How a Man May Choose a Good Wife from a Bad · chunk 43 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 · 513 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T23: wife, husband, cuckold, jealousy, woman, jealous, mistress, love, house, honest.
Nay shun me not, be not ashamed at all, To heaven not me, for grace and pardon fall. Look on me Arthur, blush not at my wrongs. Still fear & hope my grief & woe prolongs. But tell me by what power thou didst survive? with my own hands I tempered that vild draft That sent thee breathless to thy grandsires grave, If that were poison I received from him. That ego nescio, but this dram Received I of this gentleman. The colour was to kill my Rats, But 'twas my own life to dispatch. Is it even so, than this ambiguous doubt No man can better than myself decide. That compound powder was of Poppy made and Mandrakes, Of purpose to cast one into a sleep, To ease the deadly pain of him whose leg Should be sawed off, that powder gave I to the school master. And that same powder, even that idem, You took from me the same per sidem: And that same powder I commixed with wine, Our godly knot of wedlock to untwine. But daughter who did take thee from thy grave? Discourse it daughter. Nay that labour save. Pardon me M. Arthur, I will now Confess the former frailty of my love. Your modest wife with words I tempted oft, But neither ill I could report of you, Nor any good I could forge for myself Would win her to attend to my request: Nay after death I loved her, in so much That to the vault where she was buried, My constant love did lead me thorough the dark, There ready to have ta'en my last farewell, The parting kiss I gave her I felt warm, Briefly, I bore her to my mother's house, Where she hath since lived the most chaste & true, That since the world's creation eye did view. My first wife stand you here, my second there, And in the midst myself: he that will choose A good wife from a bad, come other of me That have tried both, in wealth and misery. A good wife will be careful of her fame, Her husband's credit, and her own good name: And such art thou. A bad wife will respect Her pride, her lust, and her good name neglect, And such art thou. A good wife will be still Industrious, apt to do her husband's will. But a bad wife, cross, spiteful and madding, Never keep home, but always be a gadding: And such art thou. A good wife will conceal Her husband's dangers, and nothing reveal That may procure him harm, and such art thou. But a bad wife corrupts chaste wedlock's vow. On this hand virtue, and on this hand sin, This who would strive to lose, or this to win? Here lives perpetual joy, here burning woe, Now husbands choose on which hand you will go. Seek virtuous wives, all husbands will be blessed, Fair wives are good, but virtuous wives are best, They that my fortunes will peruse, shall find No beauties like the beauty of the mind.
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)
Nay shun me not, be not asham'd at all, To heauen not me, for grace and pardon fall. Looke on me Arthur, blush not at my wrongs. Stil feare & hope my grief & woe prolongs. But tell me by what power thou didst suruiue? with my own hands I temperd that vild draught That sent thee breathles to thy grandsires graue, If that were poyson I receiu'd from him. That egonescio, but this dram Receiu'd I of this gentleman. The colour was to kill my Rats, But twas my owne life to dispatch. Is it euen so, then this ambignous doubt No man can better then my selfe decide. That compound powder was of Poppie made and Mandrakes, Of purpose to cast one into a sleepe, To ease the deadly paine of him whose legge Should be sawd off, that powder gaue I to the school maister. And that same powder, euen that idem, You tooke from me the same per sidem: And that same powder I comixt with wine, Our godly knot of wedlock to vntwine. But daughter who did take thee from thy graue? Discourse it daughter. Nay that labour saue. Pardon me M. Arthur, I will now Confesse the former frailtie of my loue. Your modest wife with words I tempted oft, But neither ill I could report of you, Nor any good I could forge for my selfe Would winne her to attend to my request: Nay after death I lou'd her, in so much That to the vault where she was buried, My constant loue did lead me thorow the darke, There readie to haue tane my last farewell, The parting kisse I gaue her I felt warme, Briefly, I bare her to my mothers house, Where she hath since liu'd the most chast & true, That since the worlds creation eye did view. My first wife stand you here, my second there, And in the midst my selfe: he that will chuse A good wife from a bad, come other of me That haue tried both, in wealth and miserie. A good wife will be carefull of her fame, Her husbands credit, and her owne good name: And such art thou. A bad wife will respect Her pride, her lust, and her good name neglect, And such art thou. A good wife will be still In dustrious, apt to do her husbands will. But a bad wife, crosse, spightfull and madding, Neuer keep home, but alwaies be a gadding: And such art thou. A good wife will conceale Her husbands dangers, and nothing reueale That may procure him harme, and such art thou. But a bad wife corrupts chast wedlocks vow. On this hand vertue, and on this hand sinne, This who would striue to loose, or this to winne? Here liues perpetuall ioy, here burning woe, Now husbands choose on which hand you will goe. Seeke vertuous wiues, all husbands will be blest, Faire wiues are good, but vertuous wiues are best, They that my fortunes will pervse, shall finde No beauties like the beautie of the minde.