The Brazen Age (The Age of Brass) · chunk 18 of 40
Heywood, Thomas · published 1613 · first performed or written 1611 [1610-1611] (Annals) classical legend or myth · Queen Anne's Men unassigned nearest T20 Hercules: labours, suffering and virtue · 489 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T20: hercules, hercles, ioue, deianeira, alcides, hand, lo, death, skies, hell.
Laomedon, I'll toss thee from thy walls, Batter thy gates to shivers with my Club, Nor will I leave these broad Scamander plains, Till thy aspiring Towers of Illium Lie level with the place on which we stand. Great Hercules, th'adventure falls to me, Our voyage bent for Colchos, not for Troy, The golden fleece, and not Laomedon: Why should we hazard here our Argonauts? Or spend ourselves on accidental wrongs? Iason adviseth well, great Hercules, We should dishonour him, and th'expectation Greece hath of us, delude by this delay. Then let us from this harbour launch our Argo, To Colchos first, and in our voyage home Revenge us on this false Laomedon. You sway me princes: farewell treacherous King, Nought, save thy blood, shall satisfy this wrong And base dishonour done to Hercules. Expect me; for by olympic Jove I swear. near to set foot within my native Thebes, See Deianeira, or to touch in Greece, Till I'have scaled these mures, invaded Troy, Ransacked thy City, slain Laomedon, And venge the Gods that govern Sea and Sun. Come valiant Heroes, first the fleece to enjoy, And in our back return to ransack Troy. We dread you not, we'll answer what is done. As well as stand 'gainst Neptune and the Sun. How may we glory above other kings Being (by our birth) descended from the Gods? Our wealth renowned through the world tripartite, Most in the riches of the golden fleece, And not the least of all our happiness, Medea for her powerful magic skill, And Necromantic exorcisms admired, And dreaded through the Colchian territories. I can by Art make rivers retrograde, Alter their channels, run back to their heads, And hide them in the springs from whence they grew. The curled Ocean with a word I'll smooth, (Or being calm) raise waves as high as hills, Threatening to swallow the vast continent. With powerful charms I'll make the Sun stand still, Or call the Moon down from her arched sphere. What cannot I by power of Hecate? Discourse (fair sister) how the golden fleece Came first to Colchos. Let Absyrtus know, Phrixus the son of Theban Athamas, And his fair sister Helles, being betrayed By their cursed stepdame Ino, fled from Greece, Their Innocence pitied by Mercury, He gave to them a golden-fleeced Ram, Which bore them safe to the Sygean sea, Which swimming, beauteous Helles there was drowned, And gave that sea the name of Hellespont, That which parts Sestus and Abydos still: Phrixus arrives at Colchos, and to Mars There sacrificed his Ram in memory Of his safe waftage, favoured by the Gods. The golden Fleece was by the Oracle Commanded to be fixed there, kept and guarded By two fierce Bulls, that breath infernal fires, And by a wakeful Dragon, in whose eyes Never came sleep: for in the safe conserving Of this divine and worthy monument, Our kingdoms weal and safety most consists.
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)
Laomdon, Il'e tosse thee from thy walles, Batter thy gates to shiuers with my Club, Nor will I leaue these broad Scamander plaines, Til thy aspiring Towers of Illium Lye leuell with the place on which we stand. Great Hercules, th'aduenture fals to me, Our voyage bent for Colchos, not for Troy, The golden fleece, and not Lamedon: Why should we hazard here our Argonauts? Or spend our selues on accidentall wrongs? Iason aduiseth well, great Hercules, We should dishonour him, and th'expectation Greece hath of vs, delude by this delay. Then let vs from this harbour launch our Argoe, To Colchos first, and in our voyage home Reuenge vs on this false Laomedon. You sway me princes: farewell trecherous King, Nought, saue thy bloud, shall satisfie this wrong And base dishonour done to Hercules. Expect me; for by Olimpicke Ie I sweare. Nere to set foot within my natiue Thebes, See Deianeira, or to touch in Greecs, Till I'haue scal'd these mures, inuaded Troy, Ransack't thy Citty, slaine Laomedon, And venge the Gods that gouerne Sea and Sunne. Come valiant Heroes, first the fleece to enioy, And in our backe returne to ransacke Troy. We dread you not, wee'l answere what is done. As well as stand 'gainst Neptune and the Sunne. How may we glory aboue other kings Being (by our birth) descended from the Gods? Our wealth renowned through the world tripartite, Most in the riches of the golden fleece, And not the least of all our happinesse, Medea for her powerfull magicke skill, And Negromanticke exorcismes admir'd, And dreaded through the Colchian territories. I can by Art make riuers retrograde, Alter their channels, run backe to their heads, And hide them in the springs from whence they grew. The curled Ocean with a word Il'e smooth, (Or being calme) raise waues as high as hils, Threatning to swallow the vast continent. With powerfull charmes Il'e make the Sunne stand still, Or call the Moone downe from her arched spheare. What cannot I by power of Hecate? Discourse (faire sister) how the golden fleece Came first to Colchos. Let Absyrtus know, Phrixus the sonne of Theban Athamas, And his faire sister Helles, being betraid By their curst step-dame , fled from Greece, Their Innocence pittied by Mercury, He gaue to them a golden-fleeced Ramme, Which bore them safe to the Sygan sea, Which swimming, beauteous Helles there was drown'd, And gaue that sea the name of Hellespont, That which parts Sestus and Abidos still: Phrixus arriues at Colchos, and to Mars There sacrific'd his Ramme in memory Of his safe waftage, fauoured by the Gods. The golden Fleece was by the Oracle Commanded to be fixt there, kept and guarded By two fierce Buls, that breath insernall fires, And by a wakefull Dragon, in whose eyes Neuer came sleepe: for in the safe conseruing Of this diuine and worthy monument, Our kingdomes weale and safety most consists.