Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T37: wealth, riches, money, god, rich, poverty, men, learning, poor, ic.
What old friend Courage, art thou so near hand, Marry I will show thee, how the matter doth stand. As I walked along, through by the street, By such ways as mine affairs did lie: It was my chance with a preacher to meet, Whose company to have I did not deny, And as we two together did walk, Amongst other communication we had, The Preacher broke out with reproachable talk: Saying that we citizens were all to bad, Some of us he sayeth are greedy guts all: And evil members of a common wealth, He sayeth we care not whom we bring to thrall, Neither have we regard unto our soul's health, His talk I confess my conscience did nip, Wherefore no longer I would him abide, But suddenly I gave him the slip, And crossed the way to the other side. So alone I let master Preacher walk, And here by chance I stumbled in. And art thou so foolish for any such talk, To cease or stay thy wealth for to win. Serra, he cried out of excessive gain, Saying when any of our wares have need, Then do we hoist them up to their pain, And commonly make them pay for their speed. I perceive that fellow was hot of the spirit, He would not have you take time while time is, If ye follow his council, he will beggar you quite, But what answer didst thou give him to this? Why thou knowest my quality is such, That by contrary talk, I use no man to blame, For although often my doings they touch, Yet my talk always to the time I frame. When he said excessive gainers were ill, I said for them it was a shame. And in all things else, I pleased his will: And so I feigned myself without blame. Thou dost wisely therein, I commend thee therefore, For whatever thou think, yet say as they do, So shalt thou have their favours evermore, And that was no blame thou shalt come unto. Yea but truly his words did my conscience prick, Of me he did so unhappily guess, I promise she he touched me unto the quick, For that in gaining I used excess. My conscience doth tell me, I have done amiss, And of long time I have gone astray, And a thousand witnesses the conscience is, As Sallust in most plain words doth say. Why doltish patch, art thou so unwise, To quail for the saying of such a knave, Thou knowest all the world will thee despise, And a-begging thou mayst go, if that nought thou have. And how shalt thou have aught, If thy gain be not great? Consider this well in thy mind, Remember thy house, and thy wife that peat, Must still be kept in their costly kind: Therefore take the time, while the time doth serve, Tide tarrieth no man, this thou dost know, If thy goods decay, then mayst thou starve, So doing thou seekest thine own overthrow.
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)
¶What old friend Corage, arte thou so nere hand, Marry I will shew thée, how the matter doth stand. As I walked along, through by the stréete, By such wayes as mine affayres did lie: It was my chaunce with a preacher to méete, Whose company to haue I did not deny, And as we two together did walke, Amongest other communication we had, The Preacher brake out with reprocheable talke: Saying that we cittizens were all to bad, Some of vs he sayeth are gréedy guttes all: And uell members of a common welth, He sayeth we care not whome we bring to thrall, Neyther haue we regard vnto our soules health, His talke I confesse my conscience did nip, Wherefore no longer I would him abide, But sodenly I gaue him the slip, And crossed the way to the other syde. So alone I let mayster Preacher walke, And here by chaunce I stombled in. ¶And arte thou so foolish for any such talke, To cease or stay thy welth for to win. ¶Serra, he cried out of excessiue gayne, Saying when any of our wares haue néede, Then doe we hoyst them vp to their payne, And commonly make them pay for their spéede. ¶I perceiue that fellow was hote of the spirite, He would not haue you take time while time is, If ye follow his councell, he will begger you quite, But what aunswere diddest thou geue him to this? ¶Why thou knowest my quallity is such, That by contrary talke, I vse no man to blame, For although often my dooinges they touch, Yet my talke alwayes to the tyme I frame. When he sayd excessiue gayners were ill, I sayd for them it was a shame. And in all thinges else, I pleased his will: And so I fayned my selfe without blame. ¶Thou doste wisely therein, I commend thée therefore, For what euer thou thinke, yet say as they doe, So shalte thou haue their fauoures euermore, And that wa no blame thou shalt come vnto. ¶Yea but truely his wordes did my conscience prick, Of me he did so vnhappely gesse, I promise shée he touched me vnto the quick, For that in gayning I vsed excesse. My conscience doth tell me, I haue done amisse, And of long time I haue gone astray, And a thousand witnesses the conscience is, As Salust in moste playne wordes doth say. ¶Why dotish patch, arte thou so vnwise, To quayle for the saying of such a knaue, Thou knowest all the world will thée despyse, And a begging thou mayst goe, if that naught thou haue. And how shalt thou haue ought, If thy gayne be not great? Consider this well in thy minde, Remember thy house, and thy wife that peate, Must still be kept in their costly kinde: Therefore take the time, while the time doth serue, Tyde taryeth no man, this thou doste know, If thy goods decay, then mayst thou sterue, So dooing thou séekest thine own ouerthrow.