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 0.75 · 494 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T6: money, master, pound, law, lawyer, chain, gentleman, gold, pay, pray.
Vestras Deducite Culpas— nothing but robbing a Vestry. What, what! alas poor Knave, give me the Paper, he did but save the Churchwardens a labour: come, come, he has done a better deed in't then the parish is a aware off, to prevent the Knaves, he robs but seldom, they once a quarter: methinks 'twere a part of good justice, to hang 'em at years end, when they come out of their office, to the true terrifying of all Collectors and Sidemen. Your worship would make a fruitful commonwealths man, the Constable lets 'em alone, looks on, and says nothing. A lass good man, he lets 'em alone for quietness sake, and takes half a share with 'em: they know well enough too, he has an impediment in his tongue, he's always drunk when he should speak. Indeed your worship speaks true in that sir: they blind him with beer, and make him so narrow eyed, that he winks naturally at all their Knaveries, So, so, here's my hand to his commendations. A Charitate, you do a charitable deed in't sir. Nay, if it be but a Vestry matter, visit me at any time, old signior Law-thistle! O well done, here are the Foils, come, come sir, i'll try a Law-bout with you. I am afraid I shall overthrow you sir i'faith. 'tis but for want of use then sir. Indeed that same odd word Use, makes a man a good Lawyer, and a woman an arrant— tuh tuh, tuh, tuh, tuh, now am I for you sir: but first to bring you into form, can your worship name all your weapons? That I can I hope, let me see, longsword, what's Longsword? I am so dulled with doing justice, that I have forgot all i'faith. Your long sword, that's a writ of delay. Mass that swords long enough indeed, I ha' known it reach the length of fifteen Terms. fifteen Terms, that's but a short sword. methinks 'tis long enough, proceed sir. A Writ of Delay, longsword. Scandala Magnatum, Backsword. Scandals are back-swords indeed Capias cominus, Case of rapiers. Oh Desperate! A Latitat, sword and Dagger. A writ of Execution, Rapier and Dagger. Thou art come to our present weapon, but what call you sword and Buckler then? Oh! that's out of use now, sword and Buckler was called a good conscience, but that weapons left long ago, that was too manly a fight, too sound a weapon for these our days, 'slid we are scarce able to lift up a Buckler now, our arms are so bound to the Pox: one good bang upon a Buckler would make most of our Gentlemen fly a pieces, 'tis not for these linty times, our Lawyers are good rapier and Dagger men, they'll quickly dispatch your— money. Indeed since sword and buckler time, I have observed, there has been nothing so much fighting: where be all our gallant Swaggerers? there are no good frays o'late.
nodes 816–841 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 22 of 40 in this edition
Length
494 words · 704 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T6 — Money, debt and creditcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.746 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
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)
Veſtras Deducite Culpas—nothing but robbing a Veſtrie. What, what! alaſſe poore Knaue, giue me the Paper, he did but ſaue the Churchwardens a labour: come, come, he has done a better deed in't then the pariſh is a aware off, to preuent the Knaues, hee robs but ſeldome, they once a quarter: me thinks twere a part of good iuſtice, to hang e'm at yeares end, wen they come out of their office, to the true terrifying of all Collectors and Sidemen. Your worſhip would make a fruitefull Common-wealths man, the Conſtable lets e'm alone, looks on, and ſayes nothing. A laſſe good man, he lets e'm alone for quietnes ſake, and takes halfe a ſhare with e'm: they know wel enough too, he ha's an impediment in his tongue, hee's alwaies drunke when he ſhould ſpeake. Indeede your worſhip ſpeakes true in that ſir: they blinde him with beere, and make him ſo narrowe eyde, that he wincks naturallye at all their Knaueries, So, ſo, heeres my hand to his commendations. A Charitate, you doe a charitable deede in't ſir. Nay, if it be but a Veſtrie matter, viſit me at anye time, olde Signeor Law-thiſtle! O well done, heere are the Foiles, come, come ſir, ile trie a Law-bout with you. I am affraide I ſhall ouerthrowe you ſir yfaith. Tis but for want of vſe then ſir. Indeed that ſame odde word Vſe, makes a man a good Lawyer, and a woman an arrant—tuh tuh, tuh, tuh, tuh, now am I for you ſir: but firſt to bring you into forme, can your worſhip name all your weapons? That I can I hope, let me ſee, Longſwoord, what's Longſword? I am ſo duld with dooing juſtice, that I haue forgot all yfaith. Your long ſword, thats a writ of delay. Maſſe that ſwords long enough indeede, I ha knowne it reach the length of fifteene Tearmes. Fifteene Tearmes, that's but a ſhort ſword. Me thinkes tis long enough, proceede ſir. A Writ of Delay, Long-ſword. Scandala Magnatum, Backeſword. Scandals are back-ſwords indeede Capias cominus, Caſe of Rapyers. Oh Deſperate! A Latitat, ſword and Dagger. A writ of Execution, Rapier and Dagger. Thou art come to our preſent weapon, but what call you ſword and Buckler then? Oh! that's out of vſe now, ſword and Buckler was cal'd a good conſcience, but that weapons left long agoe, that was too manly a fight, too ſound a weapon for theſe our daies, ſl'id wee are ſcarce able to lift vp a Buckler now, our armes are ſo bound to the Poxe: one good bang vppon a Buckler would make moſte of our Gentlemen flye a peeces, tis not for theſe lintie times, our Lawyers are good Rapyer and Dagger men, theile quickly diſpatch your—money. Indeede ſince ſword and buckler time, I haue obſeru'd, there ha's beene nothing ſo much fighting: where bee all our gallant Swaggerers? there are no good frayes alate.