A Looking Glass for London and England · chunk 17 of 39
Lodge, Thomas / Greene, Robert · published 1594 · first performed or written 1588 [1587-1588] (Annals) biblical play; moral · Derby's (Strange's) Men T5 Christian faith, sin and salvation typicality 0.80 · 497 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T5: god, christ, david, sin, holy, israel, lord, mercy, sins, faith.
Where whoredom rains, there murder follows fast, As falling leaves before the winter blast. A wicked life trained up in endless crime, Hath no regard unto the latter time. When Lechers shall be punished for their lust, When Princes plagued because they are unjust. Foresee in time the warning bell doth toll, Subdue the flesh, by prayer to save the soul. London behold the cause of others wrack, And see the sword of justice at thy back. Defer not off to morrow is too late, By night he comes perhaps to judge thy state. From forth the depth of my imprisoned soul, Steal you my sighs, testify my pain, Convey on wings of mine immortal tone, My zealous prayers, unto the starry throne: Ah merciful and just thou dreadful God, Where is thine arm to lay revengeful strokes Upon the heads of our rebellious race? Lo Israel once that flourished like the vine, Is barren laid, the beautiful increase Is wholly blended, and irreligious zeal encampeth there where virtue was enthroned Alas the while, the widow wants relief, The fatherless is wronged by naked need, Devotion sleeps in cinders of Contempt, Hypocrisy infects the holy Priest, Ay me for this, woo me for these misdeeds, Alone I walk to think upon the world, And sigh to see thy Prophets so contemned: Alas contemned by cursed Israel. Yet Ionas rest content, 'tis Israel's sin That causeth this, then muse no more thereon, But pray amends, and mend thy own amiss. Amithai, son, I charge thee muse no more, (I am) hath power to pardon and correct, To thee pertains to do the Lords command. Go girt thy loins, and hast thee quickly hence, To Niniveh, that mighty City wend, And say this message from the Lord of hosts, Preach unto them these tidings from thy God. Behold thy wickedness hath tempted me, And pierced through the ninefold orbs of heaven, Repent, or else thy judgement is at hand. Prostrate I lie before the Lord of hosts, With humble ears intending his behest, Ah honoured be Iehouahs great command, Then Ionas must to Niniveh repair, Commanded as the Prophet of the Lord, Great dangers on this journey do await, But dangers none where heavens direct the course, What should I deem, I see, yea sighing see, How Israel sin, yet knows the way of truth, And thereby grows the byword of the world, How then should God in judgement be so strict? 'Gainst those who never heard or knew his power, To threaten utter ruin of them all: Should I report this judgement of my God, I should incite them more to follow sin, And publish to the world my country's blame, It may not be, my conscience tells me no. Ah Ionas wilt thou prove rebellious then? Consider ere thou fall what error is, My mind misgives, to Ioppa will I flee, And for a while to Tharsus shape my course, Until the Lord unfret his angry brows.
seed 43: T4 · seed 44: T5 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Where whordome raines, there murther followes fast, As falling leaues before the winter blast. A wicked life trainde vp in endlesse crime, Hath no regard vnto the latter time. When Letchers shall be punisht for their lust, When Princes plagu'd because they are vniust. Foresee in time the warning bell doth towle, Subdue the flesh, by praier to saue the soule. London behold the cause of others wracke, And see the sword of iustice at thy backe. Deferre not off to morrow is too late, By night he comes perhaps to iudge thy state. From forth the depth of my imprisoned soule, Steale you my sighes, testifie my paine, Conuey on wings of mine immortall tone, My zealous praiers, vnto the starrie throne: Ah mercifull and iust thou dreadfull God, Where is thine arme to laie reuengefull stroakes Upon the heads of our rebellious race? Loe Israell once that flourisht like the vine, Is barraine laide, the beautifull encrease Is wholly blent, and irreligious zeale Incampeth there where vertue was inthroan'd Ah-lasse the while, the widow wants reliefe, The fatherlesse is wrongd by naked néed, Deuotion sléepes in sinders of Contempt, Hypocrisie infects the holie Priest, Aye me for this, woe me for these misdéeds, Alone I walke to thinke vpon the world, And sigh to sée thy Prophets so contem'd: Ah-lasse contem'd by cursed Israell. Yet Ionas rest content, tis Israels sinne That causeth this, then muse no more thereon, But pray amends, and mend thy owne amisse. Amithai, sonne, I charge thée muse no more, (I am) hath power to pardon and correct, To thée pertains to do the Lords command. Go girt thy loines, and hast thée quickly hence, To Niniuie, that mightie Citie wend, And say this message from the Lord of hoasts, Preach vnto them thse tidings from thy God. Behold thy wickednesse hath tempted me, And pierced through the ninefold orbes of heauen, Repent, or else thy iudgement is at hand. Prostrate I lye before the Lord of hostes, With humble eares intending his behest, Ah honoured be Iehouahs great command, Then Ionas must to Niniuie repaire, Commanded as the Prophet of the Lord, Great dangers on this iourny do awaight, But dangers none where heauens direct the course, What should I déeme, I sée, yea sighing sée, How Israell sinne, yet knowes the way of truth, And thereby growes the by-word of the world, How then should God in iudgement be so strict? Gainst those who neuer heard or knew his power, To threaten vtter ruine of them all: Should I report this iudgement of my God, I should incite them more to follow sinne, And publish to the world my countries blame, It may not be, my conscience tels me no. Ah Ionas wilt thou proue rebellious then? Consider ere thou fall what errour is, My minde misgiues, to Ioppa will I flée, And for a while to Tharsus shape my course, Untill the Lord vnfret his angry browes.