Middleton, Thomas · published 1607 · first performed or written 1604 [1603-1604] (Annals) comedy · Children of Paul's (second) · before the Court T6 Money, debt and credit typicality 0.72 · 499 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T6: money, master, pound, law, lawyer, chain, gentleman, gold, pay, pray.
And I so fetch up all the men every Term time that 'tis impossible to be at civil cuckoldry, within ourselves, unless the whole country rise upon our wives. A my faith a pretty policy. Nay an excellent stratagem: but of all I most wonder at the continual substance of thy wit, that having had so many suits in law from time to time, thou hast still money to relieve 'em. Has the best fortune for that, I never knew him without. Why do you so much wonder at that? why this is my course: my Mare and I come up some five days before a Term. A good Decorum. Here I Lodge as you see amongst inns, and places of most receipt— Very wittily. By which advantage I dive into Country men's causes, furnish 'em with knavish counsel, little to their profit, buzzing into their Ears, this course, that writ, this office, that Ultimum refugium, as you know I have words enough for the purpose. Enough a conscience i'faith. Enough a law, no matter for conscience. For which busy and laborious sweating courtesy, they cannot choose but feed me with money, by which I maintain mine own suits: ho, ho, ho. Why let me hug thee, Caper in mine arms. Another special trick I have, nobody must know it, which is, to prefer most of those men to one Attorney whom I affect best, to answer which kindness of mine, he will sweat the better in my cause, and do them the less good, take't of my word, I helped my Attorney to more Clients the last Term than he will dispatch all his life time: I did it. What a noble memorable deed was there? Sir. Now sir. There's a kind of captain, very robustiously inquires for you. For me? a man of war: a man of law is fit for a man of war: we have no leisure to say prayers: we both kill a Sunday mornings: I'll not be long from your sweet company. O no I beseech you. What captain might this be? Thou Angel sent amongst us, sober Law. Made with meek Eyes, persuading Action, No loud immodest Tongue, voiced like a virgin, And as chaste from sale, Save only to be heard, but not to rail. How has abuse deformed thee to all Eyes? That where thy virtues sat, thy vices rise, Yet why so rashly for one villains fault, Do I arraign whole man? Admired Law, Thy upper parts must needs be sacred, pure, And incorruptible, theyare grave and wise, 'tis but the dross beneath 'em, and the clouds That get between thy glory and their praise, That make the visible and foul Eclipse, For those that are near to thee, are upright, As noble in their conscience, as their birth, Know that damnation is in every bribe, And rarely put it from 'em: rate the Presenters, And scourge 'em with five years imprisonment, For off ring but to tempt 'em.
nodes 305–344 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 9 of 40 in this edition
Length
499 words · 645 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T6 — Money, debt and creditcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.722 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T9 · seed 44: T10 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
And I ſo fetch vp al the men euery Tearm time that tis impoſſible to be at ciuill cuckoldry, within our ſelues, vnleſſe the whole country riſe vpon our wiues. A my faith a prettie pollicie. Nay an excellent ſtratagem: but of all I moſt wonder at the continuall ſubſtance of thy wit, that hauing had ſo many ſuits in law from time to time, thou haſt ſtill mony to relieue 'em. Ha's the beſt fortune for that, I neuer knew him without. Why doe you ſo much wonder at that? why this is my courſe: my Mare and I come vp ſome fiue dayes before a Tearme. A good Decorum. Here I Lodge as you ſee amongſt Innes, and places of moſt receit— Verie wittily. By which aduantage I diue into Country mens cauſes, furniſh 'em with knauiſh counſell, little to their profite, buzzing into their Eares, this courſe, that writ, this office, that Ʋltimum refugium, as you know I haue words enow for the purpoſe. Enow a conſcience y faith. Enow a law, no matter for conſcience. For which buſie and laborious ſweating curteſie, they cannot chuſe but feede me with mony, by which I maintaine mine owne ſuits: ho, ho, ho. Why let me hug thee, Caper in mine armes. Another ſpeciall tricke I haue, no body muſt know it, which is, to prefer moſt of thoſe men to one Atturney whom I affect beſt, to anſwere which kindneſſe of mine, he will ſweat the better in my cauſe, and doe them the leſſe good, tak't of my worde, I helpt my Atturney to more Clients the laſt Tearme then he will diſpatch all his life time: I did it. What a noble memorable deed was there? Sir. Now ſir. There's a kind of captaine, verie robuſtiouſly enquires for you. For me? a man of warre: a man of law is fit for a man of warre: we haue no leyſure to ſay prayers: wee both kill a Sunday mornings: Ile not be long from your ſweete companie. O no I beſeech you. What captaine might this be? Thou Angell ſent amongſt vs, ſober Law. Made with meeke Eyes, perſwading Action, No lowd immodeſt Tongue, voic'd like a virgin, And as chaſte from ſale, Saue onely to be heard, but not to raile. How has abuſe deform'd thee to all Eyes? That where thy vertues ſat, thy vices riſe, Yet why ſo raſhly for one villaines fault▪ Doe I arraigne whole man? Admired Law, Thy vpper parts muſt needes be ſacred, pure, And incorruptible, th'are graue and wiſe, T'is but the droſſe beneath 'em, and the clowdes That get betweene thy glorie and their praiſe, That make the viſible and foule Eclipſe, For thoſe that are neere to thee, are vpright, As noble in their conſcience, as their birth, Know that damnation is in euery bribe, And rarely put it from 'em: rate the Preſenters, And ſcourge 'em with fiue yeares impriſonment, For off ring but to tempt 'em.