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 0.87 · 499 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T21: cupid, venus, love, ceres, diana, fair, nymphs, goddess, bow, damon.
Cast before your eyes the loves of Venus' trulls, their fortunes, their fancies, their ends. What are they else but Silenus pictures, without, Lambs & Doves, with in, Apes, and Owls, who like Ixion embrace clouds for Iuno, the shadows of virtue in steed of the substance. The Eagles feathers consume the feathers of all others, and loves desire corrupteth all other virtues. I blush Ladies that you having been heretofore patient of labours, should now become prentices to idleness, and use the pen for Sonnets, not the needle for Samplers. And how is your love placed, upon pelting boys, perhaps base of birth, without doubt weak of discretion. I but they are fair. O Ladies do your eyes begin to love colours, whose hearts was wont to loathe them? is Diana's Chase become Venus' Court? and are your holy vows turned to hollow thoughts? madam, if love were not a thing beyond reason, we might then give a reason of our doings, but so divine is his force, that it worketh effects as contrary to that we wish, as unreasonable against that we ought. Lady, so unacquainted are the passions of love, that we can neither describe them nor bear them. Foolish girls, how willing you are to follow that which you should fly, but here cometh Telusa. We have brought the disguised Nymph, etc. have found on his shoulder Psyche's burn, and he confesseth himself to be Cupid. how now sir, are you caught, are you Cupid? Thou shalt see Diana that I dare confess myself to be Cupid. And thou shalt see Cupid that I will show myself to be Diana, that is, Conqueror of thy loose & untamed appetites. Did thy mother Venus under the colour of a Nymph, send thee hither to wound my nymphs? Doth she add craft to her malice, and mistrusting her deity, practise deceit: is there no place but my Groves, no persons but my nymphs? Cruel and unkind Venus, that spiteth only chastity, thou shalt see that Diana's power shall revenge thy policy, and tame this pride. As for thee Cupid, I will break thy bow, and burn thine arrows, bind thy hands, clip thy wings, and fetter thy feet. Thou that fattest others with hopes, shalt be fed thyself with wishes, & thou that bindest others with golden thoughts, shalt be bound thyself with golden fetters. Venus' rods are made of Roses, Diana's of briars. Let Venus that great Goddess, ransom Cupid that little God. These Ladies here whom thou hast infected with foolish love, shall both tread on thee and triumph over thee. Thine own arrow shall be shot into thine own bosom, and thou shalt be enamoured, not on Psyche's, but on Circe's. I will teach thee what it is to displease Diana, distress her nymphs, or disturb her Game. Diana, what I have done, cannot be undone, but what you mean to do, shall. Venus hath some Gods to her friends, Cupid shall have all.
nodes 267–275 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 17 of 27 in this edition
Length
499 words · 674 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T21 — Cupid, Venus and the nymphscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.867 (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)
Cast before your eyes the loues of Venus truls, their fortunes, theyr fancies, their ends. What are they els but Silenus pictures, without, Lambes & Doues, with in, Apes, and Owles, who like Ixion imbrace clowdes for Iuno, the shadowes of vertue in steede of the substance. The Eagles fethers consume the fethers of all others, and loues desire corrupteth all other vertues. I blush Ladies that you hauing beene heretofore patient of labours, should nowe become prentises to idlenesse, and vse the penne for Sonets, not the needle for Samplers. And howe is your loue placed, vppon pelting boyes, perhaps base of birth, without doubt weake of discretion. I but they are fayre. O Ladies doe your eyes begin to loue collours, whose harts was wont to loath them? is Dianaes Chase become Venus Courte? and are your holy vowes turnd to hollow thoughts? Madame, if loue were not a thing beyonde reason, we might then giue a reason of our doings, but so deuine is his force, that it worketh effects as contrarie to that wee wishe, as vnreasonable against that wee ought. Lady, so vnacquainted are the passions of loue, that we can neither describe them nor beare them. Foolish gyrles, how willing you are to follow that which you should flie, but heere commeth Telusa. We haue brought the disguised Nimphe, &c haue found on his shoulder Psiches burne, and he confesseth himselfe to be Cupid. Howe now sir, are you caught, are you Cupid? Thou shalt see Diana that I dare confesse my selfe to be Cupid. And thou shalt see Cupid that I will shewe my selfe to be Diana, that is, Conquerer of thy loose & vntamed appetites. Did thy mother Venus vnder the colour of a Nimphe, sende thee hether to wounde my Nimphes? Doth she adde craft to her malice, and mistrusting her deitie, practise deceite: is there no place but my Groues, no persons but my Nimphes? Cruell and vnkind Venus, that spighteth onely chastitie, thou shalt see that Dianaes power shal reuenge thy pollicie, and tame thys pride. As for thee Cupid, I will breake thy bowe, and burne thine arrowes, binde thy handes, clyp thy wings, and fetter thy feete. Thou that fattest others with hopes, shalt be fedde thy selfe with wishes, & thou that bindest others with golden thoughts, shalt be bound thy selfe with golden fetters. Venus rods are made of Roses, Dianaes of Bryers. Let Venus that great Goddesse, raunsome Cupid that little God. These Ladies heere whom thou hast infected with foolish loue, shall both tread on thee and triumph ouer thee. Thine owne arrow shall be shot into thine owne bosome, and thou shalt be inamored, not on Psiches, but on Circes. I will teach thee what it is to displease Diana, distresse her Nimphes, or disturbe her Game. Diana, what I haue doone, cannot be vndone, but what you meane to doe, shall. Venus hath some Gods to her friends, Cupid shall haue all.