Barry, Lording · published 1611 · first performed or written 1608 [1608-1610(?)] (Annals) comedy · Children of the King's Revels T45 Widows, wooing and remarriage typicality 0.85 · 527 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T45: widow, widows, hoord, master, gentlemen, wife, randalls, wit, mistress, married.
Foot I'll first be hanged, nay if you go You shall leave your smock behind you widow, Keep close your womanish weapon, hold your tongue, Nor speak, cough, sneeze or stamp, for if you do, By this good blade I'll cut your throat directly, Peace, stir not, by Heaven I'll cut your throat If you but stir: speak not, stand still, go to, I'll teach coy widows a new way to woe, Come you shall kiss, why so, I'll stab by Heaven If you but stir, now here, first kiss again, Why so, stir not, Now come I to the point, My hopes are past, nor can my present state, Afford a single halfpenny, my father Hates me deadly; to beg, my birth forbids, To steal, the law, the hangman, and the Rope With one consent deny; to go a trust, The City common-council has forbade it, Therefore my state is desperate, stir not, And I by much will rather choose to hang, Then in a ditch or prison-hole to starve, Resolve, wed me, and take me to your bed, Or by my soul I'll strait cut off your head, Then kill myself, for I had rather die, Then in a street live poor and lousily: Do not I know you cannot love my father. A widow that has known the quid of things, To dote upon an old and crazed man, That stinks at both ends, worse than an elder pipe, Who when his blood and spirit are at the height, Hath not a member to his palsy body, But is more limber than a king's head pudding, Took from the pot half sod do I not know this? Have you not wealth enough, to serve us both? And am not I a pretty handsome fellow, To do your drudgery, come, come, resolve. For by my blood, if you deny your bed, I'll cut your throat, without equivocation, If you be pleased hold up your finger, if not By heaven I'll gar my whinyard through your womb, Is't a match. hear me but speak. You'll prate to loud. No. Nor speak one word against my honest suit. No by my worth Kiss upon that and speak, I dare not wed, men say you're nought you'll cheat▪ And you do keep a whore. That is a lie, She keeps herself and me, yet I protest, she's not dishonest. How could she then maintain you, Why by her comings in, a little thing, Her friends have left her which with putting to best use. And often turning yields her a poor living, But what of that; she's now shook off, to thee I'll only cleave, I'll be thy merchant. And to this wealthy fair, I'll bring my ware, And here set up my standing: therefore resolve, Nought but my sword is left if't be a match, Clap hands, contract and strait to bed, If not, pray, forgive and straight goes off your head. I take thy love. Then strait let's both to bed. I'll wed tomorrow. You shall not sleep upon't. An honest contract is as good as marriage. A bird in hand you know the proverb widow,
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)
Foote Ile first be hang'd, nay if you go You shall leaue your smock behinde you widdow, Keepe close your womanish weapon, hold your tongue, Nor speake, cough, sneeze or stampe, for if you doe, By this good blade Ile cut your throte directly, Peace, stirre not, by Heauen Ile cut your throate If you but stirre: speake not, stand still, go to, Ile teach coy widdowes a new way to woe, Come you shall kisse, why so, Ile stab by Heauen If you but stirre, now heere, first kisse againe, Why so, stirre not, Now come I to the point, My hopes are past, nor can my present state, Affoord a single halfe-penny, my father Hates me deadly; to beg, my birth forbids, To steale, the law, the hang man, and the Rope With one consent deny; to go a trust, The Citty common-councell has forbad it, Therefore my state is desperate, stirre not, And I by much will rather choose to hang, Then in a ditch or prison-hole to starue, Resolue, wed me, and take mee to your bed, Or by my soule Ile straite cut off your head, Then kill my selfe, for I had rather dye, Then in a street liue poore and lowsily: Doe not I know you cannot loue my father. A widdow that has knowne the quid of things, To doate vpon an old and crased man, That stinkes at both ends, worsse then an elder pype, Who when his bloud and spirit are at the height, Hath not a member to his palsie body, But is more limber then a Kings head pudding, Tooke from the pot halfe sod doe I not know this? Haue you not wealth enough, to serue vs both? And am not I a pritty handsome fellow, To doe your drudgery, come, come, resolue. For by my bloud, if you deny your bed, Ile cut your throat, without equiuocation, If you be pleased hold vp your finger, if not By heauen Ile gar my whyniard through your weombe, Ist a match. Here me but speake. Youle prate to loud. No. Nor speake one word against my honest sute. No by my worth Kisse vpon that and speake, I dare not wed, men say yare naught youle cheate▪ And you do keepe a whore. That is a lie, She keepes her selfe and me, yet I protest, Shees not dishonest. How could she then maintaine you, Why by her commings in, a little thing, Her friends haue left her which with putting to best vse. And often turning yeelds her a poore liuing, But what of that; shes now shooke off, to thee Ile onely cleaue, Ile be thy marchant. And to this welthy fayre, Ile bring my ware, And here set vp my standing: therefore resolue, Nought but my sword is left ift be a match, Clap hands, contract and straite to bed, If not, pray, forgiue and straight goes off your head. I take thy loue. Then straite lets both to bed. Ile wed to morrow. You shall not sleepe vpont. An honest contract is as good as marriadge. A bird in hand you know the prouerbe widdow,