The Brazen Age (The Age of Brass) · chunk 34 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 0.78 · 508 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T20: hercules, hercles, ioue, deianeira, alcides, hand, lo, death, skies, hell.
Why so, this is a power infused in love, Beyond all magic; Is't not strange to see A woman's beauty tame the Tyrant-tamer? And the great Monster-master overmatch? Have you done your task? Beauteous Queen, not yet. Then I shall frown. Before that (lovely fair) Augment my task, unto a treble char. For one sweet smile from beauteous Omphale, I'll lay before thee all the monstrous heads Of the grim tyrants that oppress the earth. I that before, at Iuno's strict behest, The hundred giants of Cremona slew, Will twice five hundred kill for Omphale. Find me a Cacus in a cave of fire, I'll drag him from the mountain Aventine, And lay his bulk at thy victorious feet. Find me me another Geryon to captive, All his three heads I'll tumble in thy skirt. Bid me once more sack hell, to bind the furies, Or to present thee with the Gods in chains, It shall be done for beauteous Omphale. Leave prating, ply your work. Oh what a sweetness Lives in her looks! no bondage, or base slavery Seems servitude, whilst I may freely gaze (And uncontrolled) on her: but for one smile, I'll make her Empress o'er the triple world, And all the beauteous Queens from East to West, The Lydians vassals, and my fellow-slaves. There is no Lord but Love, no vassalage But in affection, and th'imperious Queen Doth tyrannize over captive Hercules. Madam, some Dukes of Greece attend without, And crave to see your captive Theban here. Admit them, they shall see what pomp we have, And that our beauty can the loftiest slave. Our business was to Theban Hercules, 'Twas told us he remained with Omphale, The Lydian Queen. Speak, which is Omphale? or which Alcides? We are queen of Lydia, And this our vassal. Do you know him Lords? Stoop slave, and kiss the foot of Omphale. I shall. Oh wondrous alteration! Till now I trusted this report was false, And scarcely can I yet believe mine eyes. Lady, our purpose was to Hercules, Show us the man. Behold him Greeks there. Where? There at his task. Alas! This Hercules? This is some base effeminate groom, not he That with his puissance frighted all the earth: This is some woman, some hermaphrodite. Hath Iason, Nestor, Castor, Telamon, Atreus, Pollux, all forgot their friend? We are the man. Woman we know thee not. We came to seek the Jove-born Hercules, That in his cradle strangled Iuno's snakes, And triumphed in the brave olympic games. He that the Cleonean Lion slew, The Eremanthian Boar, the Bull of Marathon, The Lernaean Hydra, and the winged Hart. He that dragged Cerberus from hell in chains, And stounded Pluto in his Ebon Chair. That Hercules, by whom the Centaurs fell, Great Achelous, the Stymphalides, And the Cremona giants? Where is he? That traitorous Nessus with a shaft transfixed, Strangled Antheus, purged Augeus' stalls, won the bright Apples of the Hesperides, And whilst the Giant Atlas eased his limbs, Bore on his shoulders the huge frame of heaven.
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)
Why so, this is a power infus'd in loue, Beyond all magicke; Is't not strange to see A womans beauty tame the Tyrant-tamer? And the great Monster-maister ouer-match? Haue you done your taske? Beauteous Queene, not yet. Then I shall frowne. Before that (louely faire) Augment my taske, vnto a treble chare. For one sweet smile from beauteous Omphale, Il'e lay before thee all the monstrous heads Of the grim tyrants that oppresse the earth. I that before, at Iuno's strict behest, The hundred gyants of Cremona slue, Will twice fiue hundred kill for Omphale. Finde me a Cacus in a caue of fire, Il'e dragge him from the mountaine Auentine, And lay his bulke at thy victorious feet. Finde me me another Gerion to captiue, All his three heads Il'e tumble in thy skirt. Bid me once more sacke hell, to binde the furies, Or to present thee with the Gods in chaines, It shall be done for beauteous Omphale. Leaue prating, ply your worke. Oh what a sweetnesse Liues in her lookes! no bondage, or base slauery Seemes seruitude, whilst I may freely gaze (And vncontrold) on her: but for one smile, Il'e make her Empresse ore the triple world, And all the beauteous Queenes from East to West, The Lydians vassails, and my fellow-slaues. There is no Lord but Loue, no vassailage But in affection, and th'Emperious Queene Doth tyranize ore captiue Hercules. Madam, some Dukes of Greece attend without, And craue to see your captiue Theban here. Admit them, they shall see what pompe we haue, And that our beauty can the loftiest slaue. Our businesse was to Thehan Hercules, 'Twas told vs he remain'd with Omphale, The Lydian Queene. Speake, which is Omphale? or which Alcides? We are queene of Lydia, And this our vassaile. Do you know him Lords? Stoope slaue, and kisse the foot of Omphale. I shall. Oh wonderous alteration! Till now I trusted this report was false, And scarcely can I yet beleeue mine eyes. Lady, our purpose was to Hercules, Shew vs the man. Behold him Greekes there. Where? There at his taske. Alas! This Hercules? This is some base effeminate groome, not hee That with his puissance frighted all the earth: This is some woman, some Hermophrodite. Hath Iason, Nestor, Castor, Telamon, Atreus, Pollux, all forgot their friend? We are the man. Woman we know thee not. We came to seeke the Ioue-borne Hercules, That in his cradle strangled Iuno's snakes, And triumpht in the braue Olimpicke games. He that the Cleonean Lyon slue, The Eremanthian Boare, the Bull of Marathon, The Lernean Hydra, and the winged Hart. He that drag'd Cerberus from hell in chaines, And stownded Pluto in his Ebon Chaire. That Hercules, by whom the Centaurs fell Great Achelous, the Stymphalides, And the Cremona giants? Where is he? That traiterous Nessus with a shaft trans-fixt, Strangled Antheus, purg'd Augeus stalles, Wan the bright Apples of the Hesperides, And whilst the Giant Atlas eas'd his limbes, Bore on his shoulders the huge frame of heauen.