Hercules Furens (Mad Hercules) (Seneca's First Tragedy) · chunk 2 of 28
Heywood, Jasper / Seneca, Lucius Annaeus · published 1581 · first performed or written 1561 (Annals) tragedy; literary play T20 Hercules: labours, suffering and virtue typicality 0.79 · 476 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T20: hercules, hercles, ioue, deianeira, alcides, hand, lo, death, skies, hell.
Prevail to hurt? for lo he bears for weapons now away What once he feared, and put to flight: he armed comes at side With Lion fierce and Hydra both: nor land sufficeth wide, But broke he hath the threshold lo of that infernal Ioue. And spoils with him of conquered king he draws to Gods above. But that's but light, broke is the league of sprites that there do dwell. I saw myself, I saw him lo (the night now gone, of hell And Ditis tamed) throw out abroad before his father's sight His brother's spoils. Why draws he not oppressed and bound by might Himself in chains that equal things to Ioue by lot doth hold? And bear the rule of captive hell, and way to Styx unfold? Up opened is from lowest ghosts the backward way to sky, And sacred secrets of dire death in open sight do lie. But he (the dreadful den of sprites broke up full fierce and stout Even over me doth triumph lo, and with proud hand about The foul black dog by Greekish towns he leads from hell away. When seen was ugly Cerberus I saw the fading day, And fearful sun: even me likewise a trembling dread oppressed, And looking on the filthy necks of conquered monstrous beast, I feared much mine own behests: but light things I complain, For heaven I may be frayed, lest he may get the highest rain, That lowest won, the sceptres from his father will he take, Nor he to stars (as Bacchus did) his way will gently make: The way with ruin will he seek, and he in empty skies Will reign alone with force displayed his haughty heart doth rise, And he that heaven itself by force of his might gotted be, It bearing learned: quite underneath the world his head set he. Nor once his shoulders bowed the praise of such a mighty mass: And midst of heaven on Hercles' neck alone (lo) settled was. His neck unwryde the stars above and skies did only stay: And me likewise oppressing him, to Gods he seeks the way. Go ire, go on, and beat him down that great things doth invent Match thou with him, and with thy hands now thou thyself him rent. Such hates why dost thou meditate? let all wild beasts now go: And weary Eurystheus now be free from giving charges more. The Titans daring once of Ioue to break the empery Send out: let lose the den abroad of mount of Sicily. The Doric land that with the turn of giant quakes afraid, Let it bring forth the dreadful necks of monster under laid. Let yet the haughty moon about some other beasts beget, But these he overcame. Seeks thou a match t'alcides yet? there's none, except himself: let him against himself rebel.
Other edition — placed after the fit, excluded from the main statistics
Position
nodes 47–88 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 2 of 28 in this edition
Length
476 words · 598 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T20 — Hercules: labours, suffering and virtuecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.792 (cosine to the topic centroid) · placed after the fit (approximate_predict), not counted in the topic statistics
Other seeds
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)
Preuayle to hurt? for lo he beares for weapons now awaye What once he fearde, and put to flight: he armed comes at ſyde With Lyon fyerce and Hydra both: nor land ſuffiſeth wyde, But broake he hath the threſhold loe of that infernall Ioue. And ſpoyls with him of conquerd king he drawes to Gods aboue. But thats but light, broke is the league of ſprites that there do dwell. I ſaw my ſelfe, I ſaw him lo (the night now gone, of hell And Ditis tamde) throw out abroade before his fathers ſight His broths ſpoyles. Why drawes he not oppreſt and bound by might Hymſelfe in chaynes that equall thynges to Ioue by lot doth hold? And beare the rule of captiue hel, and way to Styxe vnfolde? Vp opened is from loweſt ghoſtes the backward way to ſkye, And ſacred ſecrets of dire death in open ſight do lye. But he (the dredful den of ſprites brake vp ful fierce and ſtout Euen ouer mee doth tryumph lo, and with proude hand about The foule blacke dogge by Grekiſh townes he leades frō hel away. When ſeene was vgly Cerberus I ſaw the fading day, And fearefull ſunne: euen me lykewyſe a trembling dread oppreſt, And looking on the fylthy neckes of conquerd monſtruous beaſt, I feared much myne owne beheſtes: but light things I complayne, For heauen I may be frayde, leſt he may get the higheſt rayne, That loweſt wonne, the ſceptors from his father wil he take, Nor hee to ſtarres (as Bacchus dyd) his way wil gently make: The way with ruine will he ſeeke, and hee in empty ſkyes Wil reygne alone with force diſplayd hys haughty hart doth ryſe, And he that heauen it ſelfe by force of his might gotted bee, It bearyng learnd: quite vnderneth the world his head ſet hee. Nor once his ſhoulders bowde the prayſe of ſuth a mighty as: And midſt of heauen on Hercles necke alone (loe) ſetled was. His necke vnwryde the ſtarres aboue and ſkyes did only ſtay: And me likewyſe oppreſſyng him, to Gods he ſeekes the way. Goe ire, goe on, and beate hym downe that great things doth inuent Match thou with him, and with thy handes now thou thy ſelfe him rent. Such hates why doſt thou meditate? let all wyld beaſtes now go: And weary Euriſtheus now be free from geeuing charges mo. The Tytans daryng once of Ioue to breake the impery Send out: let loaſe the denne abroade of mount of Sicilye. The Doricke land that with the turne of gyant quakes afrayd, Let it bring forth the dredful neckes of monſter vnder layd. Let yet the haughty moone about ſome other beaſtes beget, But theſe he ouercame. Seekes thou a match t'Alcides yet? Thers none, except hymſelfe: let him agaynſt himſelfe rebell.