Descensus Astraeae (The Descent of Astraea) · chunk 1 of 2
Peele, George · published 1591 · first performed or written 1591 [Oct 29] (Annals) civic play; pageant unassigned nearest T12 Olympian gods: Jupiter, Juno, Venus and · 541 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T12: iupiter, saturn, iuno, venus, gods, mars, earth, titan, love, fair.
SEE lovely Lords, and you my Lord behold How Time hath turned his restless wheel about And made the silver moon: & heavens bright eye Gallop the Zodiac and end the year Whose revolution now begets anew The days that have created and confirmed A worthy Governor for London's good, To underbear under his sovereign's sway Unpartial justice beam, and weaved a Web For your content, and her command in all, You Citizens of this Metapolis Whose honour and whose oath to gratulate Lordings behold what Emblem I present. Astraea daughter of the immortal Ioue, Great Ioue defender of this ancient town, Descended of the Trojan Brutus' line: Offspring of that courageous conquering king. Whose pure renown, hath pierced the world's large ears, In golden scrolls, rolling about the heavens Celestial sacred Nymph, that tends her flock With watchful eyes, and keep this fount in peace: Guarded with Graces, and with gracious trains, virtues divine, and gifts incomparable. Nor lets blind superstitious ignorance, Corrupt so pure a spring: O happy times That do beget such calm and quiet days, Where sheep & shepherd breath in such content. Honour attends her throne, in her bright eyes Sits Majesty: Virtue, and Steadfastness Possess her heart, sweet mercy sways her sword. Her champion armed with resolution, Sits at her feet to chastise malcontents, That threat her honours wrack. And Time & Kind Produce her years to make them numberless While Fortune for her service and her sake, With golden hands doth strengthen and enrich The Web that they for fair Astraea weave. Long may she live, long may she govern us In peace triumphant, fortunate in wars Our fair Astraea, our Pandora fair, Our fair Eliza, or Zabeta fair. Sweet Cynthia's darling, beauteous Cypria's peer As dear to England and true English hearts, As Pompey to the Citizens of Rome: As merciful as Caesar in his might. As mighty as the Macedonian king, Or Trojan Hector, terror to the Greeks. Goddess live long, whose honours we advance, Strengthen thy neighbours, propagate thine own: Guide well thy helm, lay thine anointed hand To build the temple of triumphant Truth, That while thy subjects draw their peace from thee, Thy friends with aid of arms may succoured be. Feed on my flock among the gladsome green Where heavenly Nectar flows above the banks. Such pastures are not common to be seen, Pay to immortal Ioue immortal thanks: For what is good fro heavens high throne doth fall. And heavens great Architect be praised for all. Stir Priest, and with thy beads poison this spring, I tell thee all is baneful that I bring. It is in vain her eye keeps me in awe, Whose heart is purely fixed on the law: The holy law, and bootless we contend, While this chaste nymph, this fountain doth defend, Whilom when Saturn's golden reign did cease, and iron age had kindled cruel wars: Envy in wrath, perturbing common peace, engendering cankered hate and bloody jars: Lo than Olympus king, the thundering Ioue, raught hence this gracious nymph Astraea fair, Now once again he sends her from above, descended through the sweet transparent air: And here she sits in beauty fresh and sheen, Shadowing the person of a peerless Queen.
seed 43: T53 · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
SEE louely Lords, and you my Lord behold How Time hath turnd his restles wheele about And made the siluer moone: & heauens bright eie Gallop the Zodiacke and end the yere Whose reuolution now begets a new The daies that haue created and confirmd A worthie Gouernor for Londons good, To vnderbeare vnder his Soueraignes swaie Vnpartiall Iustice beame, and weau'd a Web For your content, and her command in all, You Citizens of this Metapolis Whose honor and whose oath to gratulate Lordings behold what Emblem I present. Astraea daughter of the immortall Ioue, Great Ioue defender of this antient towne, Descended of the Troian Brutus line: Ofspring of that couragious conquering king. Whose pure renown, hath pierced the worlds large eares, In golden scrolls, rowling about the heauens Celestiall sacred Nymph, that tendes her flocke With watchfull eyes, and keep this fount in peace: Garded with Graces, and with gratious traines, Vertues diuine, and giftes incomparable. Nor lets blind superstitious ignorance, Corrupt so pure a spring: O happie times That do beget such calme and quiet daies, Where sheep & shepheard breath in such content. Honor attendes hir throne, in hir bright eies Sits Maiestie: Vertue, and Stedfastnesse Possesse hir hart, sweete mercy swaies hir sword. Her champion armed with resolution, Sits at her feete to chastise Malecontentes, That threat hir honors wracke. And Time & Kinde Produce hir yeares to make them numberlesse While Fortune for hir seruice and hir sake, With golden hands doth strengthen and enrich The Web that they for faire Astraea weaue. Long may she liue, long may she gouerne vs In peace triumphant, fortunate in warres Our faire Astraea, our Pandora faire, Our faire Eliza, or Zabeta faire. Sweet Cynthias darling, beauteous Cyprias peere As deere to England and true English heartes, As Pompey to the Citizens of Rome: As mercifull as Caesar in his might. As mightie as the Macedonian king, Or Troian Hector, terror to the Greees. Goddesse liue long, whose honors we aduance, Srengthen thy neighbours, propagate thine owne: Guide well thy helme, lay thine annointed hand To build the temple of triumphant Trueth, That while thy subiects draw their peace frō thee, Thy friends with ayd of armes may succor'd be. Feed on my flocke among the gladsome greene Where heauenly Nectar flowes aboue the banckes. Such pastures are not common to be seene, Pay to immortall Ioue immortall thankes: For what is good fro heauens hie throne doth fall. And heauens great Architect be praised for all. Stirre Priest, and with thy beades poyson this spring, I tell thee all is banefull that I bring. It is in vaine hir eye keepes me in awe, Whose heart is purely fixed on the law: The holy law, and bootlesse we contend, While this chast nimph, this fountain doth defend, Whilom when Saturnes golden raigne did cease, and yron age had kindled cruel warres: Enuie in wrath, perturbing common peace, engendring cancred hate and bloudy iarres: Lo then Olympus king, the thundring Ioue, raught hence this gracious nymph Astraea faire, Now once againe he sends hir from aboue, descended through the sweete transparent aire: And heere she sits in beautie fresh and sheene, Shadowing the person of a peerelesse Queene.