Agamemnon (Seneca's Eighth Tragedy) · chunk 14 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 · 483 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.
They heave it up with violence, o'erturned from bottom low, The western wind flat in the face of Eastern wind doth blow. With hurly-burly Boreas set ope his blasting mouth, And girdeth out his boisterous breath against the stormy south, Each wind with all his might doth blow, and worketh dangers deep, They shake the floods, a sturdy blast along the seas do sweep. That rolls and rumbles wave on wave, a northern tempest strong, Abundance great of flaky snow doth hurl our ships among. The southwind out of Libya, doth rage upon a should, And with the puissant force thereof the quicksands up be rolled, Nor bideth in the south which doth with tempest lump and lower, And force the flowing floods to rise by pouring out a shower. The stubborn Eurus, Earthquakes made, and shook the country's East, And Eos cost where Phoebus first ariseth from his rest. How violent Corus stretched and tore his yawning breast full wide? A man would sure have thought the world did from his centre slide, And that the frames of Heaven broke up the Gods adown would fall And Chaos dark confused heap would shade and cover all. The stream strove with the wind, the wind did beat it down again. The springing sea within his banks can not itself contain, The raging shower his trilling drops doth mingle with the seas, And yet in all this misery the find not so much ease, To see and know what ill it is, that worketh their decay. The darkness dim oppresseth still and keeps the light away: The black-faced night with hell-like hue was clad of Stygian lake And yet full oft with glimpsing beams the sparkling fire out broke, The cloud doth crack, and being rent the lightning leapeth out, The wretches like the same so well it shining them about, That still they wish such light to have (although God wot but ill) The navy swaying down itself doth cast away, and spill. One side with other side is cracked, and helm is rent with helm, The ship itself the gulping seas do headlong overwhelm. erewhile a greedy gaping gulf doth sup it up amain, Then by and by tossed up aloft it spews it out again, She with her swagging full of sea to bottom low doth sink And drencheth deep aside in floods her tottering broken brink. That underneath a dozen waves lay drowned out of sight, Her broken planks swim up and down, spoiled is her tackle quite, Both sail and Oars clean are lost, the mayne mast eke is gone. That wonted was to bear upright the sail yard thereupon, The timber and the broken boards lie on the water's brim, When cold and shivering fear in us doth strike through every limb, The wisest wits intoxicate dare nothing enterprise, And cunning practice nought avails when fearful storms arise,
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)
They heaue it vp with violence, oreturnde from bottom low, The weſterne wynd flat in the face of Eaſterne wynd doth blow. With hurley burley Boreas ſet ope his blaſting mouth, And girdeth out his boyſteous breth agaynſt the ſtormy ſouth, Each wynd with al his might doth blow, and worketh daungers deepe, They ſhake the floods, a ſturdy blaſt along the ſeas do ſweepe. That rolles and rumbles waue on waue, a northren tempeſt ſtronge, Aboundance great of flacky ſnow doth hurle our ſhippes amonge. The ſouthwynd out of Libia, doth rage vppon a ſhold, And with the puiſſant force therof the quickſandes vp be rold, Nor bydeth in the ſouth which doth with tempeſt lumpe and lower, And force the flowing floods to riſe by powring out a ſhower. The ſtubberne Eurus, Earthquakes made, and ſhoke the coūtries Eaſt, And Eos coſt where Phoebus firſt aryſeth from his reſt. How violent Corus ſtretcht and tare his yawning breaſt ful wyde? A man would ſure haue thought the world did from his center ſlyde, And that the frames of Heauen broke vp the Gods adowne would fall And Chaos darke confuſed heape would ſhade and couer all. The ſtreame ſtraue with the wynd, the wynd dyd beate it downe againe. The ſpringing ſea within his bankes can not it ſelfe contayne, The raging ſhowre his trilling droppes doth mingle with the ſeas, And yet in all this miſery the fynd not ſo much eaſe, To ſee and know what ill it is, that worketh theyr decay. The darknes dim oppreſſeth ſtill and keepes the light away: The blackfaſt night with Hellicke hue was clad of Stygian lake And yet ful oft with glimſing beames the ſparkling fyre out brake, The clowde doth cracke, and beyng rent the lightning leapeth out, The wretches like the ſame ſo well it ſhyning them about, That ſtil they wiſh ſuch light to haue (although God wot but yll) The nauy ſwaying downe it ſelfe doth caſt away, and ſpill. One ſide with other ſide is crackt, and helme is rent with helme, The ſhip it ſelfe the gulping ſeas do headlong ouerwhelme. Erwhyle a greedy gaping gulph doth ſup it vp amayne, Then by and by oſt vp aloft it ſpewes it out againe, She with her ſwagging full of ſea to bottome lowe doth ſinke And drencheth deepe aſyde in floods her totring broken brinke. That vnderneath a doſen waues lay drowned out of ſight, Her broken plankes ſwim vp and downe, ſpoyld is her tackle quight, Both ſayle and Oers cleane are loſt, the mayne maſt eke is gone. That wonted was to beare vpright the ſayle yard thereuppon, The timber and the broken bordes lye on the waters brim, When cold and ſhiuering feare in vs doth ſtrike through euery lim, The wyſeſt wits entockſicate dare nothing enterpriſe, And cunning practiſe naught auayles when feareful ſtormes aryſe,