in The Late Lancashire Witches — Heywood, Thomas; Brome, Richard
Metadata
Play
The Late Lancashire Witches
Author
Heywood, Thomas; Brome, Richard
Year (catalogued)
1634
First performance
1634
Decade
1630s
Genre
Comedy
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
King's Men
Theater
Globe;Outdoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)
Lawr. | Law. | Lawrence.
Words
624
Characters
3104
Typicality
0.18 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A03258
BritDrama no.
2441
Cluster
Cluster 24 — Gods, cupids & celestial agents
Important excerpts
Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 24 (casane, crites, anacreon, ortum, elementis, dextram…). Matches are highlighted.
will ma'thy point a point of preferment. It shan be the Foreman of a haell Jewry o'points, and right here will I wear it. Weell sir, and what won you deow than? Yeah gadwat sir, I beware wadded but awe to seun. Blessed be the hour I say may honey, may sweet Pall, that Ay's becomed thaine ago, and thou's becomed main a gone,
becomed thaine ago, and thou's becomed main a gone, and may this eam kiss ma us tway become both eane for e for and a day. And you been welcome to it Gentlemen. Yeah marry that is it, the good hour be blessed for it, that put the wit into may head, to have a mistrust of that pesti lent Codpiece-point, that the witched worch
me, ah woe worth her, that were it that made awe so nought. It wolld would scared any that hadden their wits till a seen't, and we weren mad eoht it were deone. Yeah and han pit on our working gear, to swink and serve our Master and Mistress Like until painful servants a gone, as we shudden. And how I were betwitched my Pall.
serve our Master and Mistress Like until painful servants a gone, as we shudden. And how I were betwitched my Pall. here knows. What is the matter con yeovum tell? Yeah whick way con yeovum tell, but what the foul evil done ye, heres sick and a din. Yeah sir, and what my yoew o'that, he maintains me to rule him, and i'll deu't,
at him, he served yeovum but weell to baste you for't, ant he were stronk enough, but and I favu foul with ye and I swaddle ye not savourly may my girts braced. Yeah, at your command anon. How trow you that? A fine World when a man can not be whyet at heame for busy brained neighpors. My care shall sumptuous parrelments provide.
Full speech
Hold thy prattle Parnell, awes comed about as ween a had it, wotst thou what Parnell? wotst thou what? oh deer, woe st thou what? We han been in love these three years, and ever we had not enough, now is it comed about that our love shall be at and end for ever, and a day, for we must wed may honey, we must wed. Sick a waddin was there never in Loncoshire as ween couple at on Monday newest. I jaum thee not nor flame thee not, ' is all as true as book, here's both our Master's have consented and concloyded, and our Mistress's must yield toyt, to put awe house and land and awe they have into our hands. And we must marry and be master and dame of awe. And theyn be our Sijourners, because they are weary of the world, to live in frendiblenesse, and see what will come on't. & Parn. We thank you all. So pray come in and fare. With bon y Bridegroom and his lov mate. On with your melody. On afore Fiddlers, my in my honds. 'Twere hight ne now, but now it's cawed as a stone. Awe— Awe where's my Bride— Nay deer honey, nay honey, but eance, eance. Mal for awed acquaintance I will ma'thy point a point of preferment. It shan be the Foreman of a haell Jewry o'points, and right here will I wear it. Weell sir, and what won you deow than? Yeah gadwat sir, I beware wadded but awe to seun. Blessed be the hour I say may honey, may sweet Pall, that Ay's becomed thaine ago, and thou's becomed main a gone, and may this eam kiss ma us tway become both eane for e for and a day. And you been welcome to it Gentlemen. Yeah marry that is it, the good hour be blessed for it, that put the wit into may head, to have a mistrust of that pesti lent Codpiece-point, that the witched worch Mal Spencer go me, ah woe worth her, that were it that made awe so nought. It wolld would scared any that hadden their wits till a seen't, and we weren mad eoht it were deone. Yeah and han pit on our working gear, to swink and serve our Master and Mistress Like until painful servants a gone, as we shudden. And how I were betwitched my Pall. here knows. What is the matter con yeovum tell? Yeah whick way con yeovum tell, but what the foul evil done ye, heres sick and a din. Yeah sir, and what my yoew o'that, he maintains me to rule him, and i'll deu't, or ma'the heart weary o'the weambe on him. I forbodden yeovum to meddle with the old carl, and let me alone with him, yet yeovum still be at him, he served yeovum but weell to baste you for't, ant he were stronk enough, but and I favu foul with ye and I swaddle ye not savourly may my girts braced. Yeah, at your command anon. How trow you that? A fine World when a man can not be whyet at heame for busy brained neighpors. My care shall sumptuous parrelments provide. Keep her of o'me, and I shan teln eou, and she be by I am no body: But keep her off and search me, let me be searched as never witch was searched, and find any thing mor or lass upon me than a sufficient mon should have, and let me be hon by't. I prayn yeovum give me the lere o'that Latin sir. And I thought it would my Parnel, love me i'ld be sure on't, and gang about it now right. What, a point?
Plot summary
Plot — The Late Lancashire Witches
Arthur hopes for a subvention from his uncle, Seely, to help him redeem a mortgage, but strange things are going on in the Seely household: the father is dominated by the son, Gregory, who is mastered in turn by his servant, Lawrence; there is a similar inversion of hierarchy among the women of the house. Gregory disapproves of his father’s plans to help Arthur, so the money is not forthcoming; but fortunately Arthur’s friend Generous helps out instead. The truth is that the Seelys have been bewitched in reprisal for some harsh words spoken to an old woman. Many other supernatural events are going on. Mall Spencer, owner of an amazing self-propelled milk-pail, gives Generous’s groom Roberta a high-speed horse so that he can fetch wine from his master’s favourite London tavern in a single overnight journey. Anyone who spends the night in a haunted mill is assaulted, so Gretty the miller gives up his tenancy, and Generous gives it to a poor, demobilized soldier. A witch and her spirit take the form of greyhounds; when Gretty’s son tries to whip the dogs, they scare and then abduct him. Lawrence marries his fellow servant Parnell, but a spirit turns the wedding cake into crumbs, and the rest of the meal magically becomes even less appetizing; the real food is taken to supply the witches’ feast. Mall Spencer gives Lawrence a codpiece point, which makes him impotent, causing marital difficulties. He and Parnell are mocked with a skimmington, but the relationship returns to normal when they burn the codpiece point. Mistress Generous has developed the habit of riding out alone at night. Acting on her husband’s orders, Robert refuses her a horse, so she rides him instead. It turns out that she is meeting with the witches: she is their leader. Gretty’s son escapes from their feast and tells his father about them. The new miller has a bad night, but cuts off the paw of one of the cats who are attacking him. What is found on the ground, however, is a severed human hand wearing rings identifiably belonging to Mistress Generous. She falls sick, and is found to have a stump where her hand should be. Generous orders her arrest. The witches are rounded up, confronted with their magical misdeeds, and sent for trial.