Anonymous · published 1594 · first performed or written 1592 [Jun 10] (Annals) moral · Derby's (Strange's) Men T6 Money, debt and credit typicality 0.86 · 516 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T6: money, master, pound, law, lawyer, chain, gentleman, gold, pay, pray.
Then assure thyself, if Ethenwald dissemble, he shall die: but who comes here? Perin, what news, that thou comest in such haste? and what is he that bears thee company? It is my gracious Lord and honest man, And one it seems that loves you Majesty: For as your Grace gave me in charge, I went about into the country, to see what sums of money I could make, Among the chiefest of the commonalty: And 'mongst the richest Knights that I could find, They would lend your Grace at most but twenty pound, And every Squire would lend you Grace but ten: Then came I 'mongst the rest to this plain man, And asked him what he would lend the king, He answered sir, you see I am but poor, Not half so wealthy as a Knight or Squire, And yet in sign of duty to his Grace, I will lend his Majesty two hundred pound. Thanks honest fellow, for thy love to us, And if I may but pleasure thee in aught, Command me to the uttermost I may: England hath too few men of thy good mind. Honesty, what news? where hast thou been so long? A my Lord, I have been searching for a privy knave One (my Lord) that feeds upon the poor commons, And makes poor Piers ploughman wear a thread bare coat, It is a farmer (my Lord) which buys up all the corn in the market, and sends it away beyond seas, & thereby feeds the enemy. Alas, poor piers ploughman, what ailest thou? why dost thou weep, peace man, if any have offended thee, Thou shalt be made amends unto the most. I beseech your Grace to pity my distress, There is an unknown thief that robs the common wealth, And makes me and my poor wife and children beg for maintenance, The time hath been (my Lord) in diebus illis, That the Ploughman's coat was of good homespun russet cloth, Whereof neither I nor my servants had no want, Though now both they and I want, And all by this unknown Farmer: For there cannot be an acre of ground to be sold, But he will find money to buy it: nay my Lord, he hath money to buy whole Lordships, and yet but a Farmer, I have kept a poor house where I dwell this four score year, Yet was I never driven to want till now: I beseech your Grace, as you have still been just, To seek redress for this oppression I beseech your Grace read my humble petition. Let me see the humble petition, of poor piers ploughman, Alas poor piers, I have heard my father say, That piers ploughman was one of the best members in a common wealth, For his table was never empty of bread, beef, and beer, As a help to all distressed travellers: but where thou tellest me, I harbour him, and he is daily under my elbow, I assure thee 'tis more than I know, for I harbour none but this which is my honest friend.
nodes 1104–1152 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 22 of 33 in this edition
Length
516 words · 660 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T6 — Money, debt and creditcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.856 (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)
Then assure thy selfe, if Ethenwald dissemble, he shall die: but who comes here? Perin, what newes, that thou commest in such hast? and what is he that beares thee company? It is my gratious Lord and honest man, And one it seemes that loues you Maiestie: For as your Grace gaue me in charge, I went about into the countrey, to see what summes of money I could make, Among the cheefest of the communaltie: And mongst the richest Knights that I could fynd, They would lend your Grace at most but twenty ponnd, And euery Squire would lend you Grace but ten: Then came I mongst the rest to this plaine man, And asked him what he would lend the king, He aunswered sir, you see I am but poore, Not halfe so wealthy as a Knight or Squire, And yet in signe of dutie to his Grace, I wil lende his Maiestie two hundred pound. Thanks honest fellow, for thy loue to vs, And if I may but pleasure thee in ought, Command me to the vttermost I may: England hath too few men of thy good mind. Honesty, what newes? where hast thou bene so long? A my Lord, I haue bene searching for a priuie knaue One (my Lord) that feeds vpon the poore commons, And makes poore Piers ploughman weare a thread bare coate, It is a farmer (my Lord) which buyes vp all the corn in the market, and sends it away beyond seas, & thereby feeds the enemie. Alas, poore piers plowman, what ailest thou? why doest thou weep, peace man, if any haue offended thee, Thou shalt be made amends vnto the most. I beseech your Grace to pitie my distresse, There is an vnknowne theefe that robs the common wealth, And makes me and my poore wife and children beg for maintenance, The tyme hath bene (my Lord) in diebus illis, That the Plowmans coat was of good homespun russet cloth, Whereof neither I nor my seruants had no want, Though now both they and I want, And all by this vnknown Farmer: For there cannot be an aker of ground to be sold, But he will find money to buy it: nay my Lord, he hath money to buy whole Lordships, and yet but a Farmer, I haue kept a poore house where I dwel this four score yeare, Yet was I neuer driuen to want till now: I beseech your Grace, as you haue still bene iust, To seek redresse for this oppression I beseech your Grace reade my humble petition. Let me see the humble petition, of poor piers plowman, Alasse poore piers, I haue heard my father say, That piers plowman was one of the best members in a commō wealth, For his table was neuer emptie of bread, beefe, and beere, As a help to all distressed traueilers: but where thou tellest mee, I harbour him, and he is dailie vnder my elbow, I assure thee tis more than I know, for I harbour none but this which is my honest fried.