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)
Win. | VVin.
Words
285
Characters
1386
Typicality
0.35 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A03258
BritDrama no.
2441
Cluster
Cluster 10 — Mourners, mothers & doleful voices
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
I cannot endure it nor I will not endure it. One of us two, choose you which, must leave the house, we are not to live together I see that, but I will know, if there be Law in Lancashire for't, which is fit first to depart the house or the World, the mother or the daughter. Do you say the daughter, for that word I say the mother, unless you can prove me the eldest, as my discretion almost war rant it, I say the mother shall out of the house or take such cour ses in it as shall sort with such a house and such a daughter. Oh will the so, in so doing I may chance to look upon you. Is this a fit habit for a handsome young Gentlewo men mother, as I hope to be a Lady, you look Like one o'the Scottish wayward sisters, Oh my heart has God the hickup, and all look green about ; a merry song now mother, and thou shalt be my white girl. And I my Mother. They are all here, and one the merriest Wench; that makes all the rest so laugh and tickle. Dear Mother. Oh you are a trim mother are you not? Long may you live the wellspring of my bliss, And may my duty and my fruitful Prayers, Draw a perpetual stream of blessings from you. Nay p i'thee sweet Parnell, I was but chiding the old wife for her unhandsomeness e, and would have been at my work presently, she tells me now she will wear fine things, and I shall dress her head as I list. And my best art shall trickly trim the Bride.
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.