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.
    1850Host. To be scarce, is to be rare: and therefore where as
    he sayes Gentles whose wits be scarce, is as much as to say,
    Gentles whose wits be rare.
    Lem. Well, forwards trunchman.
    Boy. Faire ladies most tender, and nobles most slender,
    1855and gentles whose wittes bee scarce, Queene Fortune
    doth come with her trumpe, and her drumme, as it may ap-
    peare by my voice.
    Lab. Come hither, are you a schoolemaister, where was
    Fortune Queene, of what countrey or kingdome?
    1860Host. Wy sir, Fortune was Queene ouer all the world.
    Lab. Thats a lie, theres none that euer conquered all the
    world, but maister Alisander, I am sure of that.
    Lem. O rare Monsieur Labesha, who would haue thought
    hee could haue found so rare a fault in the speach.
    1865Host. Ile alter it if it please your grace.
    King. No, tis very well.
    Boy. Father I must begin againe they interrupt me so.
    Ho. I beseech your grace giue the boy leaue to begin again.
    King. With all my heart, tis so good we cannot heare
    1870it too oft.
    Boy. Faire ladies most tender, and nobles most slender,
    and gentles whose wittes are scarce, Queene Fortune doth
    come with her Fife, and her Drum, as it doth appeare by
    my voice, here is Fortune good, but il by the rood, and this
    1875naught but good shall do you, dealing the lots out of our
    pots, and so good Fortune to you sir.
    Lem. Looke you my liege, how hee that caries the torch
    trembles extreamly.
    Kin. I warrant tis with care to carie his torch well.
    1880Lem. Nay there is something else in the wind: why my
    host, what meanes thy man Iaques to tremble so?
    Host. Hold still thou knaue, what art thou afraid to looke
    vpon the goodly presence of a king: hold vp for shame.
    Lem. Alas poore man, he thinks tis Iaques his man: poore
    1885lord, how much is he bound to suffer for his wife?
    King.