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 0.82 · 486 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T21: cupid, venus, love, ceres, diana, fair, nymphs, goddess, bow, damon.
With what sacrifice shall we show ourselves thankful, or how may we requite this benefit? You shall yearly at my Temple offer true hearts, and hourly bestow all your wits in loving devices, think all the time lost, that is not spent in love, let your oaths be without number, but not without truth, your words full of alluring sweetness, but not of broad flattery, your attires neat, but not womanish, your gifts of more price for the fine device, than the great value, and yet of such value, that the device seem not beggarly, nor yourselves blockish, be secret that worketh miracles, be constant that bringeth secrecy; this is all Cupid doth command. Away. And to this we all willingly consent. Now what resteth, but revenge on them, that have practised malice on us, let mine be any thing, seeing she will not be only mine. Let us not now stand wishing, but presently seek them out, using as great speed in following revenge, as we did in pursuing our love: certainly we shall find them about Ceres' tree, singing or sacrificing. But shall we not go visit Erisychthon? Not I, left he eat us, that devoureth all things; his looks are of force to famish: let us in, and let all Ladies beware to offend those in spite, that love them in honour, for when the Crow shall set his foot in their eye, and the black Ox tread on their foot, they shall find their misfortunes to be equal with their deformities, and men both to loathe, and laugh at them. Come, Protea, tell me, how didst thou escape from the Merchant? Neptune, that great god, when I was ready to go with the Merchant into the ship, turned me to a Fisherman on the shore, with an Angle in my hand, and on my shoulder a net; the Merchant missing me, and yet finding me, asked me who I was, and whether I saw not a fair maiden? I answered no? He marveling and raging, was forced either to lose his passage, or seek for me among the Pebbles? To make short, a good wind caused him to go I know not whither, and me (thanks be to Neptune) to return home. Thou art happy, Protea, though thy Father be miserable: and Neptune gracious, though Ceres cruel escape from the Merchant, breedeth in me life, joy, and fullness. My father cannot be miserable, if Protea be happy, for by selling me every day, he shall never want meat, nor I shifts to escape. And now, Father, give me leave to enjoy my Petulius, that on this unfortunate shore still seeks me sorrowing. Seek him, dear Protea; find and enjoy him; and live ever hereafter to thine own comforts, that hast hitherto been the preserver of mine. ay me, behold, a Syren haunts this shore, the gods forbid she should entangle my Petulius.
nodes 274–286 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 14 of 21 in this edition
Length
486 words · 637 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T21 — Cupid, Venus and the nymphscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.823 (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)
With what sacrifice shall wee shewe our selues thankfull, or how may we requite this benefit? You shal yerly at my Temple offer true hearts, and howerly bestow all your wits in louing deuices, thinke all the time lost, that is not spent in loue, let your othes be without number, but not without truth, your words full of alluring sweetnesse, but not of broad flatterie, your attires neate, but not womanish, your giftes of more price for the fine deuice, then the great valewe, and yet of such valew, that the deuice seeme not beggerly, nor your selues blockish, be secrete that worketh myracles, bee constant that bringth secrecie; this is all Cupid doth commaund. Away. And to this we all willingly consent. Nowe what rsteth, but reuenge on them, that haue practised malice on vs, let mine be any thing, seeing shee will not be onely mine. Let vs not now stand wishing, but presently seeke them out, vsing as great speed in following reuenge, as we did in pursuing our loue: certainely wee shall find them about Ceres tree, singing or sacrifizing. But shall we not goe visit Erisicthon? Not I, left hee eate vs, that deuoureth all things; his lookes are of force to famish: let vsin, and let all Ladies beware to offend those in spight, that loue them in honour, for when the Crow shall et his foote in their eye, and the blacke Oxe tread on their foote, they shall finde their misfortunes to be equall with their deformities, and men both to loath, and laugh at them. Come, Protea, tell me, how didst thou escape from the Marchant? Neptune, that great god, when I was ready to goe with the Marchant into the ship, turned me to a Fisherman on the shore, with an Angle in my hand, and on my shoulder a net; the Marchant missing me, and yet finding me, asked me who I was, and whether I saw not a faire maiden? I answered no? Hee marueling and raging, was forced either to lose his passage, or secke for mee among the Pebbles? To make short, a good wind caused him to goe I know not whither, and me (thanks be to Neptune) to returne home. Thou art happie, Protea, though thy Father bee mierable: and Neptune gracious, though Ceres cruellthy escape from the Marchant, breedeth in me life, ioy, and fulnesse. My father cannot be miserable, if Protea be happie, for by selling me euerie day, hee shall neuer want meate, nor I to escape. And now, Father, giue me leaue to enioy my Petulius, that on this vnfortunate shore still seekes me sorrowing. Seeke m, deare Protea; find and enioy him; and liue euer hereafter to thne owne comforts, that hast thero beene the preseruer of mine. Aye me, behold, a Syren haunts this shore, the gods forbid shee should entangle my Petulius.