Rastell, John · published 1525 · first performed or written 1527 [c.1527-1530] (Annals) not in BritDrama unassigned nearest T37 Riches, poverty and covetousness · 472 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T37: wealth, riches, money, god, rich, poverty, men, learning, poor, ic.
That reason is so great no man can debar Nevertheless that churllysh knave that carter After his fond opinion thinketh thus Himself more gentleman than us And therein he lieth for by expiens we see That gentle conditions most comenly be In them that be of noble blood borne For take twenty carters which never were before acquainted let them be to guider Take twenty straying gentlemen in like manner These churlish carters I dare well say will not agree to guider scant one day wt out chydyng quarrellyng or fyghtyng ychone will steal from other and be pyking And strife which of them at the skot shall pay lest And endeavour them who can play the knave best But these gentlemen I warrant you will study who can show to other most courtesy And of their gentleness will pfer to pay For the other and show what pleasures they may So touching gentleness I say surely Men of great birth use it most comynly There can be no truer saying nor sentence And the cause thereof we see by expience For these poor wretches that have no thing Must be nygardies churlyth and spayring But gentlemen be taught to be liberal And so they may be for they have where with all And as touching nobleness that argument which the ploughman made late puyth evident That gentlemen borne to land must needs be For suffyency of most nobility For beside God's gifts of grace & of nature As wit and bodily stryngh yet they be sure Of other riches as of land and rent To avoid need so they be more sufficient of themself than other poor people doubtless Then if need of strange help cause wretchedness And suffysauns be cause wretchedness A better reason no man can devise And yet farther I think likewise He that hath great abundance of riches May use liberality and gentleness And also it is ever necessary That some life in wealth and some in misery And let churllies babble and say what they will Hit hath been so ever and will be so still For it is almighty God's purveyance wise men of fools to have the governance And they that rule well I beseech Ihesu Send them good life & long to continue ye soferayns all discrete & excellent Before whom this dialog showed hath be Touching three points by weigh of argument Furst what is gentleness & what nobility And who should be chose to high authority This questions they be so high and sottell Few dare pnsume to define them well Yet I think now under your corrections The thing that maketh a gentleman to be is but virtue & gentle conditions which as well in poor men oft times we see As in men of great birth of high degree
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 reason is so grete no man can debarr Neuertheles that churllysh knaue that carter After hys fond oppynyon thynkyth thus Hymselfe more gentylman than us And therin he lyeth for by expiens we see That gentyl cōdycyons most com̄enly be In them that be of noble blode borne For take .xx. carters whych neuer were beforne Aquayntyd let them be to gyder Take .xx. straynge gentylmen in lyke maner These churlysh carters I dare well say wyll not agre to gyder skant one day wt out chydyng quarrellyng or fyghtyng ychone wyll stele from other and be pykyng And stryfe whych of them at the skot shall pay lest And indeuer them who can play the knaue best But these gentylmen I warant you wyll study who can shew to other most curtesy And of theyr gentylnes wyll pfer to pay For the other and shew what pleasurs they may So touchyng gentylnes I say surely Men of grete byrth vse it most com̄ynly There can be no truer saying nor sentence And the cause therof we see by expience For these pore wretches that haue no thyng Must be nygardys churlyth and spayryng But gentylmen be taught to be lyberall And so they may be for they haue where wt all And as touchyng noblenes that argument whych the plowman made late puyth euydent That gentylmen borne to land must nedys be For suffyency of most nobylyte For besyde goddys gyfts of grace & of nature As wyt and bodely stryngh yet they be sure Of other ryches as of land and rent To auoyd nede so they be more suffycyent of them self than other pore people doutles Then yf nede of straunge helpe cause wrechydnes And suffysauns be cause wrechydnes A better reason no man can deuyse And yet farther I thynk lykewyse He that hath grete haboundance of ryches May vse lyberalyte and gentylnes And also it is euer necessary That some lyfe in welth and some in mysery And let churllys bable and say what they wyll Hit hath ben so euer and wyll be so styll For it is almyghty goddys purueaunce wyse men of folys to haue the gouernaunce And they that rule well I beseech Ihesu Send them good lyfe & long to contynew ye soferayns all dyscrete & excellent Before whom thys dyalog shewyd hath be Touchyng iii. poynts by wey of argument Furst what is gentylnes & what nobylyte And who shulde be chose to hye auctoryte Thys questyons they be so hye and sottell Few dare p̄sume to dyffyne them well ¶Yet I thynk now under your coreccyons The thyng that makyth a gentylman to be ys but vertew & gentyll condycyons whych as well in pore men oft tymys we se As in men of grete byrth of hye degre