Stevenson, William · published 1575 · first performed or written 1553 [c.1552-1563] (Annals) comedy · at University T47 Knaves, thieves and bawds typicality 0.83 · 500 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T47: knave, rogue, money, knaves, thief, rogues, pray, whore, nichol, book.
I was within myself man even now, there is no doubt, Go softly, make no noise, give me your foot sir Iohn, Here will I wait upon you, till you come out anon. Help Diccon, out alas, I shall be slain among them. If they give you not the needle, tell them that ye will hang them Ware that, how my wenches, have ye caught the Fox, That used to make revel, among your hens and Cocks: Save his life yet for his order, though he sustain some pain gog's bread, I am afraid, they will beat out his brain. Woe worth the hour that I came hear. And woe worth him that wrought this gear, A sort of drabs and queans have me blessed, Was ever creature half so evil dressed? whoever it wrought, and first did invent it, He shall I warrant him, err long repent it, I will spend all I have without my skin But he shall be brought to the plight I am in, Master bailie I trow, and he be worth his ears. Will snaffle these murderers and all that them bears, I will surely neither bite nor sup Till I fetch him hither, this matter to take up. I Can perceive none other, I speak it from my heart But either ye are in all the fault or else in the greatest part If it be counted his fault, besides all his grieves When a poor man is spoiled: and beaten among thieves? Then I confess my fault herein, at this season, But I hope you will not judge so much against reason. And methinks by your own tale, of all that ye name. If any played the thief you were the very same. The women they did nothing, as your words make probation But stoutly withstood your forcible invasion, If that a thief at your window, to enter should begin, Would you hold forth your hand, and help to pull him in: Or you would keep him out: I pray you answer me. Marry keep him out, and a good cause why: But I am no thief sir but an honest learned clerk. Yea but who knoweth that, when he meets you in the dark I am sure your learning shines not out at your nose, Was it any marvel, though the poor woman arose And start up, being afraid of that was in her purse methink you may be glad that you luck was no worse. Is not this evil enough, I pray you as you think, Showing his broken head. Yea but a man in the dark, of chances do wink, As son he smites his father as any other man, Because for lack of light, discern him he ne can, Might it not have been your luck, with a spit to have been slain: I think I am little better, my scalp is cloven to the brain, If there be all the remedy, I know who bears the kockes.
nodes 950–998 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 21 of 29 in this edition
Length
500 words · 606 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T47 — Knaves, thieves and bawdscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.834 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T46 · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
¶ I was within my selfe man euen now, there is no doubt, Go softly, make no noyse, giue me your foote sir Iohn, Here will I waite vpon you, tyl you come out anone. ¶ Helpe Diccon, out alas, I shal be slaine among them. ¶ If they giue you not the nedle, tel them that ye will hāg them Ware that, hoow my wenches, haue ye caught the Foxe, That vsed to make reuel, among your hennes and Cocks: Saue his life yet for his order, though he susteine some paine Gogs bread, I am afraide, they wil beate out his braine. ¶ Wo worth the houre that I came heare. And wo worth him that wrought this geare, A sort of drabs and queanes haue me blest, Was euer creature halfe so euill drest? Who euer it wrought, and first did uent it, He shall I warrant him, erre long repent it, I will spend all I haue without my skinne But he shall be brought to the plight I am in, Master Bayly I trow, and he be worth his eares. Will snaffle these murderers and all that them beares, I will surely neither byte nor supe Till I fetch him hether, this matter to take vp. I Can perceiue none other, I speke it from my hart But either ye ar in al the fault or els in y• greatest part ¶ If it be counted his fault, besides all his greeues When a poore man is spoyled: and beaten among theeues? Then I confesse my fault herein, at this season, But I hope you wil not iudge so much against reason. ¶ And me thinkes by your owne tale, of all that ye name. If any plaid the theefe you were the very same. The women they did nothing, as your words make probation But stoutly withstod your forcible inuasion, If that a theefe at your window, to enter should begin, Wold you hold forth your hand, and helpe to pull him in: Or you wold kepe him out: I pray you answere me. ¶ Mary kepe him out, and a good cause why: But I am no theef sir but an honest learned Clarke. ¶ Yea bt who knoweth that, when he mees you in the darke I am sure your learning shines not out at your nose, Was it any mara, though the poore woman arose And start vp, being afraide of that was in hir purse Me thinke you may be glad tht you lucke was no worse. ¶Is not this ill ynough, I pray you as you thinke, Showing his boken head. Yea but a man in the darke, of chaunces do wincke, he smites his ather as any other man. for ke of ight, discerne him he ne can. it not haue ben your lucke, wt a spit to haue ben slaine: I am litle better, my scalpe is clouen to the braine, If there be all the remedy, I know who beares the kockes.