Rastell, John · published 1525 · first performed or written 1527 [c.1527-1530] (Annals) not in BritDrama unassigned nearest T19 Virtue, Fortune and Vice as abstractions · 528 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T19: virtue, fortune, virtues, honour, fame, vice, envy, world, pride, great.
Here I may walk and wander to and fro But I see not them which I would speak to Yes by road here we be both twain To whom thou dydyst promise to meet here again To dispute the question that we began which of us could prove him most gentleman Thou seydest thou heardest our arguments all so did I neither good nor substantial For thy foolish and pyvysh opinion was because of the great dominion Of the landis and rentis where to thou wast bore which thine ancestors had long time before Thou thinkest thyself a gentleman to be Ant that is a foolish reason seemeth ne For when adam dolf and eve span who was then a gentleman But than came the churl and gathered good And there began furst the gentle blood And I think verily ye do believe That we came all of adam and eve Then to speak by reason great possessions Make no gentlemen but gentle conditions That is the cause and best reason why One should be called a gentleman truly And forthermor mark well this reason then If a man's ancestors have be gentlemen And virtuous and good to common well That ought to be reputed never addle To the praise of the child which doth refuse Such good conditions & the contrary use But he ought to be dispraised the more Because his ancestors hath showed him before A precedent of gentleness & virtue which good example he doth not infew For the gentleness of hysblode clery In him doth decay & utterly die So he that useth conditions virtuous Though that his ancestors were vicious Ought not to be dispraised therefore But ought to be honoured & praised the more yet me thinketh more honour should be given To him which is of noble blood & kin Then if thou wilt look honoured to be Be cause of thy blood then mark well & see The vylyst beggar that goth by the door Had ye not both one god & creature ye cam of one furst stok & ꝓgenye Both of adam & eve ye will not deny The beggar & thou were both do wtles Lonseyvyd & born infylth & uncleanness Thy blood & the beggars of one colour be Thou art as apt to take sickness as he if thou be in the body wounded Thy flesh is as ill as his to be healed Alas I have known many or this So proud of their birth that all theyrlyffies would give them to no labour nor learning which brought them to miserable ending That in poverty wretchedly did die Or fallen to theft & hanged therefore full high So I say virtue & good conditions than Is that which maketh the very gentleman And though the father may bequeath to his son its riches his land & his possess yond yet may he nothyr give nor vequeth Unto him in no wise after his death His virtue nor his gentle conditions They can not descend as other possessions And if thou wilt be a gentleman needs Thou must then use virtue & gentle deeds
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)
Here I may walk and wander to and fro But I se not them whych I wold speke to Yes by rode here we be both twayn To whom thou dydyst promys to mete here agayn To dyspute the questyon that we began whych of us coud proue hym most gentylman Thou seydest thou hardyst our argumentes all so dyd I nother good nor substancy all For thy folysh and pyuysh oppynyon was because of the grete domynyon Of the landis and rentis wher to thou wast bore whych thyn auncestours had long tyme before Thou thynkyst thy self a gentylman to be Ant that is a folysh reason semyth ne For when adam dolf and eue span who was then a gentylman But then cam the churl and gederyd good And ther began furst the gentyll blood And I thynk verely ye do beleue That we cam all of adam and eue Then to speke by reason grete possessions Make no gentylmen but gentyl condycyons That is the cause and best reason why One shuld be callyd a gentylman truly And forthermor mark well this reason then If a mānis auncestours haue be gentylmen And verteous and good to commyn well That ought to be reputyd neuer adell To the prayse of the chylde whych doth refuse Such good cōdycyons & the cōtrary vse But he ought to be dyspraysyd the more Because hys auncestours hath shewid hym before A precedent of gentylnes & vertew whych good example he dothe not infew For the gentylnes of hysblode clery In hym doth decay & vtterly dye So he that vsyth cōdycyons verteous Though that hys auncestours were vycyous Ought not to be dyspraysyd therfore But ought to be honoryd & praysyd the more yet me thynkyth more honor shulde be gyffyn To hym whych ys of noble blood & kyn Then yf thou wylt loke honoured to be Be cause of thy blod then mark well & see The vylyst beggar that goth by the dore Had ye not both one god & creature ye cam of one furst stok & ꝓgenye Both of adam & eue ye wyll not denye The beggar & thou wer both do wtles Lonseyuyd & born infylth & vncleannes Thy blood & the beggars of one colour be Thou art as apt to take seknes as he yf thou be in the body woundyd Thy flessh is as yll as his to be helyd Alas I haue knowen many or thys So proud of theyr byrth that all theyrlyffys wold gyf them to no labour nor lernyng whych brought them to myserable endyng That in pouerte wrechydly dyd dye Or fallyn to theft & hangyd therfore full hye So I sey vertew & good cōdycyons than Is that whych makyth the very gentylman And though the fadyr may bequeth to hys son Hyts ryches hys land & hys possess yon yet may he nothyr gyf nor vequeth Unto hym in no wyse after hys deth Hys vertew nor hys gentyl cōdyeyons They can not descend as other possessyons And yf thou wylt be a gentylman nedys Thou must than vse vertew & gentyll dedys