Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

WILY WILL

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)Will.
Words155
Characters739
Typicality0.41 (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

Shall I tell thee Tom Beggar, by the faith of a Gentleman, this ancient freedom I would not forgo, If I might have whole mines of money at my will to bestow. Then a men mind should be troubled to keep that he had, And you know it were not for me, it would make my valiant mind mad. For now we neither pay Church money, subsidies, fifteens, scot nor lot, All the payings we par, is to pay the good ale pot. For Gods sake good mass Porter, give somewhat to the blind, that the way to the Alehouse in his sleep cannot find. He says true for I tell you I am one that will not give back, Not for a double shot out of a black Jack. Oh sir, you bring us a bed when you talk of this gear, Come, shall we go worthy Captain? I long till we be there.

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…