Gascoigne, George / Ariosto, Ludovico · published 1573 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) comedy unassigned nearest T49 Wooing a mistress: suitors, go-betweens · 508 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T49: mistress, gentleman, love, lady, woman, pray, gentlewoman, hear, honest, way.
I promise you of my honesty, say on. Well hear you me then: this young man whom you have always taken for Dulipo, is a noble born Sicilian, his right name Erostrato, son to Philogono, one of the worthiest men in that country. How Erostrato? is it not our neighbour, which? Hold thy talking nurse, and hearken to me, that I may explain the whole case unto thee: the man whom to this day you have supposed to be Dulipo, is (as I say) Erostrato, a gentleman that came from Sicilia to study in this City, & even at his first arrival met me in the street, fell enamoured of me, & of such vehement force were the passions he suffered, that immediately he cast aside both long gown and books, & determined on me only to apply his study: and to the end he might the more commodiously both see me and talk with me, he exchanged both name, habit, clothes and credit with his servant Dulipo, whom only he brought with him out of Sicilia, and so with the turning of a hand, of Erostrato a gentleman, he became Dulipo a serving man, and soon after sought service of my father, and obtained it. Are you sure of this? Yea out of doubt, on the other side Dulipo took upon him the name of Erostrato his master, the habit, the credit, books, and all things needful to a student, and in short space profited very much, and is now esteemed as you see. Are there no other Sicilians here: nor none that pass this way, which may discover them? Very few that pass this way, and few or none that tarry here any time. This hath been a strange adventure, but I pray you how hang these things together? that the student whom you say to be the servant, and not the master, is become an earnest suitor to you, and requireth you of your father in marriage? That is a policy devised between them, to put Doctor Dotipole out of conceit, the old dotard, he that so instantly doth lie upon my father for me: but look where he comes, as God help me it is he, out upon him, what a lusty younker is this? yet I had rather be a nun a thousand times, than be cumbered with such a coistrel. Daughter you have reason, but let us go in before he come any nearer. WEre there dames here, or did mine eyes dazzle? Nay sir here were Polynesta and her nurse. Was my Polynesta here? alas I knew her not. He must have better eyesight that should marry your Polynesta, or else he may chance to oversee the best point in his tables sometimes. Sir it is no marvel, the air is very misty today: I myself knew her better by her apparel than by her face. In good faith and I thank God I have mine eye sight good and perfect, little worse than when I was but twenty years old.
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 promise you of my honestie, say on. Well heare you me then: this yong man whome you haue alwayes taken for Dulipo, is a noble borne Sicilian, his right name Erostrato, sonne to Philogono, one of the worthiest men in that countrey. How Erostrato? is it not our neighbour, whiche? Holde thy talking nourse, and harken to me, that I may explane the whole case vnto thée: the man whome to this day you haue supposed to be Dulipo, is (as I say) Erostrato, a gentleman that came from Sicilia to studie in this Citie, & euen at his first arriuall met me in the stréet, fel enamored of me, & of suche vehement force were the passions he suffred, that immediatly he cast aside both long gowne and bookes, & determined on me only to apply his study: and to the end he might the more cōmodiously bothe sée me and talke with me, he exchanged both name, habite, clothes and credite with his seruāt Dulipo, whō only he brought with him out of Sicilia, and so with the turning of a hand, of Erostrato a gentleman, he became Dulipo a seruing man, and soone after sought seruice of my father, and obteyned it. Are you sure of this? Yea out of doubt, on the other side Dulippo took vppon him the name of Erostrato his maister, the habite, the credite, bookes, and all things néedefull to a studente, and in shorte space profited very muche, and is nowe estéemed as you sée. Are there no other Sicylians héere: nor none that passe this way, which may discouer them? Uery fewe that passe this way, and fewe or none that tarrie héere any time. This hath béen a straunge aduenture, but I pray you howe hang these thinges togither? that the studente whome you say to be the seruant, and not the maister, is become an earnest suter to you, and requireth you of your father in mariage? That is a pollicie deuised betwéene them, to put Doctor Dotipole out of conceite, the olde dotarde, he that so instantly dothe lye vpon my father for me: but looke where he comes, as God helpe me it is he, out vpon him, what a luskie yonker is this? yet I had rather be a Noonne a thousande times, than be combred with suche a Coystrell. Daughter you haue reason, but let vs go in before he come any néerer. WEre there dames héere, or did mine eyes dazil? Nay syr héere were Polynesta and hir nourse. Was my Polynesta héere? alas I knewe hir not. He muste haue better eyesight that shoulde marry your Polynesta, or else he may chaunce to ouersée the best poynt in his tables sometimes. Syr it is no maruell, the ayre is very mistie to day: I my selfe knew hir better by hir apparell than by hir face. In good sayth and I thanke God I haue mine eye sighte good and perfit, little worsse than when I was but twentie yeres olde.