Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

CACAFUEGO

in Rule a Wife and Have a Wife — Fletcher, John

Metadata

PlayRule a Wife and Have a Wife
AuthorFletcher, John
Year (catalogued)1640
First performance1624
Decade1640s
GenreComedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyKing's Men
Speech prefix(es)Cac. | Caca. | Cacaf. below. | Cacafogo below.
Words1212
Characters6177
Typicality0.39 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA00967
BritDrama no.2141
ClusterCluster 15 — Devils, vices & grotesques

Important excerpts

Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 15 (ang, hunc, fleire, shillings, chil, sblood…). Matches are highlighted.

damnably, I say most damnably. I will utter, laugh till thy lungs crack, by a rascal woman, A lewd, abominable, and plain woman? Dost thou laugh still. I shall be angry, terrible angry, I have cause. I shall break thy head, my valour itches at thee. A real devil, Plague of her jewels and her copper chains How rank they smell.
Moneys, demeans; I have ships at sea too, Captains. I scorn the Hollanders, they are my drunkards. I am satisfied, you shall not, Come out, I know thee, meet mine anger instantly. Thou hast wronged mine honour, Thou lookest upon my Mistress thrice lasciviously, I'll make it good. Thou wan'st my money too, with a pair of base
it good. Thou wan'st my money too, with a pair of base bones, In whom there was no truth, for which I Beatrice thee, I Beatrice thee much, now I will hurt thee dangerously. This shall provoke thee. He strikes. Hadst thou not asked my pardon, I had killed thee, I leave thee as a thing despised, assoles manus a vostra siniare
a rank heir. I know thou h st some wedding ring to pawn now. Of Silver and gilded with a blind posy in't, Love and a mill-horse should go round together, Or thy child's whistle, or thy squirills chain, I'll none of um, I would she did but know me, Or would this fellow had but use of money, That I might come in any way. Stay

Full speech

You have meaner, ever thank him that has money. Not a far thing Captain, Captains are casual things. Nor bonds nor fetters Captain, My money is mine own, I make no doubt on't. Put it to pious uses, Buy wine and wenches, and undo young coxcombs, That would undo me. I first provide to fill my hospitals, With creatures of mine own that I know wretched, And then I built, those are more bound to pray for me, Beside I keep th'inheritance in my name still. I am not poor enough to be soldier, Nor have I faith enough to ward a bullet. This is no lining for a trench I take it. Had you but my money, You would swear it Coronel, I had rather drill at home, A hundred thousand crowns, and with more honour, Then exercise ten thousand fools with nothing, A Wise man safely feeds, fools cut their fingers. Is't not nobler to command a reverend Justice, then to be one, And for a wife, what needs I marry Captain, When every courteous fool, that owes me money. Owes me his wife too, to appease my fury. I will go, and view the pearl of Spain, the orient Fair one, the rich one too, and I will be respected, I bear my patent here, I will talk to her, And when your Captains ships shall stand a lose, And pick your noses, I will pick the purse, Of his affection. Let the King dine there, He owes me money, and so far's my creature, And certainly I may make bold with mine own Captain. Like a true born Spaniard, Eat as I were in England where the beef grows, And I will drink abundantly and then, Talk you as wantonly as Ovid did, To stir the intellectuals of the Ladies, I learned it of my Father's amorous Scrivener. You must pawn a horse troop, And then have at you Coronel. Will you led gentlemen. Exeunt. She shall command sir, Let it be so I beseech thee my sweet gentlewoman, Do not forget thy self. Long may he be so. Comelet's dispatch. Let's do it first And then dispute, the Ladies use may long or't. We are not wise to talk thus, Carry her the gold, isle look her out a jewel, Shall sparkle Like her eyes, and thee another, Come pre thee come, I long to serve thy lady, Long monstrously, now valour I shall meet you, You that dare Dukes. Be cozened by a thing of clouts, a she moth, That every silkmans shop breeds; to be cheated, And of a thousand ducats by a whim wham. Then keep thy circle, For I am a spirit wild that flies about thee, And who ere thou art, if thou be'st humane I'll let thee plainly know, I am cheated damnably. Dost thou laugh damnably, I say most damnably. I will utter, laugh till thy lungs crack, by a rascal woman, A lewd, abominable, and plain woman? Dost thou laugh still. I shall be angry, terrible angry, I have cause. I shall break thy head, my valour itches at thee. A real devil, Plague of her jewels and her copper chains How rank they smell. Pray you take it, You are the merriest undone man in Europe. What needs we fiddles, bawdy songs and sack, When our own Misery's can make us merry. Thou art deceived I will take. I'll take some ten, some any thing, some half ten, Half a Ducat. Quicksand choke their waters, And hers that bought um too, but I shall find his. If I were valiant now, I would kill this fellow, I have money enough lies by me at a pinch To pay for twenty rascals lives that vex me, I'll to this Lady, there I shall be satisfied. Exit. My Father's dead: I am a man of war too, Moneys, demeans; I have ships at sea too, Captains. I scorn the Hollanders, they are my drunkards. I am satisfied, you shall not, Come out, I know thee, meet mine anger instantly. Thou hast wronged mine honour, Thou lookest upon my Mistress thrice lasciviously, I'll make it good. Thou wan'st my money too, with a pair of base bones, In whom there was no truth, for which I Beatrice thee, I Beatrice thee much, now I will hurt thee dangerously. This shall provoke thee. He strikes. Hadst thou not asked my pardon, I had killed thee, I leave thee as a thing despised, assoles manus a vostra siniare a Master. Exit Caca. I have reason, I have money. Yes and ruin too Captain, If you have no money y'ar and ass. I shall be master of it, It built for my bulk, the rooms are wide and spacious, Airy, and full of ease, and that I love well, I'll tell you when I taste the wine my Lord, And take the height of his table with my stomach, How my affections stand to the young Lady. I'll have a fling, 'tis but a thousand Ducats, Which I can cozen up again in ten days, And some few jewels to justify my knavery, Say J should marry her, sheele get more money Then all my usury, put my knavery to it, She appears the most unfallible way of purchase, I cood wish her a size or two stronger, for the encounter, For I am Like a Lion where I lay hold, But these Lambs will endure a plaguy load, And never bleat neither, that sir, time has taught us. I am so virtuous now, I cannot speak to her, The arrantest shame faced a see, I broil away too. If thou be'st her husband, I am determined thou shall be my Cuckold, I'll be thy faithful friend. Prithee be answered, thou shalt crave no leave, I am in my meditations, do not vex me, A beaten thing, but this hour a most bruised thing, That people had compassion on, it looked so. The next Sir Palmerin, heres fine proportion, And Ass, and then and Elephant, sweet justice, Theres no way left to come at her now, no craving, If money could come near, yet I would pay him; I have a mind to make him a huge cuckold, And money may do much, a thousand ducats, 'Tis but the letting blood of a rank heir. I know thou h st some wedding ring to pawn now. Of Silver and gilded with a blind posy in't, Love and a mill-horse should go round together, Or thy child's whistle, or thy squirills chain, I'll none of um, I would she did but know me, Or would this fellow had but use of money, That I might come in any way. Stay I prithee, What is thy will, I turn me wholly to you, And talk now till thy tongue ache, I will hear ye. Your Mistress by the way. To doubt um is and heresy. Give me a cup of Sack, and kiss me Lady, Kiss my sweet face, and make thy husband cuckold, And Ocean of sweet Sack, shall we speak treason? Butt in thy belly. Butt in thy face? Here's to the Duke Some small beer if you love me. I come I come.

