Hercules Furens (Mad Hercules) (Seneca's First Tragedy) · chunk 21 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 0.85 · 477 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T20: hercules, hercles, ioue, deianeira, alcides, hand, lo, death, skies, hell.
What is this sudden ill? Thy cruel cowntnance whether son Dost thou cast here and there? And seest with troubled daselde sight false shape of heaven appear? The land is taemde, the swelling seas their surges did assuage, The kingdoms low of hell likewise have felt and known my rage, Yet heaven is free, a labour meet for Hercules to prove. To spaces high I will he borne of hawghtye skies about: Let th'air be skaelde, my father doth me promise stars t'obtainobtain. What if he it denied? all th'earth can Hercles not contain, And gives at length to gods me calls of own accord behold The whole assembly of the gods, and doth their gates unfold, While one for bydds receyuste thou me, and openest thou the sky, Or else the gate of stubborn heaven draw after me do I? Do I yet doubt? I even the bonde●… from Saturn will undo, And even against the kingdom proud of wicked father lo, My grandsire lose. let Titans now prepare again their fight With me their captain raging: stones with woods I will down smite, And high hills tops with Centaurs full in right hand will I take. With double mountain now I will a stair to gods up make. Let Chiron under Ossa see his Pelion mowntayne great: Olympus up to heaven above in third degree then set Shall come itself, or else be cast. Put far away from thee The thowghts that ought not to be spoke: of mind unsownde to see, But yet full great, the furyows rage assuage and lay away. What meaneth this? the giants d●… pestiferous arms assay, And Tityus from the sprights is fled, and bearing torn to see And empty bosom, lo how near to heaven itself stood he? Cithaeron falls, the mountain high Pallene shakes for fear, And torn are Tempe. he the tops of Pindus' cawght hath here, And Oethen he, some dreadful thing threatening doth rage about Crinnys bringing flames: with stripes she sounds now shaken out, And burned brands in funerals, lo yet more near and near Throws in my face: fierce Tisiphone with head and ugly hear With serpents set, now after dogg●… fet out with Hercles' hand, That empty gate she hath shut up, with bolt of fiery brand. But lee the stock of enmiows king doth hidden yet remain, The wicked Lycus seed: but to your hateful father slain Even now this right hand shall you send●… let now his arrows light My bow out shoot: it seems the shafts to go with such a flight Of Hercles. Whether doth the rag●… and fury blind yet go? His mighty bow he drew with horns together driven lo, And quiver lost: great noise makes with byolence sent out The shaft, and quite the weapon flew his middle neck torowghowt, The wownd yet left
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)
What is this sodayne yll? Thy cruell cowntnance whether sonne Doste thou caste here and there? And seeste with troubled daselde syght false shape of heauen appere? The land is taemde, the swellyng seas theyr surges dyd asswage, The kyngdomes lowe of hell lykewyse haue felte and knowne my rage, Yet heauen is free, a labour meete for Hercules to proue. To spaces hygh I wyll hee borne of hawghtye skyes about: Let th'ayre be skaelde, my father dooth me promyse starrs t'obtayne. What yf he it denyde? all th'earthe can Hercles not contayne, And geeues at length to godds me calls of owne accorde beholde The whole assembly of the godds, and dooth theyr gates vnfolde, Whyle one for bydds receyuste thou me, and openest thou the skye, Or els the gate of stubborne heauen drawe after me doo I? Do I yet doubte? I even the bonde from Saturne wyll vndoe, And euen agaynst the kyngdome prowde of wycked father loe, My grandsyre loase. let Titans nowe prepare agayne theyr fyght With me theyr captayne ragyng: stones with woodes I wyll downe smyght, And hye hylles topps with Centaures full in ryght hande wyll I take. With double mountayne nowe I wyll a stayre to godds vp make. Let Chiron vnder Ossa see his Pelion mowntayne grette: Olympus vp to heauen aboue in thyrde degree then sette Shall come it selfe, or ells bee caste. Put farre awaye from thee The thowghts that owght not to be spoake: of mynde vnsownde to see, But yet full great, the furyows rage asswage and laye awaye. What meaneth this? the gyantes d pestiferous armes assaye, And Tityus from the sprights is fledde, and bearyng torne to see And empty bosome, lo howe neere to heauen it selfe stoode hee? Cythaeron falles, the mountayne hye Pallene shakes for feare, And torne are Tempe. he the toppes of Pindus cawght hathe here, And Oethen he, some dredfull thyng threatnyng doothe rage abowt Crinnys bryngyng flames: with strypes she soundes nowe shaken out, And burned brandes in funeralls, loe yet more neare and neare Throwes in my face: fearce Tisyphone with head and vgly heare With serpents sette, nowe after dogg fet owt with Hercles hande, That emptye gate she hathe shette vp, with bolte of fyry brande. But lee the stocke of enmiows kyng doothe hydden yet remayne, The wycked Lycus seede: but to your hatefull father slayne Euen nowe this ryght hande shall you send let nowe his arrowes lyght My bowe owt shoote: it seemes the shaftes to goe with suche a flyght Of Hercles. Whether doothe the rag and fury blynde yet goe? His myghty bowe he drewe with hornes togyther dryuen loe, And quyuer loaste: great noyese makes with byolence sente owt The shafte, and quyght the weapon flewe his myddle necke torowghowt, The wownd yet left