Jonson, Ben · published 1616 · first performed or written 1599 (Annals) comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men unassigned nearest T23 Husbands, wives and jealousy · 494 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T23: wife, husband, cuckold, jealousy, woman, jealous, mistress, love, house, honest.
I warrant you, sir. I'll steal by her softly. Nay, gentle friend, be merry, raise your looks Out of your bosom, I protest (by heaven) You are the man most welcome in the world. (I thank you, sir,) I know my cue, I think. Where will you have 'em burn, sir? Here, good FIDO▪ What? she did not see thee? No, sir. That's well: Strew, strew, good FIDO, the freshest flowers, so. What means this, signor DELIRO? all this censing? Cast in more frankincense, yet more, well said. O, MACILENTE, I have such a wife! So passing fair, so passing far unkind, But of such worth, and right to be unkind, (Since no man can be worthy of her kindness.) What can there not? No, that is sure as death, No man alive! I do not say, is not, But cannot possibly be worth her kindness! Nay, it is certain, let me do her right. How, said I? do her right? as though I could, As though this dull gross tongue of mine could utter The rare, the true, the pure, the infinite rights, That sit (as high as I can look) within her! This is such dotage, as was never heard. Well, this must needs be granted. Granted, quoth you? Nay, MACILENTE; do not so discredit The goodness of your judgement to deny it, For I do speak the very lest of her. And I would crave, and beg no more of heaven, For all my fortunes here, but to be able To utter first in fit terms, what she is, And then the true joys I conceive in her. Is't possible, she should deserve so well, As you pretend? I, and she knows so well Her own deserts, that (when I strive t'enjoy them) She weighs the things I do, with what she merits: And (seeing my worth outweighed so in her graces) She is so solemn, so precise, so froward, That no observance I can do to her, Can make her kind to me: if she find fault, I mend that fault; and then she says, I faulted, That I did mend it. Now, good friend, advise me, How I may temper this strange spleen in her. You are too amorous, too obsequious, And make her too assured, she may command you. When women doubt most of their husband's loves, They are most loving. Husband's must take heed They give no gluts of kindness to their wives, But use them like their horses; whom they feed Not with a manger— full of meat together, But halfe a peck at once: and keep them so Still with an appetite to that they give them. He that desires to have a loving wife, Must bridle all the show of that desire: Be kind, not amorous; nor bewraying kindness, As if love wrought, but considerate duty. Offer no love-rites, but let wives still seek them, For when they come unsought, they seldom like them.
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)
I warrant you, sir. I'le steale by her softly. Nay, gentle friend, be merry, raise your lookes Out of your bosome, I protest (by heauen) You are the man most welcome in the world. (I thanke you, sir,) I know my cue, I thinke. Where wil you haue 'hem burne, sir? Here, good FIDO▪ What? shee did not see thee? No, sir. That's well: Strew, strew, good FIDO, the freshest flowres, so. What meanes this, signior DELIRO? all this censing? Cast in more frankincense, yet more, well said. O, MACILENTE, I haue such a wife! So passing faire, so passing farre vnkind, But of such worth, and right to be vnkind, (Since no man can be worthy of her kindnesse.) What can there not? No, that is sure as death, No man aliue! I doe not say, is not, But cannot possibly be worth her kindnesse! Nay, it is certain, let me doe her right. How, said I? doe her right? as though I could, As though this dull grosse tongue of mine could vtter The rare, the true, the pure, the infinite rights, That sit (as high as I can looke) within her! This is such dotage, as was neuer heard. Well, this must needs be granted. Granted, quoth you? Nay, MACILENTE; doe not so discredit The goodnesse of your iudgement to denie it, For I doe speake the very least of her. And I would craue, and beg no more of heauen, For all my fortunes here, but to be able To vtter first in fit termes, what shee is, And then the true ioyes I conceiue in her. Is't possible, shee should deserue so well, As you pretend? I, and shee knowes so well Her owne deserts, that (when I striue t'enioy them) Shee weighs the things I doe, with what shee merits: And (seeing my worth out-weigh'd so in her graces) Shee is so solemne, so precise, so froward, That no obseruance I can doe to her, Can make her kind to me: if shee find fault, I mend that fault; and then she saies, I faulted, That I did mend it. Now, good friend, aduise me, How I may temper this strange splene in her. You are too amorous, too obsequious, And make her too assur'd, shee may command you. When women doubt most of their husbands loues, They are most louing. Husbands must take heed They giue no gluts of kindnesse to their wiues, But vse them like their horses; whom they feed Not with a manger—full of meat together, But halfe a pecke at once: and keep them so Still with an appetite to that they giue them. He that desires to haue a louing wife, Must bridle all the shew of that desire: Be kind, not amorous; nor bewraying kindnesse, As if loue wrought, but considerate duty. " Offer no loue-rites, but let wiues still seeke them, " For when they come vnsought, they seldome like them.