Hercules Oetaeus (Hercules on Mount Oeta) (Seneca's Tenth Tragedy) · chunk 39 of 44
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Studley, John · published 1581 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) tragedy T20 Hercules: labours, suffering and virtue typicality 0.85 · 494 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T20: hercules, hercles, ioue, deianeira, alcides, hand, lo, death, skies, hell.
As on in deep despair He lay, and staring up so rolled his eyes into the air To spy if Ioue look down to him from any turret high. Then with his hands displayed to heaven (quoth he) where so thou lie, And lookest down to see thy son, this same, this same is he, Whom one day eeked with a night engendered hath to thee If East and West if Scythia, and every burning plot, That parched is with glowing gleed of Phoebus fire hot Doth sing my praise? and if the earth full satisfied with peace If languishing and wailing words in every town do cease. If none their altars do embrew with any guiltless gore, Than Ioue let my uncaged spirit have heaven for evermore. As for th'infernal dens of death they do not me deter? Nor scowling Pluto's dungeon dark, but Ioue I do abhor. Unto those ghastly Goblins as a stlly shade to go. Sith I am he whose conquering hand gave them their overthrow. Withdraw these foggy clouds of night, display the glimpsing light That Hercles' broiled with flying flames the Gods may have in sight And if thou do deny (O fire) the stars and heaven to me To give me them against thy will thou shalt constrained be, If glutting grief do stop thy speech, the Stygian gulfs set open, Aud let mee dye, but first declare within the heauenly coape, That thou accept'st me as thy soon: this day it shall be wrought, That to be raised aloft to stars, I may be worthy thought. Thou hast done little for me yet: it may be doubted well Whether Ioue did first beget his son, or damned him first to hell. And (quoth he) let my stepdame see, how well I can abide The scorching heat of burning brands: for fire than he cried, And sayth to me O Philoctet in haste upon me throw The burning logs, why quakest thou? dost dastard thou foreslow, For fear to this wicked deed? O coward peasant slave, Thou art to weak to bend my bow, unmeet my shafts to have What ailest thou to look so pale? and as thou seest me lie With cheerful look courageously do thou the fire ply. Behold me wretch that broil and burn my father opes the Skies And unto me son Hercules come, come away he cries. O father Ioue (quoth he) I come: with that I waxed pale And toward him a burning beam with might and main I hale: But back from him the billets fly and tumbling out they leap, And from the limbs of Hercules down falleth all the heap. But he encroacheth on the fire as it from him doth shrink. That many mountains whole were set on fire a man would think No noise was hard, and all was hushed, but that the fire did hiss In Hercles' glowing paunch whenas his liver burning is.
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)
As on in depe diſpayre He lay, and ſtaryng vp ſo rould his eyes into the ayre To ſpye if Ioue looke downe to him from any turret hye. Then with his handes diſplayd to heauen (quoth he) where ſo thou lye, And lokeſt downe to ſe thy ſonne, this ſame, this ſame is hee, Whom one day eeked with a night engendred hath to thee If Eaſt and Weſt if Scithia, and euery burning plot, That parched is with glowing glede of Phoebus fier hot Doth ſing my prayſe? and if the earth ful ſatiſfyde with peace If languiſhing and wayling woords in euery towne doe ceaſe. If none their alters do imbrew with any guiltles gore, Then Ioue let my vncaged ſpirite haue heauen for euermore. As for thinfernall dennes of death they do not me detarre? Nor ſcouling Plutoes dungeon darck, but Ioue I do abhorre. Vnto thoſe gaſtly Goblins as a ſtlly ſhade to goe. Sith I am he whoſe conquering hand gaue them their ouerthrowe. Withdraw theſe foggy clowdes of night, diſplay the glimſyng light That Hercles broyld with flying flames the Gods may haue in ſight And if thou do denye (O fyre) the ſtarres and heauen to mee To geue me them agaynſt thy will thou ſhalt conſtrayned bee, If glutting griefe do ſtop thy ſpeach, the Stygian goulphes ſet oape, Aud let mee dye, but firſt declare within the heauenly coape, That thou accepſt me as thy ſoone: this day it ſhal be wrought, That to bee rayſd aloft to ſtarres, I may be worthy thought. Thou haſt doone litle for me yet: it may be doubted well Whether Ioue did firſt beget his ſonne, or damnd him firſt to hell. And (quoth he) let my ſtepdame ſee, how wel I can abyde The ſcorching heate of burning brandes: for fyer then he cride, And ſayth to me O Philoctet in haſt vppon me throw The burning logges, why quakeſt thou? doſt daſtard thow forſlow, For feare to this wicked deede? O coward peaſant ſlaue, Thou art to weake to bende my bow, vnmeete my ſhaftes to haue What ayleſt thou to loke ſo pale? and as thou ſeeſt mee lye With cherefull looke couragiouſly do thou the fier plye. Behold me wretch that broyle and burne my father opes the Skyes And vnto me ſonne Hercules come, come away he cryes. O father Ioue (quoth he) I come: with that I waxed pale And toward him a burning beame with might and mayne I hale: But backe from him the billets flye and tumbling out they leape, And from the limmes of Hercules downe falleth all the heape. But he encrocheth on the fyre as it from him doth ſhrinke. That many mountaynes whole were ſet on fyer a man would thinke No noyſe was hard, and all was huſht, but that the fyer did hiſſe In Hercles glowing paunch when as his liuer burning is.