Medwall, Henry · published 1530 · first performed or written c.1496 (Annals) not in BritDrama unassigned nearest T5 Christian faith, sin and salvation · 487 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T5: god, christ, david, sin, holy, israel, lord, mercy, sins, faith.
with herbs and trees/ continual nourishment that is suffysant/ to natural living with sensual beasts/ I have a manner of knowing whereby I should/ in good things delight and flee the contrary/ of mine appetite And over all this/ thou hast given me virtue Surmounting all other/ in high perfection That is understanding/ whereby I may avew And well discern/ what is to be done yet for all that/ have I free election Do what I will/ be it evil or well And am put in the hand/ of mine own counsel and in this point/ I am half angelic Unto thy heavenly spirits/ almost equal albeit in some part/ I be to them unlike For they be ordained/ to endure perpetual and I wretched body/ shall have my funeral When it pleaseth/ thy grace so to provide Man is not ordained/ always here to abide Wherefore unto thy sovereign and high estate Most heavenly prince/ I make mine orison Sith it hath pleased/ thy noble grace algate That I unworthy/ of so great renown In this world/ shall have possession thou give me grace/ myself to enure as may me profit/ and be to thy pleasure God hath herd thy prayer/ mankind no doubt In all thy requests/ and right full petition Now forth thy journey/ and look well about that thou be not/ deceived by false prodition Let reason the govern/ in every condition For if thou do not/ to his rule incline it will to thy great mischief and ruin I wots well sensuality/ is to the natural And granted to thee/ in thy furst creation But notwithstanding/ it ought to be overall Subdued to reason/ and under his tuition Thou hast now liberty/ and needest no maynmyssyon And if thou abond thee/ to passions sensual Farewele thy liberty/ thou shalt wax thrall What lady nature/ have I none intresse Aswell as reason/ or innocency Thank ye this lady/ a good process That they are advanced/ and I let go by ye know right well/ that I ought naturally Before all other/ to have of him the cure I am the chief perfection of his nature Alas what could/ the silly body do Or how should it live/ ne were the help of me Certes it could not well/ creep nor go At the lest wise it should/ neither feel here nor see But be as other/ incensate bodies be In much wurscase/ than worms of the ground In which uneath/ any token of life is found Mesemeth it should/ abhort him for to here That I distrained/ should be in any wise Standing that I/ was create to be his fere Of all his guiding/ to take thenterprise And now ye put me out of his service And have assigned/ reason to be his guide With innocency his noryse/ thus am I set a side ye clepe him lord/ of all beasts living
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)
wyth herbys and trees / contynuall noryshement that ys suffysant / to naturall lyuyng wyth sensuall bestys / I haue a maner of knowyng wherby I shuld / in good thyngꝭ delyte and flee the contrary / of myne appetyte ¶ And ouer all thys / thou hast gyuen me vertue Surmountyng all other / in hygh perfeccyon That ys vnderstandyng / wherby I may auew And well dyscerne / what ys tobe done yet for all that / haue I fre eleccyon Do what I wyll / be yt euyll or well And am put in the hande / of myne own counsell ¶ and in thys poynt / I am halfe angelyke Unto thy heuenly spyrytys / almost egall albeyt in some parte / I be to them vnlyke For they be ordeyned / to endure perpetuall and I wretched body / shall haue my funerall When yt pleaseth / thy grace so to prouyde Man ys not ordeyned / alway here to abyde ¶ Wherfore vnto thy souerayne and hygh estate Most heuenly prynce / I make myne oryson Syth yt hath pleased / thy noble grace algate That I vnworthy / of so great renown In thys world / shall haue possessyon thou gyue me grace / my selfe to enure as may me profyte / and be to thy pleasure ¶ God hath herd thy prayer / mākynd no dout In all thy requestys / and ryght full petycyon Now forth thy iournay / and loke well about that thou be not / deceyued by fals prodycyon Let reason the gouerne / in euery condycyon For yf thou do not / to hys rule inclyne yt wylle to thy great myschef and ruyne ¶ I wot well sensualyte / ys to the naturall And graunted to the / in thy furst creacyon But notwythstandyng / yt ought tobe ouerall Subdued to reason / and vnder hys tuycyon Thou hast now lybertye / and nedest no maynmyssyon And yf thou abond the / to passyons sensuall Farewele thy lybertye / thou shalt wax thrall ¶ What lady nature / haue I none intresse Aswell as reason / or innocency Thanke ye thys lady / a good processe That they are auaunced / and I let go by ye knowe ryght well / that I ought naturally Byfore all other / to haue of hym the cure I am the chyef perfeccyon of hys nature ¶ Alas what coulde / the sely body do Or how sholde yt lyue / ne were the helpe of me Certes yt could not well / crepe nor go At the lest wyse yt shuld / neyther fele here nor se But be as other / incensate bodys be In mouche wurscase / than wormes of the grownde In whyche vnneth / any tokyn of lyfe ys founde ¶ Mesemeth yt shuld / abhort hym for to here That I destrayned / shuld be in any wyse Standynge that I / was create tobe hys fere Of all hys guydyng / to take thenterpryse And now ye put me out of hys seruyce And haue assygned / reason to be hys guyde Wyth innocencye hys noryse / thus am I set a syde ¶ ye clepe hym lorde / of all bestys lyuynge