Gascoigne, George / Ariosto, Ludovico · published 1573 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) comedy T3 Sickness, physic and doctors typicality 0.79 · 575 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T3: doctor, master, cure, disease, pray, physic, physician, mr, sick, lady.
Hard hap had I when I first began this unfortunate enterprise, for I supposed the readiest medicine to my miserable effects had been to change name, clothes, & credit with my servant, & to place myself in Damon's service, thinking that as shivering cold by glowing fire, thirst by drink, hunger by pleasant repasts, and a thousand such like passions find remedy by their contraries, so my restless desire might have found quiet by continual contemplation. But alas, I find that only love is unsatiable, for as the fly playeth with the flame till at last she is cause of her own decay, so the lover that thinketh with kissing and colling to content his unbridled appetite, is commonly seen the only cause of his own consumption: Two years are now past since under the colour of Damon's service I have been a sworn servant to Cupid, of whom I have received as much favour & grace as ever man found in his service, I have free liberty at all times to behold my desired, to talk with her, to embrace her, yea (be it spoken in secret) to lie with her, I reap the fruits of my desire, yet as my joys abound, even so my pains increase, I fare like the covetous man, that having all the world at will, is never yet content, the more I have, the more I desire. Alas, what wretched estate have I brought myself unto, if in the end of all my far fetches, she be given by her father to this old doting doctor, this buzzard, this bribing villain, that by so many means seeketh to obtain her at her father's hands? I know she loveth me best of all others, but what may that prevail when perforce she shallbe constrained to marie another? Alas the pleasant taste of my sugared joys doth yet remain so perfect in my remembrance, that the least sop of sorrow seemeth more sour than gall in my mouth: if I had never known delight, with better contentation might I have passed these dreadful dolours. And if this old. M. impsimus (whom the pocks consume) should win her, then may I say, farewell the pleasant talk, the kind embracings, yea farewell the sight of my Polynesta, for he like a jealous wretch will pen her up, that I think the birds of the air shall not win the sight of her. I hoped to have cast a block in his way, by the means that my servant, who is supposed to be Erostrato, and with my habit and credit is well esteemed, should proffer himself a suitor, at the least to countervail the doctor's proffers: but my master knowing the wealth of the one, and doubting the state of the other, is determined to be fed no longer with fair words, but to accept the doctor, (whom he right well knoweth) for his son in law: well, my servant promised me yesterday to devise yet again some new conspiracy to drive master doctor out of conceit, and to lay a snare that the fox himself might be caught in, what it is, I know not, nor I saw him not since he went about it: I will go see if he be within, that at least if he help me not, he may yet prolong my life for this once. But here cometh his lackey, ho Iack hark, where is Erostrato?
Translation;Nonprofessional;University/Inns of Court
Edition / TCP / DEEP
edition 103 · TCP A01513 · DEEP 5006.01
Edition role
Representative edition — used in the analysis
Position
nodes 119–119 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 7 of 36 in this edition
Length
575 words · 725 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T3 — Sickness, physic and doctorscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.785 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T3 · seed 44: T4 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Hard hap had I when I first begon this vnfortunate enterprise, for I supposed the readiest medicine to my miserable effects had bene to change name, clothes, & credite with my seruant, & to place my selfe in Damons seruice, thinking that as sheuering colde by glowing fire, thurst by drinke, hunger by pleasant repasts, and a thousande suche like passions finde remedie by their contraries, so my restles desire might haue founde quiet by continuall contemplation. But alas, I finde that only loue is vnsaciable, for as the flie playeth with the flame till at last she is cause of hir owne decay, so the louer that thinketh with kissing and colling to content his vnbrideled apetite, is cōmonly sene the onely cause of his owne consumption: Two yéeres are now paste since vnder the colour of Damons seruice I haue bene a sworne seruant to Cupid, of whō I haue receiued as muche fauour & grace as euer man founde in his seruice, I haue frée libertie at al times to behold my desired, to talke with hir, to embrace hir, yea (be it spoken in secrete) to lye with hir, I reape the fruites of my desire, yet as my ioyes abounde, euen so my paines encrease, I fare like the couetous man, that hauing all the worlde at will, is neuer yet content, the more I haue, the more I desire. Alas, what wretched estate haue I brought my selfe vnto, if in the ende of all my farre fetches, she be giuē by hir father to this olde doting doctor, this buzard, this bribing villaine, that by so many meanes seketh to obtaine hir at hir fathers hands? I know she loueth me best of all others, but what may that preuaile when perforce she shalbe constrained to marie another? Alas, y• pleasant taste of my sugred ioyes doth yet remaine so perfect in my remē brance, that the least soppe of sorow séemeth more soure th ̄ gall in my mouth: if I had neuer knowen delight, with better contentatiō might I haue passed these dreadful dolours. And if this olde .M. impsimus (whom the pockes consume) should wyn hir, then may I saye, farewell the pleasant talk, the kind embracings, yea farewel the sight of my Polynesta, for he like a ielouse wretch will pen ir vp, that I thinke the birdes of the aire shall not wynne the sighte of hir. I hoped to haue caste a blocke in his waye, by the meanes that my seruaunt, who is supposed to be Erostrato, and with my habite and credite is well estemed, should proffer himselfe a suter, at the least to counteruaile the doctors profers: but my maister knowing the wealth of the one, and doubting the state of the other, is determined to be fed no longer with faire wordes, but to accept the doctor, (whom he right well knoweth) for his sonne in law: well, my seruaunt promised me yesterday to deuise yet againe some newe conspiracie to driue maister doctor out of conceite, and to laye a snare that the foxe himselfe might be caughte in, what it is, I knowe not, nor I saw him not since he went about it: I will goe sée if he be within, that at least if he helpe me not, he maye yet prolong my life for this once. But here commeth his lackie, ho Iack heark, where is Erostrato?