Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

FIRST COURTESAN

in Your Five Gallants (The Five Witty Gallants) — Middleton, Thomas

Metadata

PlayYour Five Gallants (The Five Witty Gallants)
AuthorMiddleton, Thomas
Year (catalogued)1608
First performance1607
Decade1600s
GenreComedy
Play typeBoys Professional
CompanyChildren of the Queen's Revels
TheaterBlackfriars;Indoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)1. Curti. | 1. Cur. | 1 Curt. | 1. Curt. | I. Cur.
Words396
Characters2040
Typicality0.37 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA68468
BritDrama no.1528
ClusterCluster 12 — Wooers, gallants & courtly love-talk

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Oh out upon you: A Scholar call you him, How? Prithee love, comfort, choice, my only wish in thee I am confined, deny me any thing a slight chain of pearl, Come, where have you spent the time now from my sighed, Ime jealous of thy Actium. Some woman's honour I believe. When did I fail. I do account the world but as my spoil, to adorn thee, My love is artificial to all others, But purity to thee,—dost thou want gold? Here take this chain of pearl, supply thy self, Be thou but constant, firm and joust to me, Rich heirs shall want, ere want come near to thee. You rest firm mine. Oh good, oh good? Why then, must not I know it: I have the better skill then. How, you mislooke it sure. Sweet master Bowser. This night? Rather confine us to strict chastity A mere impossible task then to wed these: Whom we loath worse then the f ul'st disease. The truest that ere breathed. Why you knew that the first night you lay with me. Would we were out. What made you there? Much about one? When both are plucked their sweetness is soon gone. As one new wah't out of a deadly trance, The fit scarce quiet. Shrew your fingers, How came my comfort wounded, speak? In a fray? will you lose your blood so vainly, Many a poor creature lacks it, tell me how? What was the quarrel? Loath to tell me. Oh news abroad sir? Speak within compass man. Oh cry you mercy, 'tis true, idem forgotten it, 'tis S. Georges day to morrow, I lent it to my couzin only to grace his arm before his m S is. And is this all now i'faith. Why, let me never possess your love, if you see not that again a Thursday morning, I tak't unkindly i'faith you should fallen out with me for such atrifle. Come, a kiss and friends. By this hand I'll spoil your atme and you will not. O y'aue betrayed us both. Y'aue let him see, the chain of Pearl I gave you. Upon a strangers arm he swore to me, It that betrayed it, How shall I excuse it? She will chase him. Come forth you ry private—why spring strumpet have we found your Close. haunts, your private watchtowers, and your till means.

Plot summary

Plot — Your Five Gallants (The Five Witty Gallants)
The bawd-gallant Primero needs to dress Novice, his new courtesan, attractively, so he hires a recently pawned gown from Frip, the broker-gallant, in return for a lesson in how to cheat at cards. The heiress Katherine is the object of many suitors, including five gallants and Fitzgrave. Fitzgrave gives 1607 her a chain of pearl, which is almost immediately stolen for the pocket-gallant Pursenet. Katherine wishes to be left alone for a month, so Fitzgrave decides to spend the time in disguise, spying on his rivals, the gallants, in the hope of discovering something to their discredit. He joins them in visiting Primero’s brothel, where his pocket is picked and a jewel he received from Katherine is stolen. Pursenet-gives the pearls and the jewel to a courtesan, but afterwards she gives them to the whore-gallant Tailby, whom she loves. The gallants repair to a tavern. The cheating gallant Goldstone steals two beakers, replacing them with replicas of lesser value; he also steals a goblet, using sealing-wax to stick it to the underside of the table so that it will not be noticed when sought. Tailby gambles, but keeps losing and pawns his clothes to Frip to get more stake-money. The next day, he receives new clothes and money sent by importunate mistresses; one of them wants an assignation with him in her husband’s absence. He goes off to see her, but first tells Pursenet, who ambushes him on the way and robs him of his money and the pearls. Pursenet recognizes the latter, and realizes that they must be sharing the courtesan. He also attempts to rob Fitzgrave, but retires wounded when Fitzgrave fights back. Pursenet confronts the courtesan with the chain of pearls; she makes an excuse, claiming they were borrowed by her brother, and takes them back. The gallants return to the tavern. Pursenet’s boy is caught picking Bungler’s pocket. Pursenet intervenes and threatens the boy with Bridewell, whereupon Bungler relents to save the boy from such a corrupting environment. Goldstone purloins Fitzgrave’s cloak and pawns it to Frip, who goes out wearing it. Pursenet mistakes him for Fitzgrave and wounds him in reprisal for the injury he sustained during the robbery. Fitzgrave recognizes the cloak and demands that Goldstone return it; but Goldstone says it was stolen from him. Bungler is invited to dine with Mistress Newcut, with an open invitation to bring friends; she was hoping to entertain Tailby, but Bungler brings Goldstone instead, and he steals a valuable…