The Three Lords and Three Ladies of London · chunk 17 of 41
Wilson, Robert · published 1590 · first performed or written 1588 [1588-1590] (Annals) moral · Queen Elizabeth's Men (?) T39 Profit, conscience and dishonest dealing typicality 0.88 · 495 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T39: conscience, lucre, usury, lucar, fraud, dissimulation, simony, london, lady, nemo.
I will clothe her straight: will you master Usury, that's honestly spoke. Ha, that's no gramercy to clothe her with another man's cloak, But I see you have a craft in the doing M. Usury, Usury covers Conscience with Fraud's cloak very cunningly. Alas who loads my shoulders with this heavy weed, Fie, how it stinks, this is perfumed indeed, Marie geppe goody Conscience, indeed I do you wrong, But I'll quickly right it, my cloak shall not cumber you long. All this while Lucre knows not I am here, But now will I to her, mark how I speed. Lady the fairest that Nature ever formed, Lodestone of Loue, that drawes ffctions darte. The only object to all humane eyes, And sole desired Dainty of the world, thy Vassal here, a virtue in thy need Whom thou by licence of the law mayst use, tenders himself, and all his services to do thy will in duty as tofore, Glad of thy freedom as his proper life. Lady Lucre, you love an apple, take heed the Caterpillar consume not your fruit. Why who is it that maketh this latest suit? 'tis usury. Great is the service he hath done for me, But Usury now I may not deal with thee. the Law allows me Madam, in some sort. But God and I would have thy bounds cut short. For you I reck not, but if God me hate, Why doth the Law allow me in some rate? Usury slanders both Law and state, the Law allows not though it tolerate, And thou art sure be shut out at heaven gate. You were ever nice, no matter what you prate: Then it will be with him as it is at a great man's house in dinner time: he that knocks when the door is shut comes too late, Well Usury, Fraud, and Simony Dissimulation hearken unto me, My tongue (although in memory it be green) Cannot declare what horrors I have seen, He can it enter into mortal ears Unmortified: the furies, fires and fears. the shrieks, the groans, the tortures and the pains, that any soul for each of you sustains. No pen can write, how Conscience hath me scourged. When with your faults my soul she ever urged: Arithmetic doth fail to number all, the plagues of sorrow in the Den of thrall: then tempt me not, nor trouble me no more, I must not use you as I did before, If you be found within fair London's gate. You must to prison, whence we came of late. Conscience will accuse ye if ye be in sight. That scurvy Conscience works us all the spite: Well Lucre, yet in thee we have delight. Yonder come some, we must take our flight. Birds of a feather will fly together, but when they be taken then are they baken, yonder comes a customer, I'll to my stall: Love, Lucre, and Conscience, blindman buff to you all.
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)
I wil cloath her straight: Wil you maister Vsurie, that's honestly spoke. Ha, that's no gramercie to cloath her with another mans cloake, But I see you haue a craft in the dooing M. Vsury, Vsury cours Conscience with Frauds cloake verie cunningly. Alas who loades m shoulders with this heauie weed, Fy, how it stinks, this is perfum'd indeed, Marie geppe goody Conscience, indeed I doo you wrong, But Ile quickly right it, my cloake shal not comber you long. All this while Lucre knowes not I am here, But now wil I to her, marke how I sped. Lady the fairest that Nature euer fourmed, Lodestone of Loue, that drawes ffctions darte. The only obiect to all humaine eies, And sole destred Daintie of the world, thy Vassall here, a vertue in thy néede Whom thou by license of the law maist vse, tenders himselfe, and all his seruices to doe thy will in duetie as to fore, Glad of thy freedome as his proper life. Lady Lucre, you loue an apple, take heede the Caterpill consume not your fruit. Why who is it that maketh this latest suit? Tis vsurie. Great is the seruice he hath done for me, But Vsury now I may not deale with thee. the Law allowes me Madam, in some sort. But God and I would haue thy boundes cut short. For you I recke not, but if God me hate, Why dooth the Law allow me in some rate? Vsury slanders both Law and state, the Law allowes not though it tollerate, And thou art sure be shut out at heauen gate. You were euer nice, no matter what you prae: Then it will be with him as it is at a great man house in dinner time: he that knockes when the doore is shut comes too late, Well Vsurie, Fraud, and Simony Dissimulation hearken vnto me, My tongue (although in memorie it be greene) Cannot declare what horrors I haue seene, He can it enter into mortall eares Vnmortified: the furies, fres and feares. the shrikes, the grones, the tortures and the paines, that any soule for each of you sustaines. No pen can write, how Conscience hath me scourg'd. When with your faults my soule she euer vrg'd: Arithmeticke dooth faile to number all, the plagues of sorrow in the Den of thrall: then tempt me not, nor trouble me no more, I must not vse you as I did before, If you be found within faire Londons gate. You must to prison, whence we came of late. Conscience will accuse ye if ye be in sight. That scuruie Conscience works vs all the spight: Wel Lucre, yet in thée we haue delight. Yonder come some, we must take our flight. Birdes of a fether wil flie together, but when they be taken then are they baken, yonder comes a customer, Ile to my stall: Loue, Lucre, and Conscience, blindman buffe to you all.