Agamemnon (Seneca's Eighth Tragedy) · chunk 28 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 0.69 · 504 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T7: hector, troy, achilles, greeks, aeneas, priam, ulysses, troilus, trojan, trojans.
The lusty pomp of royal court is dead: (O doleful day) The people moon their princes death with woe and weal away: with howling, crying, wring hands with sobs with sighs, and tears, And with their mists they beat their breasts they pull and hale their hears. And as the sheep amazed run, and ramp about the field, When as their shepherd to the wolf his gory throat doth yield: Even so as mad they rage and rave throughout Micaenas land, Deprived of their prince, they fear the bloody tyrants hand. While thus were woeful wailings hard in every place about, The good Cassandra (come from Troy) to death is haled out. Like as the Swan, who when the time of death approacheth nigh, By nature warned is thereof, and pleased well to die, Doth celebrate her funeral with dirge and solemn song: Even so the noble virgin who in woe hath lived long, Most joyful goes she to her death with mild and pleasant face, Stout boulst ring out her burly breast with princely port & grace. Nothing dysmayde with courage bold, and cheerful countenance, On stage ordained for her death she 'gan herself advance, As though she had not thither come, to leave her loathsome life, As though she had not come, to taste the stroke of fatal knife. But even as if in bridal bed her journey were to meet Corebus dear, not having mind of death, nor winding sheet, When looking round on every side she took her leave of all, From vapourd eyes of young and ol● the trycling tears do fall. The Greeks themselves to grief and moved to see this heavy sight, So pity pearest the headman's heart, that thrice about to smyte He staid the smote: which shivering hand yet once again he tried. And from her shoulders struck her head. and thus the virgin died. But now the Greeks another cause of mourning have in hand: Orestes Agamemnon's son, is forest to fly the land. Among old rotten ragged rocks thear lies an ugly place, A dungeon dep●, as dark as hell, unknown to Phoebus' face. An hollow huge wide gaping hole, with way still bending down, whose mouth with venomous withered weeds is hid & over grown, where stinking smells come belching out from filthy dirty dyke, where vermin vile do creep & crawl, in bell is not the like. ill favoured, foul misshapen dugges, do lurk about this cave, With dreadful soundest & roaring noise within the pit they rave. Even hither is Electra sent, in darkness deep to lie, In poverty, and comfortless without the light of sky, Fast clogged with iron bolts & chains, thus by her mother laid In torments, till by her to death Orestes be betrayed: Who (as Cassandra telleth) shall revenge his father's death, deprive with sword thadulteror, and mother both of breath. So after all these bloody broils, Greece never shall be free: But blood for blood, and death by turns, the after age shall see.
seed 43: unassigned · 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 lusty pompe of royall courte is dead: (O dolfull day) The people mone theyr prynces death with wo and weal away: with howling, crieng, wringing hands with sobs with syghes, and teares, And wt their ists they beat their bretes they pull and hale theyr heares. And as the shepe amased run, and rampe aboute the fyeld, When as theyr shepherd to the wolfe hys gory throte doth yelde: Euen so as mad they rage and raue throughout Micaenas land, Depriued of theyr prynce, they feare the blooddy Tyrantes hand. While thus were woful wailings hard in euery place aboute, The good Cassandra (come from Troy) to death is haled out. Like as the Swan, who when the time of death approcheth nye, By nature warned is therof, and pleased well to dye, Doth celebrate her unerall with dirge and solemne songe: Euen so the noble vyrgyn who in wo hath lyued longe, Most ioyfull goes she to her death wyth mylde and pleasaunt face, Stout boulst ryng out her bourly brest with pryncely port & grace. Nothyng dysmade with corage bolde, and chearefull countenaunce, On stage ordeyned for her death she gan her selfe aduaunce, As though she had not thyther come, to leue her lothsome lyfe, As though she had not come, to taste the stroke of fatall knyfe. But euen as if in brydale bed her iurney were to meete Corebus dear, not hauyng mynd of death, nor wyndyng sheete, When lookyng round on euery syde she toke her leaue of all, From vapourd eyes of yonge and ol the tryclyng teares do fall. The Grekes them selues to greefe a moued to see this heuy sight, So pytie pearest the headmans hart, that thryse aboute to myte He staide the smot: wt shiuering hand yet once agayne he tryed. And frō her shoulders stroke her head. and thus the vyrgyn dyed. But now the Grekes another cause of murnyng haue in hand: Orestes Agamemnons sonne, is forst to flye the lande. Amonge olde rotten ragged rocks hear lyes an vgly place, A dongeon dep, as darke as hell, vnknowne to Phaebus face. An holow huge wyde gapyng hole, with way styll bendyng downe, whose mouth with venomous withred weedes is hid & ouer growne, where stinking smels com belching out from filthy durty dyke, where verment vile do crepe & craule, in bell is not the lyke. Il fauourd, foule mysshapen ugges, do lurke aboute thys caue, With dreadful sounds & roryng noyse within the pyt they raue. Euen hether is Electra sent, in darkenes depe to lye, In pouertie, and comfortlesse without the lyght of skye, Fast clogd with iron boultes & chaines, thus by her mother layd In tormentes, tyll by her to death Orestes be betrayde: Who (as Cassandra telleth) shall reuenge his fathers death, Depryue with swerd thadulterour, and mother both of breath. So after all these bloody broyles, Greece neuer shall be free: But blood for blood, and death by turnes, the after age shall see.