Hercules Oetaeus (Hercules on Mount Oeta) (Seneca's Tenth Tragedy) · chunk 34 of 44
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Studley, John · published 1581 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) tragedy T20 Hercules: labours, suffering and virtue typicality 0.88 · 515 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T20: hercules, hercles, ioue, deianeira, alcides, hand, lo, death, skies, hell.
The silly woman was more woe than ye that bide the smart. Ye will release some part hereof for pity in your heart. For grief of you with her own hand, alas herself she slew Thus more than ye do ask of her, she doth her doing rue Yet is it not your Wife's misdeed that brought you to this plight. No nor my mother's traitorous hand hath wrought this deep deceit. This treason Nessus did contrive whom ye did pay his hire, With arrow shot into his Ribs for rape of Deianire. Thus father with the centaurs blood your shirt was sore embrued. At Nessus' hand the vengeance of your deed thus have ye rued. He hath his will: all is dispatched, our Fates themselves display. This is the day of death to me. Thus erst to me did say, A charmed Oak, and all the wood that range with yelling noise Of Parnass hill the Temples shook, and thundered out this voice. The dead man's hand whom thou before hast slain, O Hercules shall murder thee again. Thou having mot the space of gulf and ground, And depth of hell, hear shall thou be confound. I therefore do bewail no more, such should our ending be. That Hercles' conquered after him no man alive may see. Now let me die a manly death, a stout and excellent, And meet for me: this noble day shall valiantly be spent. Fell all the Timber on the ground hew down all OEta wood. Let coals devour Hercules, let fire fry his blood. But ere I die thou noble Imp of paeans royal race. This doleful duty do for me: See that an whole day space, My funeral fire flaming burne. And now my tender Hill, The last petition of my mouth make unto thee I will. Among the captive Ladies, one there is, a noble Dame, Of royal blood, Euritus' Child, Iole is her name: Accept her to thy spousal Bed, whom victor I unkind Have trained from her native home and but my heart, and mind Poor silly maid I gave her nought, and now she shall me lose. Lo thus the wretched woman walls her still increasing woes. But let her foster that she hath conceived as Ioues ally, And child to me, be't thine by her that erst begot have I: And as for thee dear mother mine your dreary dole forego, Your Hercules shall live: do not vain tears on him bestow: My manhood made a strumpet thought a Stepdame unto thee, But if that either Hercles' birth show her unsure to be, Or be a man my ster or else be falsified my kin. Now let Ioues juggling cease, and let my mother's slander lin, I have deserved a father well that have advanced so high The glory of the rolling heavens, of nature framed was I. To work the wondrous praise of Ioue, and Ioue himself doth joy, To have the name of Hercules, begetting such a boy. But pardon now my strained tears, but you as Ioue his niece.
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)
The ſilly woman was more woe then ye that bide the ſmart. Ye wil releaſe ſome part hereof for pitty in your hart. For greefe of you with her owne hande, alas her ſelfe ſhe ſlew Thus more then ye do aſke of her, ſhe doth her doyng rewe Yet is it not your Wyfes miſdeede that brought you to this plight. No nor my mothers traytrous hand hath wrought this deepe deceit. This treaſon Neſſus did contriue whom yee did pay his hire, With arrow ſhot into his Ribs for rape of Deianire. Thus father with the Centaures bloud your ſhyrt was ſore embrewde. At Neſſus hand the vengeaunce of your deede thus haue yee rewde. Hee hath his will: all is diſpacht, our Fates themſelues diſplay. This is the day of death to mee. Thus earſt to mee did ſay, A charmed Oake, and all the wood that range with yetling noyſe Of Parnaſſ hill the Temples ſhooke, and thundred out this voyce. The dead mans hand whom thou before haſt ſlayne, O Hercules ſhall murther thee agayne. Thou hauing mot the ſpace of gulph and grounde, And deapth of hell, heare ſhall thou bee confounde. I therefore doe bewayle no more, ſuch ſhould our ending bee. That Hercles conquerde after him no man aliue may ſee. Now let mee dye a manly death, a ſtout and excellent, And meete for mee: this noble day ſhall valiauntly bee ſpent. Fell all the Timber on the grounde hew down all OEta wood. Let coales deuower Hercules, let fyer fry his blould. But ere I dye thou noble Impe of Peans royall race. This dolefull duety doe for mee: See that an whole day ſpace▪ My funerall fier flaming burne. And now my tender Hill, The laſt peticion of my mouth make vnto thee I will. Among the captiue Ladies, one there is, a noble Dame, Of royall bloud, Euritus Chylde, Iole is her name: Accept her to thy ſpouſall Bed, whom victour I vnkind Haue trayned from her natiue home and but my heart, and mynde Poore ſilly mayde I gaue her nought, and now ſhee ſhall mee loſe. Loe thus the wretched woman walles her ſtill encreaſing woes. But let her foſter that ſhe hath conceaued as Ioues ally, And childe to mee, bee't thyne by her that earſt begot haue I: And as for thee deare mother myne your dreary dole forgoe, Your Hercules ſhall liue: doe not vayne teares on him beſtowe: My manhoode made a ſtrumpet thought a Stepdame vnto thee, But if that eyther Hercles byrth ſhewe her vnſure to bee, Or be a man my ſter or els be falſified my kin. Now let Ioues ceaſe, and let my mothers ſlaunder in, I haue deſerued a father well that haue aduaunſt ſo hye The glory of the rolling heauens, of nature tramde was I. To worke the wondrous prayſe of Ioue, and Ioue him ſelfe doth Ioy, To haue the name of Hercules, begetting ſuch a boy. But pardon now my ſtrayned teares, but you as Ioue his niece.