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)
Lampr. | Lamp. | Lam : | Lam. | Lam
Words
397
Characters
2094
Typicality
0.34 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A07511
BritDrama no.
1467
Cluster
Cluster 9 — Boon companions & bluff banter
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
Nay good Master Lucre, and you Master Hoard anger is the wind which you re both too much troubled with all. Nay sweet Master Lucre. Nay master Hoard you re a wise Gentleman. When the fire grows too unreasonable hot, ther's no better way then to take of the wood. He comes upon his death that enters here. Tut, nor him, nor them, we in this Actium fear. Good gullery? Hear me Master Lucre, so you will vow a peaceful en trance with those your friends and only exercise Calm conference with the widow, without fury, The passage shall receive you. Then enter and talk freely, here she stands. Y'aue struck him dead Master Hoard. Look you, did not I tell you he lay Like the devil in chains, when he was bound for a thousand year. Nay do but mark the conceit of his drinking, one must wipe his mouth for him with a muckinder, do you see sir. True sir, he spies us. If you be weak in body, you should be strong in prayer sir. There's a taste of his soul for you. I come to borrow a hundred pound of you sir. Faith the same man still, the Tavern bitch has bit him ith head. Content—Master Dampit. Here came sir Lancelot to see you even now. Note but the misery of this usuring slave, here he lies Like a noisome dunghill, full of the poison of his drunken blasphemies, and they to whom he bequeathes all, grudge him the very meat that feeds him, the very pillow that eases him, here may a usurer behold his end, what profits it to be a slave in this world, and a devil ith next. Who sir Lancelot. Pythagorical? I wonder you can rail at him sir, he comes in love to see you. Composed of wrongs and slavish flatteries. I'st possible? Enough. Master Dampit. 'Tis coming forward sir,—heres a countryman a cli ent of yours, waits for your deep and profound advice sir. You must draw never sir. What's he comes with him? O, I cry you mercy sir. Nay you must exercise patience Master Gulf, always in a sick-mans Chamber. Nay wel'e a long with you, Master Gulf. They were indeed sir, you see bold guests sir, soon entreated So we bachilers think that are not troubled with them That will break strife indeed,
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…