in The Contention between Liberality and Prodigality — Anonymous
Metadata
Play
The Contention between Liberality and Prodigality
Author
Anonymous
Year (catalogued)
1602
First performance
1601
Decade
1600s
Genre
Moral
Play type
Boys Professional
Company
Children of the Chapel (second)
Theater
before the Court;
Speech prefix(es)
Tom. | Tom Tosse.
Words
276
Characters
1436
Typicality
0.43 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A19182
BritDrama no.
1276
Cluster
Cluster 9 — Boon companions & bluff banter
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
Hold thy peace Dick, it cannot still keep at this stint: We are now lighted upon such a mint, As follow it well, I dare warrant thee, Thy turn shall be served in every degree. Farewell, sweet Dandeline. Cast care away, Dick, I'll make thee a man. It'll be better, Dick, shalt see very shortly. Full quotha? he is too full, I promise thee. Exceedingly, unreasonably, vnmeasureably. Assure thy self that: but whist, he comes here: Let's entertain him with familiar cheer. Then here be companions to fit your fantasy, And at all assays to answer your desire: To go, to run, to stay, to do, as you require. Marry first, sir, we both pray you heartily, To take a poor supper with us here hard by, Where we will determine by common consent, What pastimes are fittest, for us to frequent. I have met with money. Marry sir, he is going into a strange country, With and old chuff called Tenacity. 'Tis true, Yes, easily with good horses, A luskish lubber, as fat as a hog. I Like him the better, that he is your own. Sir, let me but have him a little in cure, To put my poor practice of Physic in use, And I dare warrant you with a purgation or twain, I'll quickly rid him out of all . Nay then, what say you to letting of blood? What think you now of ? Was he your friend or your foe? Nay, Money, doubt not, but by sweat or by vomit, I warrant thee boy, shortly thou shalt be rid from it. Oh Cerberus, what shall we do? News, Prodigality, news.
Plot summary
Plot — The Contention between Liberality and Prodigality
Fortune rules the world even though her gifts are unreliable, whereas Virtue rewards genuine merit. The roisterer Prodigality and the miser Tenacity both sue to Fortune for the custody of her son Money, and this is granted to Prodigality. Meanwhile, various suitors approach Liberality, Virtue’s steward: the good are rewarded and the impatient told to wait and accrue desert. Prodigality falls into bad company and loses everything: Money has to pay all the bills, grows lean, and goes home to his mother. He is then granted to Tenacity, is kept indoors and grows fat for lack of exercise. Prodigality turns to burglary to steal back Money, but Fortune puts a halter around his neck as he is climbing into the house; he is saved from hanging when the rope snaps. He fatally assaults Tenacity, finds Money, and offers medical treatment for his obesity. Pursued by a hue and cry, he is arrested for robbery and murder. Money is given into the safe keeping of Liberality, and Prodigality is indicted and sentenced to death. He admits that his situation is the result of a bad life and over-reliance on Fortune. The court petitions Queen Elizabeth, in the audience, for a reprieve.