Hercules Oetaeus (Hercules on Mount Oeta) (Seneca's Tenth Tragedy) · chunk 36 of 44
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Studley, John · published 1581 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) tragedy T20 Hercules: labours, suffering and virtue typicality 0.83 · 515 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T20: hercules, hercles, ioue, deianeira, alcides, hand, lo, death, skies, hell.
Among the rascal sprites, but sit on bench by Aeacus' side, And with the judges twain of Crete as Umpire there to be, Appointing pains to souls that may to their deserts agree. From slaughter hold your guiltless hands, bath not your blades in blood. Ye states, that bear high sail on earth, and float in worldly good: It merits praise a maiden sword undipped in gore to bear, And while thou rain, to keep thy realm from cruel doings clear. But virtue hath a privilege to pass unto the skies. Toth' top of frozen Apple tree O Hercules wilt thou rise? Or where the sun with scorching blaze his burning beams doth rest? Or wilt thou be a shining star amid the lukewarm west? Where Calpe Rock is heard with roaring noise of wrestling wave? What place amid the azure sky intendest thou to have? What place shall be in all the heavens from hurly-burly free? When Hercules amid the stars shall entertained be? Let Ioue appoint thy biding from the ugly Lion far, And burning Crab▪ lest thou with grisly countenance do them scar. And make the trembling stars in heaven for fear to break array And Titan quake: while spring doth prank with flowers the tender spray. Then hasty winter strip the trees of all their branches green. Or sudden Summer decked with leaves in bushy woods be seen. And from the trees the Apples fall, the harvest being done: No age on earth shall wipe away the fame that thou hast won. As far as Sun, or Stars can shine, thy glorious name shall go. Amid the bottom of the Sea first Corn shall sprout, and grow, And brackish Seas his water's salt to water fresh shall change: And fixed star of icy bear from Clime to Climb shall range, And sink into the frozen pool against his kindly sway, Ere people cease the honour of thy triumphs to display: O sovereign Ioue we wretched wights this boon of thee do crave, No monstrous beasts, no noisome plagues, hereafter let us have: With bloody champions let the earth encumbered be no more: Cast down the haughty sway of Courts: if aught annoyance sore Shall cloy the earth, a champion to be our shield we cave, Whom as an honour of the Crown his rueful realm may have. (That still will keep his sword from being taint with guiltless blood.) But lo what means this rumbling noise? Lo Hercles' ster doth groan, And sigheth for his son: is it the Gods that wail, and moan. Or is it Juno's fearful shriek, whom Hercles' doth aggrise, That seeing him for fear she roars, and runneth from the skies. Or else did Atlas faltering feet with feeble stirring stumble? And shrinking from his tottering weight thus force the Gods to rumble? Or scared he the wauling ghosts, the which to fear he drove? Or Cerberus burst his jingling Chains with buskling in his cave. It is not so: but lo where Philoctetes doth appear, And Hercles' famous shafts to him bequeathed doth he bear.
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)
Among the raſcall ſprites, but ſit on bench by Eacus ſide, And with the Iudges twayne of Creete as Umpier there to bee, Appoynting paynes to ſoules that maye to their deſartes agree. Frō ſlaughter hold your guiltleſse hands, bath not your blades in bloud. Yee ſtates, that beare high ſayle on earth, and floae in worldly good: It merits prayſe a mayden ſword vndipt in goare to beare, And while thou rayne, to keepe thy realme from cruell doings cleare. But vertue hath a pryuiledge to paſſe vnto the ſkies. To'th top of froſen Apell tree O Hercules wilt thou ryſe? Or where the ſunne with ſcorching blaze his burning beames doth reſt? Or wilt thou bee a ſhyning ſtarre amid the lukewarme weſt? Where Calpe Rocke is heard with roaring noyſe of wraſtling waue? What place amid the azur ſkye entendeſt thou to haue? What place ſhall be in all the heauens from hurley burley free? When Hercules amid the ſtarres ſhall entertayned bee? Let Ioue appoynt thy byding from the ougly Lion farre, And burning Crab▪ leaſt thou with gryſely countnaunce do thē ſkarre. And make the trembling ſtarres in heauen for feare to breake aray And Titan quake: while ſpring doth prank with flowers y• tender ſpray. Then haſty winter ſtrip the trees of all their braunches greene. Or ſudden Summer deckt with leaues in buſſhy woods be ſeene. And from the trees the Apples fall, the harueſt being doone: No age on earth ſhall wipe away the fame that thou haſt woone. As farre as Sun, or Stars can ſhyne, thy glorious name ſhall goe. Amid the botome of the Sea firſt Corne ſhall ſprout, and grow, And brackiſh Seas his waters ſalt to water freſh ſhall chaunge: And fixed ſtarre of yſy beare from Clime to Clyme ſhall raunge, And ſink into the frozen poole agaynſt his kindly ſway, Ere people ceaſe the honour of thy triumphes to diſplay: O ſoueraygne Ioue wee wretched wightes this boone of thee doe craue, No monſtrous beaſtes, no noyſome plagues, hereafter let vs haue: With bloudy champions let the earth encombred bee no more: Caſt downe the hauty ſway of Courtes: if ought annoyaunce ſore Shall cloy the earth, a champion to bee our ſhylde wee caue, Whom as an honour of the Crowne his ruefull realme may haue. (That ſtil will keepe his ſwerd from being taint with guiltleſſe bloud.) But loe what meanes this rumbling noyſe? Ioe Hercles ſter doth grone, And ſigheth for his ſonne: is it the Gods that wayle, and mone. Or is it Iunoes fearefull ſhrike, whom Hercles doth aggriſe, That ſeeing him for feare ſhee roares, and rnneth from the ſkyes. Or els did Atlas faltring feete with feeble ſturring ſtumble? And ſhrinking from his tottring waight thus force the Gods to rumble? Or ſcared he the wauling ghoſtes, the which to feare he draue? Or Cerberus braſt his gingling Chaynes with buſkling in his caue. It is not ſo: but loe where Philoctetes doth appeare, And Hercles famous ſhaftes to him bequeathed doth hee beare.