Heywood, Thomas / Brome, Richard · published 1634 · first performed or written 1634 (Annals) comedy · King's Men · Globe T26 Devils, hell and fiends typicality 0.77 · 505 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T26: devil, hell, devils, sure, soul, fiend, sr, wife, lord, men.
That the Devil should put in their hearts to delight in such Villainies! I have sought about these two days, and heard of a hundred such mischievous tricks, though none mortal, but could not find whom to mistrust for a Witch till now this boy, this happy boy informs me. And they should ne'er have been sought for me if their affrightments and devilish devices, had not brought my Boy into such a sickness; Whereupon indeed I thought good to acquaint your worship, and bring the Boy unto you being his Godfather, and as you now stick not to say his Father. After you I thank yon Gossip. But my Boy thou hast satisfied me in their names, and thy knowledge of the women, their turning into shapes, their dog-tricks, and their horse tricks, and their great Feast in the barn (a pox take them with my sirloin, I say still.) But a little more of thy combat with the Devil, I prithee; he came to thee like a Boy thou sayest, about thine own bigness? Yes Sir, and he asked me where I dwelled, and what my name was. Ah Rogue! But it was in a quarrelsome way; Whereupon I was as stout, and asked him who made him an examiner? Ah good Boy. In that he was my Son. He told me he would know or beat it out of me, And I told him he should not, and bid him do his worst; And to't we went. In that he was my son again, ha boy; I see him at it now. We fought a quarter of an hour, till his sharp nails made my ears bleed. O the grand Devil pare 'em. I wondered to find him so strong in my hands, seeming but of mine own age and bigness, till I looking down, perceived he had clubbed cloven feet like Ox feet; but his face was as young as mine. A pox, but by his feet, he may be the Club-footed Horse-coursers father, for all his young looks. But I was afraid of his feet, and ran from him towards a light that I saw, and when I came to it, it was one of the Witches in white upon a Bridge, that scared me back again, and then met me the Boy again, and he struck me and laid me for dead. Till I wondering at his stay, went out and found him in the Trance; since which time, he has been haunted and frighted with Goblins, 40. times, and never durst tell any thing (as I said) because the Hags had so threatened him till in his sickness he revealed it to his mother. And she told nobody but folks on't. Well Gossip Gretty, as thou art a Miller, and a close thief, now let us keep it as close as we may till we take 'em, and see them handsomely hanged o' the way: Ha my little Cuss-devil, thou art a made man. Come, away with me.
nodes 1437–1455 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 36 of 43 in this edition
Length
505 words · 643 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T26 — Devils, hell and fiendscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.773 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T23 · seed 44: T23 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
That the Divell should put in their hearts to delight in such Villanies! I have sought these two dayes, and he of a , though none mortall, but could not finde whom to mistrust for a Witch till now this boy, this happy boy informes me. And they should neere have been sought for me if their affrightments and dive devices, had not brought my Boy into such a sicknesse; VVhereupon indeed I thought good to acquaint your worship, and bring the Boy unto you being his Godfather, and as you now stick not to say his Father. After you I thanke yo Gossip. But my Boy thou ha fied me in their names, and thy knowledge of the women, their turning into shapes, their dog-trickes, and their horse trickes, and their great Feast in the Barne (a pox take them with my Surloyne, I say still.) But a little more of thy combat with the Divell, I prithee; he came to thee like a Boy thou sayest, about thine owne bignesse? Yes Sir, and he asked me where I dwelt, and what my name was. Ah Rogue! But it was in a quarrelsome way; VVhereupon I was as stout, and ask'd him who made him an examiner? Ah good Boy. In that he was my Sonne. He told me he would know or beat it out of me, And I told him he should not, and bid him doe his worst; And to't we went. In that he was my sonne againe, ha boy; I see him at it now. VVe fought a quarter of an houre, till his sharpe nailes made my eares bleed. O the grand Divell pare 'em. I wondred to finde him so strong in my hands, seeming but of mine owne age and bignesse, till I looking downe, perceived he had clubb'd cloven feet like Oxe feet; but his face was as young as mine. A pox, but by his feet, he may be the Club-footed Horse-coursers father, for all his young lookes. But I was afraid of his feet, and ran from him towards a light that I saw, and when I came to it, it was one of the VVitches in white upon a Bridge, that scar'd me backe againe, and then met me the Boy againe, and he strucke me and layd mee for dead. Till I wondring at his stay, went out and found him in the Trance; since which time, he has beene haunted and frighted with Goblins, 40. times, and never durst tell any thing (as I sayd) because the Hags had so threatned him till in his sicknes he revealed it to his mother. And she told no body but folkes on't. VVell Gossip Gretty, as thou art a Miller, and a close thiefe, now let us keepe it as close as we may till we take 'hem, and see them handsomly hanged o' the way: Ha my little Cue-divell, thou art a made man. Come, away with me.