Plot summary

Plot — Rule a Wife and Have a Wife
Perez, gathering his troops in preparation for an expedition to Flanders, is visited by the veiled Estefania. She piques his interest by refusing to show her face; on their second meeting, he woos her, hastily marries her, abandons his military career, and moves into what she claims to be her house, bringing with him what he claims to be a trunk of jewels. In fact the house belongs to Margarita; Estefania is no lady but a former servant. Margarita intends to marry, but when her older confidantes remind her of the joys of promiscuity, she decides on a husband who will be content to be cuckolded. Her waiting-woman Altea recommends Leon, who has just evaded military recruitment by feigning folly, and who agrees to be his wife’s subordinate in the marriage, no better than her household servants. The newlyweds arrive unexpectedly at Margarita’s city house, surprising Estefania and her husband. Estefania claims that she has lent the house to Margarita (whom she claims as a kinswoman), to facilitate the cozening of a lover. Perez moves temporarily into lodgings, whereupon Estefania steals the contents of his trunk. She later discovers the jewels to be counterfeit, and gets her own back by encouraging Perez to take possession of ‘his’ house; when he attempts to do so, he is rebuffed by Leon. She presents the jewels to the rich tradesman Cacafuego, persuading him that they are a love-gift from Margarita. In return, he gives her money which she hands over to Perez: evidently she has something to bring to the marriage after all. Now married to Margarita, Leon proves less subservient than she bargained for. She entertains the Duke of Medina to dinner, but Leon refuses to serve any food until he is introduced to the guests and treated as her husband, the host. The Duke tries to get rid of him by sending him a commission to lead a troop of cavalry in Flanders; but he intends to take Margarita along with him, and has all her property packed up. When Margarita cannot dissuade him by entreaty, sickness, or feigned pregnancy, the Duke admits that the commission was a fake. Leon's response is to plan a trip to visit Margarita’s commercial interests in the Indies. To delay her departure and extend her opportunities for adultery, the Duke arranges to be ‘injured’ in a fight outside the house so that he can be lodged there during his convalescence. Threatened with humiliation, Margarita submits herself to her husband. Cacafuego visits the house to show Margarita some jewels,…