Sharpham, Edward · published 1607 · first performed or written 1606 (Annals) comedy · Children of the Queen's Revels · Blackfriars T32 Rings and jewels as tokens typicality 0.82 · 496 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T32: ring, ti, gave, finger, jewel, lady, lord, love, invisible, away.
Good master Mittimus therein shall you much oblige me to be thankful. O all-directing power yield good aspect, And to my purpose give a blessed end, My intent is good, O let it so succeed, And be auspicious still to each good deed. Sir my master hath received your message, & hath sent this Ring as a token to Doctor Caius, desiring him, since my masters health will not permit him to be present, to proceed alone to judgement, and so commends his love to him. Good master Mittimus, I shall both deliver your masters commendations, and the Ring. Still tongueless night put off thy sable rob, Thou needs not mourn, my villainies were done By day, thou hadst no hand in them, O I am great, as is a woman that is near her time: And life's the burden that I bear. But 'tis a bastard for that I am ashamed on't. The Law I hope is a skilful midwife, and will soon deliver me; grim justice do thy worst, Thy cruelty shall prove a courtesy, And bail me out of prison. Lie there thou self-consuming Taper, true pattern of my life, I have consumed myself for others, as thou hast done for me, and now she has extinguished my life as I this light. O how obedient was my bounty, still To her command? my liberality Did fatten mischief, and hath made her proud: O that too much of any thing should be so ill in every thing The Suns all seeing eye, with too much untemperate heat makes wither what it made to flourish. The earth being mother to all wholesome herbs, With too much fatness oft produceth weeds. A suit of cloth doth keep the body warm, When richer garments makes the wearer proud. O, the means the sweetest Music; Contentment revels when that string is touched; But O, the time will come she will repent My death: for when she looks on vices face Unmask like mine; she will detest and loathe it. For this is truth and evermore hath been, None can forsake before he knows his sin. Come, come, thou didst but dream thou wert in hell. I tell thee I was in hell. And so was I too, I'll be sworn. And how long was't ere thou camest thither? methought 'twas long, as long as a suit hangs here in the Law ere it be ended. But I prithee how broad was the way to hell? As broad as the space between two lines in a Chancery bill. O sir, there's the conscience on't, say the Plaintiff be in one line, and the defendant in another, they being enemies, were't either conscience or honesty in the Clerk to thrust them no near together, that they might go together by th'ears? but i'faith what good fellowship was there in hell? O the devils are excellent companions, they'll drink your Dutch captains, or Court ladies' sponges. Who didst see there?
nodes 807–848 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 29 of 32 in this edition
Length
496 words · 641 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T32 — Rings and jewels as tokenscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.818 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T33 · seed 44: T32 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Good maister Mittimus therein shall you much obleige me to be thankfull. O all-directing power yeeld good aspect, And to my purpose giue a blessed ende, My intent is good, O let it so succeede, And be auspicious still to each good deede. Sir my maister hath receiued your message, & hath sent this Ring as a token to Doctor Caius, desiring him, since my maisters health will not permit him to be present, to proceede alone to iudgement, and so commends his loue to him. Good maister Mittimus, I shall both deliuer your maisters commendations, and the Ring. Still tonguelesse night put off thy sable robe, Thou needs not mourne, my villanies were done By day, thou hadst no hand in them, O I am great, as is a woman that is neare her time: And life's the burthen that I beare. But t'is a bastard for that I am asha'md on't. The Law I hope is a skilfull midwife, and will soone deliuer me; grim Iustice doe thy worst, Thy crueltie shall prooue a curtesie, And baile me out of prison. Lie there thou selfe-consuming Taper, true patern of my life, I haue consumde my selfe for others, as thou hast done for mee, and nowe shee has extinguisht my life as I this light. O how obedient was my bountie, still To her commaund? my liberalitie Did fatten mischiefe, and hath made her prowde: O that too much of any thing shuld be so ill in euery thing The Suns all seeng eye, with too much vntemperate heate makes wither what it made to flourish. The earth being mother to all wholsome hearbes, With too much fatnesse oft produceth weedes. A sute of cloath doth keepe the bodie warme, When richer garments makes the wearer proude. O, the meanes the sweetest Musicke; Contentment reuels when that string is toucht; But O, the time will come she will repent My death: for when she lookes on vices face Vnmaske like mine; she will detest and loath it. For this is truth and euermore hath bin, None can forsake before he knowes his sinne. Come, come, thou didst but dreame thou wert in hell. I tell thee I was in hell. And so was I too, Ile be sworne. And how long was't ere thou camest thither? Me thought t'was long, as long as a suit hangs here in the Law ere it be ended. But I prethee how broad was the way to hell? As broad as the space between two lines in a Chauncerie bill. O sir, there's the conscience on't, say the Plaintiffe be in one line, and the defendant in an other, they being enemies, wer't either conscience or honestie in the Clearke to thrust them no neare togither, that they might goe togither by th'eares? but yfaith what good fellowship was there in hell? O the diuels are excellent companions, theile drink your Dutch captains, or Court Ladies spunges. Who didst see there?