Davenport, Robert · published 1639 · first performed or written 1625 [c.1624-1639] (Annals) comedy · Queen Henrietta Maria's Men (?); Lady Elizabeth's Men (?) T4 Love-longing and the lover's complaint typicality 0.78 · 519 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T4: love, heart, sweet, loves, fair, phillis, eyes, beauty, amyntas, lovers.
A heart? at heel; that poor worm, Love, Which some do style a God; I thus tread underfoot, stamp on his shaft, And trample on his Quiver: I must confess I once loved beyond thought, but when I saw My troth so baffled, and my faith despised; I set it at defiance, and I now Will be for all, or any. What, so general, I pray? is't possible One that hath loved sincerely, as you say You once did, should with such an easiness Change his affection? I can teach thee do't. Good, prompt us that. I love all fashions, features, forms and faces, Proportions, sexes, ages, and degrees, Discretions, wits, disposures, callings, places, Endowments, faculties, and all alike; Since one hath failed, I affect all as any, any as one. This is not possible. I pity the young Monster. For example, I'll teach thee how to love The loathed'st Creature; Marry I must turn Poetical. Prompt us that. Nay I must be in rhyme too. All is pardoned. Then, thus I do begin; Dissemble every fault in their Complexions. And take no notice of their imperfections: Andromeda was belly, sides, and back To Perseus seen, he did not term her black; Andromache was of too large a stature, One loving Hector praised her gifts of nature. To her whose skin was black as ebon was I have said ere now, Oh, 'tis a nutbrown Lass. Or if she looked asquint (as I am true So Venus looked) if she be bleak of hue; Pale, for the World, like Pallas; be she grown By Iove, Minerva up and down. If she be tall, then for her height commend her, If she be lean, like envy term her slender. She that is puffed like Boreas in the cheek, Is but full fat, and Daphne she is like. She that is Dwarfish, name her light, and quick; And call her well set, this is grubbed thick. Is this your Lesson? curse upon that Tutor That read you this damned Lesson. This was Ovid; how approve you these his precepts? Excellent Tutor. Or rather excellent Devil. I could instruct you in a Thousand such, And never trouble Memory. To what the pox, will this your practice bring you? In these days men do sell their Lands, their Fortunes, And their Estates to purchase them diseases. Rog? Sir. Provide me a good lusty Lass tonight, I purpose to be merry. Sir, not I. I care not of what humour, face, or feature, So thou canst find one impudent enough; Search all the Allies, Spittle, or Pickt-hatch, Turnball, the Bank side, or the Minories, White Friars, St. Peter's Street, and Mutton Lane, So thou canst find one to disgrace her sex, She best shall please my palate, He hath ill taste, that loves to feed on Carrion. Get me likewise a noise of Fiddlers, and a supper too, Equal with that which old Vitellius made, When Art would exceed Nature; had I been he And had his rich exchequer, I would have fed On nothing but Earth's choicest rarities, Drunk nought but Pearl dissolved.
seed 43: T2 · seed 44: T3 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
A heart? at heele; that poore worme, Love, Which ſome doe ſtile a God; I thus tread underfoot, ſtampe on his ſhaft, And trample on his Quiver: I muſt confeſſe I once lov'd beyond thought, but when I ſaw My troth ſo bafled, and my faith deſpiſ'd; I ſet it at defiance, and I now Will be for all, or any. What, ſo generall, I pray? is't poſſible One that hath lov'd ſincerely, as you ſay You once did, ſhould with ſuch an eaſineſſe Change his affection? I can teach thee do't. Good, prompt us that. I love all faſhions, features, formes and faces, Proportions, ſexes, ages, and degrees, Diſcretions, wits, diſpoſures, callings, places, Indowments, faculties, and all alike; Since one hath fail'd, I affect all as any, any as one. This is not poſſible. I pitty the young Monſter. For example, Ile teach thee how to love The loathed'ſt Creature; Marry I muſt turne Poeticall. Prompt us that. Nay I muſt be in rime too. All is pardon'd. Then, thus I doe begin; Diſſemble every fault in their Complexions. And take no notice of their imperfections: Andromeda was belly, ſides, and backe To Perſeus ſeene, he did not tearme her blacke; Andromache was of too large a ſtature, One loving Hector praiſ'd her gifts of nature. To her whoſe skin was blacke as Ebone was I have ſaid ere now, Oh, 'tis a Nut-browne Laſſe. Or if ſhe lookt a ſquint (as I am true So Venus look'd) if ſhe be bleake of hew; Pale, for the World, like Pallas; be ſhe growne By Iove, Minerva up and downe. If ſhe be tall, then for her height commend her, If ſhe be leane, like envy terme her ſlender. She that is puff'd like Boreas in the cheeke, Is but full fat, and Daphne ſhe is like. She that is Dwarfiſh, name her light, and quicke; And call her well ſet, this is grubbed thicke. Is this your Leſſon? curſe upon that Tutor That read you this damn'd Leſſon. This was Ovid; how approve you theſe his precepts? Excellent Tutor. Or rather excellent Divell. I could inſtruct you in a Thouſand ſuch▪ And never trouble Memory. To what the poxe, will this your practiſe bring you? In theſe dayes men doe ſell their Lands, their Fortunes, And their Eſtates to purchaſe them diſeaſes. Rog? Sir. Provide me a good luſty Laſſe to night, I purpoſe to be merry. Sir, not I. I care not of what humour, face, or feature, So thou canſt find one impudent enough; Search all the Allyes, Spittle, or Pickt-hatch, Turnball, the Banke ſide, or the Minories, White Fryers, St. Peters Street, and Mutton Lane, So thou canſt find one to diſgrace her ſexe, She beſt ſhall pleaſe my Pallat, He hath ill taſt, that loves to feede on Carrion. Get me likewiſe a noiſe of Fidlers, and a ſupper too, Equall with that which old Vitellius made, When Art would exceed Nature; had I beene he And had his rich Exchequor, I would have fed On nothing but Earths choiſeſt rarities, Drunke nought but Pearle diſſolv'd.