Hercules Furens (Mad Hercules) (Seneca's First Tragedy) · chunk 9 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 · 462 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.
Should I abide, that I the hand sprinked with my father's blood, Should touch, and double death imbrued of both my brethren? nay First shall sun rise extinguish quit, and West shall bring the day: First faithful peace between the snows and fires there shallbe tried, And Sulla shall t' Ausonius first join his Sicilian side: And first, the fleeting flood that with swift turns of course doth flow Euripus with Euboic wave shall stand full still and slow. My father, th'empire, brethren, house, thou. hast me clear bereft, My country to: what may be more? one thing to me is left, Then brother, father, kingdom, house, that dearer is to me The hate of thee, the which to me with people for to be In common woe I am: how great is mine alonely part? Rule on full proud, bear up full high thy sprites and haughty heart: Yet God the proud behind their backs doth follow them to wreak. I know the Theban kingdoms: what should I the mothers speak, Both suffering, and adventuring guilts? what double mischief done? And mixed name of spouse at once, of father and of son? What brother as double tents? or what as many rogues also? The mother proud of Tantal's brood congealed in mourning Ice, And sorry stone yet flows with tears in Phrygian Sipylye. Himself like wise erected up his sealed head awry. even Cadmus measuring throughout th'Illyrian lands in flight, Behind him left of body drawn long slimy marks in sight. All these examples wait for thee: rule thou as likes thy will, While thee our kingdoms wonted fates do call and oft hap ill. God to, these fierce and furious words thou woman mad refrain, And emperies of princes learn of Hercles' to sustain. Though I the sceptres gotten by the force of war do bear, In conquering hand & all do rule without the law his fear. Which arms subdue, a few words yet to thee now speak I shall For this my cause thy father did in bloody battle fall: Thy brethren fell, the weapons keep no measurable stay. For neither easily tempered be, nor yet repressed may The drawn sword's ire, the battles doth the blood delight out shed. But he yet for his kingdom fought, we altogether led With wicked lust: yet th'end of war is now complained, lo, And not the cause, but now let all remembrance thereof go: When conqueror hath weapons left, the conquerds part should be To leave his hates. Not I that thou with lowly bended knee Me reigning worship shouldst, require: even this doth me delight. That thou thy miseries dost bear with mind so stout upright. Thou for a king a spouse art meet, let's join our beds anon.
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)
Should I abyde, that I the hand ſprinkt with my fathers bloud, Should ouch, and double death imbrewd of both my brethren? nay Firſt ſhall ſunne ryſe extinguiſh quitte, and Weſt ſhal bring the day: Firſt faythful peace betweene the ſnowes and fiers there ſhalbe tryde, And Scilla ſhall t' Auſonius fyrſt ioyne his Sicilian ſyde: And fyrſt, the fleetyng floud that with ſwift turnes of courſe doth flowe Euripus with Euboik waue ſhall ſtand ful ſtil and ſlow. My father, th'empire, bretherne, houſe, thou. haſt me cleare bereft, My countrey to: what may be more? one thing to me is left, Then brother, father, kingdome, houſe, that dearer is to mee The hate of thee, the which to me with people for to be In commune woe I am: how great is myne alonly part? Rule on ful proude, beare vp ful hye thy ſprites and haughty hart: Yet God the proude behynd theyr backes doth follow them to wreake. I know the Thebane kingdomes: what ſhould I the mothers ſpeake, Both ſuffring, and aduentring gyltes? what double miſchiefe done? And mixed name of ſpouſe at once, of father and of ſonne? What brether as double tentes? or what as many roages alſo? The mother proude of Tantals brood congeald in mourning Ie, And ſory ſtone yet flowes with teares in Phrygian Sipylye. Himſelfe like wyſe erected vp his ſealed heade awrye. Euen Cadmus meaſuring throughout th'Illyrian landes in flight, Behynd him left of body drawne long ſlymy markes in ſight. All theſe examples wayte for thee: rule thou as likes thy will, Whyle thee our kingdomes wonted fates do call and oft hap yll. God to, theſe fierce and furious wordes thou woman mad refraine, And imperyes of princes learne of Hercles to ſuſtayne. Though I the ſcepters gotten by the force of war do beare, In conquering hand & all do rule without the law his feare. Which armes ſubdue, a few wordes yet to thee now ſpeake I ſhall For this my cauſe thy father did in bloudy battel fall: Thy brethren fell, the weapons kepe no meaſurable ſtay. For neither eaſily tempred be, nor yet repreſſed may The drawne ſwordes yre, the battels doth the bloud delite out ſhedde. But he yet for his kingdome fought, wee altogether led With wicked luſt: yet th'end of war is now complayned, loe, And not the cauſe, but now let all remembraunce therof goe: When conquerour hath weapons left, the conquerds part ſhould be To leaue his hates. Not I that thou with lowly bended knee Mee raygning worſhip ſhould'ſt, require: euen this doth mee delight. That thou thy myſeries do'ſt beare with mynde ſo ſtout vpright. Thou for a king a ſpouſe art meete, let's ioyne our beds anone.