PURGATO

in Two Wise Men and All the Rest Fools — Anonymous

Metadata

Play	Two Wise Men and All the Rest Fools
Author	Anonymous
Year (catalogued)	1619
First performance	1619
Decade	1610s
Genre	Satirical Dialogue
Play type	Private (?); University (?)
Speech prefix(es)	Pur. \| Pu • .
Words	573
Characters	2810
Typicality	0.34 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id	A18423
BritDrama no.	1891
Cluster	Cluster 1 — Wives, widows & intimate counsel

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

What Sir? will you take up the best chamber, and spend but two pence for your partly. And this at Croyden so near London? There is no such stuff now in the cloak-bag I trow? If I thought there were, I would throw it to the dogs rather then it should ride behind me. That shall be tried by and by. Be these his tricks? though I be his horsekeeper, I'll carry no coals nor bones neither I trow. (he undoth and end of the cloake-bag, and there takes out a napkin full of pieces of bred, a quarter of a breast of mutton, a piece of boil worser beef, a pudding, a bone of a loin of veil: that he unpinneth, and lifting it up by one cor ner, lets all fallen, and presently catches at them with his hands upon the ground, scrambling every way as he would Can changed at a Rat, saying. ) What's become of her? take heed gentle women she get not up. I swear, I had almost catched her. Was there not a Rat there? Master's, you below, came she not that way? My provender? the dogs shall ate it, before any bit shall come in my mouth. How came he by these scraps, and what would he do with them? But do you eat any of this dainty trash with him? As true as I live, he shall never bring me to this gear. And the next time he makes such a mess, I'll pro vide sauce: for I'll put a fresh horse-turd in the amid. And my trotting horse will soon season it all alike. It may be so Sir, but I did never see the Like. As I had the cloake-bag under mine arm, I felt a thing stir within it: and in searching I found these scraps, and among them and huge Rat. And she went away invisible: for I am sure we could not see which way she ran, nor could I catch her, do what I could, and yet I scambled at her with both my hands. What? and the Rat had pissed on it for fear, and it stinks too bade. No, not which way she ran away. But if yonder boy had gaped wide enough, he might have catched her in his mouth: and do you think I saw not a Rat? I am sure there was a Rat, for my mind gave me so. And further, I had Like to catched her. All this company can tell what a course I had at her, if you will not believe me. I were a fool indeed, and a beast too, if I would put them up. I cannot put them up Like a fool, nor I will not. With all my hea to master, I'll turn you off at this instant. Here is witness enough I have given ̄ you lawful warning. Alas Insatiato, I perceive thou art simple in this but sines, or else not yet come to thy self again. Levitia speaks well, but thy capacity is very muddy. Wouldst thou not have thy wife vow chastity, but be and harlot? there is cham stity and continency among married folk, so long as they be faithful each to other. But virginity goes further: and that is sequestered continency during life, not admitting company for procreation. What a shame were this if your friends should hear it?

Plot summary

Plot — Two Wise Men and All the Rest Fools

Proberio returns to England from his overseas travels, bringing with him the Italianated Antonio. Aton sets up in business, giving Proberio employment an house-room in return for an investment in the business. Simplo asks to enter his service as an apprentice in order to learn his tricks, and is ies ar provided that Antonio is granted the use of his lan and money. ” Securus asks Hermito to.advise him on a series © issues. They sit down to watch the debates, and witness the rest of the play’s action. Several rustics argue over whether holy days should be abolished: because no work gets done, weeds grow in the gardens and os in the fields. They appeal to Hermito, who rules in favour of Sunday observance. Sperato and Spurco disagree over whether hawking or hunting is the better sport, while Gulato avers that drinking is better than both. The husband Rustico and the bachelor Hortano debate the virtues of marriage: Hortano is afraid of marrying a shrew, whereas Rustico has already done so. His wife Lamia has conceived her son in his absence, and now ===== PAGE 161 ===== 1619 spoils the boy whilst beating Rustico, who reflects that at least he will go straight to heaven when he dies, having endured purgatory on earth. A lawyer, a merchant, and a farmer debate the relative merits and vices of their professions; asked for an opinion, Securus rules in the farmer’s favour, but Hermito argues that all three have their place in society and all three are open to abuse. They also adjudicate in a similar argument between a soldier, an intelligencer, and a musician, declaring each to be as bad as the other: they could do useful service, but have degenerated of late. Antonio’s business dealings prove unethical. He misappropriates borrowed goods, reneges on contracts, and dishonours debts, tearing his authenticating seal off a bill when it is presented to him by a poor widow. He and Noverindo plan to set up a livery company of usurers, in order to make it easier for them to charge exorbitant rates of interest. They employ Proberio to procure them a coat of arms, but since Proberio has been cheated by Antonio, he refuses to hand over the design before receiving his fee; it turns out to show Judas being hanged by the Devil, which Noverindo thinks might not be as good for business as they hoped. ' Insatiato the courtier is in financial difficulties. His brother offers him a partnership in a commodity of rags, which are in heavy demand by the paper industry. Insatiato feigns…

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