Stevenson, William · published 1575 · first performed or written 1553 [c.1552-1563] (Annals) comedy · at University T47 Knaves, thieves and bawds typicality 0.82 · 491 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T47: knave, rogue, money, knaves, thief, rogues, pray, whore, nichol, book.
Cham meetly well sped already amongs, cham dressed like a colt And chad not had the better wit, chad been made a colt. Sir knave make haste diccon were here, fetch him wherever he be Fie on the villain, fie, fie, that makes us thus agree, Fie on him knave, with all my heart, now fie, and fie again. Now fie on him may I best say, whom he hath almost slain. Lo where he cometh at hand, belike he was not fare Diccon hear be two or three, thy company can not spare. God bless you, and you may be blessed so many all at once Come knave, it were a good deed to geld thee by cocks bones Seest not thy handiwork? sir Rat can ye forbear him? A vengeance on those hands light, for my hand came not near him The horsen priest hath lift the pot, in some of these alewives chairs That his head would not serve him, belike to come down the stairs. Nay soft, thou mayst not play the knave, & have this language to If thou thy tongue bridle a while, the better mayst thou do, Confess the truth as I shall ask, and cease a while to fable. And for thy fault I promise thee, thy handling shallbe reasonable Hast thou not made a lie or two, to set these two by the ears? What if I have? five hundred such have I seen within these seven years: I am sorry for nothing else but that I see not the sport Which was between them when they met, as they themselves report The greatest thing master rat, ye see how he is dressed. What devil need he be groping so deep, in good wife Chats hen's nest Yea but it was thy drift to bring him into the briers. God's bread, hath not such an old fool, wit to save his ears? He showeth himself herein ye see, so very a cox, The Cat was not so madly allured by the Fox, To run into the snares, was set for him doubtless, For he leapt in for mice, and this sir Iohn for madness. ¶ Well and ye shift no better, ye losel, lyther, and la, I will go near for this, to make ye leap at a Dasye. In the king's name master bailie, I charge you set him fast. What fast at cards, or fast on sleep? it is the thing I did last. Nay fast in fetters false varlet, according to thy deeds. Master doctor there is no remedy, I must entreat you needs Some other kind of punishment, Nay by all hallows. His punishment if I may judge, shallbe nought else but the gallous. That were to sore, a spiritual man to be so extreme. Is he worthy any better, sir how do ye judge and deem? I grant him worthy punishment, but in no wise so great.
nodes 1227–1270 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 27 of 29 in this edition
Length
491 words · 626 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T47 — Knaves, thieves and bawdscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.817 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T46 · seed 44: T41 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
¶ Cham meetly wel sped alredy amongs, cham drest like a coult And chad not had the better wit, chad bene made a oul. ¶ Sir knaue make hast diccon were here, fetch him where euer he bee ¶ Fie on the villaine, fie, fie, yt makes vs thus agree, ¶ Fie on him knaue, with al my hart, now fie, and fie againe. ¶ Now fie on him may I best say, whom he hath almost slaine. ¶Lo where he commeth at hand, belike he was not fare Diccon heare be two or three, thy company can not spare. ¶ God blesse you, and you may be blest so many al at once ¶ Come knaue, it were a good deed to geld the by cockes bones Seest not thy handiwarke▪ sir Rat can ye forbeare him? ¶ A vēgeance on those hands lite, for my hāde cam not nere hym The horsen priest hath lift the pot, in some of these alewyues chayres That his head wolde not serue him, belyke to come downe the stayres. ¶ Nay soft, thou maist not play ye knaue, & haue this language to If thou thy tong bridle a while, the better maist thou do, Confesse the truth as I shall aske, and cease a while to fable. And for thy fault I promise the, thy handling shalbe reasonable Hast thou not made a lie or two, to set these tw by the eares? ¶ What if I haue▪ fiue hundred such haue I seene within these seuen yeares: I am sory for nothing else but that I see not the sport Which was betwene them whē they met, as they thēselues report ¶ The greatest thing master rat, ye se how he is drest. ¶ What deuil nede he be groping so depe, in good wife Chats hēs nest ¶ Yea but it was thy drift to bring him into y• briars. ¶ Gods bread, hath not such an old foole, wit to saue his eares? He showeth himselfe herein ye see, so very a coxe, The Cat was not so madly alured by the Foxe, To run into the snares, was set for him doubtlesse, For he leapt in for myce, and this sir Iohn for madnes. ¶ Well and ye shift no better, ye losel, lyther, and la, I will go neare for this, to make ye leape at a Dasye. In the kings name master Bayly, I charge you set him fast. ¶ What fast at cardes, or fast on slepe? it is the thing I did last. ¶ Nay fast in fetters false varlet, according to thy deedes. ¶ Master doctor ther is no remedy, I must intreat you needes Some other kinde of punishment, ¶Nay by all Halowes. His punishmēt if I may iudg, shalbe naught els but the gallous. ¶ That were to sore, a spiritual man to be so extreame. ¶ Is he worthy any better, sir how do ye iudge and deame? ¶ I graunt him wortie punishment, but in no wise so great.