The Three Lords and Three Ladies of London · chunk 37 of 41
Wilson, Robert · published 1590 · first performed or written 1588 [1588-1590] (Annals) moral · Queen Elizabeth's Men (?) T39 Profit, conscience and dishonest dealing typicality 0.83 · 477 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T39: conscience, lucre, usury, lucar, fraud, dissimulation, simony, london, lady, nemo.
I mean not so sir, nor I will not give half of them to be suffered to escape, for I have done no offence, though it please them to imprison me, and it is but on commandment, I shall not stay long, but I will give you this purse and gold in pawn to be true prisoner, only give me leave to go some other way, and home to my lodging, for my boots and other necessaries, for there I'll leave word I am ridden out of town, and with all the haste that possibly I may, I will meet you at Newgate, and give you an Angel for your courtesy: there is the purse. I hazard (as you know) my Lords displeasure herein, and yet to pleasure you I will venture this once, but I pray ye make haste that I be not shent, I would not for ten Angels it were known. If I tarry above an hour, take that gold for your tarrying. I do not fear that you'll forfeit so much for so little cause. My Lords of Lincoln, have you such title and such interest To Love, Lucre, and Conscience, as ye say? Who gave you leave to have access to them? I am their father by adoption, I never knew of Love twixt them and you: And to perpetual prison they were doomed, From whence I only might deliver them. Which at the suit of three most matchless Lords, Their countrymen, in London bred as they, I have performed and freed them from their bonds, And yet have bound them in their freedom too To Policy, to pleasure, and to pomp, Three Lords of London, whose they are in right, Contracted wives, and done by my consent, And even tomorrow is the marriage day, Except your coming stay or break it off, I will go call their Lords to answer you, The (punder covert Baron) meddle not. Fetch them Lord Nemo, we will here attend. Attend we may, but unto little end, The Ladies are in hucksters handling now, I would I had my time in praying spent, That I in wooing Conscience did consume. Here come the Lords, let's show good countenance man. Yet more ado before we can enjoy The joys of marriage with our mistresses? Be these the Lords that title do pretend? My Lords of Lincoln, so we hear you be. What are your names? Devotion, Desire, and Delight. Which comes for Lucre? I Desire. Which for Conscience? I Devotion. Which for Love? I Delight. You shall be answered straight. I can answer them quickly: ye cannot have them, nor ye shall not have them. Stay pleasure, soft: My Lord Desire, you Lucre seek, Desire of lucre (be it without reproach to you my Lord) is covetousness which cannot be separated long from that: read my Lord.
seed 43: T41 · seed 44: T39 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
I meane not so sir, nor I wil not giue halfe of them to be suffered to escape, for I haue done no offence, though it please them to imprision me, and it is but on commandement, I shal not stay long, but I will geue you this purse and gold in pawne to be true prisoner, onely giue me leaue to goe some other way, and home to my lodging, for my bootes and other necessaries, for there Ile leaue word I am ridden out of towne, and with al the hast that possibly I may, I wil meet you at Newgate, and giue you an Angell for your curtesie: there is the purse. I hazard (as you know) my Lords displeasure herein, and yet to pleasure you I will venture this once, but I pray ye make hast that I be not shent, I would not for ten Angels it were knowen. If I tarie aboue an hower, take that gold for your tarieng. I do not feare that you'l forfeit so much for so litle cause. My Lords of Lincolne, haue you such tytle and such interest To Loue, Lucre, and Conscience, as ye say? Who gaue you leaue to haue accesse to them? I am their father by adoption, I neuer knew of Loue twixt them and you: And to perpetuall prison they were doom'd, From whence I onelie might deliuer them. Which at the suit of three most matchlesse Lordes, Their countrimen, in London bred as they, I haue perfourm'd and freed them from their bonds, And yet haue bound them in their freedome too To Pollicie, to pleasure, and to pomp, Three Lords of London, whose they are in right, Contracted wiues, and done by my consent, And euen to morrow is the mariage day, Except your comming stay or break it off, I wil go call their Lords to answere you, The (pvnder couert Baron) medle not. Fetch them Lord Nemo, we will here attend. Attend we may, but vnto litle end, The Ladies are in hucksters handling now, I would I had my time in praieng spent, That I in woing Conscience did consume. Here come the Lords, let's show good countenance man. Yet more adoe before we can inioy The ioies of mariage with our mistresses? Be these the Lords that tytle doo pretend? My Lords of Lincolne, so we heare you be. What are your names? Deuotion, Desire, and Delight. Which comes for Lucre? I Desire. Which for Conscience? I Deuotion. Which for Loue? I Delight. You shall be answered straight. I can answere them quickly: ye cannot haue them, nor ye shall not haue them. Stay pleasure, soft: My Lord Desire, you Lucre séeke, Desire of lucre (be it without reproch to you my Lord) is couetousnes which cannot be seperated long from that: read my Lord.