Hercules Furens (Mad Hercules) (Seneca's First Tragedy) · chunk 26 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 0.82 · 499 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T20: hercules, hercles, ioue, deianeira, alcides, hand, lo, death, skies, hell.
Thy grievous woe is there, The crime thy stepdames: this myschawnce no fault of thine hath here. From every part now father throw in wrath thy thunders might, And of thy son forgetful now, with cruel hand requyght At least thy nephews: let the world that bears the stars sound out, And let both th'one and th'other p●…ale, fling down thy flames about: And let the banks of Caspian sea my bownden body tear, And greedy fowl. Wherefore do of Promethens lack hear The rocks? with huge and haughty top let now prepared be, Both feeding beasts and fowls, the side Of Cawcas torn to see, And bare of woods, the isle that bridge Of Scythe that thereby stands Simple gas joins, both here and there Let it my bounden hands Stretch out abroad: and when with course returned accustomdlye They shall together drive, and shall the rocks toss up to sky With banks together being thrust, and eke the middle seaye, Let me between the mountains lie unquiet restless stay. But building up with wood thrown on a heaped pile on high, My body thus with wicked blood besprynkt, why burn not I? So, so it must be done: to hell I Hercles' will restore. Not yet his heart astonyde lacks his raging tumult sore, But wraths hath turned: and which of rag●… is property and ire Against himself he rageth now. The fury's places dire And dung on deep of sprights in hell and place of tormentrrye To guilty ghosts, and banishment if any yet do lie Beyond Erebus, yet unknown to Cerberus and me, There hide me ground: to farthest bond●… of Tartarus to see To tarry there i'll go. O breast of mine to fierce and ●…wte: Who you my children thus disperst●… through all my house about, May worthily enough bewail? in all my evils yet This countenance hard, can never weep. a sword now hither set, My shafces reatche hither, hither reatche my mighty club also: To thee my weapons break I will, to thee my son, a-two i'll knap my bows, and eke my club this block of heavy weight, Shall to thy sprites be burned lo: this self same quiver fraught With Lerney shafts, to funeral of thine shall likewise go. Let all my weapons penawnce pay, and you unhappy to Even with my weapons burn I will, O stepdames hands of mine. who ever yet to Ignorance hath given name of crime? Full oftentimes did error great the place of guilt obtain. Cys need to be a Hercles now, this heap of ill sustain. Not ●…o hath shame yet given place with fury drowned quite: But people's all I rather should drive from my wicked sight. My weapons, weapons Theseus, I quickly crave to me withdrawn to be restored again: if sound my mind now be, Restore to me my weapons: if yet last my rage of mind, Then father flee: for I the way to death myself shall find.
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)
Thy greeuous woe is there, The cryme hy stepdames: this myschawnce no fawte of thyne hath here. From euery part now father throwe in wrathe thy thunders myght, And of thy sonne forgetfull nowe, with cruell hande requyght At least thy nephewes: let the worlde that beares the starres sownde owt, And let bothe th'one and th'other pale, flyng downe thy flames abowt: And let the bankes of Caspian sea my bownden bodye teare, And greedye fowle. Wherefore doe of Promethens lacke heare The rockes? with huge and hawtye toppe let now prepared bee, Bothe feedyng beastes and fowles, the syde Of Cawcas torne to see, And bare of woods, the yle that brydge Of Scythe that thereby standes Symple gas ioynes, bothe here and there Let it my bounden handes Stretch out abroade: and when with course returnde accustomdlye They shall togyther dryue, and shall the rockes tosse vp to skye With bankes togyther beyng thruste, and eke the myddle seaye, Let me betwene the mountaynes lye vnquiet restlesse staye. But buyldynge vp with woode throwen on a heaped pyle on hye, My body thus with wycked bloude besprynkt, why burne not I? So, so yt must bee doone: to hell I Hercles wyll restore. Not yet his harte astonyde lackes his ragyng tumulte sore, But wraths hath turnde: and which of rag ys propertie and yre Agaynst him sellfe he rageth now. The furies places dyre And donge on deepe of sprights yn hell and place of tormentrrye To gylty ghosts, and banishment yf any yet doo lye Beyonde Erebus, yet vnknowen to Cerberus and mee, There hyde me grownde: to farthest bond of Tartarus to see To tarye there Ile goe. O breste of myne to fierce and wte: Who yow my chyldren thus disperst through all my house abowte, Maye worthyly enowghe bewayle? in all my euylls yet This countnaunce harde, can neuer wepe. a swoorde nowe hyther set, My shafces reatche hyther, hyther reatche my myghty clubbe also: To thee my weapons breake I will, to thee my sonne, atwo Ile knappe my bowes, and eke my clubbe this blocke of heauye wayght, Shall to thy spryghts bee burned loe: this selfe same quyuer frayght With Lerney shaftes, to funerall of thyne shall likewise go. Let all my weapons penawnce paye, and yow vnhappye to Euen with my weapons burne I wil, O stepdames handes of myne. who euer yet to Ignoraunce hath geuen name of cryme? Full oftentymes dyd errour greate the place of gylt obtayne. Cys neede to be a Hercles nowe, this heape of ill sustayne. Not o hath shame yet geuen place with furye drowned quight: But peoples all I rather shoulde dryue from my wycked sight. My weapons, weapons Theseus, I quickly craue to mee withdrawen to be restoard agayne: if sownde my mynde now bee, Restore to me my weapons: if yet last my rage of mynde, Then father flee: for I the waye to death my selfe shall fynde.