Lyly, John · published 1594 · first performed or written 1591 [1587-1591] (Annals) comedy · Children of Paul's (first) unassigned nearest T11 Siblings, kin and confidants · 492 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T11: sister, brother, love, friend, heart, father, mother, woman, lord, hear.
The dame of the house? She might have said the beldame, for her face and years, and attire. Good mother tell us, if by your cunning you can, what shall become of my brother and me. Let me see your hands, and look on me steadfastly with your eyes. You shall be married to morrow hand in hand, by the laws of good nature & the land, your parents shall be glad, & give you their land, you shall each of you displace a fool, & both together must relieve a fool. If this be not true call me old fool. This is my sister, marry we cannot: our parents are poor and have no land to give us, each of us is a fool to come for counsel to such an old fool. These doggerel rhymes and obscure words, coming out of the mouth of such a weather-beaten witch, are thought divinations of some holy spirit, being but dreams of decayed brains; for mine own part, I would thou mightest sit on that stool till he & I marry by law. I say Mother Bombie never speaks but once, and yet never spoke untruth once. Come brother, let us to our poor home, this is our comfort, to bewray our passions, since we cannot enjoy our love. Content sweet sister, and learn of me hereafter, that these old saws of such old hags, are but false fires to lead one out of a plain path into a deep pit. Ingenium quondam fuerat pretiotius auro, the time was wherein wit would work like wax, and crock up gold like honey. At nunc barbary est grandis habere nihil, but now wit and honesty buy nothing in the market. What Risio, how spedst thou after thy potting? Nay, my master rung all in the tavern, & thrust all out in the house. But how spedst thou? ay, it were adays dayes work to discourse it, he spoke nothing but sentences, but they were vengible long ones, for when one word was out, he made pause of a quarter long till he spoke another. Why what did he in all that time? Break interjections like wind, as eho, ho, to. And what thou? Answer him in his own language, as evax, vah, hui. These were conjunctions rather than interjections. But what of the plot? As we concluded I told him that I understood that Silena was very wise, and could sing exceedingly, that my device was, seeing Accius his son a proper youth, & could also sing sweetly, that he should come in the nick when she was singing and answer her. Excellent. Then he asked how it should be devised that she might come abroad, I told that was cast already by my means, than the song being ended, and they seeing one another, noting the apparel, and marking the personages, he should call in his son for fear he should overreach his speech.
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)
The dame of the house? She might haue said the beldam, for her face and yeeres, and attire. Good mother tell vs, if by your cunning you can, what shall become of my brother and me. Let me see your hands, and looke on me stedfastly with your eyes. You shall be married to morow hand in hand, by the lawes of good nature & the land, your parents shall be glad, & giue you their lande, you shal each of you displace a foole, & both together must releeue a foole. If this be not true call me olde foole. This is my sister, marrie we cannot: our parents are poore and haue no land to giue vs, each of vs is a foole to come for counsell to such an olde foole. These doggrell rimes and obscure words, comming out of the mouth of such a weather-beatē witch, are thought diuinations of some holy spirite, being but dreames of decayed braines▪ for mine owne parte, I would thou mightest sit on that stoole till he & I martie by lawe. I saie Mother Bombie neuer speakes but once, and yet neuer spake vntruth once. Come brother, let vs to our poore home, this is our comfort, to bewraie our passions, since we cannot inioy our loue. Content sweet sister, and learne of me hereafter, that these olde sawes of such olde hags, are but false fires to leade one out of a plaine path into a deepe pit. Ingenium quondam fuerat pretiotius auro, the time was wherein wit would worke like waxe, and crock vp golde like honnie. At nunc barbarie est grandis habere nihil, but nowe wit and honestie buy nothing in the market. What Risio, how spedst thou after thy potting? Nay, my master rong all in the tauerne, & thrust all out in the house. But how spedst thou? I, it were a dayes worke to discourse it, he spake nothing but sentences, but they were vengible long ones, for when one word was out, hee made pause of a quarter long till he spake another. Why what did he in all that time? Breake interiections lyke winde, as eho, ho, to. And what thou? Aunswere him in his owne language, as euax, vah, hui. These were coniunctions rather than interiections. But what of the plot? As we concluded I tolde him that I vnderstood that Silena was verie wise, and could sing exceedingly, that my deuise was, seeing Accius his sonne a proper youth, & could also sing sweetly, that he should come in the nicke when she was singing and answere her. Excellent. Then hee asked how it should be deuised that she might come abroade, I tolde that was cast alreadie by my meanes, then the song beeing ended, and they seeing one another, noting the apparell, and marking the personages, he should call in his sonne for feare he should ouer-reach his speech.