Agamemnon (Seneca's Eighth Tragedy) · chunk 22 of 28
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Studley, John · published 1566 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) tragedy T20 Hercules: labours, suffering and virtue typicality 0.89 · 493 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T20: hercules, hercles, ioue, deianeira, alcides, hand, lo, death, skies, hell.
But yet much troublous danger doth hang over thy head I wots. What mischief may a victor dread? Even that he dreadeth not. Ye trusty many of my men come carry her away, Till of the sprite she rid herself, lest fury force her say That may be prejudicial, her tongue she can not frame. To thee o father flinging forth the lghtnings flashing flame, That dost disperse the clouds, & rule the course of every star, And guide the Globe of earth, to whom the booties won by war With triumph victors dedicate: to thee o Iuno height The sister dear of doughty Ioue, (thy husband full of myht) Both I and Greece with flesh & blood and eke our vowed beast And gorgeous gifts of Arabia give worship to thy hest. O Grece by noble Gentlemen in honour shining clear, O Grece to wrathful Iuno thou that art the darling dear, Some jolly worthy lusty blood thou fosters evermore, Thou hast made even the gods, that were a number odd before. That puissant mighty Hercules a noble imp of thine Deserved by his travels twelve, rapt up in heaven to shine. For whom the heavens did alter course, and Iupiter with all Did iterate the hours of night, when dampish dew doth fall. And charged Phoebus' chariot swift, to troth with slower pace, And leisurely bright lady moon thy homeward wain to trace, Bright Lucifer that year by year his name a new doth change, Came back again, to whom the name of Hesper seemed strange. Aurora to her common course her reared head addressed, And cowching backwardly down again the same she did arrest, Upon the shoulder of her spouse, whose years with age are worn The east did feel, so felt the west, that Hercules was borne. Dame nature could not clean dispatch, to utter in one night, That boistous lad: the whirling world did weight for such awyght. O babe whose shoulders underprop, the ample spacious sky, In clasped arms thy prows did the crushed Lion try. Who from his fiery yawning throat spews out his broiling brand, The nimble hind in Menall mount hath known thy heavy hand. The Boar hath felt thy fist, which di● Arcadia destroy. The monstrous conquered Bull hath roared that Creta did annoy. The Dragon dire that breeding beast in Lerna pool he slew, And chopping of one head forbadd thereof to rise anew. Wtih cloobbed bruising battering bat he cranckly did subdue. (The brethren twins the tewd on teat) whereof iii monsters grew. Of triple form Geryon the spoil into the east, A drove of cattle Hercules did fetch out of the west. Away from tyrant Diomedes the Thracian horse he led Which neither with the grass that grew by Strymon flood he fed, Nor yet on Heber banks, but them the villain did refresh His greedy munching cramming jades with aliens blood and flesh. Their raw-fed jaws imbrued were with
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)
¶But yet much troublous daūger doth hang ouer thy head I wot. ¶What mischeife may a victor dread? ¶Euen that he dreadeth not. ¶Ye trusty meny of my men come cary her away, Tyll of the spryte she ryd her selfe, lest fury force her say That may be preiudicall, her toge she can not frame. To thee o father flyngyng furth the lyghtninges flasshing flame, That dost disperse the cloudes, & rule the course of euery starre, And guide the Globe of earth, to whom the booties woon by warre With tryumphe victors dedicate: to thee o Iuno hyght The syster deare of doughty Ioue, (thy husband full of myht) Both I and Greece with flesh & blood and eke our vowed beast And gorgyou giftes of Arabie gyue worshyp to thy hest. O Grece by noble Gentlemen in honour shyning clear, O Grece to wrathfull Iuno thou that art the darlyng dear, Some ioly worthy lusty blood thou fosters euermore, Thou hast made euen the gods, yt were a number od before. That puyssant myghtie Hercules a noble impe of thine Deserued by hys trauels twelue, rapt vp in heauen to shyne. For whom the heauens did alter cours, and Iupiter with all Did iterate the howres of nyght, when dampish dewe doth fall. And charged Phaebus charyot swyfte, to trot with slower pace, And leasurely bryght lady moone thy homward wayne to trace, Bryght Lucifer that yeare by yeare hys name a newe doth chaunge, Came back againe, to whom the name of Hesper semed straunge. Aurora to her commn course her reared head addrest, And cowchyng bacward down agayn the same she did arest, Uppon the shoulder of her spouse, whose yeares with age are worne The east did fele, so felt the west, that Hercules was borne. Dame nature could not clean dispatch, to vtter in one nyght, That boystous lad: the whyrling world did wayght for such awyght. O babe whose sholders vnderprop, the ample spacious skye, In clasped armes thy prowes dyd the crusshed Lion trye. Who from his fyrye yawnyng throte spewes out his broyling brande, The nimble hynd in Menall mount hath known thy heauy hand. The Bore hath felt thy fyst, which di Arcadia destroye. The monstrous conquerd Bul hath rord that Creta did anoye. The Dragon dire that bredyng beast in Lerna poole he slew, And choppyng of one head forbadd therof to ryse anewe. Wtih cloobbed brusyng battring batte he cranckly did subdew. (The bretherne twins y• tewd on teat) wherof .iii. monsters grew. Of tryple formed Gerion the spoyle into the east, A droue of cattell Hercules dyd fetch out of the west. Away from tyrant Diomede the Thracian hors he led Which nether with the grasse that grew by Styrmon flood he fed, Nor yet on Heber bankes, but them the vyllayn dyd refresh His gredy mounching cramming iades with aliantes blood and flesh. Their rawfed iawes imbrewd wer with