Anonymous · published 1592 · first performed or written 1592 [c.1589-1592] (Annals) tragedy · Unknown unassigned nearest T4 Love-longing and the lover's complaint · 514 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T4: love, heart, sweet, loves, fair, phillis, eyes, beauty, amyntas, lovers.
WHat, Death and Fortune cross the way of Love? Why, what is Love, but Fortune's tennis-ball? Nay, what are you both, but subjects unto Death? And I command you to forbear this place: For here the mouth of sad Melpomene, Is wholly bent to tragedy's discourse; And what are Tragedies but acts of death? Here means the wrathful muse in seas of tears, And loud laments to tell a dismal tale: A tale wherein she lately hath bestowed, The husky humour of her bloody quill, And now for tables takes her to her tongue. Why thinks Death, Love knows not the history? Of brave Erastus and his Rhodian dame: 'twas I that made their hearts consent to love, And therefore come I now as fittest person, To serve for chorus to this Tragedy. Had not I been, they had not died so soon. Had I not been, they had not died so soon. Nay then it seems you both do miss the mark, Did not I change long love to sudden hate? And then rechange their hatred into love: And then from love deliver them to death? Fortune is chorus. Love and death be gone. I tell thee Fortune, and thee wanton Love, I will not down to everlasting night, Till I have moralized this Tragedy, Whose chiefest actor was my sable dart. Nor will I up into the brightsome sphere, From whence I sprung, till in the chorus place, I make it known to you and to the world, What interest Love hath in Tragedies. Nay then though Fortune have delight in change, I'll stay my flight, and cease to turn my wheel, Till I have shown by demonstration, What interest I have in a Tragedy. Tush, Fortune can do more than Love or Death. Why stay we then, let's give the Actors leave. And as occasion serves, make our return. Why when Perseda wilt thou not assure me? But shall I like a mastless ship at sea, Go every way and not the way I would: My love hath lasted from mine infancy, And still increased as I grew myself, When did Perseda pastime in the streets, But her Erastus overeyed her sport: When didst thou with thy sampler in the Sun, Sit sowing with thy feres, but I was by Marking thy lily hands dexterity: Comparing it to twenty gracious things. When didst thou sing a note that I could hear, But I have framed a ditty to the tune, Figuring Perseda twenty kind of ways. When didst thou go to Church on holidays, But I have waited on thee to and fro: Marking my times as Falcons watch their flight. When I have missed thee how have I lamented, As if my thoughts had been assured true. Thus in my youth, now since I grew a man, I have persevered to let thee know, The meaning of my true heart's constancy: Then be not nice Perseda as women wont, To hasty lovers whose fancy soon is fled: My love is of a long continuance, And merits not a stranger's recompense.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
WHat, Death and Fortune crosse the way of Loue? Why, what is Loue, but Fortunes tenis-ball? Nay, what are you both, but subiects vnto Death? And I commaund you to forbeare this place: For heere the mouth of sad Melpomene, Is wholy bent to tragedies discourse; And what are Tragedies but acts of death? Here meanes the wrathfull muse in seas of teares, And lowd laments to tell a dismall tale: A tale wherein she lately hath bestowed, The huskie humour of her bloudy quill, And now for tables takes her to her tung. Why thinkes Death, Loue knowes not the historie? Of braue Erastus and his Rodian dame: Twas I that made their harts consent to loue, And therefore come I now as fittest person, To serue for chorus to this Tragedie. Had not I beene, they had not dyed so soone. Had I not beene, they had not dyed so soone. Nay then it seemes you both doo misse the marke, Did not I change long loue to sudden hate? And then rechange their hatred into loue: And then from loue deliuer them to death? Fortune is chorus. Loue and death be gone. I tell thee Fortune, and thee wanton Loue, I will not downe to euerlasting night, Till I haue moralliz'd this Tragedy, Whose cheefest actor was my sable dart. Nor will I vp into the brightsome sphere, From whence I sprung, till in the chorus place, I make it knowne to you and to the world, What interest Loue hath in Tragedies. Nay then though Fortune haue delight in change, Ile stay my flight, and cease to turne my wheele, Till I haue showne by demonstration, What intrest I haue in a Tragedie. Tush, Fortune can doo more then Loue or Death. Why stay we then, lets giue the Actors leaue. And as occasion serues, make our returne. Why when Perseda wilt thou not assure me? But shall I like a mastlesse ship at sea, Goe euery way and not the way I would: My loue hath lasted from mine infancie, And still increased as I grew my selfe, When did Perseda pastime in the streetes, But her Erastus ouer-eied her sporte: When didst thou with thy sampler in the Sunne, Sit sowing with thy feres, but I was by Marking thy lilly hands dexteritie: Comparing it to twenty gratious things. When didst thou sing a note that I could heare, But I haue framde a dittie to the tune, Figuring Perseda twenty kinde of waies. When didst thou goe to Church on hollidaies, But I haue waited on thee too and fro: Marking my times as Faulcons watch their flight. When I haue mist thee how haue I lamented, As if my thoughts had bene assured true. Thus in my youth, now since I grew a man, I haue perseuered to let thee know, The meaning of my true harts constancie: Then be not nice Perseda as women woont, To hasty louers whose fancy soone is fled: My loue is of a long continuance, And merites not a strangers recompence.