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Full speech
Sir Alexander. You're well met, and most rightly served, My daughter was a scorn to you. For your speeches Gentlemen, In taxing me for rashness; before you all, I will engage my state to half his wealth, Nay to his sons revenues, which are less, And yet nothing at all, till they come from him; That I could (if my will stuck to my power), Prevent this marriage yet, nay banish her For ever from his thoughts, much more his arms. I talk no more, then I know how to finish, My Fortune's else are his that dares stake with me, The poor young Gentleman I love and pity: And to keep shame from him, (because the spring Of his affection was my daughters first, Till his frown blasted all,) do but estate him In those possessions, which your love and care Once pointed out for him, that he may have room, To entertain Fortune's of noble birth, Where now his desperate wants casts him upon her: And if I do not for his own sake chiefly, Rid him of this disease, that now grows on him, I'll forfeit my whole state, before these Gentlemen. Have you so much charity? Yet to release me of my last rash bargain, And I'll give in your pledge. A very abject, she poor Gentlewoman, Your house had be dishonoured. Give you joy sir, Of your sons Gaskoyne-Bride, you'll be a Grandfather shortly To a fine crew of roaring sons and daughters, It'll help to stock the suburbs passing well sir. Who'd place his charity so unworthily. Like one that gives alms to a cursing beggar, Had I but found one spark of goodness in you Towards my deserving child, which then grew found Of your sons virtues, I had cased you now. But I perceive both fire of youth and goodness, Are raked up in the ashes of your age, Else no such shame should have come near your house, Nor such ignoble sorrow touch your heart, I flatter him, Gentlemen you wrong me grossly. Both news are false, Of Tower or water: they took no such way yet. (plundges? If I change it not, change me into a beggar. It's done. I, I, sir I. I akse no favour; trust to you for none, My hope rests in the goodness of your son. Darkness and death. Have you deceived me thus? did I engage My whole estate for this. Th'are nearer then you think for yet more close, then if they were further off. Content, bear witness all then His are the lands, and so contention ends. Here comes your sons Bride, betwixt two noble friends.
Plot summary
Plot — The Roaring Girl, or Moll Cutpurse
Sebastian Wengrave was contracted to marry Mary Fitzallard until his father, dissatisfied with the dowry, cancelled the arrangement; Sebastian plans to reverse 1611 his father’s decision by pretending infatuation with Moll Cutpurse. Sir Alexander employs Trapdoor to enter Moll’s service as a spy and agent provocateur. Trapdoor forewarns Sir Alexander of an assignation between Sebastian and Moll, and they plot to entrap her in.a false charge of theft. In fact, Moll uses the meeting to bring Sebastian together with Mary. Sir Alexander eavesdrops on them and gives Moll counterfeit coins. Moll recognizes Trapdoor as a spy and sacks him. He turns to begging, posing as an discharged soldier, but she sees through his disguise and buys his true allegiance. Sir Alexander hears that Sebastian has absconded with Moll to get married, but is stymied when Trapdoor brings him additional, contradictory (and false) information about their movements. This enables Sebastian to carry out his clandestine marriage with Mary unmolested. Relieved that his son has not married into the criminal classes after all, Sir Alexander settles lands on the couple and forgives Moll. In the second plot, Laxton and Goshawk are having adulterous affairs with the citizen wives, Mistress Gallipot and Mistress Openwork. Laxton also has a date with Moll, but changes his mind about it when she turns up cross-dressed. He sends Mistress Gallipot a love-letter and asks her for money. Gallipot catches her reading it, and she lies that Laxton had a prior claim to marry her but was thought to be dead. She persuades him to buy off his rival with the money Laxton had asked for. As a practical joke, Laxton pretends to use the deception to extort further money, but then repays the thirty pounds he first received from Gallipot. Meanwhile, Openwork outmanoeuvres Goshawk by claiming to be an adulterer himself. Goshawk tells Mistress Openwork, but she sees through it as merely a seduction gambit, proving her fidelity and enabling her husband to shame the rake into penitence. In the third plot, Sir Davy Dapper attempts to discipline his son’s prodigality by having him arrested and imprisoned, but Moll and Trapdoor help him to escape. Afterwards Moll saves him and his friends from being robbed by some cutpurses, whom she recognizes. She explains that her knowledge of petty criminals and their practices does not make her a cutpurse herself.