Agamemnon (Seneca's Eighth Tragedy) · chunk 5 of 28
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Studley, John · published 1581 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) tragedy unassigned nearest T7 The Trojan war: conflict and its afterma · 529 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T7: hector, troy, achilles, greeks, aeneas, priam, ulysses, troilus, trojan, trojans.
From sands allow doth hoist and rear the seas with surges high. The weltering wave doth staggering stand not witting what to do, But (hovering) doubts, whose furious force he best may yield him to My kingdom therefore I cast of, my sceptre I forsake As anger, sorrow, hope, me lead, that way I mean to take. At all adventure to the seas I yield my beaten Barge, At random careless will I run, now will I rove at large Whereas my mind to fancy fond oath gad and run astray, It is the best to choose that chance, and follow on that way. This desperate dotage doth declare, and rashness rude and blind, To choose out chance to be the guide and ruler of thy mind. He that is driven to utter pinch and furthest shift of all, What need he doubt his doubtful lot or how his luck befall? In silent shore thou sailest yet thy trespass we may hide, If thou thyself detect it not, nor cause it be descried. Alas it is more blazed abroad, and further it is blown, Than any crime that ever in this princely court was sown. Thy former fait with pensive heart and sorrow thou dost rue. And fondly yet thou goest about, to set abroach a new, It is a very foolishness to keep a mean therein. The thing he fears he doth augment who heapeth sin to sin. But fire and sword to cure the same the place of salve supply. There is no man who at the first extremity will try. In working mischief men do take the readiest way they find. The sacred name of wedlock once revoke and have in mind. Ten years have I been desolate, and led a widows life. Yet shall I entertain a new my husband as his wife? Consider yet thy son and heir whom he of thee begot. And eke my daughter's wedding blaze as yet forget I not. Achilles eke my son in law to mind I do not spare, How well he kept his vow that he to me his mother swore. whenas our navy might not pass by wind nor yet by stream, Thy daughter's blood in sacrifice their passage did redeem: She stirred and broke the sluggish seas, whose water still did stand, Whose feeble force might not hoist up, the vessels from the land. I am ashamed here withal, it maketh me repine. That Tyndaris (who from the Gods doth fetch her noble line Should give the ghost t'assuage the wrath of Gods and them appease, Whereby the Greekish navy might have passage free by seas. My grudging mind still haps upon my daughter's wedding day, Whom he hath made for Pelops stock the bloody ransom pay. whenas with cruel countenance imbrued with gory blood, As at a wedding alter side th'unpitiful parent stood, It irked Calchas woeful heart, who did abhor the same. His Oracle he rued, and eke the back reflecting flame O wicked and ungracious stock that winnest ill with ill, Triumphing in thy filthy feats increasing lewdness still. By blood we win the wavering winds, by death we purchase war
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
From ſandes alow doth hoyſt and reare the ſeas with ſurges hye. The walring waue doth ſtaggeryng ſtand not weting what to do, But (houeryng) doubtes, whoſe furious force he beſt may yeld him to▪ My kingdome therfore I caſt of, my ſceptor I forſake As anger, ſorrow, hope, me leade, that way I meane to take. At all aduenture to the ſeas I yeld my beaten Barge, At randon careles wil I runne, now wil I roue at large Whereas my mynde to fancy fond dath gad and runne aſtray, It is the beſt to chuſe that chaunce, and follow on that way. This deſprat dotage doth declare, and raſhnes rude and blynde, To chuſe out chaunce to be the guyde and ruler of thy mynd. He that is driuen to vtter pinch and furtheſt ſhift of all, What neede he doubt his doubtful lot or how his lucke befall? In ſilent ſhore thou ſayleſt yet thy treſpas we may hyde, If thou thy ſelfe detect it not, nor cauſe it be deſcryde. Alas it is more blaſd abroade, and further it is blowen, Then any cryme that euer in this princely court was ſowen. Thy former fait with penſiue hart and ſorrow thou deſt rew. And fondly yet thou goeſt about, to ſet abroch a newe, It is a very foliſhnes to kepe a meane therein. The thing he feares he doth augment who heapeth ſinne to ſinne. But fire and ſwoard to cure the ſame the place of ſalue ſupply. There is no man who at the firſt extremity wil trye. In working miſchiefe men do take the redieſt way they fynde. The ſacred name of wedlocke once reuoke and haue in mynd. Ten yeares haue I bene deſolate, and led a widowes life. Yet ſhall I entertayne a new my huſband as his wyfe? Conſider yet thy ſonne and heire whom he of thee begot. And eake my daughters wedding blaſe as yet forget I not. Achilles eke my ſonne in law to mynd I do not ſpare, How wel he kept his vow that he to me his mother ſware. When as our nauy might not paſſe by wynd nor yet by ſtreame, Thy daughters bloud in ſacrifyce their paſſage did redeme: Shee ſturd and brake the ſluggiſh ſeas, whoſe water ſtil did ſtand, Whoſe feble force might not hoyſe vp, the veſſels from the land. I am aſhamed here withal, it maketh me repyne. That Tyndaris (who from the Gods doth fecch her noble ligne Should geue the ghoſt t'aſſwage the wrath of Gods and them appeaſe, Wherby the Grekiſh nauy might haue paſſage free by ſeas. My grudging mynd ſtil harpes vppon my daughters wedding day, Whom he hath made for Pelops ſtock the bloudy raunſome pay. When as with cruel countenaunce embrewd with gory bloud, As at a wedding alter ſyde th'unpitiful parent ſtoodt, It erked Calchas woful hart, who did abhorre the ſame. His Oracle he rewd, and eke the backe reflicting flame O wicked aud vngracious ſtocke that winneſt il with yll, Tryumphing in thy filthy featse ncreaſyng leaudnes ſtill. By bloud we win the waueryng windes, by death wee purchaſe warre