The Roaring Girl, or Moll Cutpurse · chunk 20 of 47
Dekker, Thomas / Middleton, Thomas · published 1611 · first performed or written 1611 (Annals) comedy · Prince Henry's Men · Fortune unassigned nearest T49 Wooing a mistress: suitors, go-betweens · 508 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T49: mistress, gentleman, love, lady, woman, pray, gentlewoman, hear, honest, way.
If I could meet my enemies one by one thus, I might make pretty shift with 'em in time, And make 'em know, she that has wit, and spirit, May scorn to live beholding to her body for meat, Or for apparel like your common dame, That makes shame get her clothes, to cover shame. Base is that mind, that kneels unto her body, As if a husband stood in awe on's wife, My spirit shall be Mistress of this house, As long as I have time in't.—— oh Here comes my man that would be: 'tis his hour. Faith a good well set fellow, if his spirit Be answerable to his umbles; he walks stiff, But whether he will stand to't stiffly, there's the point; Has a good calf for't, and ye shall have many a woman Choose him she means to meek her head, by his calf; I do not know their tricks in't, faith he seems A man without; I'll try what he is within, she told me Graies-Inne fields twixt three & four, I'll fit her mistress-ship with a piece of service, I'm hired to rid the town of one mad girl. What a pox ails you sir? He begins like a Gentleman, Heart, is the field so narrow, or your eyesight: Life he comes back again. Was this spoke to me sir. I cannot tell sir. Go you're a coxcomb. Coxcomb. You're a slave. I hope there's law for you sir. Ye, do you see sir. Heart this is no good dealing, pray let me know what house your off. One of the Temple sir. Mass so methinks. And yet sometime I lie about chick lane. I like you the worse because you shift your lodging I'll not meddle with you for that trick sir. (so often A good shift, but it shall not serve your turn. You'll give me leave to pass about my business sir. Your business, I'll make you wait on me before I ha' done, and glad to serve me too. How sir, serve you, not if there were no more men in England. But if there were no more women in England I hope you'd wait upon your Mistress then, Mistress. Oh your a tried spirit at a push sir, What would your Worship have me do. You a fighter. No, I praise heaven, I had better grace & more manners. As how I pray sir. Life, 'thad been a beastly part of me to have drawn my weapons upon my Mistress, all the world would a cried shame of me for that. Why but you knew me not. Do not say so Mistress, I knew you by your wide straddle, as well as if I had been in your belly. Well, we shall try you further, i'th' mean time we give you entertainment. Thank your good mistress-ship. How many suits have you. No more suits than backs Mistress. Well if you deserve, I cast of this, next week, And you may creep into't. Thank your good Worship.
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)
If I could meete my enemies one by one thus, I might make pretty shift with 'em in time, And make 'em know, shee that has wit, and spirit, May scorne to liue beholding to her body for meate, Or for apparell like your common dame, That makes shame get her cloathes, to couer shame. Base is that minde, that kneels vnto her body, As if a husband stood in awe on's wife, My spirit shall be Mistresse of this house, As long as I haue time in't.——oh Heere comes my man that would be: 'tis his houre. Faith a good well set fellow, if his spirit Be answerable to his vmbles; he walkes stiffe, But whether he will stand to't stifly, there's the point; Has a good calfe for't, and ye shall haue many a woman Choose him shee meanes to meke her head, by his calfe; I do not know their trickes in't, faith he seemes A man without; I'le try what he is within, Shee told me Gries-Inne fields twixt three & foure, Ile fit her Mistreship with a peece of seruice, I'me hir'd to rid the towne of one mad girle. What a pox ailes you sir? He beginnes like a Gentleman, Heart, is the field so narrow, or your eye-sight: Life he comes backe againe. Was this spoke to me sir. I cannot tell sir. Go y'are a coxcombe. Coxcombe. Y'are a slaue. I hope there's law for you sir. Ye, do you see sir. Heart this is no good dealing, pray let me know what house your off. One of the Temple sir. Masse so me thinkes. And yet sometime I lye about chicke lane. I like you the worse because you shift your lodging▪ Ile not meddle with you for that tricke sir. (so often A good shift, but it shall not serue your turne. You'le giue me leaue to passe about my businesse sir. Your businesse, Ile make you waite on mee before I ha done, and glad to serue me too. How sir, serue you, not if there were no more men in England. But if there were no more women in England I hope you'd waite vpon your Mistresse then, Mistresse. Oh your a tri'd spirit at a push sir, What would your Worship haue me do. You a fighter. No, I praise heauen, I had better grace & more maners. As how I pray sir. Life, 'thad bene a beastly part of me to haue drawne my weapons vpon my Mistresse, all the world would a cry'd shame of me for that. Why but you knew me not. Do not say so Mistresse, I knew you by your wide straddle, as well as if I had bene in your belly. Well, we shall try you further, ith meane time wee giue you intertainement. Thanke your good Mistreship. How many suites haue you. No more suites then backes Mistresse. Well if you deserue, I cast of this, next weeke, And you may creepe into't. Thanke your good Worship.