Agamemnon (Seneca's Eighth Tragedy) · chunk 16 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 0.68 · 480 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T7: hector, troy, achilles, greeks, aeneas, priam, ulysses, troilus, trojan, trojans.
The Bark with hand he caught, & on itself did type it over, Yet Ajax shineth in the flood which darkness blind doth cover. At length attaining to a rock his thundering cracks were thes, I conquered have the force of fire and rage of fighting seas, It doth me good, to master thus the anger of the sky, with Pallas wrath, the lightning flames and floods tumulting high. The terror of the warlike god once could not make me fly, The force of Mars and Hector both at once sustained have I. Nor Phoebus' darts could me constrain, from him one foot to shoes, All these beside the Phrygians subdued we have, and won: when other Mecocks flings his darts shall I not them withstand? Yea, what if Phoebus came himself, to pitch them with his hand? When in his melancholy mood He boasted without mean. Then father Neptune life his head above the waters clean. The beaten rock with forked mace he undermining pluck From bottom lose, & sunk it down, when down himself he duckte. There Ajax lay, by land, by sire, and storm of seas destroyed, But we by suffering shipwreck, are with greater plagues annoyed. A subtle shallow flood there is flown on a stony should, Where crafty Caphar out of sight the lurking rocks doth hold, Upon whose sharp and ragged top● the swelling tide doth flow, The boiling waves do beat thereon still swaying to and fro: A turret nodding over it doth hang with falling sway, From whence on either side from height prospect espy we may Two seas: and on this hand the coast where Pelops on's did reign, And Isthmus flood in narrow creak, recoiling back again, Doth stop Ionian sea, lest in to Hellespont it run, On tother partly is Lemnos flood that fame by bloodshed won. On tother side Chalcedon town doth stand against this fort, And Aulis I'll that stayd our ships that thither did resort. This Castle here inhabit doth our Palimedes sire, Whose cursed hand held in the top a brand of flaming fire, That did allure our fleet, to turn on lurking rocks a right, Enticing them with wily blaze to come unto the light. All into fitters shaken are the vessels on the should, But other some do swim, and some upon the rocks are rolled. And other slipping back again so to eschew the rocks, His bruised rib and rattling sides against each other knocks, Whereby the other he doth brea●e, and broken is himself, Then would they lance into the deep, for now they dread the shelf, This peck of trouble's chaunst to hap in dawning of the day. But when the Gods (besought of us) began the rage to stay, And Phoebus' golden beams began a fresh to render light, The doleful day dys●ryed all the damage done by night.
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)
The Barke with hand he caught, & on it selfe dyd type it ouer, Yet Aiax shyneth in the flood which darknes blynd doth couer. At length attaynyng to a rock hys thundryng crakes were thes, I conquered haue the force of fyre and rage of fyghtyng seas, It doth me good, to mayster thus the anger of the skye, with Pallas wrath, the lightnyng flames and floods tumultyng hye. The terrour of the warlyck god once could not make me flye, The force of Mars and Hector both at once sustaynd haue I. Nor Phaebus dartes could me cōstrayne, from hym one foote to shoon, All these besyde the Phrygians subdued we haue, and woon: when other Mecocks flings his dartes shall I not them withstand? Yea, what if Phaebus came him selfe, to pytche them with hys hand? When in hys melancholy moode He boasted without meane. Then father Neptune lyft hys head aboue the waters cleane. The beaten rocke with forked mace he vndermynyng pluckte From bottom loose, & suncke it doune, when doune hym selfe he duckte. Theare Aiax lay, by land, by syre, and storme of seas destroyd, But we by sufferyng shypwrack, are with greater plagues anoyd. A subtyle shallow flood thear is flowne on a stony shold, Where crafty Caphar out of syght the lurkyng rocks doth hould, Uppon whose sharpe and ragged top the swellyng tide doth flow, The boylyng waues do beat theron styll sweaing to and fro: A turret noddyng ouer it doth hange with fallyng swaye, From whence on either side frō height prospect espye we maye Two seas: and on thys hand the coast where Plops ons did reygne, And Istmus flood in narrow creeke, reculyng back agayne, Doth stop Ionian sea, lest in to Hellespont it run, On thother part is Lemnon flood that fame by blodshed woon. On thother syde Calcedon towne doth stand agaynst thys forte, Ad Aulis Ile that stayd our shyps that thyther dyd resorte. Thys Castell here inhabyte doth our Palimedes sier, Whose cursed hand held in the top a brand o flamyng fier, That dyd alure oure fleete, to turne on lurkyng rocks a ryght, Entysyng them with wily blase to come vnto the lyght. All into fitters shaken are the vesels on the shold, But other some do swym, and some vppon the rocks are roulde. And other slyppyng back agayn so to eschew the rocks, Hys brused rybbes and ratlyng sydes agaynst ech other knocks, Wherby the other he doth breae, and broken is hym selfe, Then wolde they launce int the depe, for now they drad the shelfe, Thys peck of roubles chaunt to hap in dawning of the daye. But when the Gods (besought of vs) began the rage to staye, And Phaebus golden beames began a fresh to render lyght, The dolfull day dysryed all the domage done by nyght.