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 0.79 · 524 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T48: lady, love, heart, fair, eyes, la, lord, tears, fie, face.
Reason is her sire, Experience her dame, The Lady now is in her flowers and Science is her name Lo where she dwells, lo where my heart is all possessed, Lo where my body would abide, lo where my soul doth rest. Her have I borne good will, these many years tofore, But now she lodgeth in my thought a hundred parts the more, And since I do persuade myself that this is she Which aught above all earthly wights to be most dear to me And since I wot not how to compass my desire, And since for shame I can not now nor mind not to retire, Help on I you beseech and bring this thing about Without your hurt to my great ease, and set all out of doubt. Thou askest more, then is in me to give, Moore than thy cause, more than thy state will bear They are two things to able thee to live, And to live so, that none should be thy pear, The first fromme, proceedeth every where, But this by toil and practice of the mind, Is set full far god wots and bought full dear, By those that seek the fruit thereof to find, To match thee then with Science in degree, To knit that knot, that few may reach unto I tell the plain, it lieth not in me, Why should I challenge that I cannot do But thou must take another way to woe, And beat thy brain and bend thy curious head, Both ride and run and travail too and from If thou intend that famous Dame to wed. You name yourself the Lady of this world. It is true. And can there be within this world, a thing to hard for you. My power it is not absolute in jurisdiction For I cognise an other Lord above That hath received unto his disposition The soul of man which he of special love To gifts of grace and learning eke doth move. A work so far beyond my reach and call, That in to part of praise with him myself to show Might soon procure my well deserved fall. He makes the frame and receive it so, No jot therein altered for my head, And as I it receive I let it go, Causing therein such sparkles to be bred As he commyttes to me by whom I must be led Who guides me first and in me guides the rest, All which in their due course and kind are sped Of gifts from me such as may serve them best, To thee son wit he willed me to inspire The love of knowledge and certain seeds divine Which ground might be a mean to bring thee heir, If thereunto thyself thou wilt incline The massy gold, the couning hand makes fine: Good grounds are tiled, as well as are the worst The rankest flower will ask a springing time, So is man's wit unperfect at the first. If cunning be the key and well of worldly bliss My thinketh god might at the first as well endue all with this.
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)
Reason is her sire, Experience her dame, The Ladye nowe is in her flowers and Science is her name Loe where she dwelles, lo where my harte is all possest, Loe where my bodie would abyde, lo where my soule doth rest. Her haue I borne good wyll, these manye yeares tofore, But nowe she lodgeth in my thought a hundred partes the more, And since I doe perswade my self that thys is she Which ought aboue all earthly wyghtes to be most deare to me And since I wote not howe to compasse my desyre, And since for shame I can not now nor mynd not to retyre, Helpe on I you besech and bring thys thyng about Wythout youre hurte to my greate ease, and set all out of doubte. Thou askest more, then is in me to gyue, More then thy cause, more then thy state will beare They are two things to able thee to liue, And to liue so, that none should be thy peare, The first fromme, procéedeth euerye where, But this by tayle and practise of the mind, Is set full farre god wot and bought full deare, By those that séeke the frute therof to finde, To match thee then with Science in degrée, To knit that knot, that few may reach vnto I tel the playne, it lyethe not in mée, Why should I challenge that I cannot doe But thou must take another way to woe, And beate thy brayne and bende thy Curiouse head, Both ryde and runne and trauayle too and roe If thou entend that famous Dame to wed. You name your selfe the Lady of this world. It is true. And can there be within this world, a thing o hard for you. My power it is not absolute in Iurisdiction For I cognise an other Lord aboue That hath receaued vnto his disposition The soule of man which he of speciall loue To gyfts of grace and learning eke doth moue. A worke so farre beyonde my reach and call, That in to part of prayse with him my selfe to show Myght sone procure my well deserued falle. He makes the frame and receiue it soe, No iotte therin altered for my head, And as I it reciue I let it goe, Causyng therin suche sparkles to be bredde As he commyttes to me by whom I must be ledde Who guides me first and in me guides the rest, All which in their due course and kind are spedde Of giftes from me such as may serue them best, To thee sonne witte he wild me to infpire The loue of knowledge and certayne séedes deuine Which ground might be a meane to bring thee hiere, Yf therunto thy self thou wilt encline The massy golde, the counyng hand makes fyne: Good groundes are tilde, as well as are the worste The rankest flower will aske a springyng tyme, So is mans wit vnperfit at the first. Yf connyng be the key and well of wordly blysse My thinketh god might at ye first as well endue al with this.