Heywood, Jasper / Seneca, Lucius Annaeus · published 1581 · first performed or written 1559 (Annals) tragedy T7 The Trojan war: conflict and its afterma typicality 0.84 · 514 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T7: hector, troy, achilles, greeks, aeneas, priam, ulysses, troilus, trojan, trojans.
Great is the ransom ought of due to me, Wherewith ye must the spirits and hell appease, Polyxena shall sacrificed be, Upon my tomb, their ireful wrath to please, And with her blood ye shall assuage the seas Your ships may not return to Greece again Till on my tomb Polyxena be slain. And for that she should then have been my wife, I will that Pyrrhus render her to me, And in such solemn sort bereave her life, As ye are wont the weddings for to see, So shall the wrath of Hell appeased be, Nought else but this may satisfy our ire, Her will I have and her I you require. ALas how long the lingering Greekes in haven do make delay, When either war by seas they seek or home to pass their way. Why, show what cause doth hold your ships? and Grecian navy stays, Declare if any of the Gods have stopped your homeward ways. My mind is mai'd, my trembling sin was quake and are afeard, For stranger news of truth than these I think were never heard. Lo I myself have plainly seen in dawning of the day, When Phoebus first 'gan to approach and drive the stars away. The earth all shaken suddenly and from the hollow ground: My thought I heard with roaring cry a deep and dreadful sound: That shook the woods, and all the trees rung out with thunder stroke, From Ida hills down fell the stones, the mountain tops were broke. And not the earth hath only quaked, but all the Sea likewise. Achilles presence felt and knew, and high the surges rise. The cloven ground Erebus pits then showed and deepest dens, That down to Gods that guide beneath, the way appeared from hence. Then shook the tomb from whence anon in flame of fiery light, Appeareth from the hollow caves Achilles noble sprite. As wonted he his Thracian arms and banners to display And wield his weighty weapons well against th'assaults of Troy, The same Achilles seemed he then that he was wont to be Amid the hosts and easy could I know that this was he. With carcase slain in furious fight, that stopped and filled each flood. And who with slaughter of his hand made Xanthus' run with blood, As when in Chariot high he sat with lofty stomach stout. While Hector both and Troy at once he drew the walls about. Aloud he cried, and every coast rang with Achilles' sound, And thus with hollow voice he spoke, from bottom of the ground. The Greeks shall not with little price redeem Achilles' ire, A princely ransom must they give, for so the fates require Unto my ashes Polyxene spoused shall here be slain By Pyrrhus' hand, and all my tomb her blood shall overstain. This said, he straight sank down again to Pluto's deep region, The earth then closed, the hollow caves were vanished and gone Therewith the wether waxed clear, the raging winds did slake, The tumbling seas began to rest and all the tempest broke.
seed 43: T12 · seed 44: T11 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Great is the raunſome ought of due to mee, Wherwith ye muſt the ſprightes and hell appeaſe, Polyxena ſhal ſacrifyſed be, Vpon my tombe, their yreful wrath to pleaſe, And with her bloud ye ſhall aſſwage the ſeas Your ſhips may not returne to Greece agayne Til on my tombe Polyxena be ſlayne. And for that ſhe ſhould then haue bene my wyfe, I wil that Pyrrhus render her to mee, And in ſuch ſolemne ſort bereaue her life, As ye are wont the weddinges for to ſee, So ſhal the wrath of Hel appeaſed bee, Nought els but this may ſatiſfy our yre, Her wil I haue and her I you require. ALas how long the lingring Grekes in hauen do make delay, When eyther warre by ſeas they ſeeke or home to paſſe theyr way. Why, ſhew what cauſe doth hold your ſhips? and Grecian nauy ſtayes, Declare if any of the Gods haue ſtopt your homeward wayes. My mynd is mai'd, my trembling ſinne wes quake and are affeard, For ſtraunger newes of truth then theſe I thinke were neuer heard. Lo I my ſelfe haue playnly ſeene in dawning of the day, When Phoebus firſt gan to approch and driue the ſtarres away. The earth all ſhaken ſodaynly and from the hollow grownde: My thought I hard with roaryng crye a deepe and dreadful ſound: That ſhoke the woods, and al the trees ong out with thunder ſtroke, From Ida hils downe fel the ſtkes, the mountayne oppes were broke. And not the earth hath onely quakt, but all the Sea likewyſe▪ Achilles preſence felt and knew, and high the ſurges ryſe. The clouen ground Erebus pittes then ſhewd and deepeſt dennes, That downe to Gods that guyde beneath, the way appeard from hence. Then ſhoke the tombe from whence anone in flame of fiery light, Appeareth from the hollow caes Achilles noble ſpright. As wonted he his Thracian armes and bannars to diſploy And weild his weighty weapons wel agaynſt thaſſaultes of Troy, The ſame Achilles ſeemde he than that he was wont to bee Amid the hoſtes and eaſy could I know that this was hee. With carkaſſe ſlayne in furious fight, that ſtopt and fild each floude. And who with ſlaughter of his hand made Xanthus rne with bloud, As when in Chariot high he ſate with lofty ſtomacke ſtoute. Whyle Hector both and Troy at once he drew the walles aboute. Alowd he cride, and euery coaſt rang with Achilles ſound, And thus with hollow voyce he ſpake, from bottom of the ground. The Greekes ſhal not with litle pryce redeeme Achilles yre, A princely raunſome muſt they geue, for ſo the fates require Vnto my aſhes Polyxene ſpouſed ſhal here be ſlayne By Pyrrhus hand, and al my tombe her bloud ſhal ouerſtayne. This ſayd, he ſtrayght ſanke downe agayne to Plutoes deepe region, The earth then cloaſd, the hollow caues were vaniſhed and gon Therwith the wether waxed clere, the raging wyndes did ſlake, The tombling ſeas began to reſt and al the tempeſt brake.