The Nature of the Four Elements (Natura Naturata) · chunk 2 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 0.70 · 568 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T37: wealth, riches, money, god, rich, poverty, men, learning, poor, ic.
y●t is not this ●yches of thy getting Nor oughtyst not in reason to be praised the more For by other men's labour it is got before A great witted man may soon be enriched That laboryth and studyeth for riches only But how shall his conscyens than be discharged For all clerkis affirm that that man presysely which studyeth for his own wealth principally Of god shall deserve but little reward Except he the common wealth somewhat regard So they s●y that that man occupied is For a common wealth which is ever labouring To rel●ue poor people with temporal goods And that it is a common good act to bring People from vice and to use good living Like wise for a common wealth occupied is he That bringeth them to knowledge the yngnorant be But man to know god is a difficulty Except by a mean he himself enure which is to know god creaturys that be As furst them that be of the grosyst nature And than to know them that be more pure And so by little and little ascending To know god creaturys & marvelous werkinge And this wise man at the last shall come to The knowledge of god and his high majesty And so to learn to do his duty and also To deserve of his goodness partner to be wherefore in this work d●claryd shall ye see Furst of the element is the situation And of their effectis the call and generation And though some men thyn●e this matter to hy● And not meet for an audience unlearned Me think for man nothing more necessary Than this to know though it be not used Nor a matter more low can not be argued For though the elementis goddys creaturis be yet they be most gross and lowyst in degree How dare men presume to be called clerkis Dysputing of high creaturis celestial As things invisible and god high warkies And know not these visible things inferyall So they would know high things & know nothing at all Of the earth here whereon they daily be Nother the nature form nor quantity wherefore it seemeth nothing convenient A man to study and his time to be stowe Furst for the knowledge of high things excellent And of light matters beneath nothing to know As of these four elementis here below whose effectis daily appear here at eye Such things to know furst/ were most meet study which matter before your presence shortly In this interlude here shall be declared without great eloquence in rhyme rudely Because the compyler is but small learned This work with rhetoric is not adjourned For perhappis in this matter much eloquence Should make it tedious or hurt the sentence But because some folk be little disposed To sadness/ but more to mirth and sport This phylosophycall work is mixed with merry conseytis to give men comfort And occasion to cause them to resort To here this matter/ whereto if they take heed Some learning to them thereof may precede But they that shall now this matter declare Openly here unto this audience Be hold I pray you see where they are The pleyers begin to appear in presence I see well it is time for me to go hens And so I will do/ therefore now shortly To god I commit all this hole company
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)
yt is not this yches of thy gettynge Nor oughtyst not in reason to be preysyd ye more For by other mēnys labour it is got before ¶A great wytted man may sone be enrychyd That laboryth and studyeth for ryches only But how shall his cōscyens than be discharged For all clerkꝭ afferme that that man presysely whiche studyeth for his owne welth pryncypally Of god shall deserue but lytyll rewarde Ecept he the cōmyn welth somwhat regarde ¶So they sy that that man occupyed is For a cōmyn welth whiche is euer laborynge To relue pore people with temporall goodys And that it is a cōmyn good act to brynge People from vyce and to vse good lyuynge Lyke wyse for a cōmyn welth occupyed is he That bryngyth them to knowlege ye yngnorāt be ¶But man to knowe god is a dyffyculte Except by a meane he hym selfe inure whiche is to knowe goddꝭ creaturys that be As furst them that be of the grosyst nature And than to know them that be more pure And so by lytyll and lytyll ascendynge To know goddꝭ creaturys & meruelous werkīge ¶And this wyse man at the last shall come to The knowlege of god and his hye mageste And so to lerne to do his dewte and also To desere of his goodnes partener to be wherfore in this work dclaryd shall ye see Furst of the element is the sytuacyon And of their effectis the caule and generacyon ¶And though some mē thyne this matter to hy And not mete for an audyence vnlernyd Me thynke for man nothynge more necessary Than this to know though it be not vsyd Nor a matter more lowe can not be arguyd For though the elementis goddys creaturis be yet they be most grose and lowyst in degre ¶How dare men presume to be callyd clerkꝭ Dysputynge of hye creaturis celestyall As thyngys inuysyble and goddꝭ hye warkys And know not these vysyble thyngys inferyall So they wolde know hye thyngꝭ & know nothīge at all Of the yerth here wheron they dayly be Nother the nature forme nor quantyte ¶wherfore it semyth nothynge conuenyent A man to study and his tyme to be stowe Furst for the knowlege of hye thyngꝭ excellent And of lyght matters beneth nothynge to know As of these .iiij. elementis here below whose effectis dayly appere here at eye Such thīgꝭ to know furst / were most mete study ¶whiche matter before your presence shortly In this interlude here shall be declaryd without great eloquence ī ryme rudely Because the compyler is but small lernyd This worke with rethoryk is not adournyd For perhappis in this matter muche eloquence Sholde make it tedyous or hurt the sentence ¶But because some folke be lytyll disposyd To sadnes / but more to myrth and sport This phylosophycall work is myxyd with mery conseytis to gyue men cōfort And occasyon to cause them to resort To here this matter / wherto yf they take hede Some lernynge to them therof may ꝓcede ¶But they that shall nowe this matter declare Openly here vnto this audyence Be holde I prey you see where they are The pleyers begyn to appere in presence I se well it is tyme for me to go hens And so I wyll do / therfore now shortly To god I cōmyt all this hole company