Greene, Robert · published 1630 · first performed or written 1589 [1586-1590] (Annals) comedy · Queen Elizabeth's Men unassigned nearest T49 Wooing a mistress: suitors, go-betweens · 495 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T49: mistress, gentleman, love, lady, woman, pray, gentlewoman, hear, honest, way.
Come frolic, Keeper of our Liege's game, Whose table spread hath ever Venison, And jacks of wine to welcome passengers. Know I am in love with jolly Marg'ret, That ouer-shines our Damsels, as the Moon Darkeneth the brightest sparkles of the night, In Laxfield here my land and living lies, I'll make thy daughter jointure of it all, So thou consent to give her to my wife, And I can spend five hundred marks a year. I am the Landlord Keeper of thy holds, By copy all thy living lies in me. Laxfield did never see me raise my due, I will enfeoff Marg'ret in all, So she will take her to a lusty Squire. Keeper. Now courteous Gentles, if the keeper's girl Hath pleased the liking fancy of you both, And with her beauty hath subdued your thoughts, 'Tis doubtful to decide the question. It joys me that such men of great esteem, Should lay their liking on this base estate, And that her state should grow so fortunate, To be a wife to meaner men than you. But sith such Squires will stoop to keeper's fee, I will t'avoid displeasure of you both, Call Marg'ret forth, and she shall make her choice. Content, Keeper, send her unto us. Why, Serlsby, is thy wife so lately dead? Are all thy loves so lightly passed over, As thou canst wed before the year be out? I live not, Lambert, to content the dead, Nor was I wedded but for life to her, The grave ends, and begins a married state. Peggie, the lovely flowers of all towns, Suffolks fair Helen, and rich England's star, Whose beauty tempered with her housewifry, Makes England talk of merry Fressingfield. I cannot trick it up with poesies, Nor paint my passions with comparisons, Nor tell a tale of Phoebus and his loves, But this believe me, Laxfield here is mine, Of ancient rent seven hundred pounds a year, And if thou canst but love a Country Squire, I will enfeoff thee, Marg'ret, in all, I cannot flatter, try me if thou please. Brave neighbouring Squires, the stay of suffolk's clime, A keeper's daughter is too base in 'gree To match with men accounted of such worth: But might I not displease, I would reply. Lambert. Say, Peggie, nought shall make us discontent. Then Gentiles, note that love hath little stay, Nor can the flames that Venus sets on fire, Be kindled but by fancy's motion, Then pardon, Gentiles, if a Maid's reply Be doubtful, while I have debated with myself, Who, or of whom Jove shall constrain me like. Let it be me, and trust me, Marg'ret, The meads environed with silver streams, Whose battling pastures fatten all my flocks, Yielding forth fleeces stapled with such wool, As Lempster cannot yield more finer stuff, And forty kine with fair and burnished heads, With strutting dugs that paggle to the ground, Shall serve thy dairy if thou wed with me.
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)
Come frolicke, Keeper of our Lieges game, Whoſe table ſpred hath euer Veniſon, And lacks of wine to welcome paſſengers. Know I am in loue with iolly Margret, That ouer-ſhines our Damſels, as the Moone Darkneth the brighteſt ſparkles of the night, In Laxfield here my land and liuing lies, Ile make thy daughter ioynter of it all, So thou conſent to giue her to my wife, And I can ſpend fiue hundred markes a yeere. I am the Lands-lord Keeper of thy holds, By coppy all thy liuing lies in me. Laxfield did neuer ſee me raiſe my due, I will infeoffe Margret in all, So ſhe will take her to a luſty Squire. Keeper. Now courteous Gentles, if the Keepers girle Hath pleas'd the liking fancy of you both, And with her beauty hath ſubdued your thoughts, 'Tis doubtfull to decide the queſtion. It ioyes me that ſuch men of great eſteeme, Should lay their liking on this baſe eſtate, And that her ſtate ſhould grow ſo fortunate, To be a wife to meaner men then you. But ſith ſuch Squires will ſtoope to Keepers fee, I will t'auoyd diſpleaſure of you both, Call Margret forth, and ſhe ſhall make her choiſe. Content, Keeper, ſend her vnto vs. Why, Serlsby, is thy wife ſo lately dead? Are all thy loues ſo lightly paſſed ouer, As thou canſt wed before the yeere be out? I liue not, Lambert, to content the dead, Nor was I wedded but for life to her, The graue ends, and begins a married ſtate. Peggie, the louely flowers of all townes, Suffolks faire Hellen, and rich Englands ſtar, Whoſe beauty tempered with her huſwifrie, Makes England talke of merry Freſingfield. I cannot tricke it vp with poeſies, Nor paint my paſſions with compariſons, Nor tell a tale of Phoebus and his loues, But this beleeue me, Laxfield here is mine, Of ancient rent ſeuen hundred pounds a yeere, And if thou canſt but loue a Country Squire, I will infeoffe thee, Margret, in all, I cannot ſlatter, trie me if thou pleaſe. Braue neighb'ring Squires, the ſtay of Suffolks clime, A Keepers daughter is too baſe in gree To match with men accounted of ſuch worth: But might I not diſpleaſe, I would reply. Lambert. Say, Peggie, nought ſhall make vs diſcontent. Then Gentiles, note that loue hath little ſtay, Nor can the flames that Ʋenus ſets on fire, Be kindled but by fancies motion, Then pardon, Gentiles, if a maids reply Be doubtfull, while I haue debated with my ſelfe, Who, or of whom loue ſhall conſtraine me like. Let it be me, and truſt me, Margret, The meads inuironed with ſiluer ſtreames, Whoſe battling paſtures fatten all my flockes, Yeelding forth fleeces ſtapled with ſuch wooll, As Lempſter cannot yeeld more finer ſtuffe, And forty kine with faire and burniſht heads, With ſtrouting dugs that puggle to the ground, Shall ſerue thy dary if thou wed with me.