Anonymous · published 1596 · first performed or written 1594 [Oct 23] (Annals) tragicomedy · Admiral's (Nottingham's) Men unassigned nearest T6 Money, debt and credit · 497 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T6: money, master, pound, law, lawyer, chain, gentleman, gold, pay, pray.
Whence grows thy resolution so austere? From honesty, my friends, which governs me, First Lelio 'mongst our chiefest citizens, Made me his father, and his vowed friend: Next, to defend my daughter from defame. He ventured life, And shall a little pelf, These two young boys, make me forget my friend, That ventured life and virtue for my sake? No, I love my Lelio, do what fortune can. Why here's a knack to know an honest man, Keep him in Venice my Fortunio, When he is gone few such will stay behind, For here our wont faith is turned to fraud, Our perjuries are counted policies, Our oaths are gates to catch the simple sort, Our courtesy is but nodding of the head, Discovering the cap, or bending of the knee, Swearing I love your honour good my Lord: The best dissembler hath the bravest wit, Come let me love thee for thy Lelios' sake, And when I meet him next I'll tell him more. Dear father, who shall succour us when you are dead? Your diligence, which can command the proudest misery. What if your friends repine, and will not give? Your hands, my sons, must teach you how to live Courage and industry can never want, Vain idleness grows wretched by itself, But diligence enableth poorest men. Well, must I to prison Lords, or must I hence, Tell me the Senate's sentence speedily. High thee from Venice speedily, for if thou stay But two hours space, thou art adjudged death. Farewell my Lord, and farewell gentle friend, Adieu my sons nay weep not, Commend me to your sister, love her well, Defend her honour as you love your lives. Where nature parteth us, there sorrow thrives. Come, let us let the Duke and Senate know, The whole success and fortune we have had. What Franco, well met, whether art thou going? Faith my master is gone away, and I am going a begging. A begging, why 'tis the best occupation thou canst use, A beggar hath five of the seven liberal sciences At his finger's ends: he hath music to sing for his dinner, he hath logic to cavil with the constable, he hath rhetoric to persuade that he should not go to the stocks, he hath Geometry to measure out his bed in the plain field, and he hast Astronomy to show a warm sun from a cold shade. Nay, I'll prove that a beggar devours the four moral virtues at one breakfast: he's valiant when he must needs fight, he is liberal when he hath any money to spend, and he is true if there be nothing to steal. A beggar, why 'tis the ancientest occupation that is, it began at Adam, & will never end till dooms day. But sirrah Franco, I'll tell thee what thou shalt do, go & profess thine old occupation again. What's that? O 'tis the best occupation that is for thee. Why what profit can that yield?
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Whence growes thy reſolution ſo auſtere? From honeſtie, my friends, which gouernes me, Firſt Lelio mongſt our chiefeſt citizens, Made me his father, and his vowed friend: Next, to defend my daughter from defame. He ventured life, And ſhall a little pelfe, Theſe two yong boyes, make me forget my friend, That ventured life and vertue for my ſake? No, I loue my Lelio, do what fortune can. Why here's a knacke to know an honeſt man, Keepe him in Venice my Fortunio, When he is gone few ſuch will ſtaie behinde, For here our wonted faith is turn'd to fraud, Our periuries are counted policies, Our oaths are gates to catch the ſimple ſort, Our curteſie is but nodding of the head, Diſcouering the cap, or bending of the knee, Swearing I loue your honor good my Lord: The beſt diſſembler hath the braueſt wit, Come let me loue thee for thy Lelios ſake, And when I meet him next Ile tel him more. Deare father, who ſhall ſuccor vs when you are dead? Your diligence, which can command the proudeſt miſerie. What if your friends repine, and will not giue? Your hands, my ſons, muſt teach you how to liue Courage and induſtrie can neuer want, Vaine idleneſſe growes wretched by itſelfe, But diligence inableth pooreſt men. Well, muſt I to priſon Lordes, or muſt I hence, Tell me the Senates ſentence ſpeedily. Hie thee from Venice ſpeedily, for if thou ſtay But two houres ſpace, thou art adiudged death. Farewell my Lord, and farewell gentle friend, Adieu my ſonnes nay weepe not, Commend me to your ſiſter, loue her well, Defend her honor as you loue your liues. Where nature parteth vs, there ſorrow thriues. Come, let vs let the Duke and Senate know, The whole ſucceſſe and fortune we haue had. What Franco, wel met, whether art thou going? Faith my maſter is gone awaie, and I am going a begging. A begging, why tis the beſt occupation thou canſt vſe, A begger hath fiue of the ſeuen liberall ſciences At his fingers ends: he hath muſike to ſing for his dinner, he hath logicke to cauel with the conſtable, he hath rhetorike to perſwade that hee ſhould not go to the ſtockes, he hath Geometrie to meaſure out his bed in the plaine field, and he haſt Aſtronomie to ſhew a warme ſunne from a colde ſhade. Nay, Ile proue that a begger deuours the foure morall vertues at one breakfaſt: he's valiant when he muſt needs fight, he is liberall when he hath anie monie to ſpend, and he is true if there be nothing to ſteale. A begger, why tis the ancienteſt occupation that is, it began at Adam, & wil neuer end til doomes day. But ſirrha Franco, Ile tell thee what thou ſhalt do, go & profeſſe thine olde occupation againe. Whats that? O tis the beſt occupation that is for thee. Why what profit can that yeld?