Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Nuce, ThomasPseudo-Seneca · published 1566 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) tragedy T36 Hell, Furies and the language of punishm typicality 0.70 · 526 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T36: hell, earth, gods, death, ghosts, blood, bloody, heaven, night, ghost.
O piteous wretch, in vain, alas in vain Thou call'st upon thy father's senseless spirit: In whom, God wot, there doth no care remain Of mortal brood, that here doth take delight. Shall he, think you, assuage your sorry cheer, Or shape you forth some sleight, t'appall your pain, That could prefer, before his Briton dear, T'imperiall throne, a strange begotten swain? And with incestial love benumbed quite His brother Germanicuses daughter that could plight, And join to him in solemn marriage rites, With woeful, and unlucky lovers lights? Here sprang the roale of hurly burly great, Here beastly venomous slaughter 'gan to sweat, Here wily treasons trains appeared first, Here rules desire, and brutish bloody thirst. Sillanus first Prince Claudius son in law, A bloody mangled offering fall we saw, That in your grace's Hymenaeal bed, Y matched with you, he might not couch his head. O monstrous slaughter, worthy endless blame: In stead of gift unto that wanton dame, A Carcase cold poor soul, and cureless corpse, Sillane was given against his will perforce. And falsely then attached of traitors crime As one conspiring death in Claudius' time, With loathsome streaks spewed out upon the wall, He all bedashed your father's princely hall. Eft stepped into servile Palace stroke, To filthy vices lore, one easily broke. Of devilish wicked wit this Princocks proud: By stepdame's wile prince Claudius' Son avoude. Whom deadly dam did bloody match ylight: And thee, against thy will, for fear did plight. Through which success this Dame of courage fine, Durst venture, mighty Ioue to undermine. Who can so many cursed kinds report Of wicked hopes, and acts, in any sort, Or such a woman's glossed guiles can name, That romps at rule, by all degrees of shame? Then holy sacred zeal put out of grace, Her staggering steps, directed forth apace. And stern Erinys in with deadly steps, To Claudius Court, all desert left yleps. And with her dreary drakes of Stygian fort, Hath quite distained the sacred princely port. And raging riven in twain both nature's lore, And right to wrongs misseshapen form hath tore. That haughty minded dame first gave her make, A deadly poisoned cup, his thirst to slake. Strait ways again through vile unkindly touch, Her Nero caused with him in hell to couch. And thee, unhappy Britt. in all that broil, Till that of breath, and life he did despoil, Thilk greedy bloody tyrant never stint: Whose doleful death, for aye we may lament. Ere while, unto the world the star that shone, And was the stay of princely court alone, Now lo, light ashes easily puffed aforne, And grisly ghost to grave with Torch yborn. Whom blessed Babe, thy stepdame did lament: Nor from her gushing tears, did scarce relent, When as she gave each trim appointed part, And goodly portrayed limbs with nature's art, Of flaming stack to be devoured quite, And saw the scorching fervent fire in sight Thy naked joints to ravin up a pace And like the flittering God thy comely face. Dispatch he me least with this hand he fall. That power you, nature granted not at all.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: T26 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
O pitious wretch, in vaine, alas in vaine Thou calst vpon thy fathers senselesse sprite: In whome, God wotte, there doth no care remaine Of mortall broode, that here doth take delight. Shall he, thinke you, asswage your sorie chéere, Or shape you forth some sleight, t'appall your paine, That could preferre, before his Brittan déere, T'imperiall throne, a straunge begotten swaine? And with incestiall loue benummed quyte His brother Germanicks daughter that could plyght, And ioyne to him in solemne mariage rites, With wofull, and vnluckye louers lightes? Here sprang the roale of hurly burly great, Here beastly venomous slaughter gan to sweate, Here wylie treasons traines appeared first, Here rules desyre, and brutyshe bloudie thirst. Sillanus first Prince Claudius sonne in lawe, A bloudye mangled offring fall we sawe, That in your graces Hymaeneal bedde, Y matcht with you, he might not couche his hedde. O monstrous slaughter, worthy endlesse blame: In steade of gift vnto that wanton dame, A Carcasse colde poore soule, and curelesse corse, Sillane was giuen against his will perforce. And falsly then attacht of traytors cryme As one conspyring death in Claudius tyme, With lothsome streakes spewde out vpon the wall, He all bedasht your fathers princely hall. Eft stepped into seruile Pallace stroke, To filthie vices lore, one easlye broke. Of Diuelishe wicked witte this Princocks proude: By stepdames wyle prince Claudius Sonne auoude. Whome deadely damme did bloudie match ylight: And thée, against thy will, for feare did plyght. Through which successe this Dame of corage fine, Durst venture, mighty Ioue to vndermine. Who can so many cursed kindes report Of wicked hopes, and actes, in any sort, Or such a womans glosed guyles can name, That raumpes at rule, by all degrées of shame? Then holy sacred zeale put out of grace, Hir stagring steppes, directed forth apace. And stern Erinnis in with deadly steps, To Claudius Court, all desert left yleps. And with hir dririe drakes of Stygian fort, Hath quite distainde the sacred princely port. And raging riuen in twaine both natures lore, And right to wrongs misseshapen fourme hath tore. That hautie minded dame first gaue hir make, A deadely poysoned cup, his thyrst to slake. Straight wayes againe through vyle vnkindly touch, Hir Nero causde with him in hell to couch. And thée, vnhappy Britt, in all that broyle, Till that of breath, and lyfe he did dispoyle, Thilk gréedie bloudie tyraunt neuer stent: Whose dolefull death, for aye we may lament. Ere whyle, vnto the worlde the starre that shone, And was the staye of princely court alone, Now loe, light ashes easly pufte aforne, And griesly goast to graue with Torche yborne. Whome blessed Babe, thy stepdame did lament: Nor from hir gusshing teares, did scarce relent, When as shee gaue eche trimme appointed parte, And goodly portraide limmes with natures arte, Of flaming stacke to be deuoured quite, And sawe the scortching feruent fyre in sight Thy naked ioynts to rauyne vp a pace And like the flittering God thy comely face. Dispatch he me least with this hande he fall. That power you, nature graunted not at all.