The Queen's Arcadia (Arcadia Reformed) · chunk 1 of 41
Daniel, Samuel · published 1606 · first performed or written 1605 [Aug 30] (Annals) pastoral · before the Court unassigned nearest T7 The Trojan war: conflict and its afterma · 508 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T7: hector, troy, achilles, greeks, aeneas, priam, ulysses, troilus, trojan, trojans.
HOw is it Melibaeus that we find Our Country, fair, Arcadia, so much changed From what it was, that was thou know'st of late, The gentle region of plain honesty, The modest seat, of undisguised truth, Inhabited with simple innocence: And now, I know not how, as if it were, Unhallowed, and divested of that grace, Hath put off that fair nature which it had, And grows like ruder countries, or more bad. Indeed Ergastus I have never known, So universal a distemperature, In all parts of the body of our state, As now there is; nor ever have we heard So much complaining of disloyalty, Amongst our younger nymphs, nor ever found Our herdsmen so deluded in their loves, As if there were no faith on either side. We never had in any age before So many spotless nymphs, so much distained With black report, and wrongful infamy, That few escape the tongue of malice free. And methinks too, our very air is changed, Our wholesome climate grown more maladif, The fogs, and the Siren offends us more (Or we made think so) than they did before, The winds of Autumn, now are said to bring More noisomeness, than those do of the Spring: And all of us feel new in infirmities, New Fevers, new catarrhs, oppress our powers, The milk wherewith we cured all maladies, Hath either lost the nature, or we ours. And we that never were accustomed To quarrel for our bounds, how do we see Montanus and Acrysius inter-strive How far their several Sheep-walks should extend, And cannot be agreed do what we can: As if some underworking hand struck fire, To th'apt enkindling tinder of debate, And fostered their contention and their hate. And methinks too, the beauty of our nymphs Is not the same, as it was wont to be. That Rosy hue, the glory of the Cheek, Is either stolen, or else they have forgot, To blush with shame, or to be pale with fear: Or else their shame doth make them always blush For always doth their beauties bear one hue, And either Nature's false, or that untrue. Besides their various habits grow so strange, As that although their faces certain are, Their bodies are uncertain every day, And always differing from themselves so far, As if they scorned to be the same they are. And all of us are so transformed, that we Discern not an Arcadian by th'attire, Our ancient Pastoral habits are despised, And all is strange, hearts, clothes, and all disguised. Indeed unto our grief we may perceive, The whole complexion of Arcadia changed, Yet cannot find th'occasion of this change: But let us with more wary eye observe Whence the contagion of these customs rise, That have infected thus our honest plains, With cunning discord, idle vanity, Deceitful wrong, and causeless infamy. That by th' assistance of our graver Swains, We now at first, may labour to prevent The further course of mischiefs, and restore Our late clean woods, to what they were before.
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)
HOw is it Melibaeus that we finde Our Countrey, faire, Arcadia, so much changd From what it was, that was thou knowst of late, The gentle region of plaine honestie, The modest seat, of vndisguised trueth, Inhabited with simple innocence: And now, I know not how, as if it were, Vnhallowed, and diuested of that grace, Hath put off that faire nature which it had, And growes like uder countries, or more bad. Indeed Ergastus I haue neuer knowne, So vniuersall a distemperature, In all parts of the body of our state, As now there is; nor euer haue we heard So much complaining of disloyaltie, Amongst our younger Nimphes, nor euer found Our heardsmen so deluded in their loues, As if there were no faith on either side. We neuer had in any age before So many spotlesse Nimphes, so much distaind With black report, and wrongfull infamie, That few escape the tongue of malice free. And me thinkes too, our very ayre is changd, Our holesome climate growne more maladiue, The fogges, and the Syrene offends vs more (Or we made thinke so) then they did before, The windes of Autumne, now are said to bring More noysomnesse, then those do of the Spring: And all of vs feele new in mities, New Feuers, new Catarres, oppresse our powers, The milke wherewith we cur'd all maladies, Hath either lost the nature, or we ours. And we that neuer were accustomed To quarrell for our bounds, how do we see Montanus and Acrysius inter-striue How farre their seuerall Sheep-walkes should extend, And cannot be agreed do what we can: As if some vnderworking hand strake fire, To th'apt inkindling tinder of debate, And fostred their contention and their hate. And me thinkes too, the beautie of our Nimphes Is not the same, as it was wont to be. That Rosie hew, the glory of the Cheeke, Is either stolne, or else they haue forgot, To blush with shame, or to be pale with feare: Or else their shame doth make them alwayes blush For alwayes doth their beauties beare one hew, And either Nature's false, or that vntrue. Besides their various habits grow so strange, As that although their faces certaine are, Their bodies are vncertaine euery day, And alwayes diffring from themselues so far, As if they scorn'd to be the same they are. And all of vs are so transformd, that we Discerne not an Arcadian by thattyre, Our ancient Pastorall habits are dispisd, And all is strange, hearts, clothes, and all disguisd. Indeed vnto our griefe we may perceiue, The whole complection of Arcadia chang'd, Yet cannot finde th'occasion of this change: But let vs with more wary eye obserue Whence the contagion of these customes rise, That haue infected thus our honest plaines, With cunning discorde, idle vanitie, Deceiptfull wrong, and causelesse infamie. That by th' assistance of our grauer Swaines, We now at first, may labour to preuent The further course of mischiefes, and restore Our late cleane woods, to what they were before.