The Puritan, or The Widow of Watling Street (The Puritan Widow) · chunk 24 of 37
Middleton, Thomas · published 1607 · first performed or written 1606 (Annals) comedy · Children of Paul's (second) T8 Captains, gallants and cheats typicality 0.80 · 503 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T8: captain, master, money, gentleman, little, lieutenant, rogue, pray, minos, honest.
Oh Captain, I thought we should near ha' laughed again, never spent frolic hour again. Why? why? I coming to prepare thee, and with news As happy as thy quick delivery, Was traced out by the sent, arrested Captain. Arrested George. Arrested, guess, guess, how many Dogs do you think I'd upon me? Dogs, I say? I know not. Almost as many as George Stone the Bear, Three at once, three at once. How didst thou shake 'em off then? The time is busy, and calls upon our wits, let it suffice, Here I stand safe, and scaped by miracle, Some other hour shall tell thee? when we'll steep Our eyes in laughter: Captain my device Leans to thy happiness, for ere the day Be spent toth' Girdle, thou shalt be set free, The Corporal's in his first sleep, the Chain is missed, Thy Kinsman has expressed thee, and the old Knight With palsy-hams now labours thy release, What rests, is all in thee, to Conjure Captain. Conjure: 'sfoot George you know the devil a conjuring I can conjure. The Devil of conjuring nay by my fay, I'd not have thee do so much Captain as the Devil a conjuring: look here, I ha' brought thee a circle ready charactered and all. 'sfoot George, art in thy right wits, dost know what thou sayst? why dost talk to a Captain, a conjuring, didst thou ever hear of a Captain conjure in thy life, dost call't a Circle, 'tis too wide a thing my thinks: had it been a lesser Circle, than I knew what to have done. Why every fool knows that Captain: nay then I'll not cog with you Captain, if you'll stay and hang the next Sessions you may. No by my faith George, come, come, let's to conjuring, let's to conjuring. But if you look to be released, as my wits have took pain to work it, and all means wrought to farther it, beside to put crowns in your purse, to make you a man of better hopes, and where as before you were a Captain or poor Soldier, to make you now a Commander of rich fools, (which is truly the only best purchase peace can allow you) safer than Highways, Heath, or coney-groves, and yet a far better booty; for your greatest thieves are never hanged, never hanged, for why they're wise, and cheat within doors, and we geld fools of more money in one night, than your false tailed Gelding will purchase in a twelvemonth's running, which confirms the old Beldams saying, he's wisest, that keeps himself warmest, that is, he that robs by a good fire. Well opened i'faith George, thou hast pulled that saying out of the husk. Captain Idle, 'tis no time now to delude or delay, the old Knight will be here suddenly, I'll perfect you, direct you, tell you the trick on't: 'tis nothing. 'sfoot George, I know not what to say to't, conjure? I shall be hanged ere I conjure.
nodes 619–648 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 24 of 37 in this edition
Length
503 words · 695 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T8 — Captains, gallants and cheatscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.800 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T11 · seed 44: T14 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Oh Captaine, I thought we should nere ha laught agen, neuer spent frolick houre agen. Why? why? I comming to prepare thee, and with newes As happy as thy quick deliuerie, Was trac'd out by the sent, arrested Captaine. Arrested George. Arrested, gesse, gesse, how many Dogges doe you thinke Ide vpon me? Dogs, I say? I know not. Almost as many as George Stone the Beae, Three at once, three at once. How didst thou shake 'em of then? The time is busie, and calls vpon our witts, let it suffice, Here I stand safe, and scapt by miracle, Some other houre shall tell thee? when weele steepe Our eyes in laughter: Captaine my deuice Leanes to thy happinesse, for ere the day Be spent toth' Grdle, thou shalt be set free, The Corporal's in his first sleepe the Chaine is mist, Thy Kinsman has exprest thee, and the old Knight With Paliy-hams now labours thy release, What rests, is all in thee, to Coniue Captaine. Coniure: sfoote George you know the deuill a coniuring can coniure. The Deuill of coniuring nay by my fay, Ide not haue thee do so much Captaine as the Deuill a coniuring: looke here, I ha brought thee a circle ready characterd and all. Sfoote George, art in thy right wittes, doost know what thou saist? why doost talke to a Captaine, a coniuring, didst thou euer heare of a Captaine coniure in thy life, doost cal't a Circle, tis too wide a thing my thinkes: had it beene a lesser Circle, then I knew what to haue done. Why euery foole knowes that Captaine: nay then Ile not cogge with you Captaine, if youle stay and hang the next Seffions you may. No by my faith George, come, come, lets to coniurring, lets to coniuing. But if you looke to be releasd, as my wittes haue tooke paine to worke it, and all meanes wrought to farther it, besides to put crownes in your purse, to make you a man of better hopes, and where as before you were a Captaine or poore Souldier, to make you now a Commander of rich fooles, (which is truly the onely best purchase peace can allow you) safer then Hig-wayes, Heath, or Cunny-groues, and yet a farre better bootie; for your greatest theeues are neuer hangd, neuer hangd, for why they're wise, and cheate within doores, and wee geld fooles of more money in one night, then your false tailde Gelding will purchase in a twelue-moneths running, which confirmes the olde Beldams saying, hee's wisest, that keepes himselfe warmest, that is, hee that robs by a good fire. Well opened yfaith George, thou hast puld that saying out of the huske. Captaine Idle, tis no time now to delude or delay, the old Knight will be here suddenly, Ile perfect you, direct you, till you the trick on't: tis nothing. Sfoote George, I know not what to say toot, coniure? I shall be hangd ere I coniute.