The Puritan, or The Widow of Watling Street (The Puritan Widow) · chunk 1 of 37
Middleton, Thomas · published 1607 · first performed or written 1606 (Annals) comedy · Children of Paul's (second) T1 Death, grief and revenge typicality 0.70 · 504 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
OH, that ever I was borne, that ever I was borne! Nay good Sister, dear sister, sweet sister, be of good comfort, show yourself a woman, now or never. Oh, I have lost the dearest man. I have buried the sweetest husband that ever lay by woman. Nay give him his due he was indeed an honest, virtuous, discreet wiseman,— he was my Brother, as right, as right. O, I shall never forget him, never forget him, he was a man so well given to a woman— oh: Nay but kind Sister, I could weep as much as any woman, but alas our tears cannot call him again: methinks you are well read Sister, and know that death is as common as Homo a common name to all men;— a man shall be taken when he's making water,— Nay, did not the learned Parson Master Pigman tell us e'en now, that all Flesh is frail, we are borne to die, Man has but a time: with such like deep and profound persuasions, as he is a rare fellow you know and an excellent Reader: and for example, (as there are examples abundance,) did not Sir Humphrey Bubble die other day there's a lusty Widow, why she cried not above half an houe-for shame, for shame: then followed him old Master Fulsome the Usurer, there's a wise Widow, why she cried near a whit at all. O rank not me with those wicked women, I had a Husband outshined 'em all. Ay that he did i'faith, he outshined 'em all. Dost thou stand there and see us all weep, and not once shed a tear for thy father's death? oh thou ungracious son and heir thou: Troth Mother I should not weep I'm sure; I am past a child I hope, to make all my old School fellows laugh at me; I should be mocked, so I should; Pray let one of my Sisters weep for me, I'll laugh as much for her another time? Oh thou past-Grace thou, out of my sight, thou graceless imp, thou grievest me more than the death of thy Father? oh thou stubborn only son? hadst thou such an honest man to thy Father— that would deceive all the world to get riches for thee, and canst thou not afford a little salt water? he that so wisely did quite overthrow the right heir of those lands, which now you respect not up every morning betwixt four and five so duly at Westminster Hall every term-time, with all his Cards and writings, for thee thou wicked Absolon— oh dear husband! Weep? quotha? I protest I am glad he's Churched? for now he's gone I shall spend in quiet? Dear mother; pray cease, half your Tears suffice, 'tis time for you to take truce with your eyes, Let me weep now? Oh such a dear knight! such a sweet husband have I lost, have I lost?— if Blessed be the corpse the rain rains upon, he had it pouring down?
nodes 0–15 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 1 of 37 in this edition
Length
504 words · 655 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T1 — Death, grief and revengecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.696 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T10 · seed 44: T1 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
OH, that euer I was borne, that euer I was borne! Nay good Sister, deare sister, sweete sister, bee of good comfort, shew yourselfe a woman, now or neuer. Oh, I haue lost the deerest man. I haue buried the sweetest usbad hat euer lay by woman. Nay giue him his due hee was indeed an honest, vertuous, discreet wis-man,—hee was my Brother, as right, as right. O, I shall neuer forget him, neuer forget him, hee was a man so well giuen to a woman—oh: Nay but kinde Sister, I could weepe as much as any woman, but alas our eares cannot call him againe: me thinkes you are well read Sister, and know that death is as common as Homo a common name to all men;—a man shall bee taken when hee's making water,—Nay, did not the learned Parson Maister Pigman tell vs een now, that all Flesh is fraile, wee are borne to dye, Man ha's but a time: with such like deepe and profound perswasions, as hee is a rare fellow you know and an excellent Reader: and for example, (as there are examples aboundance,) did not Sir Humfrey Bubble dye tother day there's a lustie Widdow, why shee cryed no aboue halfe an houe-for shame, for shame: then followed him old Maister Fulsome the Vsurer, there's a wise Widdow, why shee cryed nere a whitte at all. O rancke no mee with those wicked women, I had a Husband out-shinde 'e all. I that he id Iaith, e out-shind 'em all. Doost thou stand there and see vs all weepe, and not once shed a teare for thy fathers death? oh thou vngracious sonne and heyre thou: Troth Mother I should not weepe I'me sure; I am past a childe I hope, to make all my old Schoole fellowes laughe at me; I should bee mockt, so I should; Pray let one of my Sisters weepe for mee, Ile laughe as much for her another time? Oh thou past-Grace thou, out of my sight, thou gracelesse impe, thou grieuest mee more then the death of thy Father? o thou stubborne onely sonne? hadst thou such an honest man to thy Father—that would deceaue all the world to get riches for thee, and canst thou not afforde a little sa't water? he that so wisely did quite ouer-throw the right heyre of those lands, whih now you respect not vp euery morning betwixt foure and fiue so duely at Westminster Hall euery Tearme-Time, with all his Cardes and writings, for thee thou wicked Absolon—oh deare husband! Weep? quotha? I protest I am glad hee's Churched? for now hee's gone I shall spend in quiet? Deere mother; pray cease, halfe your Teares suffize, Tis time for you to take truce with youre eyes, Let me weepe now? Oh such a deere knight! such a sweete husband haue I lost, haue I lost?—if Blessed bee the coarse the raine raynes vpon, he had it powring downe?