The Seven Champions of Christendom · chunk 13 of 43
Kirke, John · published 1638 · first performed or written 1635 [1634-1638] (Annals) romance · Red Bull Company (second) · Red Bull T48 Addressing a lady: love, desire and inti typicality 0.78 · 493 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T48: lady, love, heart, fair, eyes, la, lord, tears, fie, face.
Bright Lady, where necessity implies an act of duty, Manly virtue should clap on spurs to hasten piety: These goodly parts, they were not made alone to serve ourselves, but like pure fountains, freely to dispense Our streams to others' wants: and so fair Lady, Urgent affairs call on our swords and valours, To revenge the wrongs of some few Virgins, That have long expected our wished for presence. This, I hope, may plead in our excuse, And no way render us discourteous or unworthy For departing unarmed, or else unmanned From this fair presence, and so we take our leaves. Make me not so unworthy by your absence, To my own subjects, and to foreign Nations, Who shall read the story of your deeds, And my requital, but they will brand me with ingratitude. Can you maintain the good of charity In your own actions, yet tie mine in bonds, When she should stretch her silver wings, And pay back thanks for so large benefits: No, take the meed your valours have deserved, And let us crown our hopes, in that we long Have wished your fair aspects: Nor shall your stay exceed our one nights welcome, And then a fair farewell. Where Majesty and beauty both command, In vain were our resistance: Brother, your hands And mine shall be employed; to unbuckle yours I'll quickly ease your shoulders of a burden. Nay, we'll be helpers all. You make sure work sirs, Every light justle leaves you not defenceless, And I commend your care in it. He that encounters danger, must not think His skin of Armour proof: though but young scholars, We have learned that discipline. Of goodly presence both, and far exceeds The youths our Country breeds, in form and stature; Speak my Carintha, what judge ye of them? Madam, so well, that had I leave to wed, One of these Knights should bless my Marriage-bed. Then you are indifferent, your love is equal? In troth it is. So is not mine; but thoughts a while conceal, What passion might unwisely now reveal. They are both unarmed. Now worthy Knights, mine eye is pleased In viewing your fair presence, I would gladly know what Country owes ye, For the place is happy that first gave ye being. Not one my Lord: We owe our lives first light to several Nations, An Island far removed from Grecian shores, Whose lovely waste proud Neptune circles round, Her craggy cliffs ambitiously threat Heaven, And strikes pale terror to the Mariner, When unadvisedly he falls on them. The inhabitants proportioned like ourselves, Well skilled in Science, and all humane Arts; A government of peace and unity, For plenty, far exceeding all the Isles Europe's vast bounds or wealthy Asia yields, The name Britannia, which includes within it Fair England, Wales, and Scotland; The last of which I fetched my birth from. Thus have you heard at full What I can give you of relation.
seed 43: T31 · seed 44: T44 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Bright Lady, where neceſſity implies an act of duty, Manly vertue ſhould clap on ſpurres to haſten piety: Theſe goodly parts, they were not made alone to ſerve Our ſelves, but like pure fountaines, freely to diſpence Our ſtreames to others wants: and ſo faire Lady, Vrgent affaires call on our ſwords and valours, To revenge the wrongs of ſome few Virgins, That have long expected our wiſht for preſence. This, I hope, may plead in our excuſe, And no way render us diſcourteous or unworthy For departing unarmed, or elſe unman'd From this faire preſence, and ſo we take our leaves. Make me not ſo unworthy by your abſence, To my owne ſubjects, and to forraigne Nations, VVho ſhall read the ſtory of your deeds, And my requitall, but they will brand me with ingratitude. Can you maintaine the good of charity In your owne actions, yet tye mine in bonds, When ſhe ſhould ſtretch her ſilver wings, And pay back thanks for ſo large benefits: No, take the meed your valours have deſerv'd, And let us crowne our hopes, in that we long Have wiſht your faire aſpects: Nor ſhall your ſtay exceed our one nights welcome, And then a faire farewell. Where Majeſty and beauty both command, In vaine were our reſiſtance: Brother, your hands And mine ſhall be imployd; to unbuckle yours I'le quickly eaſe your ſhoulders of a burden. Nay, wee'le be helpers all. You make ſure worke ſirs, Every light juſtle leaves you not defenceleſſe, And I commend your care in it. He that encounters danger, muſt not thinke His skin of Armour proofe: tho but young ſchollers, We have learn'd that diſcipline. Of goodly preſence both, and farre exceeds The youths our Countrey breeds, in forme and ſtature; Speake my Carintha, what judge yee of them? Madam, ſo well, that had I leave to wed, One of theſe Knights ſhould bleſſe my Marriage-bed. Then you are indifferent, your love is equall? In troth it is. So is not mine; but thoughts a while conceale, What paſſion might unwiſely now reveale. They are both unarm'd. Now worthy Knights, mine eye is pleas'd In viewing your faire preſence, I would gladly know what Countrey owes yee, For the place is happy that firſt gave yee beeing. Not one my Lord: We owe our lives firſt light to ſeverall Nations, An Iland farre remov'd from Grecian ſhores, VVhoſe lovely waſte proud Neptune circles round, Her craggy clifts ambitiouſly threat Heaven, And ſtrikes pale terrour to the Mariner, VVhen unadviſedly he falls on them. The inhabitants proportion'd like our ſelves, Well skill'd in Science, and all humane Arts; A government of peace and unity, For plenty, farre exceeding all the Iſles Europes vaſt bounds or wealthy Aſia yeelds, The name Britannia, which includes within it Faire England, Wales, and Scotland; The laſt of which I fetcht my birth from. Thus have you heard at full What I can give you of relation.