Agamemnon (Seneca's Eighth Tragedy) · chunk 12 of 28
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Studley, John · published 1566 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) tragedy T7 The Trojan war: conflict and its afterma typicality 0.72 · 482 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T7: hector, troy, achilles, greeks, aeneas, priam, ulysses, troilus, trojan, trojans.
Bless we with burning sacrifice, at length this lucky day. And eke the gods though gracious Yet dealing long delay: Declare if that my brother's wife enjoy the vital air, And tell me, to what kind of Coast my sister doth repair. God grant & give us better news than this that thou dost crave: The heavy hap of fighting floods forbids the truth to have. Our scattred fleet the swelling seas attempts in such a plight, That ship from ship was taken clean out of each others sight. Atrides in the waters wide turmoiled and straying far, More violence by seas sustained then by the bloody war. And as it were a conquered man escaping home all weete Now bringeth in his company of such a mighty fleet, A sort of bruised broken barks, beshaken, torn, and rent. Show what unlucky chance it is that hath our navy spent, What storm of seas dispersed hath our Captains hear and there? Thou willest me to make report of heavy woeful gear. Thou biddest me most grievous news with tidings good to part: For uttering of this woeful hap my feeble mind doth start. And horribly appalled is with this so monstrous ill. Speke out, and utter it: himself with terror he doth fill, Whose heart his own calamity and cark, doth loathe to know: The heart whom doubted damage dulls with greater grief doth glow. When Trojan buildings blazing bright did burn away, and broil, Enkindled first by Greekish brand, they fall to part the spoil: Repairing fast unto the seas again we come a board, And now the soldiers weary loins were eased of his sword, Their bucklers cast aside upon the hatches lie above: Their warlike hands in practice put, and Oars learn to move: Each little hindrance seems to much to them in hasty plight, When of recours the Admiral, gave watchword by his light, And trumpet blast began to call our army from delay, The painted Pup with gilded snout did first guide on the way: And cut the course, which folding on a thousand ships did rive, Than first a wind with pipling puffs our lancing ships did drive: Which glided down upon our sails: the water being calm With breath of western wind so mild scant moved any walm. The shining seas bespread about with ships, doth glister bright, And also covered with the same, lay hid fro Phoebus' light: It doth us good, to gaze upon the naked shore of Troy: The desert Phrygian plots so bar● to view, we hopp for joy: The youth each one besturrs themselves, and striking altogether They tough their oars, & with their toil they help the wind and weather. They tug, and cheerly row by course, the spyrting seas up dash, Against the rattling ribs of ships The flapping floods do flashy The hoary froth of wrestling waves
seed 43: T12 · seed 44: T11 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
¶Blesse we with burnyng sacryfyce, at lengthe this luckye daye. ¶ And eke the gods though gracious Yet dealyng long delaye: Declare if that my brothers wyfe enioy the vitall ayre, And tel me, to what kynd of Coast my syster doth repayre. ¶God graunt & gyue vs better newes then thys that thou doest craue: The heuy hap of fyghtyng floods orbyddes the trueth to haue. Our scatred fleete the swelling seas attemptes in such a plyght, That shyp from ship was taken cleane out of eche others syght. Atrides in the waters wyde turmoyld and strayeng far, More vyolence by seas sustaind then by the blooddy war. And as it were a conquerd man escaping home all weete Now bringeth in his companie of such a myghty fleete, A sorte of brused broken barkes, beshaken, torne, and rent. ¶Shew what vnluckie chaunce it is that hath our Nauye spent, What storme of seas dispersed hath our Captaines heare and theare? ¶Thou willest me to make reporte of heauy wofull geare. Thou biddest me most greuous newes with tydynges good to parte: For vttryng of thys wofull hap my feble mynde doth starte. And horrybly appauled is with thys so monstrous ill. ¶Speke out, and vtter it: hym selfe with terrour he doth fyll, Whose harte hys owne calamytie and carke, doth lothe to know: The harte whom doubted domage duls with greater greefe doth glow. ¶Whē Troian buyldings blasing bright did burne away, and broyle, Enkindled firste by Grekish brand, they fall to parte the spoyle: Repairing fast vnto the seas agayne we come a boorde, And now the soldiers wery loynes were eased of hys sworde, Their bucklers cast aside vpon the hatches lie aboue: Their warlike handes in practise put, and Oers learne to moue: Eche lytle hyndraunce semes to much to them in hasty plyght, When of recours the Admirall, gaue watchword by his lyght, And trumpet blast began to call our army from delaye, The painted Pup with gilded snowt did firste guyde on the waye: And cut the course, which foling on a thousand shippes did ryue, Then first a winde with ppling puffes our launcing ships did dryue: Which glyded downe vpon our sailes: the water being calme With breath of westerne wind so mild scant moued any walme. The shynyng seas bespred aboute with shyppes, doth glyster bryght, And also couerd with the same, lay hyd fro Phaebus lyght: It doth vs good, to gase vpon the nakd shore of Troy: The desarte Phrygian plots so bar to vewe, we hopp for ioye: The youth echone besturrs thē selues, and strykyng altogether They tough theyr ores, & wt their toyl they help the winde and weather. They tug, and chearly row by course, the spyrtyng seas vp dash, Agaynst the ratlyng rybs of shippes The flapping floods do flash The hory froth of wrestlyng waues