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)
Mal.
Words
542
Characters
2664
Typicality
0.25 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A03258
BritDrama no.
2441
Cluster
Cluster 17 — Intriguers & schemers
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
But why in such hast good Robin? He shall not chide thee, fear it not. Well Robert, I find your love by your haste from me, isle undertake you shall be at Lancaster, & twice as far, & yet at home time enough, and be ruled by me. You shall see more than that presently, because you shall believe me; you know the house is all a bed here: and I dare not be missed in the morning. Beside, I must be at the wed ding of Laurence and Parnell to morrow. I care not for the lose of him, but if I him not hang me: but to the point, if I go with you to night, and help you to as good wine as your master desires, and you keep your time with him, you will give me a pint for my company. I'll but take up my milk pail and leave it in the field, till our coming back in the morning, and wee'll away. No Robert, rather than leave your company so long, it shall come to me. Look yonder, what do you think on't. Look you sir, here I have it, will you get up and a way. Look again. Yours was too short to carry double such a journey. Get up I say, ou shall have your own again i'th morning. Nay, and you stand butting now, i'll leave you to look your horse. Pail on afore to the field, and stay till I come. My nose! Nothing sir.— turns about — Yet me thought a fly touched it. Did you see any thing? Would, would would. To think this Bridegroom should once ha'bin mine, but he shall rue it, isle hold him this point on't, and thats all I care for him. Look you Mr. Bridegroom, what my care provides for you Yes put it in your pocket it may stand you instead a non, when all your points be taken away, to truss up your trin kits, I mean your slopes withal. This is mother Johnson and Goody Dickisons rogue rye, I find it but I cannot help it, yet I will have music: sir theres a Piper withour, would be glad to earn money. A second course. As chief. Of Doughtyes Surloin of rost Beef. Thats Butter, Milk, Whey, Curds and Cheese, We nothing by the bargain lose. The dull sides of a Bear I kicked. I know how you rid Lady Nan, We are obeyed. My Puggy. Of this the meaning My Spirit and my self command; Mamillion, & the rest at hand, shall all assist. Now say what's next? Yes. On horseback yet, Now lighting from her Broomstaff. Entered the Mill already. As senseless as a Dormouse. I will, and escape him if I can; by this accident all must come out, and here's no stay for me Again, stay you here with your Aunt, and isle go let in your Uncle. Pray, by your leave Sir, Your wife is taken with a sudden qualm She hath sent me for a Doctor. Would, would, would. And I, other confession you get none from us. Well Rogue I may live to ride in a Coach before I come to the Gallows yet.
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.