Lyly, John · published 1594 · first performed or written 1591 [1587-1591] (Annals) comedy · Children of Paul's (first) T35 Fools, wit and railing typicality 0.82 · 493 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T35: fool, wit, aristippus, achilles, wise, fools, patroclus, thersites, master, men.
Now I perceive thy folly, who hath raked together all the odd blind phrases, that help them that know not how to discourse, but when they cannot answer wisely, either with gibing cover their rudeness, or by some new coined buy word bewray their peevishness, I am glad of this, now shall I have colour to refuse the match, and my father reason to accept of Livia, I will home, and repeat to my father our wise encounter, and he shall perceive there is nothing so fulsome as a she fool. Good God, I think Gentlemen had never less wit in a year. we maids are mad wenches, we gird them and flout them out of all scotch and notch, and they cannot see it, I will know of the old woman whether I be a maid or no, and then if I be not, I must needs be a man, God be here. whose's there. One that would be a maid. If thou be not, it is impossible thou shouldst be, and a shame thou art not. They say you are a witch. They lie, I am a cunning woman. Then tell me some thing. Hold up thy hand, not so high, thy father knows thee not, thy mother bore thee not, falsely bred, truly begot, choice of two husbands, but never tied in bands, because of love and natural bonds. I thank you for nothing, because I understand nothing: though you be as old as you are, yet am I as young as I am, and because that I am so fair, therefore are you so foul, & so farewell frost, my fortune nought me cost. Farewell fair fool, little dost thou know thy hard fortune, but in the end thou shalt, & that must bewray what none can discover, in the mean season I will profess cunning for all comers. We were all taken tardy. Our master's will be overtaken if they tarry. Now must every one by wit make an excuse, and every excuse must be cozenage. Let us remember our complot. We will all plod on that, oh the wine hath turned my wit to vinegar. You mean 'tis sharp. Sharp? I'll warrant 'twill serve for as good sauce to knavery as As what? As thy knavery meat for his wit. We must all give a reckoning for our days travel. Tush, I am glad we scaped the reckoning for our liquour. If you be examined how we met, swear by chance, for so they met, and therefore will believe it: if how much we drunk, let them answer themselves, they know best because they paid it. We must not tarry, abeundum est mihi, I must go and cast this matter in a corner. I presequar a bowl, and I'll come after with a broom, every one remember his que. I and his k. or else we shall thrive ill. When shall we meet. Tomorrow fresh and fasting.
nodes 252–278 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 13 of 34 in this edition
Length
493 words · 628 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T35 — Fools, wit and railingcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.824 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
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)
Now I perceiue thy folly, who hath rakt together all the odde blinde phrases, that helpe them that knowe not howe to discourse, but when they cannot aunswere wisely, eyther with gybing couer theyr rudenesse, or by some newe coyned buy worde bewraie theyr peeuishnesse, I am glad of this, nowe shall I haue coulour to refuse the match, and my father reason to accept of Liuia, I will home, and repeate to my father oure wise incounter, and hee shall perceiue there is nothing so fulsome as a shee foole. Good God, I thinke Gentlemen had neuer lesse wit in a yeere. Wee maides are madde wenches, we gird them and flout them out of all scotch and notch, and they cannot see it, I will knowe of the olde woman whether I bee a maide or no, and then if I bee not, I must needes be a man, God be heere. Whose there. One that would be a maide. If thou be not, it is impossible thou shuldst be, and a shame thou art not. They saie you are a witch. They lie, I am a cunning woman. Then tell mee some thing. Holde vp thy hande, not so high, thy father knowes thee not, thy mother bare thee not, falsely bred, truely begot, choise of two husbands, but neuer tyedin bandes, because of loue and naturall bondes. I thanke you for nothing, because I vnderstand nothing: though you bee as olde as you are, yet am I as younge as I am, and because that I am so fayre, therefore are you so fowle, & so farewell frost, my fortune naught me cost. Farewell faire foole, little doest thou know thy hard fortune, but in the end thou shalt, & that must bewraie what none can discouer, in the mean season I wil professe cunning for all commers. We were all taken tardie. Our masters will be ouertaken if they tarry. Now must euerie one by wit make an excuse, and euerie excuse must be coosnage. Let vs remember our complot. We will all plod on that, oh the wine hath turnd my wit to vineger. You meane tis sharpe. Sharpe? Ile warrant twill serue for as good sauce to knauerie as As what? As thy knauerie meat for his wit. We must all giue a reckning for our dayes trauell. Tush, I am glad we scapt the reckning for our liquor. If you be examined how we met, sweare by chance, for so they met, and therefore will beleeue it: if how much we drunke, let them answere them selues, they know best because they paid it. We must not tarry, abeundum est mihi, I must go and cast this matter in a corner. I presequar a bowle, and Ile come after with a broome, euerie one remember his que. I and his k. or else we shall thriue ill. When shall we meete. To morrow fresh and fasting.