The Devil's Law Case (When Women Go to Law the Devil Is Full of Business) · chunk 23 of 45
Webster, John · published 1623 · first performed or written 1619 [1617-1621] (Annals) tragicomedy · Queen Anne's Men T11 Siblings, kin and confidants typicality 0.74 · 505 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T11: sister, brother, love, friend, heart, father, mother, woman, lord, hear.
I remember since his hurt, She has been very passionately enquiring, After his health. Upon my soul, this jewel, With a piece of the holy Cross in't, this relic, valued at many thousand crowns, she would have sent him, lying upon his death bed. Professing as you say, Love to my mother: wherefore did he make Me his heir? His Will was made afore he went to fight, When he was first a Suitor to you. To fight: oh well remembered, If he loved my mother, wherefore did he lose His life in my quarrel? For the affront's sake, a word you understand not, Because Ercole was pretended Rival to him, To clear your suspicion; I was gulled in't too: Should he not have fought upon't, He had undergone the censure of a Coward. How came you by this wretched knowledge? His Surgeon overheard it, As he did sigh it out to his Confessor, Some half hour 'fore he died. I would have the Surgeon hanged For abusing Confession, and for making me So wretched byth' report. Can this be truth? No, but direct falsehood, As ever was banished the Court: did you ever hear Of a mother that has kept her daughter's husband For her own tooth? He fancied you in one kind, For his lust, and he loved Our mother in another kind, for her money, The Gallants fashion right. But come, ne'er think on't, Throw the foul to the Devil that hatched it, and let this Bury all ill that's in't, she is our mother. I never did find any thing i'th' world, Turn my blood so much as this: here's such a conflict, Between apparent presumption, and unbelief, That I shall die in't. Oh, if there be another world i'th' Moon, As some fantastics dream, I could wish all men, The whole race of them, for their inconstancy, Sent thither to people that. Why, I protest, I now affect the Lord Ercole's memory, Better than the others. But were Contarino living. I do call any thing to witness, That the divine Law prescribed us To strengthen an oath, were he living and in health, I would never marry with him. Nay, since I have found the world So false to me, I'll be as false to it; I will mother this child for you. Ha? Most certainly it will be guile part of my sorrow. Oh most assuredly, make you smile to think, How many times i'th' world Lordships descend To diverse men, that might and truth were known Be heir, for any thing belongs toth' flesh, As well to the Turks richest Eunuch. But do you not think I shall have a horrible strong breath now. Why? Oh, with keeping your counsel, 'tis so terrible foul, Come, come, come, You must leave these bitter flashes. Must I dissemble dishonesty? you have diverse Counterfeit honesty: but I hope here's none Will take exceptions; I now must practise The art of a great bellied woman, and go fain Their qualms and swoonings.
nodes 1467–1537 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 23 of 45 in this edition
Length
505 words · 679 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T11 — Siblings, kin and confidantscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.741 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
I remember since his hurt, Shee has bene very passionately enquiring, After his health. Vpon my soule, this Iewell, With a piece of the holy Crosse in't, this relicke, Vallewed at many thousand crownes, she would haue sent him, lying vpon his death bed. Professing as you say, Loue to my mother: wherefore did he make Me his heyre? His Will was made afore he went to fight, When he was first a Suitor to you. To fight: oh well remembred, If he lou'd my mother, wherefore did he loose His life in my quarrell? For the affront sake, a word you vnderstand not, Because Ercole was pretended Riuall to him, To cleare your suspition; I was gulld in't too: Should he not haue fought vpon't, He had vndergone the censure of a Coward. How came you by this wretched knowledge? His Surgeon ouer-heard it, As he did sigh it out to his Confessor, Some halfe houre fore hee died. I would haue the Surgeon hang'd For abusing Confession, and for making me So wretched by'th report. Can this be truth? No, but direct falshood, As euer was banisht the Court: did you euer heare Of a mother that has kept her daughters husband For her owne tooth? He fancied you in one kind, For his lust, and he loued Our mother in another kind, for her money, The Gallants fashion right. But come, nere thinke on't, Throw the fowle to the Deuill that hatcht it, and let this Bury all ill that's in't, shee is our mother. I neuer did find any thing ith world, Turne my blood so much as this: here's such a conflict, Betweene apparant presumption, and vnbeleefe, That I shall dye in't. Oh, if there be another world i'th Moone, As some fantasticks dreame, I could wish all men, The whole race of them, for their inconstancy, Sent thither to people that. Why, I protest, I now affect the Lord Ercoles memory, Better then the others. But were Contarino liuing. I doe call any thing to witnesse, That the diuine Law prescribed vs To strengthen an oath, were he liuing and in health, I would neuer mary with him. Nay, since I haue found the world So false to me, Ile be as false to it; I will mother this child for you. Ha? Most certainly it will be guile part of my sorrow. Oh most assuredly, make you smile to thinke, How many times ith world Lordships descend To diuers men, that might and truth were knowne Be heyre, for any thing belongs to'th flesh, As well to the Turkes richest Eunuch. But doe you not thinke I shall haue a horrible strong breath now. Why? Oh, with keeping your counsel, tis so terrible foule, Come, come, come, You must leaue these bitter flashes. Must I dissemble dishonestie? you haue diuers Counterfeit honestie: but I hope here's none Will take exceptions; I now must practise The art of a great bellyed woman, and goe faine Their qualmes and swoundings.