The Three Lords and Three Ladies of London · chunk 19 of 41
Wilson, Robert · published 1590 · first performed or written 1588 [1588-1590] (Annals) moral · Queen Elizabeth's Men (?) T39 Profit, conscience and dishonest dealing typicality 0.75 · 499 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T39: conscience, lucre, usury, lucar, fraud, dissimulation, simony, london, lady, nemo.
Ladies, to call to mind your former lives Were to recount your sorrows on a row, Omitting then what you have been or be, What you may be I'll speak, so it please you, Wives to us three, Ladies to London Lords, pomp, Pleasure policy, men of such regard, As shall you guard from evil, once matched with us, And Policy presents this good to you. With London's Pomp may one of you be joined, Possessing more than Fortune can afford, Fortune's a fool, but heavenly providence Guards London's pomp, and her that shall be his: And London's pleasure, peerless in delights, Will deign to make one of these Dames his own, Who may with him in more contentment live, Than ever did the Queen of Aethiop. Though silence Lords, our modesty enforce, Nemo can tell the secrets of our thoughts, Nemo that women's minds can constant keep, He shall for us you answer good my Lords, I speak for all, though ill beseeming me. You speak but well: My lords step we aside To note these fellows, what they do intend. Nemo can tell, for he doth follow them. Ladies to you, to some of you, we come, Sent from such friends as much affect your good, With garments, and with compliments of cost Accordant well to dames of such degree: I come to Lucre. I to love am sent with no less cost than could be got for coin Which with my message I deliver would, Could I discern which of these Dames were she, Friend, I am Love, what bringest thou there to me? Beware good Love, from whom and what thou takest. No whispering friend, but show it openly, The matter good, you need not be ashamed: From whom comest thou? That I conceal from any but from love, From whom come you sir? That shall lucre know, and none but she. Then speak aloud, for whispering here is barred. Then neither will I do nor speak at all. Then I will speak and tell what you are both, thyself art Falsehood, and art sent from Fraud, To compass Lucre with a cloak of craft, With lawn of lies, and call of golden guile. Pack you my friend, for if you stay a while You shall return no more to him that sent you. Thou from Dissimulation art sent, And bring'st a gown of glozing, lived wish lust, A Vardingale of haine boast, and fan of flattery, A Ruff of riot, and a cap of pride, And double dealing is thy name and office both. Falsehood, let's go, we are deciphered. Lucre, thou losest here a princely gift. lucre censumes being won by Fraud or shift, Thus Lords you see how these are qualified, And how these Ladies shun that sharp rebuke, Which some deserve by taking of such toys, As women weak are tempted soon with gifts, But here they come that must these Ladies deck. lucre, arise, come from the stone of Care:
seed 43: T41 · seed 44: T39 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Ladies, to call to mind your former liues Were to recount your sorrowes on a row, Omitting then what you haue bene or bee, What you may be Ile speak, so it please you, Wiues to vs thrée, Ladies to London Lords, pompe, Pleasure pollicie, men of such regard, As shall you guard from euil, once matched with vs, And Pollicie presents this good to you. With Londons Pomp may one of you be ioin'd, Possessing more than Fortune can affoord, Fortune's a foole, but heauenly prouidence Guards Londons pompe, and her that shal be his: And Londons pleasure, peerles in delightes, Wil deigne to make one of these Dames his owne, Who may with him in more contentment liue, Than euer did the Quéene of Ethiope. Though silence Lordes, our modestie inforce, Nemo can tel the secretes of our thoughtes, Nemo that womens minds can constant kéepe, He shal for vs you answere good my Lordes, I speak for al, though il beseeming me. You speak but wel: My Lordes step we aside To note these fellowes, what they do intend. Nemo can tel, for he doth follow them. Ladies to you, to some of you, we come, Sent from such friendes as much affect your good, With garmentes, and with complements of cost Accordant well to dames of such degree: I come to Lucre. I to loue am sent with no lesse cost then could be got for coin Which with my message I deliuer would, Could I discerne which of these Dames were shee, Friend, I am Loue, what bringest thou there to me? Beware good Loue, from whom and what thou takest. No whispering friend, but shew it openly, The matter good, you need not be ashamed: From whom commest thou? That I conceile from any but from loue, From whom come you sir? That shal lucre know, and none but she. Then speak aloud, for whispering here is barr'd. Then neither wil I do nor speak at al. Then I wil speake and tel what you are both, Thy selfe art Falshood, and art sent from Fraud, To compasse Lucre with a cloake of craft, With lawne of lies, and calle of golden guile. Packe you my friend, for if you stay a while You shal returne no more to him that sent you. Thou from Dissimulation art sent, And bring'st a gown of glosing, liu'd wish lust, A Vardingale of haine boast, and fan of flatterie, A Ruffe of riot, and a cap of pride, And double dealing is thy name and office both. Falshood, let's go, we are disciphered. Lucre, thou loosest here a priucely gift. lucre censumes being won by Fraud or shift, Thus Lords you sée how these are qualified, And how these Ladies shun that sharp rebuke, Which some deserue by taking of such toies, As women weake are tempted soone with giftes, But here they come that must these Ladies deck. lucre, arise, come from the stone of Care: