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 0.84 · 464 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T21: cupid, venus, love, ceres, diana, fair, nymphs, goddess, bow, damon.
Art thou so cruel? To those that resist, a Lion, to those that submit, a Lamb. Canst thou make such difference in affection, and yet shall it all be love? Yea, as much as between sickness and health, though in both be life: those that yield and honour Cupid, shall possess sweet thoughts, and enjoy pleasing wishes: the other shall be tormented with vain imaginations and impossible hopes. How may my Nymphs be restored? If thou restore Erisychthon, they embrace their loves, and all offer sacrifice to me. Erisychthon did in contempt hew down my sacred tree. Thy Nymphs did in disdain, scorn my constant love. He slew most cruelly my chaste Fidelia, whose blood lieth yet on the ground. But Diana hath changed her blood to fresh flowers, which are to be seen on the ground. What honour shall he do to Ceres? What amends can he make to Fidelia? All Ceres grove shall he deck with Garlands, and account every tree holy; a stately monument shall he erect, in remembrance of Fidelia, and offer yearly sacrifice. What sacrifice shall I and my Nymphs offer thee? For I will do any thing to restore my Nymphs, and honour thee. You shall present in honour of my mother Venus, Grapes and Wheat, for Sine Cerere & Baccho friget Venus. You shall suffer your Nymphs to play, sometimes to be idle, in the favour of Cupid, for Otiasitollas, periere Cupidinis arcus. So much for Ceres. Thy Nymphs shall make no vows to continue Virgins, nor use words to disgrace love, nor fly from opportunities that kindle affections: if they be chaste, let them not be cruel; if fair, not proud; if loving not inconstant. Cruelty is for Tigers, pride for Peacocks, inconstancy for fools. Cupid, I yield, and they shall: but sweet Cupid, let them not be deceived by flattery, which taketh the shape of affection, nor by lust, which is clothed in the habit of love; for men have as many slights to delude, as they have words to speak. Those that practise deceit, shall perish: Cupid favoureth none but the faithful. Well, I will go to Erisychthon, and bring him before thee. Then shall thy Nymphs recover their fames, so as they yield to love. They shall. A strange discourse, Protea, by which I find the gods amorous, and virgin's immortal goddesses, full of cruelty, and men of unhappiness. I have told both my Father's misfortunes, grown by stoutness, and mine by weakness, his thwarting of Ceres, my yielding to Neptune. I know, Protea, that hard iron falling into fire, waxeth soft, and then the tender heart of a Virgin being in love, must needs melt: for what should a fair young and witty Lady answer, to the sweet enticements of love, but,
nodes 319–340 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 17 of 21 in this edition
Length
464 words · 658 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T21 — Cupid, Venus and the nymphscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.841 (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)
Art thou so cruell? To those that resist, a Lyon, to those that submit, a Lambe. Canst thou make such difference in affection, and yet shall it all be loue? Yea, as much as betweene sicknesse and health, though in both bee life: those that yeeld and honour Cupid, shall possesse sweete thoughts, and enioy pleasing wishes: the other shall bee tormented with vaine imaginations and impossible hopes. How may my Nymphes be restored? If thou restore Erisicthon, they embrace their loues, and all offer sacrifice to me. Erisicthon did in contempt hewe downe my sacred tree. Thy Nymphes did in disdaine, scorne my constant loue. Hee slew most cruelly my chast Fidelia, whose bloud lieth yet on the ground. But Diana hath chaunged her bloud to freshe flowers, which are to be seene on the ground. What honour shal he doe to Ceres? What amends can he make to Fidelia? All Ceres groue shall he decke with Garlands, and accompt euerie tree holy; a stately monument shall hee erect, in remembraunce of Fidelia, and offer yearely sacrifice. What sacrifice shall I and my Nymphes offer thee? For I will doe any thing to restore my Nymphes, and honour thee. You shall present in honour of my mother Venus, Grapes and Wheate, for Sine Cerere & Baccho friget Venus. You shall suffer your Nymphes to play, sometimes to be idle, in the fauour of Cupid, for Otiasitollas, periere Cupidinis arcus. So much for Ceres. Thy Nymphes shall make no vowes to continue Virgins, nor vse words to disgrace loue, nor flie from oportunities that kindle affections: if they be chast, let them not bee cruell; if faire, not proud; if louing not inconstant. Crueltie is for Tygers, pride for Peacockes, inconstancie for fooles. Cupid, I yeeld, and they shall: but sweete Cupid, let them not bee deceiued by flatterie, which taketh the shape of affection, nor by lust, which is clothed in the habit of loue; for men haue as many slights to delude, as they haue words to speake. Those that practise deceit, shall perish: Cupid fauoureth none but the faithfull. Well, I will goe to Erisicthon, and bring him before thee. Then shall thy Nymphes recouer their fames, so as they yeeld to loue. They shall. A straunge discourse, Protea, by which I find the gods amorous, and Virgines immortall goddesses, full of crueltie, and men of vnhappinesse. I haue told both my Fathers misfortunes, grown by stoutnesse, and mine by weaknesse, his thwarting of Ceres, my yeelding to Neptune. I know, Protea, that hard yron falling into fire, waxeth soft, and then the tender heart of a Virgine being in loue, must needes melt: for what should a faire yong and wittie Ladie answere, to the sweete inticements of loue, but,