Gascoigne, George / Ariosto, Ludovico · published 1575 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) comedy T0 Court life: dukes, favour and honour typicality 0.72 · 497 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T0: duke, lord, duchess, love, court, madam, prince, honour, grace, lady.
I answered him in this sort: Gentleman, because I have heretofore found very courteous entertainment in your country, (being a student there,) I account myself as it were bound to a Scenese: and therefore if I knew of any mishap towards any of that country, God forbidden but I should disclose it: and I marvel that you knew not of the injury that your countrymen offered this other day to the Ambassadors of Count Hercules. What tales he telleth me: what appertain these to me? If you will hearken a while, you shall find them no tales, but that they appertain to you more than you think for. forth. I told him further, these Ambassadors of Count Hercules had divers Mules, Wagons, and Chariots, laden with divers costly jewels, gorgeous furniture, & other things which they carried as presents, (passing that way) to the king of Naples: the which were not only stayed in Sienna by the officers whom you call Customers, but searched, ransacked, tossed & turned, & in the end exacted for tribute, as if they had been the goods of a mean merchant. Wither the devil will he? is it possible that this gear appertain any thing to my cause? I find neither head nor foot in it. O how impatient you are: I pray you stay a while. Go to yet a while then. I proceeded, that upon these causes the Duke sent his Chancellor to declare the case unto the Senate there, of whom he had the most uncourteous answer that ever was heard: whereupon he was so enraged with all of that country, that for revenge he had sworn to spoil as many of them as ever should come to Ferara, and to send them home in their doublet and their hose. And I pray thee how couldst thou upon the sudden device or imagine such a lie? and to what purpose? You shall hear by and by a thing as fit for our purpose, as any could have happened. I would fain hear you conclude. You would fain leap over the style, before you come at the hedge: I would you had heard me, and seen the gestures that I enforced to make him believe this. I believe you, for I know you can counterfeit well. Further I said, the duke had charged upon great penalties, that the Inholders and victuallers should bring word daily of as many Siennese as came to their houses. The gentleman being (as I guessed at the first) a man of small sapientia, when he heard these news, would have turned his horse an other way. By likelihood he was not very wise when he would believe that of his country, which if it had been true every man must needs have known it. Why not? when he had not been in his country for a month paste, and I told him this had happened within these seven days. Belike he was of small experience.
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 163–180 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 10 of 36 in this edition
Length
497 words · 611 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T0 — Court life: dukes, favour and honourcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.717 (cosine to the topic centroid) · placed after the fit (approximate_predict), not counted in the topic statistics
Other seeds
seed 43: T0 · seed 44: T0 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
I anſwered him in this ſorte: Gentleman, bycauſe I haue heretofore founde very curteous entertaynement in your countrey, (béeing a ſtudēt there,) I accompt my ſelf as it were bounde to a Sceneſe: and therefore if I knewe of any miſhappe towards any of that countrey, God forbid but I ſhould diſcloſe it: and I maruell that you knewe not of the iniurie that your countreymen offered this other day to the Embaſſadours of Counte Hercules. What tales he telleth me: what appertayne theſe to me? If you will harken a whyle, you ſhall finde them no tales, but that they appertayne to you more than you thinke for. Foorth. I tolde him further, theſe Ambaſſadoures of Counte Hercules had dyuers Mules, Waggons, and Charettes, ladē with diuers coſtly iewels, gorgeous furniture, & other things which they caried as preſents, (paſſing that way) to the king of Naples: the which were not only ſtayd in Sciene by the officers whom you cal Cuſtomers, but ſerched, ranſacked, toſſed & turned, & in the end exacted for tribute, as if they had bene the goods of a meane marchaunt. Whither the diuell wil he? is it poſſible that this geare appertaine any thing to my cauſe? I finde neither head nor foote in it. O how impaciēt you are: I pray you ſtay a while. Go to yet a while then. I procéeded, that vpon theſe cauſes the Duke ſent his Chauncelor to declare the caſe vnto the Senate there, of whome he had the moſte vncurteous anſwere that euer was heard: whervpon he was ſo enraged with all of that countrey, that for reuenge he had ſworne to ſpoyle as many of them as euer ſhould come to Ferara, and to ſende them home in their dublet and their hoſe. And I pray thée how couldeſt thou vpon the ſudden deuiſe or imagine ſuche a lye? and to what purpoſe? You ſhall heare by and by a thing as fitte for our purpoſe, as any could haue happened. I would fayne heare you conclude. You would fayne leape ouer the ſtile, before you come at the hedge: I woulde you had heard me, and ſéene the geſtures that I enforced to make him beléeue this. I beléeue you, for I knowe you can counterfet wel. Further I ſayde, the duke had charged vpon great penalties, that the Inholders and vitlers ſhoulde bring worde dayly of as many Sceneſes as came to their houſes. The gentleman béeing (as I geſſed at the firſt) a mā of ſmal ſapientia, when he heard theſe newes, would haue turned his horſe an other way. By likelyhoode he was not very wiſe when hée would beleeue that of his countrey, which if it had bene true euery man muſt néedes haue knowen it. Why not? when he had not béene in his countrey for a moneth paſte, and I tolde him this had hapned within theſe ſeuen dayes. Belike he was of ſmall experience.