in The Three Lords and Three Ladies of London — Wilson, Robert
Metadata
Play
The Three Lords and Three Ladies of London
Author
Wilson, Robert
Year (catalogued)
1590
First performance
1588
Decade
1590s
Genre
Moral
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
Queen Elizabeth's Men (?)
Speech prefix(es)
Dis.
Words
418
Characters
2076
Typicality
0.43 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A15517
BritDrama no.
821
Cluster
Cluster 20 — Conjurers, witches & physicians
Important excerpts
Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 20 (ithimore, nat, invisible, notary, glycerie, humfrey…). Matches are highlighted.
Not melancholic, but musing how it comes to pass that we are thus fortunate to meet as we do. Fraud, after my escaping away at the Sessions where I shifted as thou knowest in three sundry shapes, one of a Friar, and they can dissemble:
Full speech
Not melancholic, but musing how it comes to pass that we are thus fortunate to meet as we do. Fraud, after my escaping away at the Sessions where I shifted as thou knowest in three sundry shapes, one of a Friar, and they can dissemble: another Like a woman, and they do little else: the third as a Saint and a Devil, and so is a woman. I was banished out of Lon done by Nemo, to the country went I, amongst my old friends and never better loved than among the russet coats: once in a month I stole in oath market day to Leaden-hall and about, and sometime to Westminster hall. Now hearing some speech, that the Ladies should be sued for, for I am come in hope of my old intertaiment, supposing my self not known of many, and hoping the three Lords will pre vail in their suit, and I to serve one of them. As you two have sped, I would desire to speed no worse , Not I, for of all, my tongue is best known, But if I speak, it shall be to her that was once mine own : Good Lady Love, thou little knowest the grief that I thy friend sustain for thy distress, And less believest what care I have of Thee: Look up good Love, and to supply thy wants, Ask what thou wilt, and thou shalt have of me, Of me that joy more in thy liberty, Than in this life our light that comforts me. love, look on me and I will give thee clothes. In thy aff ctions I had once a place: I'll make amends, if ought amiss were done: And yet once burned to warm again may prove: Yonder come some, we must take our flight. Exeunt omnes And thou too I hope, why, what should we do? Please it your Lordship, fair semblance, I am well seen, though I say it, in sundry languages, meet for your Lordship, or any noble sir vice, to teach diverse tongues, and other rare things. I am as Like as any of you both. Whist man, he's Skill. The coast is clear, come follow Fraud and fear not, for who can decipher us in this disguise, thus may we shufl into the show with the rest, and see and not be seen, doing as they do, that are at tired Like our selves. Not more than thy self Fraud, I would thou sawest thy picture
Plot summary
Plot — The Three Lords and Three Ladies of London
The three lords of London, in want of wives, plan to marry the three ladies. There are two complications. ===== PAGE 450 ===== First, it emerges that they all want the same lady, Lucre. More pressingly, all three ladies are in prison. The lords agree to secure their freedom and worry later about who marries whom. But Judge Nemo has heard petitions for the ladies’ release before: many men wanted Lucre, some wanted Love, and nobody cared about Conscience. His conditions are that either all three ladies go free or none of them, and that, if they do, he shall decide which lady marries which lord. The ladies are taken from prison and sat on uncomfortable penitential stones. They are visited by Lucre’s former servants, who were banished from London but now want their old jobs back; Lucre is unable to accommodate them. Falsehood and Double- Dealing offer the ladies clothes to replace their prison rags, but they refuse. Nemo arranges for them to have more virtuous garments, the first stage in their rehabilitation. When the three lords continue to quarrel over which of them should have Lucre, Nemo agrees to give up his right to make the marital dispositions, on condition that the lords accept the lady’s own choice. He then has Conscience pose as Lucre. Each lord offers her a different benefit — power, magnificence, and hedonism - and she eventually bestows herself on Pleasure. He is happy with his fiancée even when he learns of the deception. Conscience declares that Policy should marry Love and that Lucre is best suited to Pomp. Before the lords can proceed with their marriages, however, they must repel a Spanish invasion. Three lords of Spain arrive and plan to take the ladies for themselves. The London lords defeat them and present their captured shields to their ladies. Nemo grants the two remaining ladies to the appropriate lords, but three lords of Lincoln intervene, claiming pre-contracts with the ladies. The London lords outface their rivals, who are sent away with the penitential stones in lieu of the ladies. In the sub-plot, Fraud sells Simplicity some cheap ‘gold’, which turns out to be mere copper, so Simplicity repeatedly attempts to have him arrested. Posing as Skill and Fair Semblance, Fraud and Dissimulation seek jobs with the lords, but are recognized. Dissimulation is branded, and Fraud is taken to prison, but bribes Diligence to release him on the way; the bribe money is later found to be counterfeit. Fraud attends the lords’ wedding in…