Whetstone, George · published 1578 · first performed or written 1578 [1576-1579] (Annals) comedy · Unacted unassigned nearest T6 Money, debt and credit · 526 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T6: money, master, pound, law, lawyer, chain, gentleman, gold, pay, pray.
See how we are croft: we thought the King for pleasure, Came to visit us: when to his pain, And our plagues, I fear he bestows his leisure. To hear the wrongs, of such as will complain Of any man: But the sport is to see Us Officers, one look of another: I at Lord Promos, Lord Promos at me, The Lawyers, at the Sheriff and Mayor. They gaze as much on the ruling Lawyer. For to be plain, the clearest of all, Peccavi sing, to hear the grievous call, Against Usury, brybrie, and barrating, Suborning, extortion, and boulstring. Some faults are heard, some by Proclamation stay, Before the King, to be heard on Fridaye. I yet have scaped, and hope to go scot-free: But so, or not, whilst leisure serves me. To have my a answers fresh if I be cauld, Of merry mates, I have a meeting stauld, To whom my senses, to refresh I wend, Who gets a pace as merrily may spend. As thou complain'st, against all equity, Holds Phallax thy house, by this extremity? Yea sure, and he hath bound me so subtly, As less you help, law yields me no remidy. Well, what say you? is Phallax money paid? Save five pound Sir: For which your bend is stayed. Nay marry, the same I would gladly pay, But my bond for the forfeit he doth stay. Summum Ius, I see, is Summa Imuria: So these wrongs must be salved some other way. Yea, more than this, most men say: What? To be plain, he keeps Mistress Lamia. Admit be do, what help have you by this? Yes marry, it proves, a doudle knave he is: A covetous churl, and a lecher too. Well, well, honest men, for your witness go, And as on proof, I find your injuries. So I will move, the king for remedies. We thank your honour. 'tis more than strange, to see with honest show, What fowl deceits, lewd officers can hide: In every case, their craft, they colour so, As still they have, stryckt law upon their side. These cunning thieves, with law, can Lordships steal, When for a sheep, the ignorant are trust: Yea, who more rough, with small offenders deal, Then these false men, to make themselves seem just? The tyrant Phallaris, was praised in this, When Perillus the brazen torment made: He found the wretch, straight ways in some amiss, And made him first, the scourge thereof taste: A just reward for such as do present An other's fault, himself, the guiltyest man. Well, to our weal, our gracious king is bend, To taste these thieves, to use what means he can. But as at Cheastes, though skilful players play, Skyllesse vewers, may see, what they omit: So though our king, in searching judgement may, Guess at their faults, which secret wrongs commit: Yet for to judge, by truth, and not by aim, Myself in chief, his highness doth auctorise, On proof for to return who merits blame, And as I find, so he himself will punish: So that to use, my charge indifferently, My clients wrongs, I will with witness try.
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)
Sée howe we are croft: we thought the King for pleaſure, Came to viſite vs: when to his paine, And our plagues, I feare he beſtowes his leyſure. To heare the wronges, of ſuch as wyll complaine Of any man: But the ſport is to ſée Vs Officers, one looke of another: I at Lorde Promos, Lorde Promos at mée, The Lawiers, at the Shriefe and Maior. They gaſe aſmuch on the ruling Lawier. For to be plaine, the cleareſt of all, Peccaui ſyng, to heare the grieuous call, Againſt Vſurie, brybrie, and barrating, Suborning, extorcion, and boulſtring. Some faultes are hearde, ſome by Proclamation ſtaye, Before the King, to be hearde on Fridaye. I yet haue ſcapte, and hope to go ſcotfrée: But ſo, or no, whylſt leyſure ſerues mée. To haue my a anſwers freſh if I be cauld, Of merry mates, I haue a meetyng ſtauld, To whome my ſences, to refreſh I wend, Who gets a pace as meryly may ſpend. As thou complaynſt, agaynſt all equity, Houldes Phallax thy houſe, by this extremity? Yea ſure, and he hath bound me ſo ſubtylly, As leſſe you helpe, lawe yeeldes mee no remidy. Well, what ſay you? is Phallax mony payd? Saue fyue pound Syr: For which your bend is ſtayde. Nay mary, the ſame I would gladly pay, But my bonde for the forfeyt he doth ſtay. Summum Ius, I ſée, is Summa Imuria: So theſe wronges muſt be ſalued ſome other way. Yea, more then this, moſt men ſay: What? To be playne, he kéepes Miſtris Lamia. Admyt be doe, what helpe haue you by this? Yes mary, it prooues, a doudle knaue he is: A couetous churle, and a lecher too. Well, well, honeſt men, for your witneſſe go, And as on proofe, I fynde your iniuries. So I wyl moue, the king for remedyes. We thanke your honour. Tys more then ſtraunge, to ſée with honeſt ſhow, What fowle deceytes, lewde officers can hyde: In euery caſe, their crafte, they collour ſo, As ſtyll they haue, ſtryckt lawe vpon their ſide. Theſe cunning Théeues, with lawe, can Lordſhips ſteale, When for a ſheepe, the ignoraunt are truſt: Yea, who more rough, with ſmall offenders deale, Then theſe falſe men, to make themſelues ſeeme iuſt? The tirant Phallaris, was prayſed in this, When Perillus the braſen torment made: He founde the wretch, ſtrayght wayes in ſome amys, And made him firſt, the ſcourge thereof taſte: A iuſt reward for ſuch as doe preſent An others fault, himſelfe, the guiltyeſt man. Well, to our weale, our gratious king is bent, To taſte theſe theeues, to vſe what meanes he can. But as at Cheaſtes, though ſkylfull players play, Skylleſſe vewers, may ſee, what they omyt: So though our king, in ſearching Iudgement may, Geſſe at their faultes, which ſecret wronges commit: Yet for to iudge, by trueth, and not by ame, My ſelfe in cheefe, his highneſſe doth auctoriſe, On proofe for to returne who meryts blame, And as I fynde, ſo he himſelfe will puniſh: So that to vſe, my charge indyfferently, My Clyents wronges, I wyll with wytneſſe trye.