Greene, Robert · published 1594 · first performed or written 1589 [1586-1590] (Annals) comedy · Queen Elizabeth's Men unassigned nearest T16 Gallantry: ladies, lordships and complim · 470 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T16: lady, madam, gentleman, lordship, ladies, honour, mistress, sweet, court, servant.
I grant my lord the damsel is as fair, As simple Suffolk's homely towns can yield: But in the court be quainter dames than she, Whose faces are enriched with honours taint, Whose beauties stand upon the stage of fame, And vaunt their trophies in the courts of love. Ah Ned, but hadst thou watched her as myself, And seen the secret beauties of the maid, Their courtly coyness were but foolery. Why how watched you her my lord? When as she swept like Venus through the house, And in her shape fast folded up my thoughts: Into the Milkhouse went I with the maid, And there amongst the cream-bowls she did shine, As Palace, 'mongst her Princely housewifry: She turned her smock over her Lily arms, And dived them into milk to run her cheese: But whiter than the milk her crystal skin, Checked with lines of Azure made her blush, That art or nature durst bring for compare, Ermsbie if thou hadst seen as I did note it well, How beauty played the housewife, how this girl Like Lucrece laid her fingers to the work, Thou wouldst with Tarquin hazard Room and all To win the lovely maid of Fresingfield. Sirrah Ned, wouldst feign have her? I Ralph. Why Ned I have laid the plot in my head thou shalt have her already. I'll give thee a new coat and learn me that. Why sirrah Ned we'll ride to Oxford to Friar Bacon, oh he is a brave scholar sirrah, they say he is a brave Nigromancer, that he can make women of devils, and he can juggle cats into Costermongers. And how then Ralph? Marry sirrah thou shalt go to him, and because thy father Harry shall not miss thee, he shall turn me into thee; and I'll to the Court, and I'll prince it out, and he shall make thee either a silken purse, full of gold, or else a fine wrought sinocke. But how shall I have the maid? Marry sirrah, if thou be'st a silken purse full of gold, then on sundaies she'll hang thee by her side, and you must not say a word, Now sir when she comes into a great press of people, for fear of the cutpurse on a sudden she'll swap thee into her plackets, than sirrah being there you may plead for yourself. Excellent policy. But how if I be a wrought smock. Then she'll put thee into her chest and lay thee into Lavender, and upon some good day she'll put thee on, and at night when you go to bed, then being turned from a smock to a man, you may make up the match. Wonderfully wisely counseled Ralph. Ralph shall have a new coat. God thank you when I have it on my back Ned,
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)
I grant my lord the damſell is as faire, As ſimple Suffolks homely towns can yeeld: But in the court be quainter dames than ſhe, Whoſe faces are enricht with honours taint, Whoſe bewties ſtand vpon the ſtage of fame, And vaunt their trophies in the courts of loue. Ah Ned, but hadſt thou watcht her as my ſelf, And ſeene the ſecret bewties of the maid, Their courtly coineſſe were but foolery. Why how watcht you her my lord? When as ſhe ſwept like Venus through the houſe, And in her ſhape faſt foulded vp my thoughtes: Into the Milkhouſe went I with the maid, And there amongſt the cream-boles ſhe did ſhine, As Pallace, mongſt her Princely huſwiferie: She turnd her ſmocke ouer her Lilly armes, And diued them into milke to run her cheeſe: But whiter than the milke her chriſtall skin, Checked with lines of Azur made her bluſh, That art or nature durſt bring for compare, Ermsbie if thou hadſt ſeene as I did note it well, How bewtie plaid the huſwife, how this girle Like Lucrece laid her fingers to the worke, Thou wouldeſt with Trquine hazard Roome and all To win the louely mayd of Freſingfield. Sirha Nd, wouldſt faine haue her? I Raphe. Why Ned I haue laid the plot in my head thou ſhalt haue her alreadie. Ile giue thee a new coat and learne me that. Why ſirra Ned weel ride to Oxford to Frier acon, oh he is a braue ſcholler ſirra, they ſay he is a braue Ngromancer, that he can mke women of deuils, and hee can iuggle cats into Coſtermongers. And how then Raphe? Marry ſirha thou ſhalt go to him, and becauſe thy father Harry ſhall not miſſe thee, hee ſhall turne me into thee; and Ile to the Court, and Ile prince it out, and he ſhall make thee either a ſilken purſe, full of gold, or elſe a fine wrought ſinocke. But how ſhall I haue the mayd? Marry ſirha, if thou beeſt a ſilken purſe full of gold, then on ſundaies ſheele hang thee by her ſide, and you muſt not ſay a word, Now ſir when ſhe comes into a great preaſe of people, for feare of the cut-purſe on a ſodaine ſheele ſwap thee into her plackerd, then ſirha being there you may plead for your ſelfe. Excellent pollicie. But how if I be a wrought ſmoke. Then ſheele put thee into her cheſt and lay th into Lauender, and vpon ſome good day ſheele put thee on, and at night when you go to bed, then being turnd from a ſmocke to a man, you may make vp the match. Wonderfully wiſely counſelled Raphe. Raphe ſhall haue a new coate. God thanke you when I haue it on my backe Ned,