The Devil's Law Case (When Women Go to Law the Devil Is Full of Business) · chunk 37 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 0.76 · 502 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T11: sister, brother, love, friend, heart, father, mother, woman, lord, hear.
This is my father, how the judges have bleated him. You may see truth will out in spite of the Devil. Behold, I am the shadow of this shadow, Age has made me so; take from me forty years, And I was such a Summer fruit as this, At least the Painter feigned so: for indeed, Painting and Epitaphs are both alike, They flatter us, and say we have been thus: But I am the party here, that stands accused, For Adultery with this woman, in the year seventy one: now I call you my Lord to witness, four years before that time, I went toth' Indies, And till this month, did never set my foot since In Europe; and for any former incontinence, She has vowed there was never any: what remains then, But this is a mere practice 'gainst her son, And I beseech the Court it may be sifted, And most severely punished. Uds foot, we are spoiled, Why my client's proved an honest woman. What do you think will become of me now? You'll be made dance lachrima I fear at a cart's You Mistress, where are you now? (tail. Your Tennis court slips, and your ta'e drink In a morning for your hot liver; where's the man, Would have had some dealing with you, that you might Keep counsel the better. May it please the Court, I am but a young thing, And was drawn arsy-varsy into the business. How young? of five and forty? Five and forty, and shall please you! I am not five and twenty: She made me colour my hair with Bean-flower, To seem older than I was; and than my rotten teeth, With eating sweetmeats: why, should a Farrier Look in my mouth, he might mistake my age. Oh Mistress, Mistress, you are an honest woman, And you may be ashamed on't, to abuse the Court thus. whatsoe'er I have attempted, 'gainst my own fame, or the reputation Of that Gentleman my son, the Lord Contarino Was cause of it. Who I? He that should have married your daughter? It was a plot belike then to confer The land on her that should have been his wife. More than I have said already, all the world Shall ne'er extract from me; I entreat from both, Your equal pardons. And I from you sir. Sirrah, stand you aside, I will talk with you hereafter. I could never away with after reckonings. And now my Lords, I do most voluntarily Confine myself unto a stricter prison, And a severer penance, than this Court can impose, I am entered into Religion. I the cause of this practice; this ungodly woman, Has sold herself to falsehood: I will now reveal myself. Stay my Lord here's a window To let in more light to the Court. Mercy upon me! oh, that thou art living Is mercy indeed! Stay, keep in your shell a little longer? I am Ercole. A guard upon him for the death of Contarino.
nodes 2429–2494 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 37 of 45 in this edition
Length
502 words · 657 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T11 — Siblings, kin and confidantscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.759 (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)
This is my father, how the Iudges haue bleated him. You may see truth will out in spite of the Deuill. Behold, I am the shadow of this shadow, Age has made me so; take from me fortie yeares, And I was such a Summer fruit as this, At least the Paynter sayned so: for indeed, Painting and Epitaphs are both alike, They slatter vs, and say we haue been thus: But I am the partie here, that stands accused, For Adultery with this woman, in the yeare Seuentie one: now I call you my Lord to witnesse, Foure yeares before that time, I went to'th Indies, And till this month, did neuer set my foot since In Europe; and for any former incontinence, She has vowed there was neuer any: what remaines then, But this is a meere practise 'gainst her sonne, And I beseech the Court it may be sifted, And most seuerely punisht. Vds foot, we are spoyled, Why my Clyent's prooued an honest woman. What doe you thinke will become of me now? You'l be made daunce achrimae I feare at a Carts You Mistris, where are you now? (tayle. Your Tennis court slips, and your tane drinke In a morning for your hote liner; where's the man, Would haue had some dealing with you, that you might Keepe counsell the better. May it please the Court, I am but a yong thing, And was drawne asie, varsie into the businesse. How young? of fiue and fortie? Fiue and fortie, and shall please you! I am not fiue and twentie: Shee made me colour my haire with Bean-flower, To seeme older then I was; and then my rotten teeth, With eating sweet-meats: why, should a Farrier Looke in my mouth, he might mistake my age. Oh Mistris, Mistris, you are an honest woman, And you may be asham'd on't, to abuse the Court thus. Whatsoere I haue attempted, Gainst my owne fame, or the reputation Of that Gentleman my sonne, the Lord Contarino Was cause of it. Who I? He that should haue married your daughter? It was a plot belike then to conferre The land on her that should haue bin his wife. More then I haue said already, all the world Shall nere extract from me; I intreat from both, Your equall pardons. And I from you sir. Sirrah, stand you aside, I will talke with you hereafter. I could neuer away with after reckonings. And now my Lords, I doe most voluntarily Confine my selfe vnto a stricter prison, And a seuerer penance, then this Court can impose, I am entred into Religion. I the cause of this practise; this vngodly woman, Has sold her selfe to falshood: I wil now reueale my selfe. Stay my Lord here's a window To let in more light to the Court. Mercy vpon me! oh, that thou art liuing Is mercy indeed! Stay, keepe in your shell a little longer? I am Ercole. A guard vpon him for the death of Contarino.