Lyly, John · published 1591 · first performed or written 1588 [Feb 2(?)] (Annals) comedy · Children of Paul's (first) · before the Court unassigned nearest T4 Love-longing and the lover's complaint · 445 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T4: love, heart, sweet, loves, fair, phillis, eyes, beauty, amyntas, lovers.
Without doubt Endymion is bewitched, otherwise in a man of such rare virtues, there could not harbour a mind of such extreme madness. I will follow him, lest in this fancy of the Moon, he deprive himself of the sight of the Sun. Treacherous and most perjured Endymion, is Cynthia the sweetness of thy life, and the bitterness of my death? What revenge may be devised so full of shame, as my thoughts are replenished with malice? Tell me Floscula if falseness in love can possibly be punished with extremity of hate. As long as sword, fire, or poison may be hired, no traitor to my love shall live unrevenged. Were thy oaths without number, thy kisses without measure, thy sighs without end, forged to deceive a poor credulous virgin, whose simplicity had been worth thy favour and better fortune? If the Gods sit unequal beholders of injuries, or laughers at lovers deceits, then let mischief be as well forgiven in women, as perjury winked at in men. madam, if you would compare the state of Cynthia with your own, and the height of Endymion his thoughts, with the meanness of your fortune, you would rather yield than contend, being between you and her no comparison, and rather wonder than rage at the greatness of his mind, being affected with a thing more than mortal. No comparison Floscula? and why so? is not my beauty divine, whose body is decked with fair flowers, and veins are Vines, yielding sweet liquour to the dullest spirits, whose ears are Corn, to bring strength, and whose hears are grass, to bring abundance? Doth not Frankincense, & Mirth breath out of my nostrils, and all the sacrifice of the Gods, breed in my bowels? Infinite are my creatures, without which, neither thou nor Endymion, nor any could love, or live. But know you not fair Lady, that Cynthia governeth all things? Your grapes would be but dry husks, your Corn but chaff, and all your virtues vain, were it not Cynthia that preserveth the one in the bud, and nourisheth the other in the blade, and by her influence both comforteth all things, and by her authority commandeth all creatures; Suffer then Endymion to follow his affections, though to obtain her be impossible, and let him flatter himself in his own imaginations, because they are immortal. Loath I am Endymion thou shouldest die, because I love thee well, and that thou shouldest live it grieveth me, because thou lovest Cynthia too well. In these extremities what shall I do? Floscula no more words, I am resolved. He shall neither live, nor die. A strange practice, if it be possible.
seed 43: T2 · seed 44: T3 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Without doubt Endimion is bewitched, otherwise in a man of such rare vertues, there could not harbor a minde of such extreame madnes. I wil follow him, least in this fancie of the Moone, he depriue himselfe of the sight of the Sunne. Trecherous and most periurde Endimion, is Cynthia the sweetnes of thy life, and the bitternes of my death? What reuenge may be deuised so full of shame, as my thoughts are replenished with mallice? Tell me Floscula if falsenes in loue can possibly be punished with extremitie of hate. As long as sworde, fire, or poison may be hyred, no traytor to my loue shall liue vnreuenged. Were thy oathes without number, thy kisses without measure, thy sighes without end, forged to deceiue a poore credulous virgin, whose simplicity had beene worth thy fauour and better fortune? If the Gods sitte vnequall beholders of iniuries, or laughers at Louers deceipts, then let mischiefe be as well forgiuen in women, as periurie winked at in men. Madame, if you woulde compare the state of Cynthia with your owne, and the height of Endimion his thoughts, with the meanenesse of your fortune, you would rather yeeld then contende, being betweene you and her no comparison, and rather wonder then rage at the greatnes of his minde, beeing affected with a thing more then mortall. No comparison Floscula? and why so? is not my beauty diuine, whose body is decked with faire flowers, and vaines are Vines, yeelding sweet liquor to the dullest sprits, whose eares are Corne, to bring strength, and whose heares are grasse, to bring abundance? Doth not Frankinsence, & Myrthe breath out of my nostrils, and all the sacrifice of the Gods, breede in my bowels? Infinite are my creatures, without which, neyther thou nor Endimion, nor any could loue, or liue. But knowe you not fayre Ladie, that Cynthia gouerneth all things? Your grapes woulde be but drie huskes, your Corne but chaffe, and all your vertues vaine, were it not Cynthia that preserueth the one in the bud, and nourisheth the other in the blade, and by her influence both comforteth all things, and by her authoritie commaundeth all creatures; Suffer then Endimion to followe his affections, though to obtaine her be impossible, and let him flatter himselfe in his owne imaginations, because they are immortall. Loth I am Endimion thou shouldest die, because I loue thee well, and that thou shouldest liue it greeueth mee, because thou louest Cynthia too well. In these extremities what shall I doe? Floscula no more words, I am resolued. He shall neyther liue, nor die. A strange practise, if it be possible.