The Wonder of Women, or Sophonisba · chunk 18 of 26
Marston, John · published 1606 · first performed or written 1605 [1605-1606] (Annals) tragedy · Children of the Queen's Revels · Blackfriars unassigned nearest T4 Love-longing and the lover's complaint · 451 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T4: love, heart, sweet, loves, fair, phillis, eyes, beauty, amyntas, lovers.
there's no man blessed but those that most men pity. O fortunate poor maids, that are not forced, To wed for state nor are for state divorced! Whom policy of kingdoms doth not marry, But pure affection makes to love or vary, You feel no love, which you dare not to show, Nor show a love which doth not truly grow: O you are surely blessed of the sky, You live, that know not death before you die, You are: In Syphax arms, thing of false lip, What God shall now release thee, Art a man? Thy limbs shall feel, despite thy virtue know I'll thread thy richest pearl: this forests deaf, As is my lust: Night and the God of silence, Swells my full pleasures, no more shalt thou delude, My easy credence Virgin of fair brow, Well featured creature, and our utmost wonder, Queen of our youthful bed be proud, I'll use thee, Look thee, view this, show but one strain of force Bow but to seize this arm, and by myself, Or more by Massinissa this good steel, Shall set my soul on wing, thus formed Gods see, And men with God's worth envy nought but me. Do strike thy breast, know being dead, I'll use, With highest lust of sense thy senseless flesh, And even then thy vexed soul shall see, Without resistance, thy trunk prostitute, Unto our appetite. I shame to make thee know, How vile thou speakest: Corruption then as much, As thou shalt do: but frame unto thy lusts, imagination's utmost sin: Syphax, I speak all frightless, know I live or die To Massinissa, nor the force of fate Shall make me leave his love, or slake thy hate. I will speak no more, Thou hast amazed us, Woman's forced use, Like unripe fruits, no sooner got but waste, They have proportion, colour but no taste, Think Syphax— Sophonisba rest thine own, Our Guard, Creature of most astonishing virtue, If with fair usage, love and passionate courtings, We may obtain, the heaven of thy bed, We cease, no suit from other force be free. We dote not on thy body, but love thee, Wilt thou keep faith? By thee & by that power By which thou art thus glorious, trust my vow, Our guard, convey the royal'st excellence That ever was called Woman, to our Palace, Observe her with strict care: Dread Syphax speak As thou art worthy: is not Zanthia false? To thee she is. As thou art then thyself Let her not be. she is not. Thus most speed when two foes are grown friends Partakers bleed. When Plants must flourish Their manure must rot. Syphax be recompensed. I hate thee not.
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)
Ther's no man bless'd but those that most men pitty. O fortunate poore maides, that are not forc'd, To wed for state nor are for state diuorc'd! Whome policy of kingdoms doth not marry, But pure affection makes to loue or vary, You feele no loue, which you dare not to shew, Nor show a loue which doth not truely grow: O you are surely blessed of the skie, You liue, that know not death before you die, You are: In Syphax armes, thing of false lip, What God shall now release thee, Art a man? Thy limbs shall feele, despight thy vertue know I'le thredd thy richest pearle: this forrests deafe, As is my lust: Night and the God of scilence, Swels my full pleasures, no more shalt thou delude, My easie credence▪ Virgin of faire brow, Well featurde creature, and our vtmost wonder, Queene of our youthfull bed be proud, Ile vse thee, Look thee, view this, show but one strain of force Bow but to sease this arme, and by my selfe, Or more by Massinissa this good steele, Shall set my soule on wing▪ thus formde Gods see, And men with Gods worth enuy nought but me. Doe strike thy breast, know being dead, Ile vse, With highest lust of sense thy senselesse flesh, And euen then thy vexed soule shall see, Without resistance, thy trunke prostitute, Vnto our appetite. I shame to make thee know, How vile thou speakest: Corruption then as much, As thou shalt doe: but frame vnto thy lusts, Imaginatious vtmost sin: Syphax, I speake all frightles, know I liue or die To Massinissa, nor the force of fate Shall make me leaue his loue, or slake thy hate▪ I will speake no more, Thou hast amazde vs, Womans forced vse, Like vnripe fruites, no sooner got but waste, They haue proportion, colour but no taste, Thinke Syphax—Sophonisba rest thine owne, Our Guard, Creature of most astonishing vertue, If with faire vsage, loue and passionate courtings, We may obtaine, the heauen of thy bed, We cease, no sute from other force be free. VVe dote not on thy body, but loue thee, Wilt thou keep faith? By thee & by that power By which thou art thus glorious, trust my vow, Our guard, conuay the roialst excellence That euer was cald Woman, to our Pallace, Obserue her with strict care: Dread Syphax speak As thou art worthy: is not Zanthia false▪ To thee shee is. As thou art then thy selfe Let hir not bee. Shee is not. Thus most speed when two foes are growne friends Partakers bleed. When Plants must florish Their manure must rot. Syphax bee recompenced. I hate thee not.