Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 10 (earine, jarbus, alack, vapours, mishap, hapless…). Matches are highlighted.
father was too poor a man to bring him up to any virtues; he can scarce write and read. If it be so, then heel be great shortly, for he has no good parts about him. Alack the day, I know your worship scorns to call me mother: 'tis not a thing fit for your worship indeed, such a simple old woman as I am. I'll wait upon your Worship.
Full speech
By your leave and Like your worship. I beseech one word with your worship. Pray can your worship tell me any tidings of one Andro Gruill, a poor son of mine own. That not he then! He is no Gentleman that I mean. No truly, his father was and honest upright Toothdrawer. An't please your worship, I have made a before jour ney out, all this vacant time, to come up and see my son Andro, poor Walter Gruill his Father has laid his life, and left me a lone woman, I have not one husband in all the world, therefore my coming up is for relief an't Like your worship, hoping that my son Andro is in some place about the Kitchen. Or a servingman to some Knight of worship. Alas, an't pleease your worship, I never saw such a glorious suit since the hour I was ersend. No? Marry hang him, and Like your Worship, I have known the day when no body card to speak to him! Imployde for what? His virtues? no 'tis well known, his father was too poor a man to bring him up to any virtues; he can scarce write and read. If it be so, then heel be great shortly, for he has no good parts about him. Alack the day, I know your worship scorns to call me mother: 'tis not a thing fit for your worship indeed, such a simple old woman as I am. I'll wait upon your Worship. I am a clean old woman, an't Like your Worship. Nay and that be the fashion, I hope I shall (Exit. get it shortly, there's no woman so old but she may learn; and as and old Lady delights in a young Page or monckey, so there are young Courtiers will be hungry upon and old woe man, I warrant you. Give her a little more air, tilt up her head, comfort thy self good widow, do not fallen Like a Beast for a hus band, there's more then we can well tell where to put e'm, good soul. Fie, you have no patience i'faith, I have buried four Husbands, and never offered e'm such abuse. No trouble indeed forsooth—Good Cozen have a care of her, comfort her up as much as you can, and all little enough I warrant ye. Callest me Mother? out, I defy thee slave. Let me not have this Villain put upon me I beseech your Lordship. That's soon done. Art thou Andrew my wicked Son Andrew? How art thou changed? Is this suit fit for thee? a Tooth-drawers Son, this country has ee'ne spoilde thee since thou camest heather, thy manners better then thy clothes, but now whole cloa these and ragged manners, it may well be said that truth goes naked, for when thou hadst scarce a shirt thou hadst more truth about thee. I will indeed forsooth. Alas—I am a poor drudge of his. Marry out upon him, sir reverence of your mistress ship 'Tis more then he gave me since I came to him. He do your errant effectually. You would forgotten she says in what pickle your worship came up, and brought two of your friends to give their words for a suit of green Kersye. She says you're a base proud knave, and Like your worship. And as for his Daughter, she Hope's sheele be ruled by her in time, and not be carried away with a cast of Man chets, a bottle of Wine, and a Custard, which once made her Daughter sick, because you came by it with a bade consci ence. Then she demanded of me whither I was your wor ships Ant or no?
Plot summary
Plot — Michaelmas Term
Rearage and Andrew Lethe are rivals for the hand of Quomodo’s daughter: her mother favours Rearage and her father Lethe. Lethe has assumed gentry status, and is concerned when his plebeian mother arrives from the country; but she does not recognize him, and he employs her as a go-between. Hellgill brings a country wench to London, promising to pass her off as a gentlewoman. He dresses her up and she begins to attract gallants, including Lethe. Her father comes looking for her, and, not recognizing him, she takes him on as a servant. A third visitor from the country is Richard Easy, who is entrapped by Shortyard and Falselight, the agents of Ephestian Quomodo. Shortyard gambles with Easy, persuading him to keep on betting in the hope of breaking his losing streak. In consequence, he needs money to fund his social life, and seeks to borrow it from Quomodo. He is induced to take the loan in cloth, which he can sell on to realize the money; ===== PAGE 155 ===== 1604 posing as the fictitious ‘Blastfield’, Shortyard also signs the bond. Quomodo and his accomplices engineer a downturn in the market: the cloth has to be sold for less than half its true value. When the bond falls due for repayment a month later, Blastfield cannot be found, and Easy is arrested. Quomodo’s accomplices pose as wealthy citizens and stand bail for Easy, so long as he signs over all his possessions to them. When Blastfield still cannot be found, the bailsmen give Quomodo Easy’s lands in lieu of the bail they owe him. Easy is ruined, but Quomodo’s wife Thomasine, who has witnessed the cozenage, takes pity on him and lends him money. Concerned about his son Sim’s possible prodigality, Quomodo feigns his own death to see how people will take it. He attends his own funeral disguised as a beadle, but nobody has a good word to say about him. Thomasine quickly marries Easy, who learns how he was duped. Shortyard cozens Sim of Easy’s lands, but is forced to restore them to Easy to cover himself; but Easy still has him arrested. Still in disguise, Quomodo collects his fee for attending the funeral; Thomasine has him sign a document renouncing any further claim on the household, and for a joke he signs his own name. When this is noticed, he reveals his identity and institutes legal proceedings against Thomasine and Easy. On the day of his marriage to Susan, Lethe is arrested for lewd behaviour with the country wench. All the cases come before a judge, who will only accept Quomodo’s identity when…