The Two Merry Milkmaids, or The Best Words Wear the Garland · chunk 38 of 54
Cumber, John · published 1620 · first performed or written 1619 [1619-1620] (Annals) comedy · Red Bull (Revels) Company (first) · before the Court T32 Rings and jewels as tokens typicality 0.81 · 491 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T32: ring, ti, gave, finger, jewel, lady, lord, love, invisible, away.
'Tis an unreasonable request in you, But yet to show I am not ashamed of him, It is young Bernard. Who Lady? pray speak that name again. Young Bernard. Bernard la Vere. The same. I thank you. Nay Sister, once you are catched. But in no worse trap than her lover's Arms Nor shall you ever be ashamed of him, nor yet Repent you, for he will love as faithfully As you, and live and die with you. There is no giving back, welcome my love, And in a time that I did wish for thee; Yet I shall startle you and try your temper: For since I have found away how to infranchise My poor afflicted mistress, I'll be pleasant. I never thought before, a man might be In heaven and not know it, as to have a dwelling In your heart and be ignorant of the bliss, Is little less. O but my Bernard, we do never meet With any happiness, but some kind of mischief Mingles still with it, yet 'tis more or less, As you shall make of it, if you might take me now: Why, I were worth your love, for I am yet; (I did not lie much, if I said a Virgin) But without blushing I dare say a Maid. It is not to be doubted. But it is to be lost. That is not to be doubted neither. But not on him, for so it is not lost, To deal directly with you, I cannot bring, That thing called maiden. head, for it is promised. And if you cannot love me without that, Deal plainly then with me, as I with you, And I will look out for another man: Another handsome man a Citizen. That shall make much of me, and not a whit, Love me the worse for want of such a trifle. I know sweet Iulia you were ever merry, And not beyond a maiden's modesty. But this is very strange, But not so strange as true, I am a witness of it, She has given away her maiden head to the Devil, For an old whoremaster is little better. That is Fredericks voice. But as she said 'tis but a trifle: a cold Commodity A man may buy at some time of the year Like Cucumbers, at any time for a small Ring, A Purse, or a pair of Gloves, for so your country Wenches part with them, your City for an Apple. there's none if you see him. Not I. He has found the Ring. Very likely. Nay most certain, and let him keep it, for being ignorant in the virtue of it, it may be some sport to us to hear him chase being lost to all mankind. Doctor thou droppest. The devil what art thou, I see thee not. No more, thou shalt him that does cuckold thee. That's true, whilst he enjoys the invisible Ring.
nodes 1892–1952 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 38 of 54 in this edition
Length
491 words · 608 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T32 — Rings and jewels as tokenscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.808 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T33 · seed 44: T32 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
'Tis an vnreasonable request in you, But yet to shew I am not asham'd of him, It is yong Bernard. Who Lady? pray speake that name againe. Yong Bernard. Bernard la Vere. The same. I thanke you. Nay Sister, once you are catcht. But in no worse trap then her louers Armes Nor shall you euer be asham'd of him, nor yet Repent you, for he will loue as faithfully As you, and liue and die with you. There is no giuing backe, welcome my loue, And in a time that I did wish for thee; Yet I shall startle you and trie your temper: For since I haue found away how to infranchise My poore afflicted mistresse, Ile be pleasant. I neuer thought before, a man might be In heauen and not know it, as to haue a dwelling In your heart and be ignorant of the blisse, Is little lesse. O but my Bernard, we do neuer meete With any happinesse, but some kinde of mischiefe Mingles still with it, yet tis more or lesse, As you shall make of it, if you might take me now: Why, I were worth your loue, for I am yet; (I did not lye much, if I said a Virgin) But without blushing I dare say a Mayde. It is not to be doubted. But it is to be lost. That is not to be doubted neyther. But not on him, for so it is not lost, To deale directly with you, I cannot bring, That thing call'd maiden▪ head, for it is promis'd. And if you cannot loue me without that, Deale plainely then with me, as I with you, And I will looke out for another man: Another handsome man a Citizen. That shall make much of me, and not a whit, Loue me the worse for want of such a trifle. I know sweete Iulia you were euer merry, And not beyond a Maydens modesty. But this is very strange, But not so strange as true, I am a witnesse of it, She has giuen away her mayden head to the Diuell, For an old whooremaster is little better. That is Fredericks voice. But as she said 'tis but a trifle: a cold Comodity A man may buy at some time of the yeere Like Cowcumbers, at any time for a small Ring, A Pursse, or a payre of Gloues, for so your country Wenches part with them, your Citty for an Apple. Ther's none if you see him. Not I. He has found the Ring. Very likely. Nay most certaine, and let him keepe it, for being ignorant in the vertue of it, it may be some sport to vs to heare him chase being lost to all mankind. Doctor thou drop'st. The diuell what art thou, I see thee not. No more, thou shalt him that does cucklod thee. Thats true, whlst he enioyes the inuisible Ring.