Lyly, John · published 1592 · first performed or written 1585 [1583-1585] (Annals) comedy · Children of Paul's (first) (?) · before the Court T21 Cupid, Venus and the nymphs typicality 0.85 · 494 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T21: cupid, venus, love, ceres, diana, fair, nymphs, goddess, bow, damon.
My mother said I could be no lad till I was twenty year old, nor keep sheep till I could tell them; and therefore Lady neither lad nor shepherd is here. These boys are both agreed, either they are very pleasant or too perverse: you were best Lady make them tusk these Woods, whilst we stand with our bows, and so use them as Beagles since they have so good mouths. I will. Follow me without delay, or excuse, & if you can do nothing, yet shall you hallow the dear. I am willing to go, not for these lady's company, because myself am a virgin, but for that fair boy's favour, who I think be a God. You sir boy shall also go. I must if you command, and would if you had not. Now Cupid, under the shape of a silly girl show the power of a mighty God. Let Diana and all her coy nymphs know, that there is no heart so chaste but thy bow can wound, nor eyes so modest, but thy brands can kindle, nor thoughts so stayed, but thy shafts can make wavering, weak and wanton: Cupid though he be a child, is no baby. I will make their pains my pastimes, & so confound their loves in their own sex, that they shall dote in their desires, delight in their affections, and practise only impossibilities. Whilst I truant from my mother, I will use some tyranny in these woods, and so shall their exercise in foolish love, be my excuse for running away. I will see whither fair faces be always chaste, or Diana's virgins only modest, else will I spend both my shafts and shifts, and then Ladies if you see these dainty Dames entrapped in love, say softly to yourselves, we may all love. Do silly Shepherds go about to deceive great Neptune, in putting on man's attire upon women: and Cupid to make sport deceive them all, by using a woman's apparel upon a God, than Neptune that hast taken sundry shapes to obtain love, stick not to practise some deceit to show thy deity, and having often thrust thyself into the shape of beasts to deceive men be not coy to use the shape of a shepherd, to show thyself a God. Neptune cannot be overreached by Swains, himself is subtle, and if Diana be overtaken by craft, Cupid is wise. I will into these woods and mark all, and in the end will mar all. Call you this seeking of fortunes when one can find nothing but birds nests? would I were out of these Woods, for I shall have but wooden luck, here's nothing but the screeking of Owls, croaking of Frogs, hissing of Adders, barking of Foxes, walking of Hags. But what be these? I will follow them, to hell I shall not go, for so fair faces never can have such hard fortunes. What black boy is this.
nodes 102–111 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 7 of 27 in this edition
Length
494 words · 622 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T21 — Cupid, Venus and the nymphscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.850 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T21 · seed 44: T24 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
My mother said I could be no ladde til I was twentie yeere olde, nor keepe sheepe till I coulde tell them; and therefore Ladie neither lad nor sheephearde is heere. These boyes are both agreed, either they are verie pleasant or too peruerse: you were best Ladie make them tuske these VVoodes, whilst wee stande with our bowes, and so vse them as Beagles since they haue so good mouthes. I wil. Follow me without delaie, or excuse, & if you can doe nothing, yet shall you hallow the Deare. I am willing to goe, not for these Ladies c panie, because my selfe am a virgine, but for that fayre boyes fauor, who I thinke be a God. You sir boy shall also goe. I must if you commaunde, and would if you had not. Nowe Cupid, vnder the shape of a sillie girle shewe the power of a mightie God. Let Diana and all her coy Nimphes know, that there is no hart so chaste but thy bowe can wounde, nor eyes so modest, but thy brandes can kindle, nor thoughts so staied, but thy shafts can make wauering, weake and wanton: Cupid though he be a child, is no babie. I will make their paines my pastimes, & so confound their loues in their owne sexe, that they shall dote in their desires, delight in their affections, and practise onely impossibilities. Whilst I trewant from my mother, I will vse some tyranny in these woodes, and so shall their exercise in foolish loue, be my excuse for running away. I wil see whither faire faces be alwaies chast, or Dianaes virgins onelie modest, els will I spende both my shafts and shyfts, and then Ladies if you see these daintie Dames intrapt in loue, saie softlie to your selues, wee may all loue. Doe sillie Sheepeheards goe about to deceiue great Neptune, in putting on mans attire vppon women: and Cupid to make sport deceiue them all, by vsing a vvomans apparell vpon a God, then Neptune that hast taken sundrie shapes to obtaine loue, stick not to practise some deceipt to shew thy deitie, and hauing oftē thrust thy self into the shape of beastes to deceiue men be not coy to vse the shape of a Sheepehearde, to shew thy selfe a God. Neptune cannot be ouer-reached by Swaines, himselfe is subtile, and if Diana be ouertaken by craft, Cupid is wise. I will into these woodes and marke all, and in the end will marre all. Call you this seeking of fortunes when one can finde nothing but byrds nestes? would I were out of these VVoodes, for I shall haue but wodden lucke, heers nothing but the skreeking of Owles, croking of Frogs, hissing of Adders, barking of Foxes, walking of Hagges. But what be these? I will follow them, to hell I shall not goe, for so faire faces neuer can haue such hard fortunes. What blacke boy is this.