Shakespeare, William · published 1600 · first performed or written 1596 [1594-1596] (Annals) comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men T4 Love-longing and the lover's complaint typicality 0.79 · 491 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T4: love, heart, sweet, loves, fair, phillis, eyes, beauty, amyntas, lovers.
Eigh me: for aught that I could ever read, Can ever here by tale or history, The course of true love never did run smooth: But either it was different in blood; O cross! too high to be enthralled to love. Or else misgraffed, in respect of years; O spite! too old to be engaged to young. Or else, it stood upon the choice of friends; O hell, to choose love by another's eyes! Or, if there were a sympathy in choice, War, death or sickness, did lay siege to it; Making it momentany, as a sound; Swift, as a shadow; short, as any dream; Brief, as the lightning in the collied night, That (in a spleen) unfolds both heaven and earth; And, ere a man hath power to say, behold, The jaws of darkness do devour it up: So quick bright things come to confusion. If then true lovers have been ever crossed. It stands as an edict, in destiny: Then let us teach our trial patience: Because it is a customary cross, As dew to love, as thoughts, and dreams, and sighs, Wishes, and tears; poor Fancies followers. A good persuasion: therefore hear me, Hermia: I have a widow aunt, a dowager, Of great revenue, and she hath no child▪ From Athens is her house remote, seven leagues▪ And she respects me, as her only son: There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee: And to that place, the sharp Athenian law Can not pursue us. If thou lovest me, then Steal forth thy father's house, tomorrow night: And in the wood, a league without the town (Where I did meet thee once with Helena To do observance to a morn of May) There will I stay for thee. My good Lysander, I swear to thee, by Cupid's strongest bow, By his best arrow, with the golden head, By the simplicity of Venus' doves, By that which knitteth souls, and prospers loves, And by that fire, which burnt the Carthage queen, When the false Trojan under sail was seen, By all the vows that ever men have broke, (In number more than ever women spoke) In that same place thou hast appointed me, To morrow truly will I meet with thee. Keep promise love: look, here comes Helena. God speed fair Helena: whither away? Call you me fair? That fair again unsay. Demetrius loves your fair: o happy fair! Your eyes are loadstars, and your tongues sweet air More tunable than lark, to shepherds ear, When wheat is green, when hawthorn buds appear. Sickness is catching: O, were favour so, Your words I catch, fair Hermia, ere I go, My ear should catch your voice, my eye, your eye, My tongue should catch your tongues sweet melody. Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated, The rest i'll give to be to you translated. O, teach me how you look, and with what Art, You sway the motion of Demetrius heart.
seed 43: T2 · seed 44: T3 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Eigh me: for aught that I could euer reade, Could euer here by tale or history, The course of true loue neuer did runne smoothe: But either it was different in bloud; O crosse! too high to be inthrald to loue. Or else misgraffed, in respect of yeares; O spight! too olde to be ingag'd to young. Or else, it stoode vpon the choyce of friends; O hell, to choose loue by anothers eyes! Or, if there were a sympathy in choyce, Warre, death or sicknesse, did lay siege to it; Making it momentany, as a sound; Swift, as a shadowe; short, as any dreame; Briefe, as the lightning in the collied night, That (in a spleene) vnfolds both heauen and earth; And, ere a man hath power to say, beholde, The iawes of darkenesse do deuoure it vp: So quicke bright things come to confusion. If then true louers haue bin euer crost. It stands as an edict, in destiny: Then let vs teach our triall patience: Because it is a customary crosse, As dewe to loue, as thoughts, and dreames, and sighes, Wishes, and teares; poore Fancies followers. A good perswasion: therefore heare mee, Hermia: I haue a widowe aunt, a dowager, Of great reuenew, and she hath no childe▪ From Athens is her house remote, seauen leagues▪ And she respectes mee, as her only sonne: There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee: And to that place, the sharpe Athenian law Can not pursue vs. If thou louest mee, then Steale forth thy fathers house, tomorrow night: And in the wood, a league without the towne (Where I did meete thee once with Helena To do obseruance to a morne of May) There will I stay for thee. My good Lysander, I sweare to thee, by Cupids strongest bowe, By his best arrowe, with the golden heade, By the simplicitie of Venus doues, By that which knitteth soules, and prospers loues, And by that fire, which burnd the Carthage queene, When the false Troian vnder saile was seene, By all the vowes that euer men haue broke, (In number more then euer women spoke) In that same place thou hast appointed mee, To morrow truely will I meete with thee. Keepe promise loue: looke, here comes Helena. God speede faire Helena: wither away? Call you mee faire? That faire againe vnsay. Demetrius loues your faire: ô happy faire! Your eyes are loadstarres, and your tongues sweete aire More tunable then larke, to sheepeheards eare, When wheat is greene, when hauthorne buddes appeare. Sicknesse is catching: O, were fauour so, Your words I catch, faire Hermia, ere I goe, My eare should catch your voice, my eye, your eye, My tongue should catch your tongues sweete melody. Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated, The rest ile giue to be to you translated. O, teach mee how you looke, and with what Art, You sway the motion of Demetrius heart.