Tasso, Torquato / Reynolds, Henry · published 1628 · first performed or written 1628 (Annals) pastoral T4 Love-longing and the lover's complaint typicality 0.84 · 497 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T4: love, heart, sweet, loves, fair, phillis, eyes, beauty, amyntas, lovers.
When 'tis with thousand little pebbles crossed; Or the wind prattling 'mongst the wanton leaves) 'Gan then, even then to feel a new desire Possess me, of touching those dear lips with mine; And grown more subtle than I was before, (So love perhaps th'imagination whets,) I found this new deceit, whereby to ' aspire With greater ease to th'end of my desire; I feigned myself stung on the neither lip, In like sort with a Bee as Phillis was; And in such manner 'gan to moan myself, As th'help my tongue craved not, my looks implored; The harmless Silvia, pitying stratt my case, Offered her ready cure to my feigned hurt; But th' unfeigned wound I bleed of, deeper made, And far more deadly, when those coral twins On mine she laid. Nor do the giddy Bees Gather from any flower honey so sweet, As I did from those freshest roses gather; Though bashful shame, and fear had taught to bar, Hot kisses from desire to press too far, T'imbathe themselves; and did their heat withhold And kill, or made them slower and less bold. But while down to my heart that sweetness glided, Mixed with a secret poison, such delight I inly felt, that feigning still the grief Of the sting had not left me yet; so dealt, That she the charm repeated sundry times: Since when till now, still more and more I find, For all her charm, she'has left the sting behind. Whose pain ere since hath so increased upon me, As my love-labouring breast could hold no longer, But that upon a time, when diverse Nymphs And Shepherds of us in a ring were sitting, Whilst the play was, each one should softly whisper Some word in th'ear of her that next him sat; Silvia (quoth I soft in her ear) for thee I pine, and dye, unless thou pity me. No sooner heard she this, but down she hangs The fair look, whence I might perceive to break A sudden and unwonted ruddiness, That seemed to breat he forth anger mixed with shame; Nor would she ' in other language answer me, Then such a troubled silence, as appeared Threatening and deadly; nor since then would ever Willingly see, or hear me: Thrice the Sun His yearly course hath run, thrice the green fields Hath the naked Sythman barbed; and three times hath The Winter robbed the trees of their green locks; That I have tried all means I could, t'appease her, And nought remains, but that I die to please her; And gladly would I dye, were I but sure 'Twould either please, or but draw pity from her; Each were a blessing to me, though no doubt Her pity were of both the greater meed, And worthier recompense for all my love, And for my death; yet I were loath to wish Aught, that too rudely might those eyes molest, Or do the least offence to that dear breast.
seed 43: T2 · seed 44: T3 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
When tis with thouſand little pebbles croſt; Or the winde pratling' mongst the wanton leaues) Gan then, eu'n then to feele a new deſire Poſſeſſe me, of touching thoſe deare lips with mine; And growne more ſuttle then I was before, (So loue perhaps th'imagination whets,) I found this new deceipt, whereby to 'aspire With greater eaſe to th'end of my deſire; I faynde my ſelfe ſtung on the nether lip, In like ſort with a Bee as Phillis was; And in ſuch manner gan to moane myſelfe, As th'helpe my tongue crau'd not, my lookes implored; The harmleſſe Siluia, pittying ſtratt my caſe, Offred her ready cure to my fayn'd hurt; But th' vnfayn'd wound I bleede of, deeper made, And farre more deadly, when thoſe corall twinnes On mine ſhee layd. Nor do the giddy Bees Gather from any flowre honey ſo ſweete, As I did from thoſe freſheſt roſes gather; Though baſhfull ſhame, and feare had taught to barre, Hot kiſſes from deſire to preſſe too farre, T'imbathe themſelues; and did their heate withholde And kill, or made them ſlower and leſſe bolde. But while downe to my beart that ſweetneſſe glided, Mixt with a ſecret poyſon, ſuch delight I inly felt, that faigning ſtill the griefe Of the ſting had not left me yet; ſo dealt, That ſhee the charme repeated ſundry times: Since when till now, ſtill more and more I finde, For all her charme, ſhe'has left the ſting behinde. Whoſe paine ere ſince hath ſo increas'd vpon me, As my loue-labouring breaſt could hold no longer, But that vpon a time, when diuers Nymphes And Shepherds of vs in a ring were ſitting, Whilſt the play was, each one ſhould ſoftly whiſper Some word in th'eare of her that next him ſat; Siluia (quoth I ſoft in her eare) for thee I pine, and dye, vnleſſe thou pitty mee. No ſooner heard ſhe this, but downe ſhe hangs The faire looke, whence I might perceiue to breake A ſuddaine and vnwonted ruddineſſe, That ſeem'd to breat he forth anger mixt with ſhame; Nor would ſhee' in other language anſwer mee, Then ſuch a troubled ſilence, as appear'd Threatning and deadly; nor ſince then would euer Willingly ſee, or heare me: Thriſe the Sunne His yearly courſe hath runne, thriſe the greene fields Hath the nak'd Sythman barb'd; and three times hath The Winter rob'd the trees of their greene lockes; That I haue tryde all meanes I could, t'appeaſe her, And nought remaines, but that I dye to pleaſe her; And gladly would I dye, were I but ſure 'Twould either pleaſe, or but drawe pitty from her; Each were a bleſsing to mee, though no doubt Her pitty were of both the greater meede, And worthyer recompenſe for all my loue, And for my death; yet I were loth to wiſh Ought, that too rudely might thoſe eyes moleſt, Or do the leaſt offence to that deare breſt.