in A New Wonder, A Woman Never Vexed — Rowley, William; Heywood, Thomas (?)
Metadata
Play
A New Wonder, A Woman Never Vexed
Author
Rowley, William; Heywood, Thomas (?)
Year (catalogued)
1632
First performance
1611
Decade
1630s
Genre
Comedy
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
Unknown
Speech prefix(es)
God. Sp. | Speed. | Speede.
Words
693
Characters
3707
Typicality
0.22 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A11153
BritDrama no.
2084
Cluster
Cluster 8 — Martial kings & Roman gravity
Important excerpts
Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 8 (massinissa, yaw, league, renown, quasi, apud…). Matches are highlighted.
Speedwell, my Godfather by his bounty being and Old Soldier, and having served in the wars as far as Bulloyne, therefore called my name Godfry; a Title of large renown; my wealth and wit has Added to those, the paraphrase of Kinghthood; So that my name in the full longitude is called Sir Godfry Speedwell, a name of good experience.
Full speech
It's good beware believe me, Sir, I know that by mine Own experience; for I have handled the Like Many times in my first wives days, I, by Knighthood, Sometime before I was married too; therefore I Know't by mine own experience. Sir, let me advice you: I see you want experience, Meddle no further in this case, 'twilbe the More credit for your observation; for I find by my Experience, you are but shallow. Sweet Virgin, to be prolix and ted jous, fits Experience; short words and large deeds are Best pleasing to women. My name is Speedwell, by my father's Copy. Yes, sweet Feminine, I have served for it too: For I have found my nativity suited to my name, As my name is Speedwel, so have I sped Well in diverse actions. Your observation is corrupt, Sir; Let me show min Own Tale; I say, sweet Beauty, my name is Speedwell, my Godfather by his bounty being and Old Soldier, and having served in the wars as far as Bulloyne, therefore called my name Godfry; a Title of large renown; my wealth and wit has Added to those, the paraphrase of Kinghthood; So that my name in the full longitude is called Sir Godfry Speedwell, a name of good experience. You say well, sweet Modesty, a good imagination is good, And shows your good experience. Your experience may see his course education; but to The purpose, sweet Female; I do love that Face of yours. Sir you do interrupt, and thwart my love. Mistake me not kind Heart. In loving your face, I love all the rest of your body As you shall find by experience. Let your experience make a trial. Requite one, sweet Chastity, and let it be Sir Godfry, with the correspondency of your Love to him; I will maintain you Like a Lady, And it is brave, as I know by experience. How dare you maintain that, Sir? I dare cross it with my sword Sir. You have confined him prisoner forever, I hope your experience sees he's a harmless thing. Where she is leader, there will be followers. Withal my heart, sweet Virgin; Ah, would; this place Promises well in the eyes of experience; Master Innocent, come you behind. When I look back, Sir, I see your nose behind. Sweet Lady, follow experience, Experience must bear with folly; Thou art all inno cent, And thy name is Lambskin; grave Sapience guides me, And I care not a pin for thy squibs, and thy Crackers, My old dry wood shall make a lusty bonfire, when Thy green Chips shall lie hissing in the Chimney- Corner. Remember Mistress, I can make you a Lady by Mine own experience. A match between us By this hand.— And adventurer still Sir, to this new found land. I doubt Sir, he will play the merchant with us. And hear ye, Sir, let him seek out his equals; For some of us are in danger to make her A Lady shortly: I know what I speak; what I speak, I'l do; yet I'l do nothing, but What comes from grave experience. Would? do you know us, Sir? You grow too bold; My experience now hath found you; You were once a tattered fellow, your name is Foster; have you such gold to give? Oh let him, I have a protection, Sir. A Sergeant? Nay, then experience must work, Legs be strong and bold; when Sergeants wait At feasts, the cheer's but cold. I'l shift for one. We come about the old business, the sickness of the purse Lady Fair Lady, we are your debtors, and owe you money. Experience tells us that our bonds are forfeit, For which your husband threatened to arrest us; my Shoulders love no such clappings, I love Tobacco, but would be loath to drink in Woodstreet. Pipes; some money we will pay ere we go hence: I speak you see with grave experience. Most horribly, I'l not endure the sent on't. Two hundred pound we can lay down. Ah, hah, is your coxcomb cut? I see experience must Board this fair Pinnace: a word in private,
Plot summary
Plot — A New Wonder, A Woman Never Vexed
Old Forster has recently made his fortune by marrying a rich widow, but they are both dissatisfied with the financial irresponsibility of his brother and son, whom ===== PAGE 17 ===== 1624 they are on the point of disowning. Robert, the son, has purloined some of his stepmother’s money to buy his uncle, Stephen Forster, out of debtors’ prison; he also gives Stephen money to buy new clothes. Stephen uses the money for gambling, and is cheated. Robert is disappointed to find him in the gaming-house, and he himself likewise gets into trouble with his stepmother for going there, even though he only went in to look for Stephen. Mistress Forster has an uncommonly even- tempered friend, another rich widow, who enjoys miraculous good fortune. When she loses her wedding ring in the river, it turns up inside a salmon bought by her maid. She meets Stephen at the gaming-house and likes him. She suggests that he should marry for money, and offers herself. He accepts, and they perform a hand-fasting. Jane is being pursued by two undesirable suitors, an old knight and a young fool. Her father, Alderman Brune, suggests Robert Forster as a third option, if he can be reconciled with his father. Brune is Old Forster’s partner in a mercantile venture, but accepts Forster’s offer to buy him out; he takes payment in cloth rather than cash, which clears Forster’s warehouses for the new merchandise due in any day. However, Forster continues to look askance at Robert. News arrives that the ships have sunk in the Thames: Forster is bankrupt, and voluntarily commits himself to prison in order to avoid his creditors. Stephen takes charge of his new wife’s property, and proves, against expectations, to be provident rather than spendthrift. He asks Robert to help him manage the estate, and adopts him as his heir, insisting only that he does nothing to help his father. However, Stephen himself pays the prison-keeper to ensure that his brother remains comfortable. When Jane’s two other suitors complain of the favour shown to Robert, Stephen produces evidence that they are in debt to the widow’s first husband (and therefore now to him), and the threat of arrest gets rid of them. The widow generously accepts their payment of £200 to discharge a debt of ten times that amount. Unable to resist his sense of filial obligation, Robert purloins the money and gives it to his father. Stephen pretends to be angry, but secretly pays off his brother’s creditors and thereby secures his release.…