Anonymous · published 1609 · first performed or written 1607 [1599-1608] (Annals) comedy · Children of the King's Revels T49 Wooing a mistress: suitors, go-betweens typicality 0.80 · 485 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T49: mistress, gentleman, love, lady, woman, pray, gentlewoman, hear, honest, way.
Ye faith, are ye at it? what is there never a loving tear shed on neither side? nor you? nor you? Tully's are read, come, come ye fools, be more brief, I would have buried three husbands before you'll be married. Why lives Flavia a Virgin still? Because I have vowed virginity till I can get a husband Why Flavia you have many suitors. Oh I am loaden with suitors: for indeed I am feign to bear with any of them, I have a dumb show of all their pictures, each has sent in his several shadow, and I swear I had rather have them then the substance of any of them. Can you not describe them in action? Yes, and their action: I have one honest man of the age of forty five or there about, that traverses his ground three mile every morning to speak to me, and when he is come; after the saluting ceremony of how do you Lady, he falls to calculating the nativity of the Moon, prognosticating what fair weather will follow, if it either snow or rain, sometime with a gentle pinch by the fingar, intermixed with the valley of sighs: he falls to discoursing of the prize of pease, and that is as pleasing to me as a stinking breath. A good description. Another brings Letters of commendation from the Constable of the Parish, or the Churchwarden, of his good behaviour and bringing up, how he could write and read written hand: further, desiring that his Father would request my Father that his Father's Son might marry my Father's Daughter, and he'll make her a jointure of a hundred pound a year, and beget three or four fools to boot. Better and better. Vsus promptus facit. Faemina ludificantur viros, well, forward, I have another, that I prize dearer than the rest, a most sweet youth, and if the wind stand with him I can smell him halfe a mile ere he come at me, indeed he wears a Musk-cat, what call ye it about him? What do you call it? What ye will, but he smells better than burnt Rosemary, as well as a perfuming pan, and every night after his first sleep, writes lovesick sonnets, railing against left handed fortune his foe, that suffers his sweet heart to frown on him so. Then it seems you grant him no favour. Faith I dare not venture on him for fear he should be rotten: give me nature, not art. Here comes Lord Lentulus. Swift danger now ride post through this passage, health to your honour. And happiness to you. 'tis heaven dear Lord, but— Tush, tush, on earth, come, come, I know your suit, 'tis granted sure what ere it be. My suit craves death for treason to my friend. The Traitor lives while I have breath to spend, Then let me die to satisfy your will.
seed 43: T56 · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Ye faith, are ye at it? what is there neuer a louing teare ſhed on neither ſide? nor you? nor you? Tullies are red, come, come ye fooles, be more breefe, I would haue buried three husbands before youle be married. Why liues Flauia a Virgin ſtill? Becauſe I haue vow'd virginitie til I can get a huſband Why Flauia you haue many ſuitors. Oh I am loaden with ſuitors: for indeede I am faine to beare with any of them, I haue a dumbe ſhewe of all their pictures, each has ſent in his ſeuerall ſhadow, and I ſweare I had rather haue them then the ſubſtance of any of them. Can you not deſcribe them in action? Yes, and their action: I haue one honeſt man of the age of fortie fiue or there about, that trauerſes his ground three mile euerie morning to ſpeake to mee, and when hee is come; after the ſaluting ceremony of how do you Lady, hee falles to calculating the natiuitie of the Moone, prognoſticating what faire weather will follow, if it either ſnow or raine, ſometime with a gentle pinche by the fingar, intermixed with the valley of ſighes: hee falles to diſcourſing of the priſe of peaſe, and that is as pleaſing to me as a ſtinking breath. A good deſcription. Another bringes Letters of commendation from the Conſtable of the Pariſh, or the Churchwarden, of his good behauiour and bringing vp, how hee could write and reade written hand: further, deſiring that his Father would requeſt my Father that his Fathers Sonne might marrie my Fathers Daughter, and heele make her a ioynter of a hundred pound a yeare, and beget three or foure fooles to boote. Better and better. Vſus promptus facit. Faemina ludificantur viros, well, forward, I haue another, that I priſe derer then the reſt, amoſt ſweete youth, and if the winde ſtand with him I can ſmell him halfe a mile ere hee come at me, indeede hee weares a Musk-cat, what call ye it about him? What doe you call it? What ye will, but hee ſmels better then burnt Roſemarie, as well as a perfuming pan, and euerie night after his firſt ſleepe, writes loueſicke ſonnets, rayling againſt left handed fortune his foe, that ſuffers his ſweete heart to frowne on him ſo. Then it ſeemes you graunt him no fauour. Faith I dare not venture on him for feare hee ſhould be rotten: giue me nature, not arte. Here comes Lord Lentulus. Swift danger now ride poaſte through this paſſage, health to your honour. And happines to you. Tis heauen deere Lord, but— Tuſh, tuſh, on earth, come, come, I know your ſuite, tis graunted ſure what ere it be. My ſute craues death for treaſon to my friend. The Traitor liues while I haue breath to ſpend, Then let me die to ſatisfie your will.