Lyly, John · published 1591 · first performed or written 1588 [Feb 2(?)] (Annals) comedy · Children of Paul's (first) · before the Court unassigned nearest T48 Addressing a lady: love, desire and inti · 486 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T48: lady, love, heart, fair, eyes, la, lord, tears, fie, face.
Corsites, Cynthia may restrain the liberty of my body, of my thoughts she cannot, and therefore do I esteem myself most free, though I am in greatest bondage. Can you then feed on fancy, and subdue the malice of envy by the sweetness of imagination. Corsites, there is no sweeter music to the miserable then despair, and therefore the more bitterness I feel, the more sweetness I find, for so vain were liberty, and so unwelcome the following of higher fortune, that I choose rather to pine in this Castle, than to be a Prince in any other Court. A humour contrary to your years, and nothing agreeable to your sex: the one commonly allured with delights, the other always with sovereignty. I marvel Corsites that you being a Captain, who should sound nothing but terror, and suck nothing but blood, can find in your heart to talk such smooth words, for that it agreeth not with your calling to use words so soft, as that of love. Lady, it were unfit of wars to discourse with women, into whose minds nothing can sink but smoothness; beside, you must not think that Soldiers be so rough hewn, or of such knotty mettle, that beauty cannot allure, and you being beyond perfection enchant. Good Corsites talk not of love, but let me to my labour: the little beauty I have, shall be bestowed on my Loom, which I now mean to make my Lover. Let us in, and what favour Corsites can show, Tellus shall command. The only favour I desire, is now and then to walk. Epi Here sir. unrig me. hay ho. What's that? An interjection, whereof some are of mourning: as eho, vah. I understand you not. Thou seest me. I. Thou hearst me. I. Thou feelest me. I. And not understandest me? No. Then am I but three quarters of a Noun substantive. But alas Epi, to tell thee the troth I am a Noun Adjective. Why? Because I cannot stand without another. Who is that? Dipsas. Are you in love? No: but love hath as it were milked my thoughts, and drained from my heart the very substance of my accustomed courage; it worketh in my head like new Wine, so as I must hoop my sconce with iron, lest my head break, and so I bewray my brains: but I pray thee first discover me in all parts, that I may be like a Lover, and then will I sigh and die. Take my gun, and give me a gown: Caedant arma togae. Here. Take my sword and shield, and give me beard, brush, and Scissors: bella gerant alii tu pari semper ama. Will you be trimmed sir? Not yet: for I feel a contention within me, whether I shall frame the bodkin beard or the bush. But take my pike and give me pen: dicere que puduit, scribere jussit amor.
seed 43: T2 · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Corsites, Cynthia may restraine the libertie of my bodie, of my thoughts she cannot, and therefore doe I esteeme my selfe most free, though I am in greatest bondage. Can you then feede on fancie, and subdue the mallice of enuie by the sweetnes of imagination. Corsites, there is no sweeter musicke to the miserable then dispayre, and therefore the more bitternesse I feele, the more sweetnes I find, for so vaine were liberty, and so vnwelcome the following of higher fortune, that I chuse rather to pine in this Castle, then to be a Prince in any other Court. A humor contrary to your yeeres, and nothing agreeable to your sex: the one commonly allured with delights, the other alwaies with soueraigntie. I meruaile Corsites that you being a Captain, who should sound nothing but terror, and suck nothing but blood, can finde in your hart to talke such smooth wordes, for that it agreeth not with your calling to vse words so soft, as that of loue. Ladie, it were vnfit of warres to discourse with womē, into whose minds nothing can sinck but smoothnes; besides, you must not thinke that Souldiours bee so rough hewne, or of such knottie mettle, that beautie cannot allure, and you beeing beyonde perfection enchaunt. Good Corsites talke not of loue, but let me to my labor: the little beautie I haue, shall be bestowed on my Loome, which I now meane to make my Louer. Let vs in, and what fauour Corsites can shewe, Tellus shall commaund. The onely fauour I desire, is now and then to walke. Epi. Heere sir. Vnrigge mee. Hey ho. Whats that? An interiection, whereof some are of mourning: as eho, vah. I vnderstand you not. Thou seest me. I. Thou hearst me. I. Thou feelest me. I. And not vnderstand'st me? No. Then am I but three quarters of a Nowne substantiue. But alas Epi, to tell thee the troth I am a Nowne Adiectiue. Why? Because I cannot stand without another. Who is that? Dipsas. Are you in loue? No: but loue hath as it were milkt my thoughts, and drained from my hart the very substance of my accustomed courage; it worketh in my heade like newe Wine, so as I must hoope my skonce with yron, least my head breake, and so I bewray my braines: but I pray thee first discouer me in all parts, that I may be like a Louer, and then will I sigh and die. Take my gunne, and giue me a gowne: Caedant arma togae. Heere. Take my sworde and shielde, and giue mee beard, brush, and Cyssers: bella gerant alii tu pari semper ama. Will you be trimd sir? Not yet: for I feele a contention within me, whether I shall frame the bodkin beard or the bush. But take my pike and giue mee pen: dicere que puduit, scribere iussit amor.