Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

WORLDLY

in A Woman Is a Weathercock — Field, Nathan

Metadata

PlayA Woman Is a Weathercock
AuthorField, Nathan
Year (catalogued)1612
First performance1609
Decade1610s
GenreComedy
Play typeBoys Professional
CompanyChildren of the Queens Revels (Children of the Whitefriars) (?)
Theaterbefore the Court;Whitefriars;Whitehall;Indoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)World. | World | Wor. | World,
Words767
Characters4096
Typicality0.23 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA00725
BritDrama no.1599
ClusterCluster 8 — Martial kings & Roman gravity

Important excerpts

No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).

Full speech

Kate, you do love him? Take hands, kiss him, her portion is four thou sand. Good-morrow my son Count, you stay long for your Bride; but this is the day that sells her, and she must come forth Like my Daughter, and your Wife. I pray salute this Gentleman as your Brother, This morn shall make him so; and though his habit But speak him Citizen, I know his worth To be gentile in all parts. Captain, Captain, I could have been contented well You should have married Kate. You have and honourable Title; a Soldier is a we rye honourable Title: A Captain is a Commander of Solemnizing dyers; But look you Captain, Captains have no money, therefore the Worldlies must not match with Captains. There are brave wars. Find them out brave Captain, Win honour, and get money by that time; I'll get a Daughter for my Noble Captain. Honour is Honour, but it is no money, Aspiciens This is the Tumbler then must catch the Coney. Strange. No more puffing good Captain; leave batteries with your breath, the short is this: This worthy Count, this Morning makes my Son; And with that happy Marriage this proceeds: Worldly's my Name, Wordly must be my deeds. But what good do you Sir Abraham on my daughter, I could be c'ne content, my Lucida Would skip your wit, and look upon your wealth, And this one day let Hymen Crown you all. I, but perhaps she does not Like your beware. Well Luce, respect Sir Abraham I charge you. These are impossibilities; Come, Fit Abram. A little time will wear out this rash vow. Nay you shall stay the wedding, Hark the Music, Your Btide is ready. Sirrah, go too, there's Law. I am speechless with my anger, follow him, If it be true, let her be proved a Whore; If false, he shall abide the slander dearly. Why speakest thou not, to reconcile those looks That fight stern battles in thy husbands face. Why Kate I say. Take your revenge by Law. What lowering Star ruled my Nativity, Yowl come to dinner? This sour thwart beginning may portend Good, and be crowned with a delicious end. Sir, had you born us company to Church, You had been the better welcome. 'Tis certain true: He keeps his word well too, He said he would come to dinner. O good old woman, she is topshackeld. Come, will your Lordship make one at Primero, until your Bride come forth. What would you? You had best send in your Letter, she is with drawn. A trusty servant, that way leads you to her. Stand you two there, Sirrah go you with me. Why how now Girls here still, what & your Ladyship? Away, away, I say, go take your places. Some Torches for my Lady. Who is with her? Go tell em I desire their Company, The Mask stays on em say, and de'e hear, The sides of one a'th Chair's must be let out, For her great Ladyship. How now son Count, what ready M. Nevil. Thou hast well fitted em, though thou madest em stay. Now go with me, and let all in that will. The second man Young Nevil leads. He with the terrible visage. O, there they come, it was their parts to do so Hoy-day, the world's turned up side down, I have herd and seen two or three Benefices to one Priest, or more, But two Priests to one Benefice, never before. You did then? Right, you were married first. It boots not to be angry. Now more knavery yet. But where is Strange my Son, o were he her He should be married new to make all sure. God forbid. Fore-God 'tis most Like truth, son Scudmore pray Look to this fellow, Gentlemen assist, Torches, some Torches, I'll go search my self, To Newgate with him hence, take her along, Out Murderers, whore thou art no child of mine, Fetch Constable and Officers, Away. Fetch Officers. And old man were a fitter match for her, He would make much of her. Nay, then 'tis too late, 'Tis sure, 'Tis vane to cross the will of Fate. On Parson on, and Boy outvoice the Music, Never was so much (what cannot heavenly powers,) Done and undone, and done in twelve short hours. Some idle words my Lord, t'may be have passed Betwixt Scudmore, and my Daughter heretofore, And he has dreamed em things of consequence. Yowl make her jointure of that five hundred you say, that is your inheritance, M. Strange ? My Son.

Plot summary

Plot — A Woman Is a Weathercock
Scudmore is in love with Bellafront, and his friend Nevill persuades him, with difficulty, to show the love- letter he has received from her. There is a slight complication: Nevill is on his way to .Bellafront’s wedding. She is to marry Count Frederick that morning. The whole family is mired in matrimonial competition. Bellafront’s sister Lucida also loves Frederick, and has sworn never to marry for his sake; but she is being courted by the foolish Sir Abraham Ninny, who has got himself knighted expressly to make himself a more eligible son-in-law. The youngest daughter, Katherine, is also to be married that morning, to Strange the merchant, but she too has another admirer, Captain Pouts. Unbeknown to Scudmore, Nevill impersonates the parson who is to officiate at the wedding. Scudmore tries to catch Bellafront at the church door, but she refuses him; this convinces him that all women are perfidious. After the wedding, Pouts publicly declares that Katherine has slept with him on many previous occasions. Strange seems reluctant to seek legal redress for this slander, but only because he doesn’t want anyone to stop him secretly taking a more immediate revenge. He tries to see Pouts at his lodging, but Pouts assumes he has come to serve a writ and will not let him in. Pouts then prepares to flee England and his creditors, but Strange intercepts him disguised as a soldier, claiming that Katherine engaged him to murder her new husband and that she loves only Pouts. Pouts admits that he slandered her; Strange wounds him in a fight and forces him to sign a document affirming her innocence. By a pretext, Scudmore gets in to see Bellafront, rebukes her, and returns her love-letters. She tells him that her father forced her to marry Frederick, and that she will kill herself rather than consummate the marriage. He mistrusts her, but Nevill arranges for him to participate in a wedding masque that evening. He and Bellafront sneak away during the dancing and are married, this time by the right parson. Suspicions of polyandry are dispelled when Nevill explains that the parson that morning was really him, so that the marriages are invalid. Strange brings Pouts to apologise to the gathering, but is almost arrested for his own murder until he reveals his identity. Pouts returns to the war, abjuring women. Strange is confirmed as Katherine’s husband, and Frederick will marry Lucida. In the sub-plot, Wagtail is pregnant, but wants to ensure that the child has a wealthier…