How a Man May Choose a Good Wife from a Bad · chunk 32 of 43
Anonymous · published 1602 · first performed or written 1602 [c.1601-1602] (Annals) comedy · Worcester's Men unassigned nearest T33 Fathers, daughters and marriage negotiat · 504 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T33: daughter, marriage, father, love, davus, matter, son, chremes, wife, mother.
Your mother is a virtuous Matron held, Her counsel, conference, and company, May much avail me, there a space I'll stay, Upon condition as you said before, You never will move your unchaste suit more. My faith is pawned, o never had chaste wife, A husband of so lewd and unchaste life. Mistress I long have served you, even since These bristled hairs upon my grave like chin Were all unborn: when I first came to you These Infant feathers of these ravens wings, Were not once begun. No indeed they were not. Now in my two Moustaches for a need, Wanting a rope, I well could hang myself: I prithee Mistress, for all my long service, For all the love that I have borne thee long, Do me this favour now to marry me. Marry come up you blockhead, you great ass, What wouldst thou have me marie with a devil, But peace, no more, here comes the silly fool That we so long have set our lime-twigs for, Be gone, and leave me to entangle him. What Mistress Mary! O good master Arthur, where have you been this week, this month, this year? This year said I? where have you been this age? Unto a Lover every minute seems time out of mind. How should I think you love me, That can endure to stay so long from me? In faith sweet heart I saw thee yesternight. I true, you did, but since you saw me not, At twelve o'clock you parted from my house, And now 'tis morning, and new strucken seven. Seven hours thou staidst from me, why didst thou so? They are my seven years Prenticeship of woe. I prithee be patient, I had some occasion That did enforce me from thee yesternight. I you are soon enforced, fool that I am, To dote on one that nought respecteth me: 'tis but my fortune, I am borne to bear it, And every one shall have their destiny. Nay weep not wench, thou woundst me with thy tears. I am a fool, and so you make me too, These tears were better kept, then spent in waste, On one that neither tenders them nor me: What remedy, but if I chance to die, Or to miscarry with that I go withal, I'll take my death that thou art cause thereof. You told me, that when your wife was dead, You would forsake all others, and take me. I told thee so, & I will keep my word, And for that end I came thus early to thee: I have procured a licence, and this night: We will be married in a lawless Church. These news revive me, & do somewhat ease The thought that was new gotten to my heart. But shall it be tonight? I wench, tonight. A sennet and odd days since my wife died Is passed already, and her timeless death, Is but a nine days talk, come go with me, And it shall be dispatched presently.
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)
Your mother is a vertuouus Matron held, Her counsell, conference, and companie, May much auaile me, there a space Ile stay, Vpon condition as you said betore, You neuer will moue your vnchaste sute more. My faith is pawnd, ô neuer had chaste wife, A husband of so leaud and vnchast life. Mistris I long haue seru'd you, euen since These brisled hayres vpon my graue like chin Were all vnborne: when I first came to you These Infant feathers of these rauens wings, Were not once begunne. No indeed they were not. Now in my two Muchatoes for a need, Wanting a rope, I well could hang my selfe: I prithee Mistris, for all my long seruice, For all the loue that I haue borne thee long, Do me this fauour now to marry me. Marry come vp you blockhead, you great asse, What wouldst thou haue me marie with a diuel, But peace, no more, here comes the silly foole That we so long haue set our lime-twigs for, Be gone, and leaue me to intangle him. What Mistris Mary! O good maister Arthur, where haue you bene this weeke, this moneth, this yeare? This yeare said I? where haue you bene this age? Vnto a Louer euery minute seemes time out of minde. How should I thinke you loue me, That can indure to stay so long from me? In faith sweet heart I saw thee yesternight. I true, you did, but since you saw me not, At twelue a clocke you parted from my house, And now tis morning, and new strucken seuen. Seuen houres thou staidst frō me, why didst thou so? They are my seuen yeares Prentiship of woe. I prithee be patient, I had some occasion That did inforce me from thee yesternight. I you are soone inforc'd, foole that I am, To dote on one that nought respecteth me: Tis but my fortune, I am borne to beare it, And euerie one shall haue their destinie. Nay weepe not wench, thou woundst mee with thy teares. I am a foole, and so you make me too, These teares were better kept, then spent in waste, On one that neither tenders them nor me: What remedie, but if I chance to die, Or to miscarrie with that I go withall, Ile take my death that thou art cause thereof. You told me, that when your wife was dead, You would forsake all others, and take me. I told thee so, & I will keep my word, And for that end I came thus early to thee: I haue procur'd a licence, and this night: We will be married in a lawlesse Church. These newes reuiue me, & do somewhat ease The thought that was new gotten to my heart. But shall it be to night? I wench, to night. A senne and odde dayes since my wife died Is past alreadie, and her timelesse death, Is but a nine daies talke, come go with me, And it shall be dispatched presently.