The Brazen Age (The Age of Brass) · chunk 17 of 40
Heywood, Thomas · published 1613 · first performed or written 1611 [1610-1611] (Annals) classical legend or myth · Queen Anne's Men T20 Hercules: labours, suffering and virtue typicality 0.88 · 507 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T20: hercules, hercles, ioue, deianeira, alcides, hand, lo, death, skies, hell.
Thou hast (Aeneas) quickened me from death, And added to my date a second Age. Admit them. 'Tis told us that thy name's Laomedon, And that thy beauteous daughter must this day Feed a sea-monster: how wilt thou reward The man that shall encounter Neptune's whale? Tug with that fiend upon thy populous strand, And with my club souse on his armed scales? Hast thou not heard of Theban Hercules? I that have awed the earth, and ransacked hell, Will through the Ocean hunt the God of streams, And chase him from the deep abysms below. I'll dare the Sea-god from his watery deeps If he take part with this Leviathan. Thy name and courage warlike Hercules Assures her life, if thou wilt undertake This haughty quest: two milk white steeds, the best Asia ere bred, shall be thy valour's prize, We accept them; keep thy faith Laomedon, If thou but break'st with Jove-born Hercules, These marble structures, built with virgin's blood, I'll raze even with the earth. When comes the monster? Now, now, help Ioue. I see him sweep the sea's along. Blow rivers through his nostrils as he glides, As if he meant to quench the suns bright fire, And bring a palped darkness o'er the earth: He opes his jaws as if to swallow Troy, And at one yawn whole thousands to destroy. Fly, fly into the City. Take along This beauteous Lady, if he must have prey, In stead of her Alcides here will stay. The heartless Trojans fly into the town At fight of yond sea-devil: here we'll stand To wait the conquest of thy jovial hand. Gramercy Iason, see he comes in tempest, I'll meet him in a storm as violent, And with one stroke which this right hand shall aim, Ding him into th'abyss from whence he came. The monster's slain, my beauteous sister freed. Be ever for this noble deed renowned, Let Asia speak thy praise. The Argonauts Are glorified by this victorious act. All Troy shall consecrate to Hercules' Temples and Altars: let's descend and meet him. Stay, none presume to stir, we'll parley them First from the walls. Why doth not Troy's King from those walls descend? And since I have redeemed Hesione, Present my travels with two milk-white steeds, The prize of my endeavours? Hercules we owe thee none, none will we tender thee, Thou hast won thee honour, a reward sufficient For thy attempt: our gates are shut against thee, Nor shall you enter, you are Greekish spies, And come to pry but where our land is weak. Oh royal father! Peace boy: Greeks away: For imminent death attends on your delay. The Sea near bred a monster half so vile As this Land-fiend. darest threaten Hercules? Would universal Troy were in one frame, That I might whelm it on thy cursed head, And crown thee in thy ruin. Menace us? Depart our walls, or we will fire your Argo, Lying in our harbour, and prevent your purpose In the achievement of the golden fleece,
seed 43: T17 · seed 44: T19 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Thou hast (Aeneas) quickned me from death, And added to my date a second Age. Admit them. 'Tis told vs that thy name's Laomedon, And that thy beauteous daughter must this day Feed a sea-monster: how wilt thou reward The man that shall incounter Neptunes whale? Tugge with that fiend vpon thy populous strond, And with my club sowse on his armed scales? Hast thou not heard of Theban Hercules? I that haue aw'd the earth, and ransack't hell, Will through the Ocean hunt the God of streames, And chace him from the deepe Abismes below. Il'e dare the Sea-god from his watery deepes If he take part with this Leuiathan. Thy name and courage warlike Hercules Assures her life, if thou wilt vndertake This hauty quest: two milke white steeds, the best Asia ere bred, shall be thy valours prize, We accept them; keepe thy faith Laomedon, If thou but break'st with Ioue-borne Hercules, These marble structures, built with virgins bloud, Il'e raze euen with the earth. When comes the monster? Now, now, helpe Ioue. I see him sweepe the sea's along. Blow riuers through his nostrils as he glides, As if he meant to quench the Sunnes brightfire, And bring a palped darknesse ore the earth: He opes his iawes as if to swallow Troy, And at one yawne whole thousands to destroy. Fly, flye into the Citty. Take along This beauteous Lady, if he must haue pray, In stead of her Alcides here will stay. The heartlesse Troians fly into the towne At fight of yon sea-diuell: here wee'l stand To wait the conquest of thy Iouiall hand. Gramercy Iason, see he comes in tempest, Il'e meet him in a storme as violent, And with one stroke which this right hand shall aime, Ding him into th'abisse from whence he came. The monster's slaine, my beautuous sister freed. Be euer for this noble deed renown'd, Let Asia speake thy praise. The Argonauts Ae glorifi'd by this victorious act. All Troy shall consecrate to Hercules Temples and Altars: lets descend and meet him. Stay, none presume to stirre, wee'l parly them First from the walles. Why doth not Troy's King from those wals descend? And since I haue redeem'd Hesione, Present my trauels with two milke-white steeds, The prize of my indeuours? Hercules we owe thee none, none will we tender thee, Thou hast won thee honour, a reward sufficient For thy attempt: our gates are shut against thee, Nor shall you enter, you are Greekish spies, And come to pry but where our land is weake. Oh royall father! Peace boy: Greekes away: For imminent death attends on your delay. The Sea nere bred a monster halfe so vile As this Land-fiend. Darft threaten Hercules? Would vniuersall Troy were in one frame, That I might whelme it on thy cursed head, And crowne thee in thy ruine. Menace vs? Depart our walles, or we will fir your Argoe, Lying in our harbour, and preuent your purpose In the atchieuement of the golden fleece,