Hercules Furens (Mad Hercules) (Seneca's First Tragedy) · chunk 16 of 28
Heywood, Jasper / Seneca, Lucius Annaeus · published 1561 · first performed or written 1561 (Annals) tragedy; literary play T36 Hell, Furies and the language of punishm typicality 0.67 · 476 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T36: hell, earth, gods, death, ghosts, blood, bloody, heaven, night, ghost.
What? ●…e that doth those places dark with regallsceptor gwyde, In what seat set, doth he dispose and rule those people's light? A place there is in turn obscure of Tartarus from sight, Which mist full thick with fearful shade doth hold and overgo. From hens a double parted stream from one wellspring doth flow: The tone, much like a standing pool (by this the gods do swear) The which the sacred Stygian lake with silent flood doth bear: The other fierce with tumult great is drawn his course to go, And Archeron with raging flood●… the stones drives to and fro Unsaylable. with double ford is rounoe about beset Against it Ditis' palace dire, and manspon house full great In shadeful wood is covered: from wide den here the posts And thresholds of the tyrant hang, this is the walk of ghosts: This of his kingdom is the g●…te: a field about it goes, Where sitting with a countenance proud●… abroad he doth dispose New souls, a cruel majesty is in the god to know: A frowning forehead, which yet of his brethren bears the show, And so great stocks: there is in him of Ioue the very face, But when he lightens: and great part of cruel kingdoms place, Is he himself the lord thereof: the sight of who●…e doth fear, What ever thing is feared. Is fame in this point true, that there Such rigours are, and guilty ghosts of men that there remain Forgetful of their former fault, have their deserved pain? Who is the rector there of right, and judge of equity? Not only one extorter out of f●…utes in seat set high The judgements late to trembling souls doth there by lot award: In one appointed judgement place is Gnossian Minos hard, And in an other Radamanth: This ●…ryme doth A●…ac bear. What each man once hath done, he feels: and guilt to th'author there Returns, and th'hurtful with their owns example punn●…ht be. The bloody cruel captains I in prison shut did see, And back of tyrant impotent even with his people's hand All t●…rne and cut. what man of might with favour leads his land, And of his own life lord reserves his hurtless hands to good, And gently doth his empire guide without the thirst of blood, And spares his soul, he having long led forth the lingering days Of happy age, at length to heaven do●…the either find the ways, Or joyful happy places else of fair Elysius' wood. Thou then that here must be a iudg●… abstain from man his blood, Who so thou be that raygnest king: our guilts are there acquytte In greater wise. doth any place prescript of limit ●…h ytte The guilty ghosts, and as the fame reports, doth cruel pain The wicked men make tame that in eternal bonds remain?
seed 43: T32 · seed 44: T26 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
What? e that doth those places darke with regallsceptor gwyde, In what seate sette, dothe he dispose and rule those peoples light? A place there is in turne obscure of Tartarus from syght, Which myst full thicke with feareful shade doothe holde and ouergoe. From hens a double parted streame from one wellspryng doothe floe: The tone, muche lyke a standyng poole (by this the godds doo sweare) The whiche the sacred Stygian lake with silent floude doothe beare: The tother fierce with tumulte great is drawen hys course to goe, And Archeron with ragyng flood the stones dryues to and froe Unsaylable. with double foorde is rounoe about besette Agaynst it Ditis palayce dyre, and manspon howse full grette In shadefull woode is couered: from wide denne here the posts And thresholds of the tyrant hang, this is the walke of ghosts: This of his kyngdome is the gte: a felde about it goes, Where syttyng with a countnaunce proud abroade he doothe dispose Newe sowles, a cruell maiestie is in the god to knowe: A frownyng forhead, whyche yet of his brethren beares the showe, And so great stocks: there is in hym of Ioue the very face, But when he lyghtens: and great parte of cruell kyngdomes place, Is he hymselfe the lorde therof: the syght of whoe dothe feare, What euer thyng is fearde. Is fam in this poynt trewe, that there Suche rygours are, and gyltie ghosts of men that there remayne Forgetfull of theyr former faute, haue their deserued payne? Who is the rector there of ryght, and iudge of equitye? Not onely one extorter out of futes in seate sette hye The iudgements late to tremblyng sowles doothe there by lotte awarde: In one appointed iudgement place is Gnossian Minos harde, And in an other Radamanthe: This ryme doothe Aac beare. What eche man ones hath doone, he feeles: and guylt to th'author theare Returnes, and th'hurtfull with their owns example punnht bee. The bluddy cruell captaynes I in pryson shette dyd see, And backe of tyrant impotent euen with hys peoples hande All trne and cutte. what man of myght with fauour leades his lande, And of his owne lyfe lorde reserues his hurtlesse handes to good, And gently doothe his empyre guyde without the thyrst of blood, And spares his sowle, he hauyng long ledde foorthe the lyngryng dayes Of happy age, at lengthe to heauen dothe eyther fynde the wayes, Or ioyfull happy places ells of fayre Elysius woode. Thou then that here muste be a iudg abstayne from man his bloode, Who so thou bee that raygnest kyng: our gyltes are there acquytte In greater wyse. Doothe any place prescript of lymite h ytte The gyltie ghosts, and as the fame reportes, dothe cruell payne The wycked men make tame that in eternall bondes remayne?