The Two Merry Milkmaids, or The Best Words Wear the Garland · chunk 51 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 0.84 · 501 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T32: ring, ti, gave, finger, jewel, lady, lord, love, invisible, away.
Shall I, that's some comfort yet, to put the loss of the Ring out of my thought. Shall I answer the Epistoler? ay, marry shalt thou. I'll Pistol and Pestle him, I'll warrant him, he was ne'er so pounded in his life, I'll scorn to begin after my hearty commendations with him. Hark, they approach. Which is my Antagonist? I am he. And who is mine? Behold the man, with Pen and Ink provided. Poor fool, thou wilt but make thyself derided So nimble in rhyme, I'll first break your head in Prose, and afterward whip you in Verse, I'll lambast you in completes. Nay I will not lose the honour of being the courted Lady. When my talking time comes I will thank you Lady in language. Mark how my challenge goes, 'twas not to talk sense only, but longest, fastest, loudest, and you our talk me that way, I'll give you my tongue and every tooth I have to make trotters on, for I was borne and bred and nursed a talker, and of my quality, this Lady has had some small experience, for I did promise her to prove a talker, and for her sake do now profess, and practise't and 'tis in vain for any creature to contend with me,— I have put down the Lawyers of all Nations, and all women, Gossips at Christenings, after they have drunk wine the Midwife being there, words flow out of my mouth like water from the Clouds, to make a deluge, to drown all voices but my own, which drums nor trumpets, nor a Sea flight can do. But a thump of the guts will. O. 'tis excellent; sweet Lady to hear words, Though they want matter, for silence does betray, A bashfulness in man, unmeet for courtiers, For he that has a bold tongue and a free, Can never want th'affection of Ladies, Nor is it fit he should, for he can keep' them, Walking at midnight with a tedious tale, And longer 'tis the better, because sleep Being accounted as some use to call it, Death's image, other some his elder brother, By how much we do use it, by so much less, We live in this world and lose time and pleasure, Which both to rich and poor is the chief treasure, Why do not you talk now. Talk? If I have breath, enough to live, I care not. Nay, and you give out, you have lost the day. I had not faire play shew'ne me, (uersaires Stratagems are to be allowed, against all ad. I'll have judgement on't. ay, ay, lawful. lawful. Lawful let it be then, but if ever I challenge a man of his hands, to a trial of skill with the tongue again, I'll forswear talking all days of my life, and that I would be loath to do— If I do not feel the very breath that should have been spent in words upwards, to twattle downward, I am a villain.
nodes 2518–2554 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 51 of 54 in this edition
Length
501 words · 661 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T32 — Rings and jewels as tokenscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.842 (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)
Shall I, that's some comfort yet, to put the losse of the Ring out of my thought. Shall Ianswere the Epistoler? I, marry shalt thou. Ile Pistle and Pestle him, Ile warrant him, he was nere so pounded in his life, Ile scorne to begin after my hearty commendations with him. Harke, they approach. Which is my Antagonist? I am he. And who is mine? Behold the man, with Pen and Inke prouided. Poore foole, thou wut but make thy selfe derided So nimble in rime, Ile first breake your head in Prose, and afterward whip you in Verse, Ile lambaste you in compleates. Nay I will not lose the honour of being the courted Lady. When my talking time comes I will thanke you Lady in language. Marke how my challenge goes, 'twas not to talke sence onely, but longest, fastest, lowdest, and you our talke me that way, Ile giue you my tongue and euery tooth I haue to make trorters on, for I was borne and bred and nurst a talker, and of my quallity, this Lady has had some smal experience, for I did promise her to proue a talker, and for her sake do now professe, and practic't and tis in vaine for any creature to contend with me,—I haue put downe the Lawyers of all Nations, and all women, Gossips at Christnings, after they haue drunke wine the Mid-wife being there, words flow out of my mouth like water from the Cloudes, to make a deluge, to drown all voyces but my owne, which drums nor trumpets, nor a Sea flight can doe. But a thump of the guts will. O. Tis excellent; sweete Lady to heare words, Though they want matter, for silence does betray, A bashfulnesse in man, vnmeete for courtiers, For he that has a bold tongue and a free, Can neuer want th'affection of Ladies, Nor is it fit he shud, for he can keepe 'them, Walking at midnight with a tedious tale, And longer tis the better, because sleepe Being accounted as some vse to call it, Deaths image, other some his elder brother, By how much we do vse it, by so much lesse, We liue in this world and loose time and pleasure, Which both to rich and poore is the chiefe treasure, Why donnot you talke now. Talke? If I haue breath, enough to liue, I care not. Nay, and you giue out, you haue lost the day. I had not faire play shew'ne me, (uersaires Stratagems are to be allowed, against all ad. Ile haue Iudgement on't. I, I, lawfull. lawfull. Lawfull let it be then, but if euer I challenge a man of his hands, to a tryall of skill with the tongue againe, Ile forsweare talking all dayes of my life, and that I wud be loath to doe—If I donnot feele the very breath that shud haue beene spent in words vpwards, to twattle downeward, I am avillaine.