Thyestes (Seneca's Second Tragedy) · chunk 16 of 24
Heywood, Jasper / Seneca, Lucius Annaeus · published 1581 · first performed or written 1560 (Annals) tragedy unassigned nearest T36 Hell, Furies and the language of punishm · 532 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T36: hell, earth, gods, death, ghosts, blood, bloody, heaven, night, ghost.
O heinous hateful act. Abhor ye this? ye hear not yet the end of all the fact, There follows more. A fiercer thing, or worse than this to see Could Nature bear? why think ye this of guilt the end to be? It is but part. what could he wore? to cruel beasts he cast Perhaps their bodies to be torn, and kept from fires at last. Would God he had: that never tomb the dead might over hide, Nor flames dissolve, though them for food to fowls in pastures wide He had out thrown, or them for prey to cruel beasts would fling. That which the worst was wont to be, were here a wished thing, That them their father saw untombed: but oh more cursed crime Uncredible, the which deny will men of after time: From bosoms yet alive out drawn the trembling bowels shake, The veins yet breath, the fearful heart doth yet both pant and quakes But he the strings doth turn in hand, and destinies behold, And of the guts the signs each one doth view not fully cold. When him the sacrifice had pleased, his diligence hē puts To dress his brother's banquet now: and straight a fonder cuts The bodies into quarters all, and by the stumps anon The shoulders wide, and brawns of arms be strikes of every one. He lays abroad their naked limbs, and cuts away the bones: The only heads he keeps and hands to him committed once. Some of the guttes are broacht. and in the fyres that burne full oe They drop, the boiling liquor some doth tumble to end fro In morning cauldron: from the flesh that overstands aloft The fire doth fly, and scatter out and into chimney oft Up heat again, and there constrained by force to tarry yet Unwilling burns: the liver makes great noise upon the spit, Nor easily wot I, if the flesh, or flames they be that bry, But cry they do: the fire like pitch it fumeth by an by: Nor yet the smake itself so sad, like filthy mist in sight Ascendeth up as wont it is, nor takes his way upright, But even the Gods and house it doth with filthy turn defile. O patient Phoebus though from hence thou backward flee the while, And in the midst of heaven above dost drown the broken day, Thou fleest to late: the father eats his children, well away, And limbs to which he once gave life, with cursed jaw doth tear. He shines with ointment shed full sweet all round about his hear, Replete with wine; and oftentimes so cursed kind of food His mouth hath held, that would not down. but yet this one thing good In all thy ills (Thyestes) is that them thou dost not know, And yet shall that not long endure, though Titan backward go And chariots turn against himself, to meet the ways be went, And heavy night so heinous deed to keep from sight be sent, And out of time from East arise, so foul a fact to hide, Yet shall the whole at length be seen: thy ills shall all be spied.
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)
O'heynous hateful act. Abhore ye this? ye heare not yet the end of all the fact, There followes more. A fiercer thing, or worſe then this to ſee Could Nature beare? why thinke ye this of gylt the end to be? It is but part. what could he wore? to cruel beaſtes he caſt Perhappes their bodyes to be torne, and kept from fyres at laſt. Would God he had: that neuer tombe the dead might ouer hyde, Nor flames diſſolue, though them for food to foules in paſtures wyde He had out throwen, or them for pray to cruell beaſtes would flinge. That which the worſt was wont to be, were here a wiſhed thing, That them their father ſaw vntowbd: but oh more curſed crime Uncredible, the which denye will men ef after tyme: From boſomes yet aliue out drawne the trembling bowels ſhake, The vaynes yet breath, the ſcareful hart doth yet both pant and quakes But he the ſtringes doth turne in hand, and deſtenies beholde, And of the guttes the ſygnes each one doth vewe not fully cold. When him the ſacrifyce had pleaſo, his diligence ē puttes To dreſſe his brothers banquet now: and ſtreight a fonder cuttes The bodyes into quarters all, and by the ſtoompes anone The ſhoulders wyde, and brawnes of armes be ſtrikes of euerythune. He layes abroad their naked limes, and cuts away the bones: The onely heads he kepes and handes to him committed once. Some of the guttes are broacht. and in the fyres that burne full oe They drop, the boyling Itcour ſome doth tomble to end froe In moorning cawderne: from the fleſh that ouerſtandes alorft The fyre doth flye, and ſkatter out and into chimney ofte Up heat agayne, and there conſtraynd by force to tary yet Unwilling burnes: the liuer makes great nopse vpon the ſpit, Nor eaſely wot I, if the fleſh, or flaies they be that bry, But crye they do: the fyre like pitch it fumeth by an by: Nor yet the ſmake it ſelfe ſo ſad, like flithy miſte in ſight Aſcendeth vp as wont it is, nor takes his way vpright, But euen the Gods and houſe it doth with fylithy turne defiſe. O pacient Phoebus though from hence thou backeward flee the whyle, And in the midſt of heauen aboue doſt drowne the broken day, Thou fleeſt to late: the father eats his children, well away, And limmes to which he once gaue life, with curſed iaw doth teare. He ſhynes with oyntment ſhed ful ſweete all round about his heare, Replete with wyne; and aftentymes ſo curſed kynd of food His mouth hath held, that would not downe. but yet this one thing good In all thy yls (Thyeſtes) is that them thou doſt not knoe, And yet ſhal that not long andure, though Titan backward goe And chariots turne agaynſt himſelfe, to meete the wayes be went, And heauy night ſo heynous deede to keepe from ſight be ſent, And out of tyme from Eaſt aryſe, ſo foule a fact to hyde, Yet ſhall the whole at length be ſeene: thy ylles ſhall all be ſpide.