Woodes, Nathaniel · published 1581 · first performed or written 1572 [1570-1581] (Annals) moral T5 Christian faith, sin and salvation typicality 0.78 · 498 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T5: god, christ, david, sin, holy, israel, lord, mercy, sins, faith.
Saw you ever the like of this doubting dolt? It grieves me to hear how faint hearted he is, A little would cause me to kill thee, thou Ascoulte: See, see, for woe he is like for to piss: To give an attempt, what a fellow were this? But this is the good that cometh of Covetousness He liveth always in fear to lose his riches. Again, mark how he regardeth the death of his friend So he hath his purpose, he cares for no more, A perfect pattern of a covetous mind, Which neither esteemeth his friend nor his foe, But rather Avarice might I have said: Who if he were gone, myself could defend, Where thou by his absence wert soon at an end. O Loving Father and merciful God, We through our sins thy punishment deserve, And have provoked to beat with thy rod: We stubborn Children, which from thee do swerve: We loathed thy word, but now we shall starve: For Hypocrisy is placed again in this land, And thy true Gospel as exile doth stand. This is thy just judgement for our offence, Who having the light, in darkness did stray, But now if thou wouldest of thy fatherly benevolence: Thy purposed judgements in wrath for to stay: The part of the prodigal Son we would play: And with bitter tears before thee would fall, And in true repentance for mercy would call. In our prosperity we would not regard, The words of the Preachers, who threatened the same, But flattering ourselves, thought thou wouldest have spared Us in thy mercy, and never us blame: But so much provoked thee, by blaspheming thy name: In deeds to deny, that in words we maid, That from thy justice thou couldst not restrain. So that Romish Pharaoh a Tyrant most cruel, Hath brought us again into captivity, And instead of the pure flood of thy Gospel: Hath poisoned our souls with devilish Hypocrisy: Unable to maintain it, but by murdering Tyranny: Seeking rather the fleece, than the health of the Sheep, Which are appointed for him for to keep. Lo Avarice, hark what a Traitor is here, Against our holy Father this language to use: I might have hard more if I would him forbear: But for grief my ears burn to hear him abuse His tongue in this manner: wherefore no excuse, Shall purchase favour but that with all speed, By Sword I will render, to him his due meed. Wherfore, thou ant, wh thou hast the, Pray to the Saints, thy spokesmen to be, That at God's hand, from this thy great crime: By their intercession, thou may be set free: Nay hearest thou Tyranny be ruled by mee: First cut of his head, and then let him pray, So shall he be sure, vs not to ray. O wicked Tyranny, thou impe of the Devil, Too joyful tidings to thee have I brought, For now thou are imbouldened, to practise all evil:
seed 43: T4 · seed 44: T5 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Saw you euer the lyke of this doubting doult? It gréeues mée to heare how faint harted he is, A litle would cauſe me to kill thee, thou Aſcoulte: See, ſee, for woe he is lyke for to piſſe: To giue an attempt, what a fellow were this? But this is the good that commeth of Couetouſneſſe He liueth alway in feare to looſe his riches. Againe, marke how he regardeth the death of his friend So he hath his purpoſe, he cares for no moe, A perfect patterne of a couetous mynd, Which neither eſtéemeth his friend nor his foe, But rather Auarice might I haue ſaideſ: Who if he were gone, my ſelfe could defende, Where thou by his abſence wert ſoone at an eude. O Louing Father and mercifull God, We through our ſinnes thy puniſhment deſerue, And haue prouoked to beat with thy rod: We ſtubborne Children, which from thée doo ſwerue: We loathed thy worde, but now we ſhall ſterue: For Hypocriſie is placed againe in this lande, And thy true Goſpell as exile doth ſtande. This is thy iuſt iudgement for our offence, Who hauyng the light, in darkneſſe did ſtraie, But now if thou wouldeſt of thy fatherly benuolence: Thy purpoſed iudgements in wrath for to ſtay: The part of the prodigall Sonne we would play: And with bitter teares before thée would fall, And in true repentaunce for mercy would call. In our proſperitie we woulde not regard, The wordes of the Preachers, who threatned the ſame, But flattering our ſelues, thought yu wouldeſt haue ſpared Vs in thy mercy, and neuer vs blame: But ſo much prouoked thée, by blaſphemynge thy name: Indeeds to deny, that in words we maye, That from thy Iuſtice thou couldſt not reſtraine. So that Romiſh Pharao a Tirant moſt cruell, Hath brought vs againe into captiuytie, And inſtead of the pure of thy Goſpell: Hath poyſoned our ſoules with iueliſh Hypocriſie: Vnable to maintaine it, but by murthering Tiranny: Séeking rather the , then the health of the Shéepe, Which are appointed for him for to kéepe. Loe Auarice, harke what a T is héere, Againſt our holy Father this to vſe: I might haue harde more if I would him forbeare: But for gréefe my ea to heare him abuſe His tongue in this maner: wherfore no excuſe, Shall purchaſe fauour but that with all ſpeede, By Sword I will render, to him his due méede. Wherfore, thou ant, wh thou haſt the, Pray to the Saintes, thy ſpokeſmen to bée, That at Gods hand, from this great : By their interceſſion, thou may be et frée: Nay heareſt thou be by : Firſt cut of his head, and then let him pray, So ſhall he be ſure, vs not to ray. O wicked Tyranny, thou of the Deuill, Too ioyfyll tidinges to thee haue I brought, For now thou are , to prae all euill: