The Gentleman Usher (Vincentio and Margaret) · chunk 25 of 42
Chapman, George · published 1606 · first performed or written 1606 (Annals) comedy · Children of the Chapel (second) or Children of Paul’s (second) T0 Court life: dukes, favour and honour typicality 0.78 · 510 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T0: duke, lord, duchess, love, court, madam, prince, honour, grace, lady.
Fetch her sweet friend, I'll hit your words I warrant, Be bold than Vince, and press her to it hard, A shamefaced man, is of all women barred. How easily worthless men take worth upon them, And being over credulous of their own worths, Do underprize as much the worth of others. The fool is rich, and absurd riches thinks All merit is rung out, where his purse chinks. My Lord, with much entreaty here's my Lady. Nay Madam, look not back: why Vince I say? Vince? O monstrous jest! To her for shame. Lady, your back part is as sweet to me As all your fore part. He missed a little: he said her back part was sweet, when He should have said fair; but see, she laughs most fitly, To bring in the tother: Vince, to her again, she laughs. Laugh you fair Dame? If you will laugh and lie down, I am pleased. What villainous stuff is here? Sweet Mistress, of mere grace embolden now The kind young Prince here, it is only love Upon my protestation, that thus daunts His most Heroic spirit: so a while I'll leave you close together; Vince, I say— O horrible hearing, does he call you Vince? O ay, what else? and I made him embrace me, Knitting a most familiar league of friendship. But wherefore did you court me so absurdly? God's me, he taught me, I spoke out of him. O fie upon't, could you for pity make him Such a poor creature? 'twas abuse enough To make him take on him such saucy friendship; And yet his place is great; for he's not only My father's Usher, but the worlds beside, Because he goes before it all in folly. Well, in these homely wiles, must our loves mask, Since power denies him his apparent right, But is there no mean to dissolve that power, And to prevent all further wrong to us, Which it may work, by forcing Marriage rites, Betwixt me and the Duke? No mean but one, And that is closely to be married first, Which I perceive not how we can perform: For at my father's coming back from hunting, I fear your father and himself resolve, To bar my interest with his present nuptials. That shall they never do; may not we now Our contract make, and marie before heaven? Are not the laws of God and Nature, more Than formal laws of men? are outward rites, More virtuous than the very substance is Of holy nuptials solemnized within? Or shall laws made to curb the common world, That would not be contained in form without them, Hurt them that be a law unto themselves? My princely love, 'tis not a Priest shall let us: But since th'eternal acts of our pure souls, Knit us with God, the soul of all the world, He shall be Priest to us; and with such rites As we can here devise, we will express, And strongly ratify our hearts true vows, Which no external violence shall dissolve.
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)
Fetch her sweete friend, Ile hit your words I warrant, Be bold then Vince, and presse her to it hard, A shamefac'd man, is of all women barr'd. How easly worthlesse men take worth vpon them, And being ouer credulous of their owne worths, Doe vnderprize as much the worth of others. The foole is rich, and absurd riches thinks All merit is rung out, where his purse chinks. My Lord, with much intreaty heeres my Lady. Nay Maddam, looke not backe: why Vince I say? Vince? O monstrous ieast! To her for shame. Lady, your backe part is as sweete to me As all your forc part. He miss'd alittle: he said her back part was sweet, when He should haue said faire; but see, she laughs most fitly, To bring in the tother: Vince, to her againe, she laughs. Laugh you faire Dame? If you will laugh and lie downe, I am pleasde. What villanous stuffe is heere? Sweete Mistris, of meere grace imbolden now The kind young Prince heere, it is onely loue Vpon my protestation, that thus daunts His most Heroicke spirit: so a while Ile leaue you close together; Vince, I say— O horrible hearing, does he call you ? O I, what else? and I made him imbrace me, a most familiar league of friendship. But wherefore did you court me so absurdly? Gods me, he taught me, I spake out of him. O fie vpon't, could you for pitty make him Such a poore creature? abuse enough To make him take on him such sawcie friendship; And yet his place is great; for hees not onely My fathers Vsher, but the worlds beside, Because he goes before it all in folly. Well, in these homely wiles, must our loues maske, Since power denies him his right, But is there no meane to dissolue that power, And to preuent all further wrong to vs, Which it may worke, by forcing Mariage rites, Betwixt me and the Duke? No meane but one, And that is closely to be maried first, Which I perceiue not how we can performe: For at my fathers comming backe from hunting, I feare your father and himselfe resolue, To barre my interest with his present nuptialls. That shall they neuer doe; may not we now Our contract make, and marie before heauen? Are not the lawes of God and Nature, more Than formall lawes of men? are outward rites, More vertuous then the very substance is Of holy nuptialls solemnizde within? Or shall lawes made to curbe the common world, That would not be contain'd in forme without them, Hurt them that area law vnto themselues? My princely loue, tis not a Priest shall let vs: since th'eternall acts of our pure soules, Knit vs with God, the soule of all the world, He shall be Priest to vs; and with such rites As we can heere deuise, we will expresse, And strongely ratifie hearts true vowes, Which no externall violence shall dissolue.