Hercules Oetaeus (Hercules on Mount Oeta) (Seneca's Tenth Tragedy) · chunk 8 of 44
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Studley, John · published 1581 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) tragedy T20 Hercules: labours, suffering and virtue typicality 0.90 · 494 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T20: hercules, hercles, ioue, deianeira, alcides, hand, lo, death, skies, hell.
And now steps in an hateful whore, (which more my mind doth irk) To cumber us, as ill as fiends. O Father thou of might, The shield of Gods: and Titan thou, that bear'st the Lamp of light, I only unto Hercules a loyal wife abode, And to an harlot's use are turned my prayers made to God: The fruit of my felicity a Strumpet doth obtain, And for an harlot's love ye Gods have hard my prayers vain: Is Hercules returned for her? O grief not yet content. device some tearing torments, seek some pangs, and punishment. Let Iuno learn of me, what force a woman's fury hath. she knows not how in deep despite, to use her harming wrath. For me you did these battles wage: for my sake Acheloe Did let his streaming blood amid his wambling waves to flow. When snarling adder's shape he took, and to the boisterous Bull He giving up his sloughy shape did bend his malice full. And thus thou foiled a thousand foes by conquest of this one: Yet presently thou plunged art, and that by me alone: A prisoner now must be preferred before thy loyal wife. I'll none of that: but even the day that first begins the strife, And to our wedlock brings the breach, shallbe thy dismal day, And knap in twain the fatal twist where on thy life doth stay: What meaneth this? my mind relents. My malice breaks his rage: O wretched grief why dost thou faint? thy spite wilt thou assuage? With fealty of a faithful Wife dost thou thy conscience charge? Why lets thou not my boiling ire for to increase at large? Why dost thou slake thy frying fits? this malady still survive. even now I able was with him for mastership to strive. In deed I have not craved aid: yet Stepdame Iuno will, To wield my hands to work his wrack, be here assistant still: What treachery intendest thou mad bedlam to commit? Thy husband wilt thou murder wretch? whose flickering fame doth flit: From east to west: whose bright renown the earth could not contain But raised aloft, from marble Skies it doth rebound again: The mother Earth shall rife in arms for to revenge his grave. His former Stepsire's stock hereby the overthrow shall have: And all Aetolia royal blood will feel an utter fall: In quarrel of thy Hercules the world conspire shall. Then silly wight how many plagues shalt thou alone abide? But be't that from the face of man thou might thy body hide. Yet Ioue the lightning leams of heaven doth hold in armed hand, Behold the flying fiery flakes in ranks all ready stand: And threatening thunders thumping thick do bounce out all the day. deaths dungeon (that thou dost defy) full duly scare thee may. For there his Uncle umpire sits: Much where thou mayst unspied. And everywhere thou shalt perceive the Gods to him allied.
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)
And now ſteps in an hateful whoore, (which more my minde doth vrke) To cumber vs, as ill as fiendes. O Father thou of might, The ſhielde of Gods: and Titan thou, that bearſt the Lamp of lyght, I onely vnto Hercules a loyall wyfe abod, And to an Harlots vſe are turnde my prayers made to God: The fruite of my felticity a Strumpet doth obtayne, And for an Harlots loue yee Gods haue harde my prayers vayne: Is Hercules returnde for her? O griefe not yet content. Deuiſe ſome tearing torments, ſeeke ſome pangues, and puniſhment. Let Iuno learne of mee, what force a womans fury hath. Shee knowes not how in deepe deſpight, to vſe her harming wrath. For mee you did theſe batrtayles wage: for my ſake Acheloe Did let his ſtreaming bloud amid his wamblinge waues to floe. When ſnarling Adders ſhape hee tooke, and to the boyſteous Bull Hee gieuing vp his ſloughy ſhape did bende his mallice full. And thus thou foylde a thouſand foes by conqueſt of this one: Yet preſently thou plunged art, and that by mee alone: A pryſoner now muſt be prefer de before thy loyall wyfe. Ile none of that: but euen the day that firſt begins the ſtrife, And to our wedlock brings the breach, ſhalbe thy diſmall day, And knap in twayne the fatall twiſt where on thy lyfe doth ſtay: What meaneth this? my mynde relents. My mallice breakes his rage: O wretched griefe why doſt thou faynte? thy ſpight wilt thou aſſwage? With fealty of a faythfull Wyfe doſt thou thy conſcience charge? Why lets thou not my boyling yre for to encreaſe at large? Why doſt thou ſlake thy frying fits? this mallady ſtill ſuruiue. Euen now I able was with him for maiſterſhip to ſtriue. In deede I haue not craued ayde: yet Stepdame Iuno will, To weilde my handes to worke his wracke, bee heere aſſiſtant ſtill: What treachery entendeſt thou mad bedlem to commit? Thy huſbād wilt thou murder wreatch? whoſe flickering fame doth flit: From eaſt to weſt: whoſe bryght renowne the earth coulde not contayne But rayſde aloft, from marble Skies it doth rebounde agayne: The mother Earth ſhall ryfe in armes for to reuenge his graue. His former Stepſiers ſtocke heereby the ouerthrow ſhall haue: And all Aetolia royall bloud will feele an vtterfall: In quarrell of thy Hercules the worlde conſpier ſhall. Then ſilly wight how many plagues ſhalt thou alone abyde? But bee't that from the face of man thou myght thy body hyde. Yet Ioue the lightning leames of heauen doth holde in armed hand, Beholde the flying fyry flakes in ranckes all ready ſtand: And threatning thunders thumping thicke doe bounce out all the day. Deathes dungeon (that thou doſt defy) full duely ſcaare thee may. For there his Vncle vmpyre ſits: Myche where thou mayſt vnſpyde. And euery where thou ſhalt perceaue the Gods to him .