Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T6: money, master, pound, law, lawyer, chain, gentleman, gold, pay, pray.
There is a poor knave by me hath a piece of ground, Not worth by year past three or four pound, And I have at the villain such hate and spite That I would have it from him although it be his right: The land lieth so handsomely at the back side of my house, That I am as greedy thereof as cat of a mouse. By what right and title do you the same claim? His name is Nicholas, we are both of one name: But no kin at all I am sure he is to me. Yet though my title be nought I will weary him with money: The law is open I am sure for every man: Marry let him make his plea as well as he can: Do not many give over their titles in a year, Some for want of money, and some for very fear. Is here all the title you have good man Nicholl? Thou carest not so thou hast it what becomes of thy fall. So that I have it I care not for hereafter, When I am dead and rotten, it willbe good for my children. It is a good wind that blows no man to evil, But happy are those children whose father goes to the devil: No good plea herein I think thou canst invent. Do you not think that I have feigned a dissent, And thereby claim a right that never was before, The rich may soon overcome the moneyless and the poor: And yet that I shall lose it, I surely am afraid, Unless you cause judgement the next term to be stayed. I will get it stayed, I have thee now promised: But in the mean space see that you have writings forged, And also false witnesses two or three at the lest, Who may swear if need be thou hast bought his interest. And this way thou art sure to have thy desire, Go about thy business, dry wood soon catcheth fire. Marry Sir this is the way that must needs prevail, I thank you Sir heartily for telling me this tale. I wis Sin my purse begins to fill, Nay, it willbe fuller if you may have your will. another suitor there is I hear him knock amain, Shall he come in Sir to tell his grief and pain? To come to me quickly see that he do not spare, If he comes from Money, well falls out his share. Sir I have a petition to your Lordship to make, Trusting you willbe good to me for master moneys sake. Thou canst not come for any thing to me But I will do it gladly for the love of money. I have a present here not worthy for you to receive, But I give you with all my heart even such as I have: An hundredth Dirige groats, they be good silver and old, I have kept them so long they begin for to mould.
nodes 1190–1237 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 25 of 32 in this edition
Length
501 words · 585 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T6 — Money, debt and creditcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.815 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T9 · seed 44: T10 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
¶ There is a poore knaue by me hath a piece of grounde, Not worth by yeere past three or foure pounde, And I haue at the villaine such hate and spite That I would haue it from him although it be his right: The lande lyeth so handsomely at the backe side of my house, That I am as greedie thereof as cat of a mouse. ¶ By what right and tytle do you the same claime? ¶ His name is Nicholas, we are both of one name: But no kinne at all I am sure he is to me. Yet though my tytle be nought I will wearie him with money: The lawe is open I am sure for euerie man: Mary let him make his plee as well as he can: Doe not manie giue ouer their tytles in a yeare, Some for want of money, and some for verie feare. ¶ Is here all the tytle you haue good man Nicholl? Thou carest not so thou hast it what becomes of thy fall. ¶ So that I haue it I care not for hereafter, When I am dead and rotten, it wilbe good for my children. ¶ It is a good winde that blowes no man to euill, But happie are those children whose father goes to the deuill: No good plee herein I thinke thou canst inuent. ¶ Doe you not thinke that I haue fayned a dissent, And thereby claime a right that neuer was before, The riche may soone ouercome the moneyles and the poore: And yet that I shall loose it, I surely am afrayed, Unles you cause iudgement the next terme to be stayed. ¶ I will get it stayed, I haue thee nowe promised: But in the meane space see that you haue writings forged, And also false witnesses two or three at the lest, Who may swere if neede be thou hast bought his interest. And this way thou art sure to haue thy desire, Go about thy busines▪ drie wood soone catcheth fire. ¶ Mary Sir this is the way that must needes preuaile, I thanke you Sir hartily for telling me this tale. ¶ I wis Sinne my purse beginnes to fill, ¶ Nay, it wilbe fuller if you may haue your will. An other sewter there is I heare him knocke amayne, Shall he come in Sir to tell his griefe and payne? ¶ To come to me quickly see that he do not spare, If he comes from Money, well falls out his share. ¶ Sir I haue a petition to your Lordship to make, Trusting you wilbe good to me for master moneyes sake. ¶Thou canst not come for any thing to me But I will do it gladly for the loue of money. ¶ I haue a present here not worthie for you to receyue, But I giue you with all my heart euen such as I haue: An hundreth Dirige grotes▪ they be good siluer and olde, I haue kept them so long they begin for to moulde.