The School of Compliment (Love Tricks) · chunk 21 of 44
Shirley, James · published 1631 · first performed or written 1625 [licensed for stage, Feb 11] (Annals) comedy · Lady Elizabeth's Men · Phoenix/Cockpit unassigned nearest T48 Addressing a lady: love, desire and inti · 492 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T48: lady, love, heart, fair, eyes, la, lord, tears, fie, face.
Lady, wounded by your beauty, I will acknowledge mercy if you kill me not, yet rather murder me, then vulnerate still your creature, unless you mean to medicine where you have hurt, and I implore no better remedy than I may derive from the instrument wherewith you pierced me, like Achilles' Spear, your eye having shot lightning into my breast, hath power with a smile to fetch out the consuming fire, and yet leave my heart inflamed. Sir, although where I am not guilty of offence, I might deny justly, to descend to a satisfaction: yet rather than I would be counted a murderer, I would study to preserve so sweet a model as yourself; and since you desire my eye which inflamed you, should with the virtue of a gracious smile make you happy in your fire, it shall shine as you would have it, and disclaim that beam shall shine upon another object. So, very well, this is your cunning lesson. Some strangers, Curoutio. Sir, the Country comes in upon us. Is not here a compliment-school? A School of generous education, sir. I have brought my Son to be a Scholar, I do mean to make him a Courtier, I have an offer of five or six Offices for my money, and I would have him first taught to speak. He is a great child, cannot he speak yet? In what kind of compliment, please you, venerable Sir, to be edoctrinated? But we will withdraw. Come, for another lesson, my brave Mars, Now I am fit to quarrel with the Stars, And catch at Ioue. What's he? Orlando Furioso. By the bloodstained falchion of Mavors I will carbonado thee, keep off, or in my fury I will cut thee into atoms, and blow thee about the world. I hope he does but compliment. I will out-labour Jove-born Hercules, And in a greater fury ransack Hell: Tear from the Sisters their contorted curls, And wrack the Destinies on Ixion's Wheel, Brain Proserpine with Sisyphus' rolling stone, And in a brazen cauldron choked with Lead, boil Minos, Aeacus, and Radamanth, Throw Pluto headlong into moorish Fens, And sooty Regions. Dam up Cocytus with tormented soul, And batter down the brazen gates of Hell, Make the Infernal three-chapped Band-dog roar. Cram Tantalus with Apples, lash the Fiends With Whips of Snakes, and poisoned Scorpions, Snatch chained Prometheus from the vulture's maw, And feed him with her liver, make old Charon Waft back again the souls, or buffet him With his own Oars to death. So, so, 'tis well, you shall take forth a new lesson, sit down and breathe. 'Twas a devilish good speech. Oh, why did nature make thee fair and cruel? What spruce fellow's this? He is an hundred & fifty pounds a yard in potentia, a yeoman's son, and justice of Peace's clerk, he is in love with a farmer's daughter, and thus he speaks his passion in blank Verse.
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)
Lady, wounded by your beauty, I will acknowledge mercy if you kill me not, yet rather murther me, then vulnerate still your creature, vnlesse you meane to medicine where you haue hurt, and I implore no better remedy then I may deriue from the instrument wherewith you pierced mee, like Achilles Speare, your eye hauing shot lightning into my brest, hath power with a smile to fetch out the consuming fire, and yet leaue my heart inflam'd. Sir, although where I am not guilty of offence, I might deny iustly, to descend to a satisfaction: yet rather then I would be counted a murtherer, I would study to preserue so sweet a modell as your selfe; and since you desire my eye which enflamed you, should with the vertue of a gracious smile make you happy in your fire, it shall shine as you would haue it, and disclaime that beame shall shine vpon another obiect. So, very well, this is your cunning lesson. Some strangers, Curoutio. Sir, the Country comes in vpon vs. Is not here a Complement-Schoole? A Schoole of generous education, sir. I haue brought my Sonne to bee a Scholler, I doe meane to make him a Courtier, I haue an offer of fiue or sixe Offices for my money, and I would haue him first taught to speake. He is a great childe, cannot he speake yet? In what kinde of complement, please you, venerable Sir, to be edoctrinated? But we will withdraw. Come, for another lesson, my braue Mars, Now I am fit to quarrell with the Starres, And catch at Ioue. What's hee? Orlando Furioso. By the blood-staind fauchion of Mauors I will carbonado thee, keep off, or in my fury I will cut thee into Atomes, and blow thee about the world. I hope he does but complement. I will out-labour Ioue-borne Hercules, And in a greater fury ransack Hell: Teare from the Sisters their contorted curles, And wrack the Destinies on Ixions Wheele, Braine Proserpine with Sisiphs rowling stone, And in a brazen Caldron choakt with Lead, Boyle Minos, Eacus, and Radamant, Throw Pluto headlong into moorish Fennes, And sooty Regions. Dam vp Cocitus with tormented soule, And batter downe the brazen gates of Hell, Make the Infernall three-chapt Band-dog rore. Cram Tantalus with Apples, lash the Fiends With Whips of Snakes, and poysoned Scorpions, Snatch chain'd Prometheus from the Vultures maw, And feede him with her liuer, make old Charon Waft backe againe the soules, or buffet him With his owne Oares to death. So, so, 'tis well, you shall take forth a new lesson, sit downe and breathe. 'Twas a deuillish good speech. Oh, why did nature make thee faire and cruell? What spruce fellow's this? He is an hundred & fifty pounds a yard in potentia, a Yeomans sonne, and Iustice of Peaces Clarke, hee is in loue with a Farmers daughter, and thus he speakes his passion in blanke Verse.