Middleton, Thomas · published 1608 · first performed or written 1606 [1604-1607] (Annals) comedy · Children of Paul's (second) T26 Devils, hell and fiends typicality 0.86 · 476 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T26: devil, hell, devils, sure, soul, fiend, sr, wife, lord, men.
What is't disturbs you sir?— Then was the devil in your likeness there. Ha? The very Devil assumed thee formally, That face, that voice, that gesture, that attire, e'en as it sits on thee, not a pleat altered, That Beaver band, the colour of that Periwig, The Farthingale above the Navel, all; As if the fashion were his own invention, Mercy defend me. To beguile me more. The cunning Succubus told me that meeting Was wrought a purpose by much wit and Art, Wept to me, laid my vows before me, urged me, Gave me the private marks of all our Love, Wood me in wanton and effeminate rhymes, And sung and danced about me like a Fairy, And had not worthier cogitations blessed me, Thy form and his enchantments had possessed me. What shall become of me my own thoughts doom me. Be honest; then the Devil will near assume thee, He has no pleasure in that shape to abide, Where these two sisters reign not, lust of pride; He as much trembles at a constant mind As looser flesh at him,— be not dismayed: Spring souls for joy, his policies are betrayed; Forgive me mistress Hargrave, on whose soul The guilt hangs double, My lust and thy enticement: both I challenge, And therefore of due vengeance it appeared To none but me to whom both sins inhered; What knows the lecher when he clips his whore Whether it be the Devil his parts adore: They're both so like, that in our Natural sense, I could discern no change nor difference. No marvel then times should so stretch and turn None for Religion, all for pleasure burn. Hot zeal into hot lust is now transformed, Grace into painting, charity into clothes, Faith into false hair, and put off as often, There's nothing but our virtue knows a mean, He that kept open house now keeps a Quean. He will keep open still, that he commends, And there he keeps a table for his friends: And she consumes more than her Sire could hoard, Being more common than his house or board: Live honest, and live happy, keep thy vows, she's part a Virgin whom but one man knows: Embrace thy husband, and beside him none, Having but one heart, give it but to one. I vow it on my knees, with tears true bred No man shall ever wrong my husband's bed. Rise, I'm thy friend for ever. And I thine For ever and ever,— Let me embrace thee sir, whom I will love, even next unto my soul, and that's my wife, Two dear Rare Gems this hour presents me with, A wife that's modest, and a friend that's right, Idle suspect and fear, now take your flight. A happy inward peace crown both your joys Thanks above utterance to you,— now? the news?
nodes 954–1014 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 27 of 36 in this edition
Length
476 words · 610 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T26 — Devils, hell and fiendscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.859 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T23 · seed 44: T23 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
What iſt diſturbs you ſir?— Then was the diuell in your likeneſſe there. Ha? The very Deuill aſſumde thee formally, That face, that voyce, that geſture, that attire, Een as it ſits on thee, not a pleate alterd, That Beuer band, the colour of that Periwig, The Farthingale abone the Nauill, all; As if the faſhion were his owne inuention, Mercy defend me. To beguile me more. The cunning Succubus told me that meeting Was wrought a purpoſe by much wit and Art, Wept to me, laide my vowes before me, vrgd me, Gaue me the priuate markes of all our Loue, Wood me in wanton and effeminate rimes, And ſung and danſt about me like a Fayry, And had not worthier cogitations bleſt me, Thy forme and his enchantments had poſſeſt me. What ſhall become of me my owne thoughts doome mee. Be honeſt; then the Diuell will nere aſſume thee, He has no pleaſure in that ſhape to abide, Where theſe two ſisters raigne not, luſt of pride; He as much trembles at a conſtant mind As looſer fleſh at him,—be not diſmayde: Spring ſoules for ioy, his policies are betrayde; Forgiue me miſtriſſe Hargraue, on whoſe ſoule The guilt hangs double, My luſt and thy enticement: both I challenge, And therefore of due vengeance it appeard To none but me to whome both ſins inher'd; What knowes the lecher when he clips his whore Whether it be the Diuell his parts adore: They're both ſo like, that in our Naturall ſence, I could diſcerne no change nor difference. No maruell then times ſhould ſo ſtretch and turne None for Religion, all for pleaſure burne. Hot zeale into hot luſt is now tranſformde, Grace into paynting, charity into clothes, Faith into falſe hayre, and put off as often, Theres nothing but our vertue knowes a meane, He that kept open houſe now keepes a Queane. He will keep open ſtill, that he commends, And there he keeps a table for his friends: And ſhe conſumes more then her Sire could hoord, Being more common then his houſe or boord: Liue honeſt, and liue happy, keep thy vowes, Shees part a Virgin whom but one man knowes: Embrace thy husband, and beſide him none, Hauing but one heart, giue it but to one. I vow it on my knees, with teares true bred No man ſhall euer wrong my husbands bed. Riſe, I'me thy friend for euer. And I thine For euer and euer,—Let me embrace thee ſir, whome I will loue, euen next vnto my ſoule, and thats my wife, Two deere Rare Iems this hower preſents me with, A wife thats modeſt, and a friend thats right, Idle ſuſpect and feare, now take your flight. A happy inward peace crowne both your ioyes Thankes aboue vtterance to you, —now? the newes?