The Puritan, or The Widow of Watling Street (The Puritan Widow) · chunk 18 of 37
Middleton, Thomas · published 1607 · first performed or written 1606 (Annals) comedy · Children of Paul's (second) T6 Money, debt and credit typicality 0.82 · 520 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T6: money, master, pound, law, lawyer, chain, gentleman, gold, pay, pray.
Brother be patient, hear me speak, you know I told you that a cunning man told me, that you should have a loss, and he has prophesied so true. Out he's a villain, to prophesy of the loss of my chain, 'twas worth above three hundred Crowns,— besides 'twas my father's, my father's fathers, my grandfathers huge grandfathers? I had as live ha' lost my Neck, as the chain that hung about it; O my chain, my chain. Oh brother, who can be against a misfortune, 'tis happy 'twas no more. No, more! O goodly godly sister, would you had me lost more? my best gown too, with the cloth of gold lace? my holiday Gascoines, and my jerkin set with pearl; no more? Oh, Brother! you can read.— But I cannot read where my chain is,— what strangers have been here? you let in strangers! thieves, and Catchpoles; how comes it gone? there was none above with me but my tailor; and my tailor will not— steal I hope? No he's afraid of a chain! How now sirrah, the news? O Mistress, he may well be called a Corporal now, for his corpse are as dead as a cold capon's? More happiness. Sirrah, what's this to my chain? where's my chain knave? Your chain sir? My chain is lost villain. I would he were hanged in chains that has it then for me? Alas sir, I saw none of your chain, since you were hung with it yourself? Out varlet? it had full three thousand Links, I have oft told it over at my prayers: Over and over, full three thousand Links. Had it so sir: sure it cannot be lost then; I'll put you in that comfort. Why why? Why if your chain had so many Links, it cannot choose but come to light. Delusion? now long Nicholas where's my chain. Why about your Neck, is't not sir. About my neck Varlet. My chain is lost, 'tis stole away, I'm robbed. Nay Brother show yourself a man: I if it be lost or stole, if he would be patient Mistress I could bring him to a Cunning Kinsman of mine that wouldfetched again with a Sesarara. Canst thou? I will be patient, say where dwells he? Marry he dwells now Sir, where he would not dwell and he could choose: in the Marshalsea sir; but he's an exc'llent fellow if he were out, has travelled all the world over, he, and been in the seven and twenty Provinces: why he would make it be fetched Sir if 'twere rid a thousand mile out of town. An admirable fellow what lies he for. Why he did but rob a Steward of ten groats other Night, as any man would ha' done, and there he lies for't. I'll make his peace, a Trifle, I'll get his pardon, Beside a bountiful reward, I'll about it, But fee the clerk, the justice will do much; I will about it straight, good sister pardon me, All will be well I hope, and turn to good, The name of conjuror has laid my blood.
nodes 439–474 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 18 of 37 in this edition
Length
520 words · 705 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T6 — Money, debt and creditcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.818 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T9 · seed 44: T10 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Brother bee patient, heare mee speake, you know I told you that a cunning man told me, that you should haue a losse, and he has prophicied so true. Out he's a villaine, to prophey of the losse of my chaine, twas worth aboue three hundred Cownes,—besides twas my Fathers, my fathers fathers, my Grand-fathers huge grand-fathers? I had as liue ha lost my Neck, as the chaine that hung about it; O my chaine, my chaine. Oh brother, who can be against a misfortune, tis happy twas no more. No, more! O goodly godly sister, would you had me lost more? my best gowne too, with the cloth of gold-lace? my holiday Gascoines, and my Ierkin set with pearle; no more? Oh, Brother! you can reade.— But I cannot reade where my chaine is,—what strangers haue beene here? you let in strangers! The eues, and Catch-poles; how comes it gonne? there was none aboue with mee but my Taylor; and my Taylor will not—steale I hope? No he's afrayde of a chaine! How now sirrah, the newes? O Mistres, he may well be cald a Corporall now, for his corpes are as dead as a cold Capons? More happinesse. Sirrah, what's this to my chaine? where's my chaine knaue? Your chaine sir? My chaine is lost villaine. I would hee were hang'd in chaines that has it then for me? Alasse sir, I saw none of your chaine, since you were hung with it your selfe? Out varlet? it had full three thousand Linck, I haue oft told it ouer at my praiers: Ouer and ouer, full three thousand Lincks. Had it so sir: sure it cannot be lost then; Ile put you in that comfort. Why why? Why if your chaine had so many Lincks, it cannot chuse but come to light. Delusion? now long Nicholas wheres my chaine. Why about your Neck, ist not sir. About my neck Varlet. My chaine is lost, Tis stole away, Ime robd. Nay Brother show your selfe a man: I if it be lost or stole, if he would be patient Mistres I could bring him to a Cunning Kinsman of mine that would fetcht againe with a Sesarra. Canst thou? I will be patient, say where dwells he? Marry he dwels now Sir, where he would not dwell and he could choose: in the Marshalse sir; but hee's an exlent fellow if he were out, has trauyld all the world ore, he, and beene in the seauen and twenty Prouinces: why he would make it be fetcht Sir if twere rid a thousand mile out of towne. An admirable fellow what lies he for. Why hee did but rob a Steward of ten groats tother Night, as any man would ha done, and there he lies fort. Ile make his peace, a Trifle, Ile get his pardon, Beside a bountifull reward, Ile about it, But fee the Clearkes, the Iustice will doe much; I will about it straight, good sister pardon me, All will be well I hope, and turne to good, The name of Coniure has laid my blood.