Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T39: conscience, lucre, usury, lucar, fraud, dissimulation, simony, london, lady, nemo.
Faith I have proved an hundred such ways, For when I could not thrive by all other trades, I became a squire to wait upon jades. But then was then, and now is now, so let that pass, I am as thou seest me, what care? the devil what I was. Y say you go to London, in faith haue with you than. Nay come and go with me, good honest man: For if thou go with him, he will teach thee all his knavery, there is none will go with him that hath any honesty. A bots on thy motley beard, I know thee thou art Dissimulation, And hast thou got an honest man's coat to semble this fashion? I'll tell thee what, thou wilt even semble & cog with thine own father: A couple of false knaves together, a thief and a broker: thou mak'st towns folk believe thou art an honest man in the country, yet dost nothing but cog, lie, and foist with hypocrisy. You shall be hanged together and go alone together for me, For if I should go the folks would say, we were knaves all three. Friend Usury, I think we are well-near at our journeys end: But knowest thou whom I have espied? No. Fraud our great friend. And I see another that is now come into my remembrance. Who is that? marry M. Dame Dissimulation, a good helper, and our old acquaintance. Now all the cards in the stock are dealt about, the four knaves in a cluster comes ruffling out. What Fraud and Dissimulation happily found out, I marvel what piece of work you two go about? Faith sir we met by chance, and towards London are bent And to London we high it is our chiefest intent, to see if we can get entertainment of the Ladies or no. And for the self same matter even thither we go. Then we are luckily well met, & seeing we wish all for one thing, I would we our wills and wishing might win. Yes they will be sure to win the devil and all, Or else they'll make a man to spew out his gall: O that vile Usury, he lent my father a little money, & for breaking one day, He took the feesimple of his house and mill quite away: And yet he borrowed not half a quarter so much as it cost, But I think if it had been but a shilling it had been lost: So he killed my father with sorrow, and undid me quite, And you deal with him sirs, you shall find him a knave full of spite, And Simon I pierce I. Simony too, he is a knave for the nonce, He loves to have twenty livings at once: And if he let an honest man as I am to have one, He'll let it so dear that he shall be undone. And he seeks to get Parsons livings into his hand, And puts in some odd dunce that to his payment will stand: So, if the parsonage be worth forty or fifty pound a year, He will give one twenty nobles to mumble service once a month there. What rascal is he, that speaks by us such villainy?
seed 43: T41 · seed 44: T39 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Faith I haue prooued an hundred such wayes, For when I could not thriue by all other trades, I became a squire to waie vpon ades. But then was then, and now is now, so let that passe, I am as thou seest me, what care? the diuell what I was. Y say you go to London, in faith haue with you than. Nay come and go with me, good honest man: For if thou goe with him, he will teach thee all his knauerie, there is none will go with him that hath anie honestie. A bots on thy maley beard, I know thee thou art Dissimulation, And hast thou got an honest mans coate to semble this fashion? Ile tell thee what, thou wilt euen semble & cog with thine own father: A couple of false knaues together, a theefe and a broker: thou makst townes folk beleeue thou art an honest man in the country▪ yet dost nothing but cog, lye, and foyst with hypocrisie. You shall be hanged together and go alone together for mee, For if I should go the folkes would say, we were knaues all three. Freend Usurie, I thinke we are welneare at our iournies end: But knowest thou whom I haue espied? No. Fraud our great freend. And I see another that is now come into my remembrance. Who is that? Mary M. Daie Dissimulation, a good helper, and our olde acquaintance. Now all the cards in the stocke are dealt about, the foure knaues in a cluster comes ruffling out. What Fraud and Dissimulation happely found out, I meruaile what peece of worke you two goe about? Faith sir we met by chance, and towards London are ben And to London we hye it is our chiefest intent, to see if we can get entertainment of the Ladies or no. And for the selfe same matter euen thether we goe. Then we are luckely well met, & seing we wish al for one thing, I would we our wills and wishing might winne. Yes they will be sure to winne the diuell and all, Or else theyle make a man to spue out his gall: O that vile Usury, he lent my father a little mony, & for breking one day, He tooke the seesimple of his house and mill quite away: And yet he borrowed not halfe a quarter so much as it cost, But I thinck if it had been but a shilling it had been lost: So he kild my father with sorrow, and vndid me quite, And you deale with him sirs, you shall finde him a knaue full of spight, And Simon I perse I. Symonie too, he is a knaue for the nonce, He loues to haue twentie liuings at once: And if he let an honest man as I am to haue one, Hle let it so deare that he shall be vndone. And he seekes to get Parsons liuings into his hand, And puts in some odd dunce that to his paiment will stand: So, if the parsonage be worth fortie or fiftie pound a yere, He will giue one twentie nobles to mumble seruice once a month there. What rascall is he, that speakes by vs such villanie?