Gascoigne, George / Ariosto, Ludovico · published 1573 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) comedy T19 Virtue, Fortune and Vice as abstractions typicality 0.71 · 488 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T19: virtue, fortune, virtues, honour, fame, vice, envy, world, pride, great.
THis amorous cause that hangeth in controversy between Domine doctor & me, may be compared to them that play at primero, of whom some one peradventure shall lose a great sum of money before he win one stake, & at last half in anger shall set up his rest, win it, & after that another, another, & another, till at last he draw the most part of the money to his heap, the other by little & little still diminishing his rest, till at last he be come as near the brink, as erst the other was, yet again peradventure fortune smiling on him, he shall as it were by piece meal, pull out the guts of his fellows bags, & bring him barer than he himself was tofore, & so in play continue still, (fortune favouring now this way now that way) till at last the one of them is left with as many crosses as God hath brethren: O how often have I thought myself sure of the upper hand herein? but I triumphed before the victory: and then how oft again have I thought the field lost? Thus have I been tossed now over, now under, even as fortune list to whirl the wheel, neither sure to win nor certain to lose the wager: and this practice that now my servant hath devised, although hitherto it hath not succeeded amiss, yet can I not count myself assured of it, for I fear still that one mischance or other will come and turn it topsy-turvy. But look where my master cometh. Dulipo. Here sir. Go in and bid Nevola and his fellows come hither that I may tell them what they shall go about, and go you into my study, there upon the shelf you shall find a roll of writings which Iohn of the Deane made to my father, when he sold him the Grange farm, endorsed with both their names: bring it hither to me. It shall be done sir. Go, I will prepare other manner of writings for you than you are aware of. O fools that trust any man but themselves now adays, oh spiteful fortune, thou dost me wrong I think, that from the depth of Hell pit thou hast sent me this servant to be the subversion of me and all mine, come hither sirs and hear what I shall say unto you: go in to my study, where you shall find Dulipo, step to him all at once, take him and with a cord that I have laid on the table for the nonce, bind him hand and foot, carry him into the dungeon under the steers, make fast the door and bring me the key, it hangeth by upon a pin ou the wall, dispatch and do this gear as privily as you can, and thou Nevola come hither to me again with speed. Well sir I shall.
seed 43: T13 · seed 44: T16 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
THis amorous cause that hangeth in cōtrouersie betwen Domine doctor & me, may be compared to thē that play at primero, of whō some one peraduenture shal léese a great sum of money before he win one stake, & at last halfe in anger shal set vp his rest, win it, & after that another, another, & another, till at last he draw ye most parte of the money to his heape, ye other by litle & litle still deminishig his rest, till at last he be come as néere the brinke, as earst ye other was, yet againe peraduenture fortune smiling on him, he shal as it were by péece meale, pull out ye guts of his fellows bags, & bring him barer than he himself was tofore, & so in playe continue still, (fortune fauoring now this way now y• way) till at last ye one of thē is left with as many crosses as God hath brethren: O howe often haue I thoughte my selfe sure of the vpper hande herein? but I triumphed before the victorye: and then how ofte againe haue I thoughte the field loste? Thus haue I béene tossed now ouer, nowe vnder, euen as fortune list to wherle the whéele, neither sure to winne nor certayne to loose the wager: and this practise that nowe my seruaunte hath deuised, although hitherto it hath not succeded amisse, yet can I not count my selfe assured of it, for I feare still that one mischance or other wyll come and turne it topsie turie. But looke where my mayster commeth. DVlipo. Here sir. Go in and bid Neuola and his fellowes come hither that I may tell them what they shall go about, and go you into my studie, there vppon the shelfe you shall find a roule of writings which Iohn of the Deane made to my father, when he solde him the Grange ferme, endorced with both their names: bring it hither to me. It shall be done sir. Go, I will prepare other maner of writings for you thā you are aware of. O fooles that trust any mā but themselues now adayes, oh spiteful fortune, thou doest me wrōg I thinke, that from the depth of Hell pitte thou hast sente me this seruant to be the subuersion of me and all mine, come hither sirs and heare what I shall say vnto you: go in to my studie, where you shall find Dulippo, step to him all at once, take him and with a corde that I haue laide on the table for the nonce, bind him hande and foote, carie him into the dungeō vnder the steares, make fast the dore and bring me the kay, it hangeth by vppon a pin ou the wal, dispatche and do this geare as priuily as you can, and thou Neuola come hither to me againe with spéede. Well sir I shall.