Lyly, John · published 1592 · first performed or written 1589 (Annals) comedy · Children of Paul's (first) · before the Court unassigned nearest T4 Love-longing and the lover's complaint · 539 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T4: love, heart, sweet, loves, fair, phillis, eyes, beauty, amyntas, lovers.
There dwelled sometimes in Phrygia, a Lady very fair, but passing froward, as much marveled at for beauty, as for peevishness misliked. high she was in the instep, but short in the heel; straight laced, but loose bodied. It came to pass, that a gentleman, as young in wit as years, and in years a very boy, chanced to glance his eyes on her, & there were they dazzled on her beauty, as larks that are caught in the Sun with the glittering of a glass. In her fair looks were his thoughts entangled, like the birds of Canarie, that fall into a silken net. Dote he did without measure, and die he must without her love. She on the other side, as one that knew her good, began to look askance, yet felt the passions of love eating into her heart, though she dissembled them with her eyes. Ha, ha, he. Why laughest thou? To see you (madam) so tame as to be brought to hear a tale of love, that before were so wild you would not come to the name; and that Amerula could devise how to spend the time with a tale, only that she might not talk of love, and now to make love only her tale. Indeed I was overshot in judgement, and she in discretion. Amerula, another tale or none, this is too lovely. Nay let me hear any woman tell a tale of x. lines long without it tend to love, & I will be bound never to come at the Court. And you Caelia that would fain trip on your pettitoes; can you persuade me to take delight to dance, & not love? or you that cannot rule your feet, can guide your affections, having the one as unstaid as the other unsteady: dancing is love sauce, therefore I dare be so saucy, as if you love to dance, to say you dance for love. But Camilla she will sing, whose voice if it should utter her thoughts, would make the tune of a heart out of tune. She that hath crotchets in her head, hath also love conceits. I dare swear she harpeth not only on plain song: & before you (Sophronia) none of them all use plain dealing; but because they see you so curious they frame themselves counterfeit. For myself, as I know honest love to be a thing inseparable from our sex, so do I think it most allowable in the Court; unless we would have all our thoughts made of Church-work, and so carry a holy face, and a hollow heart. Ladies, how like you Suavia in her loving vain? Wé are content at this time to soothe her in her vanity. she casts all our minds in the mould of her own head, and yet erreth as far from our meanings, as she doth from her own modesty. Amerula, if you were not bitter, your name had been ill bestowed: but I think it as lawful in the Court to be counted loving and chaste, as you in the Temple to seem religious, and be spiteful. I marvel you will reply any more Amerula, her tongue is so nimble it will never lie still.
seed 43: T2 · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
There dwelt somtimes in Phrygia, a Lady very fair, but passing froward, as much maruelled at for beutie, as for peeuishnes misliked. Hie she was in the instep, but short in the heele; strait laced, but loose bodied. It came to passe, that a gentleman, as yong in wit as yeres, and in yeres a very boy, chanced to glaunce his eies on her, & there were they dazeled on her beautie, as larkes that are caught in the Sunne with the glittering of a glasse. In her faire lookes were his thoughts intangled, like the birdes of Canarie, that fal into a silken net. Dote he did without measure, and die he must without her loue. She on the other side, as one that knew her good, began to look askaunce, yet felt the passions of loue eating into her heart, though shee dissembled them with her eyes. Ha, ha, he. Why laughest thou? To see you (Madame) so tame as to be brought to heare a tale of loue, that before were so wylde you would not come to the name; and that Amerula could deuise how to spend the time with a tale, onely that she might not talke of loue, and now to make loue onely her tale. Indeed I was ouershot in iudgement, and she in discretion. Amerula, another tale or none, this is too louely. Nay let me heare anie woman tell a tale of x. lines long without it tend to loue, & I wil be bound neuer to come at the Court. And you Caelia that would fain trip on your petitoes; can you perswade me totake delight to dance, & not loue? or you that cannot rule your feet, can guid your affections, hauing the one as vnstaid as the other vnsteadie: dauncing is loue sauce, therefore I dare be so sawcie, as if you loue to daunce, to say you daunce for loue. But Camilla she will sing, whose voice if it should vtter her thoughts, would make the tune of a hart out of tune. She that hath crochets in her head, hath also loue conceipts. I dare sweare she harpeth not onely on plaine song: & before you (Sophronia) none of them all vse plaine dealing; but because they see you so curious they frame themselues counterfet. For my selfe, as I knowe honest loue to bee a thing inseperable from our sex, so doo I thinke it most allowable in the Court; vnlesse we would haue all our thoughts made of Church-worke, and so carrie a holie face, and a hollow hart. Ladies, how like you Suauia in her louing vaine? Wé are content at this time to sooth her in her vanitie. Shee casts all our mindes in the mould of her owne head, and yet erreth as farre from our meanings, as she doth from her owne modestie. Amerula, if you were not bitter, your name had been ill bestowed: but I think it as lawfull in the Court to bee counted louing and chast, as you in the Temple to seeme religious, and be spitefull. I meruaile you will reply anie more Amerula, her toung is so nimble it will neuer lye still.