The Entertainment of the French Ambassadors (The Fortress of Perfect Beauty) (Tilt of the Foster-Children of Desire) · chunk 4 of 12
Goldwell, Henry · published 1581 · first performed or written 1581 [May 15-16] (Annals) tilt · before the Court unassigned nearest T38 Death, parting and grief at court · 497 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T38: queen, king, death, dead, heart, life, die, lord, royal, news.
Alarm alarm, here will no yielding be, such marble ears, no cunning words can charm, Courage therefore, and let the stately see. that nought withstands DESIRE, Alarm alarm. Alarm alarm, let not their beauties move remorse in you to do this FORTRESS harm, For since war is the ground of virtues love, no force, though force be used Alarm alarm. Alarm alarm, companions now begin, about this never conquered walls to swarm, More praise to us we never look to win, much may that was not yet, Alarm alarm. Alarm alarm when once the fight in warm, then shall you see them yield, Alarm alarm. Despair, no not despair (most high and happy Princess) could so congeal the frozen knight in the air but that DESIRE, (ah sweet DESIRE) enforced him to behold the Sun on the earth, whereon as he was gazing with twinkling eye (for who can behold such beams steadfastly) he begun to dissolve into drops, melting with such delight that he seemed to prefer the linger of a certain death, before the lasting of an uncertain life, such is the nature of engraven loyalty, that it chooseth rather to have the body dissolved then the mind disliked, Thus consuming with con●ent, (a sweet sicnesse is conceit) and pining with more than speakable passions, he suddenly beheld that Sun to be besieged which he so devoutly served, wherewith boiling in no less disdains, then surprised with immoderate pensiveness, he uttered these words: O Ioue, if thou mean to resolve nature into contraries, why do I live to see it, if into nothing, why do I live at all, if the foot scale the head, there is no rest if DESIRE overshoot duty, there is no reason, and where either of these are, there can be no rule. And so setting more sighs than may be numbered by syphers, this present time, (ah grief) this present time, that honest and fair hearted frozen Knight died, (what said I) even that which again with grief I must say died, whose ghost making speedy passage into the ELYSIAN fields (for what more swift than a soul) in the midst of the infernal multitude, with stretches, cries and clamers, made both Heaven and hell to redouble this Echo, O times, O men, O cu●●uption of manners, the Sun is besieged, the Sun (O mischief) the Sun is besieged which strange and unacquainted tearmes, caused not only murmuring amongst the Ghosts beneath, but amusing among the Gods above, who aswell to repress the tumults which might have risen among the shadows, as to revenge the pride which began to grow on the earth, sent down an Angel with this commandment, Go descend, and cause ADAM and EVE to appear on the earth in that sort as they were in Paradise, that the world may know them and wonder at them, for seeing out of their loins have issued those preposterous limbs, I know none more fit to correct them!
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)
Allarme allarme, here will no yeelding be, such marble eares, no cunning wordes can charme, Courage therefore, and let the stately see. that naught withstandes DESIRE, Allarme allarme. Allarme allarme, let not their beauties moue remorse in you to doe this FORTRESSE harme, For since warre is the ground of vertues loue, no force, though force be vsed Allarme allarme. Allarme allarme, companions nowe beginne, about this neuer conquered walles to swarme, More prayse to vs we neuer looke to winne, much may that was not yet, Allarme allarme. Allarme allarme when once the fight in warme, then shall you see them yelde, Allarme allarme. Dispayre, no not dispaire (moste high and happie Princesse) could so congeale the frozen knighte in the ayer but that DESIRE, (ah sweete DESIRE) enforced him to behold the Sun on the earth, wheron as he was gasing with twinckling eye (for who can behold such bemes stedfastly) he begun to dissolue into droppes, mlting with such delighte that hee seemed to preferre the lingering of a certaine death, before the lasting of an vncertaine life, suche is the nature of engrauen loyaltie, that it chuseth rather to haue the body dissolued then the minde disliked, Thus consuming with conent, (a sweete sicnesse is conceite) and pining with more then speakable passions, he suddenly beheld that Sunne to be besieged which he so deuoutly serued, wherewith boiling in no lesse disdain, then surprised with immoderate pensiuenesse, he vttered these wordes: O Ioue, if thou mean to resolue nature into contraries, why doe I liue to see it, if into nothing, why doe I liue at all, if the foote scale the head, there is no rest if DESIRE ouershoote duetie, there is no reason, and where either of these are, there can be no rule. And so setting more sighes then may bee numbred by syphers, this present time, (ah greefe) this present time, that honest and fayre harted frozen Knighte died, (what said I) euen that which againe with grief I must say died, whose ghost making speedy passage into the ELISIAN fieldes (for what more swifte then a soule) in the middest of the infernall multitude, with sreches, cryes and clamers, made both Heauen and hell to redouble this Eccho, O times, O men, O cuuption of manners, the Sunne is besieged, the Sunne (O mischiefe) the Sunne is besieged which strange and vnacquainted teaes, caused not onely murmuring amongest the Ghosts beneathe, but amusing among the Gods aboue, who aswell to represse the tumultes whiche might haue risen among the shaddowes, as to reuenge the pride which began to growe on the earth, sente downe an Angell with this commaundemente, Goe discende, and cause ADAM and EVE to appeare on the earth in that sort as they were in Paradise, that the world may know them and wonder at them, or seeing out of their loines haue issued those preposterous lymmes, I know none more fit to correct them!