The Royal Entertainment at Sudeley Castle · chunk 1 of 2
Anonymous · published 1592 · first performed or written 1592 [Sep 10; Sep 11] (Annals) entertainment; royal entertainment or entry · before the Court T22 Shepherds, flocks and Pan typicality 0.75 · 595 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T22: shepherd, pan, shepherds, love, sheep, flocks, fair, shepherdess, swain, away.
MAy it please your highnes, this is the great Constable and commandadore of Cotsholde, he speaks no language, but the Rammish tongue, such sheepishe gouernours there are, that can say no more to a messenger then he, (Bea), this therfore, as signifying his duty to your majesty, and al our desires, I am commanded to be his interpreter, or shepherds star, pointing directly to Cotshold, and in Cotshold, to Sudley, made us expect some wonder, and of the eldest, ask some counsel, it was resolved by the ancientst, that such a one should come, by whom all the shepherds should haue their flocks in safety, & their own lives, all the country quietness, & the whole world astonishment: our Constable commands this day to be kept holiday, all our shepherds are assembled, and if shepherds pastimes may please, how joyful would they be if it would please you to see them; which if you vouchsafe not, as pastimes too mean for your majesty, they mean to call this day the shepherds black day; in all humility we entreat, that you would cast an eye to their rude devices, and an ear to their harsh words, and if nothing happen to be pleasing, the amends is, nothing shal be tedious. CVT the Cake, who hath the bean; shal be King, and where the peaze is, shee shalbe queen. I haue the peaze, and must be queen. I the bean and King, I must cammaunde. Not so, the queen, shall and must command, for I haue often heard of a King that could not command his subiects, and of a queen that hath commanded Kings. I yield, yet is it within compass of my authority to ask questions and first I will begin with you in love, I mean shepherds love, for I will not meddle with Gentlefolkes love, which is most constant, the man or the woman? It is no question, no more then if you should ask whether on a steep hill, a square ston, or a globe stood most steady. Both loving, which is most loving? The woman if she haue her right, the man, if he be his own judge. Why doth the man ever woe the woman, the woman never the man? Because men are most amorous and least chased, women careless of fonde affections, and when they embrace them, fearful. But unless your questions were writer, I command you to silence. You sirra, that sit as though your wits were a woole-gathering will you haue a question, or a commandment? No question of a queen, for they are hard to be answered, but any commandment, for that must be obeied. Then sing, and you sir, a question, or commandment? A commandment I, and glad that I am? Then play: I haue played so long with my fingers that I haue beaten out of play al my good fortunes herbs, words, and stones, all maladies haue cured, herbs, words, and stones, I used when I loved, herbs smells, words, wind, stones hardness haue procured, By stones, nor words, nor herbs her mind was moved; I asked the cause, this was a womans reason, 'mongst herbs are weeds, and thereby are refused, deceit, as well as truth speaks words in season, False stones by foils haue many one abused, I sight, and then shee said my fancy smoked, I gazed, shee said my looks were follies glancing, I sounded deade, shee said my love was choked, I started up, shee said my thoughts were dancing, O sacred love if thou haue any Godhead,
nodes 0–28 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 1 of 2 in this edition
Length
595 words · 820 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T22 — Shepherds, flocks and Pancross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.750 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T24 · seed 44: T25 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
MAy it pleaſe your highnes, this is the great Conſtable and commandadore of Cotſholde, he ſpeaks no language, but the Rammiſh tongue, ſuch ſheepiſhe gouernours there are, that can ſay no more to a meſsenger then he, (Bea), this therfore, as ſignifying his duety to your Maieſtye, and al our deſires, I am commanded to be his interpreter, or ſhepheards ſtarre, pointing directly to Cotſhold, and in Cotſhold, to Sudley, made vs expect ſome wonder, and of the eldeſt, aske ſome counſel, it was reſolued by the ancientſt, that ſuch a one ſhould come, by whome all the ſhepheards ſhould haue their flocks in ſafety, & their own liues, all the coūtry quietnes, & the whole world aſtoniſhment: our Conſtable commaunds this day to be kept holliday, all our ſhepheards are aſſembled, and if ſhepheards paſtimes may pleaſe, how ioyful would they be if it would pleaſe you to ſee them; which if you vouchſafe not, as paſtimes too meane for your Maieſtie, they meane to call this day the ſhepheards blacke day; in all humilitie we entreat, that you would caſt an eie to their rude deuices, and an eare to their harſhe wordes, and if nothing happen to be pleaſing, the amends is, nothing ſhal be tedious. CVT the Cake, who hath the beane; ſhalbe King, and where the peaze is, ſhee ſhalbe Queene. I haue the peaze, and muſt be Queene. I the beane and King, I muſt cammaunde. Not ſo, the Queene, ſhall and muſt commaunde, for I haue often heard of a King that coulde not commaunde his ſubiects, and of a Queene that hath commaunded Kings. I yeeld, yet is it within compaſſe of my authoritie to aske queſtions and firſt I will beginne with you in loue, I meane Shepheardes loue, for I will not meddle with Gentlefolkes loue, which is moſt conſtant, the man or the woman? It is no queſtion, no more then if you ſhould aske whether on a ſteepe hill, a ſquare ſtone, or a globe ſtoode moſt ſteddye. Both louing, which is moſt louing? The woman if ſhe haue her right, the man, if he be his owne Iudge. Why doth the man euer vvoe the vvoman, the woman neuer the man? Becauſe men are moſt amorous and leaſt chaſte, women careleſſe of fonde affections, and vvhen they embrace them, fearefull. But vnleſſe your queſtions were vviſer, I commaunde you to ſilence. You ſirra, that ſit as though your wits were a vvoole-gathering vvill you haue a queſtion, or a commaundement? No queſtion of a Queene, for they are harde to be anſwered, but anie commaundement, for that muſt be obeyed. Then ſing, and you ſir, a queſtion, or commaundment? A commaundment I, and glad that I am? Then play: I haue plaide ſo long with my fingers that I haue beaten out of play al my good fortunes HEarbes, wordes, and ſtones, all maladies haue cured, Hearbes, wordes, and ſtones, I vſed when I loued, Hearbes ſmels, words, winde, ſtones hardnes haue procured, By ſtones, nor wordes, nor hearbes her minde was moued; I askt the cauſe, this was a womans reaſon, Mongſt hearbes are weedes, and thereby are refuſed, Deceite, as well as truth ſpeakes wordes in ſeaſon, Falſe ſtones by foiles haue many one abuſed, I ſight, and then ſhee ſaide my fancie ſmoaked, I gaz'd, ſhee ſaide my lookes were follies glauncing, I ſounded deade, ſhee ſaide my loue was choaked, I ſtarted vp, ſhee ſaide my thoughtes were dauncing, O ſacred loue if thou haue any Godhead,