Thyestes (Seneca's Second Tragedy) · chunk 12 of 24
Heywood, Jasper / Seneca, Lucius Annaeus · published 1581 · first performed or written 1560 (Annals) tragedy T34 Thebes and royal catastrophe: siege, sla typicality 0.82 · 504 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T34: thebes, antigone, polynices, creon, eteocles, war, theban, gods, dear, country.
A just reward for such deserts, the Gods (O brother dear) Repay to thee: but on my head a regal crown to wear, My loathsome life denies: and far doth from the sceptre flee My hand unhappy: in the midst let leeful be for me Of men to lurk. this kingdom can with twain full well agree. whatever is (O brother) yours, I count it mine to be. Who would dame fortune's gifts refuse, if she him raise to reign? The gifts of her each man it wots, how soon they pass again. Ye me deprive of glory great, except ye th'empire take. You have your praise in offering it, and I it to forsake. And full persuaded to refuse the kingdom, am I still. Except your part ye will sustain mine own forsake I will. I take it then. and bear I will the name thereof alone: The rights and arms, as well as mine they shall be yours each one. The regal crown as you beseems upon your head then take: And I th'appointed sacrifice for Gods, will now go make. Would any man it ween? that cruel wight Atreus, of mind so impotent to see Was soon astonished with his brother's sight, Mo greater force than piety may be: Where kindred is not, lasteth every threat, Whom true love holds, it holds eternally. The wrath but late with causes kindled great All favour broke, and did to battle cry, When horsemen did resound one every side, The swords each where, then glistered more & more: Which raging Mars with often stroke did guide The fresher blood to shed yet thirsting sore. But love the sword against their wills doth suage, And them to peace persuades with hand in hand. So sudden rest, amid so great a rage What God hath made? throughout Mycenae's land The harness clinked, but late of civil strife: And for their babes did fearful mother quake, Her armed spouse to lose much feared the wife, When sword was made the scabbard to forsake, That now by rest with rust was overgrown. Some to repair the walls that did decay, And some to strength the towers half overthrown, And some the gates with gins of iron to stay Full busy were, and dreadful watch by night From turret high did overlook the town. Worse is then war itself the fear of fight. (Now are the threats of cruel sword laid down, And now the rumour whists of battles sown, The noise of crooked trumpet silent lies, And quiet peace returns to joyful town. So when the waxes of swelling surge arise, While Corus wind the Brutian seas doth smite, And Scylla sounds from hollow Caves within, And Shipmen are with wafting waves affright, Charybdis casts that erst it had drunk in: And Cyclops fierce his father yet doth dread, In AEtna bank that fervent is with heats, lest quenched be with waves that overshed The fire that from eternal Furnace beats: And poor Laërtes thinks his kingdoms all
seed 43: T30 · seed 44: T33 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
A iuſt reward for ſuch deſerts, the Gods (O brother deare) Repay to thee: but on my head a regall crowne to weare, My lothſome lyfe denyes: and farre doth from the ſceptor flee My hand vnhappy: in the mydſt let leefull be for mee Of men to lurke. this kingdome can with twayne full well agree. What euer is (O brother) yours, I count it myne to bee. Who would dame fortunes gifts refuſe, if ſhee him eyſe to raigne? The gyfts of hir eche man it wotes, how ſoone they paſſe againe. Yee me depryue of glory great, except yee th'empyre take. You haue your prayſe in offring it, and I it to forſake. And full perſwaded to refuſe the kingdome, am I ſtill. Except your part yee will ſuſteine myne owne forſake I will. I take it then. and beare I will the name thereof alone: The ryghts and armes, as well as myne they ſhall be yours eche one. The regall crowne as you beſeemes vpon your head then take: And I th'appoyncted ſacrifice for Gods, will now goe make. WOulde any man it weene? that cruell wight Atreus, of mynde ſo impotent to ſee VVas ſoone astonied with his brothers ſight, Mo greater force then pietye may bee: VVhere kynred is not, lasteth euery threat, VVhom true loue holdes, it holdes eternally. The vvrath but late vvith cauſes kyndled great All fauour brake, and did to battayle cry, VVhan horſemen did reſouude one euery ſyde, The ſwoordes eche vvhere, then glyſtred more & more: VVhich raging Mars vvith often ſtroke did guide The freſher bloud to shed yet thyrsting ſore. But loue the ſworde agaynst theyr vvills doth ſwage, And them to peace perſwads vvith hand in hand. So ſodeyne reſt, amid ſo great a rage VVhat God hath made? throughout Mycenas land The harneſſe clynkt, but late of cyuill ſtrife: And for their babes did fearefull mother quake, Her armed ſpouſe to leeſe much fearde the vvyfe, VVhen ſworde vvas made the ſcabberde to forſake, That now by rest vvith rust vvas ouergrowne. Some to repayre the vvalles that did decay, And ſome to ſtrength the towres halfe ouerthrowne, And ſome the gates vvith gyns of Yrne to ſtay Full buſie vvere, and dredfull vvatch by nyght From turret high did ouerlooke the towne. VVocrſe is then warre it ſelfe the feare of fight. (Nowe are the threats of cruell ſworde layde downe, And nowe the rumour whiſts of battayles ſowne, The noyſe of crooked trumpet ſilent lyes, And quiet peace returnes to ioyfull towne. So when the waxes of ſwelling ſurge aryſe, VVhyle Corus wynde the Brutian ſeas doth ſmight, And Scylla ſoundes from hollowe Caues within, And Shipmen are with wafting waues affright, Charybdis caſts that erſt it had drunke in: And Cyclpos fierce his father yet doth dred, In AEtna banke that feruent is with heates, Leaſt quenched be with waues that ouershed The fire that from eternall Fornace beates: And poore Laërtes thinkes his kyngdomes all