The Grateful Servant (The Faithful Servant) · chunk 23 of 38
Shirley, James · published 1630 · first performed or written 1629 [licensed for stage, Nov 3] (Annals) comedy · Queen Henrietta Maria's Men · Phoenix/Cockpit T0 Court life: dukes, favour and honour typicality 0.71 · 500 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T0: duke, lord, duchess, love, court, madam, prince, honour, grace, lady.
Wickedness? I speak in the phrase of the foolish world, that holds voluptuousness a crime, which you and I, and every wise man knows, to be the only happiness of life, and the inheritance, we are borne to. But stay, how comes it to pass, that accounting me so young a sinner, you now adventure to discover yourself? To you? To me. Good my Lord conceive me, you were a young sinner, and in your Nonage, does that infer that you have made no growth, that y'are a child still, do think that I ha' not wit to distinguish a Principiant in vice, from a Graduate, shall I be afraid to lay open my secretest impieties to you, that are almost as perfect as myself in Epicurisme, I beseech you, do not think, I ha' so little manners to undervalue you. Very well, proceed. And yet my Lord, with your princely licence, you may learn too, and indeed the first virtue that I would commend to your practice should be that, by which I have attained to this height, and opinion, and that's hypocrisy. Hypocrisy? Yes, a delicate white devil, do but fashion yourself to seem holy, and study to be worse in private, worse, you'll find yourself more active in your sensuality, and it will be an other titillation, to think what an ass you make a'the believing world, that will be ready to dote, nay superstitiously adore you, for abusing them. This is pretty wholesome doctrine, and hark you, ha' you no wenches now and then? Wenches? would the Duke your Brother had so many for his own sake, or you either. Hast i'faith? Faith? why judge by yourself, how dye think a man should subsist, wenching? why 'tis the top-branch, the heart, the very soul of pleasure, i'll not give a chip to be an Emperor, and I may not curvet as often as my constitution requires, lechery is the Monarch of Delight, whose Throne is in the blood, to which all other sins do homage, and bow like serviceable vassals, petty subjects in the Dominion of flesh— Wenches Why I have as many— yet now I think better on't, I'll keep that to myself, store makes a good proverb. Nay nay, be free and open to me, you have my oath not to betray. Well, I'll not be nice to you, you little imagine (though I be married,) that I am the greatest whoremaster o' dukedom. Not the greatest? Have a strong faith and save my proofs, I? the usurer do not hoard up his gold, nor the country oppressor his corn more against a dear year, but Caute si non cast, my nun at home knows nothing, like a Mole in the earth, I work deeps, but invisible; I have my private Houses, my Granaries, my magazine's bully, as many Concubines, as would collected, furnish the Great Turk's Seraglio. How do you conceal 'em, I should ne'er keep half so many▪ but't would be known.
seed 43: T0 · seed 44: T0 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Wickednesse? I speake in the phrase of the foolish world, that holds voluptuousnesse a crime, which you and I, and euery wise man knowes, to be the onely happinesse of life, and the inheritance, we are borne to. But stay, how comes it to passe, that accounting me so young a sinner, you now aduenture to discouer your selfe? To you? To mee. Good my Lord conceiue me, you were a young sinner, and in your Nonage, does that inferre that you haue made no growth, that y'are a child still, doe thinke that I ha not wit to distinguish a Principiant in vice, from a Graduate, shall I be afraid to lay open my secretst impieties to you, that are almost as perfect as my selfe in Epicurisme, I beseech you, doe not thinke, I ha so little manners to vndervalue you. Very well, proceed. And yet my Lord, with your princely license, you may learn too, and indeed the first vertue that I would commend to your practice should be that, by which I haue attain'd to this height, and opinion, and thats Hypocrisie. Hypocrisie? Yes, a delicate white diuell, doe but fashion your selfe to seeme holy, and studie to be worse in priuate, worse, youle find your selfe more actiue in your sensualitie, and it will be an other titillation, to thinke what an asse you make a'the beleeuing world, that will be readie to dote, nay superstitiously adore you, for abusing them. This is pretty wholsome doctrine, and harke you, ha you no wenches now and then? Wenches? would the Duke your Brother had so many for his owne sake, or you either. Hast ifaith? Faith? why judge by your selfe, how dee thinke a man should subsist, wenching? why tis the top-branch, the heart, the very Soule of pleasure, ile not giue a chip to bee an Emperour, and I may not curuet as often as my constitution requires, Lecherie is the Monarch of Delight, whose Throne is in the bloud, to which all other sinnes doe homage, and bow like seruiceable Vassailes, petty Subiects in the Dominion of flesh—Wenches Why I haue as many—yet now I thinke better on't, Ile keepe that to my selfe, store makes a good prouerbe. Nay nay, be free and open to mee, you haue my oath not to betray. Well, Ile not bee nice to you, you little imagine (though I be married,) that I am the greatest whoremaster 'th Dukedome. Not the greatest? Haue a strong faith and saue my proofes, I? the Vsurer doe not hoard vp his gold, nor the Countrey oppressor his Corne more against a deare yeare, but Caute si non Caste, my Nunne at home knowes nothing, like a Mole in the earth, I worke deeps, but inuisible; I haue my priuate Houses, my Granaries, my Magasines bully, as many Concubines, as would collected, furnish the Great Turkes Seraglio. How doe you conceale 'em, I should nere keepe halfe so many▪ but't would be knowne.