Thyestes (Seneca's Second Tragedy) · chunk 15 of 24
Heywood, Jasper / Seneca, Lucius Annaeus · published 1560 · first performed or written 1560 (Annals) tragedy unassigned nearest T36 Hell, Furies and the language of punishm · 585 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T36: hell, earth, gods, death, ghosts, blood, bloody, heaven, night, ghost.
He is himself the priest, and he himself the deadly verse With prayer dire from fervent mouth doth sing and oft rehearse. And he at th'altars standꝭ himself, he them assygnde to die Doth handle, and in order set, and to the knife apply, He lightꝭ the fires, no rights were lefts of sacrifice undone. The wood tken quakte, and all at ones from trembling ground anon The Palace beckte, in doubt which way the poise thereof would fall, And shaking as in waves it stood: from thair and therewithal A blazing star that foulest train drew after him doth go: The wines that in the fires were cast, with changed licourfloe, And turn to blood: and twice or thrice that tire fell from his head, The jucrie bright in Temples seemed to weep and tears to shed. The sights amazed all other men, but steadfast yet always Of mind, unmoved Atreus stands, and even the gods doth fray That threaten him, and all delay forsaken by and bye To th'altars turns, and therewithal a side he looks awry. As hungry tiger wonts that doth in gangey woods remain With doubtful pace to range and roam between the bullocks twain, Of either pray full covetous, and yet uncertain where She first may bite, and roaring throat now turns the tone to tear And then to ●…hother straight returns, and doubtful famine holds: So Atreus dire, between the babes doth stand and them beholds On whom he points to slake his ire: first slaughter where to make, He doubts: or whom he should again for second offering take, Yet skills it nought, but yet he doubts, and such a cruelty It him deligths to order well. Whom take he first to die? First place, least in him think ye might no piete to remain To grandsire dedicated is, first Tantalus is slain. With what a mind and countenance, could the boy his death sustain? All careless of himself he stood, nor once he would in vain His prayers lose. But Atreus fierce the sword in him at last In deep and deadly wound doth hide to hilts, and gripping fast His throat in hand, he thrust him through. The sword then drawn away When long the body had upheld itself in doubtful stay, Which way to fall, at length upon the uncle down it falls. And then to th'altars cruelly Philisthenes he tralles, And on his brother throws: and straygh●… his neck of cutteth he. The carcase headlong falls to ground: apite●…us thing to see, The mourning head, with murmur yet uncertain doth complain. What after double death doth h●… and slaughter then of twain? Spares he the child? or gilt on gilt again yet heapeth he? As long maned Lion fierce amid the wood of Armenia, The drove pursues and conquest makes of slaughter many one, Though now defiled be his jaws with blood, and hunger gone Yet slaketh not his Ireful rage, with blood of bulls so great, But slothful now, with weighed tooth the lesser calves doth threat: None other wise doth Atreus' rage, and swells with anger strained, And holding now the sword in hand●… with double slaughter stained, Regarding not where fell his rage, with cursed hand unmild He struck it through his body quite: at bosom of the child The blade goeth in, and at the back again out went the same. He falls, and quenching with his blood the altars sacred flame, Of either wound at length he dieth.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
He is him selfe the preest, and he him selfe the dedly verse With praier dyre from feruent mouthe dothe syng and ofte reherse. And he at thaulters standꝭ him selfe, he them assygnde to die Dothe handle, and in order set, and to the knife applie, He lightꝭ the fyres, no rights were lefts of sacryfice vndone. The woode tken quakte, and all at ones from tremblyng grounde anone The Palaice beckte, in doubte whiche way the payse therof woulde fall, And shakyng as in waues it stoode: from thayre and therwithall A blasyng starre that foulest trayne drewe after him dothe goe: The wynes that in the fyres were cast, with changed licourfloe, And turne to bloud: and twyse or thryse that tyre fell from his hed, The Iucrie bright in Temples seemde to weepe and teares to shed. The sights amasde all other men, but stedfast yet alway Of mynde, vnmoued Atreus stands, and euen the godds dothe fray That threaten him, and all delay forsaken by and bye To thaulters turnes, and therwithall a syde he lookes awrye. As hungrie tygre woonts that dothe in gangey woods remayne With doubtfull pace to range and roame betweene the bullocks twayne, Of eyther praye full couetous, and yet vncertayne where She fyrst may bite, and roryng throate now turnes the tone to teare And then to hother straight returnes, and doubtfull famine holdes: So Atreus dire, betwene the babes dothe stand and them beholdes On whome he poyntes to slake his yre: fyrst slaughter where to make, He doubtes: or whome he shoulde agayne for seconde offryng take, Yet skylls it nought, but yet he doubtes, and suche a crueltie It him deligths to order well. Whome take he fyrst to die? First place, least in him thinke ye might no piete to remayne To grandsier dedicated is, fyrst Tantalus is slayne. With what a minde and countnaunce, coulde the boye his death sustayne? All careles of him selfe he stoode, nor once he woulde in vayne His prayers leese. But Atreus fierce the swoorde in him at last In deepe and deadly wounde dothe hide to hilts, and gripyng fast His throate in hand, he thrust him throughe. The swoorde then drawne awaye When long the body had vphelde it selfe in doubtfull staye, Whiche way to fall, at lengthe vppon the vnkle downe it falles. And then to thaulters cruellie Philisthenes he tralles, And on his brother throwes: and straygh his necke of cutteth hee. The carcase hedlong falles to grounde: apiteus thyng to see, The mournyng hed, with murmure yet vncertayne dothe complayne. What after double deathe dothe h and slaughter then of twayne? Spares he the childe? or gilt on gilt agayne yet heapeth he? As long maend Lyon feerce amid the wood of Armenie, The droue pursues and conquest makes of slaughter many one, Though now defiled be his iawes with bloude, and hunger gone Yet slaketh not his Irefull rage, with bloud of bulles so greate, But slouthfull now, with weery toothe the lesser calues dothe threate: None other wyse dothe Atreus rage, and swels with anger straynde, And holdyng now the sworde in hand with double slaughter staynde, Regardyng not where fell his rage, with cursed hand vnmilde He strake it through his body quight: at bosome of the childe The blade gothe in, and at the backe agayne out went the same. He falles, and quenchyng with his bloud the aulters sacred flame, Of eyther wounde at lengthe he dieth.