in A Trick to Catch the Old One — Middleton, Thomas
Metadata
Play
A Trick to Catch the Old One
Author
Middleton, Thomas
Year (catalogued)
1608
First performance
1605
Decade
1600s
Genre
Comedy
Play type
Boys Professional
Company
Children of Paul's (second)
Speech prefix(es)
2.
Words
379
Characters
1885
Typicality
0.29 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A07511
BritDrama no.
1467
Cluster
Cluster 21 — Old fathers & plain counsel
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
O the common Rioter, take no note of him. We have herd so much. What was the quarrel sir? And was this all sir: I marry sir? One would think so i'faith? So are we by my faith. Why have you ever herd of her. And to see how Close he keeps it. We hear you are to be married suddenly to a rich Con try widow? Sweet Gentleman? Faith we herd you brought up a rich widow sir, and were suddenly to marry her. I go—take no care sir for money to furnish you, within this hour isle send you sufficient: come Master Cockpit we both stay for you. But Master Hoard, are you sure he is not ith house now? And for his Uncle.— Come widow come. You shall pardon me for that sir, Master Hoard knows I took her at best vantage. He will needs bear me down that his art only, wrought with the widow most. But it was I that took her at the bound. Why how Master Wit-good, fie, you a firm scholar, and and understanding Gentleman, and give your best parts to passion. Cheer thy self man, there's hope of her ifayth? Faith so will I. He a rich widow? who a prodigal, a daily Rioter, and a nightly vomiter, he a widow of account? he a hold ith counter. Here's mine of forty, You shall pardon us for that sir, we know you have too fair a tonge of your own, you overcame us to lately, a shame take you, we are Like to lose all that for want of witnesses, we dealt in policy then, always when we strive to be most politi que we prove most cocskcombs, Non plus ultra. I perceive by us, were not ordaynde to thrive by wisdom, and therefore we must be content to be Tradesmen. We must have either money or carcase. We are Citizens and know what belong toot. Hark, isle tell thee a Trick for that, I have spent five hun dreaded pound in suits in my time, I should be wise, thou it now a prisoner, make a release, takte of my word, whatsoever a man makes as long as he is in durance, 'tis nothing in law, not thus much.
Plot summary
Plot — A Trick to Catch the Old One
The spendthrift Witgood has mortgaged all his lands to his uncle, Lucre, but he is still in debt, and fear of his creditors keeps him away from London. Nevertheless he must go there if he is to make his fortune by marrying Joyce, the wealthy niece to Lucre’s enemy Walkadine Hoard. He conspires with Jane, a courtesan, to give the impression that he now has good prospects: she poses as a rich country widow who plans to marry him. Lucre’s attitude to his nephew is immediately transformed: hoping to acquire the widow’s lands too after the wedding, he denies the existence of the mortgage and lends Witgood money for new clothes. News of the widow also attracts Witgood’s creditors, but he persuades them that if they are over-attentive they will break his engagement, and thereby wreck their chances of repayment: the widow must continue to believe him to be financially secure. To that end, they eagerly agree to lend him even more money. Meanwhile Jane herself is a magnet for suitors, including the young men who were earlier trying to woo the reluctant Joyce, who is only interested in Witgood. Hoard throws his hat in the ring, bringing gentlemen to give Witgood a bad testimonial and discredit Lucre’s claims that there is no mortgage. Jane denies that she has any lands, but Hoard takes it for winsomeness and insists that her love is all that matters. They arrange an elopement; she absconds from Witgood at a tavern and marries Hoard. Lucre intervenes, not knowing he is too late, and gets her to promise that she will not change her marital status until he has made matters good by returning his nephew’s mortgage, which he duly does before witnesses. On discovering that he has been tricked, he initiates a law-suit, alleging that the widow’s marriage to Hoard is invalidated by a pre-contract to Witgood. Hearing that he has lost the widow, Witgood’s creditors have him arrested. Jane persuades Hoard to pay his debts and secure his release in exchange for his signature on a legal document renouncing any marital claim on her. Hoard drives a hard bargain with the creditors, but Witgood is duly freed. He secretly marries Joyce and delights his uncle with the truth that Hoard has married a whore. Hoard himself learns this when his brother comes from the country to attend the nuptial celebrations, and recognizes Jane. Jane points out that Hoard has only his own avarice to blame: she never misrepresented herself as having ===== PAGE 206 ===== 206 | 1467.A Trick to Catch the Old…