Davenport, Robert · published 1639 · first performed or written 1625 [c.1624-1639] (Annals) comedy · Queen Henrietta Maria's Men (?); Lady Elizabeth's Men (?) T15 Friars and holy orders in plot typicality 0.81 · 511 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T15: friar, lord, holy, friars, robin, peggy, lacie, angelo, love, nun.
By help of Heaven I shall: this deed thus runs; When all his Creditors are satisfied, His Bonds discharged and canceled, debts full paid, His Mortgages called in, his words redeemed, This Bond is then in virtue; not till then. All this I grant, and call to witness none Save his own Conscience; art thou not at freedom, And clear from all the world? Most true, I am, Nor can I name that party under Heaven To whom I owe one farthing; a brass token Will cancel all my scores. 'Tis a plain case. Yes, but against the Devil. Speak, how that? What were the sums for which he stood engaged? Some fifteen thousand pounds, which I have paid, And now the man owes nothing; therefore duly I Claim both soul and body. Both are quit, As thou thyself shalt to thy grief confess; For I will prove him more indebted now Than e'er he was before. To whom? To thee, Whom till he have discharged the utmost penny, The Bond's of no effect. And am I tripped? The Devil hath bragged he hath caught many a Friar, Now one hath caught the Devil. Am I clear then? Yes, till thou payest him all his money down, Which when thou dost thouart worthy to be damned. Insert but that condition 'mongst the rest, And I'll again subscribe; Gramercy Friar. Nay then I see vainly we Devils stand against the Church, they have still the upper hand, I yield me vanquished; in the mean time friar read And conceal. What, by a quid d it freed? by a quirk in the Law? by This I see the devil's no good Lawyer: give me my deed, That I may see it canceled and undone: I'll tear it small as atoms, that no memory Of the least Letter be reserved as witness Against my soul when I shall resurvive; Nor shall I be at patience till I see This Parchment ashes, and this horrid Writ Dissolved to smoke and air. Yet for my love, For all the good thou hast received by me, For all my cost and charges, large expense, As I acquit thee truly, so thou freely Lend me thine ear. Thy bounty hath deserved it; To save a soul I know no Scrivener here That would not only lend but give an ear. I am informed to th'full; if this be true, Devil, th' art honest, and shalt have thy due: Associate me Friar Iohn. With all my heart, If this be Asteroth I so late invoked, I never shall desire His company, but on an empty stomach. And shall I meet her there? Presume thou shalt. The self same spirit? And enjoy her to: Do thou but hazard as thou didst before And doubt not, she's thine own. Substantially? As a contracted Bride and Bedfellow. No difference in her shape and ornament? None. Thou canst do much with me, nor do I Know beyond what bounds thy credence to extend: thou May'st prove false, but thouhast been yet my friend.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
By helpe of Heaven I ſhall: this deede thus runs; When all his Creditors are ſatisfied, His Bonds diſcharg'd and cancell'd, debts full paid, His Morgages call'd in, his words redeem'd, This Bond is then in vertue; not till then. All this I grant, and call to witneſſe none Save his owne Conſcience; art thou not at freedome, And cleare from all the world? Moſt true, I am, Nor can I name that party under Heaven To whom I owe one farthing; a braſſe token Will cancell all my ſcores. 'Tis a plaine caſe. Yes, but againſt the Divell. Speake, how that? What were the ſummes for which he ſtood ingag'd? Some fifteene thouſand pounds, which I have pay'd, And now the man owes nothing; therefore duely I Claime both ſoule and body. Both are quit, As thou thy ſelfe ſhalt to thy griefe confeſſe; For I will prove him more indebted now Than e're he was before. To whom? To thee, Whom till he have diſcharg'd the utmoſt penny, The Bond's of no effect. And am I tripp'd? The Divell hath bragg'd he hath caught many a Frier, Now one hath caught the Divell. Am I cleare then? Yes, till thou pay'ſt him all his money downe, Which when thou doeſt th'art worthy to be damn'd. Inſert but that condition'mongſt the reſt, And I'le againe ſubſcribe; Gramercy Frier. Nay then I ſee vainely we Divells ſtand againſt the Church, they have ſtill the upper hand, I yeeld me vanquiſh'd; in the meame time Frier read And conceale. What, by a quid d it freed? by a quirke in the Law? by This I ſee the Divell's no good Lawyer: give me my deed, That I may ſee it cancell'd and undone: Ile teare it ſmall as Atomes, that no memory Of the leaſt Letter be reſerv'd as witneſſe Againſt my ſoule when I ſhall reſurvive; Nor ſhall I be at patience till I ſee This Parchment aſhes, and this horrid Writ Diſſolv'd to ſmoake and aire. Yet for my love, For all the good thou haſt receiv'd by me, For all my coſt and charges, large expence, As I acquit thee truely, ſo thou freely Lend me thine eare. Thy bounty hath deſerv'd it▪ To ſave a ſoule I know no Scrivener here That would not onely lend but give an eare. I am inform'd to th'full; if this be true, Divell, th' art honeſt, and ſhalt have thy due: Aſſociate me Frier Iohn. With all my heart, If this be Asteroth I ſo late invoakt, I never ſhall deſire His company, but on an empty ſtomacke. And ſhall I meet her there? Preſume thou ſhalt. The ſelfe ſame ſpirit? And enjoy her to: Doe thou but hazard as thou did'ſt before And doubt not, ſhe's thine owne. Subſtantially? As a contracted Bride and Bed-fellow. No difference in her ſhape and ornament? None. Thou canſt doe much with me, nor doe I Know beyond what bounds thy credence to extend: thou May'ſt prove falſe, but th'haſt bin yet my friend.