Hercules Furens (Mad Hercules) (Seneca's First Tragedy) · chunk 1 of 28
Heywood, Jasper / Seneca, Lucius Annaeus · published 1561 · first performed or written 1561 (Annals) tragedy; literary play T20 Hercules: labours, suffering and virtue typicality 0.72 · 507 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T20: hercules, hercles, ioue, deianeira, alcides, hand, lo, death, skies, hell.
ISyster of the thunderer, (for now that name alone remains to me) Ioue evermore as though devorste and gone, And temples of the highest air as w●…we shunned have, And beaten out of skies above the place to harlots gave. I muite go dwell beneath on ground, for whores do hold the sky. From hens the bear in part above of y●…ye p●…le full high, A haughty star the greekysh ships by seas doth guide about. From this way, whence at spring time warm the days is loased out, Europ●…es bearer through the waves of Tyria shines full bright. From this, their stormy fearful flock to ships, and seas affright, The wandering daughters here and there of Atlas' upward sway. With staring bush of hear from hens Orion gods doth fray: And Perseus eke his glittering stars of golden gloss hath here. From hens the twynns of Tyndar's stocks do shine, a sign full clear: And at whose birth first stood the ground that erst went too and fro. Nor only Bacchus now himself, or Bacchus' mother lo, Have clymbde to gods: lest any part should from rebuke be free, The skies the Gnossian strumpets crowns do bear in spite of me. But I of ollde contempts complain: me, one dire, fierce, and shrewd Thebana land, with wicked brood of Ioues base daughters strewed, How oft hath it a stepdame made? though up to heaven should rise, The conquering drab Alcmene now, and hold my place in skies, And eke her son to promysde stars obtain the worthy way, At birth of whom the staying world so long deferrde the day, And Phoebus' slow from morning sea began to glister bright, Commanded long in th'ocean waves to hide his drowned light: Yet shall my hates not leave them so. a wrathful kindling rage's His mind in madness shall stir up, and ire that may not swag●… Shall evermore (all peace laid down) wage wars eternally. What wars? what ever hideous thing the earth his enemy Begets, or what soever sea, or air hath brought to sight Both dreadful, dire, and pestplent, of cruel flercest might, 'tis tierde, and taemde: he passeth all, and name by ills doth raise, And all my wrath he doth enjoy: and to his greater praise He turns my hates: while tedious tails to much I him beehest, He proves what father him begot. both the●…, where light epprect Hath sea, and where it showed again, where ●…an day doth crayne, And with his brand approaching near doth die those Aethiops twain, His strength untamde is honoured: and god each where is he Now called in world. and now more 〈◊〉 of monsters want to me, And labour less to Hercles is t'accomplyshe all my will, Then me to bid: at ease he doth mine imperies fulfil. What cruel hests of tyrant now so fierce a young man may Prevail to hurt? for lo he bears for weapons now away What once he feared, and put to flight: he armed comes at side
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)
ISyster of the thunderer, (for nowe that name alone remaynes to me) Ioue euermore as though deuorste and gone, And temples of the hyghest ayre as wwe shunned haue, And beaten out of skyes aboue the place to harlots gaue. I muite goe dwell beneathe on grounde, for hoores doo holde the skye. From hens the beare in parte aboue of yye ple full hye, A haughty starre the greekysh shypps by seas dothe guyde about. Frō this way, whēs at spryng tyme warme the days is loased out, Europes bearer through the waues of Tyria shynes full bright. From ths, their stormy fearefull flocke to shypps, and seas affright, The wandryng daughters here and there of Atlas vpwarde swaye. With staryng bushe of heare from hens Orion gods dothe fraye: And Perseus eke his glyttryng starres of golden glosse hathe heere. From hens the twynns of Tyndars stocks doe shyne, a sygne full clere: And at whose byrth fyrst stoode the grounde that erste went too and fro. Nor onely Bacchus nowe hymselfe, or Bacchus mother lo, Haue clymbde to gods: least any parte shoulde from rebuke be free, The skyes the Gnossian strumpets crounes doe beare in spight of mee. But I of ollde contempts complayne: me, one dire, fierce, and shrewde Thebana lande, with wicked broode of Ioues base daughters strewde, Howe ofte hath it a stepdame made? though vp to heauen shoulde rise, The conqueryng drabbe Alcmena nowe, and holde my place in skies, And eke her sonne to promysde starres obtayne the woorthye waye, At byrthe of whome the staying worlde so long deferrde the daye, And Phoebus slowe from mornyng sea begoon to glyster bryght, Commaunded long in th'ocean waues to hyde his drowned lyght: Yet shall my hates not leaue them so. a wrathfull kyndlyng rage His mynde in madnesse shall styrre vp, and yre that maye not swag Shall euermore (all peace layde downe) wage warres eternally. What warrs? what euer hydous thyng the earthe his ennemy Begetts, or what soeuer sea, or ayre hath brought to syght Bothe dredfull, dire, and pestplent, of cruell flercest myght, Tis tierde, and taemde: he passeth all, and name by ylls dothe rayse, And all my wrathe he dothe enioye: and to his greatter prayse He turnes my hates: whyle tedyous tayles to muche I hym beehest, He proues what father hym begot. bothe the, where lyght epprect Hath sea, and where it showde agayne, where an daye dothe crayne, And with his brande approchyng neere dothe dye those Aethiops twayne, His strengthe vntamde is honoured: and god eche where is he Nowe calde in world. and nowe more of monsters want to me, And labour lesse to Hercles is t'accomplyshe all my wyll, Then me to bydde: at ease he doothe myne imperies fulfyll. What cruell hestes of tyraunt nowe so fierce a yong man maye Preuayle to hurte? for loe he beares for weapons nowe awaye What once he fearde, and put to flyght: he armed comes at syde