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 0.86 · 476 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T21: cupid, venus, love, ceres, diana, fair, nymphs, goddess, bow, damon.
O fortune. I feel my very brains moralised, and as it were a certain contempt of earthly actions is crept into my mind, by an aetherial contemplation. Come let us in. What news have we here Ladies, are all in love? are Diana's nymphs become Venus' wantons? is it a shame to be chaste, because you be amiable? or must you needs be amorous, because you are fair? O Venus, if this be thy spite, I will require it with more than hate, well shalt thou know what it is to drib thine arrows up and down Diana's leies. There is an unknown Nymph that straggleth up and down these woods, which I suspect hath been the weaver of these woes, I saw her slumbering by the brook side, go search her & bring her, if you find upon her shoulder a burn, it is Cupid: if any print on her back like a leaf, it is Medea: if any picture on her left breast like a bird, it is Calipso; whoever it be, bring her hither, and speedily bring her hither. I will go with speed. Go you Larissa and help her. I obey. Now Ladies, doth not that make your cheeks blush, that makes mine ears glow? or can you remember that without sobs, which Diana can not think on without sighs? What greater dishonour could happen to Diana, or to her nymphs shame, then that there can be any time so idle, that should make their heads so addle? Your chaste hearts my nymphs, should resemble the onyx, which is hottest when it is whitest, and your thoughts, the more they are assaulted with desires, the less they should be affected. You should think love like Homer's Moly, a white leaf & a black root, a fair show, and a bitter taste. Of all Trees the Cedar is greatest, and hath the smallest seeds: of all affections, love hath the greatest name, & the least virtue. Shall it be said, and shall Venus say it? nay shall it be seen, and shall wantonness see it? that Diana the goddess of chastity, whose thoughts are always answerable to her vows, whose eyes never glanced on desire, and whose heart abateth the point of Cupid's arrows, shall have her virgins to become unchaste in desires, immoderate in affection, untemperate in love, in foolish love, in base love. Eagles cast their evil feathers in the Sun, but you cast your best desires upon a shadow. The birds ibis lose their sweetness when they lose their sights, and virgins all their virtues with their unchaste thoughts, unchaste, Diana calleth that, that hath either any show or suspicion of lightness. O my dear nymphs, if you knew how loving thoughts stain lovely faces, you would be as careful to have the one as unspotted as the other beautiful.
nodes 261–266 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 16 of 27 in this edition
Length
476 words · 630 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T21 — Cupid, Venus and the nymphscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.857 (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)
O fortune. I feele my very braines moralized, and as it were a certaine contempt of earthly actions is crept into my minde, by an etheriall contemplation. Come let vs in. What newes haue we heere Ladies, are all in loue? are Dianaes Nimphes become Venus wantons? is it a shame to be chast, because you be amiable? or must you needes be amorous, because you are faire? O Venus, if thys be thy spight, I will require it wyth more then hate, well shalt thou know what it is to drib thine arrowes vp and downe Dianaes leies. There is an vnknowne Nimph that straggleth vp and downe these woods, which I suspect hath beene the weauer of these woes, I saw her slumbring by the brooke side, go search her & bring her, if you find vpon her shoulder a burne, it is Cupid: if any print on her backe like a leafe, it is Medea: if any picture on her left breast like a birde, it is Calipso; who euer it be, bring her hether, and speedilie bring her hether. I will goe with speede. Goe you Larissa and helpe her. I obey. Nowe Ladies, dooth not that make your cheekes blushe, that makes mine eares glowe? or can you remember that without sobs, which Diana can not thinke on without sighes? What greater dishonour could happen to Diana, or to her Nimphes shame, then that there can be any time so idle, that shold make their heads so addle? Your chast harts my Nimphes, should resemble the Onix, which is hotest when it is whitest, and your thoughts, the more they are assaulted with desires, the lesse they should be affected. You should thinke loue like Homers Moly, a white leafe & a blacke roote, a faire shewe, and a bitter taste. Of all Trees the Cedar is greatest, and hath the smallest seedes: of all affections, loue hath the greatest name, & the least vertue. Shall it be said, and shall Venus say it? nay shall it be seene, and shall wantons see it? that Diana the goddesse of chastity, whose thoughts are alwaies answerable to her vowes, whose eyes neuer glanced on desire, and whose hart abateth the poynt of Cupids arrowes, shall haue her virgins to become vnchast in desires, immoderate in affection, vntemperate in loue, in foolish loue, in base loue. Eagles cast their euill feathers in the Sunne, but you cast your best desires vpon a shadowe. The birdes Ibes lose their sweetnesse when they lose theyr sights, and virgins all theyr vertues with theyr vnchast thoughts, vnchast, Diana calleth that, that hath eyther any showe or suspicion of lightnesse. O my deere Nimphes, if you knewe howe louing thoughts staine louely faces, you woulde bee as careful to haue the one as vnspotted as the other beautiful.