Hercules Oetaeus (Hercules on Mount Oeta) (Seneca's Tenth Tragedy) · chunk 14 of 44
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Studley, John · published 1581 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) tragedy T20 Hercules: labours, suffering and virtue typicality 0.82 · 468 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T20: hercules, hercles, ioue, deianeira, alcides, hand, lo, death, skies, hell.
That love may charmed be by this, to have and keep his hold. The cunning witch dame Michale did teach Thessalia dames, Who only forced the Moon to stoop to her from heavenly frames. Therefore (quoth he) at any time when hateful whores abuse Thy spousal bed, or wavering man do haunt to any stews Then with this salve anoint his shirts, and let it see no son, But keep it close in corners dark, the blood then shall not shun His strength: and thus full suddenly he left his talk with rest: And deadly sleep with senseless death his feeble limbs oppressed. Thou Dame to whom in hope of trust my secrets all bewray, On, that the poison soaked into the vesture bright, it may Press through his limbs, unto his heart, & sink through every bone, I will dispatch it all in haste, make thou thy earnest moan Unto the God, whose tender hand his steadfast darts doth wield, I thee beseech that art of earth and heaven in honour held. And thou that shakest burning bolts, thou cursed and cruel boy, Whose elvish weapons make thy mother fear thy sharp annoy. Now arm thy hand with speedy shaft not of the slender sort, But biggest bolts, with which as yet thou hast assault no fort, We need no little shaft that may stir Hercules to love Bring cruel hands and force thy how his deepest draft to prove Now, now draw forth thy shaft wherewith thou caused cruelly The burning breast of Ioue by fyttes of fervent love to fry. whenas the God his thunder bolt and lightning laid aside, 'gan bollen with bumps on forehead big: and throught the wave he hid, And swam with Europe on his back in shape of horny Bull. Now power down love, and therewithal let Hecles heart be full. If Iole's beauty kindle heat and Hercles' heart doth move, Quench thou these coals, and force him glow with us in lawful love. Full oft the thunder thumping Ioue hath stooped to thy yoke: And him that wields the moary mace of black Averne to smoke. Thy flames enforce, and eke the Lord of glummy Stygian lake: But only match thou Hercules, and of him triumph take O Ioue, whose wrath more wrackful is then ireful Juno's might. The charm is made in perfect force is all our medicine right, Wherein the shirt shall steeped be that wearied many wight. Whose hands on Pallas distaff spoon the weary Web with pain. And it for Hercules avail shall brink up all the bane. And with my charm I'll strengthen it. But lo ye in the nick Deft Lycas cometh here at hand who will dispatch it quick: But tell him not what force it hath least he the guilt betray.
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)
That loue may charmed be by this, to haue and keepe his hould. The conning witch dame Michale did teach Theſſalia dames, Who onely forſt the Mone to ſtoupe to her from heauenly frames. Therfore (quoth he) at any tyme when hateful whores abuſe Thy ſpoufall bed, or waueryng man do haunt to any ſtewes Then with this ſalue annoynt his ſhyrtes, and let it ſee no ſonne, But kepe it cloſe in corners darke, the bloud then ſhall not ſhonne His ſtrength: and thus ful ſodenly he left his talke with reſt: And deadly ſleepe with ſenceles death his feeble lims oppreſt. Thou Dame to whom in hope of truſt my ſecrets all bewray, On, that the poyſon ſoakt into the veſture bright, it may Preace through his limmes, vnto his hart, & ſinke through euery bone, I wil diſpatch it all in haſt, make thou thy earneſt mone Vnto the God, whoſe tender hand his ſtedfaſt dartes doth weild, I thee beſeech that art of earth and heauen in honour helde. And thou that ſhakeſt burning boltes, thou curſt and cruel boy, Whoſe eluiſh weapons make thy mother feare thy ſharpe annoy. Now arme thy hand with ſpeedy ſhaft not of the ſlender sort, But biggeſt boultes, with which as yet thou haſt aſſault no fort, We neede no litle ſhaft that may ſtyrre Hercules to loue Bring cruel handes and force thy how his depeſt draught to prooue Now, now draw forth thy ſhaft wherewith thou cauſed cruelly The burning breaſt of Ioue by fytes of ſeruent loue to frye. When as the God his thonder bolt and lightning layd aſſyde, Gan boalne with bumpes on fo rehead big: and throught the waue he hid, And ſwam with Europ on his backe in ſhape of horny Bull. Now powre downe loue, and therwithall let Hecles hart be full. If Ioles beauty kyndle heate and Hercles hart doth moue, Quench thou theſe coales, and force him glow with vs in lawfull loue. Ful oft the thunder thumping Ioue hath ſtouped to thy yoke: And him that weildes the moary mace of blacke Auerne to ſmoake. Thy flames enforce, and ake the Lord of glummy Stigian lake: But onely match thou Hereules, and of him triumphe take O Ioue, whoſe wrath more wrackful is then yreful Iunoes might. The charme is made in perfecte force is al our medcine right, Wherein the ſhirt ſhal ſteeped bee that wearyed many wighte. Whoſe handes on Pallas diſtaſſe ſpoone the weary Web with payne. And it for Hercules auayle ſhall brincke vp all the bane. And with my charme Ile ſtrengthen it. But loe yee in the nick Defte Lycas commeth heere at hand who will diſpatche it quick: But tell him not what force it hath leaſt hee the guilt betray.