Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

TOM BEGGAR

in The Three Ladies of London — Wilson, Robert

Metadata

PlayThe Three Ladies of London
AuthorWilson, Robert
Year (catalogued)1592
First performance1581
Decade1590s
GenreMoral
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyLeicester's Men
Speech prefix(es)Tom. | Tom
Words278
Characters1374
Typicality0.33 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA15519
BritDrama no.700
ClusterCluster 16 — Errand servants & brief parts

Important excerpts

No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).

Full speech

Now truly my masters, of all occupations under the sun, beg ging is the best, For when a man is weary, then may he lay him down to rest. Tell me, is it not a Lords life in S mmer to louse one under a hedge, And then leaving that game, may go clepe and coll his Madge? Or else may walk to take the wholesome air abroad for his delight, Where he may tumble on the grass, have sweet smells, and see mame a pretty sighed. Why, and Emperor for all his wealth can have but his pleasure, And surely I would not lose my charter of liberty, for all the Kings treasure. We stand prating here, come let us go to the gate, Mass I am greatly afraid we are come somewhat too late, Good gentle M. Porter, your reward so bestw, On a poor lame man, that hath but a patre of legs to go. For the good Lords sake take compassion on the poor. I beseech that not so sir, for we are very hungry, that made us so earnest, but we are sorry we troubled you. Oh farewell Simplicity, we art very loath to loose thy company. Oh valiantly spoken, come wily Will, two pots of ale wele bestow On our Captain courageously for a parting blow. Oh worthy Captain Fraud, you have woe ne my noble heart: You shall see how manfully I can play my partly. And heres wily Will, as good a fellow as your heart can wish, To go a fishing with a crank through a window, or to set lime twigs to catch a pan, pot, or dish.

Plot summary

Plot — The Three Ladies of London
Lady Love and Lady Conscience are concerned that Lady Lucre now rules in London, but Fame assures them that she and her adherents will meet their due punishment in the end. Four knaves and Simplicity, a penurious miller, go to London in the hope of employment by one of the ladies. Conscience rejects their applications, but Love agrees to take on Simplicity; the knaves find positions in Lucre’s household. Out of work because foreigners have taken all the jobs, Artifex also seeks a place with Lucre. Simplicity procures a testimonial from Conscience for his cousin Sincerity, who seeks a benefice; but he is unable to get anything from Simony because he has no bribe to offer. Dissimulation fobs him off with the parsonage of St Nihil — nothing - and an invitation to dine with Nemo — nobody — is likewise worthless (though Simplicity has _ difficulty understanding this). Simony employs Sir Peter Pleaseman, who can be either Protestant or Catholic as it suits his circumstances, as Lucre’s chaplain. Conscience is forced to sell her cottage to Lucre, but hopes to stay on as a sitting tenant. Usury threatens eviction; there is a proposal to pack the house with foreigners who will require less living space than English tenants. Eventually he relents and quadruples the rent instead. Love and Conscience are reduced to sending Usury their clothes in lieu of payment, but Dissimulation gives Simplicity money to redeem one of the gowns. He intended it to be Love’s, since he cares nothing for Conscience, but Simplicity returns Conscience’s clothes and delivers Love’s to Usury. Lucre enters an agreement with the Italian merchant Mercadore, whereby he will export essential materials and foodstuffs from England, and import foreign trinkets for gentlewomen. Mercadore goes to Turkey to procure knick-knacks, and encounters the Jew Gerontus. Two years ago, he borrowed a lot of money from Gerontus and avoided paying it back by skipping the country. Gerontus is happy to help in the supply of 1581 worthless tat to England, but eventually loses patience with Mercadore’s promises to pay his debt, and has him arrested. Mercadore proposes converting to Islam, which will legally void all his past obligations. Fearing that he might be blamed for a Christian’s apostasy, Gerontus cancels the debt, whereupon Mercadore’s Muslim convictions evaporate. Usury murders Hospitality and goes into hiding with a rich man, who protects him; his pardon is eventually procured by a courtier. Conscience and…