Jonson, Ben · published 1600 · first performed or written 1599 (Annals) comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men unassigned nearest T62 The courtier as a type: fashion, affecta · 490 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T62: courtier, shrug, face, court, italian, monsieur, scholar, fashion, french, courtiers.
God's me, what luck's this? I have fetched my tailor and all: which way went he Sister? can you tell? Not I, in good faith: and he has a Body like an Angel. How long is't since he went? Why but e'en now: did you not meet him? and a Tongue able to ravish any woman i'the earth. O, for God's sake (I'll please you for your pains:) but e'en now, say you? Come good sir: 'Slid I had forgot it too: Sister, if anybody ask for mine Uncle Sogliardo, they shall ha' him at the Herald's Office yonder by Paul's. Well, I will not altogether despair: I have heard of a citizens wife has been beloved of a Courtier; and why not I? heigh ho: well, I will into my private Chamber, lock the door to me, and think over all his good parts one after another. Well, I doubt this last Scene will endure some grievous Torture. How? you fear 'twill be racked by some hard Construction? Do not you? No in good faith: unless mine eyes could light me beyond Sense, I see no reason why this should be more Liable to the Rack than the rest: you'll say perhaps the City will not take it well, that the Merchant is made here to dote so perfectly upon his wife; and she again, to be so Fastidiously affected, as she is? You have uttered my thought sir, indeed. Why (by that proportion) the Court might as well take offence at him we call the Courtier, and with much more Pretext, by how much the place transcends and goes before in dignity and virtue: but can you imagine that any Noble or true spirit in the Court (whose Sinewy, and altogether unaffected graces, very worthily express him a Courtier) will make any exception at the opening of such an empty Trunk as this Brisk is? or think his own worth impeached by beholding his motley inside? No Sir, I do not. No more, assure you, will any grave wise Citizen, or modest Matron, take the object of this Folly in Deliro and his Wife; but rather apply it as the foil to their own virtues: For that were to affirm, that a man writing of Nero, should mean all Emperors: or speaking of Machiavell, comprehend all Statesmen; or in our Sordido, all farmers; and so of the rest: than which, nothing can be uttered more malicious and absurd. Indeed there are a sort of these narrow-eyed Decipherers, I confess, that will extort strange and abstruse meanings out of any Subject, be it never so Conspicuous and Innocently delivered. But to such (where'er they sit concealed) let them know, the Author defies them, and their writing-Tables; and hopes, no sound or safe judgement will infect itself with their contagious Comments, who (indeed) come here only to pervert and poison the sense of what they hear, and for nought else.
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)
Gods me, what lucke's this? I haue fetcht my Taylor and all: which way went he Sister? can you tell? Not I, in good faith: and hee has a Bodie like an Angell. How long is't since he went? VVhy but e'en now: did you not meet him? and a Tongue able to rauish any woman i'the earth. O, for Gods sake (I'le please you for your paines:) but e'en now, say you? Come good sir: S'lid I had forgot it too: Sister, if any body aske for mine Vncle Sogliardo, they shall ha' him at the Heralds Office yonder by Paules. VVell, I will not altogither despaire: I haue heard of a Cittizens wife has been belou'd of a Courtier; and why not I? heigh ho: well, I will into my priuat Chamber, locke the dore to me, and thinke ouer all his good parts one after another. VVell, I doubt this last Scene will endure some grieuous Torture. How? you feare 'twill be rackt by some hard Construction▪ Doe not you? No in good faith: vnlesse mine eyes could light mee beyond Sence, I see no reason why this should be more Liable to the Racke than the rest: you'le say perhaps the Cittie will not take it wel, that the Merchant is made here to dote so perfectly vpon his wife; and shee againe, to be so Fastidiously affected, as she is? You haue vtter'd my thought sir, indeed. VVhy (by that proportion) the Court might as well take offence at him we call the Courtier, and with much more Pretext, by how much the place transcends and goes before in dignitie and vertue: but can you imagine that any Noble or true spirit in the Court (whose Sinewie, and altogither vnaffected graces, very worthily expresse him a Courtier) will make any exception at the opening of such an emptie Trunk as this Briske is? or thinke his owne worth empeacht by beholding his motley inside? No Sir, I doe not. No more, assure you, will any graue wise Cittizen, or modest Matron, take the object of this Follie in Deliro and his VVife; but rather apply it as the foile to their owne vertues: For that were to affirme, that a man writing of Nero, should meane all Emperours: or speaking of Machiavell, comprehend all States-men; or in our Sordido, all Farmars; and so of the rest: than which, nothing can bee vtter'd more malicious and absurd. Indeed there are a sort of these narrow-ey'd Decipherers, I confesse, that will extort straunge and abstruse meanings out of any Subject, bee it neuer so Conspicuous and Innocently deliuerd. But to such (where e're they sit conceald) let them know, the Authour defies them, and their writing-Tables; and hopes, no sound or safe judgement will infect it selfe with their contagious Comments, who (indeed) come here only to pervert and poyson the sence of what they heare, and for nought else.