Greene, Robert · published 1630 · first performed or written 1589 [1586-1590] (Annals) comedy · Queen Elizabeth's Men unassigned nearest T16 Gallantry: ladies, lordships and complim · 469 words · other edition — not in the analysis
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 Suffolks homely towns can yield: But in the Court be quainter Dames than she, Whose faces are enriched with honour's taint, Whose beauties stand upon the stage of fame, And vaunt their trophies in the Court 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? whenas 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 Pallas, '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, Ermsby 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 Rome and all To win the lovely maid of Fressingfield. Sirrah Ned, wouldst fain have her? I Raphe. 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 necromancer, that he can make women of devils, and he can juggle cats into Costermongers. And how then Raphe? marry sirrah, thou shalt go to him, and because thy father Harry shall not miss thee, he shall turn me to 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 smock. But how shall I have the maid? Marry sirrah, if thou be'st a silken purse full of gold, then on Sundays 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, then 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 counselled, Raphe. Raphe 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 townes can yeeld: But in the Court be qainter Dames then ſhe, Whoſe faces are enricht with honors taint, Whoſe beauties ſtand vpon the ſtage of fame, And vaunt their trophies in the Court of Loue. Ah Ned, but hadſt thou watcht her as my ſelfe, And ſeene the ſecret beauties 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 thoughts: Into the Milk chouſe went I with the maid, And there amongſt the cream-boles ſhe did ſhine, As Pallas, mongſt her Princely huſwiferie: She turnd her ſmocke ouer her lilly armes, And diued them into milke to run her cheeſe: But whiter then the milke her criſtall skin, Checked with lines of Azur made her bluſh, That Art or Nature durſt bring for compare, Ermsby if thou hadſt ſeene as I did note it well, How beauty plaid the huſwife, how this girle Like Lucrece laid her fingers to the worke, Thou wouldſt with Tarquine hazard Rome and all To win the louely maid of Freſingfield. Sirra Ned, wouldſt faine haue her? I Raphe. Why Ned I haue laid the plot in my head, thou ſhalt haue her already. Ile giue thee a new coat and learne me that. Why ſirra Ned, weell ride to Oxford to Fryer Bacon, oh hee is a braue ſcholler ſirra, they ſay he is a braue Nigromancer, that he can make women of diuells, and he can iuggle cats into Coſtermongers. And how then Raphe? Mary ſirra, thou ſhalt goe to him, and becauſe thy father Harry ſhall not miſſe thee, he ſhall turne me to 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 ſmocke. But how ſhall I haue the mayd? Marry ſirra, if thou be'ſt a ſilken purſe full of gold, then on Sundayes ſhe'le hang thee by her ſide, and you muſt not ſay a word. Now ſir when ſhe comes into a great preſſe of people, for feare of the Cut-purſe on a ſuddē ſhe'l ſwap thee into her plackerd, then ſirra being there, you may plead for your ſelfe. Excellent policy. But how if I be a wrought ſmocke? Then ſhe'le put thee into her cheſt and lay thee into Lauender, and vpon ſome good day ſhe'le put thee on, and at night when you goe to bed, then being turn'd 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.