Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

DALILA

in Nice Wanton — Anonymous

Metadata

PlayNice Wanton
AuthorAnonymous
Year (catalogued)1560
First performance1550
Decade1560s
GenreMoral
Play typeInterlude
Speech prefix(es)Dalila | • alila. | Dalila. | Dalil • | Dalila,
Words916
Characters4415
Typicality0.36 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA14713
BritDrama no.203
ClusterCluster 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

Here we come, and here we loven, come in sy ging. And here we will abide abide ay. What you dolt you be ever in one song, Yea marry, I warrant you, master hodypeke, Fie master iniquity fie, I am a maid yet, By him quod would, he hath whores two or three, But iche tell your minion doll, by gogs body: It skylleth not she does hold you as much Not she? yes to do your heart good I could tell you who putteth a bone in your hood. Here is mine ear knave, strike and thou dare. To suffer him thus you be no man, If you will not revenge me, I will find one, To set so little by me, you were not wont, Well, it is no matter. Though you do ceteri nolunt, No no, but a proverb I learned at scoole. yea, so didst thou by thy knaves face. He, by the mass if he can get his purse, Now and then he makes it by half the worse. Play brother, have you lost all your money now? Sir, I had .x. shillings when I begun, And here is all, every farring, They tell Not I by the mass, I had rather he hanged were Then I would fit quaking Like a mome for fear I am son burned in summer, in winter the cold, Makes my limbs gross, and my beauty decay, If I should use it, as they would I should, I should never be fair woman I dare say. O good brother let us go, I will never go more to to scoole, Shall I never know, What pastime means? yes, I will not be such a fool. A way knave, not mine by the mass, Out whoreson knave, I beshrew thy Heart root Wilt thou rob me & breat me to? A lusty Minion lover. Iniqui. ll together For no gold will I gyve her welcome my honey ay. I am yours (and you mine) with all my heart. Master Iniquity, by your leave, I will play a crown or two here by your sleeve What can you say by master Inquitie? I love him and his name most heartily, I am content, so that it be not long. When you have your will, You were best lie Still, The winter nights be long Then by the rood, A bone in your hood. I shall put ere it be long. It is knavishly praised, gyve me your hand, Correct thy dogs thou shalt not beat me, I will make your knaves flesh cut I warrant the, You think I have no friends, yes I have in store, A good fellow or two percaunce more. She goes "to, yea, by the mass they shall box you for this gear, Alas wretched wretch that I am, ommeth in ragged, her face h worser or isfigured a tinge on sta fe. Most miserable caitiff that ever was born, Full of pain and sorrow, crooked and loom. Stuffed with diseases in this world forlorn. My senowes be shronken, my flesh eaten w to poc S My bones fin of ache, & great pain, My head is bald, that bore yellow locks, Crooked I creep to the earth again, Mine eye sigth is dim, my hands tremble & shake My stomach abhorreth all kind of meat: For lack of clothes, great cold I take When appetide serveth, I can get no meat. Where I was fair and amiable of face, Now am I foul and horrible to see, All this I have I deserved for lack of grace, Justly for my sins God does plague me. My parents did tidle me, they were to blame, In stead of correction, in ill did me maintain: I fell no nought, and shall die with shame Yet all this is not half of my grief and pain. The worm of my conscience y to shall never die, Accuseth me daily more and more: So oft have I sinned wilfully, That I fear to be damned for evermore. To tell you who I am I dare not for shame, But my filthy living hath brought me in this case, Full oft for my wantonness you did me blame, yet to take your council I had not the grace, To be restored to health, alas it is passed, Disea e hath brought me into such decay, Help me with your almose, while my life does last That Like a wretch as I am, I may go my way. your have nam me already, if I dust be so bold you sister Dalila, that wretch I am, My wanton nice toys you knew of old, Alas brother they have brought me to this shame, When ̄ you went to scole, my brother & I would play Swear, chide, & scodle weth man and woman, To do shrewd turns, our delight was alway, Yet were we tidled, and you beaten now & than, Thus our parents let us do what we would, And you by correction they kepthe under awe: When we grew big, we were sturdy and bold By father and mother we set not a straw, Small matter for me, I am passed, But your brother and mine is in gread jeopardy: In danger to come to shame at the last, He frameth his living so wickedly. Come on fie e, she casts, & they fetched Thrive at fairest, Then the devil strike me to the ground,

Plot summary

Plot — Nice Wanton
Barnabas goes to school, but his siblings Ismael and Dalilah prefer to spend their time on pleasure rather than learning. Their neighbour Eulalia complains to their mother about their behaviour, but Xantippe refuses to impose discipline through corporal punishment. Ismael and Dalilah gamble with Iniquity;Ismael loses all his money, but Dalilah tries to deceive beat her by way of reprisal, she leaves him. Iniquity about her winnings. When Iniquity tries to Later, diseased and destitute, she meets Barnabas, who presents her condition as God's punishment; she dies of venereal disease, but penitent. Ismael is tried and hanged for burglary and murder; Iniquity, whom he names as his accomplice, is also sentenced to death. A remorseful Xantippe tries to commit suicide, but Barnabas prevents her and enjoins her to repent. In the epilogue he encourages parents to bring their children up well.