Shakespeare, William · published 1623 · 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 · 489 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T4: love, heart, sweet, loves, fair, phillis, eyes, beauty, amyntas, lovers.
For aught that ever I could read, Can ever hear 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 merit. O hell! to choose love by another's eye. Or if there were a sympathy in choice, War, death, or sickness, did lay siege to it; Making it momentary, 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 due 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 revennew, and she hath no child, From Athens is her house removed 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 Cannot pursue us. If thou lov'st me, then Steal forth thy father's house to morrow night: And in the wood, a league without the town, (Where I did meet thee once with Helena, To do observance for 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 love, And by that fire which burned 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 you fair: O happy fair! Your eyes are loadstarres, and your tongues sweet air More tuneable than Lark to shepherd's 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 hart.
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)
For ought that euer I could reade, Could euer heare by tale or hiſtorie, The courſe of true loue neuer did run ſmooth, But either it was different in blood. O croſſe! too high to be enthral'd to loue. Or elſe miſgraffed, in reſpect of yeares. O ſpight! too old to be ingag'd to yong. Or elſe it ſtood vpon the choiſe of merit. O hell! to chooſe loue by anothers eie. Or if there were a ſimpathie in choiſe, Warre, death, or ſickneſſe, did lay ſiege to it; Making it momentarie, as a ſound: Swift as a ſhadow, 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, behold, The iawes of darkneſſe do deuoure it vp: So quicke bright things come to confuſion. If then true Louers haue beene euer croſt, It ſtands as an edict in deſtinie: Then let vs teach our triall patience, Becauſe it is a cuſtomarie croſſe, As due to loue, as thoughts, and dreames, and ſighes, Wiſhes and teares; poore Fancies followers. A good perſwaſion; therefore heare me Hermia, I haue a Widdow Aunt, a dowager, Of great reuennew, and ſhe hath o childe, From Athens is her houſe remou ſeuen leagues, And ſhe reſpects me, as her onely ſonne: There gentle Hermia, may I marrie thee, And to that place, the ſharpe Athenian Law Cannot purſue vs. If thou lou'ſt me, then Steale forth thy fathers houſe to morrow night: And in the wood, a league without the towne, (Where I did meete thee once with Helena, To do obſeruance for a morne of May) There will I ſtay for thee. My good Lyſander, I ſweare to thee, by Cupids ſtrongeſt bow, By his beſt arrow with the golden head, By the ſimplicitie of Venus Doues, By that which knitteth ſoules, and proſpers loue, And by that fire which burn'd the Carthage Queene, When the falſe Troyan 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 me, To morrow truly will I meete with thee. Keepe promiſe loue: looke here comes Helena. God ſpeede faire Helena, whither away? Cal you me faire? that faire againe vnſay, Demetrius loues you faire: O happie faire! Your eyes are loadſtarres, and your tongues ſweet ayre More tuneable then Larke to ſhepheards eare, When wheate is greene, when hauthorne buds appeare, Sickneſſe is catching: O were fauor ſo, Your words I catch, faire Hermia ere I go, My eare ſhould catch your voice, my eye, your eye, My tongue ſhould catch your tongues ſweet melodie, Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated, The reſt Ile giue to be to you tranſlated. O teach me how you looke, and with what art you ſway the motion of Demetrius hart.