Lyly, John · published 1601 · first performed or written 1590 [c.1588-1590] (Annals) pastoral; comedy · Children of Paul's (first) T21 Cupid, Venus and the nymphs typicality 0.80 · 508 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T21: cupid, venus, love, ceres, diana, fair, nymphs, goddess, bow, damon.
Monster of men, hate of the heavens, and to the earth a burden, what hath chaste Fidelia committed? It is thy spite, Cupid, that having no power to wound my unsported mind, procurest means to mangle my tender body, and by violence to gash those sides, that enclose a heart dedicate to virtue: or is it that savage satire, that feeding his sensual appetite upon lust, seeketh now to quench it with blood, that being without hope to attain my love, he may with cruelty end my life? Or doth Ceres, whose nymph I have been many years, in recompense of my inviolable faith, reward me with unspeakable torments? Divine Phoebus that pursued Daphne till she was turned to a Bay tree, ceased then to trouble her. ay, the gods are pitiful; and Cineras, that with fury followed his daughter Miretia, till she was changed to a myrrh-tree, left then to prosecute her; yea parents are natural: Phoebus lamented the loss of his friend, Cineras of his child: but both gods, and men either forget or neglect the change of Fidelia; nay follow her after her change, to make her more miserable: so that there is nothing more hateful than to be chaste, whole bodies are followed in the world with lust, and prosecuted in the graves with tyranny. Whose minds the freer they are from vice, their bodies are in the more danger of mischief; so that they are not safe when they live, because of men's love; nor being changed, because of their hates; nor being dead, because of their defaming. What is that chastity which so few women study to keep, and both gods and men seek to violate? If only a naked name, why are we so superstitious of a hollow found? If a rare virtue, why are men so careless of such an exceeding rareness: Go, Ladies, tell Ceres I am that Fidelia, that so long knit Garlands in her honour, and chased with a Satire, by prayer to the gods became turned to a tree, whose body now is grown over with rough bark, and whose golden locks are covered with green leaves; yet where mind nothing can alter, neither the fear of death, nor the torments. If Ceres seek no revenge, then let virginity be not only the scorn of Savage people, but the spoil. But alas, I feel my last blood to come, & therefore must end my last breath. Farewell Ladies, whose lives are subject to many mischiefs; for if you be fair, it is hard to be chaste; if chaste, impossible to be safe; if you be young, you will quickly bend; if bend, you are suddenly broken. If you be soul, you shall seldom be flattered: if you be not flattered, you will ever be sorrowful. Beauty is a firm fickleness, youth a feeble staidness, deformity a continual sadness. Thou monster, canst thou hear this without grief? Yea, and double your griefs with my blows. Ah poor Fidelia, the express pattern of chastity, and example of misfortune.
nodes 42–45 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 4 of 21 in this edition
Length
508 words · 680 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T21 — Cupid, Venus and the nymphscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.800 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T21 · seed 44: T24 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Monster of men, hate of the heauens, and to the earth a burthen, what hath chast Fidelia committed? It is thy spite, Cupid, that hauing no power to wound my vnsported mind, procurest meanes to mangle my tender body, and by violēce to gash those sides, that enclose a heart dedicate to vertue: or is it that sauage satire, that feeding his sensuall appetite vpon lust, seeketh now to quench it with bloud, that being without hope to attaine my loue, hee may with cruelty end my life? Or doth Ceres, whose nymph I haue beene many yeares, in recompence of my inuiolable saith, reward me with vnspeakable torments? Diuine Phoebus that pursued Daphne till shee was turned to a Bay tree, ceased then to trouble her. I, the gods are pittifull; and Cineras, that with furie followed his daughter Miretia, till shee was chaunged to a Mirretree, left then to prosecute her; yea parents are naturall: Phoebus lamented the losse of his friend, Cineras of his child: but both gods, and men either forget or neglect the chaunge of Fidelia; nay follow her after her chaunge, to make her more miserable: so that there is nothing more hatefull then to be chast, whole bodies are followed in the world with lust, and prosecuted in the graues with tyrannie. Whose minds the freer they are from vice, their bodies are in the more daunger of mischiefe; so that they are not safe when they liue, because of mens loue; nor being chaunged, because of their hates; nor being dead, because of their defaming. What is that chastitie which so few women study to keep, and both gods and men seeke to violate? If onely a naked name, why are we so supersticious of a hollow found? If a rare vertue, why are men so carelesse of such an exceeding rarenesse: Goe, Ladies, tell Ceres I am that Fidelia, that so long knit Garlands in her honour, and chased with a Satyre, by praier to the gods became turned to a tree, whole body now is growne ouer with rough barke, and whose golden lockes are couered with greene leaues; yet where nd nothing can alter, neither the feare of death, nor the torments. If Ceres seeke no reuenge, then let virginitie be not only the scorne of Sauage people, but the spoyle. But alas, I feele my last bloud to come, & therfore must end my last breath. Farewel Ladies, whose liues are subiect to many mischieues; for if you be faire, it is hard to be chast; if chast, impossible to be safe; if you be young, you will quickly bend; if bend, you are suddenly broken. If you be soule, you shall seldome be flattered: if you be not flattered, you will euer bee sorrowfull. Beautie is a firme sicklenes, youth a feeble staiednesse, deformitie a continuall sadnesse. Thou monster, canst thou heare this without griefe? Yea, and double your griefes with my blowes. Ah poore Fidelia, the expresse patterne of chastitie, and example of misfortune.