Anonymous · published 1592 · first performed or written 1592 [Sep 28; Oct 1; Oct 2] (Annals) entertainment; royal entertainment or entry · before the Court unassigned nearest T48 Addressing a lady: love, desire and inti · 515 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T48: lady, love, heart, fair, eyes, la, lord, tears, fie, face.
MY duty remembered, The enemy of late hath made many braueadoes, even to the gates of Ostend, but the success was onely a flourish. myself walking on the Ramparts, to over see the Sentenels, descried a pink, of whom I inquired, where the Court was, he said he knew not, but that the 28. of September, her majesty would be at Rycort. I was ouer-ioyed, & in making hast to remember my duty, I had almost forgot it, for I was shipping myself for England, with this Skipper, but to come without leave, might be to return without welcome. To signify that my hart is there, I most humbly entreat, that this Key may be presented, the Key of Ostende, & Ostend the Key of Flaunders, the wards are made of true harts, treachery cannot counterfeit the Key, nor treason herself pick the lock. None shal turn it, but whom her majesty commands, none can. For myself, I can but wish, all happiness to her highnes, & any occasion, that what my tongue delivers, my blood may seal, the end of my service, that in her service, my life may end. FAire Lady and sweet Mistris, I seldom writ, because I writ not well, if I speak, you say I chatter, because I speak so fast, & when I am silent, you think me careless. You say love cannot be in soldiers, I swear it is, only this the difference, that we prove it by the sword, others, by their sonnets theirs ink, black for cold, ours blood, red for heat. often haue you told me, that I know not what love is, & often haue I told you, that this it is, that which makes the head ache, and the hart to; the eyes jealous, and the ears to, the liver black, & the Splen to, the veins shrink & the purse to. Wit is but loues wire drawer, making of a short passion an endless persuasion, yet no more mettall. You object, that I haue many Mistrisses, I answer, you haue ten times as many seruants, and if you should pick a quarrel, why should not I bring my Mistresses into the field against your seruants? But inconstancy is a souldiers scar, it is true, but the wound came by constancy; what a patient virtue is staidnes? like a nail in a door, rusty, because never removed, I cannot be so superstitious as these nice louers, who make the pax of their mistris hands, tis flat popery. I would not purchase love in fee simplo, a lease of two years to me were tedious. I mean not, to haue my tongue ringed at my Mistris ear like a jewel, always whispering of love, I am no earewigg, nor can I endure still to gaze on her face, as though my eyes were bodkins to stick in her hair. Let me haue my love answered, and you shall find me faithful, in which if you make delays, I cannot be patient, the wind calls me away, and with the wind, away shall my affections.
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)
MY duety remēbred, The enemy of late hath made many braueadoes, euen to the gates of Oſtend, but the ſucceſſe was onely a floriſh. My ſelfe walking on the Rāparts, to ouer ſee the Sentenels, deſcryed a pink, of whome I enquired, where the Court was, hee ſaide hee knew not, but that the 28. of Septēber, her Maieſty would be at Rycort. I was ouer-ioyed, & in making haſte to remē ber my duety, I had almoſt forgot it, for I was ſhipping my ſelfe for England, with this Skipper, but to come without leaue, might be to returne without welcōe. To ſignifie that my hart is there, I moſt humbly entreat, that this Key may be preſēted, the Key of Oſtende, & Oſtend the Key of Flaunders, the wards are made of true harts, trechery canot counterfeit the Key, nor treaſon her ſelfe picke the locke. None ſhal turne it, but whō her Maieſty cōmands, none can. For my ſelfe, I can but wiſh, all happines to her highnes, & any occaſiō, that what my toung deliuers, my bloud may ſeale, the end of my ſeruice, that in her ſeruice, my life may end. FAire Lady and ſweete Miſtris, I ſeldome write, becauſe I write not well, if I ſpeake, you ſay I chatter, becauſe I ſpeake ſo faſt, & when I am ſilent, you thinke me careleſſe. You ſay loue cannot be in ſoldiers, I ſweare it is, only this the differēce, that we proue it by the ſword, others, by their Sonets theirs inke, blacke for colde, ours bloud, redde for heate. Oftē haue you tolde me, that I know not what loue is, & oftē haue I tolde you, that this it is, that which makes the head ake, and the hart to; the eies ielous, and the eares to, the liuer blacke, & the Splen to, the vaines ſhrinke & the purſe to. Wit is but loues wier drawer, making of a ſhort paſſion an endleſſe perſwaſion, yet no more mettall. You obiect, that I haue many Miſtriſſes, I anſwere, you haue ten times as many ſeruants, and if you ſhould picke a quarrel, why ſhould not I bring my Miſtreſſes into the field againſt your ſeruants? But inconſtancy is a ſouldiers ſcarre, it is true, but the wound came by conſtancie; what a patient vertue is ſtaidnes? like a nail in a dore, ruſty, becauſe neuer remoued, I cannot be ſo ſuperſtitious as theſe nice louers, who make the pax of their miſtris hāds, tis flat popery. I would not purchaſe loue in fee ſimple, a leaſe of two years to me were tedious. I meane not, to haue my tongue ringed at my Miſtris eare like a Iewel, alwaies whiſpering of loue, I am no earewigg, nor can I endure ſtill to gaze on her face, as though my eies were bodkins to ſticke in her haire. Let me haue my loue anſwered, and you ſhall finde me faithfull, in which if you make delaies, I cannot be patient, the winde calls me away, and with the winde, awaie ſhall my affections.