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 · 509 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T4: love, heart, sweet, loves, fair, phillis, eyes, beauty, amyntas, lovers.
You must pardon me if I deny to tell it, for knowing that the revealing of griefs, is as it were a renewing of sorrow, I have vowed therefore to conceal them, that I might not only feel the depth of everlasting discontentment, but despair of remedy? But whence are you? What fortune hath thrust you to this distress? I am going to Thessalie, to seek remedy for Endymion my dearest friend, who hath been cast into a dead sleep, almost these twenty years, waxing old, and ready for the grave, being almost but newly come forth of the cradle. You need not for recure travel far, for who so can clearly see the bottom of this Fountain, shall have remedy for any thing. That methinketh is unpossible, why what virtue can there be in water? Yes, whosoever can shed the tears of a faithful Lover, shall obtain any thing he would, read these words engraven about the brim. Have you known this by experience, or is it placed here of purpose to delude men? I only would have experience of it, and then should there be an end of my misery. And then would I tell the strangest discourse that ever yet was heard. Ah Eumenides. What lack you Gentleman, are you not well? Yes Father, but a qualm that often cometh over my heart doth now take hold of me, but did never any Lovers come hither? lustres, but not Lovers; for often have I seen them weep, but never could I hear they saw the bottom. Came there women also? Some. What did they see? They all wept that the Fountain overflowed with tears, but so thick became the water with their tears, that I could scarce discern the brim, much less behold the bottom. Be faithful Lovers so scant? It seemeth so, for yet heard I never of any. Ah Eumenides, how art thou perplexed? call to mind the beauty of thy sweet Mistress, and the depth of thy never dying affections, how oft hast thou honoured her, not only without spot, but suspicion of falsehood? And how hardly hath she rewarded thee, without cause or colour of despite? how secret haste thou been these seven years, that hast not, nor once darest not, to name her for discontenting her? How faithful? that hast offered to die for her, to please her. Unhappy Eumenides. Why Gentleman did you once love? Once? I Father and ever shall. Was she unkind, and you faithful? she of all women the most froward, and I of all creatures the most fond. You doted then, not loved: for affection is grounded on virtue, and virtue is never peevish: or on Beauty, and Beauty loveth to be praised. ay but if all virtuous Ladies should yield to all that be loving, or all amiable gentlewomen entertain all that be amorous, their virtues would be accounted vices, and their beauty's deformities, for that love can be but between two, and that not proceeding of him that is most faithful, but most fortunate.
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)
You must pardon me if I denie to tell it, for knowing that the reuealing of griefes, is as it were a renewing of sorrow, I haue vowed therefore to conceale them, that I might not onely feele the depth of euerlasting discontentment, but dispaire of remedie? But whence are you? What fortune hath thrust you to thys distresse? I am going to Thessalie, to seeke remedie for Endimion my deerest freende, who hath beene cast into a dead sleepe, almost these twentie yeeres, waxing olde, and readie for the graue, beeing almost but newlie come forth of the cradle. You neede not for recure trauell farre, for who so can cleerely see the bottome of thys Fountaine, shall haue remedie for any thing. That mee thinketh is vnpossible, why vvhat vertue can there be in water? Yes, who soeuer can shedde the teares of a faythfull Louer, shall obtaine any thing he would, reade these words engrauen about the brimme. Haue you knowne this by experience, or is it placed heere of purpose to delude men? I onely would haue experience of it, and then shoulde there bee an ende of my miserie. And then woulde I tell the strangest discourse that euer yet was heard. Ah Eumenides. What lacke you Gentleman, are you not wel? Yes Father, but a qualme that often commeth ouer my hart doth nowe take hold of me, but did neuer any Louers come hether? Lusters, but not Louers; for often haue I seene them weepe, but neuer could I heare they saw the bottome. Came there women also? Some. What did they see? They all wept that the Fountaine ouerflowed with teares, but so thicke became the water with theyr teares, that I could scarce discerne the brimme, much lesse beholde the bottome. Be faithfull Louers so skant? It seemeth so, for yet heard I neuer of any. Ah Eumenides, howe art thou perplexed? call to minde the beautie of thy sweet Mistris, and the depth of thy neuer dying affections, howe oft hast thou honoured her, not onelie without spotte, but suspition of falsehoode? And howe hardly hath shee rewarded thee, without cause or colour of despight? Howe secrete hast thou beene these seauen yeeres, that hast not, nor once darest not, to name her for discontenting her? Hovve faythfull? that hast offered to dye for her, to please her. Vnhappie Eumenides. Why Gentleman did you once loue? Once? I Father and euer shall. Was she vnkind, and you faithfull? Shee of all women the most froward, and I of all creatures the most fond. You doted then, not loued: for affection is grounded on vertue, and vertue is neuer peeuish: or on Beautie, and Beautie loueth to be praised. I but if all vertuous Ladies should yeelde to all that be louing, or all amiable gentlewomen entertaine all that be amorous, theyr vertues would bee accounted vices, and their beauties deformities, for that loue can bee but betweene two, and that not proceeding of him that is most faithfull, but most fortunate.