Rastell, John · published 1525 · first performed or written 1527 [c.1527-1530] (Annals) not in BritDrama unassigned nearest T37 Riches, poverty and covetousness · 516 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T37: wealth, riches, money, god, rich, poverty, men, learning, poor, ic.
As touching myself I dare make compison Of as noble deeds as he hath any done For I am & have been one of the chivalry At the commandment of my prince ever redy And every time of war have be captain And leader of a. M. men or twain And with horse & harness spear and shield Have joydyd my body in every field The rentis of my lands have spend liberally And kept a great house continually And holp to ponyssh thieves & bribers alway To the great tranqaylyte of my contrary And you master merchant wit never take labour Except it be for your profit and lucoure Go to go to now master merchant There is a reason that giveth you a taunt I trow more than you can answer well Nay I iwis pyvysh & rude Jack javel I can make an answer so substantially where to neither of you is able to reply If thou canst answer my reason do That can I well do. P. Then go to fool go to I say the common well of every land In feet of marchauntdyse doth principally stand For if our commodities be uttered for nought In to strange landis and no riches brought Hydyr therefore/ we should come to beggary And all men dryffyn to life in misery Then we noble merchants that in this ream be what a great wealth to this land do we we utter our wares & by theirs good cheap And bryng them hyder that grete ꝓffet And pleasure daily cometh to this region Too all manner people that here do won furthermore ye see well with your eyes That of straying lands the commodities we have such need of them that be there That in no wise we may them for bear As oil sylkis frutis & spices also Gold silver yryn & other metal is more All drammys & drugs longing to physic which men must needs have when they be seek which in this ream can not well grow Our country is to cold & not hot I now wt out whych thyngis we shulde lyfe in mysery And oft times for lak of them we should die And I spend my studi & labour continually And cause such things to come hither daily For the comfort of this land & comen wealth And to all the people great, pffer & health And for such noble deeds reason will than That I ought to be called a noble man And neither of you both that here now be In nobleness may accompare with me Now well it by god's body well hit Of one that hath but lyttyll wit Answer me one word furst I pray the what is the noblest thing that can be what sayst thou thereto thy self let see Is not that the noblyst thing in deed That of all other things hath lest need As god which beynith etern in bliss Is not he the noblest thing that is yes marry no man in reason can that deny
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)
¶As touchyng my self I dare make compison Of as noble dedys as he hath any done For I am & haue ben one of the cheualry At the cōmaundement of my prynce euerredy And euery tyme of warr haue be captayn And leder of a .M. men or twayne And wt hors & harnes spere and sheld Haue Ioydyd my body in euery felde The rentꝭ of my landys haue spende lyberally And kept a grete house contynually And holp to ponyssh theuys & brybers alwey To the grete tranqaylyte of my contray And you maister merchaūt wyt neuer take labour Except it be for your ꝓffet and lucoure Go to go to now master marchaunt There is a reason that gyuyth you a taunt I trow more than you can answere well ¶Nay I wys pyvysh & rude Iak Iauell I can make an answere so substancyally wher to nother of you is able to reply If thou canst answere my reason do That can I well doo. P. Then go to fole go to I say the comyn well of euery land In fete of marchauntdyse doth pryncypally stand For if oure cōmoditees be vtteryd for nought In to strange landis and no ryches brought Hydyr therfore / we shuld come to beggary And all men dryffyn to lyf in mysery Thē we noble marchauntis that in this reame be what a grete welth to thys land do we we vtter our warys & by theyrs good chepe And bryng them hyder that grete ꝓffet And pleasure dayly cōmyth to this regyon Too all maner people that here do won Forthermore ye see well wt youre eyes That of straynge landis the cōmodytees we haue such nede of them that be there That in no wyse we may them for bere As oyle sylkis frutis & spyces also Golde syluer yryn & other metall is moo All drāmys & druggys longyng to physyke whych men must nedes haue when they be seke whych in thys reame can not well grow Our cōtrey is to colde & not hote I now wt out whych thyngis we shulde lyfe in mysery And oft tymes for lak of them we shulde dye And I spende my studi & labour contynually And cause such thyngis to come hyder dayly For the comfort of thys land & cōmen welth And to all the people grete, pffer & helth And for such noble dedys reason wyll than That I ought to be callyd a noble man And nother of you both that here now be In noblenes may accompare wt me Now well hit by goddes body well hit Of one that hath but lyttyll wyt Answere me one worde furst I pray the what is the noblest thynge that can be what saist thou therto thi self let see Is not yt the noblyst thyng in dede That of all other thyngis hath lest nede As god which beynith etern in blysse Is not he the noblest thyng yt is yes mary no man in reason can that deny