Anonymous · published 1570 · first performed or written 1568 [before 1569] (Annals) moral · Children of Paul's (first)(?) T48 Addressing a lady: love, desire and inti typicality 0.78 · 475 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T48: lady, love, heart, fair, eyes, la, lord, tears, fie, face.
grand Lady mother of every mortal thing: Nurse of the world conservative of kind Cause of increase, of life and soul the spring, At whose instinct, the noble Heaven doth wind, To whose award all Creatures are assigned, I come in place, to treat with this my son, For his avail how he the path may find, Whereby his Race in honour he may run: Come tender Child, unripe and green for age, In whom the paret sets her chief delight, Wit is thy name, but far from wisdom sage, Till tract of time shall work and frame aright, This peerless brain, not yet in perfect plight: But when it shallbe wrought me thinks I see As in a glass before hand with my sight A certain perfect piece of work in thee, And now so far as I guess by signs Some great attempt is fixed in thy breast: Speak on my son whereto thy heart inclines And let me deal to set thy heart at rest, He salves the fore that knows the patient best As I do thee my son my chiefest care, In whom my special praise and joy doth rest, To me therefore these thoughts of thine declare Nature, my sovereign Queen and paret passing deer Whose force I am enforced to know and knowledge every where, This care of mine though it be bread within my breast, Yet it is not so ripe: as yet to breed me great unrest, So run I to and fro, with hap such as I find, Now fast, now loose, now hot, now cold, unconstant as that wind, I feel myself in love yet not inflamed so, But causes move me now and then, to let such fancies go, Which causes prevailing sets each thing else in doubt Much like the nail that last came in, & drives the former out. Wherefore my suit is this, that it would please your grace, To settle this unsettled head in some assured place: To lead me through the thick, to guide me all the way, To point me where I may achieve my most desired pray, For now again of late I kindle in desire And pleasure pricketh fourth my youth to feel a greater fire, What though I be to young to show her sport in bed, Yet are there many in this land that at my years do wed, And though I wed not yet, yet am I old enough To serve my Lady to my power and to begin to woe. What is that ladies son which thus thy heart doth move A Lady whom it might be seem high Ioue himself to love Who taught the her to love, or hast thou seen her face. Nor this nor that, but I heard men talk of her apace. What is her name?
seed 43: T31 · seed 44: T44 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
GRaunde Lady mother of euery mortall thynge: Nurse of the woorlde conseruatyue of kynd Cause of encrease, of lyfe and soule the spring, At whose instincte, the noble Heauen doth winde, To whose award all Creatures are assynde, I come in place, to treate with this my sonne, For his auayle howe he the path may fynde, Wherby his Race in honour he may runne: Come tender Childe, vnrype and greene for age, In whom the paret settes her chiefe delite, Witte is thy name, but farre from wisdome sage, Tyll tracte of tyme shall worke and frame aryght, This perelesse brayne, not yet in perfect plyght: But when it shalbe wrought me thinkes I see As in a glasse before hand with my syghte A certaine perfect peece of worke in the, And now so farre as I gesse by signes Some great attempte is fyxed in thy brest: Speake on my sonne wherto thy harte inclynes And let me deale to set thy hart at rest, He salues the fore that knowes the pacient best As I doe thee my sonne my chiefest care, In whom my speciall prayse and ioye doth rest, To me therfore these thoughtes of thyne declare Nature, my soueraigne Quene and paret passyng dere Whose force I am inforst to know and knowledge euery where, This care of myne though it be bread within my breste, Yet it is not so rype: as yet to brede me great vnrest, So runne I to and fro, with hap suche as I fynde, Now fast, now lose, now hot, now cold, vncōstant as that wind, I feele my selfe in loue yet not inflamed so, But causes moue me now and then, to let suche fancies go, Whiche causes preuailyng settes eche thing els in doubte Much like the nayle that last came in, & dryues the former out. Wherfore my sute is thys, that it woulde please your grace, To settle this vnsetled head in some assured place: To leade me through the thyck, to guyde me al the waye, To poynt me where I maye atcheue my most desyred praye, For nowe agayne of late I kyndle in desire And pleasure pricketh fourth my youth to feele a greater fyre, What though I be to young to shewe her sport in bed, Yet are there many in thys lande that at my yeares doe wedde, And though I wed not yet, yet am I olde inowe To serue my Lady to my power and to begynne to woe. What is that Ladyes sonne which thus thy hart doth moue A Ladye whom it myght be seeme hygh Ioue hym self to loue Who taught the her to loue, or hast thou seene her face. Nor this nor that, but I had menne talke of her apace. What is her name?