Gascoigne, George / Ariosto, Ludovico · published 1575 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) comedy T3 Sickness, physic and doctors typicality 0.78 · 579 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T3: doctor, master, cure, disease, pray, physic, physician, mr, sick, lady.
You were best so. Hard hap had I when I first began this unfortunate enterprise: for I supposed the readiest medicine to my miserable affects 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 rest less desire might have found quiet by continual contemplation. But alas, I found 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 passed 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 far 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 marry another? Alas, the pleasant taste of my sugared joys doth yet remain so perfect in my remembrance, that the lest 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 Mumpsimus (whom the pocks consume) should win her, then may I say, farewell the pleasant talk, the kind embracings, yea farewell the sight of my Polynestat 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 lest 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 say 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 lest if he help me not, be may yet prolong my life for this once. But here cometh his lackey: ho Iack pack, where is Erostrato?
Translation;Nonprofessional;University/Inns of Court
Edition / TCP / DEEP
edition 104 · TCP A01514 · DEEP 5007.02
Edition role
Other edition — placed after the fit, excluded from the main statistics
Position
nodes 116–117 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 7 of 36 in this edition
Length
579 words · 729 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T3 — Sickness, physic and doctorscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.777 (cosine to the topic centroid) · placed after the fit (approximate_predict), not counted in the topic statistics
Other seeds
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)
You were beſt ſo. Hard hap had I when I firſt began this vnfortunate enterpriſe: for I ſuppoſed the readieſt medicine to my miſerable affects 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 reſt leſſe deſire might haue founde quiet by continuall contemplation. But alas, I find 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 ſeene the only cauſe of his owne conſumption. Two yeeres are nowe paſt ſince (vnder the colour of Damons ſeruice) I haue bene a ſworne ſeruant to Cupid: of whom I haue receiued as much fauour & grace as euer man founde in his ſeruice. I haue free libertie at al times to behold my deſired, to talke with hir, to embrace hir, yea (be it ſpoken in ſecrete) to lie 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 world 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 giuen by hir father to this olde doting doctor, this buzard, this bribing villaine, that by ſo many meanes ſeeketh to obtain hir at hir fathers hāds? I know ſhe loueth me beſt of all others, but what may that preuaile when perforce ſhe ſhalbe cōſtrained to marie another? Alas, the pleaſant taſt of my ſugred ioyes doth yet remaine ſo perfect in my remē brance, that the leaſt ſoppe of ſorow ſéemeth more ſoure thā gal in my mouth. If I had neuer knowen delight, with better contentatiō might I haue paſſed theſe dreadful dolours. And if this olde Mumpſimus (whom the pockes conſume) ſhould win hir, then may I ſay, farewell the pleaſant talke, the kind embracings, yea farewel the ſight of my Polyneſtat for he like a ielouſe wretch will pen hir vp, that I thinke the birdes of the aire ſhall not winne the ſighte of hir. I hoped to haue caſte a blocke in his waie, by the meanes that my ſeruaunt (who is ſuppoſed to be Eroſtrato, and with my habite and credite is wel eſtéemed) ſhould proffer himſelf a ſuter, at the leaſt to counteruaile the doctors proffers. 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. Wel, my ſeruant 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, be maye yet prolong my life for this once. But here commeth his lackie: ho Iack pack, where is Eroſtrato?