The Two Merry Milkmaids, or The Best Words Wear the Garland · chunk 10 of 54
Cumber, John · published 1620 · first performed or written 1619 [1619-1620] (Annals) comedy · Red Bull (Revels) Company (first) · before the Court T0 Court life: dukes, favour and honour typicality 0.84 · 510 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T0: duke, lord, duchess, love, court, madam, prince, honour, grace, lady.
Here's a Wench knows how to blaze a Coat. Therefore my Lord, my Blood can be no let, (If I fail not in other parts) to make A Duchess, or a Queen, and may become (If you be pleased to make me so) your Wife, Ambitious of your Love, not of the Title. Famine and war's plague my Dominions, And strike at my own Person, but I love thee, Infinitely love thee, love thee beyond the Word, Beyond all Action that expresseth it. To call thee Fair, Sweet, Loving, and my Wife, Are but poor Attributes: Thou art my Soul, The better Part, that governs my best Thoughts, And bids me think on Heaven, and view thee. Thy Freeness and thy Wit, for such as do Respect a Dower, are sufficient. What are Towns, Countries, that may be destroyed By Sword or Fire, comparable to thee, That bear'st about thee in one Limb the Beauty Of twenty thousand Cities, and their Wealth? Thou art all the World to me, for I can live And sit down by thee with content of mind, Without Ambition how to conquer farther, And think I have enough; And so shall All, All of you here, that will be counted Subjects, And wish the quiet of your Sovereign: For him that does not, let him leave me now, And I will curse him back again a Traitor; And she herself shall curse him, and so damn him. Nay, an't be come to that pass, I am silent. 'Tis best so, when the Tongue may forfeit the Head: I have a conned Speech already; Long live the Duchess. I am glad my Lord was meal-mouthed when she was a Milkmaid, I am sure he gave her no ill language. What Princes of the East, or of the World, When they shall see thy Picture, and me by thee, Circling thee thus, and thy Arms so with mine, To show consent in our Affections, But will consider with himself, how poor (Although he have the Indies in his reach) He is to me, and sigh himself to death? Father be merry, And my Lord be you so; For now your House is happy, and shall look More glorious than our Palaces: Although You left the Walls as naked as your Roof, Let every Room be decked with Countenances Cheerful, as at the hour I was borne, whenas I heard my Father was here with you, And had the glad news brought him. Wast not so? Yes, my good Lord. Why so then: Music, and some Wine, That I may drink a Health to her I love, Deep as my Affections. You shall see he will be drunk with Wine As well as with Love. First you shall pledge me, than it shall go round, Unless it stop at any discontent, Whom out of all this number I would note. an't be good Wine, it shall ne'er stick at me, whate'er the Health be. No, signior; I thought you had had a small-beer stomach. Never but i'th' Morning.
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)
Here's a Wench knowes how to blaze a Coat. Therefore my Lord, my Bloud can be no let, (If I faile not in other parts) to make A Duchesse, or a Queene, and may become (If you be pleas'd to make me so) your Wife, Ambitious of your Loue, not of the Title. Famine and Warres plague my Dominions, And strike at my owne Person, but I loue thee, Infinitely loue thee, loue thee beyond the Word, Beyond all Action that expresseth it. To call thee Faire, Sweet, Louing, and my Wife, Are but poore Attributes: Thou art my Soule, The better Part, that gouernes my best Thoughts, And bids me thinke on Heauen, and view thee. Thy Freenesse and thy Wit, for such as doe Respect a Dower, are sufficient. What are Townes, Countries, that may be destroy'd By Sword or Fire, comparable to thee, That bear'st about thee in one Limbe the Beautie Of twentie thousand Cities, and their Wealth? Thou art all the World to me, for I can liue And sit downe by thee with content of mind, Without Ambition how to conquer fatther, And thinke I haue enough; And so shall All, All of you here, that will be counted Subiects, And wish the quiet of your Soueraigne: For him that does not, let him leaue me now, And I will curse him backe againe a Traytor; And she herselfe shall curse him, and so damne him. Nay, And't be come to that passe, I am silent. 'Tis best so, when the Tongue may forfeit the Head: I haue a con'd Speech alreadie; Long liue the Duchesse. I am glad my Lord was meale-mouth'd when she was a Milke-maid, I am sure he gaue her no ill language. What Princes of the East, or of the World, When they shall see thy Picture, and me by thee, Circkling thee thus, and thy Armes so with mine, To shew consent in our Affections, But will consider with himselfe, how poore (Although he haue the Indies in his reach) He is to me, and sigh himselfe to death? Father be merry, And my Lord be you so; For now your House is happy, and shall looke More glorious then our Pallaces: Although You left the Walls as naked as your Roofe, Let euery Roome be deckt with Countenances Chearefull, as at the houre I was borne, When as I heard my Father was here with you, And had the glad newes brought him. Wast not so? Yes, my good Lord. Why so then: Musicke, and some Wine, That I may drinke a Health to her I loue, Deepe as my Affections. You shall see he will be drunke with Wine As well as with Loue. First you shall pledge me, then it shall go round, Vnlesse it stop at any discontent, VVhom out of all this number I would note. And't be good VVine, it shall ne're sticke at me, what ere the Health be. No, Seignior; I thought you had had a Small-Beere stomacke. Neuer but i'th' Morning.