Agamemnon (Seneca's Eighth Tragedy) · chunk 10 of 28
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Studley, John · published 1566 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) tragedy T24 Apollo, Phoebus and the Muses typicality 0.81 · 482 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T24: apollo, phoebus, midas, muses, ears, play, hedone, gods, siren, time.
NOw chant it lusty lads. Apollo's praise suborn, To thee the frolyke flock their crowned heads adorn. To thee king Inach's stock of wedlock chamber void, Braid out their virgins locks and thereon have employed, Their savoury garlands green It wy●t of Laurel bow. Draw near with us o Thebes, our dancing follow thou. Come also ye, that drink of Ismen bubbling flood, Whereas the Laurel tree full thick on banks doth bood. Eke ye whom Man do mild, the Prophetess divine, (Foreseenge fate) and borne of high Tiresias line, Hath stirred to celebrate with sacred use and right Apollo and Diana borne of Latona's bright. O victor Phoebe unbend thy nocked ●owe again, Sith quietness and peace anew we do retain. And let thy twangling harp make melody so shryll, While that thy nimble hand strike quavers with thy quill. No curious descant I nor lustie music crave, No jolly rumbling note, nor trolling tune to have. But on thy triple Lute (according to thy use) Stoic up a plain song note, as when thy learned Muse Thy lessons do record, though yet on base string It liketh thee to play the song that thou did sing: As when from fiery heaven the dint of lightening flew, Sent down by wrath of gods, the Titans overthrew. Or else when mountains were on mountains heaped high That raise for G●auntes fell their steps into the sky, The mountain Ossa stood on top of Pelion laid, Olymp (whereon the Pines their budding branches brayed) Down poised both: draw near o Iun● noble dame, Both spouse of mighty Ioue and sister to the same: Thou that dost r●le with him made jointure of his mace, Thy people we of Greece give honour to thy grace: Thou only dost protect from perils Argos land, That ever careful was to have thine honour stand, (Most suppliant there unto) thou also with thy might Dost order joyful peace and battles fierce of fight, Accept o conquering queen these branches of the bays, That Agamemnon here doth yield unto thy praise: The hollow boxen pipe (that doth with holes abound) In singing unto thee doth give a solemn sound: To thee the damsels eke that play upon the strings, With cunning harmony melodious music sings. The matron's eke of Grace by riper years more grave, To thee the paper pay, that vowed oft they have, The beyferd young & white companion of the Full Unskilful, yet by proof the painful plain to pull, whose neck was never worn nor galled with print of yoke, Is in thy temple slain receiving deadly stroke. O laid Pallas thou of mo●t renoumned hap Bred of the brain of Ioue that smites with thunder clap. Thou lofty Trojan ●owres of craggy knotty flint Hast bet with battering blade, and struck with iaveling dyn●● The elder matrons with the dames that younger be
seed 43: T29 · seed 44: T27 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
NOw chaunt it lustye laddes. Apollos prayse suborne, To thee the frolyke flock theyr crowned heads adorne. To thee kynge Inachs stocke of wedlock chamber voyd, Braid out their virgyns lockes and theron haue employd, Theyr sauorie garlandes greene It wyt of Lawrell bow. Draw nere wyth vs o Thebes, our daunsyng folow thou. Come also ye, that dryncke of Ismen bublyng flood, Wheras the Laurell tree full thycke on bankes doth bood. Eke ye whom Man do mild, the Prophetesse diuyne, (Foreseenge fate) and borne of hyghe Tiresias lygne, Hath styrd to celebrate with sacred vse and ryght Appollo and Dian borne of Latona bryght. O victor Phaebe vnbend thy nocked owe agayne, Syth quyetnes and peace anew we do retayne. And let thy twāckling harpe make melodie so shyll, Whyle that thy nymble hande stryke quauers with thy quill. No curious descant I nor lusie musick crue, No ioly rumbling note, nor trowlyng tune to haue. But on thy treble Lute (accordyng to thy vse) Styke vp a playne song note, as when thy learned Muse Thy lessons do record, though yet on baser strynge It lyketh thee to play the songe that thou did synge: As when from fyry heauen the dynt of lyghtnyng flew, Sent downe by wrath of gods, the Titans ouerthrew. Or els when moūtains were on mountaynes heaped hye That raise for Gauntes fell theyr steppes into the skye, The mountaine Ossa stood on top of Pelion layde, Olymp (wheron the Pynes theyr buddyng braunches brayd) Downe paised both: draw nere o Iun noble dame, Both spouse of myghty Ioue and syster to the same: Thou that doest rle wt hym made ioynter of his mace, Thy people we of Greece gyue onour to thy grace: Thou onely dost protect from peryls Argos land, That euer carefull was to haue thine honour stand, (Most supplient ther vnto) thou also with thy myght Dost order ioyfull peace and battels fearce of fight, Accept o conquering queene these braunches of the bays, That Agamemnon here doth yeild vnto thy prayse: The holow boxen pype (that doth with holes abound) In syngyng vnto thee doth gyue a solemne sound: To thee the damsels ek that play vpon the strynges, With connyng harmonie mlodious musick synges. The marons eke of Grc by ryper yeares more graue, To thee the aper paye, that vowed oft they haue, The beyferd yonge & whit companyon of the Full Unskilfull, yet by proofe the paynful plin to pull, whose neck was neuer worn nor gald wyth prynt of yoake, Is in thy temple slayne receyuing deadly stroake. O layde Pallas thou of mot renoumned hap Bred of the brayne of Ioue that smytes with thonder clap. Thou loftie Troian owres of craggy knotty flynt Hast bet with battryng blade, and strooke with iauelyng dyn The elder matrons with the dames that yonger be