Gascoigne, George / Ariosto, Ludovico · published 1573 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) comedy unassigned nearest T35 Fools, wit and railing · 475 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T35: fool, wit, aristippus, achilles, wise, fools, patroclus, thersites, master, men.
I Suppose you are assembled here, supposing to reap the fruit of my travails: and to be plain, I mean presently to present you with a Comedy called Supposes, the very name whereof may peradventure drive into every of your heads a sundry Suppose, to suppose the meaning of our supposes. Some percase will suppose we mean to occupy your ears with sophistical handling of subtle Suppositions. Some other will suppose we go about to decipher unto you some quaint conceits, which hitherto have been only supposed as it were in shadows: and some I see smiling as though they supposed we would trouble you with the vain suppose of some wanton Suppose. But understand, this our Suppose is nothing else but a mistaking or imagination of one thing for another: for you shall see the master supposed for the servant, the servant for the master: the freeman for a slave, and the bondslave for a freeman: the stranger for a well known friend, and the familiar for a stranger. But what? I suppose that even already you suppose me very fond, that have so simply disclosed unto you the subtleties of these our Supposes: where otherwise in deed I suppose you should have heard almost the last of our Supposes, before you could have supposed any of them aright. Let this then suffice. HEre is nobody, come forth Polynesta, let us look about, to be sure lest any man hear our talk: for I think within the house the tables, the planks, the beds, the portals, yea and the cupboards themselves have ears. You might as well have said, the windows and the doors: do you not see how they hearken? Well you jest fair, but I would advise you take heed, I have bidden you a thousand times beware, you will be spied one day talking with Dulipo. And why should I not talk with Dulipo as well as with any other, I pray you? I have given you a wherefore for this why many times, but go too, follow your own advise till you overwhelm us all with sudden mishap. A great mishap I promise you: marry God's blessing on their heart that set such a brooch on my cap. Well, look well about you: a man would think it were enough for you secretly to rejoice, that by my help you have passed so many pleasant nights together, and yet by my troth I do it more than half against my will, for I would rather you had settled your fancy in some noble family, yea and it is no small grief unto me, that rejecting the suits of so many nobles and gentlemen, you have chosen for your darling a poor servant of your fathers, by whom shame and infamy is the best dower you can look for to attain.
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)
I Suppose you are assembled here, supposing to reape the fruite of my trauayles: and to be playne, I meane presently to presente you vvith a Comedie called Supposes, the verye name vvherof may peraduenture driue into euery of your heades a sundry Suppose, to suppose the meaning of our supposes. Some percase vvill suppose we meane to occupie your eares vvith sophisticall handling of subtill Suppositions. Some other vvill suppose vve go about to discipher vnto you some queint conceiptes, vvhich hitherto haue bene onely supposed as it vvere in shadovves: and some I see smyling as though they supposed vve vvould trouble you vvith the vaine suppose of some vvanton Suppose. But vnderstand, this our Suppose is nothing else but a mystaking or imagination of one thing for an other: for you shall see the master supposed for the seruant, the seruant for the master: the freeman for a slaue, and the bondslaue for a freeman: the stranger for a vvell knovven friend, and the familiar for a stranger. But vvhat? I suppose that euen already you suppose me very fonde, that haue so simply disclosed vnto you the subtilties of these our Supposes: vvhere othervvise in deede I suppose you shoulde haue hearde almoste the laste of our Supposes, before you coulde haue supposed anye of them arighte. Let this then suffise. HEre is no body, come foorth Polynesta, let vs looke about, to be sure least any man heare our talke: for I thinke within the house the tables, the plankes, the beds, the portals, yea and the cupbords them selues haue eares. You might as well haue sayde, the windowes and the doores: do you not sée howe they harken? Well you iest faire, but I would aduise you take héede, I haue bidden you a thousande times beware, you will be spied one day talking with Dulippo. And why should I not talke with Dulippo as well as with any other, I pray you? I haue giuen you a wherfore for this why many times, but go too, followe your owne aduise till you ouerwhelme vs all with soden mishappe. A great mishappe I promise you: marie Gods blessing on their heart that sette suche a brouche on my cappe. Well, looke well about you: a man would thinke it were inough for you secretly to reioyce, that by my helpe you haue passed so many pleasant nightes togither, and yet by my trouth I do it more than halfe agaynst my will, for I would rather you had setled your fansie in some noble familie, yea and it is no small griefe vnto me, that reiecting the suites of so many nobles and gentlemen, you haue chosen for your darling a poore seruaunt of your fathers, by whome shame and infamie is the best dower you can looke for to attayne.