Anonymous · published 1609 · first performed or written 1607 [1599-1608] (Annals) comedy · Children of the King's Revels unassigned nearest T19 Virtue, Fortune and Vice as abstractions · 491 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T19: virtue, fortune, virtues, honour, fame, vice, envy, world, pride, great.
Nor can the world make Cicero so worthy, Yet for an hour discourse a Peasants shape, Nay represent the person of a king. Then in the person of great Lentulus, I do salute Sunne-bright Terentia, Lady, vouchsafe a Saintlike smile on him, From that angel form, whose honoured mind Lies prostrate lowly at Terentias feet, Who hath put off a Golden victor's honour, And left the Parthian spoil to Lepido, Whom many Ladies have bedecked with favours, Of rich esteem, oh proud! he deigned to wear them, Yet gifts and givers he did slight esteem. For why? the purpose of his thoughts were bend, To seek the love of fair Terentia. The choce is such, as choicer cannot be, Even with a nimble eye his virtues, through His smile is like the Meridian Sol, Discerned a dancing in the burbling brook: His frown outdares the Austerest face, Of war or Tyranny: to seize upon His shape might force the Virgin huntress With him for ever live a vestal life, His mind is virtues overmatcht, yet this & more Shall die, if this and more want force, To win the love of fair Terentia, Then gentle Lady, give a gentle doom, Never was breast the Landlord to a heart, More loving, faithful, or more loyal, Then is the breast of noble. Tully. Lentulus! And why not Tully? It stands not aptly. It wants a sillible. It doth. Then noble Cicero. That's too dear. Gentle is as good, Then say the best of gentle Cicero. Good Lady wrong not your honour so, To seat unworthy Tully with your worth, Oh look upon the worth of Lentulus, Let your fair hand be beam unto the balance, And with a stedded peyze, lift up that beam, In on the scale, put the worth of Lentulus His state, his honours, and his revenues, Against that heavy wait: put poverty, The poor and naked name of Cicero, A partner of unregarded Orators, Then shall you see with what celerity, One title of his worth will soon pull up, Poor Tully's dignity. Just to the height of Terentias heart, Where I will keep and Character that name, And to that name my heart shall add that love, That shall weigh down the worth of Lentulus. Dear Madam. Speak still if thou wilt, but not for him, The more thou speakest, the more augments my love, If that thou canst add more to infinite, The more thou speakest, the more decreaseth his, If thou canst take away, aught from nothing, Think Tully, if Lentulus can love me, So much and more, Terentia doth love thee. Oh Madam! Tully is poor, and poor is counted base. Virtue is rich and blots a poor disgrace. Lentulus is great, his frown's my woe, And of a friend he will become my foe. As he is friend, we will entreat his love, As he is great, his threatenings shall not make me love.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Nor can the world make Cicero ſo worthy, Yet for an houre diſcourſe a Peſants ſhape, Nay repreſent the perſon of a king. Then in the perſon of great Lentulus, I doe ſalute Sunne-bright Terentia, Lady, vouchſafe a Saint-like ſmile on him, From that angell forme, whoſe honord minde Lies proſtrate lowly at Terentias feete, Who hath put off a Golden victors honour, And left the Parthyan ſpoyle to Lepido, Whome many Ladies haue bedeckt with fauours, Of rich eſteeme, oh proud! he deignd to weare them, Yet guiftes and giuers hee did ſlight eſteeme. For why? the purpoſe of his thoughts were bent, To ſeeke the loue of faire Terentia. The choce is ſuch, as choiſer cannot bee, Euen with a nimble eye his vertues, through His ſmile is like the Meridian Sol, Diſcern'd a dauncing in the burbling brook: His frowne out-dares the Auſtereſt face, Of warre or Tyranny: to ſeaſe vpon His ſhape might force the Virgine huntreſſe With him for euer liue a veſtall life, His minde is vertues ouer-matcht, yet this & more Shall dye, if this and more want force, To winne the loue of faire Terentia, Then gentle Lady, giue a gentle dome, Neuer was breſt the Landlord to a heart, More louing, faithfull, or more loyall, Then is the breſt of noble. Tullie. Lentulus! And why not Tullie? It ſtands not aptly. It wants a ſillible. It doth. Then noble Cicero. Thats too deere. Gentle is as good, Then ſay the beſt of gentle Cicero. Good Lady wrong not your honour ſo, To ſeate vnworthy Tulley with your worth, Oh looke vpon the worth of Lentulus, Let your faire hand be beame vnto the ballance, And with a ſtedded peyze, lift vp that beame, In on the ſcale, put the worth of Lentulus His ſtate, his honors, and his reuenewes, Againſt that heauy waite: put pouertie, The poore and naked name of Cicero, A partner of vnregarded Orators, Then ſhall you ſee with what celeritie, One title of his worth will ſoone pull vp, Poore Tullies dignitie. Iuſt to the height of Terentias heart, Where I will keepe and Character that name, And to that name my heart ſhall adde that loue, That ſhall wey downe the worth of Lentulus. Deare Madam. Speake ſtill if thou wilt, but not for him, The more thou ſpeak'ſt, the more augments my loue, If that thou canſt adde more to infinite, The more thou ſpeakeſt, the more decreaſeth his, If thou canſt take away, ought from nothing, Thinke Tulley, if Lentulus can loue me, So much and more, Terentia doth loue thee. Oh Madam! Tulley is poore, and poore is counted baſe. Vertue is ritch and blots a poore diſgrace. Lentulus is great, his frowne's my woe, And of a friend he will become my foe. As he is friend, we will intreate his loue, As he is great, his threatnings ſhall not make me loue.