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)
Wea. | VVea. | weal. | wea. | weal,
Words
456
Characters
2264
Typicality
0.33 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A15517
BritDrama no.
821
Cluster
Cluster 3 — Citizens, tradesfolk & neighbors
Important excerpts
Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 3 (numps, numpes, blastfield, wares, parson, nidden…). Matches are highlighted.
not us to name. Now therefore, my g odd boys, know that my Mai ster is rather Magnificence than pomp in bade sense, and rather pomp than Pride in the best sense. Wares sir, have you wares? what wares do you fell? And me a little: What dainty fine Ballad have you now to be sold? Wit, well overtaken by Will that crafty Lad. Well,
that crafty Lad. Well, let us acco worser, for wit is a good thing, yet may be ill applied Would, would, would. And what say you to wealth ? I thank you sir. Our wares are not to be sold. Why, wealth is free every where, what need I serve you . My Lord is a freeman if that may do me good. I serve my Lord pomp. No, it's too hase
Full speech
Nay wealth is the best boy, sirs let that alone. Well, miss me a while & you'll go near to be sad. If Wealth were away, Wit and Will would agree. Thou mightest see it was no Buzzard man by the bells: In rhyme Wit, why so? I had as leave you had said, a Frog in a well. But he never hath wealth : now you are both still. If you be Non plus let the matter fallen. Say nothing to him, and you shall see the fool go by. Then thou hast a wife? I thy wise man? Why, I am too young. But now laugh not we. Do you not forget your self gaffar. He might have some, but thou showest small wit, there is no such fineness in the picture that I see. Down with your point, no loft born Lances here By any stranger be he foe or friend. To keep us still quiet, I would other talk we had, If Will had not be wilful, now he might have said a Lily, whose glory is without comparison, and beauty matchless. for Salomon the most sumptuo S King that ever was, was never comparable in glory with the Lily, neither is there any cities match able with the pomp of London, mistake me not good boys, that this pomp tends to pride, yet London hath enough, but my Lord pomp doth rightly represent the stately magnificence and sumptuous e state without pride or vain glory to London accommodate, and there before the word is well applied to the ympreze (Glory sans peer) for that the Lily is neither proud of the beauty, nor vainglorious of that pomp: No more is London, but if it be joyful of any thing, it is of the peace and plenty, both flowing from two such fountains as becomes not us to name. Now therefore, my g odd boys, know that my Mai ster is rather Magnificence than pomp in bade sense, and rather pomp than Pride in the best sense. Wares sir, have you wares? what wares do you fell? And me a little: What dainty fine Ballad have you now to be sold? Wit, well overtaken by Will that crafty Lad. Well, let us acco worser, for wit is a good thing, yet may be ill applied Would, would, would. And what say you to wealth ? I thank you sir. Our wares are not to be sold. Why, wealth is free every where, what need I serve you . My Lord is a freeman if that may do me good. I serve my Lord pomp. No, it's too hase a Present for pomp. Because of thy praise, what's the price of the 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…