Shakespeare, William · published 1600 · first performed or written 1596 [1594-1596] (Annals) comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men unassigned nearest T4 Love-longing and the lover's complaint · 508 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T4: love, heart, sweet, loves, fair, phillis, eyes, beauty, amyntas, lovers.
My Lord, fair Helen told me of their stealth, Of this their purpose hither, to this wood, And I in fury hither followed them; Fair Helena, in fancy following me. But my good Lord, I wot not by what power (But by some power it is) my love, To Hermia (melted as the snow) Seems to me now as the remembrance of an idle gaude, Which in my childhood I did dote upon: And all the faith, the virtue of my heart, The object and the pleasure of mine eye, Is only Helena. To her, my Lord, Was I betrothed, ere I see Hermia: But, like a sickness, did I loath this food. But, as in health, come to my natural taste, Now I do wish it, love it, long for it, And will for evermore be true to it. Fair lovers, you are fortunately met, Of this discourse, we more will here anon▪ I will overbear your will: For in the Temple, by and by, with us, These couples shall eternally be knit. And, for the morning now is something worn, Our purposed hunting shall be set aside. Away, with us, to Athens. Three and three, we'll hold a feast, in great solemnity. Come Hyppolita. These things seem small and undistinguishable, Like far off mountains turned into clouds. Me thinks I see these things, with parted eye, When every thing seems double. So me thinks: And I have fond Demetrius, like a jewel, Mine own, and not mine own. Are you sure That we are awake? It seems to me, That yet we sleep, we dream. Do not you think, The Duke was here, and bid us follow him? Yea, and my father. And Hyppolita. And he did bid us follow to the Temple. Why then, we are awake: let's follow him, and by the way let's recount our dreams. When my cue comes, call me, and I will answer. My next is, most fair Pyramus. hay ho. Peter Quince? Flute, the bellows mender? Snout the tinker? Starveling? God's my life! Stolen hence, and left me a sleep? I have had a most rare vision. I have had a dream, past the wit of man, to say; what dream it was. Man is but an Ass, if he go about expound this dream. Me thought I was, there is no man can tell what. Me thought I was, and me thought I had. But man is but patched a fool, If he will offer to say, what me thought I had. The eye of man hath not heard, the ear of man hath not seen, mans hand is not able to taste, his tongue to conceive, nor his heart to report, what my dream was, I will get Peter Quince to write a Ballet of this dream: it shall be called Bottoms Dream; because it hath no bottom: and I will sing it in the latter end of a Play, before the Duke. Peradventure, to make it the more gracious, I shall sing it at her death.
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 Lord, faire Helen told me of their stealth, Of this their purpose hither, to this wood, And I in fury hither followed them; Faire Helena, in fancy following mee. But my good Lord, I wote not by what power (But by some power it is) my loue, To Hermia (melted as the snowe) Seemes to me now as the remembrance of an idle gaude, Which in my childehoode I did dote vpon: And all the faith, the vertue of my heart, The obiect and the pleasure of mine eye, Is onely Helena. To her, my Lord, Was I betrothed, ere I see Hermia: But, like a sicknesse, did I loath this foode. But, as in health, come to my naturall taste, Now I doe wish it, loue it, long for it, And will for euermore be true to it. Faire louers, you are fortunately met, Of this discourse, we more will here anon▪ I will ouerbeare your will: For in the Temple, by and by, with vs, These couples shall eternally be knit. And, for the morning now is somthing worne, Our purpos'd hunting shall be set aside. Away, with vs, to Athens. Three and three, Weele holde a feast, in great solemnitie. Come Hyppolita. These things seeme small and vndistinguishable, Like farre off mountaines turned into clouds. Me thinks I see these things, with parted eye, When euery thing seemes double. So mee thinkes: And I haue fonnd Demetrius, like a iewell, Mine owne, and not mine owne. Are you sure That we are awake? It seemes to me, That yet we sleepe, we dreame. Do not you thinke, The Duke was here, and bid vs follow him? Yea, and my father. And Hyppolita. And he did bid vs follow to the Temple. Why then, we are awake: lets follow him, and by the way lets recount our dreames. When my cue comes, call mee, and I will answere. My next is, most faire Pyramus. Hey ho. Peeter Quince? Flute, the bellowes mender? Snout the tinker? Starueling? Gods my life! Stolne hence, and left mee a sleepe? I haue had a most rare vision. I haue had a dreame, past the wit of man, to say; what dreame it was. Man is but an Asse, if hee goe about expound this dreame. Me thought I was, there is no man can tell what. Me thought I was, and me thought I had. But man is but patcht a foole, If hee will offer to say, what mee thought I had. The eye of man hath not heard, the eare of man hath not seene, ns hand is not able to taste, his tongue to conceiue, nor his hearte to report, what my dreame was, I will get Peter Quince to write a Ballet of this dreame: it shall be call'd Bottoms Dreame; because it hath no bottome: and I will sing it in the latter end of a Play, before the Duke. Peraduenture, to make it the more gratious, I shall sing it at her death.