Shakespeare, William · published 1623 · first performed or written 1599 [1598-1599] (Annals) comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men unassigned nearest T28 Marriage-making: weddings, brides and ma · 467 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T28: married, marriage, wedding, day, bride, father, wife, luce, love, husband.
O knowledge ill inhabited, worse than love in a thatched house. When a man's verses cannot be understood, nor a man's good wit seconded with the forward child, understanding: it strikes a man more dead than a great reckoning in a little room: truly, I would the Gods had made thee poetical. I do not know what Poetical is: is it honest in deed and word: is it a true thing? No truly: for the truest poetry is the most feigning, and Lovers are given to Poetry: and what they swear in Poetry, may be said as Lovers, they do feign. Do you wish then that the Gods had made me Poetical? I do truly: for thou swearest to me thou art honest: Now if thou wert a Poet, I might have some hope thou didst feign. Would you not have me honest? No truly, unless thou wert hard favoured: for honesty coupled to beauty, is to have Honey a sauce to Sugar. A material fool. Well, I am not fair, and therefore I pray the Gods make me honest. Truly, and to cast away honesty upon a foul slut, were to put good meat into an unclean dish. I am not a slut, though I thank the Gods I am foul. Well, praised be the Gods, for thy foulness; sluttishness may come hereafter. But be it, as it may be, I will marry thee: and to that end, I have been with Sir Oliver Mar-text, the Vicar of the next village, who hath promised to meet me in this place of the Forest, and to couple us. I would fain see this meeting. Well, the Gods give us joy. Amen. A man may if he were of a fearful heart, stagger in this attempt: for here we have no Temple but the wood, no assembly but horne-beasts. But what though? Courage. As horns are odious, they are necessary. It is said, many a man knows no end of his goods; right: Many a man has good Horns, and knows no end of them. Well, that is the dowry of his wife, 'tis none of his own getting; horns, even so poor men alone: No, no, the noblest Deer hath them as huge as the Rascal: Is the single man therefore blessed? No, as a walled Town is more worthier than a village, so is the forehead of a married man, more honourable than the bare brow of a Bachelor: and by how much defence is better than no skill, by so much is a horn more precious then to want. here comes Sir Oliver: Sir Oliver Mar-text you are well met. Will you dispatch us here under this tree, or shall we go with you to your Chapel? Is there none here to give the woman?
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)
O knowledge ill inhabited, worſe then loue in a thatch'd houſe. When a mans verſes cannot be vnderſtood, nor a mans good wit ſeconded with the forward childe, vnderſtanding: it ſtrikes a man more dead then a great reckoning in a little roome: truly, I would the Gods hadde made thee poeticall. I do not know what Poetical is: is it honeſt in deed and word: is it a true thing? No trulie: for the trueſt poetrie is the moſt faining, and Louers are giuen to Poetrie: and what they ſweare in Poetrie, may be ſaid as Louers, they do feigne. Do you wiſh then that the Gods had made me Poeticall? I do truly: for thou ſwear'ſt to me thou art honeſt: Now if thou wert a Poet, I might haue ſome hope thou didſt feigne. Would you not haue me honeſt? No truly, vnleſſe thou wert hard fauour'd: for honeſtie coupled to beautie, is to haue Honie a ſawce to Sugar. A materiall foole. Well, I am not faire, and therefore I pray the Gods make me honeſt. Truly, and to caſt away honeſtie vppon a foule ſlut, were to put good meate into an vncleane diſh. I am not a ſlut, though I thanke the Goddes I am foule. Well, praiſed be the Gods, for thy foulneſſe; ſluttiſhneſſe may come heereafter. But be it, as it may bee, I wil marrie thee: and to that end, I haue bin with Sir Oliuer Mar-text, the Vicar of the next village, who hath promis'd to meete me in this place of the Forreſt, and to couple vs. I would faine ſee this meeting. Wel, the Gods giue vs ioy. Amen. A man may if he were of a fearful heart, ſtagger in this attempt: for heere wee haue no Temple but the wood, no aſſembly but horne-beaſts. But what though? Courage. As hornes are odious, they are neceſſarie. It is ſaid, many a man knowes no end of his goods; right: Many a man has good Hornes, and knows no end of them. Well▪ that is the dowrie of his wife, 'tis none of his owne getting; hornes, euen ſo poore men alone: No, no, the nobleſt Deere hath them as huge as the Raſcall: Is the ſingle man therefore bleſſed? No, as a wall'd Towne is more worthier then a village, ſo is the forehead of a married man, more honourable then the bare brow of a Batcheller: and by how much defence is better then no skill, by ſo much is a horne more precious then to want. Heere comes Sir Oliuer: Sir Oliuer Mar-text you are wel met. Will you diſpatch vs heere vnder this tree, or ſhal we go with you to your Chappell? Is there none heere to giue the woman?