Anonymous · published 1594 · first performed or written 1592 [Jun 10] (Annals) moral · Derby's (Strange's) Men T26 Devils, hell and fiends typicality 0.81 · 489 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T26: devil, hell, devils, sure, soul, fiend, sr, wife, lord, men.
Is this your honest friend? the devil a is (my Lord) This is he: if you doubt my word to be true, call in clerk of the Assizes, now shall your Grace see, How Honesty can shake out a knave in this company: Sirrah, tell me who hath most poor men in suit at this Syses? That hath Walter would have more; He hath one poor man in suit for certain Barley, And another for that his horse was taken in his corn. But what indictments are against him, read them First, he hath conveyed corn out of the land to feed the Enemy. Next, he hath turned poor Piers Ploughman out of doors by his great raising of rents. Next, he is known to be a common disturber of men of their quiet, by serving Writs on them, and bringing them to London, to their utter undoing. Also, he keeps corn in his barn, and suffers his brethren and neighbours to lie and want, and thereby makes the market so dear, that the poor can buy no corn. Enough: now fie upon thee, thou monster of nature, To seek the utter undoing of many, to enrich thyself: Honesty, take him, and use him as thou wilt. Come sir, I think I found out your knavery, Away sir, and bear your fellow company. Health and good hap befall your Majesty, Ethenwald welcome, how fares our beauteous love, Be brief man, what, will she love or no? Then as your Grace did give to me in charge, I have discharged my duty every way, And communed with the maid you so commend: For when the Sun, rich Father of the day, eye of the world, King of the spangled vale, Had run the circuit of the Horizon, And that Artofelex, the night's bright star, Had brought fair Luna from the purpled main, Where she was dallying with her wanton love, To lend her light to weary travellers. Then 'twas my chance to arrive at Osrick's house? But being late I could not then unfold The message that your Grace had given in charge: But in the morn Aurora did appear, At sight of whom the Welkin straight did clear. Then was the spangled vale of heaven drawn in, And phoebus rose like heavens imperial King: And ere the Sun was mounted five degrees The maid came down and gave me the good day, But being come, what said she then? How likest thou her, what is she fair or no? My Lord, she is coloured like the Scythia Maid, That challenged Lucio at the Olympian games, Well bodied, but) her face was something black, Like those that follow household business: Her eyes were hollow sunk into her head, Which makes her have a cloudy countenance, She hath a pretty tongue, I must confess, And yet (my Lord) she is nothing eloquent. Why then (my Lord,) there's nothing good in her.
nodes 1153–1202 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 23 of 33 in this edition
Length
489 words · 630 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T26 — Devils, hell and fiendscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.808 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T23 · seed 44: T23 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Is this your honest friend? the deuill a is (my Lord) This is he: if you doubt my word to be true, call in Clarke of the Assyses, now shall your Grace see, How Honesty can shake out a knaue in this company: Sirra, tell me who hath most poore men in suit at this Syses? That hath Walter would haue more▪ He hath one poore man in suit for certaine Barlie, And another for that his horse was taken in his corne. But what inditemennts are against him, read them Frst, he hath conueyed corne out of the land to feede the Enemie. Next, hee hath turned poore Piers Plowman out of dores by his great raising of rents. Next, he is knowne to bee a common disturber of men of their quiet, by seruing Writs on them, and bringing them to London, to their vtter vndoing. Also, he keeps corne in his barne, and suffers his brethren and neighbours to lie and want, and thereby makes the market so deare, that the poore can buy no corne. Ynough: now fie vpon thee, thou monster of nature, To seeke the vtter vndoing of manie, to inrich thy selfe: Honesty, take him, and vse him as thou wil. Come sir, I thinke I found out your knauerie, Away sir, and beare your fellow companie. Health and good hap befall your Maiestie, Ethenwald welcome, how fares our beautious loue, Be breese man, what, will she loue or no? Then as your Grace did giue to me in charge, I haue dischargde my dutie euery way, And communed with the maid you so commend: For when the Sun, rich Father of the day, Ee of the world, King of the spangled vale, Had run the circuit of the Horizon, And that Artofelex, the nights bright star, Had brou fair Lna from the purpled mayne, Where was with her wanton loue, To lend her light to wearie traueilers. Then twas my chance to arriue at Osricks house? But being late I could not then vnfolde The message that your Grace had giuen in charge: But in the morne Aurora did appeare, At sight of whom the Welkin straight did cleare. Then was the spangled ale of heauen drawne in, And phoebus rose lyke heauens imperiall King: And ere the Sun was mounted fiue degrees The maid cae downe and gaue me the good day, But being come, what said she then? How lykest thou her, what is she fair or no? My Lord, she is colloured lyke the Scythia Maide, That challenged Lucio at the Olympian games, Well bodied, but) her face was something blacke, Lyke those that follow houshold businesse: Her wer hollow sunke into her head, Which makes her haue a clowdie countenance, She hath a pretie tongue, I must confesse, And yet (my Lord) she is nothing eloquent. Why then (my Lord,) theres nothing good in her.