# The Choise of Valentines/The Choosing of Valentines

Claudito iam vinos Priapa, sat prata biberunt [sic].

## Footnotes

* ↑ , The Choosing of Valentines, Nashes Dildo.
* ↑ yong, younge; their iollie roguerie, their brauery; iollie, Fr. joli, pretty, fine. Bravery, finery; Cf. Holinshed's Chron. of Eng., 55—The ancient Britons painted their bodies "which they esteemed a great braverie."
* ↑ Rose earelie in the morne fore, Rose in the morning before; daie, daye.
* ↑ soe trimme and gaie, soe fresh and gaye.
* ↑ summer sheene, somers shene.
* ↑ haidegaies on, high degree in.
* ↑ alas at Easter, or, allso at Ester and.
* ↑ Perambulate, preambulate.
* ↑ to som, into some; abbordring, bordering.
* ↑ taste the creame and cakes, tast the cakes and creame.
* ↑ Or, To.
* ↑ by Bachelrie of Maningtree, by the bachelours of magnanimity. "Manningtree, in Essex, formerly enjoyed the privilege of fairs, by the tenure of exhibiting a certain number of stage plays yearly. It appears also, from other intimations, that there were great festivities there, and much good eating, at Whitsun ales, and other times."—Nares.
* ↑ Where to, the contrie franklins, Whether our Country Franklins.
* ↑ Jhon and Jone com, John and Joane come.
* ↑ Euen, Even; hallowes, Hallowes; Saint, Sainct.
* ↑ doeth, doth; louers, lovers; those, omitted in Rawlinson.
* ↑ ladies, Ladyes.
* ↑ she, shee; valentine, valentyne.
* ↑ woe, alass, out, alas.
* ↑ an upper, another.
* ↑ -haft and crab-tree face, with his crabbed face.
* ↑ scar'd hir, scard her; the, that.
* ↑ And now she was compel'd for Sanctuarie, And she, poore wench, compeld for Sanctuary.
* ↑ unto, into; venery, Venery.
* ↑ bouldlie,, bouldly; enquire, inquire.
* ↑ hackneis, hackneyes. Hackney, a person or thing let out for promiscuous use, e.g., a horse, a whore, a literary drudge. Cf. "The hobby-horse is but a colt, and your love perhaps a hackney."—Love's Labour Lost, iii., 1.
* ↑ crau'd, craud.
* ↑ Therwith out stept, With that, stept forth; three chinnd, three-chinde. Foggie = fat, bloated, having hanging flesh. Cf. "Some three chind foggie dame."—Dolarney, Primrose.
* ↑ us'd, vsd; yong, younge.
* ↑ ask't, askt; I ment as I profest, soothe were my request.
* ↑ onelie ask't, onely moud.
* ↑ it, yt.
* ↑ com, come; give, giue; Jill, Gill.
* ↑ "Why, Sir." quoth shee, "if that be your demande, "If that yt be," quoth she, "that you demaunde."
* ↑ Com laye me a God's-pennie, then giue me first a godes peny. "God's-pennie, an earnest-pennie."—Florio, p. 36.
* ↑ oratorie siccarlie, oratory, siccarly. "Oratory," properly a private chapel or closet for prayer; here a canting term for brothel: cf. abbess = bawd; nun = whore, and so forth. "Siccarly," certainly, surely "Thou art here, sykerlye, Thys churche to robb with felonye," MS. Cantab Ff. ii., 38, f. 240.
* ↑ heere, in; nicarie, deuory. "Nick," female pudendum: hence nickery, copulation. Deuory may either be Fr. devoir, duty; or devoure, to ravish, to deflower.
* ↑ offertorie, affidavit.
* ↑ wee'le, Ile.
* ↑ hearing hir so ernest, seeing her soe earnest.
* ↑ Gave hir hir, I gaue her her; and she the dore unlocks, and she the doare vnlockes.
* ↑ In am I entered, Nowe I am entered; venus, sweet Venus.
* ↑ where's this female, where's the female; do this, do the.
* ↑ By, through; meanders and by crankled, meander and through crooked.
* ↑ Shee leades, Shee leads; Aucthor saies, author sayes.
* ↑ we came within, I came vnto; shadie, shady.
