How a Man May Choose a Good Wife from a Bad · chunk 14 of 43
Anonymous · published 1602 · first performed or written 1602 [c.1601-1602] (Annals) comedy · Worcester's Men unassigned nearest T23 Husbands, wives and jealousy · 481 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T23: wife, husband, cuckold, jealousy, woman, jealous, mistress, love, house, honest.
The woman saith but reason M. Arthur, And therefore give her licence to depart. Here is dry justice not to bid us drink, Hark thee my friend, I prithee lend thy cup: Now M. justice hear me but one word, You think this woman hath had little wrong? But by this wine which I intend to drink. Nay save your oath, I pray you do not swear, Or if you swear, take not too deep an oath. Content you, I may take a lawful oath Before a justice: therefore by this wine. A profound oath, well sworn, & deeply took, 'tis better thus, then swearing on a book. My daughter hath been wronged exceedingly. O sir, I would have credited these words Without this oath: but bring your daughter hither, That I may give her counsel ere you go. Mary God's blessing on your heart for that, Daughter give ear to justice Reasons words. Good woman, or good wife, or Mistress, if you have done amiss, it should seem you have done a fault; and making a fault, there's no question but you have done amiss: but if you walk uprightly, and neither lead to the right hand nor the left, no question but you have neither led to the right hand nor the left, but as a man should say, walked uprightly: but it should appear by these plaintiffs, that you have had some wrong, If you love your spouse entirely, it should seem you affect him fervently; and if he hate you monstrously, it should seem he loathes you most exceedingly: and there's the point, at which I will leave, for the time passes away: therefore to conclude, this is my best counsel, look that thy husband so fall in, that hereafter you never fall out. Good counsel, passing good instruction, Follow it daughter. Now I promise you, I have not heard such an Oration This many a day: what remains to do? Sir I was called as witness to this matter, I may be gone for aught that I can see. Nay stay my friend, we must examine you, What can you say concerning this debate Betwixt young M. Arthur and his wife? Faith just as much I think as you can say And that's just nothing. How nothing? come depose him, take his oath, Swear him I say, take his confession. What can you say sir in this doubtful case? Why nothing sir. We cannot take him in contrary tales, For he says nothing still, and that same nothing Is that which we have stood on all this while: He hath confessed even all, for all is nothing. This is your witness, he hath witnessed nothing. Since nothing then so plainly is confessed, And we by cunning answers and by wit Have wrought him to confess nothing to us, Write his confession. Why what should we write?
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)
The woman saith but reason M. Arthur, And therefore giue her licence to depart. Here is drie Iustice not to bid vs drink, Harke thee my friend, I pretheelend thy cup: Now M. Iustice heare me but one word, You thinke this woman hath had little wrong? But by this wine which I intend to drinke. Nay saue your oath, I pray you do not sweare, Or if you sweare, take not too deepe an oath. Content you, I may take a lawfull oath Before a Iustice: therefore by this wine. A profound oath, wel sworne, & deeply tooke, Tis better thus, then swearing on a booke. My daughter hath bin wrongd exceedingly. O sir, I would haue credited these words Without this oath: but bring your daughter hither, That I may giue her counsell ere you goe. Mary Gods blessing on your heart for that, Daughter giue eare to Iustice Reasons words. Good woman, or good wife, or Mistresse, if you haue done amisse, it should seeme you haue done a fault; and making a fault, theres no questiō but you haue done amisse: but if you walke vprightly, and neither lead to the right hand nor the left, no question but you haue neither led to the right hand nor the left, but as a man should fay, walked vprightly: but it should appeare by these plaintiffes, that you haue had some wrong, If you loue your spouse intierly, it should seeme you affect him feruently; and if he hate you monstrously, it should seeme he loaths you most exceedingly: and theres the point, at which I will leaue, for the time passes away: therefore to conclude, this is my best counsell, looke that thy husband so fall in, that hereafter you neuer fall out. Good counsell, passing good instruction, Follow it daughter. Now I promise you, I haue not heard such an Oration This many a day: what remaines to doo? Sir I was cald as witnesse to this matter, I may be gone for ought that I can see. Nay staie my friend, we must examine you, What can you say concerning this debate Betwixt yong M. Arthur and his wife? Faith iust as much I thinke as you can say And thats iust nothing. How nothing? come depose him, take his oath, Sweare him I say, take his confession. What can you say sir in this doubtfull case? Why nothing sir. We cannot take him in contrary tales, For he saies nothing still, and that same nothing Is that which we haue stood on all this while: He hath confest euen all, for all is nothing. This is your witnesse, he hath witnest nothing. Since nothing then so plainly is confest, And we by cunning answeres and by wit Haue wrought him to confesse nothing to vs, Write his confession. Why what should we write?