Hercules Furens (Mad Hercules) (Seneca's First Tragedy) · chunk 14 of 28
Heywood, Jasper / Seneca, Lucius Annaeus · published 1561 · first performed or written 1561 (Annals) tragedy; literary play T7 The Trojan war: conflict and its afterma typicality 0.83 · 456 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T7: hector, troy, achilles, greeks, aeneas, priam, ulysses, troilus, trojan, trojans.
Do either else my great desires delude and mock mine eyes? Or hath the tamer of the world and Greeks renown likewise, For sook the silent house, beset with cloud full sad to see? Is this my soone? my membres lo for joy amazed be. Oh son, the sure, and safeguard late of Thebes in misery, See I thy body true in deed? or else deceived am I Mo●…t with thy sprite? art thou the same●… these brawns of arms I know, And shoulders, and thy noble hands From body high that grow. Whence (father) haps this ugliness, And why in mourning clad Is thus my wife? how haps it that with filth so fowl bestead My children are? what misery doth thus my house oppress? Thy father in la●…e is slain: the kingdom Lycus doth possess. Thy sons, thy parent, and thy wife to death pursueth he. Ungrateful land, doth no man come that will an aider be Of Hercles' house? and this beheld so great and heinous wrong Hath th' aided worlds? but why wear I the day in plaint so long? Let th'enemy die: and this renown let strength obtain in haste, And of Alcides enemies all let Lycus be the last. I driven am to go to shed the blood of enemy out. Watch Theseus, that no sudden strength beset us here about. Me wars require. embracing yet defer O father dear, And wife defer them: Lycus shall to hell this message bear That I am now returned. Shake of O queen out of thine eyes This weeping face, and thou since that thy son is safe likewise Thy dropping tears refrain: if yet I Hercles ever knew, Then Lycus shall for Creon pay the pains to him full dew. 'tis light, he shall: he doth: and that's to light, he hath it done. Now god that can them bring to pass, speed well our wishes soon, And come to help our weary woes. O noble hearted mate Of my stout son, of his renown declare us all the rate: How long a way doth lead to place where sorry sprights do dwell, And how the hard and heavy bonds the dog hath borne of hell. The deeds thou dost constrain to tell, that even to mind secure Are dreadful yet and horrible, scant yet the trust is sure Of vital air, sore blunted is the sharpness of my sight, And dulled eyes do scant sustain to see th'unwonted light. Yet Theseus thoroughly overcome what ever fear remains In bosom deep, nor do thou not of best fruit of thy pains Beguiled thyself. What thing hath once to suffer been a care, To have remembered it is sweet. those dreadful hap declare.
seed 43: T12 · seed 44: T11 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
DOo eyther ells my great desyres delude and mocke myne eyes? Or hath the tamer of the worlde and greekes renowne lykewyse, For sooke the silent howse, besette with cloude full sadde to see? Is this my soone? my membres loe for ioy amased bee. Oh sonne, the sure, and sauegarde late of Thebes in mysery, See I thy bodye true in deede? or els deceyude am I Mot with thy spright? art thou the same these brawnes of armes I knowe, And shoulders, and thy noble handes From body hye that growe. Whens (father) happs this vglynes, And why in mournyng cladde Is thus my wyfe? howe happs it that with fylthe so fowle bestadde My chyldren are? what myserye doothe thus my howse oppresse? Thy father in lae is slayne: the kyngdome Lycus doothe possesse. Thy sonnes, thy parent, and thy wyfe to deathe pursueth he. Ungratefull land, dothe no man come that will an ayder be Of Hercles howse? and this behelde so greate and heynous wrong Hath th' ayded worlds? but why weare I the daye in playnt so long? Let th'enmy dye: and this renowne let strengthe obtayne in haste, And of Alcides enmyes all let Lycus be the laste. I dryuen am to goe to shedde the blood of enmye out. Watche Theseu, that no sodayne strength beeset vs heere about. Me warres requyre. enbracyng yet deferre O father deare, And wyfe deferre them: Lycus shall to hell this message beare That I am nowe returnde. Shake of O queene out of thyne eyes This weepyng face, and thou sens that thy sonne is safe lykewyse Thy droppyng teares refrayne: yf yet I Hercles euer knewe, Then Lycus shall for Creon paye the paynes to hym full dewe. Tis lyght, he shall: he doothe: and thats to lyght, he hathe it doone. Now god that can them bring to passe, speede well our wyshes soone, And come to helpe our weary woes. O noble harted mate Of my stoute sonne, of his renowne declare vs all the rate: Howe long a waye doothe leade to place where sory sprights doo dwell, And howe the harde and heauy bonds the dogge hathe borne of hell. The deedes y• doost constrayne to tell, that euen to mynde secure Are dredfull yet and horryble, scant yet the truste is sure Of vitall ayre, sore blunted is the sharpnesse of my syght, And dulled eyes doo scant sustayne to see th'vnwoonted lyght. Yet Theseus throwghly ouercome what euer feare remaynes In bosome deepe, nor doo thou not of best frute of thy paynes Beguylde thy selfe. What thyng hath once to suffre beene a care, To haue remembred it is sweete. those dredfull happe declare.