Lyly, John · published 1592 · first performed or written 1589 (Annals) comedy · Children of Paul's (first) · before the Court T3 Sickness, physic and doctors typicality 0.55 · 508 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T3: doctor, master, cure, disease, pray, physic, physician, mr, sick, lady.
I am as melancholy as a cat. Melancholy? marry gup, is melancholy a word for a barbers mouth? thou shouldst say, heavy, dull, and doltish: melancholy is the crest of courtier's arms, and now every base companion, being in his mumble-fumbles, says he is melancholy. Motto, thou shouldst say thou art lumpish. If thou encroach upon our courtly terms, we'll trounce thee: belike if thou shouldst spit often, thou wouldst call it the rheum. Motto, in men of reputation & credit it is the rheum; in such mechanical mushrooms, it is a catarrh, a pose, the water evil. You were best wear a velvet patch on your temples too. What a world it is to see eggs forwarder than cocks? these infants are as cunning in diseases, as I that have run them over all, backward and forward. I tell you boys, it is melancholy that now troubleth me. My master could tickle you with diseases, and that old ones, that have continued in his Ancestors bones these three hundred years. He is the last of the family that is left uneaten. What meanst thou Dello? He means you are the last of the stock alive, the rest the worms have eaten. A pox of those saucy worms, that eat men before they be dead. But tell us Motto, why art thou sad? Because all the Court is sad. Why are they sad in Court? Because the King hath a pain in his ears. Belike it is the wens. It may be, for his ears are swollen very big. Ten to one Motto knows of the ass's ears. If he know it, we shall: for it is as hard for a barber to keep a secret in his mouth, as a burning coal in his hand. Thou shalt see me wring it out by wit. Motto, 'twas told me that the King will discharge you of your office, because you cut his ear when you last trimmed him. 'tis a lie; and yet if I had, he might well spare an inch or two. It will out, I feel him coming. Master, take heed, you will blab alanone, these wags are crafty. Let me alone. Why Motto, what difference between the king's ears, and thine? as much as between an ass's ears and mine. O, Motto is modest; to mitigate the matter, he calls his own ears, asses ears. Nay, I mean the Kings are ass's ears. Treason, treason! I told you master, you have made a fair hand; for now you have made your lips scissors to cut off your ears. Perij, unless you pity me, Motto is in a pit. Nay Motto, treason is a worse pain than toothache. Now Motto, thou knowest thine ears are ours to command. Your servants, or handmaids. Then will I lead my maid by the hand. Out villain, thou wring'st too hard. Not so hard as he bit me. Thou seest boy we are both mortal. I enjoy mine ears, but durant placito; nor thou thy finger, but favente dento.
nodes 470–503 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 27 of 30 in this edition
Length
508 words · 691 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T3 — Sickness, physic and doctorscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.554 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T3 · seed 44: T4 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
I am as melancholy as a cat. Melancholy? marie gup, is melancholy a word for a barbars mouth? thou shouldst say, heauie, dull, and doltish: melancholy is the creast of Courtiers armes, and now euerie base companion, beeing in his muble fubles, sayes he is melancholy. Motto, thou shouldst say thou art lumpish. If thou encroach vpon our courtly tearmes, weele troūce thee: belike if thou shouldst spit often, thou wouldst call it the rewme. Motto, in men of reputation & credit it is the rewme; in such mechanicall mushrumpes, it is a catarre, a pose, the water euill. You were best weare a veluet patch on your temples too. What a world it is to see egges forwarder than cocks? these infants are as cunning in diseases, as I that haue runne them ouer all, backward and forward. I tell you boyes, it is melancholy that now troubleth me. My master could tickle you with diseases, and that olde ones, that haue continued in his Auncestors boanes these three hundred yeres. He is the last of the familie that is left vneaten. What meanst thou Dello? He meanes you are the last of the stocke aliue, the rest the wormes haue eaten. A pox of those sawcie wormes, that eate men before they be dead. But tell vs Motto, why art thou sad? Because al the Court is sad. Why are they sad in Court? Because the King hath a paine in his eares. Belike it is the wennes. It may be, for his eares are swolne verie big. Ten to one Motto knowes of the asses eares. If he know it, we shall: for it is as hard for a barbar to keepe a secrete in his mouth, as a burning coale in his hand. Thou shalt see mee wring it out by wit. Motto, twas told me that the King will discharge you of your office, because you cut his eare when you last trimd him. Tis a lye; and yet if I had, he might wel spare an inch or two. It will out, I feele him comming. Master, take heed, you will blab alanone, these wags are craftie. Let me alone. Why Motto, what difference between the kings eares, and thine? Asmuch as betweene an asses eares and mine. O, Motto is modest; to mitigate the matter, hee calls his owne eares, asses eares. Nay, I meane the Kings are asses eares. Treason, treason! I told you master, you haue made a faire hand; for now you haue made your lips cizars to cut off your eares. Perij, vnles you pitie me, Motto is in a pit. Nay Motto, treson is a worse pain than toothach. Now Motto, thou knowest thine eares are ours to commaund. Your seruants, or handmaides. Then will I lead my maide by the hand. Out villen, thou wringst too hard. Not so hard as he bit me. Thou seest boy we are both mortall. I enioye mine eares, but durante placito; nor thou thy finger, but fauente dento.