The Puritan, or The Widow of Watling Street (The Puritan Widow) · chunk 13 of 37
Middleton, Thomas · published 1607 · first performed or written 1606 (Annals) comedy · Children of Paul's (second) T45 Widows, wooing and remarriage typicality 0.91 · 480 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T45: widow, widows, hoord, master, gentlemen, wife, randalls, wit, mistress, married.
O why will you offer me this Gentlemen? indeed I will not look upon you; when the Tears are scarce out of mine Eyes, not yet washed off from my Cheeks, and my dear husband's body scarce so cold as the Coffin, what reason have you to offer it? I am not like some of your widows that will bury one in the Evening, and be sure to another ere morning? pray away, pray, take your answers good Knights, and you be sweet Knights, I have vowed never to marry;— and so have my daughters too! ay two of you have, but the thirds a good wench! Lady, a shrewd answer marry; the best is, 'tis but the first, and he's a blunt wooer, that will leave for one sharp answer. Where be your daughters Lady, I hope they'll give us better encouragements? Indeed they'll answer you so, take't o' my word they'll give you the very same answer Verbatim truly la; Mum: Moll's a good wench still, I know what she'll do? Well, Lady, for this time we'll take our leaves, hoping for better comfort. O never, never? and I live these thousand years; and you be good Knights do not hope; 'twill be all Vain, Vain,— look you, put off all yours suits, and you come to me again. Put off all their suits qua than? ay, that's the best wooing of a Widow indeed, when a man's nonsuited, that is, when he's a-bed with her. Sir Godfrey? here's twenty Angels more work hard for me; there's life in't yet. Fear not Sir Oliver Muckhill, I'll stick close for you, leave all with me. By your leave Lady Widow. What another suitor now? A suitor no I protest Lady? if you'd give me yourself I'd not be troubled with you. Say you so Sir, then you're the better welcome sir. Nay Heaven bless me from a Widow, unless I were sure to bury her speedily! Good bluntnesse: well your businesse sit? Very needful; if you were in private once? Needfull? brother pray leaue vs; and you sit? I should laugh now, if this blunt fellow should put 'em all beside the stirrup, and vault into the saddle himself, I have seen as mad a trick. Now Sir?— here's none but we— Daughters forbear. O no, pray let 'em stay, for what I have to speak importeth equally to them as to you? Then you may stay. I pray bestow on me a serious ear, For what I speak is full of weight and fear? Fear? ay if't pass unregarded, and uneffected, Else peace and joy:— I pray Attention? Widow? I have been a mere stranger for these parts that you live in, nor did I ever know the Husband of you, and Father of them, but I truly know by certain spiritual Intelligence, that he is in Purgatory?
seed 43: T40 · seed 44: T40 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
O why will you offer mee this Gentlemen? indeed I will not looke vppon you; when the Teares are scarce out of mine Eyes, not yet washt off from my Cheekes, and my deere husbands body scars so colde as the Coffin, what reason haue you to offer it? I am not like some of your Widdowes that will burie one in the Euening, and bee sure to another ere morning? pray away, pray, take your answeres good Knights, and you bee sweete Knights, I haue vow'd neuer to marry;—and so haue my daughters too! I two of you haue, but the thirds a good wench! Lady, a shrewde answere many; the best is, tis but the first, and hee's a blunt wooer, that will leaue for one sharpe answere. Where bee your daughters Lady, I hope theile giue vs better encouragements? Indeed theyle answere you so, tak't a my word theile giue you the very same answere Verbatm cruely la; Mum: Molls a good wench still, I know what shee'le doo? Well, Lady, for this time weele take our leaues, hoping for better comfort. O neuer, neuer? and I liue these thousand yeares; and you bee good Knights doe not hope; twiil bee all Vaine, Vayne,—looke you, put off all yours suites, and you come to me againe. Put off all their suites qua tha? I, that's the best wooing of a Widdow indeed, when a man's Nonsuted, that is, when he's a bed with her. Sir Godfrey? here's twenty Angells more worke hard for me; there's life int yet. Feae not Sir Oliuer Muckhill, Ile stick close for you, leaue all with me. By your leaue Ladie Widdow. What another suiter now? A suiter no I protest Ladie? if youde giue me your selfe Ide not be troubled with you. Say you so Sir, then you're the better welcome sir. Nay Heauen blesse mee from a Widdow, vnlesse I were sure to bury her speedily! Good bluntnesse: well your businesse sit? Very needfull; if you were in priuate once? Needfull? brother pray leaue vs; and you sit? I should laugh now, if this blunt fellow should put 'em all by side the stirop, and vault into the saddle himselfe, I haue seene as mad a trick. Now Sir?—here's none but we—Daughters forbeare. O no, pray let 'em stay, for what I haue to speake importeth equally to them as to you? Then you may stay. I pray bestow on me a serious eare, For what I speake is full of weight and feare? Feare? I ift passe vnregarded, and vneffected, Else peace and ioy:—I pray Attention? Widdowe? I haue beene a meere stranger for these parts that you liue in, nor did I euer know the Husband of you, and Father of them, but I truly know by certaine spirituall Intelligence, that he is in Putgatorie?