Hercules Furens (Mad Hercules) (Seneca's First Tragedy) · chunk 9 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 0.82 · 476 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T34: thebes, antigone, polynices, creon, eteocles, war, theban, gods, dear, country.
Then brother, father, kingdom, house, that dearer is to me The hate of thee: the which to me with people for to be In common, woe I am: how great is mine alonely part? Rule on full proud, bear up full high thy sprights and haughty heart: Yet god the proud behind their backs doth follow them to wreak. I know the The bane kingdoms. What should I the mothers speak, Both suffering, and adventring gylts? what double mischief done? And mixed name of spouse at once, of father and of son? What brethren's double tents? or what as many rogues also? The mother proud of Tantal's brood congealed in mourning lo, And sorry stone yet flows with tears in Phrygian Sipylye. Himself like wise erecting up his scaled head awry, Even Cadmus' measuring throughout th'Illyrian lands in flight, Behind him left of body drawn long slyniye marks in sight. All these examples wait for thee: rule thou as likes thy will, While thee our kingdoms wonted fates do call and oft hapte ill. Go ●…o, these fierce and furious words thou woman mad refrain: And imperies of princes learn of Hercles to sustain. Though I the sceptres gotten by the force of war do bear In conquring hand, and all do rule without the law his fear Which arms subdue, a few words yet to thee now speak I shall For this my cause: thy father did in bloody battle fall: Thy brethren fell: the weapons keep n●… measurable stay. For neither easily tempered be, nor yet repressed may The drawn swords ire: the battles doth the blood delight out shed. But he yet for his kingdom fought, we all together led With wicked lust: yet th'end of war is now complained lo, And not the cause. but no we let all remembrance thereof go: When conqueror hath weapons left, the conquerds part should be To leave his hates. No●… I that thou with lowly bended knee Me reigning worship shouldst, require: Even this doth me delight, That thou thy miseries dost bear with mind so s●…oute upright. Thou for a king a sp●…use art meet, lets join our bedd●… anon. A tremblng cold doth run throughout my bloodless limbs each one. What heinous thing comes to mine ears? I feared not then at all, When (all peace broke) the noise of war did by the city wall ●…sounde about, I bore all that unfearfully to see, I fear the wedding chambers: now I captive seem to me. Let heavy chains my body grieve, and ●…ke with hunger long Let lingering death be slowly brought, yet shall no force full strong My truth subdue: for even thine owne 〈◊〉 will I die. Doth then thy husband drowned in hell give thee this stomach high? Thehells allow he touched, that he The height again might get.
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)
Then brother, father, kyngdome, house, that deerer is to me The hate of thee: the whyche to me with people for to bee In commune, woe I am: howe greate ys myne allonely parte? Rule on full proude, beare vp full hye thy sprights and haughty harte: Yet god the prowde behynde theyr backes dothe followe them to wreake. I knowe the The bane kyngdomes. What shoulde I the mothers speake, Bothe suffryng, and aduentryng gylts? what double myschefe donne? And myxed name of spouse at once, of father and of sonne? What bretherns double tents? or what as many roages also? The mother prowde of Tantalls broode congealde in mournyng lo, And sory stone yet flowes with teares in Phrygian Sipylye. Hymselfe lyke wyse erectyng vp his skaled head awrye, Euen Cadmus measuryng throughout th'Illyrian landes in flyght, Behynde hym lefte of body drawne long slyniye marks in syght. All these examples wayte for thee: rule thou as lykes thy wyll, Whyle thee our kyngdoms woonted fates doo call and ofte hapte yll. Goe o, these fierce and furious woords thou woman madde refrayne: And imperies of princes learne of Hercles to sustayne. Though I the sceptors gotten by the force of warre doo beare In conquryng hande, and all doo rule without the lawe his feare Whiche armes subdue, a fewe words yet to thee nowe speake I shall For this my cause: thy father dyd in blouddy battayle fall: Thy bretherne fell: the weapons keepe n measurable staye. For neyther easyly tempred bee, nor yet repressed maye The drawne swoordes yre: the battels doth the bloude delyght out shed. But he yet for his kyngdome fought, we all togyther led With wycked luste: yet th'ende of warre ys nowe complayned loe, And not the cawse. but no we let all remembrance therof goe: When conquerour hath weapons left, the conquerds parte shoulde bee To leaue his hates. No I that thou with lowly bended knee Me raignyng worshyp shouldst, require: Euen this dooth me delight, That thou thy myseries doost beare with mynde so soute vpright. Thou for a kyng a spuse arte meete, letts ioyne our bedd anone. A trēblng cold doth run throughout my bloudlesse lyms eche one. What heinous thing comes to myne eares? I fearde not then at all, When (all peace broake) the noyse of warre dyd by the citie wall sounde about, I bare all that vnfeare fully to see, I feare the weddyng chambers: nowe I captyue seeme to mee. Let heauy chaynes my body greeue, and ke with hunger long Let lyngryng death be slowly brought, yet shall no force full strong My truthe subdue: for euen thyne own wyll I dye. Doth then thy husband drownd in hell geue thee this stomacke hye? Thehells alowe he toucht, that he The heyght agayne myght get.