Lyly, John · published 1584 · first performed or written c.1583 (Annals) comedy · Children of the Chapel (first) (Oxford's Boys) · before the Court T21 Cupid, Venus and the nymphs typicality 0.82 · 537 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T21: cupid, venus, love, ceres, diana, fair, nymphs, goddess, bow, damon.
I will wish him fortunate. This will I do for Phao, because I once loved Phao: for never shall it be said that Sapho loved to hate, or that out of love she could not be as courteous, as she was in love passionate. Come Mileta, shut the door. Go to Sibylla, tell the beginning of thy love, and the end of thy fortune. And lo how happily she sitteth in her cave. Sibylla? Phao, welcome, what news? Venus, the Goddess of love I loathe, Cupid caused it with a new shaft. Sapho disdaineth me, Venus caused it for a new spite. O Sibylla, if Venus be unfaithful in love, where shall one fly for truth? she useth deceit, is it not then likely she will dispense with subtlety. And being careful to commit injuries, will she not be careless to revenge them? I must now fall from love to labour, and endeavour with mine oar to get a fare, not with my pen to write a fancy. loves are but smokes, which vanish in the seeing, and yet hurt whilst they are seen. A Ferry Phao, no the stars cannot call it a worser fortune. Range rather over the world, forswear affections, entreat for death. O Sapho, thou hast Cupid in thine arms, I in my heart, thou kissest him for sport, I must curse him for spite: yet will I not curse him Sapho, whom thou kissest. This shallbe my resolution, wherever I wander, to be as I were ever kneeling before Sapho, my loyalty unspotted, though unrewarded. With as little malice will I go to my grave, as I did lie with all in my cradle. My life shallbe spent in sighing and wishing, the one for my bad fortune, the other for Sappho's good. Do so Phao: for destiny calleth thee as well from Sicily as from love. Other things hang over thy head, which I must neither tell, nor thou inquire. And so farewell. Farewell Sibylla, and farewell Sicily. Thoughts shallbe thy food, and in thy steps shallbe printed behind thee, that there was none so loyal left behind thee. Farewell Syracusa, unworthy to harbour faith, and when I am gone, unless Sapho be here, unlikely to harbour any. THey that tread in a maze, walk oftentimes in one path, & at the last come out where they entered in. we fear we have led you all this while in a Labyrinth of conceits, diverse times hearing one device, & have now brought you to an end, where we first began. Which wearisome travail, you must impute to the necessity of the history, as Theseus did his labour to the art of the Labyrinth. There is nothing causeth such giddiness, as going in a wheel, neither can there any thing breed such tediousness, as hearing many words uttered in a small compass. But if you accept this dance of a Fairy in a circle, we will hereafter at your wills frame our fingers to all forms. And so we wish every one of you a thread to lead you out of the doubts, wherewith we leave you entangled: that nothing be mistaken by our rash oversights, nor misconstrued by your deep insights.
nodes 518–524 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 27 of 27 in this edition
Length
537 words · 727 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T21 — Cupid, Venus and the nymphscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.816 (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)
I wil wish him fortunate. This wil I do for Phao, because I once loued Phao: for neuer shall it be said that Sapho loued to hate, or that out of loue she coulde not be as courteous, as she was in loue passionate. Come Mileta, shut the doore. Goe to Sybilla, tell the beginning of thy loue, and the end of thy fortune. And loe how happilye shee sitteth in her caue. Sybilla? Phao, welcome, what newes? Venus, the Goddesse of loue I loth, Cupid causd it with a new shafte. Sapho disdaineth mee, Venus causd it for a new spite. O Sybilla, if Venus be vnfaithfull in loue, where shall one flye for trueth? Shee vseth deceite, is it not then likely she will dispence with subtiltie. And being carefull to commit iniuries, will shee not be carelesse to reuenge them? I must nowe fall from loue to labour, and endeuour with mine oare to gette a fare, not with my penne to write a fancie. Loues are but smokes, which vanish in the seeing, and yet hurte whilest they are seene. A Ferrie Phao, no the starres cannot call it a worser fortune. Raung rather ouer the world, forsweare affections, entreate for death. O Sapho, thou haste Cupid in thine armes, I in my hearte, thou kissest him for sporte, I muste curse him for spite: yet will I not curse him Sapho, whome thou kissest. This shalbe my resolutiō, where euer I wāder, to be as I were euer kneeling before Sapho, my loyalty vnspotted, though vnrewarded. With as litle malice wil I goe to my graue, as I did lye with all in my cradle. My life shalbe spente in sighing and wishing, the one for my bad fortune, the other for Saphoes good. Doe so Phao: for destinie calleth thee aswell from Sycily as from loue. Other things hange ouer thy head, which I must neither tell, nor thou enquire. And so farewell. Farewell Sybilla, and farewell Sycily. Thoughtes shalbe thy foode, and in thy steppes shalbe printed beehinde thee, that there was none so loyall lefte behinde thee. Farewell Syracusa, vnworthy to harbour faith, and when I am gone, vnlesse Sapho be here, vnlikely to harbour any. THey that treade in a maze, walke oftentimes in one path, & at the last come out where they entred in. Wee feare we haue lead you all this while in a Labyrinth of conceites, diuerse times hearing one deuice, & haue now brought you to an end, where we first beganne. Which wearisome trauaile, you must impute to the necessitie of the hystorie, as Theseus did his labour to the arte of the Labyrinth. There is nothing causeth such giddines, as going in a wheele, neither cā there any thing breede such tediousnesse, as hearing manie words vttered in a small compass. But if you accept this daūce of a Farie in a circle, wee will herafter at your willes frame our fingers to all formes. And so we wish euery one of you a thread to leade you out of the doubts, wherwith we leaue you intangled: that nothing be mistaken by our rash ouersightes, nor misconstrued by your deepe insights.