Hercules Furens (Mad Hercules) (Seneca's First Tragedy) · chunk 13 of 28
Heywood, Jasper / Seneca, Lucius Annaeus · published 1581 · first performed or written 1561 (Annals) tragedy; literary play unassigned nearest T36 Hell, Furies and the language of punishm · 499 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T36: hell, earth, gods, death, ghosts, blood, bloody, heaven, night, ghost.
And when pale death with greedy teeth so wide. Unnumbered Nations hath sent down to spirits With one Boatman all over ferried be. God grant thou mayst of Hell subdue the rights And unrevoked webs of Sisters three. There king of many people reigneth he. Who when thou didst with Nestor's Pylos fight, Pestiferous hands applied to match with thee And weapon bare with triple mace of might: And pricked with little wound he fled away, And lord of death himself did fear to die. Break Fate by force: and let the sight of day To sorry spirits of Hell apparent lie And porch unpassed show way to Gods above. The cruel lords of spirits with pleasant song And humble boon full well could Orpheus move, While he Eurydicen them craves among. The Art that drew Woods, Birds, and stones at will: Which made delay to Floods of flitting flight At sound whereof the savage Beasts stood still With tunes unwont doth Ghosts of hell delight And clearer doth resound in darker place: And weep with tears did Gods of cruel breast: And they which faults with to severe a face Do seek, and former guilt of Ghosts out wrest: The Thracian Daughters wails Eurydicen. For her the judges weeping sit also. we conquered are, chy efe king of death said then To Gods (but under this condition) go, Behind thy husbands back keep thou thy way, Look thou not back thy Wife before to see. Than thee to sight of Gods hath brought the day And gate of Spartan Taenar present be. Love hates delay, nor could abide so long. His gift, he lost, while he desires the sight. The place that could be thus subdued with song That place may soon be overcome by might. O Comfortable guide of light, and honour of the sky, That compasting both Hemispheres with flaming chariot high Thy radiant head to joyful lands about the world dost bring, Thou Phoebus pardon give to me, if any unlawful thing Thine eyes have seen: (commanded) I have here to light out set The secrets of the world: and thou of heaven to guider great, And parent eke, in flash out thrown of lightning hide thy fight. And thou that governest the seas with second sceptre's sight. To bottom sink of deepest waves: who so from high doth see, And dreading yet with countenance new the earth defiled to be, Let him from hence turn back his sight, and face to heaven uphold, These monstrous sights to shun: let twain this mischief great behold, He who it brought, and she that bade. for painful toils to me, And labours long, not all the earth thought wide enough may be For Juno's hate: things uncome to all men I did see, Unknown to soon, and spaces wide that dark and shadeful be Which worser pole gives direr Ioue to reign and rule therein. And yet if third place pleased more for me to enter in,
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)
And when pale death with greedy teeth ſo wyde. Vnnumbred Nations hath ſent downe to ſprightes Wyth one Boateman all ouer feryed bee. God grauut thou maiſt of Hell ſubdue the rightes And vnreuoked webs of Syſters three. There kyng of many people raygneth hee. Who when thou did'ſt wyth Neſtors Pylos fight, Peſtiferous handes applide to matche with thee And weapon bare with triple mace of might: And prickt with litle wounde he fled away, And lorde of death hymſelfe did feare to dye. Breake Fate by force: and let the ſight of day To ſorry ſprightes of Hell apparant lye And porche vnpaſt ſhew way to Gods aboue. The cruell lordes of ſprightes wyth pleaſaunt ſong And humble bowne full well could Orpheus moue, Whyle he Eurydicen them craues among. The Arte that drew Woods, Byrds, and ſtones at will: Which made delay to Floudes of flitting flight At ſound whereof the ſauage Beaſtes ſtoode ſtill With tunes vnwont doth Ghoſts of hell delight And clearer doth reſounde in darker place: And weepe wyth teares did Gods of cruell breſt: And they which faultes with to ſeuere a face Doe ſeeke, and former gylt of Ghoſts out wreſt: The Thracian Daughters wayls Eurydicen. For her the Iudges weeping ſit alſo. Wee conquer'de are, chy efe kyng of death ſayd then To Gods (but vnder this condition) goe, Behynde thy huſbandes backe keepe thou thy way, Looke thou not backe thy Wyfe before to ſee. Than thee to ſight of Gods hath brought the day And gate of Spartane Taenare preſent bee. Loue hates delay, nor coulde abyde ſo long. His gyft, hee loſt, while hee deſires the ſyght. The place that coulde be thus ſubdew'de with ſong That place may ſoone bee ouercome by myght. O Comfortable guyde of light, and honour of the ſkye, That cōpaſting both Hemyſpheres with flaming chariot hye Thy radiāt head to ioyful lāds about y• world doſt bring, Thou Phoebus pardon geue to me, if any vnlawful thing Thyne eyes haue ſeene: (cōmaūded) I haue here to light out ſet The ſecretes of the worlde: and thou of heauen to guider gret, And parent eke, in flaſhe out throwne of lightning hide thy fyght. And thou that gouerneſt the ſeas with ſeconde ſceptors ſyght. To bottome ſynke of deepeſt waues: who ſo from hye doth ſee, And dreading yet with countnaunce newe the earth deſil'de to bee, Let him from hence turne backe his ſight, and face to heauen vpholde, Theſe monſtrous ſights to ſhun: let twayn this miſchiefe great behold, Hee who it brought, and ſhee that bad. for paynefull toyles to mee, And laboures long, not all the earth thought wide inough may bee For Iunoes hate: things vncome to all men I did ſee, Vnknowne to ſoone, and ſpaces wyde that darke and ſhadefull bee Which woorſer poale geues dyrer Ioue to raygne and rule therein. And yet if thyrde place pleaſed more for mee to enter in,