Shakespeare, William · published 1623 · first performed or written 1597 [Apr 23] (Annals) comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men unassigned nearest T23 Husbands, wives and jealousy · 494 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T23: wife, husband, cuckold, jealousy, woman, jealous, mistress, love, house, honest.
Have you received no promise of satisfaction at her hands? Never. Have you importuned her to such a purpose? Never. Of what quality was your love then? Like a fair house, built on another man's ground, so that I have lost my edifice, by mistaking the place, where I erected it. To what purpose have you unfolded this to me? When I have told you that, I have told you all: Some say, that though she appear honest to me, yet in other places she enlargeth her mirth so far, that there is shrewd construction made of her. Now (Sir Iohn) here is the heart of my purpose: you are a gentleman of excellent breeding, admirable discourse, of great admittance, authentic in your place and person, generally allowed for your many war-like, courtlike, and learned preparations. O Sir. Believe it, for you know it: there is money, spend it, spend it, spend more; spend all I have, only give me so much of your time in enchange of it, as to lay an amiable siege to the honesty of this Fords wife: use your Art of wooing; win her to consent to you: if any man may, you may as soon as any. Would it apply well to the vehemency of your affection that I should win what you would enjoy? Methinks you prescribe to yourself very preposterously. O, understand my drift: she dwells so securely on the excellency of her honour, that the folly of my soul dares not present itself: she is too bright to be looked against. Now, could I come to her with any detection in my hand; my desires had instance and argument to commend themselves, I could drive her then from the ward of her purity, her reputation, her marriage-vow, and a thousand other her defences, which now are tootoo strongly embattaild against me: what say you too't, Sir Iohn? Master Broome, I will first make bold with your money: next, give me your hand: and last, as I am a gentleman, you shall, if you will, enjoy Fords wife. O good Sir. I say you shall. Want no money (Sir Iohn) you shall want none. Want no Mistress Ford (Master Broome) you shall want none: I shall be with her (I may tell you) by her own appointment, even as you came in to me, her assistant, or goe-betweene, parted from me: I say I shall be with her between ten and eleven: for at that time the iealious-rascally-knave her husband will be forth: come you to me at night, you shall know how I speed. I am blessed in your acquaintance: do you know Ford Sir? Hang him (poor Cuckoldly knave) I know him not: yet I wrong him to call him poor: They say the jealous wittolly-knave hath masses of money, for the which his wife seems to me well-favourd: I will use her as the key of the Cuckoldly-rogues Coffer, & there's my harvest-home.
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)
Haue you receiu'd no promiſe of ſatisfaction at her hands? Neuer. Haue you importun'd her to ſuch a purpoſe? Neuer. Of what qualitie was your loue then? Like a fair houſe, built on another mans ground, ſo that I haue loſt my edifice, by miſtaking the place, where I erected it. To what purpoſe haue you vnfolded this to me? When I haue told you that, I haue told you all: Some ſay, that though ſhe appeare honeſt to mee, yet in other places ſhee enlargeth her mirth ſo farre, that there is ſhrewd conſtruction made of her. Now (Sir Iohn) here is the heart of my purpoſe: you are a gentleman of excellent breeding, admirable diſcourſe, of great admittance, authenticke in your place and perſon, generally allow'd for your many war-like, court-like, and learned preparations. O Sir. Beleeue it, for you know it: there is money, ſpend it, ſpend it, ſpend more; ſpend all I haue, onely giue me ſo much of your time in enchange of it, as to lay an amiable ſiege to the honeſty of this Fords wife: vſe your Art of wooing; win her to conſent to you: if any man may, you may as ſoone as any. Would it apply well to the vehemency of your affection that I ſhould win what you would enioy? Methinkes you preſcribe to your ſelfe very prepoſterouſly. O, vnderſtand my drift: ſhe dwells ſo ſecurely on the excellency of her honor, that the folly of my ſoule dares not preſent it ſelfe: ſhee is too bright to be look'd againſt. Now, could I come to her with any detection in my hand; my deſires had inſtance and argument to commend themſelues, I could driue her then from the ward of her purity, her reputation, her marriage-vow, and a thouſand other her defences, which now are too-too ſtrongly embattaild againſt me: what ſay you too't, Sir Iohn? Maſter Broome, I will firſt make bold with your money: next, giue mee your hand: and laſt, as I am a gentleman, you ſhall, if you will, enioy Fords wife. O good Sir. I ſay you ſhall. Want no money (Sir Iohn) you ſhall want none. Want no Miſtreſſe Ford (Maſter Broome) you ſhall want none: I ſhall be with her (I may tell you) by her owne appointment, euen as you came in to me, her aſſiſtant, or goe-betweene, parted from me: I ſay I ſhall be with her betweene ten and eleuen: for at that time the iealious-raſcally-knaue her husband will be forth: come you to me at night, you ſhall know how I ſpeed. I am bleſt in your acquaintance: do you know Ford Sir? Hang him (poore Cuckoldly knaue) I know him not: yet I wrong him to call him poore: They ſay the iealous wittolly-knaue hath maſſes of money, for the which his wife ſeemes to me well-fauourd: I will vſe her as the key of the Cuckoldly-rogues Coffer, & ther's my harueſt-home.