Hercules Furens (Mad Hercules) (Seneca's First Tragedy) · chunk 1 of 28
Heywood, Jasper / Seneca, Lucius Annaeus · published 1581 · first performed or written 1561 (Annals) tragedy; literary play unassigned nearest T12 Olympian gods: Jupiter, Juno, Venus and · 483 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T12: iupiter, saturn, iuno, venus, gods, mars, earth, titan, love, fair.
I Sister of the Thunderer, (for now that name alone Remains to me) Ioue evermore as though divorced and gone, And temples of the highest air as widow shunned have, And beaten out of skies above the place to Harlots gave. I must go dwell beneath on ground, for Whores do hold the sky. From hence the Bear in part above of icy peal full hy, A haughty star the greekish ships by Seas doth gurde about: From this way, whence at spring time warm the day is loased out, Europa's bearer through the waves of Tyria shines full bright. From thence, their stormy fearful flock to Ships, and seas affright, The wandering daughters here and there of Atlas' upward sway. With staring bush of hair from hens Orion God's doth fray: And Perseus eke his glittering stars of golden gloss hath here. From hence the twins of Tyndar's stock do shine, a sign full clear: And at whose birth first stood the ground that erst went to and fro. Nor only Bacchus now himself, or Bacchus' mother lo, Have climbed to Gods: lest any part should from rebuke be free, The skies the Gnossian strumpets crowns do bear in spite of me. But I of old contempts complain: me, one dire, fierce, and shrewd Thebana land with wicked brood of Ioues base daughters strewed, How oft hath it a stepdame made? though up to heaven should rise, The conquering drab Alcmena now, and hold my place in skies, And eke her son to promised stars obtain the worthy way, At birth of whom the staying world so long deferred the day, And Phoebus slow from morning sea began to glister bright, Commanded long in th' Ocean waves to hide his drowned light. Yet shall my hates not leave them so, a wrathful kindled rage His mind in madness shall stir up, and ire that may not suage Shall evermore (all peace laid down) wage wars eternally. What wars? whatever hideous thing the earth his enemy Begets, or whatsoever sea or air hath brought to sight Both dreadful, dire, and pestilent, of cruel fiercest might, 'tis tired and tamed: he passeth all, and name by ills doth raise, And all my wrath he doth enjoy, and to his greater praise He turns my hates: while tedious toils to much I him behest, He proves what father him begot: both thence where light oppressed Hath sea, and where it showed again, where Titan day doth train, And with his brand approaching near doth die those Aethiops twain, His strength untamed is honoured: and God each where is he Now called in world, and now more store of monsters want to me, And labour less to Hercles' is t'accomplish all my will, Then me to bid: at ease he doth mine imperies fulfil. What cruel hests of tyrant now so fierce a young man may
seed 43: T17 · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
I Syſter of the Thunderer, (for now that name alone Remaynes to me) Ioue euermore as though deuorſt and gone, And temples of the higheſt ayre as wydowe ſhunned haue, And beaten out of ſkyes aboue the place to Harlots gaue. I muſt go dwell beneath on ground, for Whoores do hold the ſky. From hence the Beare in parte aboue of ycy peale full hy, A haughty ſtarre the greekiſh ſhyps by Seas doth gurde about: From this way, whence at ſpring time warme the day is loaſed out, Euroaes bearer through the waues of Tyria ſhyues full bright. From thence, their ſtormy fearefull flocke to Ships, and ſeas affright, The wandring daughters here and there of Atlas vpward ſway. With ſtaring buſh of hayre from hens Orion Gods doth fray: And Perſeus eke his glitteryng ſtarres of golden gloſſe hath here. From hence the twynnes of Tyndars ſtocke do ſhine, a ſigne full clere: And at whoſe byrth firſt ſtode the grounde that erſt went to and fro. Nor onely Bacchus now himſelfe, or Bacchus mother lo, Haue clymd to Gods: leaſt any parte ſhould from rebuke be free, The ſkies the Gnoſſian ſtrumpets crownes do beare in ſpight of mee. But I of old cōtemptes complayne: me, one dire, fierce, and ſhrewde Thebana land with wicked broode of Ioues baſe daughters ſtrewde, How oft hath it a ſtepdame made? though vp to heauen ſhould ryſe, The conqueryng drabbe Alcmena now, and hold my place in ſkyes, And eke her ſonne to promiſd ſtarres obtayne the worthy way, At byrth of whom the ſtaying worlde ſo long deferd the day, And Phoebus ſlow frome morning ſea began to gliſter bright, Commaunded long in th' Ocean waues to hyde his drowned lyght. Yet ſhall my hates not leaue them ſo, a wrathful kindled rage His mynd in madnes ſhall ſtirre vp, and yre that may not ſwage Shall euermore (all peace layd downe) wage warres eternally. What warres? what euer hideous thinge the earth his ennemy Begets, or what ſoeuer ſea or ayre hath brought to ſyght Both dredfull, dire, and peſtilent, of cruel fierceſt might, T'is tierd and tam'd: he paſſeth all, and name by ills doth rayſe, And all my wrath he doth inioy, and to his greater prayſe He turnes my hates: whyle tedious toyles to much I him beheſt, He proues what father him begot: both thence where light oppreſt Hath ſea, and where it ſhowde agayne, where Titan day doth trayne, And with his brand approaching nere doth dye thoſe Aethiops twaine, His ſtrengh vntamde is honoured: and God eche where is hee Now calde in worlde, and now more ore of monſters want to mee, And laboure leſſe to Hercles is t'acompliſh all my will, Then me to bydde: at eaſe he doth myne imperies fulfyl. What cruel heſtes of tyrante now ſo fyerce a yong man may