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 · 508 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T21: cupid, venus, love, ceres, diana, fair, nymphs, goddess, bow, damon.
What is to Love or the Mistress of love unpossible? Was it not Venus that did the like to Iphis and Ianthe; how say ye are ye agreed, one to be a boy presently? I am content, so I may embrace Galathea. I wish it, so I may enjoy Phillida. Soft Daughter, you must know whether I will have you a Son. Take me with you Galathea, I will keep you as I begat you, a Daughter. Tityrus, let yours be a boy and if you will, mine shall not. Nay mine shall not, for by that means my young son shall lose his inheritance. Why then get him to be made a Maiden and then there is nothing lost. If there be such changing, I would Venus could make my wife a Man. Why? Because she loves always to play with men. Well you are both fond, therefore agree to this changing, or suffer your Daughters to endure hard chance. how say you Tityrus, shall we refer it to Venus. I am content, because she is a Goddess. Neptune you will not dislike it. Not I. Nor you Diana. Not I. Cupid shall not. I will not. Then let us depart, neither of them shall know whose lot it shall be till they come to the church-door. One shall be, doth it suffice? And satisfy us both, doth it not Galathea? Yes Phillida. Come Robin, I am glad I have met with thee, for now we will make our Father laugh at these tales. What are these that so malapertly thrust themselves into our companies? Forsooth madam we are fortune tellers. Fortune tellers; tell me my fortune. We do not mean fortune tellers, we mean fortune tellers: we can tell what fortune we have had these twelve months in the Woods. Let them alone, they be but peevish. Yet they will be as good as Minstrels at the marriage, to make us all merry. I Ladies we bear a very good Consort, Can you sing? Basely. And you? Meanly. And what can you do? If they double it, I will treble it. Then shall ye go with us, and sing Hymen before the marriage. Are you content? Content? never better content, for there we shall be sure to fill our bellies with Capons rumps, or some such dainty dishes. Then follow us. GO all, 'tis I only that conclude all. You Ladies may see, that Venus can make constancy fickleness, courage cowardice, modesty lightness, working things impossible in your Sex, and tempering hardest heart's like softest wool. Yield Ladies, yield to love Ladies, which lurketh under your eyelids whilst you sleep, and playeth with your heart strings whilst you wake: whose sweetness never breedeth satiety, labour weariness, nor grief bitterness. Cupid was begotten in a mist, nursed in Clouds, and sucking only upon conceits. Confess him a Conqueror, whom ye ought to regard, sith it is unpossible to resist, for this is infallible, that Love conquereth all things but itself, and Ladies all hearts but their own.
nodes 452–492 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 27 of 27 in this edition
Length
508 words · 681 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T21 — Cupid, Venus and the nymphscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.862 (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)
What is to Loue or the Mistrisse of loue vnpossible? Was it not Venus that did the like to Iphis and Iauthes; howe say yee are ye agreed, one to bee a boy presently? I am content, so I may imbrace Gallathea. I wish it, so I may enioy Phillida. Soft Daughter, you must know whether I will haue you a Sonne. Take mee with you Gallathea, I will keepe you as I begatte you, a Daughter. Tyterus, let yours be a boy and if you will, mine shall not. Nay mine shall not, for by that meanes my young sonne shall lose his inheritance. Why then gette him to be made a Maiden and then there is nothing lost. If there bee such changing, I woulde Venus could make my wife a Man. Why? Because shee loues alwaies to play with men. Well you are both fonde, therefore agree to thys changing, or suffer your Daughters to endure harde chaunce. Howe say you Tyterus, shall wee referre it to Venus. I am content, because she is a Goddesse. Neptune you will not dislike it. Not I. Nor you Diana. Not I. Cupid shall not. I will not. Then let vs depart, neither of them shall know whose lot it shal be til they come to the Churchdore. One shall be, doth it suffise? And satis-fie vs both, dooth it not Gallathea? Yes Phillida. Come Robin, I am gladde I haue mette with thee, for nowe wee will make our Father laugh at these tales. What are these that so malepartlie thrust themselues into our companies? Forsooth Madame we are fortune tellers. Fortune tellers; tell me my fortune. We doe not meane fortune tellers, we meane fortune tellers: we can tell what fortune wee haue had these twelue monthes in the Woods. Let them alone, they be but peeuish. Yet they will be as good as Minstrils at the marriage, to make vs all merrie. I Ladies we beare a very good Consort, Can you sing? Baselie. And you? Meanely. And what can you doe? If they duble it, I will treble it. Then shall yee goe with vs, and sing Hymen before the marriage. Are you content? Content? neuer better content, for there we shall be sure to fill our bellies with Capons rumpes, or some such daintie dishes. Then follow vs. GOE all, tis I onely that conclude al. You Ladies may see, that Venus can make constancie ficklenes, courage cowardice, modestie lightnesse, working things impossible in your Sexe, and tempering hardest harts like softest wooll. Yeelde Ladies, yeeld to loue Ladies, which lurketh vnder your eye-lids whilst you sleepe, and plaieth with your hart strings whilst you wake: whose sweetnes neuer breedeth satietie, labour wearinesse, nor greefe bitternesse. Cupid was begotten in a miste, nursed in Clowdes, and sucking onelie vpon conceits. Confesse him a Conquerer, whom yee ought to regarde, sith it is vnpossible to resist, for this is infallible, that Loue conquereth all things but it selfe, and Ladies all harts but their owne.