* ↑ bounsing vestalls, bouncing vestures; skirmish, skyrmish; oft, omitted.
* ↑ shee, she; leather chaire, Lether chayre.
* ↑ prettie Trulls, wenches straight.
* ↑ To chuse of them, And bad me choose; myne, my.
* ↑ hir, she; no where espie, noe waye espye.
* ↑ them, her; them her.
* ↑ Yet, But.
* ↑ Bawde, baud; as daintie, soe dainty; bee, be.
* ↑ forth to, vnto.
* ↑ Halliedame, Holy Dame; she, shee; Gods oune, gods one.
* ↑ wylie, wyly.
* ↑ more, better.
* ↑ You'l smell, youle find; nare so, now soe.
* ↑ hir, her.
* ↑ think, look; purse-strings, purse-stringes; abye it deare, abide yt deere.
* ↑ that will eate quailes, whoole feed on quayles; crounes, crownes.
* ↑ Mistris Francis, Mistres Fraunces; veluett gounes, velvett gownes.
* ↑ And ruffs, Her ruffe; perwigs, perriwigge; as, soe; Maye, May.
* ↑ with half a croune, for half a crowne.
* ↑ hostess, hostes; we, wee.
* ↑ Though, although.
* ↑ bonnie, bonny.
* ↑ tenne, tenn; gobbs I will unto thee tell, goblets vnto thee Ile tell. "Gob, a portion" (H).
* ↑ lyke thee, like you.
* ↑ doe I hir companie, I doe her company.
* ↑ Awaie, Awaye; thing, worde.
* ↑ That (mauger) will inuade, it makes invasion in.
* ↑ Hey-ho, Loe! here; hearte, harte; keepe, keeping.
* ↑ Lullabie, lullaby; and falle a sleepe, fall a sleeping.
* ↑ coms, comes; ground, ground.
* ↑ Hir, her; silkes, silcke; confound, Confound.
* ↑ Oh, Awaye; rauisht, ravisht; voide, voyd; chamber, Chamber; streight, straight.
* ↑ For I must neede's be on hir, I must be straight vppon her.
* ↑ smilde, smiled.
* ↑ beguilde, beguiled.
* ↑ With smiles, with flatt'ring wordes, and fained cheere, With sighes and flattering woordes and teares.
* ↑ their, your; their, much; doeth appeare, still apeares.
* ↑ how, How; lambkin, Tomalyn; replide, replied.
* ↑ dancing, dauncing.
* ↑ it be, be it; this, thy.
* ↑ camp, campe.
* ↑ onelie, only; sweete heart, sweete harte; came, cam.
* ↑ auoide, avoyd; troblous and stormie, troublesome, stormye.
* ↑ But now, And since; coaste, coast; we wil, I will.
* ↑ Since, for; louer, louers.
* ↑ sprung, sprunge; lips, lippes.
* ↑ And fast about the neck me colle's and clips, and about my neck she hugges, she calles, she clippes. "Coll or "cull," to kiss, to embrace; so also "clip."
* ↑ faints, faynes; vpon hir, vppon the.
* ↑ tosseth, tosses; and fro hir, and froe her.
* ↑ shutts hir eyes, shakes her feete.
* ↑ who, whoe; abstaine, forbeare; long, longe.
* ↑ I com, I com, I come, I come; lyning, Ladye; be, by.
* ↑ Softlie my fingers up this curtaine heaue, softly my curtaines lett my fingers heaue.
* ↑ make, send; happie, happye; stealing, sailing; degreese, degrees.
* ↑ First bare hir leggs, then creepe up to hir kneese, First vnto the feete, and then vnto the kneese.
* ↑ From thence, And soe; unto, vnto; mannely, manly.
* ↑ lingring, lingering; am so, come soe.
* ↑ Smock, Smocke; climbe, clime.
* ↑ Oh heaven and paradise are all, all earthly pleasures seeme to this.
* ↑ Compar'd with this sight I now, Compard be these delightes which I.
* ↑ prettie rysing, prettye rising; weame, wenne. "Wem," spot or blemish.
* ↑ shone, shine(s); anie siluer streame, any christall gemme.
* ↑ bare, beares; bending, riseing; an, a.
