Hercules Furens (Mad Hercules) (Seneca's First Tragedy) · chunk 6 of 28
Heywood, Jasper / Seneca, Lucius Annaeus · published 1561 · first performed or written 1561 (Annals) tragedy; literary play T34 Thebes and royal catastrophe: siege, sla typicality 0.78 · 479 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T34: thebes, antigone, polynices, creon, eteocles, war, theban, gods, dear, country.
And th'earth well knows the worker of his quietness to be Away from earth: the prosperous guilt that beareth happy sway, Is virtue called, and now the good to wicked do obey. The right doth stand in might of arms, fear treadeth down the law. Before my face with cruel hand even presently I saw Revengers of their father's reign the sons with sword down cast, And of the noble Cadmus eke himself the offspring last Then slain: I saw his regal crown at once from him away With head byreft. Who Thebes alas enough bewail now may? The fertile land of gods, what lord now quakes it for to know? Out of the fields of which sometime, and fruitful bosom low. The youth upsprong with sword in hand prepared to battle stood: And walls of which Amphion one of mighty Ioue his brood, Hath built with sounding melody in drawing to the stones: To town of whom the parent chief of Gods not only ones Heaven being left hath come, this land that gods above always Receyuds, & which hath made them gods, and (leeful beete to say) Perhaps shall make, with loathsome yoke of bondage is pressed down. O Cadmus stock, and citizens of old Amphion's town, Whereto are ye now fallen? dread ye a cowardly exul thus, His coasts to dwell in laching, and to ours injurious? Who through the world pursues the gyllts and wrong by sea and land, And cruel sceptres broken hath with just and rightful hand, Now absent serves, and what he ea●…e in other doth sustains: And now doth vannyshr Lycus hold of Hercles' Thebes the rain. Yet shall he not: he shall come home, And him with vengeaunte quite, And sudden rife to stars: he will Soon find the way to light, Or make it else. return thou sat, repair to thine in haste: And conqueror to conquered house yet come again at last. Rise up my spouse, and darkness deep repellde of helly shade Break up with hand, if no way may for thee kept back be made, And passage be shut up, return with world uprent by might. And what soever lieth possessed beneath in darkest night, Send out with thee. as when the tops of haughty hills undone A headlong passage making through for hasty flood to run Thou sometime stoodst, when with great might of thine asunder broke The Tempe woods wide open lay: and beaten with thy stroke Of more renowns. what wretches 〈◊〉 most chief wish of all, They soon believe. Nay what they fear to much lest it may fall, They think it never may be shunned, nor rid by remedy. Belief is ready still to dread the worser myse●…ye. Deep drowned, & whelimde, & furthermore with all the world full low Oppressed down, what ways hath he to light again to go?
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)
And th'erthe well knowes the woorker of his quietnes to be Away from earthe: the prosperous gylt that beareth happy swaye, Is vertue callde, and now the good to wycked doo obaye. The ryght doth stande in myght of armes, feare treadeth downe the lawe. Before my face with cruell hande euen presently I sawe Reuengers of theyr fathers reygne the sonnes with swoorde downe cast, And of the noble Cadmus eke hymselfe the ofspryng last Then slayne: I sawe his regall crowne at once from hym awaye With head byreft. Who Thebes alas enough bewayle nowe maye? The fertile lande of godds, what lorde nowe quakes it for to knowe? Out of the fieldes of whiche somtyme, and fruitefull bosome lowe. The youth vpsprong with sworde in hand preparde to battell stoode: And walls of whiche Amphion one of myghty Ioue his broode, Hath buylt with sowndyng melody in drawyng to the stones: To towne of whome the parent cheefe of Godds not onely ones Heauen beyng left hath come, this lande that godds aboue alway Receyuds, & whiche hath made them godds, and (leefull beete to say) Perhapps shall make, with lothsome yoake of bondage is preste downe. O Cadmus stocke, and citezens of olde Amphions towne, Wherto are ye nowe fallne? dreade ye a cowardly exul thus, His coastes to dwell in lachyng, and to ours iniurious? Who through the worlde pursues the gyllts and wrong by sea and lande, And cruell sceptors broken hath with iuste and ryghtfull hande, Nowe absent serues, and what he eae in other doothe sustayns: And nowe doth vannyshr Lycus holde of Hercles Thebes the rayne. Yet shall he not: he shall come home, And hym with vengeaunte quight, And sodayne ryfe to starrs: he wyll Soone fynde the waye to lyght, Or make it ells. returne thou sate, repayre to thyne in haste: And conquerour to conquerde house yet come agayne at laste. Ryse vp my spouse, and darknesse deepe repellde of helly shade Breake vp with hande, yf no way may for thee kept backe bee made, And passage be shette vp, returne with worlde vprent by myght. And what soeuer lythe possest byneathe in darkest nyght, Sende out with thee. as when the topps of haughty hylles vndoon A hedlong passage makyng through for hasty floude to roon Thou somtyme stoodst, whā wt great might of thyne asunder broake The Tempye woods wyde open laye: and beaten with thy stroake Of more renowns. what wretches moste chiefly wyshe of all, They soone beleue. Nay what thei feare to muche least it may fall, They thynke it neuer may bee shoonde, nor rydde by remedy. Beleefe is ready styll to dreade the woorser myseye. Depe drownde, & whelimde, & farthermore with all the worlde full lowe Oppressed downe, what ways hath he to lyght agayne to goe?