Jonson, Ben · published 1616 · first performed or written 1609 (Annals) comedy · Children of the Queen's Revels T58 Gallant talk and courtship: an Epicene-c typicality 0.85 · 502 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T58: jack, john, daw, dauphine, amorous, mistress, trve, ladies, wit, madame.
Nay, sweet TRVE-WIT, forgive me. No, I was ignorantly officious, impertinent: this was the absurd, weak part. willt thou ascribe that to merit, now, was mere fortune? Fortune? mere providence. Fortune had not a finger in't. I saw it must necessarily in nature fall out so: my genius is never false to me in these things. Show me, how it could be otherwise. Nay, gentlemen, contend not, 'tis well now. Alas, I let him go on with inconsiderate, and rash, and what he pleased. Away thou strange justifier of thyself, to be wiser than thou wert, by the event. Event! By this light, thou shalt never persuade me, but I foresaw it, as well as the stars themselves. Nay, gentlemen, 'tis well now: do you two entertain sir JOHN DAW, with discourse, while I send her away with instructions. I'll be acquainted with her, first, by your favour. Master TRVE-WIT, lady, a friend of ours. I am sorry, I have not known you sooner, lady, to celebrate this rare virtue of your silence. Faith, an' you had come sooner, you should ha'seene, and heard her well celebrated in sir JOHN DAW'S madrigals. JACK DAW, god save you, when saw you LA-FOOLE? Not since last night, master TRVE-WIT. That's miracle! I thought you two had been inseparable. he's gone to invite his guests. God's so! 'tis true! what a false memory have I towards that man! I am one: I met him e'en now, upon that he calls his delicate fine black horse, rid into a foam, with posting from place to place, and person to person, to give 'em the cue— Lest they should forget? Yes: there was never poor captain took more pains at a muster to show men, than he, at this meal, to show friends. It is his quarter-feast, sir. What! do you say so, sir JOHN? Nay, JACK DAW will not be out, at the best friends he has, to the talon of his wit: where's his mistress, to hear and applaud him? is she gone! Is mistress EPICOENE gone? Gone afore, with sir DAUPHINE, I warrant, to the place. Gone afore! that were a manifest injury; a disgrace and a half: to refuse him at such a festival time, as this, being a Bravery, and a Wit too. Tut, he'll swallow it like cream: he's better read in jure civili, then to esteem any thing a disgrace is offered him from a mistress. Nay, let her e'en go; she shall sit alone, and be dumb in her chamber, a week together, for JOHN DAW, I warrant her: does she refuse me? No, sir, do not take it so to heart: she does not refuse you, but a little neglect you. Good faith, TRVE-WIT, you were too blame to put it into his head, that she does refuse him. She does refuse him, sir, palpably: how ever you mince it. An' I were as he, I would swear to speak ne'er a word to her, to day, for't.
seed 43: T54 · seed 44: T54 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Nay, sweet TRVE-WIT, forgiue me. No, I was ignorantly officious, impertinent: this was the absurd, weake part. Wilt thou ascribe that to merit, now, was meere fortune? Fortune? mere prouidence. Fortune had not a finger in't. I saw it must necessarily in nature fall out so: my genius is neuer false to me in these things. Shew me, how it could be otherwise. Nay, gentlemen, contend not, tis well now. Alasse, I let him goe on with inconsiderate, and rash, and what he pleas'd. Away thou strange iustifier of thy selfe, to bee wiser then thou wert, by the euent. Euent! By this light, thou shalt neuer perswade me, but I foresaw it, aswell as the starres themselues. Nay, gentlemen, 'tis well now: doe you two entertaine sir IOHN DAW, with discourse, while I send her away with instructions. I'll be acquainted with her, first, by your fauour. Master TRVE-WIT, lady, a friend of ours. I am sorry, I haue not knowne you sooner, lady, to celebrate this rare vertue of your silence. Faith, an' you had come sooner, you should ha'seene, and heard her well celebrated in sir IOHN DAW'S madrigalls. IACK DAW, god saue you, when saw you LA-FOOLE? Not since last night, master TRVE-WIT. That's miracle! I thought you two had beene inseparable. Hee's gone to inuite his guests. Gods so! tis true! what a false memory haue I towards that man! I am one: I met him e'ne now, vpon that he calls his delicate fine blacke horse, rid into a foame, with poasting from place to place, and person to person, to giue 'hem the cue— Lest they should forget? Yes: there was neuer poore captaine tooke more paines at a muster to show men, then he, at this meale, to shew friends. It is his quarter-feast, sir. What! doe you say so, sir IOHN? Nay, IACK DAW will not be out, at the best friends hee has, to the talent of his wit: where's his mistris, to heare and applaud him? is she gone! Is mistris EPICOENE gone? Gone afore, with sir DAVPHINE, I warrant, to the place. Gone afore! that were a manifest iniurie; a disgrace and a halfe: to refuse him at such a festiuall time, as this, being a Brauery, and a Wit too. Tut, hee'll swallow it like creame: hee's better read in iure ciuili, then to esteeme any thing a disgrace is offer'd him from a mistris. Nay, let her eene goe; she shall sit alone, and bee dumbe in her chamber, a weeke together, for IOHN DAW, I warrant her: do's she refuse me? No, sir, doe not take it so to heart: shee do's not refuse you, but a little neglect you. Good faith, TRVE-WIT, you were too blame to put it into his head, that shee do's refuse him. Shee do's refuse him, sir, palpably: how euer you mince it. An' I were as hee, I would sweare to speake ne're a word to her, to day, for't.