Agamemnon (Seneca's Eighth Tragedy) · chunk 3 of 28
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Studley, John · published 1566 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) tragedy unassigned nearest T25 Kings, power and law: political sententi · 474 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T25: feare, kings, power, princes, lawes, loue, state, downe, honor, men.
Nor so his belching stream from shallow bottom roll, That borders hard upon the ysye frozen pool: Where as Boötes' bright doth twine his wain about, And of the marble seas doth nothing stand in doubt. O how doth fortune toss and tumble in her wheel The staggering states of kings, that ready be to rele? Fayle would they dreaded be, and yet not settled so When as they feared are, they fear and live in woe. The silent Lady night so sweet to man and beast, Can not bestow on them h●r safe and quiet rest: sleep that doth overcome and break the bondes of grief, I cannot ease their hartes, nor minister relief: What castle strongly built, what Bulwark, tower, or town, Is not by mischyfes' means, brought topsy-turvy down? What rampart walls are not made weak by wicked war? From stately courts of kings doth justice fly afar: In princely pallacies, of honesty the lore, And wedlock now devout, is set by little store. The bloody Bellon these doth haunt with gory hand, Whose light and vain conceit in painted pomp doth stand. And those Erinnys wood turmoils with frenzy's fits, That ever more in proud and haughty houses sits, Which sycle fortunes hand in twinkling of an eye, From high and proud degree drives down in dust to lie. Although that skirmish peace, no banners be displayed And though no wiles be wrought and policy be stayed, Down poised with their weight the massy things do sink, And from her burden doth unstable fortune shrink. The swelling Sails pu●t up with gale of western wind, Do yet mistrust thereof a tempest in their mind: The threatening tops (that touch the clouds) of lofty towers Be soonest paid and bet with south wind raynye showers: The darksome wood doth see his tough and sturdy Oak, Well waynd in years to be clean overthrown and broke: The lightnings flashing flame out breaking in the sky, first lighteth on the mounts, and hills that are most high. The bodies corpulent and of the largest syese Are rifest still to catch diseases when they rise. When as the flock to glass, in pasture fat is put, Whose neck is larded best, his throat shall first be cut: What fortune doth advance, and hoisteth up on hy●, She setes it up to fall again more grievously. The things of middle sort, and of a mean degree, Endure above the rest and longest days do see: The man of mean estate most happy is of all, Who pleased with the lot that doth to him befall, Doth sail on silent shore. with calm and quiet tide, And dreads with bruised barge on swelling seas to ride: Nor lawncing to the deep where bottom none is found, may with his rudder search, and reach the shallow ground.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Nor so his belchyng streame from shallow bottom roll, That borders hard vppon the ysye frosen poall: Whear as Bootes bryght doth twyne hys wayne about, And of the marble seas doth nothyng stand in doubt. O how doth fortune tosse and tomble in her whele The staggring states of kynges, that reddye be to rele? Faye wold they dreded be, and yet not setled so When as they feared are, they feare and lyue in woe. The sylent Ladye nyght so sweete to man and beast, Can not bestow on them hr safe and quyet rest: Slepe that doth ouercom and breake the bonds of greefe, I cannot ease theyr hares, nor mynister releefe: What castell stronglye buylt, what Bulwark, tower, or towne, Is not by mischyfes meanes, brought topsye turey downe? What ramperd walls are not made weake by wicked war? From statelye courtes of kynges doth iustice flye afar: In pryncelye pallacies, of honestie the lore, And wedlock now deuoute, is set by lytle store. The bloodye Bellon thse doth hant with gorye hand, Whose lyght and vayne conceit in paynted pomp doth stand. And those Erinnys wood turmoyles with frensyes fitts, That euer more in proud and hautie howses sitts, Which fycle fortunes hand in twynklyng of an eye, From hygh and proud degre dryues down in dust to lye. Although that skyrmish eace, no banners be displayed And though no wyles be wrought and pollecye be stayd, Down paysed with theyr wayght the massy thynges do synke, And from her burden doth vnstable fortune shrynke. The swelling Sayles put vp with gale of western wynde, Do yet mystrust therof a tempest in theyr mynd: The threatnyng tops (that touche the clowdes) of loftye towers Be sonest payd and bett with south wynd raynye showres: The darksome wood doth see his tough and sturdye Oke, Well waynd in yeares to be clean ouerthrown and broke: The lyghtnyngs flashyng flame out breakyng in the skye, Fyrst lyghteth on the mountes, and hylls that are most hye. The bodies corpulet and of the largest syese Are ryfest styll to catch deseases when they ryse. When as the flocke to gase, in pasture fat is putt, Whose necke is larded best, hys throte shall fyrst be cutt: What frtune doth aduaunce, and hoysteth vp on hy, She setes it vpp to fall agayne more greuouslye. The thynges of myddle sorte, and of a meane degree, Endure aboue the rest and longest dayes do see: The man of meane estate most happye is of all, Who pleased with the lott that doth to him befall, Doth sayle on sylent shore. wyth calme and quyet tyde, And dreads wyth brused barge on swellyng seas to ryde: Nor lawncyng to the depe where bottom none is founde, may with his rudder search, and reach the shallow grownd.