Lyly, John · published 1592 · first performed or written 1589 (Annals) comedy · Children of Paul's (first) · before the Court T0 Court life: dukes, favour and honour typicality 0.78 · 506 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T0: duke, lord, duchess, love, court, madam, prince, honour, grace, lady.
I am content, take thou all. These be his movable bads. And from me they shall be removables. Item in the servants chamber, two pair of cursed queans tongues. tongues thou wouldst say. Nay they pinch worse than tongues. They are movables I'll warrant. Item, one pair of horns in the bride-chamber, on the bed's head. The beast's head, for Motto is stuffed in the head, and these are among unmovable goods. Well, Foelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum, happy are they whom other men's horns do make to beware. Item, a broken pate owing me by one of the Coal house, for notching his head like a chessboard. Take thou that, and I give thee all the rest of his debts. Noli me tangere, I refuse the executorship, because I will not meddle with his desperate debts. Item, an hundred shrewd turns owing me by the Pages in the Court, because I will not trust them for trimming. That's due debt. Well, because Motto is poor, they shallbe paid him cum recumbentibus. All the Pages shall enter into recognizance, but ecce, Pipenetta chants it. hay ho, would I were a witch, that I might be a Duchess. I know not whether thy fortune is to be a Duchess, but sure I am thy face serves thee well for a witch, what's the matter? The matter, marry 'tis proclaimed, that whosoever can tell the cause, and the reed's song, shall either have Sophronia to wife, or (if she refuse it) a Dukedom for his wisdom. Besides, whosoever saith, that Midas hath asses ears, shall lose theirs. I'll be a Duke, I find honour to bud in my head, and methinks every joint of mine arms, from the shoulder to the little finger, says send for the Herald. Mine arms are all armoury, gules, sables, azure, or, vert, pur, post, pare, etc. And my heart is like a hearth where Cupid is making a fire, for Sophronia shallbe my wife: methinks Venus and Nature stand with each of them a pair of bellows, the one cooling my low birth, the other kindling my lofty affections. Apollo will help me because I can sing. Mercurie me, because I can lie. All the Gods me, because I can lie, sing, swear, and love. But soft, here comes Motto, now shall we have a fit time to be revenged, if by device we can make him say, Midas hath asses ears. Let us not seem to be angry about the Inventory, and you shall see my wit to be the hangman for his tongue. Why fools, hath a barber a tongue? we'll make him have a tongue, that his teeth that look like a comb shall be the scissors to cut it off. I pray let me have the odd ends. I fear nothing so much as to be tongue tawed. Thou shalt have all the shavings, and then a woman's tongue imped with a barbers, will prove a razor or a razor. How now Motto, what all a mort?
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 am content, take thou all. These be his moueable baddes. And from me they shall be remoueables. Item in the seruants chamber, two paire of curst queanes tongues. Tongs thou wouldst say. Nay they pinch worse than tongs. They are moueables Ile warrant. Item, one pair of hornes in the bridechamber, on the beds head. The beasts head, for Motto is stuft in the head, and these are among vnmoueable goods. Wel, Foelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum, happie are they whom other mens hornes do make to beware. Item, a broken pate owing me by one of the Cole house, for notching his head like a ches-boorde. Take thou that, and I geue thee al the rest of his debts. Noli me tangere, I refuse the executorship, because I wil not meddle with his desperate debts. Item, an hundred shrewd turnes owing me by the Pages in the Court, because I will not trust them for trimming. Thats due debt. Wel, because Motto is poore, they shalbe paid him cum recumbentibus. All the Pages shall enter into recognisance, but ecce, Pipenetta chaunts it. Hey ho, would I were a witch, that I might be a Dutchesse. I know not whether thy fortune is to be a Dutches, but sure I am thy face serues thee wel for a witch, whats the matter? The matter, marry tis proclaymde, that who soeuer can tell the cause, and the reeds song, shal either haue Sophronia to wife, or (if she refuse it) a Dukedome for his wisdome. Besides, whosoeuer saith, that Mydas hath asses eares, shal lose theirs. Ile be a Duke, I finde honor to bud in my head, and mee thinkes euerie ioynt of mine armes, from the shoulder to the little finger, saies send for the Herauld. Mine armes are all armarie, gules, sables, azure, or, vert, pur, post, pare, &c. And my heart is like a harth where Cupid is making a fire, for Sophronia shalbe my wife: me thinks Venus and Nature stande with each of them a paire of bellowes, the one cooling my lowe birth, the other kindling my loftie affections. Apollo wil help me because I can sing. Mercurie me, because I can lie. All the Gods me, because I can lie, sing, sweare, and loue. But soft, here comes Motto, now shal we haue a fit time to be reuenged, if by deuise we can make him say, Mydas hath asses eares. Let vs not seeme to bee angrie about the Inuentorie, and you shall see my wit to bee the hangman for his tongue. Why fooles, hath a Barbar a tongue? Weele make him haue a tongue, that his teeth that looke lyke a combe shall bee the cizzars to cut it off. I pray let mee haue the odde endes. I feare nothing so much as to be tongue tawde. Thou shalt haue all the shauings, and then a womans tongue ympt with a Barbars, will prooue a razor or a raser. How now Motto, what all a mort?