Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

SCATTERGOOD

in Greene's Tu Quoque, or The City Gallant — Cooke, John

Metadata

PlayGreene's Tu Quoque, or The City Gallant
AuthorCooke, John
Year (catalogued)1614
First performance1611
Decade1610s
GenreComedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyQueen Anne's Men
Speech prefix(es)Scat. | S • at. | Scat ▪ | Scatt. | S • a • . | Scatterg. | Sc • tt.
Words953
Characters4881
Typicality0.45 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA19260
BritDrama no.1649
ClusterCluster 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

Save you Gallants, save you. Ninni-hammer. Take my cloak and rapier also: I think it be early Gentlemen, what time do you take it to be? Inclining! a good word; I would it were inclining to twelve, for by my stomach it should be high Noon: but what shall we do Gallants? shall we to cards, till our Come pany come? Harry. fetch sir Cards, me thinks it's and vnseeme lie fight to see Gentlemen stand idle, please you to impart your smoke. Had you it in the house? I had thought it had been your own: it's not so good now as I took it to be: Come Gentlemen, what's your game? Gleek let it be, for I am persuaded I shall gleek some of you; cut sir. What is't, Hearts? Why I bid thirteen. Fifteen. Eighteen. V slid I'll not be outbraved. Nor I. V slid, I am gleek't this time. Enter Will Rash. Will Rash, well, I pray see what a vile game I have Yes faith, Gleek, and I have not one Court card, but the knave of Clubs. And so they do as God save me, by the cross of this silver he says true. Enter Spendall. Yes this is the first game, but by the cross of this sil ver here's all of five pounds. By the cross of these hilts, I'll never play at Gleek again, while I have a nose on my face, I smell the knavery of the game. Marry that have I, by the hilts of my sword, I have lost forty crowns, in as small time almost, as while a man might tell it. Go to M. Ambush, and bid him send me twenty marks upon this Diamond. Enter Bubble. God save you sir. I would be better acquainted with you. Pray let us salute again. Master Scattergood. No indeed sir, of the Scattergood's of Hampshire. Please you advance to the Table? Why you must tell your money, and he'll pay you. Must you needs be gone? At your discretions Gentlemen. On the Table! come Gentlemen, we do our stomachs wrong: M. Bubble, what have you lost? I'll wait upon you sir, come Gentlemen, will you follow? Exit: manent Spendall & St nes. Marry sir, and whilst you are there, I'll be here: Oh delicious touch! I think in conscience Her lips are lined quite through with Orange Tawny vel vet. Would, would, would, would. I salute you according to the Italian fashion. Save you sweet bloods, save you. Nay if I know father, would I were hanged, I am e'ne as Innocent as the Child new born. Felts? By this light, mine is a good Beaver: It cost me three pound this morning upon trust. Would, would, would. No, it is the Fools fashion: And we two are the first that follow it. And I think he was no honest man, that cheated me, I think my old Cloak and Hat, must be glad to serve me till next quarter day. And I'll promise the next night, They shall not sleep for joy neither. God give you goodnight, forsooth, And send you and early resurrection. God morrow Gentlemen. Yes sir. Enter a Sergea to. Yes sir. Yes sir. Come, you're a flourishing Ass; Sergeant take him to thee, he has had a long time of his pageantry. Reverend sir, to whom I owe the duty of a son, Which I shall ever pay in my obedience: Know that which made him gracious in your eyes, And guilded over his imperfecti ns, Is wasted and consumed eve Like ice, Which by the vehemence of heat dissolves, And glides to many rivers, so his wealth, That felt a prodigal hand, hight in expense, Melted within his gripe, and from his coffers, Ran Like a violent stream to other men's, What was my own, I catched at. Yes sir. Marry I say it's scarce honest dealing for any man to Conny-catch another men wife, I protest we'll not put it up. In good faith a pipe of excellent vapour. Twelve pence, a crown; uds foot I will not spoil my memory for twelve pence. With all my heart, where's M. Ambush the Broaker Ninni-hammer ? Is your name Master Bubble? Pray will you go? Why then let us all leave, for I think dinner's ne e ready. Yes by my troth Lady is he: Why I'll say any thing my brother Bubble says. Yes in truth we are sworn Brother's, and do mean to go both alike, and to have Horses alike. If it please them, Lady. I wonder (Sir Lyonell ) your son Will Rash is not here? Oh very familiar; he struck me a box on the ear once, and from thence grew my love to him. I faith with all my heart; if Mistress Gartered will, we will be married to morrow. Yes faith Brother: if it please you, let's go see a Play at the Gloabe. Where over do you say so? Well then, to the Bull. Did I eat any Lettice to supper last night, that I am so sleepy, I think it be day light, brother Bubble. Me thought our shanks were not fellows, we have metamorphosed our stockings for want of splendour. Exit. Why it's the Latin word for a Christmas candle How, Cocks-combes! Father, that word Coxcomb goes against my sto macke. And so would I. Why Gartered and I. Will she? Must I? Mine a Bakers dozen: master Bubble tell your money. A pretty concise room: sir Lyonell, where are your Daughters? Well, if I must, I must but I protest I would not: But that I must: So vale, vale: Et tu quoque. Exit.

Plot summary

Plot — Greene's Tu Quoque, or The City Gallant
The gallant Geraldine woos the mercer’s daughter Gertrude. She is attracted to him, but feigns lack of interest. Her father, Sir Lionel, is newly knighted at court. He plans to give up life as a tradesman and leaves Spendall to run his shop. Spendall is prodigal with the shop’s money: he sups with a whore and her associates, borrows money, gambles, and_ lives extravagantly. Staines is in the clutches of a usurer, his servant Bubble’s uncle, and plans to cut and run: he dismisses Bubble and is about to flee London when news arrives that the usurer is dead. Bubble inherits the estate, hires his former master as a servant, and plans, with his advice, to make himself a gallant. Staines intends to bilk his money back from Bubble and then use it buy back his lands once Bubble is forced by prodigality to sell them. Bubble sends him to buy new clothes, but Staines wears them himself and uses the money to gamble; Bubble himself joins the game as one of his opponents. Staines cheats with false dice, but is discovered by Spendall. They fight a duel; after both sustain slight wounds, they become friends. Sir Lionel plans to marry Gertrude to Bubble, hoping to get control of his inheritance. Her sister Joyce tries to get her to accept Geraldine, but she is _ steadfast. Joyce tells Geraldine that Gertrude does love | him, and he induces her to reveal her true feelings by feigning suicide. Bubble comes to Sir Lionel’s house to woo Gertrude, but Staines advises him that the best way to win the ladies’ admiration is to dispraise himself — so he makes a fool of himself. Even so, Sir Lionel continues with his plans — though now Bubble’s wife is to be Joyce, while Gertrude is destined for Scattergood, another gallant. Joyce herself is attracted to Staines, but she too is reluctant to act on it. Her brother Will gets Staines a fashionable suit in place of his servant’s blue coat and brings him to see Joyce, but at first she will not speak; when she does, it is to insult him at great length, making him wish he could shut her up again. Spendall is arrested for debt. He tries to get money from his whore with which to bribe the sergeants, but she will not admit to knowing him. He is taken to prison, where he sells all his clothes; but this fails to clear the debt. A widow hears about his case from Sir Lionel and charitably pays his debts; released, he takes her generosity as evidence of sexual interest, and plans to woo her. The night before the double wedding, she stays at Sir…