Richards, Nathaniel · published 1640 · first performed or written 1635 [1634-1636] (Annals) tragedy · King's Revels Company unassigned nearest T4 Love-longing and the lover's complaint · 501 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T4: love, heart, sweet, loves, fair, phillis, eyes, beauty, amyntas, lovers.
O Potent lust, thou that hast power to make The valiant and the wise, coward, and fool, I'm not so dull, but that I know thee now. Now comprehend why Music breathes delight, And why this banquet; why both presents themselves To be my slaves; 'Tis to make me a slave To lust; that deadly potion of the soul, Whose poison quaffed, kills body and the soul. That's the main end of these harmonious strains, These stirring meats, which unto me appear, Like those blue flames the damned taste in hell. Celestial Angels guard me, now she comes, And I so ill prepared, ay, know not what, A sudden earthquake trembles natures frame, Which like a falling Pine tree to and fro, Uncertain where to fall, it tottering stands. She's most bewitching sweet, I fear, I fear, She will o'er come; now I begin to burn, To scorch, like to the coals of Aetna; strike Me eternal winter with thy frosts; quench Quench this hot combustion in my blood, And if I needs must fall, O sacred powers Benumb my senses so, that I may taste No sweetness in the Act, yield no delight. Thus long with admiration we have stood To gaze on thy perfections, precious shape Why dost thou shake? why stare? as rapt in wonder Why dumb? or think'st thy happiness a dream This kiss confirm thee ours; entrance thy soul To stir loves-panting appetite while thus We clip thee in our Arms, embrace thee thus. O— That's love's Alarum, to bed, to bed, To Venus' field, there combat for love's treasure Swim in excess of joy, there ravish pleasure. To thee fair fortune in divinest sense, In whom all excellence inclusive is, To that high power, I invocate impore. If pleased, direct where I may find my friend, Fill when, I fitly may assimilate The restless acquiescence of my mind, To the perpetual motion of a wheel. That by the force of water restless turns The vigour of the torrent left unstopped. So the strange absence of my noble friend, Suffers th'insulting torrent of sad grief, (Tyrannic-like upon the wheel of sense) To rack my restless rest, which I must bear, 'Tis vain to strive 'gainst sorrow's stream to swim, Man hath no power on grief, grief power on him; What's he declines his visage to the ground, Is't not my friend? 'tis he, happily met. hellcat no more, no more of thy embrace, Findest thou my body enemy to lust And yet again attempts me. How's this? Keep off insatiate Empress, I'll no more, Poison of Monsters, the blood of Nessa's Dam up thy Curtian-gulph-like appetite; May furies fright thy whorish fortitude Dancing lavoltoes in the very act And damn you. Save him divine assistance, For he's lost; mistake not I'm thy friend 'tis so, and I am happily mistook, Thy pardon worthy friend, it was my fear Of further ill; made me forget myself Distracted sense, as well it might, Other's A strange deed passed.
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)
O Potent lust, thou that hast power to make The valiant and the wise, coward, and foole, I'me not so dull, but that I know thee now. Now comprehend why Musicke breathes delight, And why this banquet; why both presents themselves To be my slaves; 'Tis to make me a slave To lust; that deadly potion of the soule, Whose poyson quaft, kills body and the soule. That's the maine end of these harmonious straines, These stirring meates, which unto me appeare, Like those blew flames the damned taste in hell. Celestiall Angels guard me, now she comes, And I so ill prepar'd, I, know not what, A suddaine earthquake trembles natures frame, Which like a falling Pine tree to and fro, Vncertaine where to fall, it tottering stands. She's most bewitching sweet, I feare, I feare, She will ore come; now I begin to burne, To scortch, like to the coales of Etna; strike Me eternall winter with thy frosts; quench Quench this hot combustion in my blood, And if I needs must fall, O sacred powers Benumbe my senses so, that I may taste No sweetnesse in the Act, yeeld no delight. Thus long with admiration we have stood To gaze on thy perfections, pretious shape Why dost thou shake? why stare? as rapt in wonder Why dumbe? or think'st thy happinesse a dreame This kisse confirme thee ours; entrance thy soule To stirre loves-panting appetite while thus We clip thee in our Armes, embrace thee thus. O — That's loves Alarum, to bed, to bed, To Venus field, there combate for loves treasure Swimme in excesse of joy, there ravish pleasure. To thee faire fortune in divinest sense, In wom all excellence inclusive is, To that high power, I invocate impore. If pleas'd, direct where I may finde my friend, Fil when, I fitly may assimulate The restlesse acquiessence of my minde, To the perpetuall motion of a wheele. That by the force of water restlesse turnes The vigour of the torrent left unstopt. So the strang absence of my noble friend, Suffers th'insulting tortent of sad griefe, (Tyranicke-like upon the wheele of sense) To racke my restlesse rest, which I must beare, 'Tis vaine to strive 'gainst sorrowes streame to swim, Man hath no power on griefe, griefe power on him; What's he declines his visage to the ground, Is't not my friend? tis he, happily met. Hell-cat no more, no more of thy imbrace, Findest thou my body enemy to lust And yet agen attempts me. How's this? Keepe off insatiate Empresse, I'le no more, Poyson of Monsters, the blood of Nessas Damme up thy Curtian-gulph-like appetite; May furies fright thy whorish fortitude Dancing Lavolto's in the very act And dambe you. Save him divine assistance, For he's lost; mistake not I'me thy friend Tis so, and I am happily mistooke, Thy pardon worthy friend, it was my feare Of further ill; made me forget my selfe Distracted sense, as well it might, Other's A strange deede past.