The Two Merry Milkmaids, or The Best Words Wear the Garland · chunk 13 of 54
Cumber, John · published 1620 · first performed or written 1619 [1619-1620] (Annals) comedy · Red Bull (Revels) Company (first) · before the Court unassigned nearest T0 Court life: dukes, favour and honour · 460 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T0: duke, lord, duchess, love, court, madam, prince, honour, grace, lady.
By your leave Gentlemen. What Smirk? welcome, what wind drove thee hither? The best in the four Quarters: Look you, here's Cash, Gold and Silver, you must pay your Debts, purchase new Clothes, and come to Court instantly. Your Father is made an Earl, your Sister a Duchess, and you are a Count, or I know not what; and I am an Esquire: my Boy is a Gentleman, when I have him, as I am laying about for one. The fellow has broken open some goldsmith's house, and will be hanged: Dost thou know what thou dost? My Lord, as I am a Gentleman and an Esquire, I do reverence the very invention of your honour's next Suit: I'll help you to a Draper shall give you all your Men-Liveries, to make it of Cloth; my Haberdasher has a new Block, and will find me and all my Generation in Bevers as long as we last, for the first handsel. The fellow is mad. Mad, or mad not, 'tis all one, I speak truth; your Father's an Earl, your Sister's a Duchess, you are a Count, or I know not what, I am an Esquire, and my Boy is a Gentleman, when I have him. What does this fellow talk? This fellow talks as he thinks, and thinks as he talks, and talks what he knows. I wonot repeat it over again, for the disparagement of my Wit: but what I say, I will maintain, what I maintain, I will say; and the very Bells themselves shall ring it out Probatum. 'Tis true indeed my Lord, your Sister's made Duchess of— and shallbe married unto the Duke. The News doth come to Town with every Man, and no man disagrees, but constantly affirms it for a Truth. O that it were so; by my Father's Soul I would be free as that is, and as happy, For I would laugh this Woman from my heart, And she should be no more to me, than her I know not, I would be so much Man, and something more: For I would wish to enjoy her as a Man, Lose her in mind, and find her in my blood, And I do feel such turnings in my thoughts. Why now you are yourself: Yet I'd advise you to go to Court, and see her. See her, I and speak to her, and call her Woman, There were no Treason in't, were it? Not any. Good; then let us go: for what I'll do till I come there, I know not, or if I did, I would not utter it. Why Asmody, will you be found an ignorant Spirit? how hap I knew not this? You employed not me to inquire of it.
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)
By your leaue Gentlemen. What Smirke? welcome, what wind droue thee hither? The best in the foure Quarters: Looke you, here's Cash, Gold and Siluer, you must pay your Debts, purchase new Clothes, and come to Court instantly. Your Father is made an Earle, your Sister a Duchesse, and you are a Count, or I know not what; and I am an Esquire: my Boy is a Gentleman, when I haue him, as I am laying about for one. The fellow ha's broken open some Goldsmiths house, and will be hang'd: Do'st thou know what thou do'st? My Lord, as I' am a Gentleman and an Esquire, I doe renerence the very inuention of your Honours next Sute: Ile helpe you to a Draper shall giue you all your Men-Liueries, to make it of Cloth; my Haberdasher ha's a new Blocke, and will find me and all my Generation in Beuers as long as we last, for the first hansell. The fellow is mad. Mad, or mad not, 'tis all one, I speake truth; your Father's an Earle, your Sister's a Duchesse, you are a Count, or I know not what, I am an Esquire, and my Boy is a Gentleman, when I haue him. What does this fellow talke? This fellow talkes as he thinkes, and thinkes as he talkes, and talkes what he knowes. I wonnot repeat it ouer againe, for the disparagement of my Wit: but what I say, I will maintaine, what I maintaine, I will say; and the very Bells themselues shall ring it out Probatum. 'Tis true indeed my Lord, your Sister's made Duchesse of—and shalbe married vnto the Duke. The Newes doth come to Towne with euery Man, and no man disagrees, but constantly affirmes it for a Truth. O that it were so; by my Fathers Soule I wud be free as that is, and as happie, For I wud laugh this Woman from my heart, And she shud be no more to me, then her I know not, I wud be so much Man, and something more: For I wud wish to enioy her as a Man, Lose her in mind, and find her in my bloud, And I doe feele such turnings in my thoughts. Why now you are your selfe: Yet I'de aduise you to goe to Court, and see her. See her, I and speak to her, and call her Woman, There were no Treason in't, were it? Not any. Good; then let vs goe: for what Ile doe till I come there, I know not, or if I did, I wud not vtter it. Why Asmody, will you be found an ignorant Spirit? how hap I knew not this? You imploy'd not me to enquire of it.