* ↑ a fountaine dwelleth still, the(r) runnes a fountayne still.
* ↑ his, her; uglie bryers, rugged briers.
* ↑ duskie, duskye; wyres, wires.
* ↑ loftie, lusty; veines, vaines.
* ↑ comelie, comely; distreines, restraines. "Distreines," to seize, to touch.
* ↑ wanton, harmles; harmlesse stype, wanton gripe.
* ↑ fruites of loue oftsoone, fruite thereof too soone
* ↑ And, A; too tymelie, to tymely; the stemme, his springe.
* ↑ To dye ere it hath seene Jerusalem, it is, dyes ere it can enioye the vsed thinge.
* ↑ Gods, Godes; euer anie, ever any; so, soe.
* ↑ So suddenlie, soe suddenly; awaie, awaye.
* ↑ Hir, Her; are spread and I am all unarm'd, and legges and all were spredd, But I was all vnarmed.
* ↑ Lyke, like; with, that; charm'd, charmd.
* ↑ Omitted in Rawl. MS.
* ↑ spend their, spent there; hir, your.
* ↑ It, Yt; beawtie cann, beauty can.
* ↑ clap, clipp; I feele, I view, I wincke, I feele.
* ↑ dead he lyes, lyes he dead; thinking, feeling.
* ↑ Unhappie me, By Holly dame; stand, staund.
* ↑ Com, now; rubb, roule; chafe, rub; with, in.
* ↑ Perhaps, perhapps; sillie, seely; is labour'd, hath laboured.
* ↑ wearied that it can, worked soe that it cann.
* ↑ If it be so, Which if it be; am greate a-dread, doe greately dread.
* ↑ tenne, ten; were, weare.
* ↑ How ere it is, What ere it be; no, noe; want, lacke.
* ↑ maie auaile to, maye avayle for; recouerie, recoverye.
* ↑ saide, said; and rould, & rowld; hir thigh, her thighe.
* ↑ And when she look't on't she would weepe and sighe, and looking downe on it, did groane and sighe.
* ↑ dandled, haundled; dancet, daunced; up, vpp; doune, downe.
* ↑ she rais'd, shee raisd; his swoune, her sound.
* ↑ he flue, it flewe; hir, her; he, it.
* ↑ hir breeche did hack and fayne, her breech laboured & foam'd.
* ↑ prickt, and pierst her, peirct her euer.
* ↑ farre, deepe; might, could digg; "eath," easy.
* ↑ stryking, stricking; and, &.
* ↑ Now dyuing deepe he toucht hir, And diving deeper, peircte her.
* ↑ gird, girde.
* ↑ Straite, then; statlie, stately.
* ↑ him, he; so, soe.
* ↑ pacient Grissill, patient Grissell; hir warde, his ward.
* ↑ blythe, blith; free, fresh.
* ↑ ere-more, euer; midle, middle of the.
* ↑ him hir eyes continualy, her his eyes Continually.
* ↑ hir eye-beames his, his eye-browes her; looke's, eyes.
* ↑ twixt, betwixt; plaies, playes.
* ↑ one, the one; th'other cast's rebounding, the other casting redounding.
* ↑ He lyke, She like; reguild, requite.
* ↑ Sucks-in, suckes; of Phebus, of sweete Phebus.
* ↑ lynes, beames: descending, discending.
* ↑ bright, deepest; hir dearest sight, the purest light.
* ↑ Planet, plannet.
* ↑ Hir puritie, her puritye.
* ↑ verie chamber, verye Chamber; enclouds, includes.
* ↑ Lookes lyke, seemes as; that God deuine, the gods devine.
* ↑ Who, Whoe; daie, daye; Zodiake, Zodiacke.
* ↑ euerie euen discends to th'oceane, in the even, settes of the ocean.
* ↑ So fierce, soe feirce; is hir radiance, in her radiaunce.
* ↑ fyrie stakes, flyeing breath; darts, dartes; euerie glance, every glaunce.
* ↑ enflame, inflame; icie limmes, verry mappe.
* ↑ make, cause; his seignedrie to aswage, him suddenly tasswage.
* ↑ To, and; upon her, vppon those; lamps, lampes.
* ↑ his chiefest ioyes encamps, his ioyes incampes.
