Anonymous · published 1594 · first performed or written 1592 [Jun 10] (Annals) moral · Derby's (Strange's) Men T6 Money, debt and credit typicality 0.79 · 509 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T6: money, master, pound, law, lawyer, chain, gentleman, gold, pay, pray.
ay, but he gave nothing for God's sake, except it were hard words or blows, and they had been better kept that given: But hushed, here comes the judge. Hear you sir, if you be in readiness, here is the judge. ay sir, fear not, I warrant you, is that your adversary? What an old crust it is? I think the villain hath a face hardened with steel, He could never be so impudent else. It it please your Worship, this is the man, That wrongfully would have my farm from me, Facing me down that he hath paid me that, Which he never offered, nor I never received: And this day he hath promised to make proof, That he hath paid me full four hundred pound. And so I can, and here's my witness to it, That saw me when I paid the money. Why, I am sure he will not say it, I never saw the man in all my life. No sir? but I saw you, and was a witness, When this Gentleman paid you three hundred pound As the last payment for the farm he bought. But where was the money tendered? At the Gentleman's house. You see father, this merchant will be witness That he saw so much money tendered, And you received it, being full satisfied, As the last payment for the farm he bought, And if this merchant take his oath against you, That seven days past he saw the money tendered, I must pass sentence then against you needs. But will you swear on the bible this is true? ay sir, and to that intent I came hither, For I will never refuse to swear a truth while I live Yet ere thou speak, vouchsafe to hear me speak, Full three score Winters Gentle sir I have passed, And age hath brought grey hairs upon my head. Look but upon my face, and thou shalt see, The perfect pattern of humility. Thou man of worth, or citizen, whate'er thou be, Weigh but my charge, and then thou wilt not swear I have five sons, all pretty tender babes, That live upon the farm that he would have, twelve hundred sheep do feed upon the plains, That year lie bring a great increase to me, Besides a hundred Oxen fatly fed: That every Winter feed within my stalls, And twenty poor men living near my house, I daily feed, and all upon my Farm: Go but among my neighbours, where I dwell, And hear what good report they give of me. The poor man never yet went from my door, But to my power I did relieve his want: I was no Farmer that enriched myself: By raising markets and oppressing poor, But I have sold my corn full many times A better rate, than I could wel affoord, And all to help my needy brethren: Then ere thou swearest, call all these things to mind, And thou wilt weep, and leave to swear untruths, Confusion to thy body and thy soul.
nodes 782–839 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 15 of 33 in this edition
Length
509 words · 620 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T6 — Money, debt and creditcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.794 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T9 · seed 44: T10 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
I, but he gaue nothing for Gods sake, except it were hard words or blowes, and they had bene better kept that giuen: But husht, here comes the Iudge. Heare you sir, if you be in readines, here is the Iudge. I sir, fear not, I warrant you, is that your aduersary? What an old crust it is? I think the villaine hath a face hardened with steel, He could neuer be so impudent els. It it please your Worship, this is the man, That wrongfully would haue my farme from me, Facing me downe that he hath paid me that, Which he neuer offred, nor I neuer receiued: And this day he hath promised to make proofe, That he hath paid me ful foure hundred pound. And so I can, and heres my witnes to it, That saw me when I paid the money. Why, I am sure he wil not say it, I neuer saw the man in all my lyfe. No sir? but I saw you, and was a witnes, When this Gentlemā paid you three hundred pound As the last paiment for the farme he bought. But where was the money tendered? At the Gentlemans house. You see father, this marchant wil be witnes That he saw so much money tendred, And you receiued it, being full satisfyed, As the last payment for the farme he bought, And if this marchant take his oath against you, That seuen daies past he saw the mony tendered, I must passe sentence then against you needs. But wil you sweare on the bible this is true? I sir, and to that intent I came hether, For I wil neuer refuse to swear a truth while I liue Yet ere thou speake, vouchsafe to heare me speake, Full three score Winters Gentle sir I haue past, And age hath brought gray haires vpon my head. Looke but vpon my face, and thou shalt see, The perfect patterne of humilitie. Thou man of worth, or citizen, what ere thou be, Weigh but my charge, and then thou wilt not swear I haue fiue sonnes, al pretie tender baes, That liue vpon the farme that he would haue, Twelue hundred sheep do feed vpon the plaines, That year lie bring a great increase to me, Besides a hundred Oxen fatly fed: That euerie Winter feed within my stalles, And twentie poore men liuing neere my house, I daylie feed, and all vpon my Farme: Go but among my neighbours, where I dwell, And heare what good report they giue of me. The poore man neuer yet went from my dore, But to my power I did releeue his want: I was no Farmer that inricht my selfe: By raysing markets and oppressing poore, But I haue sold my corne full manie tymes A better rate, than I could wel affoord, And all to help my needie brethren: Then ere thou swearst, cal al these things to mind, And thou wilt weep, and leaue to sweare vntrueths, Confusion to thy bodie and thy soule.