Jonson, Ben · published 1616 · first performed or written 1599 (Annals) comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men unassigned nearest T6 Money, debt and credit · 530 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T6: money, master, pound, law, lawyer, chain, gentleman, gold, pay, pray.
Marry this, always beware you commerce not with bankrupts, or poor needy Ludgathians▪ they are impudent creatures, turbulent spirits, they care not what violent tragedies they stir, nor how they play fast and lose with a poor gentleman's fortunes, to get their own. Marry, these rich fellows (that ha' the world, or the better part of it, sleeping in their counting-houses) they are ten times more placable, they; either fear, hope, or modesty, restrains them from offering any outrages: but this is nothing to your followers, you shall not run a penny more in arrearage for them, and you list yourself. No? how should I keep 'em then? Keep 'em? 'sblood let them keep themselves, they are no sheep, are they? What? you shall come in houses, where plate, apparel, jewels, and divers other pretty commodities lie negligently scattered, and I would ha' those Mercuries follow me (I trow) should remember they had not their fingers for nothing. That's not so good, me thinks. Why, after you have kept 'em a fortnight, or so, and showed 'em enough to the world, you may turn 'em away, and keep no more but a boy, it's enough. Nay, my humour is not for boys, I'll keep men, and I keep any; and I'll give coats, that's my humour: but I lack a cullisance. Why, now you ride to the city, you may buy one, I'll bring you where you shall ha' your choice for money. Can you, sir? O, I: you shall have one take measure of you, and make you a Coat of arms, to fit you of what fashion you will. By word of mouth, I thank you, signor; I'll be once a little prodigal in a humour, i' faith, and have a most prodigious coat. Torment and death! break head and brain at once, To be delivered of your fighting issue. Who can endure to see blind Fortune dote thus? To be enamoured on this dusty turf? This clod? a whoreson puckfist? O god, god, god, god, etc. I could run wild with grief now, to behold The rankness of her bounties, that doth breed Such bulrushes; these mushroom gentlemen, That shoot up in a night to place, and worship. Let him alone, some stray, some stray. Nay, I will examine him before I go, sure. The Lord of the soil has all wests, and strays here? has he not? Yes, sir. Faith, than I pity the poor fellow, he's fallen into a fools hands. Sirrah, who gave you commission to lie in my lordship? Your lordship? How? my lordship? do you know me, sir? I do know you, sir. S'heart, he answers him like an echo. Why, who am I, Sir? One of those that fortune favours. The Perphrasis of a fool; I'll observe this better. That fortune favours? how mean you that, friend? I mean simply. THat you are one that lives not by your wits. By my wits? No sir, I scorn to live by my wits, I. I have better means, I tell thee, then to take such base courses, as to live by my wits. 'sblood, dost thou think I live by my wits?
seed 43: T9 · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Mary this, alwaies beware you commerce not with bankrupts, or poore needie Ludgathians ▪ they are impudent creatures, turbulent spirits, they care not what violent tragedies they stirre, nor how they play fast and loose with a poore gentlemans fortunes, to get their owne. Mary, these rich fellowes (that ha' the vvorld, or the better part of it, sleeping in their counting-houses) they are ten times more placable, they; either feare, hope, or modestie, restraines them from offering any outrages: but this is nothing to your followers, you shall not run a penny more in arrerage for them, and you list your selfe. No? how should I keepe 'hem then? Keepe 'hem? Sbloud let them keepe themselues, they are no sheepe, are they? What? you shall come in houses, where plate, apparrell, iewels, and diuers other pretie commodities lye negligently scattered, and I would ha' those Mercuries follow me (I trow) should remember they had not their fingers for nothing. That's not so good, me thinkes. Why, after you haue kept 'hem a fortnight, or so, and shew'd 'hem ynough to the world, you may turne 'hem away, and keepe no more but a boy, it's ynough. Nay, my humour is not for boyes, Ile keepe men, and I keepe any; and Ile giue coats, that's my humour: but I lacke a cullisen. Why, now you ride to the citie, you may buy one, Ile bring you where you shall ha' your choise for money. Can you, sir? O, I: you shall haue one take measure of you, and make you a Co of armes, to fit you of vvhat fashion you vvill. By word of mouth, I thanke you, Signior; Ile be once a little prodigall in a humour, i' faith, and haue a most prodigious coat. Torment and death! breake head and braine at once, To be deliuer'd of your fighting issue. Who can endure to see blinde Fortune dote thus? To be enamour'd on this dustie turfe? This clod? a whorson puck-fist? O god, god, god, god, &c. I could runne wild vvith griefe now, to behold The ranknesse of her bounties, that doth breed Such bull-rushes; these mushrompe gentlemen, That shoot vp in a night to place, and vvorship. Let him alone, some stray, some stray. Nay, I will examine him before I goe, sure. The Lord of the soile ha's al vvests, and straies here? ha's he not? Yes, sir. Faith, then I pitty the poore fellow, he's falne into a fooles hands. Sirrah, who gaue you commission to lye in my lordship? Your lordship? How? my lordship? doe you know me, sir? I doe know you, sir. S'heart, he answeres him like an eccho. Why, who am I, Sir? One of those that fortune fauours. The Perphrasis of a foole; Ile obserue this better. That fortune fauours? how meane you that, friend? I meane simply. THat you are one that liues not by your vvits. By my wits? No sir, I scorne to liue by my wits, I. I haue better meanes, I tell thee, then to take such base courses, as to liue by my wits. Sbloud, doest thou thinke I liue by my wits?