Shakespeare, William / Middleton, Thomas · published 1623 · first performed or written 1604 (Annals) tragicomedy · King's Men T30 Constables, justices and the watch typicality 0.79 · 495 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T30: constable, squire, tub, clay, worship, justice, turf, mr, hun, valentine.
Come, bring them away: if these be good people in a Commonweal, that do nothing but use their abuses in common houses, I know no law: bring them away. How now Sir, what's your name? And what's the matter? If it please your honour, I am the poor Duke's Constable, and my name is Elbow; I do lean upon justice Sir, and do bring in here before your good honour, two notorious Benefactors. Benefactors? Well: What Benefactors are they? Are they not Malefactors? If it please your honour, I know not well what they are: But precise villains they are, that I am sure of and void of all profanation in the world, that good Christians ought to have. This comes off well: here's a wise Officer. Go to: What quality are they of? Elbow is your name? Why dost thou not speak Elbow? He cannot Sir: he's out at Elbow. What are you Sir? He Sir: a Tapster Sir: parcel Bawd: one that serves a bad woman: whose house Sir was (as they say) plucked down in the Suborbs: and now she professes a hothouse; which, I think is a very ill house too. How know you that? My wife Sir? whom I detest before heaven, and your honour. How? thy wife? I Sir: whom I thank heaven is an honest woman. Dost thou detest her therefore? I say sir, I will detest myself also, as well as she, that this house, if it be not a Bawd's house, it is pity of her life, for it is a naughty house. How dost thou know that, Constable? Marry sir, by my wife, who, if she had been a woman Cardinally given, might have been accused in fornication, adultery, and all uncleanliness there. By the woman's means? I sir, by Mistress Ouer-dons means: but as she spit in his face, so she defied him. Sir, if it please your honour, this is not so. Prove it before these varlets here, thou honourable man, prove it. Do you hear how he misplaces? Sir, she came in great with child: and longing (saving your honour's reverence) for stewed prewyns; sir, we had but two in the house, which at that very distant time stood, as it were in a fruit dish (a dish of some three pence; your honours have seen such dishes) they are not China-dishes, but very good dishes. Go too: go too: no matter for the dish sir. No indeed sir not of a pin; you are therein in the right: but, to the point: As I say, this Mistress Elbow, being (as I say) with child, and being great bellied, and longing (as I said) for prewyns: and having but two in the dish (as I said) Master Froth here, this very man, having eaten the rest (as I said) & (as I say) paying for them very honestly: for, as you know Master Froth, I could not give you three pence again.
seed 43: T36 · seed 44: T35 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Come, bring them away: if theſe be good people in a Common-weale, that doe nothing but vſe their abuſes in common houſes, I know no law: bring them away. How now Sir, what's your name? And what's the matter? If it pleaſe your honour, I am the poore Dukes Conſtable, and my name is Elbow; I doe leane vpon Iuſtice Sir, and doe bring in here before your good honor, two notorious Benefactors. Benefactors? Well: What Benefactors are they? Are they not Malefactors? If it pleaſe your honour, I know not well what they are: But preciſe villaines they are, that I am ſure of and void of all prophanation in the world, that good Chriſtians ought to haue. This comes off well: here's a wiſe Officer. Goe to: What quality are they of? Elbow is your name? Why do'ſt thou not ſpeake Elbow? He cannot Sir: he's out at Elbow. What are you Sir? He Sir: a Tapſter Sir: parcell Baud: one that ſerues a bad woman: whoſe houſe Sir was (as they ſay) pluckt downe in the Suborbs: and now ſhee profeſſes a hot-houſe; which, I thinke is a very ill houſe too. How know you that? My wife Sir? whom I deteſt before heauen, and your honour. How? thy wife? I Sir: whom I thanke heauen is an honeſt woman. Do'ſt thou deteſt her therefore? I ſay ſir, I will deteſt my ſelfe alſo, as well as ſhe, that this houſe, if it be not a Bauds houſe, it is pitty of her life, for it is a naughty houſe. How do'ſt thou know that, Conſtable? Marry ſir, by my wife, who, if ſhe had bin a woman Cardinally giuen, might haue bin accus'd in fornication, adultery, and all vncleanlineſſe there. By the womans meanes? I ſir, by Miſtris Ouer-dons meanes: but as ſhe ſpit in his face, ſo ſhe defide him. Sir, if it pleaſe your honor, this is not ſo. Proue it before theſe varlets here, thou honorable man, proue it. Doe you heare how he miſplaces? Sir, ſhe came in great with childe: and longing (ſauing your honors reuerence) for ſtewd prewyns; ſir, we had but two in the houſe, which at that very diſtant time ſtood, as it were in a fruit diſh (a diſh of ſome three pence; your honours haue ſeene ſuch diſhes) they are not China-diſhes, but very good diſhes. Go too: go too: no matter for the diſh ſir. No indeede ſir not of a pin; you are therein in the right: but, to the point: As I ſay, this Miſtris Elbow, being (as I ſay) with childe, and being great bellied, and longing (as I ſaid) for prewyns: and hauing but two in the diſh (as I ſaid) Maſter Froth here, this very man, hauing eaten the reſt (as I ſaid) & (as I ſay) paying for them very honeſtly: for, as you know Maſter Froth, I could not giue you three pence againe.