Heywood, Thomas · published 1615 · first performed or written 1594 (Annals) romance · Worcester's Men · Red Bull T8 Captains, gallants and cheats typicality 0.81 · 487 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T8: captain, master, money, gentleman, little, lieutenant, rogue, pray, minos, honest.
Go two or three of you, and fetch them in: If they resist you, take their weapons from them. I had rather somebody else should attempt them then I now: But since their is no other remedy, Give me three or four of the stourest of our crew, and then GOD and S. Anthony. More Thieves and villains have begirt us round. Now Eustace, for the honour of thy name, Return them to their Captain back with shame. Now by mine honour, the best piece of flesh That ever in these woods held Outlaw play. even such a spirit had Eustace when he lived: We must not lose this Gallant, if we can, we'll strive to make him our Companion. Ye slaves, I'll beat you all into a mousehole: And like a baited Lion at a stake, Kill all the curs that come but near to bark. Ye Gulls, have ye no better men amongst you. Defy your Captain from me: here I stand, To dare him to a combat hand to hand. I were a Bastard, not my father's son, Should I refuse it. By all the land I have left me in the world, that's but my grave: Captain thou honourest me. By all the wealth I brought into these woods, That's but my sword, thou dost the like to me. Thou shalt have fair play, Gallant, by mine honour. False was my mother to my father's bed, If I should ask more odds of Hercules. He dies upon my sword, disturbs our fray, Or in the fight dares disadvantage thee. Were I the world-commanding Alexander, I would make thee my Ephestion for that word. I love thee for thy valour, Captain Thief. 'Tis that preserves thee from our violence, An honoured mind lies in this Outlaws shape. So much I reckon of thy chivalry, That wert thou master of an Indian Mine, Thou shouldst not be diminished one denier. Securely fight, thy purse is sanctuaried, And in this place shall beard the proudest Thief. An honoured minded villain, by my sword, A right good fellow, and an honest Thief. If I should have thee prostrate at my mercy, I will not kill thee for thy liberal offer. Yet win it lad, and take it without fail: I scorn to have my purse go under bail. He goes beyond me in heroic thoughts: To thine I stake down this: stand all apart. He that steps in, be subject to our curses: And now the betterman take both the purses. It is a match, I'll seize them to thy grief. Now True man try, if thou canst rob a Thief. If ye were borne of women, aid a woman. Why what's the matter? Oh turn the edges of your swords 'gainst him, That in the Forest would have ravished me. Cease thy pursuit, and stranger pause a while, To hear the tenor of this lady's plaint.
nodes 617–671 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 13 of 44 in this edition
Length
487 words · 629 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T8 — Captains, gallants and cheatscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.815 (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)
Go two or three of you, and fetch them in: If they resist you, take their weapons from them. I had rather some body else should attempt them then I now: But since their is no other remedy, Giue me three or foure of the stourest of our crew, and then GOD and S. Anthony. More Theeues and villaines haue begirt vs round. Now Eustace, for the honour of thy name, Returne them to their Captaine backe with shame. Now by mine honour, the best peece of flesh That euer in these woods held Out-law play. Euen such a spirit had Eustace when he liu'd: We must not loose this Gallant, if wee can, Wee'le striue to make him our Companion. Yee slaues, Ile beate you all into a mouse-hole: And like a baited Lyon at a stake, Kill all the curres that come but neere to barke. Yee Guls, haue yee no better men amongst you. Defie your Captaine from me: here I stand, To dare him to a combat hand to hand. I were a Bastard, not my fathers sonne, Should I refuse it. By all the land I haue left me in the world, that's but my graue: Captaine thou honorest me. By all the wealth I brought into these woods, That's but my sword, thou dost the like to me. Thou shalt haue faire play, Gallant, by mine honour. False was my mother to my fathers bed, If I should aske more oddes of Hercules. Hee dies vpon my sword, disturbes our fray, Or in the fight dares disaduantage thee. Were I the world-commanding Alexander, I would make thee my Ephestion for that word. I loue thee for thy valour, Captaine Thiefe. 'Tis that preserues thee from our violence, An honour'd minde lies in this Ot-lawes shape. So much I rekon of thy cheualry, That wert thou maister of an Indian Mine, Thou should'st not be diminisht one denier. Securely fight, thy purse is sanctuary'd, And in this place shall beard the proudest Theife. An honour'd minded villaine, by my sword, A right good fellow, and an honest Theife. If I should haue thee prostrate at my mercy, I will not kill thee for thy liberall offer. Yet winne it lad, and take it without faile: I scorne to haue my purse govnder baile. He goes beyond me in heroicke thoughts: To thine I stake downe this: stand all apart. He that steps in, be subiect to our curses: And now the betterman take both the purses. It is a match, I'le seize them to thy griefe. Now True man try, if thou anst rob a Thiefe. If yee were borne of women, aid a woman. Why what's the matter? Oh turne the edges of your swords 'gainst him, That in the Forrest would haue rauisht mee. Cease thy pursuite, and stranger pause a while, To heare the tenour of this Ladies plaint.