Cartwright, William · published 1639 · first performed or written 1636 [Aug 30] (Annals) tragicomedy · King's Men · before the Court unassigned nearest T19 Virtue, Fortune and Vice as abstractions · 478 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T19: virtue, fortune, virtues, honour, fame, vice, envy, world, pride, great.
'Tis not The veil that hinders the quick busy Eye From reading o'er the Face, but Modesty. He hath a weak defence, that doth entrust The preservation of a chaster Love Unto a silken Cloud. I stand not much Upon the commerce of your Eyes, but 'tis Your Chain.— Your Favour— that—. doye think 'tis fit A Queen should send one link unto a Slave? Doth not the Sun (the Sun, which yet you worship) Send beams to others than yourself? yet those Which dwell on you lose neither light, nor heat, Coming not thence less vigorous, or less chaste. Would you seal up a Fountain? or confine The Air unto your walk? would you enjoin The Flower to cast no smell, but as you pass? Love is as free as Fountain, Air, or Flower. For't stands not in a point; 'tis large, and may, Like streams, give verdure to this Plant, that Tree, Nay that whole field of Flowers, and yet still run In a most faithful course toward the bosom Of the loved Ocean. But when you divert And break the Stream into small Rivulets, You make it run more weak, then when it kept United in one Channel. If it branch Into a smaller twining here, and there, The water is not lost, nor doth it quit The former Name; this is not to destroy, But to enlarge the stream: did it dry up, And leave the Fountain destitute, indeed You'd reason to be angry. But what should make you Present him with a gift? you might have smothered A good opinion of him in your Breast, (As some digressing streams flow under ground) And so have rested; but you show it now, And make the world partaker. Who would stifle An honest Fire? that flame's to be suspected That hides itself. When that a man of valour Graceth his Country with a good attempt, You give a Sword, an Horse, a Manor, nay Sometimes a whole Province for reward. We have A sense of Virtue too, as well as you: And shall we be denied the Liberty To show we have that sense? A Favour is The Alms of Love; I do not pass away My heart in Charity. Virtuous Cratander Shows forth so full a Transcript of your life, In all but his misfortunes, that methinks You may admire yourself in him, as in Your shade. But yet let chaste Atossa rather Not be at all, than not be wholly yours. Thou art still virtuous my Atossa, still Transparent as thy Crystal, but more spotless. fools that we are, to think the Eye of Love Must always look on us. The Vine that climbs By conjugal Embracements 'bout the Elm, May with a ring or two perhaps encircle Some neighbouring bough, and yet this twining prove. Not the Offence, but Charity of Love.
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)
'Tis not The veyle that hinders the quicke busie Eye From reading o're the Face, but Modesty. He hath a weake defence, that doth entrust The preservation of a chaster Love Unto a silken Cloud. I stand not much Upon the commerce of your Eyes, but 'tis Your Chayne.—Your Favour—that—. Do'y 'thinke 'tis fit A Queene should send one linke unto a Slave? Doth not the Sun (the Sun, which yet you worship) Send beames to others than your selfe? yet those Which dwell on you loose neither light, nor heat, Comming not thence lesse vigorous, or lesse chast. Would you seale up a Fountaine? or confine The Ayre unto your walke? would you enjoyne The Flow'r to cast no smell, but as you passe? Love is as free as Fountaine, Aire, or Flower. For't stands not in a poynt; 'tis large, and may▪ Like streams▪ give verdure to this Plant▪ that Tree, Nay that whole field of Flow'rs, and yet still runne In a most faithfull course toward the bosome Of the lov'd Ocean. But when you divert And breake the Streame into small Rivulets, You make it runne more weake, then when it kept United in one Channell. If it branch Into a smaller twining here, and there, The water is not lost, nor doth it quit The former Name; this is not to destroy, But to enlarge the streame: did it dry up, And leave the Fountaine destitute, indeed You'd reason to be angry. But what should make you Present him with a guift? you might have smother'd A good opinion of him in your Breast, (As some digressing streames flow under ground) And so have rested; but you shew it now, And make the world partaker. Who would stifle An honest Fire? that flame's to be suspected That hides it selfe. When that a man of valour Graceth his Country with a good attempt, You give a Sword, an Horse, a Mannoure, nay Sometimes a whole Province for reward. We have A sense of Vertue too, as well as you: And shall we be deny'd the Liberty To shew we have that sense? A Favour is The Almes of Love; I doe not passe away My heart in Charity▪ Vertuous Cratander Shewes forth so full a Transcript of your life, In all but his misfortunes, that methinkes You may admire your selfe in him, as in Your shade. But yet let chast Atossa rather Not be at all, than not be wholly yours. Thou art still vertuous my Atossa, still as thy Crystall, but more spotlesse. Fooles that we are, to thinke the Eye of Love Must alwayes looke on us. The Vine that climbes By conjugall Embracements 'bout the Elme, May with a ring or two perhaps encircle Some neighbouring bough, and yet this twining prove. Not the Offence, but Charity of Love.