Shakespeare, William / Middleton, Thomas · published 1623 · first performed or written 1603 [1603-1604] (Annals) tragicomedy · King's Men T62 The courtier as a type: fashion, affecta typicality 0.88 · 498 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T62: courtier, shrug, face, court, italian, monsieur, scholar, fashion, french, courtiers.
Make thy demand. But will you make it even? I by my Sceptre, and my hopes of help. Then shalt thou give me with thy kingly hand What husband in thy power I will command: Exempted be from me the arrogance To choose from forth the royal blood of France, My low and humble name to propagate With any branch or image of thy state: But such a one thy vassal, whom I know Is free for me to ask, thee to bestow. here is my hand, the premises observed, Thy will by my performance shall be served: So make the choice of thy own time, for I Thy resolved Patient, on thee still rely: More should I question thee, and more I must, Though more to know, could not be more to trust: From whence thou canst, how tended on, but rest Unquestioned welcome, and undoubted blessed. Give me some help here hoa, if thou proceed, As high as word, my deed shall match thy deed. Come on sir, I shall now put you to the height of your breeding. I will show myself highly fed, and lowly taught, I know my business is but to the Court. To the Court, why what place make you special, when you put off that with such contempt, but to the Court? Truly Madam, if God have lent a man any manners, he may easily put it off at Court: he that cannot make a leg, put off's cap, kiss his hand, and say nothing, has neither leg, hands, lip, nor cap; and indeed such a fellow, to say precisely, were not for the Court, But for me, I have an answer will serve all men. Marry that's a bountiful answer that fits all questions. It is like a Barber's chair that fits all buttocks, the pin buttock, the quatch-buttocke, the brawn buttock, or any buttock. Will your answer serve fit to all questions? As fit as ten groats is for the hand of an Attorney, as your French Crown for your taffata punk, as Tib's rush for Tom's forefinger, as a pancake for Shrove-tuesday, a Morris for May-day, as the nail to his hole, the Cuckold to his horn, as a scolding quean to a wrangling knave, as the Nun's lip to the Friar's mouth, nay as the pudding to his skin. Have you, I say, an answer of such fitness for all questions? From below your Duke, to beneath your Constable, it will fit any question. It must be an answer of most monstrous size, that must fit all demands. But a trifle neither in good faith, if the learned should speak truth of it: here it is, and all that belongs to't. Ask me if I am a Courtier, it shall do you no harm to learn. To be young again if we could: I will be a fool in question, hoping to be the wiser by your answer. I pray you sir, are you a Courtier?
seed 43: T60 · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Make thy demand. But will you make it euen? I by my Scepter, and my hopes of helpe. Then ſhalt thou giue me with thy kingly hand What husband in thy power I will command: Exempted be from me the arrogance To chooſe from forth the royall bloud of France, My low and humble name to propagate With any branch or image of thy ſtate: But ſuch a one thy vaſſall, whom I know Is free for me to aske, thee to beſtow. Heere is my hand, the premiſes obſeru'd, Thy will by my performance ſhall be ſeru'd: So make the choice of thy owne time, for I Thy reſolv'd Patient, on thee ſtill relye: More ſhould I queſtion thee, and more I muſt, Though more to know, could not be more to truſt: From whence thou can'ſt, how tended on, but reſt Vnqueſtion'd welcome, and vndoubted bleſt. Giue me ſome helpe heere hoa, if thou proceed, As high as word, my deed ſhall match thy deed. Come on ſir, I ſhall now put you to the height of your breeding. I will ſhew my ſelfe highly fed, and lowly taught, I know my buſineſſe is but to the Court. To the Court, why what place make you ſpeciall, when you put off that with ſuch contempt, but to the Court? Truly Madam, if God haue lent a man any manners, hee may eaſilie put it off at Court: hee that cannot make a legge, put off's cap, kiſſe his hand, and ſay nothing, has neither legge, hands, lippe, nor cap; and indeed ſuch a fellow, to ſay preciſely, were not for the Court, But for me, I haue an anſwere will ſerue all men. Marry that's a bountifull anſwere that fits all queſtions. It is like a Barbers chaire that fits all buttockes, the pin buttocke, the quatch-buttocke, the brawn buttocke, or any buttocke. Will your anſwere ſerue fit to all queſtions? As fit as ten groats is for the hand of an Atturney, as your French Crowne for your taffety punke, as Tibs ruſh for Toms fore-finger, as a pancake for Shroue-tueſday, a Morris for May-day, as the naile to his hole, the Cuckold to his horne, as a ſcolding queane to a wrangling knaue, as the Nuns lip to the Friers mouth, nay as the pudding to his skin. Haue you, I ſay, an anſwere of ſuch fitneſſe for all queſtions? From below your Duke, to beneath your Conſtable, it will fit any queſtion. It muſt be an anſwere of moſt monſtrous ſize, that muſt fit all demands. But a triflle neither in good faith, if the learned ſhould ſpeake truth of it: heere it is, and all that belongs to't. Aske mee if I am a Courtier, it ſhall doe you no harme to learne. To be young againe if we could: I will bee a foole in queſtion, hoping to bee the wiſer by your anſwer. I pray you ſir, are you a Courtier?