Gascoigne, George / Ariosto, Ludovico · published 1575 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) comedy unassigned nearest T35 Fools, wit and railing · 477 words · other edition — not in the analysis
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 an other. 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 no body, come forth Polinesta, 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 vve meane to occupie your eares vvith ſophiſticall handling of ſubtill Suppoſitions. Some other vvil 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.