Middleton, Thomas · published 1607 · first performed or written 1606 [1604-1606] (Annals) comedy · Children of Paul's (second) T6 Money, debt and credit typicality 0.69 · 505 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T6: money, master, pound, law, lawyer, chain, gentleman, gold, pay, pray.
But Gentlemen, to spread myself open unto you, in cheaper Terms I salute you, for ours have but sixpenny fees all the year long, yet we dispatch you in two hours, without demur; your Suits hang not long here after Candles be lighted: Why we call this play by such a dear and chargeable Title, Michaelmas Term? Know it consents happily to our purpose, though perhaps faintly to the interpretation of many; for he that expects any great quarrels in Law to be handled here, will be fondly deceived, this only presents those familiar accidents, which happened in Town in the circumference of those six weeks, whereof Michaelmas Term is Lord: Sat sapienti, I hope there's no fools i'th' house! What Master Rerage? Master Salewood? Exceedingly well met in Town, comes your Father up this Term? Why he was here three days before the Exchequer gaped. Fie, such an early Termer? he's not to be spoke withal, I dare not ask him blessing, till the last of November. And how looks thy little venturing Cousin? Faith like a Lute that has all the strings broke, nobody will meddle with her. Fie, there are Doctors enough in Town will string her again, and make her sound as sweet as ere she did, is she not married yet? Sh' as no luck, some may better steal a horse than others look on. I have known a virgin of five bastards wedded, faith when all's done we must be feign to marry her into the North I'm afraid. But will she pass so think you? Puh, any thing that is warm enough is good enough for them; so it come in the likeness, though the Devil be in't, they'll venture the firing. They're worthy spirits i'faith, heard you the News? Not yet. Mistress Difficult is fallen a widow. Say true, is Master Difficult the Lawyer dead? Easily dead sir. Pray when died he? What a question's that? when should a Lawyer die but in the vacation, he has no leisure to die in the term-time, beside the Noise there would fetch him again. Knew you the nature of his disease. Faith some say he died of an old grief he had, that the vacation was fourteen weeks long. And very likely. I knew 'twould kill him at last, t'as troubled him a long time, he was one of those that would fain have brought in the heresy of a fift Term, often crying with a loud voice, oh why should we lose Bartholmew week? He savours, stop your Nose, no more of him. Young master Easy, let me salute you sir, when came you? I have but Inned my horse since master Cockstone. You seldom visit London master Easy, But now your Father's dead 'tis your only course, Here's gallants of all sizes, of all lasts, Here you may fit your foot, make choice of those Whom your affection may rejoice in: You have easily possessed me I am free, Let those live hinds that know not liberty.
nodes 54–85 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 2 of 39 in this edition
Length
505 words · 663 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T6 — Money, debt and creditcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.689 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: T10 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
But Gentlemen, to ſpread my ſelfe open vnto you, in cheaper Termes I ſalute you, for ours haue but ſixpenny fees all the yeare long, yet wee diſpatch you in two howers, without demur; your Suites hang not long here after Candles be lighted: Why we call this play by ſuch a deere and chargeable Title, Michaelmas Tearme? Knowe it conſents happilye to our purpoſe, tho perhaps faintlie to the interpretation of many; for he that expects any great quarrels in Lawe to bee handled here, will be fondly deceaued, this onely preſents thoſe familiar accidents, which happend in Towne in the circumference of thoſe ſixe weekes, whereof Michaelmas Terme is Lord: Sat ſapienti, I hope there's no fooles i'th houſe! What Maſter Rerrage? Maſter Salewood▪ Exceedingly well met in Towne, comes your Father vp this Terme? Why he was here three dayes before the Exchequer gapte. Fye, ſuch an earlie Termer? Hee's not to bee ſpoke withall, I dare not aske him bleſſing, till the laſt of Nouember. And how looks thy little venturing Cooſen? Faith like a Lute that ha's all the ſtringes broke, no bodie will meddle with her. Fye, there are Doctors enow in Towne will ſtring her againe, and make her ſound as ſweete as ere ſhee did, is ſhee not married yet? Sh' as no lucke, ſome may better ſteale a horſe than others looke on. I haue knowen a virgin of fiue baſtardes wedded, faith when all's donne we muſt bee faine to marrie her into the North I'me affrayd. But will ſhee paſſe ſo thinke you? Puh, any thinge that is warme ynough is good ynough for them; ſo it come in the likenes, tho the Deuill be in't, the'ile venture the fiering. They're worthy ſpirits yfaith, heard you the Newes? Not yet. Miſtris Difficult is falne a widdowe. Say true, is Maſter Difficult the Lawyer dead? Eaſilie dead ſir. Pray when died hee? What a queſtion's that? when ſhould a Lawyer dye but in the vacation, hee ha's no leiſure to die in the Tearmetime, beſide the Noyſe there would fetch him againe. Knew you the nature of his diſeaſe. Faith ſome ſay he dyed of an old griefe he had, that the vacation was foureteene weekes long. And very likely. I knew 'twould kill him at laſt, t'as troubled him a long time, hee was one of thoſe that would faine haue brought in the hereſie of a fift Tearme, often crying with a loud voice, oh why ſhould we looſe Bartholmew weeke? He ſauours, ſtop your Noſe, no more of him. Yong maiſter Eaſye, let me ſalute you ſir, when came you? I haue but Inn'd my horſe ſince maſter Cockstone. You ſeldome viſit London maſter Eaſye, But now your Fathers dead tis your onely courſe, Here's gallants of all ſizes, of all laſts, Here you may fit your foote, make choyſe of thoſe Whome your affection may reioyce in: You haue eaſily poſſeſt me I am free, Let thoſe liue hindes that know not libertie.