Lyly, John · published 1584 · first performed or written c.1583 (Annals) comedy · Children of the Chapel (first) (Oxford's Boys) · before the Court T24 Apollo, Phoebus and the Muses typicality 0.80 · 524 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T24: apollo, phoebus, midas, muses, ears, play, hedone, gods, siren, time.
Were you borne so fair by nature? No, made so fair by Venus. For what cause? I fear me for some curse. Why, do you love, and cannot obtain? No I may obtain but cannot love. Take heed of that my child. I cannot choose good madam. Then harken to my tale, which I hope shall be as a straight thread to lead you out of those crooked conceits, and place you in the plain path of love. I attend. When I was young, as you now are, I speak it without boasting, I was as beautiful: for Phoebus in his Godhead sought to get my maiden head: but I, fond wench, receiving a benefit from above, began to wax squeamish beneath, not unlike to Asolis, which being made green by heavenly drops, shrinketh into the ground when there fall showers: or the Syrian mud, which being made white chalk by the sun, never ceaseth rolling, till it lie in the shadow. He to sweet prayers added great promises, I either desirous to make trial of his power, or willing to prolong mine own life, caught up my handful of sand, consenting to his suit, if I might live as many years as there were grains. Phoebus, (for what cannot God's do, and what for love will they not do,) granted my petition. And then I sigh and blush to tell the rest, I recalled my promise. Was not the God angry to see you unkind? Angry my boy, which was the cause that I was unfortunate. What revenge for such rigor used the Gods? None, but suffering us to live, and know we are no Gods. I pray tell on. I will Having received long life by Phoebus, & rare beauty by nature, I thought all the year would have been May, that fresh colours would always continue, that time & fortune could not wear out, what Gods and nature had wrought up: not once imagining that white and read should return to black and yellow, the juniper, the longer it grew, the crookeder it waxed, or that in a face without blemish, there should come wrinkles without number. I did as you do, go with my glass, ravished with the pride of mine own beauty, & you shall do as I do, loath to see a glass disdaining deformity. There was none that heard of my fault, but shunned my favour, insomuch as I stooped for age before I tasted of youth, sure to be long lived, uncertain to be beloved. Gentlemen that used to sigh from their hearts for my sweet love, began to point with their fingers at my withered face, & laughed to see the eyes, out of which fire seemed to sparkle, to be suckered being old with spectacles. This causeth me to withdraw myself to a solitary cave, where I must lead six hundred years in no less pensiveness of crabbed age, than grief of remembered youth. Only this comfort, that being ceased to be fair, I study to be wise, wishing to be thought a grave matron, since I cannot return to be a young maid.
seed 43: T29 · seed 44: T27 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Were you borne so faire by nature? No, made so faire by Venus. For what cause? I feare me for some curse. Why, doe you loue, and cannot obteine? No I may obteine but cannot loue. Take heede of that my childe. I cannot chuse good Madame. Then hearken to my tale, which I hope shall be as a streight thread to leade you out of those crooked conceites, and place you in the plaine path of loue. I attend. When I was young, as you nowe are, I speake it without boasting, I was as bewtifull: for Phoebus in his Godhead sought to gette my mayden head: but I, fonde wench, receiuing a benefit from aboue, began to waxe sqemishe beneath, not vnlike to Asolis, which beeing made greene by heauenly droppes, shrinketh into the grounde when there fall showers: or the Syrian mudde, which being made white chalk by the sunne, neuer ceaseth rolling, til it lie in the shadow. He to sweete praiers added great promises, I either desirous to make trial of his power, or willing to prolong mine owne life, caught vp my handful of sand, consenting to his suite, if I might liue as many yeares as there were graines. Phoebus, (for what cannot Gods doe, and what for loue will they not do,) graunted my petition. And then I sighe and blushe to tell the rest, I recalled my promise. Was not the God angry to see you vnkinde? Angry my boy, which was the cause that I was vnfortunate. What reuenge for such rigor vsed the Gods? None, but suffring vs to liue, and know wee are no Gods. I pray tell on. I will Hauing receiued long life by Phoebus, & rare bewtie by nature, I thought all the yeere woulde haue beene May, that fresh colours would alwaies continue, yt time & fortune could not weare out, what Gods and nature had wrought vppe: not once imagining that white and read should returne to black and yellow, the Iuniper, the longer it grew, the crookedder it waxed, or that in a face without blemish, there should come wrinkles without number. I did as you do, go with my glasse, rauished with the pride of mine own bewtie, & you shall do as I doe, loath to see a glasse disdaining deformitie. There was none that heard of my fault, but shunned my fauour, insomuch as I stooped for age before I tasted of youth, sure to be long liued, vncerteine to bee beloued. Gentlemen that vsde to sigh from their heartes for my sweete loue, began to point with their fingers at my withered face, & laughed to see the eies, out of which fire seemed to sparkle, to be suckered being old with spectacles. This causeth me to withdraw my selfe to a solitary caue, where I must leade sixe hundred yeeres in no lesse pensiuenesse of crabbed age, then grief of remembred youth. Only this comfort, that being ceased to be faire, I study to be wise, wishing to be thought a graue matrō, since I cannot returne to be a young maide.