The Puritan, or The Widow of Watling Street (The Puritan Widow) · chunk 26 of 37
Middleton, Thomas · published 1607 · first performed or written 1606 (Annals) comedy · Children of Paul's (second) T8 Captains, gallants and cheats typicality 0.85 · 520 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T8: captain, master, money, gentleman, little, lieutenant, rogue, pray, minos, honest.
I understand that you are my kinsman's good Master, and in regard of that, the best of my skill is at your service: but had you fortuned a mere stranger, and made no means to me by acquaintance, I should have utterly denied to have been the man; both by reason of the Act passed in Parliament against Conjurers and Witches, as also, because I would not have my Art vulgar, trite, and common. I much commend your care therein good Captain conjuror, and that I will be sure to have it private enough, you shall dov in my sister's house,— mine own house I may call it, for both our charges therein are proportioned. Very good sir— what may I call your loss sir? O you may call't a great loss sir, a grievous loss sir, as goodly a Chain of gold, though I say it, that wore it: how sayest thou Nicholas? O 'twas as delicious a Chain a Gold, Kinsman you know,— You know? did you know't Captain? Trust a fool with secrets?— Sir he may say I know: his meaning is, because my Art is such, that by it I may gather a knowledge of all things.— ay very true. A pax of all fools— the excuse stuck upon my tongue like Ship-pitch upon a mariner's gown, not to come off in haste— by’r lady Knight to lose such a fair Chain a gold, were a foul loss; Well, I can put you in this good comfort on't, if it be between Heaven and Earth Knight, I'll ha''t for you? A wonderful conjuror,— O ay, 'tis between heaven and earth I warrant you, it cannot go out of the realm,— I know 'tis somewhere above the earth? ay nigher the earth than thou wotst on. For first my Chain was rich, and no rich thing shall enter into heaven you know? And as for the Devil Master, he has no need on't, for you know he has a great chain of his own? Thou sayest true Nicholas, but he has put off that now, that lies by him. Faith Knight in few words, I presume so much upon the power of my Art; that I could warrant your Chain again. O dainty Captain? Marry it will cost me much sweat, I were better go to sixteen whore-houses. ay good man, I warrant thee. Beside great vexation of Kidney and Liver. O 'twill tickle you hereabouts cousin, because you have not been used to't. No, have you not been used to't Captain? Plague of all fools still— indeed Knight I have not used it a good while, and therefore 'twill strain me so much the more you know. On it will, it will. What plunges he puts me to, were not this Knight a fool, I had been twice spoiled now; that captain's worse then accursed that has an ass to his Kinsman— 'sfoot I fear he will drivel't out before I come to't.— Now sir— to come to the point in deed— you see I stick here in the jaw of the Marshalsea, and cannot do't.
nodes 673–696 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 26 of 37 in this edition
Length
520 words · 678 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T8 — Captains, gallants and cheatscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.848 (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)
I vnderstand that you are my Kinsmans good Maister, and in regard of that, the best of my skill is at your seruice: but had you fortunde a eere stranger, and made no meanes to me by acquaintance, I should haue vtterly denyed to haue beene the man; both by reason of the Act past in Parliament against Coniurers and Witches, as also, because I would not haue my Arte vulgar, trite, and common. I much commend your care therein good Captaine Coniurer, and that I will be sure to haue it priuate enough, you shall doote in my Sisters house,—mine owne house I may call it, for both our charges therein are proportiond. Very good sir—what may I call your losse sir? O you may call't a great losse sir, a grieuous losse sir, as goodly a Chaine of gold, tho I say it, that wore it: how saiest thou Nichols? O 'twas as delicious a Chaine a Gold, Kinsman you know, — You know? did you know't Captaine? Trust a foole with secrets? — Sir hee may say I know: his meaning is, because my Arte is such, that by it I may gather a knowledge of all things.— I very true. A pax of all fooles—the excuse stucke vpon my toung like Ship-pitch vpon Mariners gowne, not to come off in hast—ber-lady Knight to loose such a faire Chaine a gold, were a soule losse; Well, I can put you in this good comfort on't, if it bee betweene Heauen and Earth Knight, Ile ha't for you? A wonderfull Coniuter,—O I, tis betweene heauen and earth I warrant you, it cannot goe out of the realme,— I know tis some-where aboue the earth? I nigher the earth then thou worst on. For first my Chaine was rich, and no rich thing shall enter into heauen you know? And as for the Deuill Maister, he has no need on't, for you know he ha's a great chaine of his owne? Thou saiest true Nicholas, but hee has put off that now, that lyes by him. Faith Knight in few wordes, I presume so much vpon the power of my Art; that I could warrant your Chaine againe. O dantie Captaine? Marry it will cost me much sweate, I were better goe to sixteene whot-houses. I good man, I warrant thee. Beside great vexation of Kidney and Liuer. O twill tickle you hereabouts Coozen, because you haue not beene vsde toot. No, haue you not beene vsd too't Captaine? Plague of all —indeed Knight I haue vsde it a good while, and therefore twill straie me so much the more you know. On it will, it will. What plunges hee puts me to, were not this Knight a foole, I had beene twice spoyld now; that Captayes wose then accurst that has an asse to his Kinsman—Sfoote I feare hee will driuell't out before I come toote.—Now sir—to come to the poynt in deede—you see I sticke here in the iawe of the Marshalsea, and cannot doo't.