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)

    dayes mirth.
    Foy. Labesha, what will you play?
    Lab. Play, yea with all my heart, I pray lend me three
    pence.
    1210Row. Ile play no more.
    Cat. Why, haue you wonne or lost?
    Row. Faith I haue lost two or three crownes.
    Cat. Well to him againe, Ile be your halfe.
    Lem. Sirrah, Catalian, while they are playing at cardes,
    1215thou and I will haue some excellent sport: sirrah, dost thou
    know that same Gentleman there?
    Cat. No yfaith, what is he?
    Lem. A very fine gull, and a neat reueller, one thats heire
    to a great liuing, yet his father keepes him so short, that his
    1220shirts will scant couer the bottom of his belly, for all his gay
    outside, but the linings be very foule and sweatie, yea and
    perhappes lowsie, with dispising the vaine shiftes of the
    world.
    Cat. But he hath gotten good store of money now me
    1225thinks.
    Lem. Yea, and I wonder of it, some ancient seruing man
    of his fathers, that hath gotten fortie shillings in fiftie years
    vpon his great good husbandrie, he swearing monstrous
    othes to pay him againe, and besides to doe him a good
    1230turne (when God shall heare his prayer for his father) hath
    lent it him I warrant you, but howsoeuer, we must speake
    him faire.
    Cat. O what else!
    Lem. God saue sweete Monsieur Rowle, what loose or
    1235win, loose or win?
    Row. Faith sir saue my selfe, and loose my money.
    Lem. Theres a prouerbe hit dead in the necke like a
    Cony, why hearke thee Catalian, I could haue told thee be-
    fore what he would haue said.
    1240Cat. I do not thinke so.
    Lem. No, thou seest heers a fine plumpe of gallants, such
    as thinke their wits singular, and their selues rarely accom-
    E 3 plished,