Hercules Furens (Mad Hercules) (Seneca's First Tragedy) · chunk 6 of 28
Heywood, Jasper / Seneca, Lucius Annaeus · published 1581 · first performed or written 1561 (Annals) tragedy; literary play unassigned nearest T34 Thebes and royal catastrophe: siege, sla · 482 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T34: thebes, antigone, polynices, creon, eteocles, war, theban, gods, dear, country.
The waking dragons golden spoils with him he brought away. The Lerna monsters numerous ill what need to tell have I? Hath he not him with fire at length subdued, and taught to die? And which were wont with wings abroad to hide the day from sight, Even from the clouds he sought & brave the Stimphale birds to flight. Not him subdued whoever lies in bed unmatched at night The widow queen of them that took to Thermodont their flight. Nor hands that well dared enterprise his noble travails all The filthy labour made to shrink of foul Augias' hall. What veil all these? he wants the world which oft defended he. And th' earth well knows the worker of his quietness to be Away from earth: the prosperous gilt that beareth happy sway. Is virtue called, and now the good to wicked do obey. The right doth stand in might of arms, fear treadeth down the law. Before my face with cruel hand, even presently I saw Revengers of their father's reign, the sons with sword down cast, And of the noble Cadmus eke himself the offspring last Then slain: I law his regal crown at once from him away With head bereft. Who Thebes alas enough bewail now may? The fertile land of Gods, what lord now quakes it for to know? Out of the fields of which sometime, and fruitful bosom low, The youth upsprung with sword in band prepared to battle stood: And walls of which Amphion one of mighty Ioue his brood, Hath built with sounding melody in drawing to the stones: To town of whom the parent chief of Gods not only ones Heaven being left hath come. this land that Gods above always Received, and which hath made them Gods, and (leeful beete to say) Perhaps shall make, with loathsome yoke of bondage is priest down. O Cadmus' stock, and citizens of old Amphion's town, Whereto are ye now fallen? dread ye a cowardly exile thus, His coasts to dwell in, lacking, and to ours injurious? Who through the world pursues the guilts and wrong by sea and land, And cruel sceptres broken hath with just and rightful hand, Now absent serves, and what he eal'de in other doth sustain: And now doth banished Lycus' hold of Hercles' Thebes the rain. Yet shall he not: he shall come home, and him with vengeance quite, And sudden rise to stars: he will soon flood the way to light, Or make it else. return thou safe, repair to thine in haste: And conqueror to conquered house yet come again at last. Rise up my spouse, and darkness vecye repelled of helly shade Break up with hand, if no way may for thee kept back be made, And passage be shut up, return with world uprent by might. And whatsoever is the possessed beneath in darkest night,
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
The waking dragons golden ſpoyles with him he brought away. The Lerna monſters numerous ill what neede to tell haue I? Hath he not him with fyre at length ſubdewde, and taught to dye? And which were woont with wings abrode to hyde the day from ſight, Euen from the cloudes he ſought & braue the Stimphale birdes to flight. Not him ſubdewde who euer lyes in bed vnmacht at night The wyddowe queene of them that tooke to Thermodont their flight. Nor handes that well durſt euterpriſe his noble trauayles all The filthy labour mad to ſhrynke of foule Augias hall. What vayle all theſe? he wants the world which oft defended he. And th earth well knowes the worker of his quietnes to be Away from earthe: the proſperous gilt that beareth happy ſwey. Is vertue callde, and now the good to wicked doe obay. The right doth ſtand in might of armes, feare treadeth downe the lawe. Before my face with cruell hand, euen preſently I ſawe Reuengers of theyr fathers reygne, the ſonnes with ſworde downe caſt, And of the noble Cadmus eke himſelfe the ofſpring laſt Then ſlayne: I lawe his regall crowne at once from him away With head bereft. Who Thebes alas enough bewayle nowe may? The fertile land of Gods, what lorde now quakes it for to knowe? Out of the fieldes of which ſomtime, and fruictfull boſome lowe, The youth vpſprong with ſwarde in band preparde to battell ſtoode: And walls of which Amphion one of mighty Ioue his broode, Hath built with ſounding melody in drawing to the ſtones: To towne of whom the parent chiefe of Gods not onely ones Heauen being left hath come. this land that Gods aboue alway Receiu'de, and which hath made them Gods, and (leefull beete to ſay) Perhaps ſhall make, with lothſome yoake of bondage is preſt downe. O Cadmus ſtocke, and citezens of olde Amphions towne, Whereto are yee nowe fall'ne? dread yee a cowardly exull thus, His coaſtes to dwell in, lacking, and to ours iniurious? Wo through the worlde purſues the gilts and wrong by ſea and land, And cruell ſceptors broken hath with iuſt and ryghtfull hand, Nowe abſent ſerues, and what he eal'de in other doth ſuſtayne: And now doth bannyſht Lycus holde of Hercles Thebes the rayne. Yet ſhall he not: he ſhall come home, and him with vengeaunce quight, And ſodaine riſe to ſtarres: he will ſoone flude the way to light, Or make it ells. returne thou ſafe, repayre to thine in haſte: And conquerour to conquer'de houſe yet come agayne at laſte. Ryſe vp my ſpouſe, and darknes vecye repell'de of helly ſhade Breake vp with hand, if no way may for thee kept backe bee made, And paſſage be ſhut vp, returne with world vprent by might. And whatſoeuer is the poſſeſt byneath in darkeſt night,