Heywood, John · published 1544 · first performed or written 1520 [c.1520-1522] (Annals) not in BritDrama T19 Virtue, Fortune and Vice as abstractions typicality 0.72 · 489 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T19: virtue, fortune, virtues, honour, fame, vice, envy, world, pride, great.
And who that by grace of the holy ghost To any one virtue is moved most That man by that grace 〈◊〉 one apply And therein serve god most plentifully Yet not that one so far wide to wrest So liking the same to myssyke the rest For who so wresteth his work is in vain And even in that case I perceive you twain Liking your virtue in such wise That each others virtue you do despise Who walketh this way for god would find him The farther they leek him the farther behind him One kind of virtue to despise another Is like as the sister might hang the brother. For fere lest such parels to me might fall I thank god I use no virtue at all That is of all the very worst way For more hard it is as I have hard say o begynne deiue where none is pretendyd Then where it is begun the abuse to be mended How be it ye be not all to begin One sign of virtue ye are entered in As this I suppose ye did say true In that ye said ye use no virtue In the which words I dare well report Ye are well be loved of all this sort By your railing here openly At pardons and relics so lewdly. In that I think my fault not great For all that he hath I avow conterfete. For his and all other that ye know feigned Ye be neither counciled nor constrained To any such thing in any such case To give any reverence in any such place But where ye doubt the truth not knowing believing the be●● good may be growing In judging the best no harm at the lest In judging the worst no good at the best But best in these things it seemeth to me To make no judgement upon ye But as the church doth judge or take them So do ye receive or forsake them And so be sure ye can not err But may be a fruitful follower. Go ye before and as I am true man I will follow as fast as I can. And so will I for he hath said so well would we should follow his counsel. Then to our reason god give us his grace That we may follow with faith so firmly His commandments, that we may purchase His love, and so consequently To believe his church fast and faithfully So that we may according to his promise Be kept out of error in any wise And all that hath scaped us here by negligence We clearly revoke and forsake it To pass the time in this without offence Was the cause why the maker did make it And so we humbly beseech you take it beseeching our lord to prosper you all In the faith of his church universal
seed 43: T13 · seed 44: T16 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
And who that by grace of the holy goſte To any one vertue is moued moſte That man by that grace one apply And therin ſerue god moſt plentyfully Yet nat that one ſo farre wyde to wreſte So lykynge the ſame to myſſyke the reſte For who ſo wreſteth hys worke is in vayne And euen in that caſe I perceyue you twayne Lykynge your vertue in ſuche wyſe That eche others vertue you do dyſpyſe Who walketh thys way for god wolde fynde hym The farther they leke hym the farther behynde hym One kynde of vertue to dyſpyſe another Is lyke as the ſyſter myght hange the brother. ¶For fere leſt ſuche parels to me myght fall I thanke god I vſe no vertue at all ⚜That is of all the very worſte waye For more harde it is as I haue harde ſaye o begynne deiue where none is pretendyd Then where it is begonne the abuſe to be mended How be it ye be nat all to begynne One ſyne of vertue ye are entred in As thys I ſuppoſe ye dyd ſaye true In that ye ſayd ye vſe no vertue In the whiche wordes I dare well reporte Ye are well be loued of all thys ſorte By your raylynge here openly At pardons and relyques ſo leudly. ¶In that I thynke my faute nat great For all that he hath I auowe conterfete. ⚜For his and all other that ye knowe fayned Ye be nother counceled nor conſtrayned To any ſuche thynge in any ſuche caſe To gyue any reuerence in any ſuche place But where ye dout the truthe nat knowynge Beleuynge the be good may be growynge In iudgynge the beſte no harme at the leſte In iudgynge the worſte no good at the beſte But beſte in theſe thynges it ſemeth to me To make no iudgement vpon ye But as the churche doth iudge or take them So do ye receyue or forſake them And ſo be ſure ye can nat erre But may be a frutfull folower. ¶Go ye before and as I am true man I wyll folow as faſte as I can. ⚜And ſo wyll I for he hath ſayd ſo well wolde we ſhulde folowe hys counſell. ¶Then to our reaſon god gyue vs his grace That we may folowe with fayth ſo fermely His commaundementes, that we maye purchace Hys loue, and ſo conſequently To byleue hys churche faſte and faythfully So that we may accordynge to his promyſe Be kepte out of errour in any wyſe And all that hath ſcape vs here by neglygence We clerely reuoke and forſake it To paſſe the tyme in thys without offence Was the cauſe why the maker dyd make it And ſo we humbly beſeche you take it Beſechynge our lorde to proſper you all In the fayth of hys churche vniuerſall