Hercules Furens (Mad Hercules) (Seneca's First Tragedy) · chunk 27 of 28
Heywood, Jasper / Seneca, Lucius Annaeus · published 1581 · first performed or written 1561 (Annals) tragedy; literary play unassigned nearest T1 Death, grief and revenge · 552 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
By sacred holy kindred rights, by force and duty all Of both my names; if either me thy bringer up thou call. Or parent else, and (which of good men reverenced are) By these hoar hairs, I the beseech my desert age yet spare, And weary years of house fallen down the one alonely stay, One only light to me, with ills afflicted every way Reserve thyself: yet never hath there happened once of thee Fruit of thy toils: still either I the doubtful sea to see Or monsters feared: whoever yet hath been a cruel king In all the world to ghosts allow, and altars both hurting, Of me is feared: the father of thee absent still to have The feuite, the touching, and the sight of thee at length I crave. Wherefore I longer should sustain my life yet in this light, And linger here no cause there is, all good lost have I quite, My mind, my weapons, my renown, my wife, my sons, my hands, And fury to no man may heal and lose from guilty hands My mind defiled: needs must with death he healed so heinous ill. Wilt thou thy father Slay? lest I should do it die I will. Before thy father's face? I taught him mischief for to see. Thy deeds marking rather that should of all remembered be, Of this one only crime I do a pardon of thee crave. Sall he give pardon to himself, that to none else it gave? I being bidden praise deserved, this deed mine own doth prove. Help father now, if either else thy piety thee move, Or else my heavy fate, or else the honour and renown. Of stained strength, my weapons bring, let fortune be thrown down. with my right hand. The prayers which thy father makes to thee Are strong enough, but yet likewise with weeping lo of me By moved yet: arise thou up, and with thy wonted might Subdue thine ills: now such a mind unmeet to bear upright No evil hap, receives again lo now with manhood great Thou must prevail. even Hercules forbid with ire to fret. Alive, I hurt: but if I die I take the guilt also. I haste to rid the world of crime even now before me lo A wicked monster cruel, and untamed fierce and flout Doth wander: now with thy right hand begin to go about A great affair, yea more than all thy twice six labours long. Yet stay'st thou wretch, that late against the children waste so strong, And fearful mother now except restored my weapons see, Of Thracian Pindus either I will fear down every tree, And Bacchus' holly woods and tops of mount Cithaeron high Burn with myself, and all' at once with all their housen I And with the Lords thereof the roofs with gods of Thebes all The Theban temples even upon my body will let fall: And will be hid in to wne upturned: if to my shoulders might The walls themselves all cast thereon shall fall a burden light, And covered with seven gates I shall not be enough oppressed, Than all the weight whereon the world in middle part doth rest, And parts the Gods upon my head I'll turn and overthrow My weapons give.
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)
By ſacred holy ynreds rightes, by force and duty all Of both my names; if eyther me thy brynger vp thou call. Or parent els, and (which of good men reuerenced are) By theſe hoare yres, I the beſech my deſert age yet ſpare, And wery yeares of houſe ſalne downe the one alonly ſtay, One onely light to mee, with yls afflicted euery way Reſerue thy ſelfe: yet neuer hath there happned once of thee Fruite of thy toyles: ſtill eyther I the doubtful ſea to ſee Or monſters feard: who euer yet hath bene a cruell king In all the world to ghoſtes allow, and aulters both hurtinge, Of me is feard: the father of thee abſent ſtil to haue The feuite, the touching, and the ſight of thee at length I craue. Wherfore I longer ſhould ſuſtayn my life yet in this light, And linger here no cauſe there is, all good loſt haue I quighte, My mynd, my weapons, my renoume, my wife, my ſonnes, my handes, And fury to no man may heale and loſe from gylty handes My mynd defyeld: needes muſt with death he heald ſo haynous yll. Wilt thou thy father IIay? Leaſt I ſhoulde do it die I will. Before thy fathers face? I taught him miſchief for to ſee. Thy deedes marking rather that ſhould of al remembred bee, Of this one only cryme I do a pardon of thee craue. Sall he geue pardon to himſelfe, that to none els it gaue? I beeing bidden prayſe deſeru'd, this deede mine owne doth proue. Helpe father now, if eyther els thy piety thee moue, Or els my heauy fate, or els the honour and renowne. Of ſtained ſtrength, my weapons bringe, let fortune be throwen downe. with my right hand. The prayers which thy father makes to thee Are ſtronge enough, but yet likewyſe with weeping loe of me By moued yet: aryſe thou vp, and with thy wonted myght Subdue thyne yls: now ſuch a mynde meete to beare vpright No euill hap, receyus againe loe now with manhode gret Thou muſt preuayle. euen Hercules forbyd with yre to fret. Alyue, I hurt: but if I dye I take the gylt alſo. I haſt to ridde the world of cryme euen now before me lo A wicked monſter cruel, and vntamed fierce and flout Doth wander: now with thy ryght hand begime to goe aboute A greate affayre, yea more then all thy twyſe ſixe labours long. Yet ſtayſt thou wretch, that late agaynſt the children waſt ſo ſtronge, And fearful mother now except reſtoard my weapons ee, Of Thracian Pindus eyther I wil feare downe euery tree, And Bacchus holly woods and tops of mount Cythaeron hye Burne with myſelfe, and al 'at once with all their houſen I And with the Lordes therof the roofes with goddes of Thebes all The Thebane temples euen vppon my body will let fall: And wyl be hyd in to wne vpturnd: if to my ſhoulders might The walls themſelues all caſt ther ſhall fall a burden light, And couerd with ſeuen gates I ſhall not be enough oppreſt, Then all the wayght wheron the worlde in middle part doth reſt, And partes the Goddes vppon my head Ile turne and ouerthrow My weapons geue.