Sharpham, Edward · published 1607 · first performed or written 1607 (Annals) comedy · Children of the King's Revels unassigned nearest T23 Husbands, wives and jealousy · 497 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T23: wife, husband, cuckold, jealousy, woman, jealous, mistress, love, house, honest.
O the the very name of good Wages, will make a servingman do any courtesy. Then be friend me thus, deliver this Letter to your lady's own hand, with as much secrecy as ye may, and take this for your employment. As secret as she that sells complexion: none but the chambermaid shall know it. YE have your eyes like sun-glasses, catched the heat of my beauty, & cast it on your own heart, and doth your sighs like bellows, make it more inflamed? then spend your tears to quench it, for my chaste bloods honour shall never do it. Lust, it's like an over-swollen river, that breaks beyond all bounds: it's a Devil bred in the blood, nursed in desire, & like a salamader lives in a continual fire: it sprouteth larger than the ivy, which embraceth, twisteth and entangleth every one within his reach, & makes no choice betwixt the goodliest cedar & the stinkingst Elder: it's a foul usurper on the name of love, and reigns with greater domination then an Emperor: it's a very leprous Itch, it stains, and leaves a fouler spot upon the soul than tears can wash away: but my chaste thoughts shall watch mine honour: i'll muster up my prayers to fight against temptation: shall I that have been a commander of myself, now prove a slave to sin? No, no, my mounting thoughts do soar too high a pitch to stoop to any stranger's lure. Say that a peevish Fly entangled were within my never-shorn tresses, should I to save his life, cut and deform me of so rich an ornament? What though the Lord Nonsuch within my love entangled be, must my honour now be clipped to set him free? No, no, my saw is this and ever shall: he that on hope doth climb doth often fall. But what shall I do? a writes here a will come: wit of a Woman now assist me, O apron strings be now auspicious, for here's my Husband, something I must do: I ha''t. Now fair mistress: this is strange to find you here alone: Not alone, but environed and accompanied. With what? With many heart-biting thoughts, which like Actaeon's hounds have almost slain myself, yet now my constancy shall prove a glass, in which yourself shall see your own errors: the Lord Nonsuch which you have long suspected, with unrebated edge of lust, hath aways sought, (I must confess) to cut my very reputation's throat, & this night— This night? I this night, but hear me husband: No no, cuckold me, kill me with grief, do, do, & when I am dead marry him: a has made you a jointure already of Breech down: well wife well, I married you out of the Country, but you have learned the City fashions already: I am a Cuckold, I am, but ignorance that I was to marry thee so young, not being able scarce to put thine own apparel on.
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)
O the verie name of good Wages, wil make a Serningman doe any curtesie. Then be friend me thus, deliuer this Letter to your Ladies owne hand, with as much secrecie as ye may, and take this for your imployment. As secret as shee that sel's complexion: none but the chamber-Maide shall know it. YE haue your eyes like Sunne-glasses, catch'd the heate of my beautie, & cast it on your owne heart, and doth your sighes like bellowes, make it more inflambe? then spend your teares to quenchit, for my chaste blouds honour shall neuer doe it. Lust, it's like an ouer-swollen riuer, that breakes beyond all boundes: it's a Diuell bred in the blood, nurc'd in desire, & like a Sallamander liues in a continuall fire: it sprouteth larger then the Iuie, which imbraceth, twisteth and intangleth euerie one within his reach, & makes no choice betwixt the goodliest Caeder & the stinckingst Elder: it's a foule vsurper on the name of loue, and raignes with greater domination then an Emperor: it's a verie leperous Itche, it staines, and leaues a fouler spot vppon the soule then teares can wash away: but my chaste thoughts shall watch mine honour: ile muster vp my prayers to fight against temptation: shall I that haue bin a commaunder of my selfe, now proue a slaue to sinne? No, no, my mounting thoughts doe soare too high a pitch to stoope to any strangers lure. Say that a pecuish Flye intangled were within my neuer-shorne tresses, should I to saue his life, cut and deforme me of so rich an ornament? What though the Lord Nonsuch within my loue intangled bee, must my honour now be clipt to set him free? No, no, my sawe is this and euer shall: he that on hope doth climbe doth often fall. But what shall I doe? a writes heere a will come: wit of a Woman now assist me, O aperne stringes be now auspitious, for here's my Husband, something I must doe: I ha't. Now faire mistris: this is strange to finde you here alone: Not alone, but inuiron'd and accompained. With what? With many heart-biting thoughts, which like Actteons houndes haue almoste slaine my selfe▪ yet now my constancie shall proue a glasse, in which your selfe shal see your own errors: the Lord Nonsuch which you haue long suspected, with vnrebated edge of lust, hath awaies sought, (I must confesse) to cut my verie reputations throate, & this night— This night? I this night, but heare me husband: No no, cuckold me, kill me with griefe, doe, doe, & when I am deade marry him: a ha's made you a ioynter alredy of Breech downe: wel wife well, I marryed you out of the Countrie, but you haue learn'd the Cittie fashions already: I am a Cuckold, I am, but ignorance that I was to marry thee so young, not being able scarce to put thine owne apparell on.