The Devil's Law Case (When Women Go to Law the Devil Is Full of Business) · chunk 13 of 45
Webster, John · published 1623 · first performed or written 1619 [1617-1621] (Annals) tragicomedy · Queen Anne's Men T46 Swords, quarrels and valour typicality 0.87 · 508 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T46: rapier, sword, fight, gentlemen, gentleman, kicked, kill, dagger, signor, valour.
Why you speak nobly, and for this fair dealing, Were the rich jewel which we vary for, A thing to be divided, by my life, I would be well content to give you half: But since 'tis vain to think we can be friends, 'tis needful one of us be ta'en away, From being the other's enemy. Yet methinks, this looks not like a quarrel. Not a quarrel? You have not apparelled your fury well, It goes too plain like a Scholar. It is an ornament makes it more terrible, And you shall find it A weighty injury, and attended on By discreet valour; because I do not strike you, Or give you the lie, such foul preparatives Would show like the stale injury of Wine. I reserve my rage to sit on my sword's point, Which a great quantity of your best blood Cannot satisfy. You promise well to yourself. Shall's have no Seconds? None, for fear of prevention. The length of our weapons. we'll sit them by the way: So whether our time calls us to live or die, Let us do both like noble Gentlemen, And true Italians. For that let me embrace you: methinks, being an Italian, I trust you To come somewhat too near me: But your jealousy gave that embrace to try If I were armed, did it not. No believe me, I take your heart to be sufficient proof, Without a privy coat; and for my part, A taffeta is all the shirt of Mail I am armed with. You deal equally. Where are these Gallants, the brave Ercole, And noble Contarino? They are newly gone sir, And bade me tell you, that they will return Within this half hour. Met you the Lord Ercole? No, but I met the devil in villainous tidings. Why, what's the matter? Oh I am poured out like water, the greatest Rivers i'th' world are lost in the Sea, And so am I: pray leave me. Where's Lord Ercole? You were scarce gone hence, but in came Contarino. Contarino? And entreated some private conference with Ercole, And on the sudden they have giv'n's the slip. One mischief never comes alone: They are gone to fight. To fight? And you be Gentlemen, Do not talk, but make haste after them. Let's take several ways then, And if't be possible for women's sakes, For they are proper men, use our endeavours, That the prick do not spoil them. You'll not forgo your interest in my Mistress? My sword shall answer that; come, are you ready? Before you fight sir, think upon your cause, It is a wondrous foul one, and I wish, That all your exercise these four days past, Had been employed in a most fervent prayer, And the foul sin for which you are to fight Chiefly remembered in't. I'd as soon take Your counsel in Divinity at this present, As I would take a kind direction from you For the managing my weapon; and indeed, Both would show much alike. Come are you ready?
nodes 784–861 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 13 of 45 in this edition
Length
508 words · 661 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T46 — Swords, quarrels and valourcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.866 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T42 · seed 44: T42 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Why you speake nobly, and for this faire dealing, Were the rich Iewell which we vary for, A thing to be diuided, by my life, I would be well content to giue you halfe: But since tis vaine to thinke we can be friends, Tis needfull one of vs be tane away, From being the others enemy. Yet me thinks, this looks not like a quarrell. Not a quarrell? You haue not apparelled your sury well, It goes too plaine like a Scholler. It is an ornament makes it more terrible, And you shall finde it A weightie iniury, and attended on By discreet valour; because I doe not strike you, Or giue you the lye, such foule preparatiues Would show like the stale iniury of Wine. I reserue my rage to sit on my swords poynt, Which a great quantitie of your best blood Cannot satisfie. You promise well to your selfe. Shall's haue no Seconds? None, for feare of preuention. The length of our weapons. Weele sit them by the way: So whether our time calls vs to liue or dye, Let vs doe both like noble Gentlemen, And true Italians. For that let me embrace you: Me thinks, being an Italian, I trust you To come somewhat too neere me: But your Ielousie gaue that embrace to trie If I were armed, did it not. No beleeue me, I take your heart to be sufficient proofe, Without a priuie coat; and for my part, A Taffaty is all the shirt of Mayle I am armed with. You deale equally. Where are these Gallants, the braue Ercole, And noble Contarino? They are newly gone sir, And bade me tell you, that they will returne Within this halfe houre. Met you the Lord Ercole? No, but I met the deuill in villanous tydings. Why, what's the matter? Oh I am powr'd out like water, the greatest Riuers i'th world are lost in the Sea, And so am I: pray leaue me. Where's Lord Ercole? You were scarse gone hence, but in came Contarino. Contarino? And intreated some priuate conference with Ercole, And on the sudden they haue giu'ns the slip. One mischiefe neuer comes alone: They are gone to fight. To fight? And you be Gentlemen, Doe not talke, but make haste after them. Let's take seuerall wayes then, And if't be possible for womens sakes, For they are proper men, vse our endeauours, That the pricke doe not spoyle them. Youle not forgoe your interest in my Mistris? My sword shall answer that; come, are you ready? Before you fight sir, thinke vpon your cause, It is a wondrous foule one, and I wish, That all your exercise these foure dayes past, Had been imploy'd in a most feruent prayer, And the foule sinne for which you are to fight Chiefly remembred in't. Ide as soone take Your counsell in Diuinitie at this present, As I would take a kind direction from you For the managing my weapon; and indeed, Both would shew much alike. Come are you ready?