Hercules Furens (Mad Hercules) (Seneca's First Tragedy) · chunk 12 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 0.84 · 500 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T20: hercules, hercles, ioue, deianeira, alcides, hand, lo, death, skies, hell.
This only boon I father of Alcides ask of thee, Which well may me beseem to crave, that I first slain may be. Who all appoints with present death to have their punishment, He tyrant wotts not how to be: more sundry grieves invent. Restrain the wretched man from death, command that th'happy die. I, while with beams prepared to burn the pile increaseth high, Will him with vowing sacrifice that rules the seas entreat. Oh chiefest power of god, and oh of heavenly things so great The guide, and parent eke, with whose thrown thunderbolts do shake All things human throughout the world, of king so cruel slake The wicked hand: but why do I to gods in vain thus cry? Where ever thou be hear me soon. why start so suddenly The temples thus with moving sha●… Why roareth out the ground? The noise of hell from bottom deep beneath hath made a sound: We heard are, lo it is the sound of Hercules his pace. O fortune hating men of stoutest breast, how ill rewards dost thou to good divide? Euristeus reins at home in easy rest, Alcinenaes son in every battle tried, To munsters turns his hand that skies did stay: and cruel necks cuts of of hideous snake, And apples brings from sisters mokt away, when e●…ce to sleep his watchful eyes betake, Did dragon set rich fruit to oversee. he past 〈◊〉 Scythian bowers that stray abroad, And those that in their countries strangers be and hardened top of frolen fret he croade, And silent sea with banks full dumb about. the waters hard w●…t there their floods to flow. And where before that ships full sails spread out is worn a path for Sarmates wild to go. The sea doth stand to move in course again, now apt to bear the ship, now horsemen bold The queen that there doth over widows rain, that girds her womb with girth of glittering gold, Her noble spoil from body drawn hath she & shield, & bands of breast as white as snow, acknowledging the conqueror with knee. with what hope drawn to hedleng hell allow, S●… bold to pass the unreturned ways s●…st thou Proserpina's rain of Sicily? With southern wind, or western there no se as arise with wave and swelling surges high. Not there of Tyndar's stock that double brood two stars the fearful ships do aid & guide. with gulf full black doth stand that slothful flood and when pale death with gredyteeths so wide Unnumbered nations hath set down to sprights with one boat man all over ferried be. God grant thou mayst of hl subdue that tights And unreveked webs of sisters three, There king of many people reigneth he, who when thou didst with Nestor's Pylos fight, Pesti●…erous hands applied to match {with} thee & weapon bare with triple mace of might: And pricked with little wound he fled away, and lord of death himself did fear to die.
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)
This only bowne I father of Alcides aske of thee, Whiche well may me beseeme to craue, that I fyrst slayne may bee. Who all appoynts with present deathe to haue theyr punyshment, He tyrant wotts not how to bee: more sundry greeues inuent. Restrayne the wretched man from death, commaunde that th'happy dye. I, whyle with beames preparde to burne the pyle encreaseth hye, Wyll hym with vowyng sacrifyce that rules the seas entreate. Oh chiefest powre of godde, and oh of heauenly thyngs so great The guyde, and parent eke, with whose throwne thunderboltes doo shake All thyngs humane throughout the worlde, of kyng so cruell slake The wycked hande: but why doo I to godds in vayne thus crye? Where euer thou be heare me soon. why starte so sodaynlye The temples thus with mouyng sha Why roareth out the grownde? The noyse of hell from bottome deepe byneathe hath made a sownde: We herde are, loe it is the sownde of Hercules his pace. O fortune hatyng men of stoutest brest, howe yll rewards dost thou to good deuyde? Eurystheus raynes at home in easye rest, Alcinenaes sonne in euery battayle tryde, To mūsters turns his hand yt skies did stay: and cruell neckes cuts of of hydous snake, And apples bryngs frō systers mokt away, whē ece to slepe his watcheful eies betake, Did dragon set ryche fruite to ouersee. he past Scythiā bowres y• stray abroade, And those that in their coūtreis strangers be and hardened top of frolen freat he croade, And sylent sea with banks ful dūme about. the waters hard wt ther their floods to flo. And where before yt ships full sails spred out is worne a pathe for Sarmates wyld to go. The sea doth stand to moue in course again, now apt to beare the ship, now horsmen bold The quene yt there doth ouer wydows rayn, yt girds her wōbe wt girth of glittryng gold, Her noble spoile from body drawne hath she & shield, & bands of brest as white as snowe, Acknowlegyng the conquerour with knee. wt what hope drawne to hedlēg hell alowe, S bolde to passe the vnreturned wayes sst thou Proserpines rayne of Sicylye? With southern wid, or western ther no se as aryse with waue and swellyng surges hye. Not there of Tyndars stocke yt double brood two starrs the feareful ships do aide & guide. with gulph ful blak doth stād yt slothful flood and whē pale deth with gredyteeth so wide Unnūbred natiōs hath set down to sprights with one boate man all ouer feryed bee. God graūt thou maist of hl subdue yt tights And vnreueked webs of systers three, There kyng of many people raigneth hee, who whe thou didst wt Nestors Pylos fight, Pestierous hāds applide to matche we thee & weapon bare with triple mace of might: And prickt with litle wound he fled awaye, and lorde of death hymselfe did feare to dye.