Rastell, John · published 1525 · first performed or written 1527 [c.1527-1530] (Annals) not in BritDrama unassigned nearest T37 Riches, poverty and covetousness · 473 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T37: wealth, riches, money, god, rich, poverty, men, learning, poor, ic.
That is a shameful opinion seemeth me For when I have laboured & by great study Got & purchased lands truly It is good reason that I have liberty To gift those lands to whom it liketh me Or ellis to let them descend lynyyally To my child or cousin of my blood most nigh For inheritance must needs be a good thing Because so much good thereof is proceeding Every man to his blood such love doth bear Because the land shall descend to his heir Be will build thereon & the land improw And make corn & grass to increase & grow Graft fruit set trecs & nourish timber And to increase fyssh make pondies with water Stok busshis & weeds which dystroy herbage And all barren ground bring to tillage And amend the high ways that be there about And do many other good deeds no doubt For the profit of his heirs that shallbe And for the common wealth of his country which things surely he would never intend if the land should not to his heir descend By thy reason no nothyr thing is meant But a good deed upon an evil intent when men for love or pride do such good deeds The devil therefore shall quit them their meeds whither god or the devil quit them therefore Is now to our purpose never the more For their myndis & intentꝭ no man can tell But touching in heritance this I wots well Much good cometh thereof & dayli doth grow Nay much Ill cometh thereof I shall prove how For these men that be of great possessions Unto their blood have such affections If any land like them that lieth nigh them Of their poor neghbors they will destroy them Or by extort means they will them compel The land for half the worth to them to sell And when they lake money they will alway Ever borrow & never willing to pay And when they shall die ye see the experience Few of them have remorse of consyens To make any manner restitution Of any land so wrongfully gotten Thou hast spoke fore against gentlemen But what sayst thou of marchaundꝭ than Many be good and worshipful also And many charitable deeds they do build churches & amend the high ways Make alms houses & help many decays But some be coverous & full falsely Get their good is by dysseyt & usury And when they have a. M. li. in their coffers They will rathyr suffer their neyghbers To starve for hunger & cold & to die Or they will gift to help them a penny And yet more over when any of them be promoted to rule or authority They dysdayn all learning law & reason And jug all by will & affection
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)
That is a shamefull opynyon semyth me For when I haue labouryd & by grete study Gat & purcheysyd landys truly It is good reason that I haue lyberte To gyfe those landis to whom it lyketh me Or ellꝭ to let them descend lynyyally To my chyld or cosyn of my blod most nye For inherytaunce must nedys be a good thyng Because so much good therof is ꝓcedyng Euery man to hys blod such loue doth bere Because the land shall descend to hys heyre Be wyll byld theron & the land improw And make corn & grasse to encrese & grow Graft frute set trecs & norysh tymber And to incresse fyssh make pondys wyth water Stok busshis & wedes whych dystroy herbage And all baren ground bryng to tyllage And amend the hye wayes that be ther about And do many other good dedis no dowt For the ꝓfet of hys heyrys that shalbe And for the cōmyn welth of his countre which thyngꝭ surely he wold neuer intend yf the land shuld not to hys heyre descend ¶By thy reason no nothyr thyng is ment But a good dede vppon an yuell intent when men for loue or pryd do such good dedis The dyuell therfore shall quyt thē theyr medys whyder god or the deuyll quyt them therfore Is now to our purpose neuer the more For theyr myndꝭ & intentꝭ no man can tell But touchyng in herytaunce thys I wot well Much good cōmyth therof & dayli doth grow Nay mych Ill cōmyth therof I shall proue how For these men that be of gret possessyons Unto theyr blod haue such affeccyons Yf any land lyke them that lyeth nye them Of theyr pore neghbors they wyll distroy them Or by extort meanys they wyll them compell The land for half the worth to them to sell And when they lake money they wyl alwey Euer borow & neuer wyllyng to pay And when they shall dye ye see the exꝑience Few of them haue remors of cōsyens To make any maner restytucyon Of any land so wrongfully gotton Thou hast spoke fore agayns gentylmen But what seyst thou of marchaundꝭ then Many be good and worshipful also And many charitable dedis they do Byld churchys & amend the hye ways Make almys howsys & help many decays But some be couerous & full falsely Get theyr good is by dysseyt & vsury And when they haue a .M. li. in theyr cofers They wyll rathyr suffer theyr neyghbers To sterue for hunger & cold & to dye Or they wyll gyfe to help them a peny And yet more ouer when any of them be Promotyd to rule or auctoryte They dysdayn all lernyng law & reason And Iugge all by wyll & affeccyon