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 0.82 · 518 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T22: shepherd, pan, shepherds, love, sheep, flocks, fair, shepherdess, swain, away.
Then softly thus, I love thee Perigot, And would be gladder to be loved again, Than the cold earth is in his frozen arms To clip the wanton spring: nay do not start, Nor wonder that I woo thee! thou that art The prime of our young grooms, even the top Of all our lusty Shepherds: what dull eye That never was acquainted with desire, Hath scene thee wrestle, run, or cast the stone, With nimble strength and fair delivery, And hath not sparkled fire, and speedily Sent secret heat to all the neighbouring veins? whoever heard thee sing, that brought again, That freedom back was lent unto thy voice? Then do not blame me (shepherd) if I be One to be numbered in this company, Since none that ever saw thee yet, were free. Fair Shepherdess much pity I can lend, To your complaints: but sure I shall not love: All that is mine, myself and my best hopes, Are given already: do not love him then That cannot love again: on other men Bestow those heats more free, that may return You fire for fire, and in one flame equal burn. Shall I rewarded be so slenderly For my affection, most unkind of men? If I were old, or had agreed with Art, To give another nature to my cheeks, Or were I common mistress to the love Of every swain, or could I with such ease Call back my love, as many a wanton doth, Thou mightst refuse me Shepherd, but to thee I am only fixed and set, let it not be A sport, thou gentle Shepherd, to abuse The love of silly maid. Fair soul, ye use These words to little end: for know, I may Better call back, that time was yesterday, Or stay the coming night, then bring my love Home to myself again, or recreant prove. I will no longer hold you with delays, This present night I have appointed been, To meet that chaste fair (that enjoys my soul) In yonder grove, there to make up our loves. Be not deceived no longer, choose again, These neighbouring plains have many a comely swain, Fresher and freeer far than I ere was, Bestow that love on them and let me pass, Farewell, be happy in a better choice. Cruel, thou hast struck me deader with thy voice Then if the angry heavens with their quick flames, Had shot me through: I must not leave to love, I cannot, no I must enjoy thee boy, Though the great dangers twixt my hopes and that Be infinite: there is a Shepherd dwells Down by the More, whose life hath ever shown More sullen discontent than Saturn's brow, When he sits frowning on the births of men: One that doth wear himself away in loneness, And never joys unless it be in breaking The holy plighted troths of mutual souls: One that lusts after every several beauty, But never yet was known to love or like, Were the face fairer or more full of truth, Than Phoebe in her fullness, or the youth
nodes 273–337 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 5 of 40 in this edition
Length
518 words · 651 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T22 — Shepherds, flocks and Pancross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.819 (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)
Then softly thus, I loue thee Perigot, And would be gladder to be leu'd againe, Then the colde earth is in his frozen armes To lp the wanton spring: nay do not start, Nor wonder that I woe thee! thou that art The prime of our young groomes, euen the top Of all our lusty Shepheards: what dull eie That nuer was acquainted with desire, Hath sene thee wrastle, run, or cast the stone, Wih nimble strength and faire deliuery, And hath not sparckled fire, and speedily Sent secret heat to all the neighbouring vaines? Who euer heard thee sing, that brought againe, That freedome backe was lent vnto thy voice? Then do not blame me (shepheard) if I be One to be numbred in this company, Since none that euer saw thee yet, were free. Faire Shepheardesse much pittie I can lend, To your complaints: but sure I shal not loue: All that is mine, my selfe and my best hopes, Are giuen already: do not loue him then That cannot loue againe: on other men Bestowe those heates more free, that may returne You fire for fire, and in one flame equall burne. Shall I rewarded be so slenderly For my affection, most vnkinde of men? If I were old, or had agreed with Art, To giue another nature to my cheekes, Or were I common mistris to the loue Of euery swaine, or could I with such ease Call backe my loue, as many a wanton doth, Thou mightst refuse me Shepheard, but to thee I am onely fixt and set, let it not be A sport, thou gentle Shepheard, to abuse The loue of silly maide. Faire soule, ye vse These words to little end: for knowe, I may Better call backe, that time was yesterday, Or stay the comming night, then bring my loue Home to my selfe againe, or recreant proue. I will no longer hold you with delaies, This present night I haue appointed bene, To meet that chaste faire (that enioyes my soule) In yonder groue, there to make vp our loues. Be not deceau'd no longer, choose againe, These neighbouring plaines haue many a comely swaine, Fresher and freeer farre then I ere was, Bestowe that loue on them and let me passe, Farwell, be happy in a better choise. Cruell, thou hast strucke me deader with thy voice Then if the angry heauens with their quicke flames, Had shot me through: I must not leaue to loue, I cannot, no I must enioy thee boy, Though the great dangers twixt my hopes and that Be infinite: there is a Shepheard dwels Downe by the More, whose life hath euer showne More fullen discontent then Saturnes browe, When he sits frowning on the birthes of men: One that doth weare himselfe away in lonenesse, And neuer ioyes vnlesse it be in breaking The holy plghted troths of mutuall soules: One that lusts after euery seuerall beauty, But neuer yet was knowne to loue or like, Were the face fairer or more full of truth, Then Phoebe in her fulnesse, or the youth