Massinger, Philip · published 1623 · first performed or written 1621 [1621-1623] (Annals) tragedy · King's Men · Blackfriars unassigned nearest T4 Love-longing and the lover's complaint · 509 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T4: love, heart, sweet, loves, fair, phillis, eyes, beauty, amyntas, lovers.
Or if to take my life be too much mercy, As death indeed concludes all human sorrows, Cut off my nose and ears, pull out an eye, The other only left to lend me light To see my own deformities: Why was I borne Without some mulct imposed on me by nature? Would from my youth a loathsome leprosy Had run upon this face, or that my breath Had been infectious and so made me shunned Of all societies: cursed be he that taught me discourse or manners, or lent any grace That makes the owner pleasing in the eye Of wanton women, since those parts which others Value as blessings, are to me afflictions, Such my condition is. I am on the rack, Dissolve this doubtful riddle. That I alone (you, Of all mankind that stand most bound to love And study your content should be appointed, Not by my will, but forced by cruel fate To be your greatest enemy, not to hold you In this amazement longer, in a word, Your Duchess loves me. loves thee? Is mad for me, Pursues me hourly: Oh! And from hence grew Her late neglect of you. O women! women! I laboured, to divert her by persuasion, Then urged your much love to her, & the danger, Denied her, and with scorn. 'Twas like thyself. But when I saw her smile, then heard her say, Your love and extreme dotage as a Cloak Should cover our embraces, and your power Fright others from suspicion, and all favours That should preserve her in her innocence, By lust inverted to be used as bawds, I could not but in duty (though I know That the relation kills in you all hope Of peace hereafter, and in me 'twill show Both base and poor to rise up her accuser) Freely discover it. Eternal plagues Pursue and overtake her, for her sake To all posterity may he prove a Cuckold, And like to me a thing so miserable As words may not express him, that gives trust To all deceiving women, or since it is The will of Heaven to preserve mankind, That we must know, & couple with these serpents, No wiseman ever taught by my example Hereafter use his wife with more respect Than he would do his Horse that does him service, Base woman being in her creation made A slave to man, but like a village nurse Stand I now cursing, and considering when The tamest fool would do? Within there, Stephane, Tiberio, and the rest, I will be sudden, And she shall know and feel love in extremes, Abused knows no degree in hate. My Lord. Go to the Chamber of that wicked woman. What wicked woman, Sir? The devil my wife. Force a rude entry, and if she refuse, To follow you, drag her hither by the hair And know no pity, any gentle usage To her will call on cruelty from me To such as show it, Stand you staring! Go, And put my will in act.
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)
Or if to take my life be too much mercy, As death indeed concludes all human sorrowes, Cut off my nose and eares, pull out an eye, The other only left to lend me light To see my owne deformities: Why was I borne Without some mulct impos'd on me by nature? Would from my youth a lothsome leprosie Had runne vpon this face, or that my breath Had been infectious and so made me shun'd Of all societies: curs'd be he that taught me Discource or manners, or lent any grace That makes the owner pleasing in the eye Of wanton women, since those parts which others Value as blessings, are to me afflictions, Such my condition is. I am on the racke, Dissolue this doubtfull riddle. That I alone (you, Of all mankind that stand most bound to loue And studie your content should be appointed, Not by my will, but sorc'd by cruell fate To be your greatest enemie, not to hold you In this amazement longer, in a word, Your Dutches loues me. Loues thee? Is mad for me, Pursues me hourely: Oh! And from hence grew Her late neglect of you. O women! women! I labour'd, to diuert her by perswasion, Then vrg'd your much loue to her, & the danger, Deny d her, and with scorne. 'Twas like thy selfe. But when I saw her smile, then heard her say, Your loue and extreme dotage as a Cloke Should couer our embraces, and your power Fright others from suspition, and all fauours That should preserue her in her innocence, By lust inuerted to be vs'd as bawdes, I could not but in dutie (though I know That the relation kils in you all hope Of peace hereafter, and in me 'twill shew Both base and poore to rise vp her accuser) Freely discouer it. Eternall plagues Pursue and ouertake her, for her sake To all posteritie may he proue a Cuckold, And like to me a thing so miserable As words may not expresse him, that giues trust To all deceiuing women, or since it is The will of Heauen to preserue mankind, That we must know, & couple with these serpents, No wiseman euer taught by my example Hereafter vse his wife with more respect Then he would doe his Horse that do's him seruice, Base woman being in her creation made A slaue to man, but like a village nurse Stand I now cursing, and considering when The tamest foole would doe? Within there, Stephane, Tiberio, and the rest, I will be suddaine, And she shall know and feele loue in extreames, Abus'd knowes no degree in hate. My Lord. Goe to the Chamber of that wicked woman. What wicked woman, Sir? The deuill my wife. Force a rude entry, and if she refuse, To follow you, drag her hither by the hayre And know no pittie, any gentle vsage To her will call on cruelty from me To such as shew it, Stand you staring! Goe, And put my will in act.