The School of Compliment (Love Tricks) · chunk 18 of 44
Shirley, James · published 1631 · first performed or written 1625 [licensed for stage, Feb 11] (Annals) comedy · Lady Elizabeth's Men · Phoenix/Cockpit unassigned nearest T16 Gallantry: ladies, lordships and complim · 463 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T16: lady, madam, gentleman, lordship, ladies, honour, mistress, sweet, court, servant.
Foot, 'tis Bubulcus. This is the compliment-school. Three cuts and a half, heigh. I give you, sir, generous salutation, and wish a fair morn descend upon you: thrice Noble Spirit, welcome, does your worship desire to be sprinkled with the drops of Helicon, to gather the Pippins of Parnassus, and have your forehead filleted with Apollinean bays, or Laurel? Troth, sir, I do not know how to construe what you say, although I know it be Latin, sir: the cause of my coming to you, is to let you understand, that here is a compliment-school, and I have great desire to be taught some of your fegaries, and brave words, I do mean to pay for't soundly too, sir: I thank my stars, as they say, I have ready money about me. You shall be verberated, and reverberated, my exact piece of stolidity: please you draw near, there is the star of Eloquence, under whom I am an hypodidascal, in English, his Usher. A Gentleman Usher at least. Approach without fear: here is a Pupil, sir, desires to suck the honey of your eloquence, he is a Gentleman in Folio. Your accession is grateful, my most gentile lump of insipience: what compliment doth arride the palate of your generosity? What says he pray, in English? He asks what kind of verbosity you would be practised in? because I perceive you are raw, I will descend to your capacity, he asks what compliment you would learn? Why look you, sir, I would have two kinds of compliments: for, sir, I am in love, and I am in hate. How? in love, and hate too? Yes, I am in love with a Wench, and would have a delicate speech for her, and I am in hate with a Gentleman, a young Animal, and I would kill him now without danger of the Law: to tell you true, he did abuse me in the presence of my sweetheart, and did (saving this good company) kiss my backside. How? But it was with his foot, sir: now in regard I have not the heart to kill him with my sword, I would cut him in pieces, and murder him with mouth-guns: look you, sir, here's money, please yourself: but I pray you give me a powdering speech, for I would blow him up: I beseech you, if ever you put gall into your Ink, make it a bitter speech. Sir, I will draw you a sublime speech shall conjure him. Pray do, for he has a great spirit in him. Usher, in the mean time entertain him with some copy of amorous compliment. There is an usher's fee belongs to my place. Here's gold for your fee, I received it for good fee simple, I am sure.
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)
Foot, 'tis Bubulcus. This is the Complement-Schoole. Three cuts and a halfe, hey. I giue you, sir, generous salutation, and wish a faire morne descend vpon you: thrice Noble Spirit, welcome, does your worship desire to bee sprinkled with the drops of Hellicon, to gather the Pippins of Pernassus, and haue your forehead fillited with Apollinean Bayes, or Laurell? Troth, sir, I doe not know how to conster what you say, although I know it be Latine, sir: the cause of my comming to you, is to let you vnderstand, that here is a Complement-Schoole, and I haue great desire to be taught some of your figaries, and braue words, I doe meane to pay for't soundly too, sir: I thanke my starres, as they say, I haue ready money about me. You shall be verberated, and reuerberated, my exact piece of stollidity: please you draw neere, there is the starre of Eloquence, vnder whom I am an Hypodidascall, in English, his Vsher. A Gentleman Vsher at least. Approach without feare: here is a Pupill, sir, desires to suck the hony of your eloquence, he is a Gentleman in Foli. Your accession is gratefull, my most gentile lump of insipience: what complement doth arride the pallate of your generosity? What saies he pray, in English? He askes what kind of verbosity you would be practis'd in? because I perceiue you are raw, I will descend to your capacity, he askes what complement you would learne? Why looke you, sir, I would haue two kindes of complements: for, sir, I am in loue, and I am in hate. How? in loue, and hate too? Yes, I am in loue with a Wench, and would haue a delicate speech for her, and I am in hate with a Gentleman, a yong Animall, and I would kill him now without danger of the Law: to tell you true, hee did abuse me in the presence of my sweet-heart, and did (sauing this good company) kisse my backside. How? But it was with his foote, sir: now in regard I haue not the heart to kill him with my sword, I would cut him in pieces, and murder him with mouth-guns: looke you, sir, here's money, please your selfe: but I pray you giue me a powdring speech, for I would blow him vp: I beseech you, if euer you put gall into your Inke, make it a bitter speech. Sir, I will draw you a sublime speech shall coniure him. Pray doe, for he has a great spirit in him. Vsher, in the meane time entertaine him with some copie of amarous complement. There is an Vshers fee belongs to my place. Here's gold for your fee, I receiued it for good fee simple, I am sure.