Hercules Furens (Mad Hercules) (Seneca's First Tragedy) · chunk 3 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 0.86 · 502 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T20: hercules, hercles, ioue, deianeira, alcides, hand, lo, death, skies, hell.
Despise man's works: thinkest the fierce wight that hell and souls allow Thou haste escaped? nay here I will an other hell the show. In deep mist hid I will call up from bottom low of hell Beyond the ways of guilty ghosts rebatefull goddess fell. where as the roaring dreadful den resounds with cries about, From deepest bond of Ditis' reign beneath I will fet out, what so is left. Let hateful hurt now come in anger wood, And fierce imptetie em●…rewe himself with his own blood, And error eke, and fury armed against itself to foght. This mean, this mean, let wrath of mine now use to show my might. Begin ye servants now of hell: the fervent burning tree Of pine shake up: and set with snakes her dreadful flock to see Let now Megaera bring to sight: and with her mournful hand for burning rogue bring out of hell a huge and direful brand. Do this, require you vengeance due, and pains of hell his spoil, Strike through his breast: let fiercer flame within his bosom boil, Than which in Aetna furnace beats so furiously to see. That mad of mind and witless may Alcides driven be With fury great through pierced quite, myself must first of all Be mad. Wherefore doth Iuno yet not in to raging fall? Me, met, ye Furies, sisters three thrown quite out of my wit Cosse first, if any thing to do I do endeavour yet For stepdame meet: let now my hates be turned an other way. Let him (returned) his babes behold in safety, I you pray, And strong of hand come home: I have now found the day at length, In which may greatly me avail the hated Hercles' strength. Both me, and eke himself let him subdue, and wish to die Returned from hell. yea let it here be my commodity, That he of jous begotten is: here present will I stand, And that his shafts go straight from bow, I will direct his hand: The mad man's weapons will I guide, Even Hercles fighting 〈◊〉 At length i'll aid. This guilt once done then leeful is that so His father may admit to skies those guilty hands of his. The fading stars now shine but seld in sight in stippy sky, night overcome with day, Plucks in her fires, while sprung again is light that day star draws that clear son beams their way. The y●…ye sign of haughty peal again, with seven stars marked that bears of Arcady, Do call the light with overturned wain. with marble horse now drawn his way to hy Doth Titan top of Detha overspread. the bushes bright that now with berries be Of Thebes strewed, by day do blush full red. and to return doth Phoebus' sister flee. Now labour hard begins, and every kind of cares it stirs, the shepherd doth unfold His flocksunpend, do graze their food to find & nips that grass, with hoary frost full cold.
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)
Despise mās works: thinkst ye fierce wight that hell and soules alowe Thou haste escapte? naye here I wyll an other hell the showe. In deepe myste hyd I wyll call vp frome bottome lowe of hell Beyonde the wayes of gylty ghostes rebatefull goddesse fell. where as the roaryng dredfull denne resoundes with cries about, From deepest bonde of Ditis raigne beneathe I will fette out, what so is lefte. Let hatefull hurte nowe come in anger woode, And fierce imptetie emrewe hym selfe with his owne bloode, And errour eke, and fury armde agaynste it selfe to foght. This meane, this meane, let wrath of myne nowe vse to shewe my myght. Begyn ye seruantes nowe of hell: the feruent burnyng tree Of pyne shake vp: and sette with snakes her dredfull flocke to see Lette nowe Megaera bryng to syght: and with her mournefull hande for burnyng roage bryng out of hell a huge and direfull brande. Doo this, require you vengeance due, and paynes of hell his spoyle, Stryke through his breaste: let fiercer flame within his bosome boyle, Then whiche in Aetna fornace beates so furiousely to see. That madde of mynde and witles may Alcides dryuen bee With fury great through pearced quight, my selfe must fyrst of all Be madde. Wherfore dothe Iuno yet not in to ragyng fall? Mee, met, ye Furies, systers three throwne quight out of my wyt Cosse fyrst, yf any thyng to doo I doo endeuour yet For stepdame meete: let now my hates be turnde an other way. Let hym (returnde) his babes beholde in safetie, I you praye, And strong of hande come home: I haue nowe found the day at length, In whiche may greatly me auayle the hated Hercles strengthe. Bothe me, and eke hym selfe let hym subdue, and wyshe to dye Returnde from hell. yea let it here be my commoditye, That he of Ious begotten is: here present wyll I stande, And that his shafts goe streight from bowe, I wyll directe his hande: The mad mans weapons wyll I guyde, Euen Hercles fyghtyng At length Ile ayde. This gylt once doone then leefull is that so His father may admytte to skyes those gyltie handes of his. The fadīg stars now shine but seeld in sight in stipye skye, night ouercome with day, Plucks ī her fires, while sprōg again is light yt dai star draws yt clere sō beams their way. The yye sygne of haughty peale agayne, with seuē starrs markt yt beares of Arcady, Do call the light with ouerturned wayne. with marble hors now drawn his way to hy Doth Titan toppe of Detha ouerspred. the bushes bright that now with beries bee Of Thebes strewd, by day do blush full red. and to returne dothe Phoebus syster flee. Now labor hard begyns, and euery kynde of cares it stirrs, the shepeherd doth vnfolde His flocksvnpēd, do grase their fode to finde & nipps yt grasse, with hoary frost ful colde.