Phillis and Amyntas (Ivychurch) (Amyntas' Pastoral) · chunk 11 of 30
Fraunce, Abraham / Tasso, Torquato · published 1591 · first performed or written 1591 (Annals) pastoral T19 Virtue, Fortune and Vice as abstractions typicality 0.74 · 501 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T19: virtue, fortune, virtues, honour, fame, vice, envy, world, pride, great.
O Sweet age of gold, not sweet, for that by the pastures Every brook and bush with milk and honey abounded; Nor that fertile ground untilled, untutcht was afording Fresh increase of fruit to the poorman's daily rejoicing; Nor that stingles snakes and harmless slippery serpents slided abroad by the fields and never breathed any poison; Nor that clowdles skies seemed evermore to be smiling, And aeternal Spring her spring-time daily renewing; Nor that no pine-trees as yet cut down fro the mountains Ranged abroad by the rocks with salt waves all to be dashed: But sweet age of gold, for that this name of a noething, Idle name of nought, and daily deceivable Idol, Which fools afterward, fine-fooles have made to be Honour, Was nor named, nor known, nor brought new laws to the country And poor countrymen, whose lives were only directed By sweet Nature's law, sweet Nature taught them a lesson, If you will, you may: and straitlaced rules did abandon. Then by the greene-mantled pastures and watery fountains Loves young wanton wags were always wont to be singing, And had no light lamps, and had no dangerous arrows. Then brave jolly Shepherds and Nymphs sat sweetly together, Tempering words with smiles; and every smile with a kissing. Nymphs were not so nice, but that they yielded a full view Of their bared breasts to the searching eyes of a lover. Girls were not so coy, but that they would with a younker Friendly together wash, and bathe themselves in a river. Honour first covered wellspring of lovely Cupid, Honour plucked water from scorched mouth of a Lover, Honour taught fair eyes their glittering beams to be hiding, And to the darkened soul their light unkindly denying. Honour caught in nets those golden locks, that in old time Were left lose to the wind dispersed along by the shoulders. Honour marred our mirth, and lovelayes turned to a silence, And all our pastimes to a solemn gravity changed. Honour taught us first our mouths by art to be moving, Looks by a looking glass, and gate with skill to be framing. Honour called it a theft, which first was counted a free gift, Honour made it a crime, which first was thought but a pastime. But thou supreme Lord of Love, thou only Monarcha, Which rul'st mighty Monarches, what dost thou here in a corner, For so great a Godhead o too too simple a corner? Go to a proud Diadem, to a golden crown, to a sceptre, Break those great men's sleep; so shall thy fame be the greater: Disgrace not thy-self with poor contemptible abjects, But let Countrey-fooles live as they used to be living, Let them live in love, whilst they have time to be loving. Sun sets, and riseth; goes down, and quickly reviveth, But man's light once out, aeternal darkness abideth: Then let Countrey-fooles live as they used to be living, Let them live in love, whilst they have time to be loving.
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)
O Sweete age of gold, not sweet, for that by the pastures Euery brooke and bush with mylk and honny abounded; Nor that fertile ground vntild, vntutcht was afording Fresh increase of fruite to the pooremans dayly reioicing; Nor that stingles snakes and harmeles slippery serpents Slyded abroad by the fields and neuer breath'd any poyson; Nor that clowdles skies seem'd euermore to be smyling, And aeternall Spring her spring-time dayly renuing; Nor that noe pyne-trees as yet cut downe fro the mountaines Ranged abroad by the rocks with salt waues all to be dashed: But sweete age of gold, for that this name of a noething, Idle name of nought, and dayly deceauable Idoll, Which fooles afterward, fine-fooles haue made to be Honnor, Was nor nam'd, nor knowne, nor brought new lawes to the countrey And poore countreymen, whose liues were onely directed By sweete Natures law, sweete Nature taught them a lesson, If you will, you may: and strait-lac't rules did abandon. Then by the greene-mantled pastures and watery fountaines Lou's yong wanton waggs were always woont to be singing, And had noe light lampes, and had no dangerus arrowes. Then braue iolly Shepheards and Nymphs sate sweetly togeather, Tempring woords with smyles; and euery smyle with a kissing. Nymphs were not so nyce, but that they yeelded a full view Of their bared brests to the searching eyes of a louer. Gyrles were not soe coy, but that they would with a yonker Friendly together wash, and bathe themselues in a riuer. Honnor first cou'red wel-spring of louely Cupido, Honnor pluckt water from scorched mouth of a Louer, Honnor taught fayre eyes theyr glittring beames to be hyding, And to the darckned soule theyr light vnkindly denying. Honnor caught in netts those golden locks, that in ould tyme Were leaft loose to the wynde dispersed along by the shoulders. Honnor mar'd our myrth, and louelayes turn'd to a silence, And all our pastymes to a sollempne grauitie changed. Honnor taught vs first our mouthes by art to be moouing, Lookes by a looking glasse, and gate with skill to be framing. Honnor cal'd it a theft, which first was counted a free guift, Honnor made it a cryme, which first was thought but a pastyme. But thou supreame Lord of Loue, thou onely Monarcha, Which rul'st mighty Monarchs, what doost thou here in a corner, For soe great a Godhead ô too too simple a corner? Goe to a prowd Diademe, to a golden crown, to a scepter, Breake those great mens sleepe; so shall thy fame bee the greater: Disgrace not thy-self with poore contemptible abiects, But let Countrey-fooles liue as they vsed to be lyuing, Let them liue in loue, whilst they haue tyme to be louing. Sun setts, and riseth; goes downe, and quickly reuiueth, But mans light once out, aeternall darknes abydeth: Then let Countrey-fooles liue as they vsde to be lyuing, Let them lyue in loue, whilst they haue time to be louing.