Fletcher, John · published 1610 · first performed or written 1608 [1608-1609] (Annals) pastoral; tragicomedy · Children of the Queen's Revels T22 Shepherds, flocks and Pan typicality 0.84 · 478 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T22: shepherd, pan, shepherds, love, sheep, flocks, fair, shepherdess, swain, away.
Shepheard so far as maiden's modesty May give assurance, I am once more thine, Once more I give my hand, be ever free From that great foe to faith, foul jealousy. I take it as my best good, and desire For stronger confirmation of our love, To meet this happy night in that fair grove, Where all true shepherds have rewarded been For their long service: say sweet shall it hold? Dear friend you must not blame me if I make A doubt of what the silent night may do, Coupled with this days heat to move your blood: Maids must be fearful, sure you have not been Washed white enough, for yet I see a stain Stick in your liver, go and purge again. O do not wrong my honest simple truth, myself and my affections are as pure, As those chaste flames that burn before the shrine, Of the great Dian: only my intent To draw you thither, was to plight our troths, With interchange of mutual chaste embraces, And ceremonious tying of our souls: For to that holy wood is consecrate, A virtuous Well, about whose flowery banks, The nimble footed Fairies dance their rounds, B the pale mooneshine, dipping often times Their stolen children, so to make them free From dying flesh, and dull mortality: By this fair Fount hath many a Shepherd sworn, And given away his freedom, many a troth Been plight, which neither envy nor old time Could ever break, with many a chaste kiss given, In hope of coming happiness: by this Fresh Fountain many a blushing maid Hath crowned the head of her long loved shepherd, With gaudy flowers, whilst he happy sung, Lays of his love and dear captivity, There grows all herbs fit to cool looser flames, Our sensual parts provoke chiding our bloods, And quenching by their power those hidden sparks, That else would break out, and provoke our sense, To open fires, so virtuous is that place: Then gentle Shepherdess believe and grant, In troth it sits not with that face to scant. Your faithful Shepherd of those chaste desires, He ever aimed at, and— Thou hast prevailed, farewell, this coming night, Shall crown thy chaste hopes with long wished delight. Our great God Pan reward thee for that good, Thou hast given thy poor shepherd fairest bud Of maiden virtues: when I leave to be The true admirer of thy chastity, Let me deserve the hot polluted name, Of a wild woodman, or affect some dame Whose often prostitution hath begot, More foul diseases, then ever yet the hot Sun bred through his burnings, whilst the dog Pursues the raging Lion, throwing fog And deadly vapour from his angry breath. Filling the lower world with plague and death. Shepheard may I desire to be believed, What I shall blushing tell? Fair maid you may.
nodes 210–272 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 4 of 40 in this edition
Length
478 words · 608 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T22 — Shepherds, flocks and Pancross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.837 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T24 · seed 44: T25 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Shepheard so farre as maidens modesty May giue assurance, I am once more thine, Once more I giue my hand, be euer free From that great foe to faith, foule iealosie. I take it as my best good, and desire For stronger confirmation of our loue, To meete this happy night in that faire groue, Where all true shepheards haue rewarded bene For their long seruice: say sweet shall it hould? Deere friend you must not blame me if I make A doubt of what the silent night may doe, Coupled with this dayes heat to mooue your blood: Maids must be fearefull, sure you haue not bene Washd white enough, for yet I see a staine Sticke in your liuer, goe and purge againe. O do not wrong my honest simple truth, My selfe and my affections are as pure, As those chaste flames that burne before the shrin, Of the great Dian: onely my intent To draw you thither, was to plight our trothes, With interchange of mutuall chaste imbraces, And ceremonious tying of our soules: For to that holy wood is consecrate, A vertuous Well, about whose flowery bancks, The nimble footed Faieries daunce their rounds, B the pale mooneshine, dipping often times Thir stlen children, so to make them free From dying flesh, and dull mortalitie: By this faire Fount hath many a Shepheard sworne, And giuen away his freedome, many a troth Beene plight, which neither enuy nor ould time Could euer breake, with many a chaste kisse giuen, In hope of comming happinesse: by this Fresh Founaine many a blushing maide Hath crownd the head of her long loued shepheard, With gaudy flowers, whilst he happy sung, Laies of his loue and deare captiuitie, There growes all harbs fit to coole looser flames, Our sensuall parts prooke chiding our bloodes, And quenching by thei power those hidden sparks, Tht else would breake out, and prouoke our sence, To open fires, so vertuous is that place: Then gentle Shepheardesse belieue and grant, In troth it not with that face to scant. Your faithfull Shepheard of those chaste desies, He euer aimd at, and— Thou hast preuaild, farwell, this comming night, Shal crowne thy chaste hopes with long wishd delight. Our great God Pan reward thee for that good, Thou hast giuen thy poore shepheard fairest bud Of maiden vertues: when I leaue to be The true admirer of thy chastitie, Let me desrue the hot polluted name, Of a wilde woodman, or affect some dame Whose often prostitution hath begot, More foule diseases, then euer yet the hot Sun bred through his burnings, whilst the dog Pursues the raging Lyon, throwing fog And deadly vapor from his angry breath. Filling the lower world with plague and death. Shepheard may I desire to be belieued, What I shall blushing tell? Faire maide you may.