Hercules Furens (Mad Hercules) (Seneca's First Tragedy) · chunk 23 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 0.70 · 510 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T20: hercules, hercles, ioue, deianeira, alcides, hand, lo, death, skies, hell.
With neck full prone: I give myself, I run, I follow lo. Me sacrifice. what meaneth this? his eyes roll to and fro, And heaviness doth dull his sight. see I of Hercules The trembling hands? down falls his face to sleep and quietness, And weighed neck with bowed head full fast doth downward shryuke, With bended knee: now all at once he down to ground doth sink, As in the woods wild ash cut down, or bulwark for to make A haven in seas. Lyuste thou? or else to death doth thee betake The self same rage, that hath sent all thy family to death? It is but sleep, for to and fro doth go and come his breath. Let time be had of quietness, that thus by sleep and rest Great force of his disease subdued, may ease his grieved breast. Remous his weapons servants, leau'st he mad get them again. LEt th'air complain, & eke the parent great of haughty sky, & fertile lad throughout, And wandering wave of ever moving fret. And thou before them all, which lands about And train of sea thy beams abroad dost throw with glittering face, & mak'st the night to flee, O fervent Titan: both thy settings lo and rising, hath Alcides seen with thee: & known likewise he hath thy howsen twain. from so great ills release ye now his breast, O gods release: to better turn again his righter mind. and thou O tamer best O sleep of toils, the quietness of mind, of all the life of man the better part, O of thy mother ast●…ey winged kind, of hard and pining death that brother art, With truth mingling the false, of after state The sure, but eke the worst foreteller yet: O father of all things, of life the gate, Of light the rest, of night and fellow fit, that comest to king, and servant equally, And gently cherishest who weerye be, All mankind lo that dreadful is to die, thou dost constrain long death to learn by thee. keep him fast bound with heavy sleep oppressed, Let slumber deps his limbs untamed bind, Nor sooner leave his unright raging breast, Then former mind his course again may find. Lo laid on ground with full fierce heart yet still His cruel sleeps he turns: and not yet is The plague subdued of so great raging ill: And on great club the weighed head of his He wont to lay, doth seek the staff to find With empty hand, his arms out casting yet with moving vain: nor yet all rage of mind he hath laid down: but, as with south wind gre●… The wave once vexed, yet after keepeth still his raging long, & though the wind now be Assuaged, swells. shake of these mad & ill tossings of mind, return let pi●…tee, And virtue to the man, else let be so his mind with moving mad tossed every way: Let error blind, where it began hath, go. for nowght else now but only madness may
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)
With necke full prone: I gyue my selfe, I roon, I followe loe. Mee sacrifyce. what meaneth this? his eyes rolle to and froe, And heauynesse doothe dull his syght. see I of Hercules The tremblyng hands? down falles his face to sleepe and quietnes, And weery necke with bowed head full faste doothe downewarde shryuke, With bended knee: nowe all at once he downe to grownde doothe synke, As in the woodes wylde asshe cut downe, or bulwarke for to make A hauen in seas. Lyuste thow? or els to deathe doothe thee betake The selfe same rage, that hath sent all thy famylye to deathe? It is but sleepe, for to and froe doothe goe and come his breathe. Let tyme bee had of quietnesse, that thus by sleepe and reste Greate force of his disease subdewde, may ease his greeued breste. Remous his weapons seruantes, lea he madde gette them agayne. LEt th'ayre cōplain, & eke y• parent great of haughty sky, & fertile lad throughout, And wādryng waue of euer mouing freate. And thow before thē all, which lands about And train of sea thy beams abroad dost throe with glyttryng face, & makst y• night to flee, O feruent Titan: bothe thy settyngs loe and rysyng, hath Alcides seene with thee: & known likewise he hath thy howsē twayn. from so great yls release ye nowe his brest, O godds release: to better turne agayne his ryghter mynde. and thow O tamer best O sleepe of toyles, the quietnesse of mynde, of all the lyfe of man the better parte, O of thy mother astey wynged kynde, of hard and pinyng death that brother arte, With truth mingling the false, of after state The sure, but eke the worste foreteller yet: O father of all thynges, of lyfe the gate, Of light the rest, of nyght and felowe fytte, that comst to kyng, and seruant equallye, And gentlye cherysshest who weerye bee, All mankynde loe that dredfull is to dye, thou doost cōstrain lōg deth to learn by thee. keepe him fast bound wt heauy slepe opprest, Let slōber deps his limmes vntamed bynde, Nor sooner leaue his vnryght ragyng brest, Thē former mīd his course again may fynd. Lo layd on groūd wt full fierce hart yet styll His cruell sleepes he turnes: and not yet is The plague subdewde of so great raging yll: And on great clubbe the weery head of his He woont to lay, dothe seeke y• staffe to fynde With empty hand, his armes owt castīg yet with mouing vayn: nor yet all rage of mynde he hath laid down: but, as wt south wind gre The waue once vext, yet after kepeth styll his ragyng long, & though the wind now be Asswaged, swells. shake of these madde & yll tossyngs of mynde, returne let pitee, And vertue to the man, ells let be so his mynd with mouing mad tost euery way: Let errour blynde, where it begoon hath, go. for nowght els now but only madnes may