Shakespeare, William · published 1623 · first performed or written 1593 [c.1593-1594] (Annals) comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men (?) unassigned nearest T49 Wooing a mistress: suitors, go-betweens · 486 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T49: mistress, gentleman, love, lady, woman, pray, gentlewoman, hear, honest, way.
Well Sir: here is for your pains: what said she? Truly Sir, I think you'll hardly win her. Why? couldst thou perceive so much from her? Sir, I could perceive nothing at all from her; No, not so much as a ducat for delivering your letter: And being so hard to me, that brought your mind; I fear she'll prove as hard to you in telling your mind. Give her no token but stones, for she's as hard as steel. What said she, nothing? No, not so much as take this for thy pains: To testify your bounty, I thank you, you have cesterned me; In requital whereof, henceforth, carry your letters yourself; And so Sir, I'll commend you to my Master. Go, go, be gone, to save your Ship from wrack, Which cannot perish having thee aboarde, Being destined to a drier death on shore: I must go send some better Messenger, I fear my Iulia would not deign my lines, Receiving them from such a worthless post. But say Lucetta (now we are alone) Wouldst thou then counsel me to fall in love? I Madam, so you stumble not on heedfully. Of all the fair rests of Gentlemen, That every day with par'le encounter me, In thy opinion which is worthiest love? Please you repeat their names, i'll show my mind, According to my shallow simple skill. What thinkest thou of the fair sir Eglamoure? As of a Knight, well-spoken, neat, and fine; But were I you, he never should be mine. What thinkest thou of the rich Mercatio? Well of his wealth; but of himself, so, so. What thinkest thou of the gentle Protheus? Lord, Lord: to see what folly reigns in us. How now? what means this passion at his name? Pardon dear Madam, 'tis a passing shame, That I (unworthy body as I am) Should censure thus on lovely Gentlemen. Why not on Protheus, as of all the rest? Then thus: of many good, I think him best. Your reason? I have no other but a woman's reason: I think him so, because I think him so. And wouldst thou have me cast my love on him? I: if you thought your love not cast away. Why he, of all the rest, hath never moved me. Yet he, of all the rest, I think best loves ye. His little speaking, shows his love but small. Fire that's closest kept, burns most of all. They do not love, that do not show their love. Oh, they love least, that let men know their love. I would I knew his mind. Peruse this paper Madam. To Iulia: say, from whom? That the Contents will show. Say, say: who gave it thee? Sir Valentine's page: & sent I think from Protheus; He would have given it you, but I being in the way, Did in your name receive it: pardon the fault I pray.
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)
Well Sir: here is for your paines: what ſaid ſhe? Truely Sir, I thinke you'll hardly win her. Why? could'ſt thou perceiue ſo much from her? Sir, I could perceiue nothing at all from her; No, not ſo much as a ducket for deliuering your letter: And being ſo hard to me, that brought your minde; I feare ſhe'll proue as hard to you in telling your minde. Giue her no token but ſtones, for ſhe's as hard as ſteele. What ſaid ſhe, nothing? No, not ſo much as take this for thy pains: To teſtifie your bounty, I thank you, you haue ceſtern'd me; In requital whereof, henceforth, carry your letters your ſelfe; And ſo Sir, I'le commend you to my Maſter. Go, go, be gone, to ſaue your Ship from wrack, Which cannot periſh hauing thee aboarde, Being deſtin'd to a drier death on ſhore: I muſt goe ſend ſome better Meſſenger, I feare my Iulia would not daigne my lines, Receiuing them from ſuch a worthleſſe poſt. But ſay Lucetta (now we are alone) Would'ſt thou then counſaile me to fall in loue? I Madam, ſo you ſtumble not on heedfully. Of all the faire reſt of Gentlemen, That euery day with par'd encounter me, In thy opinion which is worthieſt loue? Pleaſe you repeat their names, ile ſhew my minde, According to my ſhallow ſimple skill. What thinkſt thou of the faire ſir Eglamoure? As of a Knight, well-ſpoken, neat, and fine; But were I you, he neuer ſhould be mine. What think'ſt thou of the rich Mercatio? Well of his wealth; but of himſelfe, ſo, ſo. What think'ſt thou of the gentle Protheus? Lord, Lord: to ſee what folly raignes in vs. How now? what meanes this paſſion at his name? Pardon deare Madam, 'tis a paſſing ſhame, That I (vnworthy body as I am) Should cenſure thus on louely Gentlemen. Why not on Protheus, as of all the reſt? Then thus: of many good, I thinke him beſt. Your reaſon? I haue no other but a womans reaſon: I thinke him ſo, becauſe I thinke him ſo. And would'ſt thou haue me caſt my loue on him? I: if you thought your loue not caſt away. Why he, of all the reſt, hath neuer mou'd me. Yet he, of all the reſt, I thinke beſt loues ye. His little ſpeaking, ſhewes his loue but ſmall. Fire that's cloſeſt kept, burnes moſt of all. They doe not loue, that doe not ſhew their loue. Oh, they loue leaſt, that let men know their loue. I would I knew his minde. Peruſe this paper Madam. To Iulia: ſay, from whom? That the Contents will ſhew. Say, ſay: who gaue it thee? Sir Valentines page: & ſent I think from Protheus; He would haue giuen it you, but I being in the way, Did in your name receiue it: pardon the fault I pray.