Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Neville, Alexander · published 1581 · first performed or written 1563 (Annals) tragedy T36 Hell, Furies and the language of punishm typicality 0.71 · 494 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T36: hell, earth, gods, death, ghosts, blood, bloody, heaven, night, ghost.
With bows of mortal Ewe. A tree wherewith the mourners wind, Their mourning heads, & Garlands make. In this guise all arrayed, The sacred Priest doth enter in, with trembling limbs dismayed: Than in the Sheep and Oxen black, by backward course are drawn. And odours sweet, & frankincense, on flaming fires are thrown. The beasts on burning, Altars cast, do quake with scorched limbs: And bloody streams with fire mixed, about the Altars swims. Than on the dark internal Gods, and him that rules them all: With deadly shrieking voice aloud, the Prophet gins to call. And rolls the Magic verse in mouth, and hidden Arts doth prove: Which either power have to appease or else the Gods to move, Their bloody streaming Liquours black, with broiling heat do boil: And all the Beasts consume and burn. The Prophet than to toil Begins. And mixed wine and Milk upon the Altars throws. And all the Dungeon dark, and wide with streaming blood it flows. Than out with thundering voice again the Prophet calls and cries. And straight as much with mumbling mouth he champs in secret wise The trees do turn. The rivers stand. The ground with roaring shakes. And all the world as seems to me, with fearful trembling quakes. I am heard, I am heard, than out aloud the Priest began to cry: When all the damned souls by heaps abroad outrushing fly. Then woods with rumbling noise, do oft resounding make. And Heaven, and Earth together go. And bows and trees do crake. And Thunders roar. And Lightnings flash. And waves aloft do fly. And ground retires: and Dogs do bawl: and Beasts are heard to cry. And whither long of Acheron, that loathsome Flood that flows All stinking streams: or of the earth, that out her Bowels throws, Free place to Sprights to give: or of that fierce infernal Hound, That at such times doth bustling make with chains, & railing sound. The Earth all wide it open gapes. And I did see on ground, The Gods with colour pale and wan, that those dark kingdoms keep. And very night I saw in deed, and thousand shapes to creep, From out those filthy stinking Lakes, and loathsome pits of Hell. Where all the evils under Son, in darksome shades do dwell. So quaking all for fear I stood with mind right sore appalled, Whilst on those Gods with trembling mouth the Priest full often called. Who all at once, out of their dens did skip with grisly Face. And Monsters grim, and stinging Snakes seemed wander in that place. And all the foulest Fiends of Hell, and Furies all were there. And all transformed Ghosts & sprights, that ever Hell did bear. With Cares, and all Diseases vile, that mortal minds do crush, All those, and more I saw out of those Dungeons deep to rush, And Age I saw, with riveled Face, and Need, & Fear, and Death.
seed 43: T32 · seed 44: T26 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
With bowes of mortall Ewe. A tree wherewith the mourners winde, Theyr mourning heads, & Garlands make. In this guiſe all arayde, The ſacred Prieſt doth enter in, with trembling lims diſmayde: Than in the Sheepe and Oxen blacke, by backwarde courſe are drawn▪ And odoures ſweete, & Frankencence, on flaming fyres are thrown. The beaſts on burning, Altars caſt, do quake with ſchorched lims: And bloudy ſtreames with fyre mixt, about the Aultars . Than on the darke internall Gods, and him that rules them all: With deadly ſhriking voyce aloude, the Prophet gins to call. And rouls the Magick verſe in mouth, and hidden Artes doth proue: Which eyther power haue to appeaſe or els the Gods to moue, Thair bloudy ſtreaming Lycours black, with broyling heate doe boyle: And all the Beaſts conſume and burn. The Prophet than to toyle Begins▪ And mixed wyne and Mylke vpon the Aultars throwes. And all the Dongeon darke, and wyde with ſtreamin blod it flowes. Than out with thundring voyce agayne the Prophet calles and cryes. And ſtraight as much wt mumbling mouth he champs in ſecret wyſe The trees do turne▪ The Riuers ſā . The ground with roring ſhakes. And all the world as ſeemes to mee, with fearefull trembling quakes. I am heard, I am heard, than out aloude the Prieſt began to cry: Whan all the damped foles by heapes abrode outruſhing fly. Then woods with rumbling noyſe, doe oft reſounding make. And Heauen, and Earth together goe. And bowes and trees do crake. And Thūders roore. And Lightnings flaſh. And waues aloft doe fly. And ground retyres: and Dogs doe bawl: and Beaſtes are heard to cry. And whyther long of Acheron, that lothſom Flud that lowes All ſtinking ſtreames: or of the earth, that out her Bowels throwes, Free place to Sprights to geue: or of that fierce infernall Hound, That at ſuch times doth buſtling make wt chayns, & railing ſound. The Earth al wide it open gaes. And I did ſee on ground, The Gods with colour pale and wan, that thoſe dark kingdoms keepe. And very night I ſaw in deede, and thouſand ſhapes to creepe, From out thoſe filthy ſtinking Lakes, and lothſom pits of Hell. Where all the euils vnder Son, in darkſom ſhades doe dwell. So quaking all for feare I ſtoode with minde right ſore apalde, Whilſt on thoſe Gods wt trembling mouth the Prieſt full often calde. Who all at once, out of theyr dens did ſkip with griely Face. And Monſters grim, and ſtinging Snakes ſeemd wander in that place. And all the fowleſt Feendes of Hell, and Furies all were theare. And all trāſformed Ghoſts & ſprights, that euer Hell did beare. With Cares, ahd all Diſeaſes vyle, that mortall mynds doe cruſh, All thoſe, and more I ſawe out of thoſe Dangeons deepe to ruſh, And Age I ſawe, with riueled Fae, and Neede, & Feare, and Death.