The Queen's Entertainment at Woodstock · chunk 6 of 17
Anonymous · published 1585 · first performed or written 1575 [Sep] (Annals) entertainment; royal entertainment or entry unassigned nearest T4 Love-longing and the lover's complaint · 494 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T4: love, heart, sweet, loves, fair, phillis, eyes, beauty, amyntas, lovers.
Madam I must confess the force of love, to be a thing in vain against to bend, Which blind reason first did after prove, to set us so as we can not defend, And so triumphing when we cannot see, we must confess, who is the God but he? As who should say, Love never hits aright, but beetle like bereaved of sight doth run, Not weighing worth, nor marking where to light, But love oft times by due desert is won, And most priest on in Dames of highest prize, wherefore judge right, for love oft times is wise. Perhaps your daughter's Love sprang from desert, perhaps the persons worth procured her choice, Perhaps he was so tied he could not start from her, commanding him by virtues voice: And would you seem at such link to repine, which virtue did with her own fingers twine? Therefore make your account this grief you feel, proceeds from offence 'gainst such a power, And never hope to win your better weal, till that his wrath appeared, he leave to lower. Love is a Lord, who loathes, him him he shames, not sparing Lords, not sparing princely Dames. And chiefly where with virtue he doth link, for virtues sake, where love doth like to light. There can no force enforce his force to shrink, he trusts so much to his confederates might. Wherefore your daughter's love for virtues sake, work what you could, no overthrow would take. I never did repine where virtues love did link, but where there seemed Disparagement to rise, As in her match I did and do still think, his birth to hers in no point did suffice, A PRINCE's child inheritor to state, too good I thought so far to undermate. Alas good Sir, know you not at these years, that Love doth always fight on equal ground, And where he mindeth match, he makes them peers: if minds agree the ground of states is found. A Princely heart in meaner man may dwell, where, if a Princess like, she doth but well. For when the ear is fed with worths report, when eye beholds what ravisheth the sight, The heart straight to desire yields up the fort: where if again like liking hap to light, When virtues join and like with like is knit, what match is made more excellent than it? This match should you maintain where love crept in. not of himself but guess-ways led by hand, For virtue was the first that did begin, against whose force whilst you thought to withstand, In single terms as not allowing love, the compound strength of virtue you do prove. You blame not him for mounting up so high, she bears the blame for bending down so low, Whom fortune bids look up, too blame were he, if he should quail, and worthy overthrow. And she too blame, of near so high degree, not casting Love where virtues doth agree.
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)
Madam I must confesse the force of loue, to be a thing in vaine against to bend, Which blind reason first did after proue, to set vs so as we can not defend, And so triumphing when we cannot see, we must confesse, who is the God but he? As who should say, Loue neuer hits aright, but beetle like bereau'd of sight doth runne, Not waying worth, nor marking where to light, But loue oft times by due desart is wonne, And most prest on in Dames of highest prise, wherfore iudge right, for loue oft times is wise. Perhaps your daughters Loue sprang from desart, perhaps the persons worth procur'de her choise, Perhaps he was so tyed he could not start from her, commaunding him by vertues voyce: And would you seeme at such linke to repine, which vertue did with her owne fingers twyne? Therefore make your account this griefe you feele, proceeds from offence gainst such a power, And neuer hope to winne your better weale, till that his wrath appear'd, he leaue to lower. Loue is a Lord, who lothes, hym him he shames, not sparing Lordes, not sparing princely Dames. And chiefly where with vertue he doth linke, for vertues sake, where loue doth like to light. There can no force enforce his force to shrinke, he trusts so much to his confederates might. Wherefore your daughters loue for vertues sake, worke what you could, no ouerthrow would take. I neuer did repine where vertues loue did link, but where there seem'd Disperagement to rise, As in her match I did and do stil think, his birth to hers in no point did suffice, A Princes child inheritour to state, too good I thought so farre to vndermate. Alas good Sir, know you not at these yeeres, that Loue doth alwaies fight on equal ground, And where he mindeth match, he makes them peeres: if mynds agree the ground of states is found. A Princely heart in meaner man may dwel, where, if a Princesse like, she doth but well. For when the eare is fed with worthes report, when eie beholds what rauisheth the sight, The heart straight to desire yeelds vp the fort: where if againe like liking hap to light, When vertues ioyne and like with like is knit, what match is made more excellent then it? This match should you mainteine where loue crept in. not of himself but gesse-waies led by hand, For vertue was the first that did begin, against whose force whilest you thought to withstand, In single termes as not allowing loue, the compound strength of vertue you do proue. You blame not him for mounting vp so hie, she beares the blame for bending down so low, Whom fortune bids looke vp, too blame were he, if he should quaile, and worthy ouerthrow. And she too blame, of neere so high degree, not casting Loue where vertues doth agree.