Hercules Oetaeus (Hercules on Mount Oeta) (Seneca's Tenth Tragedy) · chunk 35 of 44
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Studley, John · published 1581 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) tragedy T20 Hercules: labours, suffering and virtue typicality 0.86 · 515 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T20: hercules, hercles, ioue, deianeira, alcides, hand, lo, death, skies, hell.
Shall as a stately matron be among the Dames of Greece. Though Iuno with the thunderer in spousal chamber lies And in her heavenly hand doth wield the sceptre of the skies, whenever bore she such a Babe, and yet though heaven she hold In heart against a mortal man she fosters malice old, For spirit that borne of woman's womb be counted thus I should. Go Titan go, run out thy Race, thee only I forsake. I that went with thee foot by foot now to th'infernal lake. And Ghosts, I go yet with this praise toth' pit down will I pass That Hercules of open foe yet never foiled was. But he in open combats brought his conquests all to pass. O Titan crowned with blasting bush whose morning moistures make The Moon her foamy bridle from her tired team to take. Declare toth' Easterlings whereas the ruddy morn doth rise. Declare unto the Irishmen aloof at western Skies. Make known unto the Moores annoyed by flaming axentree. Those that with the icy Wain of Archas pestered be. Display to these that Hercules to th'eternal ghosts is gone And to the bawling mastiff's den from whence returneth none. With dusky damp of filthy fog O Titan choke thy blaze, With lowering light of wanny Globe on woeful worldlings gaze, And let thy head be muffled up with clouds and darkness dim. For Hercles' sake, when shall thou find, or where the like to him? (O wretched world to whom wilt thou henceforth thy woes complain,) If any scattering pestilence on earth shall be renewed, By venom rank, from poison mouth of scaly Dragon spewed: If any Boar of Arcady shall cumber all a wood, And tear the travelers flesh with tusk imbrued in gory blood: If any champion rough of Thrace with heart more hard in breast, Then are the icy rocks, where as the frozen Bear doth rest, Shall trample thick his stables foul with blood of slaughtered men, When people quake for fear of war, who shall assist them then? If wrathful Gods for vengeance will some monsters to be bred? Lo now enfeebled all of force his Carcase lieth dead, Whom Nature's mould had made a match to thundering Ioue in strength. Hale out (alas) and let your plaint be heard to towns at length. Let women beat their naked arms, and wring their trembling hands, Untruss their hair, and from their locks pluck of their binding bands. bolt up, and lock the Temple gates of Gods, and ope be none, But desperate Juno's chapel doors. O Hercles' thou art gone To Lethe's lake, and stream of Styx, from whence no Keel again Shall bring thee back: O silly soul thou goest to remain Among the grisly goblins grim: from whence thou whilom came With triumph sooner daunted death, and conquest of the same. With ghastly face, and carrion arms, and neck that yields to weight, Thy ghost returns, but Carons boat then shall not have her freight. As balanced with thy only poise, and yet shalt thou not bide
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)
Shall as a ſtately matrone bee among the Dames of Greece. Though Iuno with the thunderer in ſpouſall chamber lyes And in her heauenly hand doth weilde the ſcepter of the ſkies, When euer bare ſhee ſuch a Babe, and yet though heauen ſhe hould In heart agaynſt a mortall man ſhe foſters mallice oulde, For ſpighte that borne of womans womb becounted thus I ſhould. Goe Tican goe, run out thy Race, thee onely I forſake. I that went with thee foote by foote nowe to th'infernall lake. And Ghoſtes, I go yet with this prayſe to'ch pit down will I paſſe That Hercules of open foe yet neuer foyled was. But hee in open combats brought his conqueſts all to paſſe. O Titan crownd with blaſing buſh whoſe morning moyſtures make The Moone her foamy bridell from her tyred teame to take. Declare to'th Eaſterlinges whereas the ruddy morne doth ryſe. Declare vnto the Irishmen aloofe at weſtern Skies. Make knowne vnto the Moores annoyed by flaming axentree. Thoſe that with the yſy Wayne of Archas peſtred bee. Diſplay to theſe that Hercules to th'eternall ghoſtes is gone And to the bauling maſtriffes den from whence returneth none. With duſky dampe of filthy fog O Titan choake thy blaze, With lowring light of wanny Globe on wofull wordlings gaze, And let thy head bee muffled vp with cloudes and darkneſſe dim. For Hercles ſake, when ſhall thou finde, or where the like to him? (O wretched worlde to whom wilt thou henceforth thy woes cōplaine,) If any ſcattring peſtilence on earh ſhall be renewde, By benom ranck, from poyſon mouth of ſcaly Dragon ſpewde: If any Bore of Arcadie ſhall comber all a wood, And teare the trauelers fleſh with tuſke embrewed in goary blood: If any champion rough of Thrace with heart more hard in breaſt, Then are the yſy rockes, where as the frozen Beare doth reſt, Shall trample thicke his ſtables fowle with bloud of ſlaughterd men, When people quake for feare of warre, who ſhall aſſiſt them then? If wrathfull Gods for vengeaunce will fohe monſters to be bread? Loe nowe enfebled all of force his Karkaſſe lyeth dead, Whom Natures moulde had made a match to thūdring Ioue in ſtrēgth. Hale out (alas) and let your playnt be hearde to townes at length. Let women beat their naked armes, and wring their trembling handes, Untruſse their hayre, and from theyr locks pluck of their binding bands. Boult vp, and lock the Temple gates of Gods, and ape bee none, But deſpret Iunoes Chapple doares. O Hercles thou art gone To Lethes lake, and ſtreame of Stix, from whence no Keele agayne Shall bring thee backe: O ſilly ſoule thou goeſt to remayne Among the griſely goblins grymme: from whence thou whilom came With triumph ſooner daunted death, and conqueſt of the ſame. With gaſtly face, and karrayne armes, and neck that yeeldes to waight, Thy ghoſt returnes, but Carons boate then ſhall not haue her fraight. As balaſed with thy onely payſe, and yet ſhalt thou not byde