Jonson, Ben · published 1600 · first performed or written 1599 (Annals) comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men T37 Riches, poverty and covetousness typicality 0.76 · 500 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T37: wealth, riches, money, god, rich, poverty, men, learning, poor, ic.
I will Sir. I'll instantly set all my hinds to thrashing Of a whole Reek of corn, which I will hide Under the ground; and with the straw thereof I'll stuff the outsides of my other mows: That done, I'll have 'em empty all my Garners, And i' the friendly Earth bury my store, That when the Searchers come they may suppose All's spent, and that my fortunes were belied. And to lend more opinion to my want, And stop that many-mouthed vulgar Dog, (Which else would still be baying at my door) Each market day, I will be seen to buy Part of the purest Wheat, as for my household: Where when it comes, it shall increase my heaps, 'twill yield me treble gain at this dear time, Promised in this dear Book: I have cast all, Till then I will not sell an care, I'll hang first. O I shall make my prizes as I list, My House and I can feed on Pease and Barley, What though a world of Wretches starve the while? " He that will thrive, must think no courses vile. Now signor, how approve you this? have the Humorists expressed themselves truly or no? Yes (if it be well prosecuted) 'tis hitherto happy enough: but methinks Macilente went hence too soon, he might have been made to stay and speak somewhat in reproof of Sordido's wretchedness, now at the last. O no, that had been extremely improper, beside he had continued the Scene too long with him as't was, being in no more action. You may enforce the length as a necessary reason; but for propriety the Scene would very well have born it, in my judgement. O worst of both: why you mistake his Humour utterly then. How? do I mistake it? is't not Envy? Yes, but you must understand signor, he envies him not as he is a villain, a wolf i' the commonwealth, but as he is rich and fortunate; for the true condition of envy, is Dolour alienae felicitatis, to have our eyes continually fixed upon another man's prosperity, that is his chief happiness, and to grieve at that. Where as if we make his monstrous and abhorred actions, our object, the grief (we take then) comes nearer the nature of Hate than Envy, as being bred out of a kind of contempt and loathing in ourselves. So you'll infer it had been Hate, not Envy in him, to reprehend the humour of Sordido? Right, for what a man truly envies in another, he could always love, and cherish in himself; but no man truly reprehends in another what he loves in himself, therefore Reprehension is out of his Hate. And this distinction hath he himself made in a speech there (if you marked it) where he says, I envy not this buffoon, but I hate him. Stay sir: I envy not this buffoon, but I hate him: why might he not as well have hated Sordido as him?
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)
I will Sir. I'le instantly set all my hinds to thrashing Of a whole Reeke of corne, which I will hide Vnder the ground; and with the straw thereof I'le stuffe the outsides of my other Mowes: That done, I'le haue 'hem emptie all my Garners, And i' the friendly Earth bury my store, That when the Searchers come they may suppose All's spent, and that my fortunes were belied. And to lend more opinion to my want, And stop that many-mouthed vulgar Dog, (VVhich else would still be baying at my dore) Each market day, I will be seene to buy Part of the purest VVheat, as for my houshold: VVhere when it comes, it shall encrease my heapes, Twill yeeld me treble gaine at this deare time, Promisd in this deere Booke: I haue cast all, Till then I will not sell an care, I'le hang first. O I shall make my prizes as I list, My House and I can feed on Pease and Barley, VVhat though a world of VVretches sterue the while? "He that will thriue, must thinke no courses vile. Now signior, how approue you this? haue the Humorists exprest themselues truly or no? Yes (if it be wel prosecuted) 'tis hitherto happy ynough: but me thinks Macilente went hence too soone, he might haue been made to stay and speake somewhat in reproofe of Sordido's wretchednesse, now at the last▪ O no, that had bin extreamly improper, besides he had cōtinued the Scene too lōg with him as't was, being in no more actiō. You may enforce the length as a necessarie reason; but for propriety the Scene wold very wel haue born it, in my judgemēt. O worst of both: why you mistake his Humor vtterly thē. How? do I mistake it? is't not Envie? Yes, but you must vnderstand Signior, hee enuies him not as he is a villaine, a wolfe i' the commonwealth, but as he is rich and fortunate; for the true condition of envie, is Dolor alien felicitatis, to haue our eies continually fixt vpon another mans prosperitie, that is his cheefe happinesse, and to grieue at that. VVhere as if we make his monstrous and abhord actions, our object, the greefe (we take then) comes neerer the nature of Hate than Enuie, as being bred out of a kind of contempt and lothing in our selues. So you infer it had been Hate, not Envie in him, to reprehend the humor of Sordido? Right, for what a man truly enuies in another, he could alwaies loue, and cherish in himselfe; but no man truly reprehends in another what he loues in himselfe, therefore Reprehension is out of his Hate. And this distinction hath he himselfe made in a speech there (if you markt it) where hee saies, I enuie not this Buffon, but I hate him. Stay sir: I enuie not this Buffon, but I hate him: why might he not as well haue hated Sordido as him?