The School of Compliment (Love Tricks) · chunk 1 of 44
Shirley, James · published 1631 · first performed or written 1625 [licensed for stage, Feb 11] (Annals) comedy · Lady Elizabeth's Men · Phoenix/Cockpit T9 Theatre talk: prologues, poets and playe typicality 0.67 · 552 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T9: play, stage, poet, prologue, author, wit, plays, muse, scene, players.
IT is a principle by Nature wrote In all our understanding, there is not end. One Art or action, but it must tend And move from some beginning to its The Soldiers that wear the honoured bays Upon their brows, and glorious Trophies raise To fame on pile of wounds, knew a time when They sucked at war. Your Muse inspired men And of diviner earth, sacred for wit, Crept out of their first elements to it: The goodliest Harvest had first seed and hope, Ere it could lade with an enriching crop The rural team, th'exactest building first Grew from a stone, though afterward it durst Wrap his fair head in clouds: nothing so true, As all things have beginning: upon you Dwell candid application; this Play is The first fruits of a Muse, that before this Never saluted Audience, nor doth mean, To swear himself a Factor for the Scene. Though he employ some hours he only prays You take it as first borne, although he says, He meant it not his heir, since 'tis unjust One should have all, as in the Law it must. Accept then a beginning; all men know, He first kissed bays, that wore them on his brow. Sirrah, this Welshman is in love with my sister Selina, and hath chosen me for his Prolocutor. O! this Love will make us all mad, thou knowest I loved a sister of thine once, but heaven knows where she is, I think she loved me too, dost think she did not? Well, thy father has reason to curse himself, beside some that she and I have. Nay, nay, thou'lt fall into passion again, when things are past recovery, 'twas a good wench, but come, prithee leave to think on her. Nay, I ha' done, what shall's do? Any thing but talk of State matters: thou hast much intelligence in the world, prithee what's the news abroad? I come forth a purpose to hear some, and this is an age of novelties. News? O excellent news! Prithee what is't? I long to hear some. There is no news at all. Call you that excellent news? Is it not good news, that there is no bad news? the truth is, the newsmaker Master Money-lack is sick of a consumption of the wit. The newsmaker? why, is there any newsmaker? Oh sir, how should younger brothers have maintained themselves, that have travelled, and have the names of Countries, and Captains without book, as perfect as their prayers, I and perfecter too? for I think there is more probability of forgetting their prayers, they say them so seldom; I tell you sir, I have known a Gentleman that has spent the best part of a thousand pound, while he was prentice to the trade in Holland, and out of three sheets of paper, which was his whole stock, a pen and inkhorn he borrowed, he set up shop, and spent a hundred pound a year upon his whore, and found sheets for them both to lie in too: it has been a great profession; marry most commonly they are Soldiers: a peace concluded, is a great plague unto 'em, and if the wars hold, we shall have store of them; O, they are men worthy of commendations, they speak in print.
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)
IT is a principle by Nature wrot In all our vnderstanding, there is not end. One Art or action, but it must tend And moue from some beginning to its The Souldiers that weare the honoured bayes Vpon their browes, and glorious Trophies raise To fame on pile of wounds, knew a time when They suckt at warre. Your Muse inspired men And of diuiner earth, sacred for wit, Crept out of their first elements to it: The goodliest Haruest had first seed and hope, Ere it could lade with an enriching crop The rurall Teame, th'exactest building first Grew from a stone, though afterward it durst Wrap his faire head in clouds: nothing so true, As all things haue beginning: vpon you Dwell candid application; this Play is The first fruits of a Muse, that before this Neuer saluted Audience, nor doth meane, To sweare himselfe a Factor for the Scene. Though he employ some houres he onely prayes You take it as first borne, although he sayes, He meant it not his heire, since tis vniust One should haue all, as in the Law it must. Accept then a beginning; all men know, He first kist bayes, that wore them on his brow. SIrra, this Welshman is in loue with my sister Selina, and hath chosen me for his Prolocutor. O! this Loue will make vs all mad, thou knowest I lou'd a ifter of thine once, but heauen knowes where she is, I thinke she lou'd me too, dost thinke she did not? Well, thy father has reason to curse himselfe, beside some that she and I haue. Nay, nay, thou't fall into passion againe, when things are past recouery, 'twas a good wench, but come, prethee leaue to thinke on her. Nay, I ha done, what shal's doe? Any thing but talke of State matters: thou hast much intelligence in the world, prethee whats the newes abroad? I come forth a purpose to heare some, and this is an age of nouelties. Newes? O excellent newes! Prethee what ist? I long to heare some. There is no newes at all. Call you that excellent newes? Is it not good newes, that there is no bad newes? the truth is, the newes-maker Master Money-lacke is sicke of a consumption of the wit. The newes-maker? why, is there any newes-maker? Oh sir, how should younger brothers haue maintained themselues, that haue trauelled, and haue the names of Countreyes, and Captaines without booke, as perfect as their prayers, I and perfecter too? for I thinke there is more probability of forgetting their prayers, they say them so seldome; I tell you sir, I haue knowne a Gentleman that has spent the best part of a thousand pound, while he was prentice to the trade in Holland, and out of three sheetes of paper, which was his whole stocke, a pen and inke-horne he borrowed, hee set vp shop, and spent a hundred pound a yeere vpon his whore, and found sheetes for them both to lye in too: it has beene a great profession; mary most commonly they are Souldiers: a peace concluded, is a great plague vnto 'em, and if the warres hold, we shall haue store of them; O, they are men worthy of commendations, they speake in print.