The Devil's Law Case (When Women Go to Law the Devil Is Full of Business) · chunk 22 of 45
Webster, John · published 1623 · first performed or written 1619 [1617-1621] (Annals) tragicomedy · Queen Anne's Men unassigned nearest T33 Fathers, daughters and marriage negotiat · 509 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T33: daughter, marriage, father, love, davus, matter, son, chremes, wife, mother.
I am glad you grow thus pleasant. Now will I have you presently give out, That you are full two months quickened with child By Ercole, which rumour can beget No scandal to you, since we will affirm, The Precontract was so exactly done, By the same words used in the form of marriage, That with a little Dispensation, A money matter, it shall be registered Absolute Matrimony. So then I conceive you, My conceived child must prove your Bastard. Right: for at such time My Mistress falls in labour, you must feign the like. 'tis a pretty feat this, but I am not capable of it. Not capable? No for the thing you would have me counterfeit, Is most essentially put in practice: nay, 'tis done, I am with child already. Ha by whom? By Contarino, do not knit the brow, The Precontract shall justify it, it shall: Nay, I will get some singular fine Churchman, Or though he be a plural one, shall affirm, He coupled us together Oh misfortune! Your child must then be reputed Ercole's. Your hopes are dashed then, since your Votaries issue Must not inherit the land. No matter for that, So I preserve her fame. I am strangely puzzled: Why, suppose that she be brought a-bed before you, And we conceal her issue till the time Of your delivery, and then give out, That you have two at a birth, ha, wert not excellent? And what resemblance think you, would they have To one another? Twins are still alike: But this is not your aim, you would have your child Inherit Ercole's Land,— Oh my sad soul, Have you not made me yet wretched enough, But after all this frosty age in youth, Which you have witched upon me, you will seek To poison my Fame. That's done already. No sir, I did but feign it, To a fatal purpose, as I thought. What purpose? If you had loved or tendered my dear honour, You would have locked your poniard in my heart, When I named I was with child; but I must live To linger out, till the consumption of my own Sorrow kill me. This will not do; the Devil has on the sudden furnished me with a rare charm, yet a most unnatural falsehood: no matter so 'twill take. Stay sister, I would utter to you a business, But I am very loath: a thing indeed, Nature would have compassionately concealed, Till my mother's eyes be closed. Pray what's that sir? You did observe, With what a dear regard our mother tendered The Lord Contarino, yet how passionately She sought to cross the match: why this was merely To blind the eye o'th' world; for she did know That you would marry him, and he was capable My mother doted upon him, and it was plotted Cunningly between them, after you were married, Living all three together in one house, A thing I cannot whisper without horror: Why, the malice scarce of Devils would suggest, Incontinence 'tween them two.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: T7 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
I am glad you grow thus pleasant. Now will I haue you presently giue out, That you are full two moneths quickned with child By Ercole, which rumour can beget No scandall to you, since we will affirme, The Precontract was so exactly done, By the same words vsde in the forme of mariage, That with a little Dispensation, A money matter, it shall be registred Absolute Matrimony. So then I conceaue you, My conceaued child must proue your Bastard. Right: for at such time My Mistris fals in labour, you must faine the like. Tis a pretty feat this, but I am not capable of it. Not capable? No for the thing you would haue me counterfet, Is most essentially put in practise: nay, tis done, I am with child already. Ha by whom? By Contarino, doe not knit the brow, The Precontract shall iustifie it, it shall: Nay, I will get some singular fine Churchman, Or tho he be a plurall one, shall affirme, He coupled vs together Oh misfortune! Your child must then be reputed Ercoles. Your hopes are dasht then, since your Votaries issue Must not inherit the land. No matter for that, So I preserue her fame. I am strangely puzled: Why, suppose that she be brought abed before you, And we conceale her issue till the time Of your deliuery, and then giue out, That you haue two at a birth, ha, wert not excellent? And what resemblance think you, would they haue To one another? Twinnes are still alike: But this is not your ayme, you would haue your child Inherite Ercoles Land,—Oh my sad soule, Haue you not made me yet wretched ynough, But after all this frostie age in youth, Which you haue witcht vpon me, you will seeke To poyson my Fame. That's done already. No sir, I did but faine it, To a fatall purpose, as I thought. What purpose? If you had lou'd or tendred my deare honour, You would haue lockt your ponyard in my heart, When I nam'd I was with child; but I must liue To linger out, till the consumption of my owne Sorrow kill me. This will not doe; the Deuill has on the sudden furnisht mee with a rare charme, yet a most vnnaturall falshood: no matter so 'twill take. Stay sister, I would vtter to you a businesse, But I am very loath: a thing indeed, Nature would haue compassionately conceal'd, Till my mothers eyes be closed. Pray what's that sir? You did obserue, With what a deare regard our mother tendred The Lord Contarino, yet how passionately Shee sought to crosse the match: why this was meerely To blind the eye o'th world; for she did know That you would marry him, and he was capable My mother doated vpon him, and it was plotted Cunningly betweene them, after you were married, Liuing all three together in one house, A thing I cannot whisper without horrour: Why, the malice scarse of Deuils would suggest, Incontinence 'tweene them two.