The Nature of the Four Elements (Natura Naturata) · chunk 1 of 19
Rastell, John · published 1520 · first performed or written 1517 [c.1517-c.1518] (Annals) not in BritDrama T37 Riches, poverty and covetousness typicality 0.75 · 563 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T37: wealth, riches, money, god, rich, poverty, men, learning, poor, ic.
th'abundant grace of the power divine which doth illumine the world invyron Preserve this audience and cause them to incline To charity this is my petition For by your pac●●ns and supportation A little interlude late made and prepared Before your presence here shall be declared which of a f●w conclusions is contrived And poyntis of philosophy natural But though the matter be not so well declared As a great clerk could do nor so substantial yet the author hereof requireth you all Though he be yngnorant and ca● little skill To regard his only intent and good will which in his mind hath oft times pondered what number of bokis in our tongue maternal Of joys and tryfellies be made and imprinted And few of th●m of matter substantial For though m●●y make bokis yet uneatheth ye shall In our englyshe tonge fynde any warkꝭ Of cunning that is regarded by clerkis The grek● th● romayns with many other more In their mother tongue wrote warkis excellent Than if clerkis in this r●alm● would take pain so Consydering that our tongue is now sufficient ●o expoun any hard sentence evident ●hey might if they would in our english tongue ●ryt● works of gravity sometime among For diverse pr●●gnaunt wytt● 〈◊〉 this land ●s well of noble men as of mean estate ●othynge but ●nglyshe can understands if cunning latin books were translate english w●l corr●●t and approbate in english might be l●rnyd other people in their own tongis did about now so i● is that in our english tongue one th●r● is that can but read & write will oft presume among to compile and balatꝭ to endite Some o● love or other matter not worth a mite Some to opteyn favour will flatter and gloze Some write curious termꝭ nothing to purpose Thus every man after his fantasy will write his conseyte be it never so rude Be it virtuous vicious wisdom or folly wherefore to my purpose thus I conclude why should not th●● the author of this interlude Utter his own●●antesy and conseyte also As well as diverse other now a days do For wisdom and folly is as it is take For the one calleth wisdom a nother calleth folly y●t among most folk that man is holdyn most wise/ which to be rich studyeth only But he that for a common wealth busily Studyeth and laboryth and liveth by god law Except he wax rich men count him but a daw So he that is rich is ever honoured All though he have got it never so falsely The poor being never so wise is reproved This is the opinion most commynly Thorough out the world/ and yet no reason why Therefore in my mind when that all such dawis Have babbled what they can no force of ii strawis For every man in reason thus aught to do To labour for his own necessary living And than for the wealth of his neighbour also But what dyvylish mind have they which musing And labouring all their lyffꝭ do no nother thing But bring riches to their own possession Nothing regarding their neighbours destruction yet all the riches in the world that is ●ysyth of the ground by God's sending And by the labour of poor men's hands And though thou rich man have thereof the keeping
seed 43: T35 · seed 44: T34 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
THaboūdant grace of the power deuyne whiche doth illumyne ye world inuyron Peserue this audyēce and cause them to inclyne To charyte this is my petycyon For by your pacns and supportacyon A lytyll inerlude late made and preparyd Before your presence here shall be declaryd ¶whiche of a fw conclusyons is contriuyd And poyntꝭ of phylosophy naturall But though the mattr be not so well declaryd As a great clerke coude do nor so substancyall yet the auctour hereof requiryth you all Though he be yngnorant and ca lytyll skyll To regarde his only intent and good wyll ¶whiche in his mynde hath oft tymes ponderyd what nombre of bokꝭ in our tonge maternall Of ioyes and tryfellys be made and impryntyd And few of thm of matter substancyall For though my make bokꝭ yet vnneth ye shall In our englyshe tonge fynde any warkꝭ Of connynge that is regardyd by clerkꝭ ¶The grek th romayns with many other mo In their moder tonge wrot warkꝭ excellent Than yf clerkꝭ in this ralm wolde take payn so Consyderyng that our tonge is now suffycyent o expoun any hard sentence euydent hey myght yf they wolde in our englyshe tonge ryt workys of grauyte somtyme amonge ¶For dyuers prgnaunt wytt this lande s well of noble men as of meane estate othynge but nglyshe can vnderstand yf connynge laten bokys were translate englyshe wl corrt and appobate in englyshe myght be lrnyd othr people in their owne tongꝭ dyd But now so i is that in our englyshe tonge one thr is that can but rede & wryte wyll oft presume amonge to compyle and balatꝭ to indyte Some o loue or other matter not worth a myte Some to opteyn fauour wyll flatter and glose Some wryte curyous termꝭ nothyng to purpose ¶Thus euery man after his fantesye wyll wryte his conseyte be it neuer so rude Be it vertuous vycyous wysedome or foly wherfore to my purpose thus I conclude why shold not th the auctour of this interlude Utter his own antesy and conseyte also As well as dyuers other now a dayes do ¶For wysdom and foly is as it is takyn For ye one callyth wysedome a nother callyth foly yt amonge moste folke that man is holdyn moste wyse / whiche to be ryche studyeth only But he that for a cōmyn welth bysyly Studyeth and laboryth and lyuyth by goddꝭ law Except he wax ryche men count hym but a daw ¶So he that is ryche is euer honouryd All though he haue got it neuer so falsely The pore beynge neuer so wyse is reprouyd This is the oppynyon moste cōmynly Thorowe out the worlde / and yet no reason why Therfore in my mynd whan that all suche dawis Haue babelyd what they cā no force of .ii. strawis ¶For euery man in reason thus ought to do To labour for his owne necessary lyuynge And than for the welth of his neyghbour also But what dyuylish mynd haue they which musīg And labouryng all their lyffꝭ do no nother thyng But brīge ryches to their owne possessyon Nothyng regardīge their neyghbours distrucciō ¶yet all the ryches in the worlde that is ysyth of the grounde by goddys sendynge And by the labour of pore mennys handys And though thou rych mā haue therof ye kepynge