Il Pastor Fido, or The Faithful Shepherd · chunk 33 of 71
Dymoke, Tailboys / Guarini, Giovanni Battista · published 1602 · first performed or written 1601 (Annals) pastoral unassigned nearest T4 Love-longing and the lover's complaint · 548 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T4: love, heart, sweet, loves, fair, phillis, eyes, beauty, amyntas, lovers.
I all have heard, Be not afraid, did I not say I loved you, And yet you are afraid? and hides yourself From her that loves you so▪ Why do you blush? This blushing is a common fault. Corisca I am conquered I confess. That which you cannot hide you will confess. And now I see too weak a thing doth prove A woman's heart t'encounter mighty love. Cruel unto Mirtillo, but more cruel to yourself. It is no cruelty that springs of pity. Cicute and Aconite do grow from hoisome roots. I see no difference twixt this cruelty That doth offend, and pity helping not. Ah me Coriscal These sighs good sister Are but weakness of your heart theyare fit For women of small worth. I could not be Thus cruel but I should love cherish hopelessly. Therefore to shun him shows I have compassion Of his ill and mine. Why hopelessly? Do you not know I am espoused to Silvio, And that the law each woman dooms to death That violates her faith? Oh simple fool, Is this the let? Which is more ancient among us, Diana's law or loves? this in our breasts Is bred and grows with us, Nature herself With her own hands imprints in our hearts breasts: And where this law commands, both heaven & earth obey. But if the other law do take my life, How can loves law restore it me again? You are too nice, were every woman so, Had all such straight respects Good times farewell, Small practisers are subject to this pain. The law doth never stretch unto the wise. Believe me should blameworthy all be slain, The country than would soon prove womanlesse. It needful was, theft should forbidden be To them that closely could not cover theft. This honesty is but an art to seem so, Let others as they list believe, I'll think so still. These are but vanities (Corisca) 'twere best Quickly to leave that which we cannot hold. And who forbids thee fool? This life's too short To pass it over with one only love: Men are too sparing of then favours now, (Whether't be for want, or else for frowardness The fresher that we are, the dearer still: Beauty and youth once gone we're like Bee hives That hath no honey, no nor yet no wax. Let men prate on they do not feel our woes, For their condition differs much from ours, The elder that they grow, they grow the perfectest: If they lose beauty, yet they wisdom gain: But when our beauty fades that oftentimes Conquers their greatest wits, straight fadeth all our good, There cannot be a vilder thing to see Then an old woman. Therefore ere thou age attain, Know me thyself, and use it as thou shouldst. What were a Lion worth did he not use his strength? What's a man's wit worth that lies idly by? e'en so our beauty proper strength to us, As force to Lions, wisdom unto men, We ought to use whilst it we have. Time flies Away and years come on, our youth once lost We like cut flowers never grow fresh again. And to our hoary hairs love well may run, But Lovers will our wrinkled skins still shun.
seed 43: T2 · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
I all haue heard, Be not afraid, did I not ſay I lou'd you, And yet you are afraid? and hides your ſelfe From her that loues you ſo▪ Why do you bluſh? This bluſhing is a common fault. Coriſca I am conquer'd I confeſſe. That which you cannot hide you wil confeſſe. And now I ſee too weake a thing doth proue A womans heart t'encounter mightie loue. Cruel vnto Mirtillo, but more cruel to your ſelfe. It is no crueltie that ſprings of pitie. Cicute and Aconite do grow from hoiſome rootes. I ſee no difference twixt this crueltie That doth offend, and pitie helping not. Ah me Coriſcal Theſe ſighes good ſiſter Are but weakeneſſe of your heart Th'are fit For women of ſmall worth. I could not be Thus cruel but I ſhould loue cheriſh hopeleſly. Therefore to ſhun him ſhewes I haue compaſſion Of his ill and mine. Why hopeleſly? Do you not know I am eſpowſ'd to Siluio, And that the law each woman doomes to death That violates her faith? Oh ſimple foole, Is this the let? Which is more auncient among vs, Dianaes lawe or loues? this in our breaſts Is bred and growes with vs, Nature her ſelfe With her owne hands imprints in our hearts breaſts: And where this law commands, both heau'n & earth obey. But if the other law do take my life, How can loues lawe reſtore it me againe? You are too nice, were eu'ry woman ſo, Had all ſuch ſtraight reſpects Good times farewell, Small practiſers are ſubiect to this paine. The lawe doth neuer ſtretch vnto the wiſe. Beleeue me ſhould blame-worthy all be ſlaine, The countre then would ſoone prooue womanleſſe. It needfull was, theft ſhould forbidden bee To them that cloſely could not couer theft. This honeſtie is but an art to ſeeme ſo, Let others as they liſt beleeue, Ile thinke ſo ſtill. Theſe are but vanities (Coriſca) t'were beſt Quickly to leaue that which we cannot hold. And who forbids thee foole? This life's too ſhort To paſſe it ouer with one onely loue: Men are too ſparing of then fauours now, (Whether't be for want, or elſe for frowardneſſe The freſher that we are, the dearer ſtill: Beautie and youth once gone w'are like Bee hiues That hath no honey, no nor yet no waxe. Let men prate on they do not feele our woes, For their condition differs much from ours, The elder that they grow, they grow the perfecteſt: If they looſe beautie, yet they wiſedome gaine: But when our beautie fades that oftentimes Conquers their greateſt witts, ſtraight fadeth all our good, There cannot be a vilder thing to ſee Then an old woman. Therfore ere thou age attaine, Know me thy ſelfe, and vſe it as thou ſhouldſt. What were a Lion worth did he not vſe his ſtrength? What's a mans wit worth that lies idly by? Eu'n ſo our beautie proper ſtrength to vs, As force to Lyons, wiſedome vnto men, We ought to vſe whilſt it we haue. Time flies Away and yeares come on, our youth once loſt We like cut flowres neuer grow freſh againe. And to our hoary haires loue well may runne, But Louers will our wrinkled skinnes ſtill ſhunne.