, haue crept the Gods among. But all the Eaſt (a mighty coaſt) to bond is brought, by him. Whom Iuno ſpightes, how ſtearne a bug was ſnaky Gorgon grim? What Impe is he, begot betweene my ſtepdame dyre and thee, Whoſe prayſed paynes haue purchaſte him a place in heauen to be? The heauen that on my ſhoulders I haue hoiſterd vp I craue: But Lycas, (partner of my paynes) diſpatch our triumph braue. Diſplay in pomp the ruin of Euritus houſe, and Crowne: And for the ſacrifice with ſpeede ſtrike yet the Bullocks downe, Where as the Aare (that doth adnaunce the Church of Cenei Ioue.) Lyes open to Euboca ſea: that wrackfull waue doth moue. THe Gods in bliſſe that man doth coūteruaile, That can at once both Graue, & glory gayne, Death vpon death the whilſt doth him aſſaile Whoſe wretched life is lingred on in payne, With frowning fate in ſpurning ſpighte who ſhiues, And ſets the Keele of gaping goulphe at nought, Will not ſubmit his captiue handes to giues, As diſhe of diſhonour in triumph to bee brought: Like carefull caytife hee ſhall neuer droupe, Whelmed in ſtorming thoughts of ſower annoy Whoſe ſtomacke ſcornes, for dawnting death to ſtoupe, Though ſeas amid the deepe in hoyſted hoy Driue him aloofe, when as a ſouthern gale Beates Boreas back, or eaſtern puffe agayne Recoiles the weſtern winde, and ſeemes to hale From deepeſt ſandes the ſurges torne in twayne. Tht broken planckes to catche hee ſcrambles not Of wracked barke, as one that hopes to haue