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 0.88 · 503 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T21: cupid, venus, love, ceres, diana, fair, nymphs, goddess, bow, damon.
Yes Madam: To let men see, they that contend with the gods, do but confound themselves. But let us to the Temple of Cupid, and offer sacrifice; they that think it strange for chastity to humble itself to Cupid, know neither the power of love, nor the nature of virginity: th'one having absolute authority to command, the other difficulty to resist: and where such continual war is between love and virtue, there must be some parties, and continual perils: Cupid was never conquered, and therefore must be flattered; Virginity hath, and therefore must be humble. Into my heart, Madam, there did never enter any motion of love. Those that often say, they cannot love, or will not love, certainly they love. Didst thou never see Cupid? No, but I have heard him described at the full, and as I imagined, foolishly. First that he should be a god blind and naked, with wings, with bow, with arrows, with free-brands; swimming sometimes in the Sea, & playing sometimes on the shore; with many other devices, which the Painters being the poet's Apes, have taken as great pains to shadow, as they to lie. Can I think that gods that command all things, would go naked? What should he do with wings that knows not where to slice? Or what with arrows, that sees not how to aim? The heart is a narrow marks go hit, and rather requireth Argus' eyes to take level, there a blind boy to shoot at random: If he were fire, the Sea would quench those coals, or the flame turn him into cinders. Well Nisa, thou shalt see him. I fear Niobe hath felt him. Not I, Madam, yet must I confess, that oftentimes I have had sweet thoughts, sometimes hard conceits, betwixt both a kind of yielding; I know not what. But certainly I think it is not love: sigh I can, and find ease in melancholy: smile I do and take pleasure in imagination, I feel in myself a pleasing pain, a chill heat, a delicate bitterness, how to term it I know not; without doubt it may be love, sure I am it is not hate. Niobe is tender hearted, whose thoughts are like water, yielding to every thing, and nothing to be seen. Well, let us to Cupid, and take heed that in your stubborness you'll offend him not, whom by entreaties you ought to follow Diana's Nymphs were as chaste as Ceres' virgins, as fair, as wife: how Cupid tormented them, I had rather you should hear then feel, but this is truth, they all yielded to love: look not scornfully, my Nymphs, I say they are yielded to love. This is the temple, thou great god Cupid, whom the God's regard and men reverence, let it be lawful for Ceres to offer her sacrifice. Divine Ceres, Cupid accepteth any thing, that cometh from Ceres, which feedeth my Sparrows with ripe corn, my Pigeons with wholesome seeds; and honourest my Temple with chaste virgins.
nodes 58–68 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 6 of 21 in this edition
Length
503 words · 676 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T21 — Cupid, Venus and the nymphscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.877 (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)
Yes Madam: To let men see, they that contend with the gods, doe but confound themselues. But let vs to the Temple of Cupid, and offer sacrifice; they that thinke it straunge for chastime to humble it selfe to Cupid, knowe neither the power of loue, nor te nature of virginitie: th'one hauing absolute authoritie to commaund, the other difficultie to resist: and where such continuall warre is betweene loue and vertue, there must bee some parties, and continuall perils: Cupid was neuer conquered, and therefore must bee flattered; Virginitie hath, and therefore must be humble. Into my heart, Madam, there did neuer enter any motion of loue. Those that often say, they cannot loue, or will not loue, certainely they loue. Didst thou neuer see Cupid? No, but I haue heard him described at the full, and as I imagined, foolishly. First that he should bee a god blind and naked, with wings, with bowe, with arrowes, with free-brands; swimming sometimes in the Sea, & playing sometimes on the shore; with many other deuices, which the Painters being the Poets Apes, haue taken as great paines to shaddow, as they to lie. Can I thinke that gods that commaund all things, would goe naked? What should he doe with wings that knowes not where to slice? Or what with arrowes, that sees not howe to ayme? The heart is a narrow marks go hit, and rather requireth Angus eyes to take leuel, ther a blind boy to shoote at randome: If he were fire, the Sea would quench those coles, or the flame turne him into cinders. Well Nisa, thou shalt see him. I feare Niobe hath felt him. Not I, Madam, yet must I confesse, that oftentimes I haue had sweete thoughts, sometimes hard conceites, betwixt both a kind of yeelding; I know not what. But certainely I thinke it is not loue: sigh I can, and ease in melancholly: smile I doe and take pleasure in imagination, I feele in my selfe a pleasing paine, a chill heate, a delicate bitternesse, how to terme it I know not; without doubt it may be loue, sure I am it is not hate. Niobe is tender hearted, whose thoughts are water, yeelding to euerie thing, and nothing to bee seene. Well, let vs to Cupid, and tak eede your stubbernesse yo'i offend him not, whome by entreaties you ought to follow Dianas Nymphes were as chat as Ceres virgines, as faire, as wife: how Cupid tormented them, I had rather you should heare then feele, but this is truth, they all yeelded to loue: looke not scornefully, my Nymphes, I say they are yeelded to loue. This is the temple, thou great god Cupid, whome the gods regard and men reuerence, let it bee lawfull for Ceres to offer her sacrifice. Diuine Ceres, Cupid accepteth any thing, that commeth from Ceres, which feedeth my Sparrowes with ripe corne, my Pigeons with wholsome seedes; and honourest my Temple with chast virgines.