The White Devil (Vittoria Corombona) · chunk 15 of 49
Webster, John · published 1612 · first performed or written 1612 [Winter 1612-1613] (Annals) tragedy · Queen Anne's Men T0 Court life: dukes, favour and honour typicality 0.80 · 506 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T0: duke, lord, duchess, love, court, madam, prince, honour, grace, lady.
Yes, you saw them guarded, And now they are come with purpose to apprehend Your Mistress, fair Vittoria; we are now Beneath her roof: 'twere fit we instantly Make out by some back postern: Noble friend, You bind me ever to you, this shall stand As the firm seal annexed to my hand. It shall enforce a payment. Sir I thank you. Both flowers and weeds, spring when the Sun is warm, And great men do great good, or else great harm. You have dealt discreetly to obtain the presence, Of all the grave leaguer Ambassadors To hear Vittorias trial. 'Twas not ill, For sir you know we have nought but circumstances To charge her with, about her husband's death, Their approbation therefore to the proofs Of her black lust, shall make her infamous To all our neighbouring Kingdoms, I wonder (pable If Brachiano will be here. O fie 'twere impudence too pal- What are you in by the week, so I will try now whether thy wit be close prisoner, methinks none should sit upon thy sister but old whoremasters, Or cuckolds, for your cuckold is your most terrible tickler of lechery: whoremasters would serve, for none are judges at tilting, but those that have been old Tilters. My Lord Duke and she have been very private: You are a dull ass, 'tis threatened they have been very public. If it can be proved they have but kissed one another. What then? My Lord Cardinal will ferret them, A Cardinal I hope will not catch conies. For to sow kisses (mark what I say) to sow kisses, is to reap lechery, and I am sure a woman that will endure kissing is half won. True, her upper part by that rule, if you will win her nether part to, you know what follows. Hark the Ambassadors are lighted, I do put on this feigned Garb of mirth, To gull suspicion. O my unfortunate sister! I would my dagger's point had cleft her heart When she first saw Brachiano: You 'tis said, Were made his engine, and his stalking horse To undo my sister. I made a kind of path To her & mine own preferment. Your ruin, Hum. thou art a soldier, Followest the great Duke, feedest his victories, As witches do their serviceable spirits, Even with thy prodigal blood, what hast got? But like the wealth of Captains, a poor handful, Which in thy palm thou bear'st, as men hold water Seeking to gripe it fast, the frail reward Steals through thy fingers. Sir, Thou hast scarce maintenance To keep thee in fresh chamois. Brother. Hear me, And thus when we have even powered ourselves, Into great fights, for their ambition Or idle spleen, how shall we find reward, But as we seldom find the mistletoe Sacred to physic: Or the builder Oak, Without a Mandrake by it, so in our quest of gain. Alas the poorest of their forced dislikes At a limb proffers, but at heart it strikes: This is lamented doctrine.
seed 43: T0 · seed 44: T0 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Yes, you saw them guarded, And now they are come with purpose to apprehend Your Mistresse, faire Uittoria; wee are now Beneath her roofe: 'twere fit we instantly Make out by some backe posterne: Noble friend, You bind me euer to you, this shall stand As the firme seale annexed to my hand. It shall inforce a payment. Sir I thanke you. Both flowers and weedes, spring when the Sunne is warme, And great men do great good, or else great harme. You haue dealt discreetly to obtaine the presence, Of all the graue Leiger Embassadours To heare Vittorias triall. 'Twas not ill, For sir you know we haue nought but circumstances To charge her with, about her husbands death, Their approbation therefore to the proofes Of her blacke lust, shall make her infamous To all our neighbouring Kingdomes, I wonder (pable If Brachiano will be here. O fye 'twere impudence too pal- What are you in by the weeke, so I will try now whether thy wit be close prisoner, mee thinke's none should sit vpon thy sister but old whoore-maisters, Or cocoulds, for your cocould is your most terrible tickler of letchery: whoore-maisters would serue, for none are iudges at tilting, but those that haue bene old Tilters. My Lord Duke and shee haue bene very priuate: You are a dull asse, 'tis threatned they haue bene very publicke. If it can be proued they haue but kist one another. What then? My Lord Cardinall will ferit them, A Cardinall I hope will not catch conyes. For to sowe kisses (marke what I say) to sowe kisses, is to reape letchery, and I am sure a woman that will endure kissing is halfe won. True, her vpper part by that rule, if you will win her nether part to, you know what followes. Harke the Embassadours are lighted, I do put on this feigned Garbe of mirth, To gull suspition. O my vnfortunate sister! I would my daggers point had cleft her heart When she first saw Brachiano: You 'tis said, Were made his engine, and his stauking horse To vndo my sister. I made a kind of path To her & mine owne preferment. Your ruine, Hum! thou art a souldier, Followest the great Duke, feedest his victories, As witches do their seruiceable spirits, Euen with thy prodigall bloud, what hast got? But like the wealth of Captaines, a poore handfull, Which in thy palme thou bear'st, as men hold water Seeking to gripe it fast, the fraile reward Steales through thy fingers. Sir, Thou hast scarce maintenance To keepe thee in fresh shamoyes. Brother. Heare me, And thus when we haue euen powred ourselues, Into great fights, for their ambition Or idle spleene, how shall we find reward, But as we seldome find the mistle-towe Sacred to physicke: Or the builder Oke, Without a Mandrake by it, so in our quest of gaine. Alas the poorest of their forc'd dislikes At a limbe proffers, but at heart it strikes: This is lamented doctrine.