The Night Walker, or The Little Thief · chunk 14 of 39
Fletcher, John / Shirley, James · published 1640 · first performed or written c.1611(?) [revised by Shirley and re-licensed for stage, May 11, 1633] (Annals) comedy · Lady Elizabeth's Men · Phoenix/Cockpit unassigned nearest T28 Marriage-making: weddings, brides and ma · 493 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T28: married, marriage, wedding, day, bride, father, wife, luce, love, husband.
It must be so, How heavy my heart is, I ha' no life left. I am past thinking too, no understanding, That I should miss the right Chest. The happy Chest. That, which I saw and marked too. Well passion won't help us, Had I twenty falls for this? 'twas my fault sir. And twenty thousand fears for this, o'th' devil, Now could I curse, well, we have her now, And must dispose her. Hang both for two blind buzzards, here's a Spade Quickly or I'll call the neighbours. There's no remedy, Would the poor hungry prisoners had this pastry. 'Twas a strange mischance sir. Mischance, sayst? No 'twas happiness to me, There's so much charge saved, I have her portion, I'll marry twenty more on such conditions. Did it not trouble you sir, To see her dead? Not much, I thank my conscience; I was tormented till that happened, furies Were in my brain to think myself a cuckold At that time of the night: When I come home, I charge you shut my doors, Locks, bolts, and bars, are little enough to secure me, Why, and please you? Fool to ask that question; To keep out women, I expect her mother Will visit me with her clamours, oh I hate Their noise, and do abhor the whole sex heartily; They are all walking Devils, Harpies, I will study A week together how to rail sufficiently, Upon 'em all, and that I may be furnished, Thou shalt buy all the railing Books and Ballads, That Malice hath invented against women, I will read nothing else, and practise 'em, Till I grow fat with curses. If you'll go To th'charge, let me alone to find you Books. They come near us. What's that? Where? hold up the Torch Knave. Did you hear nothing? 'tis a— Why dost make a stand? What's that? Where, where, dost see any thing? We are hard by the Churchyard, and I was never Valiant at midnight in such irksome places; They say Ghosts walk sometimes, hark, d'ye hear nothing? No further, dig here, and lay her in quickly. What light is that Boy, we shall be discovered; Set the Coffin up an end, and get behind me, There's no avoiding. Oh. Where's that groan? I begin to be afraid. What shall we do sir? We are almost at home now, thou must go forward; Perhaps 'twas my imagination. 'tis he? I know him too, let me alone. Oh sir, a Ghost, the very Ghost of Mistress Bride. I have no power to run away. Cursed Ghost; bless me, preserve me, I do command thee whatsoe'er thou art, I do conjure thee leave me; do not fright me; If thou be'st a devil vex me not so soon, If thou be'st The spirit of my wife. Thy wife. I shall be tormented. Thy abused wife, that cannot peaceably Enjoy her death, thou hast an evil conscience. I know it.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
It must be so, How heavy my heart is, I ha no life left. I am past thinking too, no understanding, That I should misse the right Chest. The happy Chest. That, which I saw and markt too. Well passion wo'not helpe us, Had I twentie falls for this? Twas my fault sir. And twentie thousand feares for this, oth'devill, Now could I curse, well, we have her now, And must dispose her. Hang both for two blind buzzards, here's a Spade Quickly or Ile call the neighbours. There's no remedy, Would the poore hungry prisoners had this pastie. 'Twas a strange mischance sir. Mischance, saist? No twas happinesse to me, There's so much charge sav'd, I haue her portion, Ile marry twenty more on such conditions. Did it not trouble you sir, To see her dead? Not much, I thanke my conscience; I was tormented till that happen'd, furies Were in my braine to thinke my selfe a Cuekold At that time of the night: When I come home, I charge you shut my doores, Locks, bolts, and barres, are little enough to secure me, Why, and please you? Foole to aske that question; To keepe out women, I expect her mother Will visit me with her clamors, oh I hate Their noise, and doe abhorre the whole sexe heartlly; They are all walking Devills, Harpyes, I will study A weeke together how to raile sufficiently, Vpon e'm all, and that I may be furnish'd, Thou shat buy all the railing Bookes and Ballads, That Malice hath invented against women, I will read nothing else, and practise 'em, Till I grow fat with curses. If youle goe To th'charge, let me alone to finde you Bookes. They come neere us. Whats that? Where? hold up the Torch Knave. Did you heare nothing? 'tis a — Why dost make a stand? Whats that? Where, where, dost see any thing? We are hard by the Church-yard, and I was never Valiant at midnight in such irkesome places; They say Ghosts walke sometimes, harke, de'e heare nothing? No further, dig here, and lay her in quickly. What light is that Boy, we shall be discover'd; Set the Coffin up an end, and get behind me, There's no avoiding. Oh. Where's that groane? I begin to be afraid. What shall we doe sir? We are almost at home now, thou must goe forward; Perhaps 'twas my imagination. Tis he? I know him too, let me alone. Oh sir, a Ghost, the very Ghost of Mistresse Bride. I have no power to runne away. Cursed Ghost; blesse me, preserve me, I doe command thee what so ere thou art, I doe conjure thee leave me; doe not fright me; If thou beest a devill vexe me not so soone, If thou beest The spirit of my wife. Thy wife. I shall be tormented. Thy abus'd wife, that cannot peaceably Enjoy her death, thou hast an evill conscience. I know it.