Jonson, Ben · published 1601 · first performed or written 1598 (Annals) comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men T46 Swords, quarrels and valour typicality 0.82 · 487 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T46: rapier, sword, fight, gentlemen, gentleman, kicked, kill, dagger, signor, valour.
This is strange and vile as ever I heard. I will tell you sir upon my first coming to the city, they assaulted me some three, four, five, six, of them together as I have walked alone, in divers places of the city; as upon the exchange, at my lodging, and at my ordinary: where I have driven them afore me the whole length of a street, in the open view of all our gallants, pitying to hurt them believe me; yet all this lenity will not depress their spleen: they will be doing with the Pismire, raising a hill, a man may spurn abroad with his foot at pleasure: by my soul I could have slain them all, but I delight not in murder: I am loath to hear any other but a bastinado for them, and yet I hold it good policy not to go disarmed, for though I be skilful, I may be suppressed with multitudes. I by Iesu may you sir and (in my conceit) our whole nation should sustain the loss by it, if it were so. Alas no: what's a peculiar man, to a nation? not seen. I but your skill sir. Indeed that might be some loss, but who respects it? I will tell you signor (in private) I am a gentleman, and live here obscure, and to myself: but were I known to the Duke (observe me) I would undertake (upon my head and life) for the public benefit of the state, not only to spare the entire lives of his subjects in generall, but to save the one half: nay there parts of his yearly charges, in holding wars generally against all his enemies? and how will I do it think you? Nay I know not, nor can I conceive. Marry thus, I would select 19 more to myself, throughout the land, gentlemen they should be of good spirit; strong & able constitution, I would choose them by an instinct, a trick that I have: & I would teach these 19. the special tricks, as your Punto, your Reverso, your Stoccata, your Imbroccato, your Passado, your Montaunto, till they could all play very near or altogether as well as myself. this done; say the enemy were forty thousand strong: we twenty would come into the field the tenth of March, or there about; & would challenge twenty of the enemy? they could not in there honour refuse the combat: well, we would kill them: challenge twenty more, kill them; twenty more, kill them; twenty more, kill them too; and thus would we kill every man, his twenty a day, that's twenty score; twenty score, that's two hundredth; two hundredth a day, five days a thousand: forty thousand; forty times five, five times forty, two hundredth days kills them all, by computation, and this will I venture my life to perform: provided there be no treason practised upon us.
nodes 1173–1180 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 37 of 52 in this edition
Length
487 words · 628 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T46 — Swords, quarrels and valourcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.818 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T42 · seed 44: T42 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
This is strange and vile as I hard. I will tell you sir vpon my first comming to the ciie, they assaulted me some three, foure, fiue, six, of them together as I haue walkt alone, in diuers places of the citie; as vpon he exchange, at my lodging▪ and at my ordinarie: where I haue driuen them afore me the whole length of a streete, in the open view of all our gallans, pittying to hurt them beleeue me; yet all this lenety will not depresse their spleane: they will be doing with the Pismier, rayig a hil, a man may spurne abroade with his foote at pleasure: by my soule I could haue slane them all, but I delight not in murder: I am loth to eae any other but a bastinado for them, and yet I hold it good pollicie not to goe disarmd, for though I be skilfull, may be suppressd with multitudes. I by Iesu may you sir and (in my conceite) our whol nation should sustayne the losse by it, if it were so. Alasse no: whats a peculier man, to a nation? not seene. I but your skill sir. Indeede hat might be some losse, but who respects it? I will tel you Signior (in priuate) I am a gentleman, and liue here obscure, and to my selfe: but were I known to the Duke (obserue me) I would vndertake (vpon my heade and life) for the pblique benefit of the state, not onely to spare the intire liues of his subiects ingenerall, but to saue the one halfe: nay there partes of his yerely charges, in houlding warres generally agaynst all his enemies? and how will I do it thinke you? Nay I know not, nor can I conceiue. Marry thus, I would select 19 more to my selfe, throughout the land, gentlemē the should be of good spirit; strong & able constitutiō, I would chuse thē by an instinct, a trick that I haue: & I would teach these 19. the special tricks, as your Pnt, our Reuerso, your Stoccato, your Imbroccato, your Passdo, your Montaunto, till they could all play very neare or altogether as well as my selfe▪ this done; say the enemie were forty thousand strong: we twenty wold come into the field the tenth of March, or ther abouts; & would challendge twenty of the enemie? they could not in there honor refuse the combat: wel, we would kil them: challenge twentie more, kill then; twentie more, kill then; twentie more, kill them too; and thus would we kill euery man, his twentie a day, thats twentie score; twentie score, thats two hundreth; two hundreth a day, fiue dayes a thousand: fortie thousand; fortie times fiue, fiue times fortie, two hundreth dayes killes them all, by computation, and this will I venture my life to performe: prouided there be no treason practised vpon vs.