The White Devil (Vittoria Corombona) · chunk 24 of 49
Webster, John · published 1612 · first performed or written 1612 [Winter 1612-1613] (Annals) tragedy · Queen Anne's Men T47 Knaves, thieves and bawds typicality 0.81 · 465 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T47: knave, rogue, money, knaves, thief, rogues, pray, whore, nichol, book.
That's not the course I'd wish you: pray, observe me, We see that undermining more prevails Then doth the Canon, Bear your wrongs concealed, And, patient as the Tortoise, let this Camel Stalk o'er your back unbruised: sleep with the Lion, And let this brood of secure foolish mice Play with your nostrils, till the time be ripe For th'bloody audit, and the fatal gripe: Aim like a cunning fowler, close one eye, That you the better may your game espy. Free me my innocence; from treacherous acts: I know there's thunder yonder: and I'll stand, Like a safe valley, which low bends the knee To some aspiring mountain: since I know Treason, like spiders weaving nets for flies, By her foul work is found, and in it dies. To pass away these thoughts, my honoured Lord, It is reported you possess a book Wherein you have quoted, by intelligence, The names of all notorious offenders Lurking about the City, Sir I do And some there are which call it my black book: Well may the title hold: for though it teach not The Art of conjuring, yet in it lurk, The names of many devils. Pray let's see it. I'll fetch it to your Lordship. Monticelso, I will not trust thee, but in all my plots I'll rest as jealous as a Town besieged. Thou canst not reach what I intend to act. Your flax soon kindles, soon is out again, But gold slow heats, and long will hot remain. 'Tis here my Lord. First your Intelligencers pray let's see. Their number rises strangely, And some of them You'd Take for honest men. Next are Panders. These are your Pirates: and these following leaves, For base rogues that undo young Gentlemen, By taking up commodities: for politic bankrupts: For fellows that are bawds to their own wives, Only to put off horses and slight jewels, Clocks, defaced plate, and such commodities, At birth of their first children. Are there such? These are for Impudent bawds, That go in men's apparel: for usurers That share with scriveners for their good reportage: For Lawyers that will antedate their writs: And some Divines you might find folded there; But that I slip them o'er for conscience sake. Here is a general catalogue of knaves. A man might study all the prisons o'er, Yet never attain this knowledge. Murderers. Fould down the leaf I pray, Good my Lord let me borrow this strange doctrine. Pray use't my Lord. I do assure your Lordship, You are a worthy member of the State, And have done infinite good in your discovery Of these offenders. Somewhat Sir. O God! Better than tribute of wolves paid in England. 'Twill hang their skins o'th' hedge. I must make bold To leave your Lordship.
nodes 1499–1569 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 24 of 49 in this edition
Length
465 words · 632 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T47 — Knaves, thieves and bawdscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.808 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: T41 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
That's not the course I'de wish you: pray, obserue me, We see that vndermining more preuailes Then doth the Canon, Beare your wrongs conceal'd, And, patient as the Tortoise, let this Cammell Stalke o're your back vnbruis'd: sleep with the Lyon, And let this brood of secure foolish mice Play with your nosthrils, till the time bee ripe For th'bloudy audit, and the fatall gripe: Aime like a cunning fowler, close one eie, That you the better may your game espy. Free me my innocence; frō treacherous actes: I know ther's thunder yonder: and I'le stand, Like a safe vallie, which low bends the knee To some aspiring mountaine: since I know Treason, like spiders weauing nets for flies, By her foule worke is found, and in it dies. To passe away these thoughts, my honour'd Lord, It is reported you possesse a booke Wherein you haue quoted, by intelligence, The names of all notorious offenders Lurking about the Citty, Sir I doe And some there are which call it my blacke booke: Well may the title hold: for though it teach not The Art of coniuring, yet in it lurke, The names of many deuils. Pray let's see it. I'le fetch it to your Lordship. Monticelso, I will not trust thee, but in all my plots I'le rest as iealous as a Towne besieg'd. Thou canst not reach what I intend to act. Your flax soone kindles, soone is out againe, But gold slow heat's, and long will hot remaine. 'Tis here my Lord. First your Intelligencers pray let's see. Their number rises strangely, And some of them You'd Take for honest men. Next are Pandars. These are your Pirats: and these following leaues, For base rogues that vndo yong Gentlemen, By taking vp commodities: for pollitick bankroupts: For fellowes that are bawdes to their owne wiues, Onely to put off horses and slight iewels, Clockes, defac't plate, and such commodities, At birth of their first children. Are there such? These are for Impudent baudes, That go in mens apparell: for vsurers That share with scriueners for their good reportage: For Lawyers that will antedate their writtes: And some Diuines you might find foulded there; But that I slip them o're for conscience sake. Here is a generall catalogue of knaues. A man might study all the prisons o're, Yet neuer attaine this knowledge. Murderers. Fould downe the leafe I pray, Good my Lord let me borrow this strange doctrine. Pray vse't my Lord. I do assure your Lordship, You are a worthy member of the State, And haue done infinite good in your discouery Of these offendors. Some-what Sir. O God! Better then tribute of wolues paid in England. 'Twill hang their skinnes o'th hedge. I must make bold To leaue your Lord-ship.