Hercules Oetaeus (Hercules on Mount Oeta) (Seneca's Tenth Tragedy) · chunk 41 of 44
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Studley, John · published 1581 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) tragedy T20 Hercules: labours, suffering and virtue typicality 0.93 · 492 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T20: hercules, hercles, ioue, deianeira, alcides, hand, lo, death, skies, hell.
Alone: can flaming Phlegethon thy ghost in torments burn: Or can the mastiff Dog of hell keep down thy woeful sprite? Where then might I come see thy soul and leave this loathed light? When shall I rap at Tartar gate? what jaws shall me devour? What death shall daunt me: goest thou to hell, and hast no power To come again: alas why do I waste, the day in tears and plaint O wretched life why dost thou last thou shouldest droop and saint, And loathe this dreary day: how: can I bear to Ioue again Another noble Hercules, what son may I obtain So valiant to call me thus (Alcmena mother mine) O happy spouse Ampliterio twice happy hast thou been In entering at the dens of death, and through the noble son The Deutis arthy presents quake to see thee thither come. Though thou but forged father were to Hercules of late Whether shall old beldame go whom many kings do hate: If any prince remain with bloody breast and murdering mind Then woe to me: if groaning babes be any left behind, That sorrow for their parents deaths now, now for Hercles' sake Their malice let them wreck on me, on me dire vengeance take If any young Bustris be, I fear the Persians sore Will come and take me captive hence in chains for evermore. If any tyrant feed his horse with gobs of strangers flesh Now let his pampered jades unto my Carcase fall afresh. Perhaps dame Juno coveteth on me to wreck her ire. And on vs of her burning breast will turn the flaming fire Her wreckful hand doth loiter now sith Hercules is slain. And now to feel her spurning spite as harlot I remain. My valiant son is cause of this my womb shall barren be, lest I should bear another child as hardy as was he. Oh whether may Alcmena go? or whether shall she wend? What country or what kingdoms may my careful head defend Where may I couch my wretched corpse, that everywhere am known If I unto my native soil repair among mine own, Eurystheus is of Argo lord thus woefully forlorn. I will to Thebes where I was wed, and Hercules was borne: And where with Ioue I did enjoy dame Venus' dear delight. O blessed woman had I been and in most happy plight, It Ioue with flash of lightning leams and blazing flakes of fire Had smoldered me as Semele was soused at her desire. Would God that Hercles' while he was a babe had ripped been Out of my womb, then wretchedly I should not this have seen The pangs and torments of my son, whose praise doth countervail Even Ioue: then had I learned that death at length might him assail, And take him from my sight: O child, who will remember thee? For now unthankfulness is great in men of each degree:
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)
Alone: can flaming Phelegethon thy ghoſt in torments burne: Or can the maſtie Dogge of hell keepe downe thy woefull ſprite? Where then might I come ſee thy ſoule and leaue this loathed light? When ſhall I rap at Tartar gate? what Iawes ſhall mee deuower? What death ſhall dwnt mee: goeſt thou to hell, and haſt no power To come agayne: alas why do I waſt, the day in teares and O wretched lyfe why doſt thou laſt thou ſhouldeſt droupe and ſaynt, And loath this dreary daye: how: can I beare to Ioue agaye Another noble Hercules, what ſonne may I obtayne So valiunt to call mee thus (Alcmena mother myne) O happy ſpouſe Ampliterio twyſe happy haſt thou bene In entring at the dennes of death, and through the noble ſonne The Deutis arthy preſentes quake to ſee thee thether come. Though thou but forged father were to Hercules of late Whether ſhall old beldam goe whom many kinges do hate: If any prince remayne with blody breaſt and murdring mynde Then woe to mee: if groning babes be any left behynd, That ſorrow for theyr parentes deathes now, now for Hercles ſake Theyr mallice let them wrecke on mee, on mee dyre vengeance take If any young Buſtris be, I feare the Perſians ſore Wil come and take me captiue hence in chaynes for euermore. If any tyrant feede his horce with gubbes of ſtraungers fleſh Now let his pampred iades vnto my Carkſſe fall a freſh. Perhap dame Iun coueteth on me to wrecke her yr. And evs of her burning breaſt wil turne the flaming fire Her wreckful hand doth loyter now ſith Hercules is ſlayne. And now to feele her ſpurning ſpyte as harlot I remayne. My valyant ſonne is cauſe of this my wombe ſhall barrayne be, Leaſt I ſhoul beare another child as hardy as was hee. Oh whether may Alcmena goe? or whether ſhal ſhe wend? What countrey or what kingdomes may my careful hed defend Where may I couch my wretched coarſe, that euery where am knownde If I vnto my natiue ſoyle repayre among myne owne, Euriſteus is of Argoe lord thus woefully forlorne. I wil to Thebes where I was wed, and Hercules was borne: And where with Ioue I did enioy dame Venus deare delight. O bleſſed woman had I bene and in moſt happy plight, It Ioue with flaſh of lightning leams and blaſing flakes of fyre Had ſmolthred me as Semele was ſowſt at her deſyre. Would God that Hercles whyle he was a babe had rypped bene Out of my wombe, then wretchedly I ſhould not this haue ſeene The pangues and tormentes of my ſonne, whoſe prayſe doth coūteruaile Euen Ioue: then had I learnd that death at length might him aſſayle, And take him from my ſight: O child, who wil remember thee? For now vnthankfulnes is great in men of each degree: