The Entertainment in Suffolk and Norfolk (Royal Entry of Queen Elizabeth into Norwich) · chunk 4 of 13
Churchyard, Thomas · published 1578 · first performed or written 1578 [Aug] (Annals) entertainment; royal entertainment or entry · before the Court T21 Cupid, Venus and the nymphs typicality 0.82 · 498 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T21: cupid, venus, love, ceres, diana, fair, nymphs, goddess, bow, damon.
TO strive with boys that stands on brags and braves I thought great scorn, till Cupid I espied, But that proud lad, that makes so many slaves, Must needs find one, to daunt his peacock's pride. Dame Chastity is she that wins the field, Whose breast is armed with thoughts of virtues rare, Who to the fight doth bring no glittering shield, But clean conceits, which pure and blessed are, That strikes down lust, and tames the wilful mind, maintains the just, and holds up learning both; And wisdom great, through me the Sages find, Philosophers, the lovers of the troth. Yea Kings and Queens by me work wonders still, Do conquer Realms, and Wisdom do attain. The studious minds, whose knowledge, wit, and skill, And all the world doth fame and glory gain That chastened lives, it talks with God above, It climbs the Clouds from pomp and pleasures vain. It is a thing that shining Angels love, And in the world to come shall live and reign. It triumph makes of fickle fond desire, It breeds great force and courage still in men, It quencheth sparks and flames of fancies fire, It quicks the wits, and helps the art of pen, Yea all good gifts from Chastity doth rise That worthy are of honour under Skies. Then sith (o Queen) chaste life is thus thy choice, And that thy heart is free from bondage yoke, Thou shalt (good Queen) by my consent and voice, Have half the spoil, take either bow or cloak. The bow (I think) more fit for such a one In fleshly form, that bears a heart of stone That none can wound, nor pierce by any mean. Wherefore take here the bow, and learn to shoot At whom thou wilt, thy heart it is so clean, Blind Cupid's bolts therein can take no root. Now will I say in this poor Coach of mine, To mount the Skies, and see the God's divine. HOw now my friend, where hast thou bin, in other plight I trow Thou wast, when lately I thee met, hath Cupid lost his bow? His cloak? his Coach: his wit and all? and fled from mother's face? Or else hath Cupid gone to School, to learn some pretty Grace? To play the God, fie foolish boy, leave of these toys in time, Thy Mother (as the Poets feign,) when beauty was in prime A strumpet was, it may be so, as well appeareth yet, Thou art not of the race of Gods, thou art some Beggars chit. Nay doting fool, that still dost pore on Books, Though Coach be gone, and golden cloak be lost, Yet like a God, I tell thee Cupid looks, When old grey beard shows like a rotten post. It ill becomes an aged man to rail On women thus, that are not now in place, But sure thy words are spent to small avail, They can not blot my mother, nor my race.
nodes 181–234 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 4 of 13 in this edition
Length
498 words · 650 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T21 — Cupid, Venus and the nymphscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.824 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T21 · seed 44: T24 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
TO striue with boyes that standes on bragges and braue I thought great scorne, till Cupid I espyde, But that proude ladde, that makes so many , Must needes find one, to daunt his Peacocks pride. Dame Chastite is she that winnes the field, VVhose breast is armd with thoughtes of vertues , VVho to the fight doth bring no glittering shield, But ceane conceytes, which pure and blssed are, That strikes downe lust, and tames the wilfull mind, Maynteynes the iust, and holds vp learning both; And wisedome great, through me the Sages find, Philosophers, the louers of the troth. Yea Kings and Queenes by me worke wonders still, Do conquere Realmes, and VVisedome do attayne. The studious minds, whose knowledge, witte, and skill, And all the world doth fame and glory gayne That chastly liues, it talkes with God aboue, It climbes the Cloudes from pomp and pleasures vayne. It is a thing that shining Angels loue, And in the world to come shall liue and raigne. It triumph makes of fickle fond desire, It breedes great force and courage still in men, It quencheth sparkes and flames of fancies fire, It quickes the wittes, and helpes the art of penne, Yea all good giftes from Chastitie doth rise That worthy are of honor vnder Skyes. Then sith (ô Queene) chast life is thus thy choyce, And that thy heart is free from bondage yoke, Thou shalt (good Queene) by my consent and voyce, Haue halfe the spoyle, take eyther bowe or cloke. The bowe (I thinke) more fitte for such a one In fleshly forme, that beares a heart of stone That none can wound, nor pearce by any meane. VVherefore take heere the bow, and learne to shoote At whome thou wilt, thy heart it is so cleane, Blind Cupids boltes therein can take no roote. Now will I say in this poore Coatch of mine, To mount the Skyes, and see the Gods deuine. HOw now my friend, where hast thou other plight I trow Thou wast, when lately I thee met, hath Cupid lost his bow? His cloke? his Coatch his witte and all? and fled from mothers face? Or else hath Cupid gone to Schole, to learne some prettie Grace? To play the God, fye foolish boy, leaue of these toyes in time, Thy Mother (as the Poets fayne,) when beautie was in prim A stumpet was, it may be so, as well appeareth yet, Thou art not of the race of Gods, thou art some Beggers chitte. Nay doting foole, that still dost pore on Bookes, Though Coatch be gone, and golden cloke be lost, Yet like a God, I tell thee Cupid lookes, VVhen old grey beard shewes like a rotten post. It yll becommes an aged man to rayle On women thus, that are not now in place, But sure thy words are spent to small auayle, They can not blot my mother, nor my race.