How a Man May Choose a Good Wife from a Bad · chunk 4 of 43
Anonymous · published 1602 · first performed or written 1602 [c.1601-1602] (Annals) comedy · Worcester's Men unassigned nearest T49 Wooing a mistress: suitors, go-betweens · 505 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T49: mistress, gentleman, love, lady, woman, pray, gentlewoman, hear, honest, way.
Pipkin what said she when she sent for me? Faith master she said little, but she thought more, For she was very melancholy. Did I not tell you she was melancholy? For nothing else but that she sent for me, And fearing I would come to dine with her. O you mistake her even upon my soul, I durst affirm you wrong her chastity. See where she doth attend your coming home. Come master Arthur, shall we in to dinner? Sirrah be gone, and see it served in. Will you not speak unto her? No not I, will you go in sir? Not speak to me, nor once look towards me? It is my duty to begin I know, And I will break this Ice of courtesy. You are welcome home sir. Hark master Lusam, if she mock me not, You are welcome home sir, am I welcome home, Good faith I care not if I be or no. Thus you misconstrue all things M. Arthur, Look if her true love melt not into tears. She weeps, but why? that I am come so soon To hinder her of some appointed guests, That in my absence revels in my house: She weeps to see me in her company, And were I absent, she would laugh with joy. She weeps to make me weary of the house, Knowing my heart cannot away with grief. Knew I that mirth would make you love my bed, I would enforce my heart to be more merry. Do you not hear, she would enforce her heart, All mirth is forced that she can make with me. O misconceit, how bitter is thy taste? Sweet M. Arthur, Mistress Arthur too, Let me entreat you reconcile these jars, Odious to heaven, and most abhorred of men. You are a stranger sir, but by your words You do appear an honest Gentleman: If you profess to be my husband's friend, Persist in these persuasions: and be judge With all indifference in these discontents. Sweet husband, if I be not fair enough To please your eye, range where you list abroad, Only at coming home speak me but fair: If you delight to change, change when you please, So that you will not change your love to me. If you delight to see me drudge and toil, I'll be your drudge, because 'tis your delight. Or if you think me unworthy of the name Of your chaste wife, I will become your maid, Your slave, your servant, any thing you will, If for that name of servant, and of slave, You will but smile upon me now and then. Or if as I well think you cannot love me, Love where you list, only say but you love me: I'll feed on shadows let the substance go. Will you deny me such a small request? What will you neither love nor flatter me? O then I see your hate here doth but wound me, And with that hate it is your frowns confound me.
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)
Pipkin what said she when she sent for me? Faith maister she said little, but she thought more, For she was very melancholy. Did I not tell you she was melancholy? For nothing else but that she sent for me, And fearing I would come to dine with her. O you mistake her euen vpon my soule, I durst affirme you wrong her chastitie. See where she doth attend your comming home. Come maister Arthur, shall we in to dinner? Sirra be gone, and see it seru'd in. Will you not speake vnto her? No not I, will you go in sir? Not speak to me, nor once looke towards me? It is my dutie to begin I know, And I will breake this Ice of curtesie. You are welcome home sir. Harke maister Lusam, if she mocke me not, You are welcome home sir, am I welcome home, Good faith I care not if I be or no. Thus you misconster all things M. Arthur, Looke if her true loue melt not into teares. She weeps, but why? that I am come so soone To hinder her of some appointed guests, That in my absence reuels in my house: She weepes to see me in her company, And were I absent, she would laugh with ioy. She weepes to make me weary of the house, Knowing my hart cannot away with grife. Knew I that mirth would make you loue my bed, I would enforce my hart to be more mery. Do you not heare, she would inforce her hart, All mirth is forct that she can make with me. O misconceit, how bitter is thy tast? Sweet M. Arthur, Mistris Arthur too, Let me intreat you reconcile these iarres, Odious to heauen, and most abhord of men. You are a stranger sir, but by your words You do appeare an honest Gentleman: If you professe to be my husbands friend, Persist in these perswasions: and be Iudge With all indifference in these discontents. Sweet husband, if I be not faire enough To please your eye, range where you list abroad, Only at comming home speake me but faire: If you delight to chaunge, chaunge when you please, So that you will not chaunge your loue to me. If you delight to see me drudge and toyle, Ile be your drudge, because tis your delight. Or if you thinke me vnworthie of the name Of your chast wife, I will become your maide, Your slaue, your seruant, any thing you will, If for that name of seruant, and of slaue, You will but smile vpon me now and then. Or if as I well thinke you cannot loue me, Loue where you list, only say but you loue me: Ile feed on shadowes let the substance goe. Will you deny me such a small request? What will you neither loue nor flatter me? O then I see your hate here doth but wound me, And with that hate it is your frownes confound me.