* ↑ Omitted in Rawl. MS.
* ↑ Thus gazing, and thus striuing, we perseuer, Thus striking, thus gazeing, we perseuere.
* ↑ what so firme, nought soe sure; maie, will; euer, ever.
* ↑ Oh! Fleete; rauisht Mistris cryes, ravisht senses cries.
* ↑ Leaste, sith; content that on, Content vppon.
* ↑ Be, Which; too, soe; seat, seates.
* ↑ And me unwares of hoped bliss defeat, me vnawares of blissefull hope defeates. Here occur two lines in the Rawl. MS. which do not appear in the Petyt MS., as follows:  Togeather lett our equall motions stirr,  Togeather lett vs liue and dye, my deare;
* ↑ Together lett us marche unto content, Togeather let vs march with one contente.
* ↑ consumed with one blandishment, Consum(e)d without languishmente.
* ↑ prescrib'd, so kept we crochet, prescribed so keepe we clocke and.
* ↑ lyke, like; chyme, chime.
* ↑ Whilst she, soe shee; had preseru'd, here preferd; pittie, pittye.
* ↑ Unto, vnto; musike, musicke; dittie, dittye.
* ↑ Euen, even; blisse and sorrowe doeth, ioyes and sorrowes doe.
* ↑ lapp, lappe; louelie, louely.
* ↑ entretaine the, entertaine this; shoure so free, showry see.
* ↑ trikling falles, drisling fall(es); treasurie, treasurye.
* ↑ As Aprill-drops, Sweete Aprill flowers; half so, halfe soe.
* ↑ overflowe to Ægipt-plaines, overfloweinge Egipt playne.
* ↑ As this sweet-streames, as is the balme; hir ioints imbaynes, her woombe destreynes.
* ↑ With Oh! and Oh! she itching moues hir hipps, Now! oh now! she trickling moues her lippes.
* ↑ And, and often; full lightlie starts and skips, she lightly startes and skippes.
* ↑ ierkes, yerkes; leggs, legges; sprauleth, fresketh.
* ↑ No, noe; maie, can; solace, pleasures.
* ↑ I faint! I yeald! Oh death, rock me, I come! I come! sweete death, rocke mee.
* ↑ entombed, intombe me.
* ↑ my deare, my dearest saint, my deare, and dearest she.
* ↑ For, from us yett, thy spirit maie, from us two (yett) this pleasure must.
* ↑ Untill, Vntill; channels, Chambers.
* ↑ Without their source, Withould themselues; imprisoned, newe prisoned.
* ↑ will we, we will; com too, come soe.
* ↑ whilst, whilest; speake, speke; is fleeting, in stealing.
* ↑ fleshie, earthly.
* ↑ but an houre, but one houre; an houre is, one houre is; so, soe
* ↑ But, nay; if that, and if.
* ↑ Maie be alightned with a little pause, Maye now be lengthened by a litle pawse.
* ↑ awaie, awaye; sudden, suddaine.
* ↑ riuers nere returne, riuer nere returnes.
* ↑ springe, spring; must helpe me or, must helpe, or elles.
* ↑ Omitted in Rawl. MS.
* ↑ Hence-forth no more will I implore thine, Hensforth I will noe more implore thine.
* ↑ or man of cowardize upbrayde, for ever of Cowardise shall vpprayd.
* ↑ dilldo, dildoe; suply their, supplye your.
* ↑ knaue, youth; moues, is; by, in.
* ↑ That, He; anie, any.
* ↑ Omitted in Rawl. MS.
* ↑ For, by saint Runnion, he'le, And when I will he doth.
* ↑ make, makes; bellie, belly.
* ↑ whose triumph now, thy kingdome needes; falle, fall.
* ↑ Except, eccept; walle, wall.
* ↑ usurps, vsurpes; boure, bower.
* ↑ undermines, vndermines; euerie howre, euery hower.
* ↑ sly he, slyly; betwixt, betwene.
* ↑ sucks, suckes; whilst, while; detaineth, deteyneth.
* ↑ page, lake; stound, sound. "Stound," a moment.
* ↑ "tent," to search out.
* ↑ Courtlie Nimphs, courtly nimphs; be so, are full.
* ↑ blynd-alluring, blind-alluring.
