Lyly, John · published 1584 · first performed or written c.1583 (Annals) comedy · Children of the Chapel (first) (Oxford's Boys) · before the Court unassigned nearest T19 Virtue, Fortune and Vice as abstractions · 469 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T19: virtue, fortune, virtues, honour, fame, vice, envy, world, pride, great.
Is it not possible to die before you become so old? No more possible than to return as you are, to be so young. Could not you settle your fancy upon any, or would not destiny suffer it? Women willingly ascribe that to fortune, which wittingly was committed by frowardness. What will you have me do? Take heed you do not as I did. Make not too much of fading beauty, which is fair in the cradle, & foul in the grave, resembling Polyon, whose leaves are white in the morning, and blue before night, or Anyta, which being a sweet flower at the rising of the sun, becometh a weed, if it be not plucked before the setting Fair faces have no fruits, if they have no witnesses. When you shall behold over this tender flesh a tough skin, your eyes which were wont to glance on others faces to be sunk so hollow, that you can scarce look out of your own head, and when all your teeth shall wag as fast as your tongue, then will you repent the time which you cannot recall, and be enforced to bear what most you blame. Lose not the pleasant time of your youth, than the which there is nothing swifter, nothing sweeter. Beauty is a slippery good, which decreaseth whilst it is increasing, resembling the Meddler, which in the moment of his full ripeness is known to be in a rottenness. Whiles you look in the glass, it waxeth old with time, if on the Sun parched with heat, if on the wind, blasted with cold. A great care to keep it, a short space to enjoy it, a sudden time to lose it. Be not coy, when you are courted. Fortune's wings are made of times feathers, which stay not whilst one may measure them. Be affable and courteous in youth, that you may be honoured in age. Roses that lose their colours, keep their savours, and plucked from the stalk, are put to the still. Cotonea, because it boweth when the sun riseth, is sweetest, when it is oldest: and children, which in their tender years sow courtesy, shall in their declining states reap pity. Be not proud of beauties painting whose colours consume themselves, because they are beauties painting. I am driven by your counsel into diverse conceits, neither knowing how to stand, or where to fall, but to yield to love is the only thing I hate. I commit you to fortune, who is like to play such pranks with you, as your tender years can scarce bear, nor your green wits understand. But repair unto me often, and if I cannot remove the effects, yet I will manifest the causes. I go, ready to return for advice, before I am resolved to adventure.
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)
Is it not possible to die before you become so old? No more possible then to returne as you are, to be so young. Could not you settle your fancie vpon any, or would not destinie suffer it? Women willinglye ascribe that to fortune, which wittingly was committed by frowardnesse. What will you haue me doe? Take heede you do not as I did. Make not too much of fading bewty, which is fair in the cradle, & foul in the graue, resembling Polyon, whose leaues are white in the morning, and blew before night, or Anyta, which being a sweet flower at the rising of the sunne, becommeth a weede, if it be not pluckt before the setting Fair faces haue no fruites, if they haue no witnesses. When you shall behold ouer this tender flesh a tough skinne, your eies which were wont to glaunce on others faces to be suncke so hollow, that you can scarce looke out of your own head, and when all your teech shall wagge as faste as your tongue, thē wil you repent the time which you cannot recall, and be enforced to beare what moste you blame. Loose not the pleasaunt time of your youth, then the which there is nothing swifter, nothing sweeter. Bewtie is a slippery good, which decreaseth whilest it is encreasing, resēbling the Medler, which in the moment of his full ripenes is known to be in a rottennes. Whiles you looke in the glasse, it waxeth old with time, if on the Sunne parcht with heate, if on the winde, blasted with cold. A great care to keepe it, a short space to enioy it, a sodain time to loose it. Be not coy, when you are courted. Fortunes wings are made of times feathers, which stay not whilest one may measure them. Be affable and curteous in youth, that you may be honoured in age. Roses that lose their colours, keepe their sauours, and pluckt from the stalke, are put to the still. Cotonea, because it boweth when the sunne riseth, is sweetest, when it is oldest: and children, which in their tēder yeeres sow curtesie, shal in their declining states reap pitie. Be not proud of bewties painting whose colours cōsume themselues, because they are bewties painting. I am driuen by your counsell into diuerse conceites, neither knowing how to stande, or where to fall, but to yeelde to loue is the only thing I hate. I cōmit you to fortune, who is like to play such prancks with you, as your tēder yeeres can scarse beare, nor your greene wits vnderstand. But repaire vnto me often, and if I cannot remoue the effectes, yet I will manifest the causes. I goe, ready to returne for aduice, before I am resolued to aduenture.