Shakespeare, William / Middleton, Thomas · published 1623 · first performed or written 1603 [1603-1604] (Annals) tragicomedy · King's Men T8 Captains, gallants and cheats typicality 0.78 · 475 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T8: captain, master, money, gentleman, little, lieutenant, rogue, pray, minos, honest.
He will steal sir an Egg out of a Cloister: for rapes and ravishments he parallels Nessus. He professes not keeping of oaths, in breaking 'em he is stronger than Hercules. He will lie sir, with such volubility, that you would think truth were a fool: drunkenness is his best virtue, for he will be swine-drunk, and in his sleep he does little harm, save to his bedcloathes about him: but they know his conditions, and lay him in straw. I have but little more to say sir of his honesty, he has every thing that an honest man should not have; what an honest man should have, he has nothing. I begin to love him for this. For this description of thine honesty? A pox upon him for me, he's more and more a Cat. What say you to his expertness in war? Faith sir, has led the drum before the English Tragedians: to belie him I will not, and more of his soldiership I know not, except in that Country, he had the honour to be the Officer at a place there called Mile-end, to instruct for the doubling of files. I would do the man what honour I can, but of this I am not certain. He hath out-villain'd villainy so far, that the rarity redeems him. A pox on him, he's a Cat still. His qualities being at this poor price. I need not to ask you, if Gold will corrupt him to revolt. Sir, for a Cardceve he will sell the fee-simple of his salvation, the inheritance of it, and cut th' entail from all remainders, and a perpetual succession for it perpetually. What's his Brother, the other Captain Dumain? Why does he ask him of me? What's he? E'en a Crow o' th' same nest: not altogether so great as the first in goodness, but greater a great deal in evil. He excels his Brother for a coward, yet his Brother is reputed one of the best that is. In a retreat he outruns any Lackey; marry in coming on, he has the Cramp. If your life be saved, will you undertake to betray the Florentine. I, and the Captain of his horse, Count Rossillion. I'll whisper with the General, and know his pleasure. I'll no more drumming, a plague of all drums, only to seem to deserve well, and to beguile the supposition o' that lascivious young boy the Count, have I run into this danger: yet who would have suspected an ambush where I was taken? There is no remedy sir, but you must dye: the General says, you that have so traitorously discovered the secrets of your army, and made such pestifferous reports of men very nobly held, can serve the world for no honest use: therefore you must dye. Come headesman, off with his head.
nodes 1620–1637 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 36 of 46 in this edition
Length
475 words · 619 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T8 — Captains, gallants and cheatscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.779 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T11 · seed 44: T14 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
He will ſteale ſir an Egge out of a Cloiſter: for rapes and rauiſhments he paralels Neſſus. Hee profeſſes not keeping of oaths, in breaking em he is ſtronger then Hercules. He will lye ſir, with ſuch volubilitie, that you would thinke truth were a foole: drunkenneſſe is his beſt vertue, for he will be ſwine-drunke, and in his ſleepe he does little harme, ſaue to his bed-cloathes about him: but they know his conditions, and lay him in ſtraw. I haue but little more to ſay ſir of his honeſty, he ha's euerie thing that an honeſt man ſhould not haue; what an honeſt man ſhould haue, he has nothing. I begin to loue him for this. For this deſcription of thine honeſtie? A pox vpon him for me, he's more and more a Cat. What ſay you to his expertneſſe in warre? Faith ſir, ha's led the drumme before the Engliſh Tragedians: to belye him I will not, and more of his ſouldierſhip I know not, except in that Country, he had the honour to be the Officer at a place there called Mile-end, to inſtruct for the doubling of files. I would doe the man what honour I can, but of this I am not certaine. He hath out-villain'd villanie ſo farre, that the raritie redeemes him. A pox on him, he's a Cat ſtill. His qualities being at this poore price. I neede not to aske you, if Gold will corrupt him to reuolt. Sir, for a Cardceue he will ſell the fee-ſimple of his ſaluation, the inheritance of it, and cut th' intaile from all remainders, and a perpetuall ſucceſsion for it perpetually. What's his Brother, the other Captain Dumain? Why do's he aske him of me? What's he? E'ne a Crow a' th ſame neſt: not altogether ſo great as the firſt in goodneſſe, but greater a great deale in euill. He excels his Brother for a coward, yet his Brother is reputed one of the beſt that is. In a retreate hee outrunnes any Lackey; marrie in comming on, hee ha's the Crampe. If your life be ſaued, will you vndertake to betray the Florentine. I, and the Captaine of his horſe, Count Roſſillion. Ile whiſper with the Generall, and knowe his pleaſure. Ile no more drumming, a plague of all drummes, onely to ſeeme to deſerue well, and to beguile the ſuppoſition o' that laſciuious yong boy the Count, haue I run into this danger: yet who would haue ſuſpected an ambuſh where I was taken? There is no remedy ſir, but you muſt dye: the Generall ſayes, you that haue ſo traitorouſly diſcouerd the ſecrets of your army, and made ſuch peſtifferous reports of men very nobly held, can ſerue the world for no honeſt vſe: therefore you muſt dye. Come headeſman, off with his head.