The Two Merry Milkmaids, or The Best Words Wear the Garland · chunk 33 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 0.78 · 498 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T0: duke, lord, duchess, love, court, madam, prince, honour, grace, lady.
It hath been still a maxim, she's not chaste That hath not been attempted, but she who hath stood Temptation, and resisted. Gold is the purer For being tried; and Virtue put in act, Appears more glorious, when it hath wrought itself Out of those troubles which would stifle it. Heaven was assaulted by the Giants once, Which showed Ioues power the greater: the pensive soul Fighting with sin, the devil, and with death, After the victory, triumphs and sings Eternally amongst the blessed Angels, Crowned with perpetual Peace and happiness: But she for being virtuous must die, For conquering her affections, for loving Sincerely, and effectually, her Lord; For having not the cunning to dissemble, But for being Simple, Chaste, and Innocent, Just, Noble, Beauteous, Excellent in all, Save what no common woman would have missed. For this, and for this only she must die. No, she must live; and all the world must die, To me, before a hair of her shall perish. O I have wronged thy goodness, now I see't; who was before made blind with jealousy, The heavens take thy part, and won't suffer So much of worthiness to fall at once, Lest nothing here but wickedness abound. Sir, will you hear me, Away, I will hear nothing but her angel's voice, And that which spoke for her, which was no less, It held such music in it, besides Truth. Wipe from thine eyes those tears; let Messengers Be sent to find the Earl my father forth, And bring him back to the Court, there to receive Of us his dignities and favours trebled; I am new framed again. Afflictions meet, And mingling with our joys, make them more sweet. I do not like this. Nor I. (with you. Fair one, pray stay, your brother would speak Sir, you may command me, and for his sake, To th'utmost of my power, I am bound to you. O my dear brother, how you joy my soul To see you up again, in health, and lusty? Place your thanks here kind sister, for to his skill. Next under Heaven, it must be attributed. I do know it brother, and do thank him. Heartily thank him, and the Duchess shall, That owes him equally as much as we, Thank him a better way. No Lady, your thanks pays me really, And I will never look for better pay, Nor take, then comes from you; pray look upon me, And see if you can fasten your affection Upon a man so unworthy as my selfe. Sir you are worthy of a better choice, But let me for your own sake thus advise you, If you have entertained any such thought, (As I hope you are wiser) to part with it; For trust me, this poor heart I carry here, Is not mine own; I do but walk with it, And keep it for another: pray no more Sir, Brother farewell, I shall be wanting to the Duchess.
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)
It hath bin still a maxime, she's not chast That hath not bin attempted, but she who hath stood Temptation, and resisted. Gold is the purer For being tryde; and Vertue put in act, Appeares more glorious, when it hath wrought it selfe Out of those troubles which would stifle it. Heauen was assaulted by the Giants once, Which shewd Ioues powre the greater: the pensiue soule Fighting with sin, the diuell, and with death, After the victory, triumphs and sings Eternally amongst the blessed Angels, Crown'd with perpetuall Peace and happinesse: But she for being vertuous must die, For conquering her affections, for louing Sincerely, and effectually, her Lord; For hauing not the cunning to dissemble, But for being Simple, Chast, and Innocent, Iust, Noble, Beautious, Excellent in all, Saue what no common woman wud haue mist. For this, and for this onely she must die. No, she must liue; and all the world must die, To me, before a haire of her shall perish. O I haue wrong'd thy goodnesse, now I see't; who was before made blind with iealousie, The heauens take thy part, and wunnot suffer So much of worthinesse to fall at once, Lest nothing here but wickednesse abound. Sir, will you heare me, Away, I will heare nothing but her Angels voice, And that which spoke for her, which was no lesse, It held such musicke in it, besides Truth. Wipe from thine eyes those teares; let Messengers Be sent to find the Earle my father forth, And bring him backe to the Court, there to receiue Of vs his dignities and fauours trebled; I am new fram'd againe. Afflictions mee, And mingling with our ioyes, make them more sweet. I donnot like this. Nor I. (with you. Faire one, pray stay, your brother wud speake Sir, you may command me, and for his sake, To th'vtmost of my powre, I am bound to you. O my deare brother, how you ioy my soule To see you vp againe, in health, and lusty? Place your thanks here kind sister, for to his skill. Next vnder Heauen, it must be attributed. I do know it brother, and do thanke him. Heartily thanke him, and the Duches shall, That owes him equally as much as we, Thanke him a better way. No Lady, your thanks payes me really, And I will neuer looke for better pay, Nor take, then comes from you; pray looke vpon me, And see if you can fasten your affection Vpon a man so vnworthy as my selse. Sir you are worthy of a better choyce, But let me for your owne sake thus aduise you, If you haue entertaind any such thought, (As I hope you are wiser) to part with it; For trust me, this poore heart I carry here, Is not mine owne; I do but walke with it, And keepe it for another: pray no more Sir, Brother farewell, I shall be wanting to the Duches.