Middleton, Thomas · published 1607 · first performed or written 1604 [1603-1604] (Annals) comedy · Children of Paul's (second) · before the Court T47 Knaves, thieves and bawds typicality 0.84 · 492 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T47: knave, rogue, money, knaves, thief, rogues, pray, whore, nichol, book.
Say you so sir, then we'll try him farther,— does your right worshipful master, go before you, as an ensample of Vice, and so encourage you to this slinking iniquity? he is not a Lawer, is he? Has the more wrong sir, both for his conscience, and honesty, he deserves to be one. Pity he's thief i'faith, I should entertain him else. ay, if he were not as he is, he would be better than himself. No 'tis well known sir, I have a master, the very picture of wisdom, For indeed he speaks not one wise word. And no man but will admire to hear of his Virtues. Because he near had any in all his life. You write all down Latronello. I warrant you sir. So sober, so discrete, so judicious: Hum. And above all, of most reverend gravity. I like him for one quality, he speaks well of his master, he will fare the better:— Now sir, let me touch you, ay sir. Why, serving a Gentleman of such worship and wisdom, such sobriety and virtue, such discretion and judgement as your master is, do you take such a beastly course, to stop horses, hinder Gentlewomen from their meetings, and make Citizens never ride but a Sundaies, only to avoid Morning prayer and you: is it because your worshipful Ma. feeds you with lean spits, pays you with Irish money, or clothes you in northern dozens? Far be it from his mind, or my report, 'tis well known he kept worshipful cheer the day of his wives burial, pays our four marks a year as duly by twelve pence a quarter as can be. His wisdom swallows it. And for Northern dozens, fie, fie, we were near troubled with so many. Receiving then such plenteous blessings from your virtuous and bountiful master, what cause have you to be thief now? answer me to that gear: 'tis e'en as a man gives his mind to't sir. How sir? For alas, if the whole world were but of one trade; traffic were nothing: if we were all truemen, we should be of no trade: what a pitiful world would here be, heaven forbid we should be all truemen: then how should your worships next suit be made? not a Tailor left in the land: of what stuff would you have it made? not a Merchant left to deliver it, would your worship go in that suit still? You would ha' more thieves about you then those you have banished, and be glad to call the great ones home again, to destroy the little. A notable Rogue. A my troth, a fine knave, & has answered me gloriously, what wages wilt thou take after thou art hang'd? More than your worship's able to give, I would think foul scorn to be a justice then. He says true too i'fath, for we are all full of corruption here,— hark you my friends. Sir.
nodes 944–971 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 26 of 40 in this edition
Length
492 words · 644 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T47 — Knaves, thieves and bawdscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.838 (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)
Say you ſo ſir, then weele trie him farther, — Do's your right worſhipfull maiſter, goe before you, as an enſample of Vice, and ſo encourage you to this ſlinking iniquitie? hee is not a Lawer, is he? Ha's the more wrong ſir, both for his conſcience, and honeſtie, he deſerues to be one. Pittie hee's theefe yfaith, I ſhould entertaine him elſe. I, if he were not as he is, hee would be better then himſelfe. No tis well knowne ſir, I haue a maiſter, the verie picture of wiſdome, For indeed he ſpeakes not one wiſe worde. And no man but will admire to heare of his Vertues. Becauſe he nere had any in all his life. You write all downe Latronello. I warrant you ſir. So ſober, ſo diſcrete, ſo iudicious: Hum. And aboue all, of moſt reuerend grauitie. I like him for one qualitie, hee ſpeakes well of his maiſter, he will fare the better:—Now ſir, let mee touch you, I ſir. Why, ſeruing a Gentleman of ſuch worſhip and wiſdome, ſuch ſobrietie and vertue, ſuch diſcretion and iudgement as your maſter is, doe you take ſuch a beaſtly courſe, to ſtop horſes, hinder Gentlewomen from their meetings, and make Citizens neuer ride but a Sundaies, onely to auoyd Morning praier and you: is it becauſe your worſhipfull Ma. feeds you with leane ſpits, paies you with Iriſh mony, or clothes you in northern dozēs? Farre be it from his mind, or my report, Tis well knowne he kept worſhipful cheer the day of his wiues burial, payes our foure marks a yeare as duly by twelue pence a quarter as can be. His wiſdome ſwallowes it. And for Northren dozens, fie, fie, wee were nere troubled with ſo many. Receiuing then ſuch plenteous bleſſings from your vertuous and bountiful maſter, what cauſe haue you to be theefe now? anſwer me to that geere: Tis ee'n as a man giues his mind too't ſir. How ſir? For alas, if the whole worlde were but of one trade; traffique were nothing: if wee were all truemen, wee ſhould bee of no trade: what a pittifull world would heere bee, heauen forbid we ſhould bee all truemen: then howe ſhould your worſhips next ſuite bee made? not a Tayler left in the lande: of what ſtuffe would you haue it made? not a Merchant left to deliuer it, would your worſhip goe in that ſute ſtill? You would ha more theeues about you then thoſe you haue baniſht, and be glad to call the great ones home agen, to deſtroy the little. A notable Rogue. A my troth, a fine knaue, & ha's anſwered me gloriouſly, what wages wilt thou take after thou art hāg'd? More then your worſhip's able to giue, I would thinke foule ſcorne to be a Iuſtice then. He ſayes true too yfayth, for we are all full of corruption here,—hearke you my friends. Sir.