Il Pastor Fido, or The Faithful Shepherd · chunk 3 of 71
Dymoke, Tailboys / Guarini, Giovanni Battista · published 1602 · first performed or written 1601 (Annals) pastoral T20 Hercules: labours, suffering and virtue typicality 0.82 · 500 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T20: hercules, hercles, ioue, deianeira, alcides, hand, lo, death, skies, hell.
I am a man, and human me esteem, With thee a man, or rather shouldst be so, I speak of human things. Which if thou scornest Take heed least in dishumaning thyself, A beast thou prove not sooner than a God. Neither so famous nor so valiant Had been that monster-tamer, of whose blood I do derive myself, had he not tamed love. See blind child how thou erst: where hadst thou been Had not that famous Hercules first loved? The greatest cause he monsters tamed was love. Knowest thou not that fair Omphale to please, He did not only change his Lion's skin Into a woman's gown; but also turned His knotty club into a spindle and a rock. So was he wont from trouble and from toil To take his ease, and all alone retire To her fair lap, the haven of happy love. As rugged Iron with purer metal mixed Is made more fit (refined) for noble use: So fierce & untamed strength that in his properrage Doth often break: yet with the sweets of love Well tempered proveth truly generous. Then if thou dost desire to imitate Great Hercules, and to be worthy of his race, Though that thou wilt not leave these savage woods Do: follow them: but do not leave to love, A Love so lawful as your Amarillis. That you Dorinda she I you excuse, For 'twere unfit your mind on honour set, Should be made hot in these amorous thefts: A mighty wrong unto your worthy spouse. What sayst thou Linco? she's not yet my spouse. Hast thou not solemnly received her faith? Take heed proud boy, do not provoke the gods. The gift of heaven is human liberty, May we not force repel, that force receive? Nay if thou wouldst but understand! the heavens Hereto do tie thee that have promised, So many favours at thy nuptial feast. I'm sure that gods have other things to do Then trouble and molest them with these toys. Linco, nor this, nor that love pleaseth me, I was a huntsman not a lover borne, Thou that dost follow love thy pleasure take. Thou cruel boy descended of the gods, I scarce believe thou wert begot by man, Which if thou wert, thou sooner wert begot With venom of Meger and Ptisifo, Then Venus' pleasure which men so commend. Cruel Amarillis, that with thy bitter name Most bitterly dost teach me to complain. Whiter then whitest Lilies and more fair, But deafer and more fierce than th'adder is. Since with my words I do so much offend, In silence will I die: but yet these plains These mountains and these woods, shall cry for me, Whom I so oft have learned to resound That loved name. For me my plaints shall tell The plaining fountains and the murmuring winds: Pity and grief shall speak out of my face, And in the end though all things else prove dumb, My very death shall tell my martyrdom.
seed 43: T17 · seed 44: T19 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
I am a man, and humane me eſteeme, With thee a man, or rather ſhouldſt be ſo, I ſpeake of humane things. Which if thou skornſt Take heed leaſt in diſhumaning thy ſelfe, A beaſt thou proue not ſooner then a God. Neither ſo famous nor ſo valiant Had bene that monſter-tamer, of whoſe blood I do deriue my ſelfe, had he not tamed loue. See blind child how thou erſt: where hadſt thou bene Had not that famous Hercules firſt lou'd? The greateſt cauſe he monſters tam'd was loue. Knoweſt thou not that faire Omphale to pleaſe, He did not onely chaunge his Lions skin Into a womans gowne; but alſo turn'd His knottie club into a ſpindell and a rocke. So was he wont from trouble and from toyle To take his eaſe, and all alone retire To her faire lappe, the hauen of happie loue. As rugged Iron with purer mettall mixt Is made more fit (refin'd) for noble vſe: So fierce & vntam'd ſtrength that in his properrage Doth often breake: yet with the ſweets of loue Well temper'd proueth truly generous. Then if thou doſt deſire to imitate Great Hercules, and to be worthy of his race, Though that thou wilt not leaue theſe ſauadge woods Doo: follow them: but do not leaue to loue, A Loue ſo lawfull as your Amarillis. That you Dorinda ſhe I you excuſe, For t'were vnfit your mind on honour ſet, Should be made hot in theſe amorous thefts: A mightie wrong vnto your worthy ſpouſe. What ſaiſt thou Linco? ſhee's not yet my ſpouſe. Haſt thou not ſolemnely receiu'd her faith? Take heed proud boy, do not prouoke the gods. The gift of heauen is humane libertie, May we not force repell, that force receiue? Nay if thou would'ſt but vnderſtand! the heauens Hereto do tye thee that haue promiſed, So many fauours at thy nuptiall feaſt. I'm ſure that gods haue other things to do Then trouble and moleſt them with theſe toyes. Linco, nor this, nor that loue pleaſeth me, I was a huntſman not a louer borne, Thou that doſt folow loue thy pleaſure take. Thou cruel boy deſcended of the gods, I ſcarce beleeue thou wert begot by man, Which if thou wert, thou ſooner wert begot With venome of Meger and Ptiſifo, Then Ʋenus pleaſure which men ſo commend. CRuell Amarillis, that with thy bitter name Moſt bitterly doſt teach me to complaine. Whiter then whiteſt Lillies and more faire, But deafer and more fierce then th'adder is. Since with my words I do ſo much offend, In ſilence will I die: but yet theſe plaines Theſe mountaines and theſe woods, ſhal cry for me, Whom I ſo oft haue learned to reſound That loued name. For me my plaints ſhall tell The plaining fountains and the murm'ring windes: Pittie and griefe ſhall ſpeake out of my face, And in the end though all things elſe proue dombe, My verie death ſhal tell my martirdome.