Hercules Oetaeus (Hercules on Mount Oeta) (Seneca's Tenth Tragedy) · chunk 19 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 · 495 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T20: hercules, hercles, ioue, deianeira, alcides, hand, lo, death, skies, hell.
Speak, speak, how nigh to Deathward was my dear Alcides gone? Death whom in his own empire he had conquered before, Did shrink from him and fate durst not allow a deed so sore, And Clotho she perhaps put out her rock with trembling arm As one that hastening Hercles' death, did fear to do such harm, O day, O dismal day, and shall even Hercules the great Pass thus to death, and silent shades and to a worser seat Is he think you already dead or may I die before) Speak on, if yet he be not dead Euboea that doth rise, With haughty crest rings everywhere, and Caphar rock likewise divideth Hellespontus' sea and turns that side to south, Whereas it bides the boisterous blasts of Boreas windy mouth: Euripus bends his wandering stream and winds in creaks about His crooked course seven-times and doth as often break it out: While Phoebus drenched his weary team amid the Western wave (Here on a rock above the reach of clouds a temple brave) Of Caenaei Ioue show bright while all the beasts for sacrifice At th'altar stood, and through the wood the noise began to rise, Of all the herd: then of he put he mattered lions case, And likewise did discharge him of his huge and heavy mace And eased his shoulder from the burden of his quiver light. Then tucked in your attire he shone among the people bright With ugly locks, and on the altar made the fire flame Receive (quoth he) these fruits (O sire) though fire send the same And not the harvest sith: but let with frankincense good store The fire burn that far the rich Arabian therefore Doth gather out of Saba trees for Phoebus sacrifice The earth (quoth he) is now at peace, so be both sea and skies All beasts be conquered, and I am victor come again. Lay down thy lightning leams (O Ioue) in fear thou need not reign In midst of his prayers thus whereat I was aghast, He fell to sighs and grievous groans, and all the skies at last With dreadful crying loud he fills Even as the brainsick bull. When with the axe in wound he scapes doth fill the temples full Of roaring noise. Or as the thunder thrown from heaven doth rumble in the skies, Even so the seas and stars of heaven doth Hercles' shake with cries Both Calpe clive, and Cyclas isle well hard his yelling have, Here Caphat rocks there all the woods thereof an Echo gave. we saw him weep, the people thought his former franucke fits Had now again as erst they did bereave him of his wits His servants scatter then for secare, while he with flaming eyes, All staring stands with tleaming looks among them all he pries For Lyca: him alone he doth pursue, who in his arm With trembling hand the altar held and scaped all the harm,
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)
Speake, ſpeake, how nigh to Deathward was my deare Alcides go? Death whom in his owne empyre hee had conquered before, Did ſhrinke from him and fate durſt not allow a deede ſo ſore, And Clotho ſhe perhap put out her rocke with trembling arme As one that haſtning Hercles death, did feare to do ſuch harme, O day, O diſmall day, and ſhall euen Hercules the greate Paſſe thus to death, and ſilent ſhades and to a worſer ſeate Is he thinke you already dead or may I dye before) Speake on, if yet he be not deade Euboea that doth riſe, With hauty creſt ringes euery where, and Caphar rocke likewyſe Deuydeth Helleſpontus ſea and turnes that ſide to ſouth, Wheras it bides the boyſteous blaſtes of Boreas wyndy mouth: Euripus bendes his wandring ſtreame and windes in creakes about His croked courſe ſeuentymes and doth as often breake it out: While Phoebus drencht his wecye teame amid the Weſterne waue (Here on a rocke aboue the reach of cloudes a temple braue) Of Caenaei Ioue ſhew bright whyle all the beaſtes for ſacrifice At th'alter ſtoode, and through the woode the noyſe began to riſe, Of al the herd: then of he put he matterd Lyons caſe, And likewyſe did diſcharge him of his houge and heauy mace Ad eaſde his ſhoulder from the burthen of his quiuer light. Then tuckt in your attyre he ſhone among the people bright With ougly lockes, and on the alter made the fier flame Receyue (quoth hee) theſe fruits (O ſyre) though fyer ſend the ſame And not the harueſt Sithe: but let with frankinſence good ſtore The fyer burne that far the riche Arabyan therfore Doth gather out of Saba trees for Phoebus ſacrifyce The earth (quoth he) is now at peace, ſo be both ſea and ſkies All beaſtes be conquered, and I am victor come agayne. Lay downe thy lightning leames (O Ioue) in feare thou nede not raign In middeſt of his prayers thus wherat I was agaſt, Hee fell to ſighes and grieuous groanes, and al the ſkyes at laſt With dreadful crying lowde he filles Euen as the braynſick bull. When with the axe in wounde he ſcapes doth fil the temples full Of roaring noyſe. Or as the thunder throwne from heauen doth rumble in the ſkyes, Euen ſo the ſeas and ſtarres of heauen doth Hercles ſhake with cryes Both Calpe clyue, and Cyclas yle wel hard his yellyng haue, Here Caphat rockes there al the woods therof an Echo gaue. Wee ſaw him weepe, the people thought his former franucke fyttes Had now agayne as earſt they did bereaue him of his wites His ſeruaunts ſcatter then for fecare, while he with flaming eyes, Al ſtaryng ſtandes with tleaming lookes among them all he pryes For Lyca: him alone he doth purſew, who in his arme With trembling hand the alter held and ſcaped al the harme,