Digital Renaissance Editions

About this text

  • Title: An Humorous Day's Mirth (Quarto 1, 1599)
  • Editor: Eleanor Lowe
  • Coordinating editor: Brett Greatley-Hirsch
  • General textual editor: Helen Ostovich
  • ISBN: 978-1-55058-513-1

    Copyright Digital Renaissance Editions. This text may be freely used for educational, non-profit purposes; for all other uses contact the Editor.
    Author: George Chapman
    Editor: Eleanor Lowe
    Peer Reviewed

    An Humorous Day's Mirth (Quarto 1, 1599)

    An humorous
    King, whome no man sees to enter his house but hee
    lookes vp, his wife, his children, and his maides, for
    where hee goes hee carries his house vppon his head like a
    315snaile: now sir I hope your busines is to me.
    Lem. No sir, I must craue a word with my ladie.
    La. These words are intollerable, & she shal hear no more
    Lem. She must heare me speake.
    Lab. Must she sir, haue you brought the kings warrant
    320for it?
    Le. I haue brought that which is aboue Kings.
    Lab. Why euery man for her sake is a puritan. The Di-
    uill I thinke wil shortly turne Puritan, or the Puritan wil
    turne Diuell.
    325Flo. What haue you brought sir?
    Lem. Mary this Madam, you know we ought to proue
    one anothers constancie, and I am come in all chast and
    honourable sort to proue your constancie.
    Flo. You are verie welcome sir, and I will abide your
    330proofe: it is my dutie to abide your proofe.
    Lab. You'le bide his proofe, it is your dutie to bide his
    proofe, how the diuell will you bide his proofe?
    Flo. My good head, no other wise then before your face
    in all honorable and religious sort, I tell you I am constant
    335to you, and he comes to trie whether I be so or no, which I
    must indure, begin your proofe sir.
    Le. Nay Madam, not in your husbands hearing, thogh in
    his sight for there is no woman wil shewe shee is tempted
    from her constancie, though she be a little: withdraw your
    340selfe sweete ladie.
    Lab. Well I will see though I do not heare, women may
    be courted without offence, so they resist the Cortier.
    Lem. Deare and most beautifull ladie, of al the sweet ho-
    nest and honorable meanes to proue the puritie of a ladies
    345constancy, kisses are the strongest, I will therefore be bold
    to begin my proofe with a kisse.
    Flo. No sir, no kissing.
    Lem.