Medwall, Henry · published 1530 · first performed or written c.1496 (Annals) not in BritDrama T5 Christian faith, sin and salvation typicality 0.80 · 488 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T5: god, christ, david, sin, holy, israel, lord, mercy, sins, faith.
Than thou here openly/ to god dost promise ye sir and ever/ look that ye abstain Not only from deed/ but also from the assent So that ye commit/ neither of them twain if ye will observe/ the high commandment For surely ye may/ not be cleped innocent Nor guiltless of sin/ as for as I can find if once ye assent/ to folly in your mind. This is an hard word/ sister that ye have spoken An hard word surely/ and an heavy sentence But think ye goddies/ commandment broken For a light tryfull/ and matter of insolence Alas have ye such a spiced conscience That will be entryked/ with every merry thought Leave it woman leave it. For it is nought And man as for you/ ye shall not take that way That manner of observance/ is to hard and straight ye must attempt the world/ and therein assay Whether ye can live/ after that endrayte These. two. folk/ harp both on refrayte and ever enbesyeth them/ to rebuke you of sin That never was spotted/ ne found guilty therein take none heed of them/ their words be but wind and as for this time/ I command them to silence And set us see now/ how prately ye can find By sage policy/ and worldly prudence To maintain the state/ in honour and reverence that ye shall be in/ while ye in the world dwell Speke of this matter/ and ponder it well first me seemeth necessary/ to provide What manner folkys/ your servants shall be For surely ye are/ nothing accompanyde according/ to a man of your degree ye have here with you. two. parson's or. iii. That pleaseth you happily/ in the best wise yet it appeareth not so/ to every man's ges. What man is this? Reason sir my chief conselour And this innocency/ my nurse hitherto And sensuality that other/ by whom I have power To do/ as all sensate beasts do But reason and innocency/ chiefly these two Have the hole rule/ and governy of me To from eke is subdued/ my sensuality For cartayne sir/ reason hath done me wrong More than ever he shallbe able to recompense God knoweth sir I thought/ the season very long Till we were brought/ unto your presence But now I pray you/ to annul the sentence That nature gave unto me/ by reasons advise to my great hurt/ and uttyr preindyce And sir I ask/ none amends earthly But that reason/ may have a check mate A little knack/ a little prayty congee His haut courage/ some thing to abate For hitherto/ he hath kept great estate And had of me/ the over hand and strengar But ye not disposed/ I will suffer it no longer Thou hast had great wrong/ and that is pity For if thou be the parson/ that I take the fore thou sholdyst be/ as honourable as he
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)
Than thou here openly / to god dost promyse ¶ ye syr and euer / loke that ye abstayne Not onely from dede / but also from the assent So that ye commyt / neyther of theym twayn yf ye wyll obserue / the hygh commaundement For surely ye may / not be cleped innocent Nor gyltles of syn / as for as I can fynde yf onys ye assent / to foly in your mynde. ¶ Thys ys an harde word / syster that ye haue spoken An hard worde surely / and an heuy sentence But thynk ye goddys / commaundement broken For a lyght tryfull / and mater of insolence Alas haue ye suche a spyced conscyence That wyll be entryked / wyth euery mery thought Leue yt woman leue yt. For yt ys nought ¶ And man as for you / ye shall not take that way That maner of obseruaunce / ys to hard and strayte ye must attempte the world / and therin assay Whether ye can lyue / after that endrayte These. ii. folk / harp both on refrayte and euer enbesyeth theym / to rebuke you of syn ¶ That neuer was spotted / ne fownd gylty therin take none hede of theym / theyre wordys be but wynde and as for thys tyme / I commaunde theym to sylence And set vs se now / how prately ye can fynde By sage polycy / and worldly prudence To mayntayne the state / in honour and reuerence that ye shall be in / whyle ye in the world dwell Speke of thys mater / and ponder yt well ¶ Fyrst me semeth necessary / to prouyde What maner folkys / your saruauntys shall be For surely ye ar / nothyng accompanyde accordyng / to a man of your degre ye haue here wyth you. ii. parsons or. iii. That pleaseth you happely / in the best wyse yet yt appereth not so / to euery mannys ges. ¶ What man ys thys? ¶ Reason syr my chyef conselour And thys innocency / my noryce hyderto And sensualyte that other / by whom I haue power To do / as all sensate bestys do But reason and innocency / chyefly these two Haue the hole rule / and gouerny of me To m eke ys subdued / my sensualyte ¶ For cartayne syr / reason hath done me wrong More than euer he shalbe able to recompense God knoweth syr I thought / the season very long Tyll we were brought / vnto your presence But now I pray you / to adnull the sentence That nature gaue vnto me / by reasons aduyse to my great hurt / and vttyr preindyce ¶ And syr I aske / none amendys erthly But that reason / may haue a chek mate A lytell knack / a lytell prayty congy Hys haut corage / some thynge to abate For hyderto / he hath kept great estate And had of me / the ouer hande and strengar But ye not dyspleased / I wyll suffer yt no lengar ¶ Thou hast had great wrong / and that ys pyte For yf thou be the parson / that I take the fore thou sholdyst be / as honorable as he