Anonymous · published 1607 · first performed or written 1602 [1601-1602] (Annals) comedy · Unknown T11 Siblings, kin and confidants typicality 0.75 · 494 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T11: sister, brother, love, friend, heart, father, mother, woman, lord, hear.
How comes it then your blinded Secretary, Hath writ another name unto the letter? Yours devoted Anthony Golding. But sure this letter is no right of thine, Either thou foundst the same by happy chance, Or being employed as a Messenger, play'dst leger dumaine with him that sent the same: Wherefore the maid (well known unto myself) I will reserve the letter to her use, That she, if by the name herein set down, She know the Gentleman that doth wish her well, She may be grateful for his courtesy. Nay then I see I must disclose myself: Sir, might I build upon your secrecy, I would disclose a secret of import. Assure thyself I will not injure thee. Then Cripple know, I am not what I seem, But took this habit to deceive my friend: My friend indeed, but yet my cruel foe; Foe to my good, my friend in outward show: I am no Porter, as I seem to be, But younger brother to that Anthony; And to be brief, I am in love with Phillis, Which my two elder brothers do affect: The one of them seeks to defeat the other: Now if that I, being their younger brother Could gull them both, by getting of the wench, I would requite it with loves recompense. Cripple, thou once didst promise me thy love, When I did rescue thee on Mile-end Green, Now is the time, now let me have thy aid, To gull my brothers of that beauteous maid. Sir, what I promised I will now perform; My love is yours, my life to do you good, Which to approve, follow me but in all, we'll gull your brothers in the wench, and all. sayst thou me so friend, for that very word My life is thine, command my hand and sword. Then let me see this letter; it should see me You undertook to carry from your brother To the maid. I did, and from my brother Ferdinand, This other letter to the same effect. Well, list to me, and follow my advise, You shall deliver neither of them both; But frame two letters of your own invention, Letters of flat denial to their suits, Give them to both your brothers as from Phillis, And let each line in either Letter tend To the dispraise of both their features; And the conclusion I would have set down, A flat resolve bound with some zealous oath, Never to yield to either of their suits: And if this sort not well to your content, Condemn the Cripple. But this will ask much time, And they by this time look for my return. Why then myself will fit you presently, I have the Copies in my custody, Of sundry Letters to the same effect. Of thy own writing? My own I assure you, sir. Faith thou hast robbed some Sonnet book or other, And now wouldst make me think they are thine own.
nodes 1165–1228 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 21 of 41 in this edition
Length
494 words · 622 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T11 — Siblings, kin and confidantscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.747 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T15 · seed 44: T12 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
How comes it then your blinded Secretarie, Hath writ another name vnto the letter? Yours deuoted Anthony Golding. But sure this letter is no right of thine, Either thou foundst the same by happy chance, Or being imployed as a Messenger, Plaid'st leger dumaine with him that sent the same: Wherefore the maid (well knowne vnto my selfe) I will reserue the letter to her vse, That she, if by the name herein set downe, She know the Gentleman that doth wish her well, She may be gratefull for his courtesie. Nay then I see I must disclose my selfe: Sir, might I build vpon your secrecie, I would disclose a secret of import. Assure thy selfe I will not iniure thee. Then Cripple know, I am not what I seem, But tooke this habite to deceiue my friend: My friend indeed, but yet my cruell foe; Foe to my good, my friend in outward show: I am no Porter, as I seeme to bee, But yonger brother to that Anthony; And to be briefe, I am in loue with Phillis, Which my two elder brothers do affect: The one of them seekes to defeat the other: Now if that I, being their yonger brother Could gull them both, by getting of the wench, I would requite it with loues recompence. Cripple, thou once didst promise me thy loue, When I did rescue thee on Mile-end Greene, Now is the time, now let me haue thy ayd, To gull my brothers of that beauteous mayd. Sir, what I promisde I will now performe; My loue is yours, my life to doe you good, Which to approoue, follow me but in all, Weele gull your brothers in the wench, and all. Saist thou me so friend, for that very word My life is thine, command my hand and sword. Then let me see this letter; it should see me You vnder-tooke to carry from your brother To the maide. I did, and from my brother Ferdinand, This other letter to the same effect. Well, list to me, and follow my aduise, You shall deliuer neither of them both; But frame two letters of your owne inuention, Letters of flat deniall to their sutes, Giue them to both your brothers as from Phillis, And let each line in either Letter tend To the dispraise of both their features; And the conclusion I would haue set downe, A flat resolue bound with some zealous oath, Neuer to yeeld to eyther of their sutes: And if this sort not well to your content, Condemne the Cripple. But this will aske much time, And they by this time looke for my returne. Why then my selfe will fit you presently, I haue the Coppies in my custody, Of sundry Letters to the same effect. Of thy owne writing? My owne I assure you, sir. Faith thou hast robd some Sonet booke or other, And now wouldst make me thinke they are thine owne.