Jonson, Ben · published 1602 · first performed or written 1601 (Annals) comedy · Children of the Chapel (second) · Blackfriars T4 Love-longing and the lover's complaint typicality 0.84 · 497 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T4: love, heart, sweet, loves, fair, phillis, eyes, beauty, amyntas, lovers.
O, stay my Love: the hopes thou dost conceive Of thy quick Death, and of thy future Life, Are not authentical. Thou choosest Death, So thou mightst joy thy Love, in th'other Life. But know (my princely Love) when thou art dead, Thou only must survive in perfect soul; And in the soul, are no Affections: We pour out our Affections with our Blood; And with our Blood's affections; fade our Loves. No life hath Love in such sweet state, as this; No Essence is so dear to moody Sense, As Flesh, and Blood; whose Quintessence is Sense. Beauty, composed of Blood, and Flesh, moves more, And is more plausible to Blood, and Flesh: Then Spiritual Beauty can be to the Spirit. Such Apprehension, as we have in Dreams (When Sleep, the bond of Senses, locks them up) Such shall we have, when Death destroys them quite. If Love be then thy Object, change not life, Live high, and happy still: I still below, Close with my Fortunes, in thy height, shall joy. Ay me, that Virtue, whose brave Eagles wings With every stroke, blow Stars, in burning Heaven; Should like a Swallow (praying toward storms) Fly close to earth: and with an eager plume Pursue those Objects, which none else can see, But seem to all the world, the empty Air. Thus thou (poor Ovid) and all virtuous men Must pray like Swallows, on invisible food; Pursuing Flies, or nothing: and thus Love, And every worldly Fancy, is transposed, By worldly Tyranny, to what plight it list. O, Father; since thou gav'st me not my Mind, Strive not to rule it: Take, but what thou gav'st To thy disposure, thy Affections Rule not in me; I must bear all my griefs, Let me use all my pleasures:" Virtuous Love Was never scandal to a Goddess state. But he's inflexible; and, my dear Love, Thy life may chance be shortened, by the length Of my unwilling speeches to departed. Farewell, sweet Life: though thou be yet exiled, Th'officious Court, enjoy me amply still: My Soul, in this my breath, enters thine Ears, And on this Turrets, Floor, will I lie dead, Till we may meet again; in this proud Height, I kneel beneath thee in my prostrate Love, And kiss the happy sands, that kiss thy feet. Great Ioue submits a Sceptre, to a Cell; And Lovers, ere they part, will meet in Hell. Farewell all company; and if I could All light with thee: Helles shade should hide my brows, Till thy dear Beauties beams redeemed my vows. Ovid; my Love: alas, may we not stay A little longer (thinkest thou) vndescerned? For thine own good, fair Goddess, do not stay: Who would engage a Firmament of fires Shining in thee, for me, a falling Star? Be gone, sweet Life-bloode: if I should discern Thyself but touched, for my sake, I should die. I will be gone then; and not Heaven itself, Shall draw me back.
seed 43: T2 · seed 44: T3 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
O, ſtay my Loue: the hopes thou do'ſt conceiue Of thy quicke Death, and of thy future Life, Are not autenticall. Thou chooſeſt Death, So thou might'ſt ioy thy Loue, in th'other Life. But knowe (my princely Loue) when thou art dead, Thou onely muſt ſuruiue in perfect ſoule; And in the ſoule, are no Affections: We poure out our Affections with our Bloode; And with our Bloods affections; fade our Loues. "No life hath Loue in ſuch ſweete ſtate, as this; "No Eſſence is ſo deare to moodie Senſe, "As Fleſh, and Bloode; whoſe Quinteſſence is Senſe. "Beautie, compoſd of Blood, and Fleſh, moues more, "And is more plauſible to Blood, and Fleſh: "Then Spirituall Beautie can be to the Spirit. Such Apprehenſion, as wee haue in Dreames (VVhen Sleepe, the bond of Senſes, locks them vp) Such ſhall we haue, when Death deſtroyes them quite. If Loue be then thy Obiect, change not life, Liue high, and happie ſtill: I ſtill belowe, Cloſe with my Fortunes, in thy height, ſhall ioy. Ay me, that Vertue, whoſe braue Eagles winges VVith euery ſtroake, blowe Starres, in burning Heauen; Should like a Swallowe (praying toward ſtormes) Fly cloſe to earth: and with an eager plume Purſue thoſe Obiectes, which none els can ſee, But ſeeme to all the world, the emptie Aire. Thus thou (poore Ouid) and all vertuous men Muſt pray like Swallowes, on inuiſible foode; Purſuing Flies, or nothing: and thus Loue, And euery worldly Fancie, is tranſpoſ'd, By worldly Tyranny, to what plight it liſt. O, Father; ſince thou gau'ſt me not my Minde, Striue not to rule it: Take, but what thou gau'ſt To thy diſpoſure, thy Affections Rule not in me; I muſt beare all my griefes, Let me vſe all my pleaſures: "Vertuous Loue Was neuer ſcandall to a Goddeſſe ſtate. But hee's inflexible; and, my deare Loue, Thy life may chance be ſhortned, by the length Of my vnwilling ſpeaches to depart. Farewell, ſweete Life: though thou be yet exil'd, Th'officious Court, enioy mee amply ſtill: My Soule, in this my breath, enters thine Eares, And on this Turrets, Floore, will I lye deade, Till wee may meete againe; in this proud Height, I kneele beneath thee in my proſtrate Loue, And kiſſe the happie ſands, that kiſſe thy feete. "Great Ioue ſubmits a Scepter, to a Cell; "And Louers, ere they part, will meete in Hell. Farewell all companie; and if I could All light with thee: Helles ſhade ſhould hide my browes, Till thy deare Beauties beames redeem'd my vowes. Ouid; my Loue: alas, may we not ſtay A little longer (think'ſt thou) vndeſcern'd? For thine owne good, faire Goddeſſe, doe not ſtay: VVho would ingage a Firmament of fires Shining in thee, for me, a falling Starre? Be gon, ſweete Life-bloode: if I ſhould deſcerne Thy ſelfe but toucht, for my ſake, I ſhould die. I will be gone then; and not Heauen it ſelfe, Shall drawe me backe.