Agamemnon (Seneca's Eighth Tragedy) · chunk 1 of 28
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Studley, John · published 1581 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) tragedy unassigned nearest T36 Hell, Furies and the language of punishm · 466 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T36: hell, earth, gods, death, ghosts, blood, bloody, heaven, night, ghost.
Departing from the darkened dens which Dicis low doth keep, Lo here I am sent out again, from Tartar Dungeon deep, Thyestes I, that whether coast to shun do stand in doubt, Th'infernal fiends I fly, the folk of earth I chase about. My conscience lo abhors, that I should hither passage make, Appalled sore with fear and dread my trembling sinews shake: My father's house, or rather yet my brothers I espy, This is the old and antic porch of Pelops progeny. Here first the Greeks on princes heads do place the royal crown, And here in throne aloft they lie, that jetteth up and down, With stately Sceptre in their hand, eke here their courts do lie, This is their place of banqueting, return therefore will I. Nay: better were it not to haunt the loathsome Limbo lakes, Where as the stygian porter doth advance with lusty crakes His triple gorge be hung with Mane shag hatry, rusty black: Where Ixion's Carcase linked fast, the whirling wheel doth rack, And rolleth still upon himself: where as full oft in vain Much toil is lost, (the tottering stone down tumbling back again) Where growing guts the greedy gripe do gnaw with ravening bits. Where parched up with burning thirst amid the waves he sits, And gapes to catch the fleeting flood with hungry chaps beguiled, That pays his painful punishment, whose feast the Gods defiled: Yet that old man so stepped in years at length by trace of time, How great a part belongs to me and portion of his crime? Account we all the grisly ghosts, whom guilty found of ill, The Gnosian judge in Pluto's pits doth rose in torments still: Thyestes I in dreary deeds will far surmount the rest, Yet to my Brother yield I, (though I gorged my bloody breast) And stuffed have my pampered paunch even with my children three, That crammed lie within my ribs and have their Tomb in me, The bowels of my swallowed Babes, devoured up I have, Nor fickle Fortune me alone the Father doth deprave, But enterprysing greater guilte then that is put in bre, To file my daughter's bawdy Bed, my lust she doth allure. To speak these words I do not spare, I wrought the heinous deed, That therefore I through all my stock, might parent still proceed. My Daughter driven by force of Fates and destinies divine, Doth breed young bones, & lades her womb with sinful seed of mine. Lo, nature changed upside down, and out of order turned This mingle-mangle hath she made, (O fact to be forlorn) A Father and a Grandsire lo, confusedly I am, My daughter's husband both become, and Father to the same. Those babes that should my nephews be, when nature rightly runs,
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: T33 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
DEpartinge from the darkned dens which Dicis low doth keepe, Loe heere I am ſent out agayne, from Tartar Dungeon deepe, Thyeſtes I, that wheather coaſt to ſhun doe ſtande in doubt, Th'internall fiedes I fly, the foalke of earth I chaſe about. My conſcience lo abhors, that I ſhould heather paſſage make, Appauled ſore with feare▪ and dread my trembling ſinewes ſhake: My fathers houſe, or rather yet my brothers I eſpy, This is the olde and antique porche of Pelops progeny. Here firſt the Greekes on prynces heads doe place the royall crowne, And heere in throne aloft they lye, that ietteth vp and downe, With ſtately Scepter in theyr hand, eake heere theyr courts doe ly, This is theyr place of banquetting, returne therefore will I. Nay: better were it not to haunt the lothſome Limbo lakes, Where as the Stygion porter doth aduaunce with luſty crakes His tryple gorge be hong with Mane ſhag hatry, ruſty blacke: Where xions Carkaſſe linked faſt, the whirling wheele doth racke, And rowleth ſtill vpon him ſelfe: where as full oft in vayne Much toyle is loſt, (the tottring ſtone down tumbling backe agayne) Where growing guts the greedy gripe do gnaw with rauening bits. Where parched vp with burning thirſt amid the waues he ſts, And gapes to catch the flecting flood with hungry chaps beguilde, That payes his parnefull puniſhment, whoſe feaſt the Gods defilde: Yet that olde man ſo ſtept in yeares at length by trace of time, How great a part belonges to mee and portion of his crime? Account wee all the griſly ghoſtes, whom guilty founde of ill, The Gnoſian Iudge in Plutoes pyts doth roſſe in torments ſtill: Thyeſtes I in driery deedes will farre ſurmount the reſt, Yet to my Brother yelde I, (though I gorgde my bloudy breſt) And ſtuffed haue my pampred paunche euen with my chyldren three, That crammed lye within my Rybs and haue theyr Toumbe in mee, The bowels of my ſwallowed Babes, deuowred vp I haue, Nor fickle Fortune mee alone the Father doth depraue, But enterpryſing greater guilte then that is put in bre, To file my Daughters bawdy Bed, my luſt ſhee doth alure. To ſpeake theſe words I doe not ſpare, I wrought the haynous deede, That therefore I through all my ſtocke, might parent ſtill proceede. My Daughter driuen by force of Fates and deſtenyes deuyne, Doth breede younge bones, & lades her wombe wt ſinfull ſeede of myne. Loe, nature chaunged vpſide downe, and out of order tornde This myngle mangle hath ſhee made, (O fact to be forlornde) A Father and a Grandſyre loe, confuſedly I am, My daughters huſband both become, and Father to the ſame. Thoſe babes yt ſhould my Nephewes bee, when nature rightly runnes▪