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)
Neece. | Nee. | Neec.
Words
164
Characters
858
Typicality
0.46 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A07511
BritDrama no.
1467
Cluster
Cluster 12 — Wooers, gallants & courtly love-talk
Important excerpts
Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 12 (signor, sal, zelmane, handkerchief, absolon, dissemble…). Matches are highlighted.
affect, but o forgetful, Why dost thou flatter thy affections so: With name of him, that for a widows bed, Neglects thy purer love, can in be so? Or do's report dissemble: how now sir? Master Wit-good ? Therein I thank your care—I know this hard, Dearer then sighed, what the world reports of me yet believe not, rumour will altar
Full speech
But 'tis not likely you should choose for me, Since Nephew to your chiefest enemy: Is he whom I affect, but o forgetful, Why dost thou flatter thy affections so: With name of him, that for a widows bed, Neglects thy purer love, can in be so? Or do's report dissemble: how now sir? Master Wit-good ? Therein I thank your care—I know this hard, Dearer then sighed, what the world reports of me yet believe not, rumour will altar shortly, be thou constant, I am still the same that I was in love, and I hope to be the same in Fortune's. I am resolved, no more shall fear or doubt, Raise their pale powers to keep affection out. Do you call sir? Fear it not sir, I have cause, though the feast be prepared for you, yet it serves fit for my wedding dinner too. Meet me presently, that note directs you, I would not be suspected our happiness attends us, farewell?
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…