Shakespeare, William · published 1623 · first performed or written c.1595 (Annals) comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men unassigned nearest T47 Knaves, thieves and bawds · 512 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T47: knave, rogue, money, knaves, thief, rogues, pray, whore, nichol, book.
Gone to her Tent. Please it your Majesty command me any service to her? That she vouchsafe me audience for one word. I will, and so will she, I know my Lord. This fellow picks up wit as Pigeons pease, And utters it again, when Ioue doth please. He is Wit's Pedlar, and retails his Wares, At Wakes, and Wassels, Meetings, Markets, Fairs. And we that sell by gross, the Lord doth know, Have not the grace to grace it with such show. This Gallant pins the Wenches on his sleeve. Had he been Adam, he had tempted Eue. He can carve too, and lisp: Why this is he, That kissed away his hand in courtesy. This is the Ape of Form, Monsieur the nice, That when he plays at Tables, chides the Dice In honourable terms: Nay he can sing A mean most meanly, and in Ushering Mend him who can: the Ladies call him sweet. The stairs as he treads on them kiss his feet. This is the flower that smiles on every one, To show his teeth as white as Whale's bone. And consciences that will not die in debt, Pay him the duty of honie-tongued Boyet. A blister on his sweet tongue with my hart, That put Armathoes Page out of his part. See where it comes. Behaviour what were't thou, Till this madman showed thee? And what art thou now? All hail sweet Madame, and fair time of day. Fair in all Hail is foul, as I conceive. Construe my speeches better, if you may. Then wish me better, I will give you leave. We came to visit you, and purpose now To lead you to our Court, vouchsafe it then. This field shall hold me, and so hold your vow: Nor God, nor I, delights in perjured men. Rebuke me not for that which you provoke: The virtue of your eye must break my oath. You nickname virtue: vice you should have spoke: For virtue's office never breaks men troth. Now by my maiden honour, yet as pure As the unsallied Lily, I protest, A world of torments though I should endure, I would not yield to be your houses guest: So much I hate a breaking cause to be Of heavenly oaths, vowed with integrity. O you have lived in desolation here, Unseen, unuisited, much to our shame. Not so my Lord, it is not so I swear, We have had pastimes here, and pleasant game, A mess of Russians left us but of late. How Madam? Russians? I in truth, my Lord. Trim gallants, full of Courtship and of state. Madam speak true. It is not so my Lord: My Lady (to the manner of the days) In courtesy gives undeserving praise. We four indeed confronted were with four In Russia habit: here they stayed an hour, And talked apace: and in that hour (my Lord) They did not bless us with one happy word. I dare not call them fools; but this I think, When they are thirsty, fools would fain have drink.
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)
Gone to her Tent. Pleaſe it your Maieſtie command me any ſeruice to her? That ſhe vouchſafe me audience for one word. I will, and ſo will ſhe, I know my Lord. This fellow pickes vp wit as Pigeons peaſe, And vtters it againe, when Ioue doth pleaſe. He is Wits Pedler, and retailes his Wares, At Wakes, and Waſſels, Meetings, Mkets, Faires. And we that ſell by groſſe, the Lord doth know, Haue not the grace to grace it with ſuch ſhow. This Gallant pins the Wenches on his ſleeue. Had he bin Adam, he had tempted Eue. He can carue too, and liſpe: Why this is he, That kiſt away his hand in courteſie. This is the Ape of Forme, Monſieur the nice, That when he plaies at Tables, chides the Dice In honorable tearmes: Nay he can ſing A meane moſt meanly, and in Vſhering Mend him who can: the Ladies call him ſweete. The ſtaires as he treads on them kiſſe his feete. This is the flower that ſmiles on euerie one, To ſhew his teeth as white as Whales bone. And conſciences that wil not die in debt, Pay him the dutie of honie-tongued Boyet. A bliſter on his ſweet tongue with my hart, That put Armathoes Page out of his part. See where it comes. Behauiour what wer't thou, Till this madman ſhew'd thee? And what art thou now? All haile ſweet Madame, and faire time of day. Faire in all Haile is foule, as I conceiue. Conſtrue my ſpeeches better, if you may. Then wiſh me better, I wil giue you leaue. We came to viſit you, and purpoſe now To leade you to our Court, vouchſafe it then. This field ſhal hold me, and ſo hold your vow: Nor God, nor I, delights in periur'd men. Rebuke me not for that which you prouoke: The vertue of your eie muſt breake my oth. You nickname vertue: vice you ſhould haue ſpoke: For vertues office neuer breakes men troth. Now by my maiden honor, yet as pure As the vnſallied Lilly, I proteſt, A world of torments though I ſhould endure, I would not yeeld to be your houſes gueſt: So much I hate a breaking cauſe to be Of heauenly oaths, vow'd with integritie. O you haue liu'd in deſolation heere, Vnſeene, vnuiſited, much to our ſhame. Not ſo my Lord, it is not ſo I ſweare, We haue had paſtimes heere, and pleaſant game, A meſſe of Ruſſians left vs but of late. How Madam? Ruſsians? I in truth, my Lord. Trim gallants, full of Courtſhip and of ſtate. Madam ſpeake true. It is not ſo my Lord: My Ladie (to the manner of the daies) In curteſie giues vndeſeruing praiſe. We foure indeed confronted were with foure In Ruſsia habit: Heere they ſtayed an houre, And talk'd apace: and in that houre (my Lord) They did not bleſſe vs with one happy word. I dare not call them fooles; but this I thinke, When they are thirſtie, fooles would faine haue drinke.