The Brazen Age (The Age of Brass) · chunk 36 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 0.81 · 523 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T20: hercules, hercles, ioue, deianeira, alcides, hand, lo, death, skies, hell.
By Ioue she shall not, first I'll rend these eyes out, That sotted with the love of Omphale Hath trans-shaped me, and deeply injured her. Come we will shake off this effeminacy And by our deeds repurchase our renown. Iason and you brave Greeks, I know you now, And in your honours I behold myself What I have been, hence Strumpet Omphale, I cast thee off, and once more will resume My native virtues, and to prove this good This day unto the Gods I'll sacrifice To grace which pomp, and that we may appear The same we were, before us shall be borne These of our labours twelve, the memory, Unto Ioues Temple, grace us worthy Heroes To assist us in this high solemnity. Whilst we upon our manly shoulders bear These massy pillars we in Gades must rear. We have lost our servant, never yet had Lady One of the like rank. All King Thespius' daughters, Fifty in number, childed all one night, Could not prevail so much with Hercules As we have done; no not fair you'll Daughter to Cacus, beauteous Megara, Nor all the fair and amorous queens of Greece, Could slave him like the Lydian Omphale. Therefore where'er his labours be renowned, Let not our beauty pass unregistered. Bondaging him that captived all the earth, Nor will we leave him, or yet lose him thus What either beauty, cunning, flattery, tears Or woman's Art can, we will practise on him. But now the Priests and Princes are prepared For the great sacrifice, which we will grace With our high presence, and behold aloof These rights unto the gods performed and done We'll gain by Art, what we with beauty won. Now Ioue behold us from thy sphere of Stars, And shame not to acknowledge us thy sons. Thus should Alcides march amidst his spoils, engirt with slaughtered lions, Hydra's, Whales, Boars, Bulls, grim Tyrants, hellhounds, Monsters, Furies, And Princes his spectators: oh you Gods, To whom this day we consecrate your prayers, And dedicate our sacred orisons, deign us your eyes, behold these shoulders bear Two brazen pillars, trophies of our fame, That have eased Atlas, and supported heaven, And had we shrunk beneath that heavenly structure The Spheres, Orbs, Planets, Zeniths, Signs, and Stars, With loves high Palace, all confusedly Had shattered, fallen, and o'erwhelmed earth and sea, we have done that, and all these labours else, Which we this day make sacred, lune see These we surrender to thy love and thee. From Deianeira I present this gift, Wrought with her own hand, with more kind commends Then I have measured steps to Lydia From Thebes, which she entreats you wear for her. More welcome is this gift to Hercules Then Iason's Fleece, Laomedon's white Steeds, Or should Ioue grace me with eternity, Here stand our pillars, with non vltra insculpted, Which we must rear beyond the Pyrene Hills At Gades in Spain (Alcides' utmost bounds) Whilst we put on this shirt, the welcome present Of Deianeira, whom we dearly love, Lychas thy hand, In this we'll sacrifice And make our peace with her and Iupiter.
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)
By Ioue she shall not, first I'le rend these eies out, That sotted with the loue of Omphale Hath transhapt me, and deepely iniur'd her. Come we will shake off this effeminacy And by our deeds repurchase our renowne. Iason and you braue Greekes, I know you now, And in your honours I behold my selfe What I haue bene, hence Strumpet Omphale, I cast thee off, and once more will resume My natiue vertues, and to proue this good This day vnto the Gods I'le sacrifice To grace which pompe, and that we may appeare The same we were, before vs shall be borne These of our labours twelue, the memory, Vnto Ioues Temple, grace vs worthy Heroes To assist vs in this high sollemnity. Whilst we vpon our manly shoulders beare These massy pillars we in Gades must reare. We haue lost our seruant, neuer yet had Lady One of the like ranke. All King Thespius daughters, Fifty in number, childed all one night, Could not preuaile so much with Hercules As we haue done; no not faire Yole Daughter to Cacus, beauteous Megara, Nor all the faire and amorous queenes of Greece, Could slaue him like the Lydian Omphale. Therefore where e're his labours be renown'd, Let not our beauty passe vnregistred. Bondaging him that captiu'd all the earth, Nor will we leaue him, or yet loose him thus What either beauty, cunning, flattery, teares Or womans Art can, we will practise on him. But now the Priests and Princes are prepar'd For the great sacrifice, which we will grace With our high presence, and behold aloofe These rights vnto the gods perform'd and dne We'le gaine by Art, what we with beauty won. Now Ioue behold vs from thy spheare of Starres, And shame not to acknowledge vs thy sonnes. Thus should Alcides march amidst his spoiles, Inguirt with slaughtered Lyons, Hydraes, Whales, Boares, Buls, grim Tyrants, Hel-hounds, Monsters, Furies, And Princes his spectators: oh you Gods, To whom this day we consecrate your praiers, And dedicate our sacred orisons, Daine vs your cies, behold these sholders beare Two brazen pillars, trophies of our fame, That haue eas'd Atlas, and supported heauen, And had we shrunke beneath that heauenly structure The Spheares, Orbs, Planets, Zeniths, Signes, and Stars, With loues high Pallace, all confusedly Had shattered, falne, and o're-whelm'd earth and sea, Wee haue done that, and all these labours else, Which we this day make sacred, lune see These we surrender to thy loue and thee. From Deianera I present this guift, Wrought with her owne hand, with more kind commends Then I haue measured steps to Lydia From Thebes, which she intreats you weare for her. More welcome is this guift to Hercules Then Iason's Fleece, Laomedon's white Steeds, Or should Ioue grace me with eternity, Here stand our pillars, with non vltra insculpt, Which we must reare beyond the Pyrene Hils At Gades in Spaine (Alcides vtmost bounds) Whilst we put on this shirt, the welcome present Of Deyianeira, whom we deerely loue, Lychas thy hand, In this wee'le sacrifice And make our peace with her and Iupiter.