The Three Lords and Three Ladies of London · chunk 7 of 41
Wilson, Robert · published 1590 · first performed or written 1588 [1588-1590] (Annals) moral · Queen Elizabeth's Men (?) unassigned nearest T44 Drinking: wine, ale and taverns · 512 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T44: drink, wine, numps, ale, butler, pot, sing, moy, drunk, win.
Well then, to our bargain, six Ballads to six stripes, and who shall keep stakes? Neither of your companions, for that's ask my fellow if I be a thief. Will you keep the stakes yourself? Best of all, for I mean plainly and will pay if I lose, her's my six Ballads, they be ready: now how shall I come by your six stripes boy? Down with your breeches, I'll fetch a rod and deliver them straight. Nay then I care not if thou keep stakes. You speak too late gaffer, having challenged pre-eminence. Then let's lay no wager but sing for good fellowship. Agreed, who shall begin? O boy, who is the elder? Hast thou not heard give Flounders to thy elder? You mistake the fish, trust me I am sure 'tis give place, but begin with good grace. Now sirs, which sings best? Tush, your copemates shall not judge: friend, what say you, which of us sings best? To say truth there's but had choice, How will you sell the ballad you sang, for I'll not buy the voice. Why wilt thou not buy my voice? Because it will cost me more money to buy salad oil to keep it from rusting, than it is worth: but I pray ye honest man, what's this? Read and then shalt see. I cannot read. Not read & brought up in London, wentst thou never to schols Yes, but I would not learn. Thou wast the more fool: if thou cannot read I'll tell this, this is Tarlton's picture: didst thou never know Tarlton? No: what was that Tarlton? I never knew him. What was be: a prentice in his youth of this honourable city, God be with him: when he was young he was leaning to the trade that my wife useth now, and I have used, vide louse shirt, water-bearing: I wis he hath tossed a Tankard in Cornhill ere now, if thou knewest him not I will not call thee ingram, but if thou knewest not him, thou knewest nobody: I warrant her's two crack-ropes knew him. I dwelled with him. Didst thou? now give me thy hand, I love thee the better. And I too sometime. you child, did you dwell with him sometime? wit dwelled with him indeed, as appeared by his rhyme, And served him well, and will was with him now & than, but soft, thy name is wealth, I think in earnest he was little acquainted with thee O it was a fine fellow as ere was borne, there will never come his like while the earth can corn. O passing fine Tarlton I would thou hadst lined yet. He might have some, but thou showest small wit, there is no such fineness in the picture that I see. And thou art no Cinque Port man, thou art not wit free, the fineness was within, for without he was plain, But it was the merriest fellow and had such jests in store, that if thou hadst seen him, thou wouldst have laughed thy heart sore.
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)
Well then, to our bargaine, six Ballades to six stripes, and who shall keepe stakes? Neither of your companions, for that's aske my fellow if I be a theefe. Will you keepe the stakes your selfe? Best of all, for I meane plainely and will pay if I loose, her's my six Ballades, they bee ready: now how shall I come by your sixe stripes boy? Downe with your bréeches, Ile fetch a rod and deliuer them straight. Nay then I care not if thou keepe stakes. You speak too late gaffar, hauing challenged preheminence. Then let's lay no wager but sing for good fellowship. Agreed, who shall begin? O boy, who is the elder? Hast thou not heard giue Flounders to thy elder? You mistake the fish, trust me I am sure tis giue place, but begin with good grace. Now sirs, which singes best? Tush, your copesmetés shal not iudge: friend, what say you, which of vs sings best? To sy trueth ther's but had choice, How wil you sel the ballad you sang, for Ile not buy the voice. Why wilt thou not buy my voice? Because it wil cost me more money to buy sallet oile to kéep it frō rusting, than it is woorth: but I pray ye honest man, what' this? Read and then shalt see. I cannot read. Not read & brought vp in London, wrust thou neuer to schols Yes, but I would not learn. Thou wast the more foole: if thou cannot read Ile tel thi, this is Tarltons picture: didst thou neuer know Tarlton ▪ No: what was that Tarlton? I neuer knew him. What was be: a prentice in his youth of this honorable city, God be with him: when he was yoong he was leaning to the trade that my wife vseth nowe, and I haue vsed, vide lice shirt, water-bearing: I wis he hath tost a Tankard in Cornehil er nowe, if thou knewest him not I wil not cal thée ingram, but if thou knewest not him, thou knewest no body: I warrant her's two crackropes knew him. I dwelt with him. Didst thou? now giue me thy hand, I loue thée the better. And I too sometime. you child, did you dwel with him sometime? wit dwelt with him indeed, as appeared by his rime, And serued him well, and wil was with him now & than, but soft, thy name is wealth, I think in earnest he was litle acquainted with the O it was a fine fellow as ere was borne, there will neuer come his like while the earth can corne. O passing fine Tarlton I would thou hadst lined yet. He might haue some, but thou showest smal wit, there is no such finenes in the picture that I see. And thou art no Cinque Port man, thou art not wit free, the finenes was within, for without he was plaine, But it was the merriest fellow and had such iestes in store, that if thou hadst seene him, thou wouldst haue laughed thy hart sore.