Selected quad for the lemma: majesty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
majesty_n	act_v	comedy_n	servant_n	2,804	5	7.7353	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45649	The city bride, or, The merry cuckold a comedy acted at the new theatre in Little Lincolns Inn-Fields by His Majesty's servants.	Harris, Joseph, ca. 1650-ca. 1715.; Webster, John, 1580?-1625? Cure for a cuckold.	1696 (1696)	Wing H863; ESTC R1134	42,545	112

THE CITY BRIDE OR The Merry Cuckold A COMEDY Acted at the New Theatre in Little Lincolns Inn-Fields BY His Majesty's Servants Spero Meliora LONDON Printed for A. Roper and E. Wilkinson at the Black-Boy and R. Clavel at the Peacock in Fleet-street 1606. TO THE HONOURABLE Sir John Walter Bar. SIR UNder the present License of the Press and Freedom of Religion Two very fair Establish'd English Liberties methinks I have the Umbrage even of a Law on my side to Authorize my Presumption in paying this publick Devotion to so Worthy a Patron and fixing so fair a Name in the Frontispiece of so poor a Trifle You must pardon me Sir if I lay hold of all occasions and every Argument to warrant my Ambition Besides I have a stronger Charter than Poetick Priviledge 't is my Gratitude that dictates to my Pen You have already vouchsaf'd to Honour me with your Smiles and where such Goodness descends 't is natural for our Pride to aspire whil'st warm'd and animated by that only Encouragement I am embolden'd to make you this Dedication insomuch that my present Devoirs have more of the Thanksgiving than the Prayer a Duteous Acknowledgment for Blessings already received And here I must avow to the World That in Addressing to a person Enrich'd with so many Generous Accomplishments I set not out a Discoverer a Columbus to any unknown Golden Coast No Sir Your past Favours have swell'd my Sails whil'st I am carried by a fair Levant to an open free Port and a Hospitable Shoar That Sweetness of Temper runs through all Your Conversation so free from any Allay of Pride that too common Taint of Prosperity that You have all the Sweets of the Rose without the prickles Your Goodness so Frank and so diffusive and the Access to it so Easie that those who have the more particular happiness of Your nearest Intimacay and Friendship find those Charms in Your Conversation that they are scarce pardon the seeming Contradiction to be enjoy'd For the more they are possest the more they are desir'd HONOUR and GALLANTRY are not only Born but bred up with You. You Challenge not only all the Advantages of a Fair and Generous Birth but You have all the Improvements of a Generous and Sprightly Genius too with so forward so hopeful and so growing a Merit that ample Addition to your Hereditary Desert that the Stem is a Grace to the Root If Providence does ever Study for her Fair Creations she Thinks when she makes a Compleat Gentleman And Fortune in the Donations of her Golden Favours upon You has not Showr'd them at Random she found that WORTH that challeng'd her Smiles and her Graces are not her Gift but her Reward But to all Your other Felicities there 's the chief one yet wanting to compleat the Summ the Charms of LOVE that double Heaven of Joy where You must give Blessings when You receive them And here I must beg your leave to wish You that truly fair and Virtuous Choice That like the Famous Youth of Troy You may have Rival Beauties all waiting when your kind Hand shall give the Prize and bestow the Ball of Gold And truly the Generous and the Brave shou'd ever make Love their nearest Care For indeed Love is the only Foundation of Immortality For though Noble Virtues a Sweet Fame and Fragrant Memory may keep a fair Name alive yet to make Your self live for Ever You only want a Lovely Feminine Partner to draw Living Copies from so Excellent an Original But I must not dwell too long upon this Subject For as Dedications are by Custom only the Panegyricks upon the Patron 's Virtues possibly to so much Modesty one of your most shining Perfections I may make but ungrateful Musick on that Theme Yet why shou'd WORTH and HONOUR any more Blush to hear their own just Praises then the Hero or Monarch his Triumph or Coronation Song The Theme on this side may be as Copious and as inspiring as that Desert and Applause are not confin'd only to Palaces and Thrones the Chapplet sometimes may Sparkle as well as the Diadem 'T is true the Encomiums of Extraordinary Desert are what my poorest of Quills shou'd not presume to attempt as being a Province for the Elder Sons of Apollo and yet when I consider that the Ayres that are tuned but to an Oaten Pipe may be as chearfully and heartily Sung though not so sweetly and loud as to a Silver Trumpet I have that only Plea for this Boldness which gives me the Honour of Subscribing my self Sir Your most Oblig'd Most Devoted And Obedient Servant Joseph Harris PROLOGUE Spoke by Mr. THURMOND THREE Ways there are and all accounted fair To gain your Favour Begging Borrowing Prayer If as a Beggar I your Alms implore Methinks your Charity shou'd aid the Poor Besides I never beg'd of you before If I address by Prayer and loud Complaints I then oblige yee for I make you Saints And sure none here can think it Superstition To pray to Saints that are of no Religion If Invocation will not do my Work A Man may borrow of a Jew or Turk Pray lend me Gentlemen your Applause and Praise I 'll take it for as good as Currant Bays And if I ne're repay it 't is no more Than many of you Sparks have done before With this distinction that you ran indebt For want of Money we for want of Wit In vain I plead a Man as soon may get Mill'd Silver as one favour from the Pit Hold then now I think on 't I 'll e'en turn Thief and steal your kind Affection And when I 've got your Hearts claim your protection You can't Gazette me sure for such a crime Since neither Mare nor Lap-dog I purloin While you Rob Ladies Bosoms every day And filch their pretious Maiden-heads away I 'll plead good nature for this Brat the Play A Play that plagues no more the thread-bare Theme Of powder'd Beaux or tricks o' th' Godly Dame But in your humours let 's ye all alone And not so much as Fools themselves runs down Our Author try'd his best and Wisemen tell 'T is half well doing to endeavour well What tho' his poor Allay runs not so fine Yet let it pass as does our present Coin For wanting fairer Ore and riches mould He stamps in Brass what others print in Gold Smile on him but this time the next perhaps If he guess right he may deserve your Claps Dramatis Personae Bonvile The Bridegroom Mr. Boman Friendly His Friend in Love with Clara. Mr. Thurmond Justice Merryman Father to Arabella Mr. Bright Summerfield A Gentleman but Younger Brother necessitated to take the High-way Mr. Scudemore Mr. Ventre A Merchant Mr. Arnold Mr. Spruce A City Beau. Mr. Bayly Compasse A Master of a Vessel Mr. Freeman A Councellor Mr. Davis Pettifog Two Attorneys Mr. Trefusis Dodge Two Attorneys Mr. Eldred Sailers Neighbours Drawers Servants Boys Singers and Dancers Arabella The Bride Mrs. Boman