The Puritan, or The Widow of Watling Street (The Puritan Widow) · chunk 16 of 37
Middleton, Thomas · published 1607 · first performed or written 1606 (Annals) comedy · Children of Paul's (second) unassigned nearest T45 Widows, wooing and remarriage · 500 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T45: widow, widows, hoord, master, gentlemen, wife, randalls, wit, mistress, married.
So all this comes well about yet, I play the Fortune-teller, as well as if I had had a Witch to my Grannam: for by good happiness, being in my hostess's Garden, which neighbours the Orchard of the Widow, I laid the hole of mine ear to a hole in the wall, and heard 'em make these vows, & speak those words upon which I wrought these advantages; and to encourage my forgery the more, I may now perceive in 'em a natural simplicity which will easily swallow an abuse, if any covering be over it: and to confirm my former presage to the Widow, I have advised old Peter Skirmish the Soldier, to hurt Corporal Oath upon the Leg, and in that hurry I'll rush amongst 'em, and in stead of giving the Corporal some Cordial to comfort him, I'll power into his mouth a potion of a sleepy Nature, to make him seem as dead; for the which the old soldier being apprehended, and ready to be borne to execution, I'll step in, & take upon me the cure of the dead man, upon pain of dying the condemned's death: the Corporal will wake at his minute, when the sleepy force has wrought itself, and so shall I get myself into a most admired opinion, and under the pretext of that cunning, beguile as I see occasion: and if that foolish Nicholas Saint Saint-Antlings keep true time with the chain, my plot will be found; the Captain delivered, and my wits applauded among scholars and soldiers for ever. Oh I have found an excellent advantage to take away the chain, my Master put it off e'en now to 'ssay on a new Doublet, and I sneaked it away by little & little most Puritanically! we shall have good sport anon when has missed it, about my cousin the conjuror, the world shall see I'm an honest man of my word for now I'm going to hang it between Heaven & Earth among the Rosemary branches. Sirah Saint? my Mistris sends away al her suiters and puts eas eares? Frailty? she does like an honest chaste, and virtuous woman? for widows ought not to wallow in the puddle of iniquity. Yet Simon, many widows will do't, what so comes on't. True Frailty, their filthy flesh desires a Conjunction Copulative what strangers are within, Frailty? there's none Simon but Master Pilfer the tailor: he's above with Sir Godfreie praising of a Doublet: and I must trudge anon to fetch Master Suds the Barber! Master Suds, a good man, he washes the sins of the Beard clean. How now creatures? what's o'clock. Why do you take us to be jack a''h Clockhouse? I say again to you what's o'clock? Truly la, we go by the clock of our conscience, all worldly Clocks we know go false, and are set by drunken Sextons. Then what's o'clock in your conscience?— oh, I must break off, here comes the corporal— hum, hum!— what's o'clock?
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)
So all this comes well about yet, I play the Fortune-teller, as well as if I had had a Witch to my Grannam: for by good happinesse, being in my Hostisses Garden, which neighbours the Orchard of the Widdow, I laid the hole of mine eare to a hole in the wall, and heard 'em make these vowes, & speake those words vpon which I wrought these aduantages; and to encourage my forgerie the more, I may now perceiue in 'em a naurall simplicitie which will easily swallow an abuse, if any couering be ouer it: and to confirme my former presage to the Widdow, I haue aduizde old Peter Skirmis the Souldier, to hurt Corporall Oth vpon the Leg, and in that hurry Ile rush amongst 'em, and in stead of giuing the Corporal some Cordiall to comfort him, Ile power into his mouth a potion of a sleepy Nature, to make him seeme as dead; for the which the old souldier beeing apprehended, and ready to bee borne to execution, Ile step in, & take vpon me the cure of the dead man, vpon paine of dying the condemneds death: the Corporall will wake at his minute, when the sleepy force has wrought it selfe, and so shall I get my selfe into a most admired opinion, and vnder the pretext of that cunning, beguile as I see ocasion: and if that foolish Nicholas Saint Tantlings keepe true time with the chaine, my plot wil be found; the Captaine deliuered, and my wits applauded among schollers and souldiers for euer. Oh I haue foūd an excellent aduantage to take a way the chaine, my Maister put it off e'en now to say on a new Doubet, and I sneak't it away by little & little most Puritanically! wee shall haue good sport a non when ha's mist it, about my Cozen the Coniurer▪ the world shall see I'me an honest man of my word for now I'me going to hang it betweene Heauen & Earth among the Rosemary branches. Sirah Saint? my Mistris sends away al her suiters and puts eas eares? Frailty? she dos like an honest chast, and vertuous womā? for widdowes ought not to wallow in the puddle of iniquity. Yet Simon, many widdowes wil do't, what so comes on't. True Frailtie, their filthy flesh desires a Coniunction Copulatiue what strangers ae within, Frailty? Ther's none but Maister Pilfer the Tailer: he's aboue with Sir Godfreie praing of a Doublet: and I must trudge anon to fetch Maister Suds the Barber! Maister Suds, a good man, he washes the sinns of the Beard cleane. How now creatures? whats a clock. Why do you take vs to be Iacke at'h Clock-house? I say agen to you what's a clocke? Truly la, wee goe by the clocke of our conscience, all worldly Clockes we know goe false, and are set by drunken Sextons. Then what's a clock in your conscience?—oh, I must breake off, here comes the corporall—hum, hum!—what's a clock?