* ↑ Omitted in Rawl. MS.
* ↑ fortifies disdaine, fortifyes disdayne; forraine, foraigne.
* ↑ And wanton-chaste deludes, while wantons chast delude.
* ↑ anie, any; Mistris serue's, Mistres serve.
* ↑ Or, and; (unhappie) pines and staru's, full deeply pyne and sterue.
* ↑ Omitted in Rawl. MS.
* ↑ womans secretarie, woemans secretary.
* ↑ Lett, let.
* ↑ handfulls highe, handfulles high.
* ↑ plumb, plump; yett hauing, and having.
* ↑ rhewme so feruentlie doeth raigne, rheume soe fervently doth raine.
* ↑ That, the; gulph maie, gulfe can; containe, conteyne. Here follow, in the Rawl. MS., lines 290-93 of the Petyt; lines 292-3 being also reversed in the Rawl. text.
* ↑ Attired, attird; veluet, velvet.
* ↑ nourisht, norisht; hott, warme; milk, milke. "Whott," hot.
* ↑ Arm'd otherwhile, Running sometymes.
* ↑ more glib, more like; to hell be lowe, downe into hell.
* ↑ charriot, chariot; rydes, rides.
* ↑ The which an arme strong driuer stedfast, An arme strong guider steadfastly him.
* ↑ who, whoe; pathes unknowne, places vnknowne; gate, pace.
* ↑ Sometimes, sometymes; smoothlie slideth doune a, smoothly slippeth downe a.
* ↑ Another while, some other tymes.
* ↑ clammie waies, clayey wayes; treaddeth, treadeth.
* ↑ plasheth and sprayeth, placeth himself &; be him nye, standeth by.
* ↑ So, soe; iollie rider, royall rider.
* ↑ Plunging and sousing, Plungeing & sowsing; lyke, like.
* ↑ He dasht, and spurted, and he plodded, Bedasht, bespotted, and beplotted.
* ↑ blinde, foule.
* ↑ Fy-fy, for grief, But free from greife; ladies chamberlaine, ladyes chamberlayne.
* ↑ not thou, thou not: refraine, refrayne.
* ↑ reade thee, tell the; blab, blabb. "Reade," warn.
* ↑ aduised, advisd; thou vainelie, thou soe vainely.
* ↑ Transposed in Rawl. MS. with line 292; wilt, shouldst.
* ↑ Cicelie shewe but, Illian queene knowe; knauerie, bravery.
* ↑ Denis shield, Dennis sheild; female sprites, femall sprightes.
* ↑ Dames, dames; Cupid's Poet, Cupid's poett.
* ↑ pennd, pen; storie onelie, story onely.
* ↑ Who giuing suck unto a childish Elfe, And, giving yt to such an actuall Elfe.
* ↑ And, am; discourag'd, discoraged; nurserie, mistery.
* ↑ hir, her; penurie, misery.
* ↑ seaventh iournie, seauenth Iourny.
* ↑ want, wantes; hearbe's, omitted; and, &; soile, soyle.
* ↑ wearie, weary; toile, toyle.
* ↑ Druggs or Electuaries of new devise, Or drugges or electuaryes of newe devises.
* ↑ Doe shunne, that shame; that trembles, & tremble; the, thie; price, prices. In the Rawl. MS., lines 307-8 of the Petyt MS. follow here.
* ↑ Sufficeth all I haue, I yeald hir hole, For that I allwayes had, I payd the wole.
* ↑ I paie our hostess, I paid of both the; and, &; at moste, allmost.
* ↑ And, yet; and, &; anie, any.
* ↑ can, cann.
* ↑ doune, downe.
* ↑ climbe, clims; banks, bankes.
* ↑ gentlemen, if I, gentleweomen doth this; not thanks, no thankes.
* ↑ so, soe: unto, vnto.
* ↑ thread, thred; plaie is donne, playes done.
* ↑ This does not scan; and, moreover, seems incorrectly transcribed, even making allowance for Nash's adaptation of a well-known line; cf. Virgil, Eclogue iii., line 111—"Claudite jam rivos, pueri, sat prata biberunt," "Now shut the hatches (in the banks of the stream), O lads, the pastures have drunk enough."