Middleton, Thomas · published 1608 · first performed or written 1606 [1604-1607] (Annals) comedy · Children of Paul's (second) T16 Gallantry: ladies, lordships and complim typicality 0.84 · 503 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T16: lady, madam, gentleman, lordship, ladies, honour, mistress, sweet, court, servant.
My little pretty Lady gull-man, the news, the comfort? You're the fortunate man sir, Knight a'th' holland skirt: there wants but opportunity and she's wax of your own fashioning, she had wrought herself into the form of your love before my art set finger to her. Did our affections meet? our thoughts keep time? So it should seem by the music, the only jar is in the grumbling base viol her husband. Oh his waking suspicion! Sigh not M. Penitent, trust the managing of the business with me, 'tis for my credit now to see't well finished: if I do you no good sir, you shall give me no money sir. I am arrived at the Court of conscience; A Courtesan! O admirable times! honesty is removed to the Common place. Farewell Lady. How now daughter? What news mother? A token from thy keeper. Oh from sir Bounteous Progress: he's my keeper in deed, but there's many a piece of venison stolen that my keeper wots not on; there's no park kept so warily, but loses flesh one time or other; and no woman kept so privately, but may watch advantage to make the best of her pleasure: and in common reason one keeper cannot be enough for so proud a park as a woman. Hold thee there girl. Fear not me mother. Every part of the world shoots up daily into more subtlety: the very spider weaves her cawls with more art and cunning, to entrap the fly. The shallow ploughman can distinguish now, Twixt simple truth and a dissembling brow. Your base mechanic fellow can spy out A weakness in a L. and learns to flout. How dost behove us then that live by sleight, To have our wits wound up to their stretched height? fifteen times thou know'st I have sold thy maidenhead, To make up a dowry for thy marriage, and yet There's maidenhead enough for old sir Bounteous still, he'll be all his life time about it yet, and be as far to seek when he has done. The sums that I have told upon thy pillow! I shall once see those golden days again: Though fifteen, all thy may den heads are not gone: The Italian is not served yet, nor the French: The British men come for a dozen at once, They engross all the market, Tut my girl, 'tis nothing but a politic conveyance; A sincere carriage, a religious eyebrow That throws their charms over the worldlings senses; And when thou spiest a fool that truly pities The false springs of thine eyes, And honourably dotes upon thy love, If he be rich, set him by for a husband; Be wisely tempered and learn this my wench Who gets th' opinion for a virtuous name May sin at pleasure, and near think of shame: Mother I am too deep a Scholar grown To learn my first rules now. 'twill be thy own, I say no more; peace, hark, remove thyself, oh, the two elder Brothers.
seed 43: T5 · seed 44: T29 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
My litle prety Lady gull-man, the newes, the comfort? Y'are the fortunate man ſir, Knight a'th holland skirt: there wants but opportunitie and ſhee's waxe of your owne faſhioning, ſhe had wrought her ſelfe into the forme of your loue before my art ſet finger to her. Did our affections meete? our thoughts keepe time? So it ſhould ſeeme by the muſicke, the onely iarre is in the grumbling baſe violl her husband. Oh his waking ſuſpition! Sigh not M. Penitent, truſt the managing of the buſines with me, tis for my credite now to ſee't well finiſh't: if I do you no good ſir, you ſhall giue me no money ſir. I am arriu'd at the Court of conſcience; A Curtizan! O admirable times! honeſtie is remoued to the Common place. Farewell Lady. How now daughter? What newes mother? A token from thy keeper. Oh from ſir Bounteous Progreſſe: hee's my keeper in deed, but ther's many a peece of veniſon ſtolne that my keeper wots not on; theres no parke kept ſo warily, but looſes fleſh one time or other; and no woman kept ſo priuately, but may watch aduantage to make the beſt of her pleaſure: and in common reaſon one keeper cannot be enough for ſo proud a parke as a woman. Hold thee there girle. Feare not me mother. Euery part of the world ſhootes vp daily into more ſubtilty: the very ſpider weaues her caules with more art and cunning, to entrap the flie. The ſhallow ploughman can diſtinguiſh now, Twixt ſimple truth and a diſſembling browe. Your baſe mechanick fellow can ſpy out A weakenes in a L. and learnes to floute. How do'ſt behooue vs then that liue by ſleight, To haue our wits wound vp to their ſtretcht height? Fifteene times thou knowſt I haue ſold thy may denhead, To make vp a dowry for thy mariage, and yet Theres may denhead enough for olde ſir Bounteous ſtil, Heele be all his life time about it yet, and bee as far to ſeeke when he has done. The ſummes that I haue told vpon thy pillow! I ſhall once ſee thoſe golden daies agen: Tho fifteene, all thy may den heads are not gone: The Italian is not ſerude yet, nor the French: The Britiſh men come for a dozen at once, They ingroſſe all the market, Tut my girle, Tis nothing but a politicke conueyance; A ſincere carriage, a religious eyebrowe That throwes their charmes ouer the worldlings ſenſes; And when thou ſpieſt a foole that truely pities The falſe ſprings of thine eyes, And honorably doates vpon thy loue, If he be rich, ſet him by for a husband; Be wiſely tempered and learne this my wench Who gets th' opinion for a vertuous name May ſin at pleaſure, and nere thinke of ſhame: Mother I am too deepe a Scholler growne To learne my firſt rules now. T'will be thy owne, I ſay no more; peace, harke, remoue thy ſelfe, oh, the two elder Brothers.