The Contention between Liberality and Prodigality · chunk 16 of 19
Anonymous · published 1602 · first performed or written 1601 [Feb 22] (Annals) moral · Children of the Chapel (second) · before the Court unassigned nearest T47 Knaves, thieves and bawds · 506 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T47: knave, rogue, money, knaves, thief, rogues, pray, whore, nichol, book.
Nay, Money, doubt not, but by sweat or by vomit, I warrant thee boy, shortly thou shalt be rid from it. Rid, quotha, if shaving, or boxing, or cowering, Or anointing, or scraping, or purging, or blood letting, Or rubbing, or paring, or chafing, or fretting, Or ought else will rid it, he shall want no ridding. Come on, Money, let's be jogging. thieves, neighbours, thieves, come forth, beset the country. Hark, list a while, what might this clamour be? Zounds, we are undone, Prodigality, The Constables come after with hue and cry. O Cerberus, what shall we do? Stand back, lie close, and let them pass by. thieves, thieves! O vile! O detestable deed! The , neighbours: come forth, away, abroad with speed. Where dwell these Constables? Why? what's the matter, friend, I pray? Why, thieves man, I tell thee, come away. i'faith, wife, my skull, my Jack, my brown bill. Come away quickly. Dick, Tom, Will, ye whoresons, make ye all ready, and haste apace after. But let me hear, how stands the case? Marry, sir, hereby, not far from this place, A plain simple man riding on his Ass, Meaning home to his Country in God's peace to pass, By certain Roisters most furious and mad, Is spoiled and robbed of all that he had. And yet not contented, when they had his money, But the villains have also murdered him most cruelly. Good God for his mercy! It was my hap to come then present by him, And found him dead, with twenty wounds upon him. But what became of them? They fled this way. Then, neighbour, let us here no longer stay, But hence and lay the country round about. They shall be quickly found, I have no doubt. My Lords, you see how far this worldly state perverted is, From good declined, inclined still to follow things amiss. You see but very few, that make of Virtue any price: You see all sorts with hungry wills, run headlong into vice. We see it oft, we sorrow much, and heartily lament, That of himself, man should not have a better government. The very beasts that be devoid of reason, dull & dumb, By nature learn to shun those things, whereof their hurt may come. If man were then but as a beast, only by nature taught, He would also by nature learn, to shun what things are nought. But man with reason is endued, he reason hath for stay, Which reason should restrain his will, from going much astray. Madam, 'tis true: Where reason rules, there is the golden mean. But most men stoop to stubborn will, Which conquereth reason clean. And Will again to fancy yields, Which twain be special guides, That train a man to tread ill paths, Where ease and pleasure bides. No ease, no pleasure, can be good, that is not got with pains. That is the cause from virtues love, Man's fancy still refrains. And pains, I think, they feel likewise, That unto vice do bend.
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)
Nay, Money, doubt not, but by sweat or by vomit, I warrant thee boy, shortly thou shalt be rid from it. Rid, quotha, if shauing, or boxing, , Or noynting, or scraping, or purging, or blood , Or rubbing, or paring, or , or fretting, Or ought else will rid it, he shall want ne ridding. Come on, Money, let's be iogging. Theeues, neighbors, theeues, come forth, beset the country. Harke, list a while, what might this clamour be? Zwounds, we are vndone, Prodigalitie, The Constables come after with hue and cry. O Cerberus, what shall we doe? Stand backe, lie close, and let them passe by. The eues, ! O vile! O detestable deed! The , neighbours: come forth, away, abroad with speed. Where dwell these Constables? Why? what's the matter, friend, I pray? Why, theeues man, I tell , come away. I faith, wife, my scull, my Iacke, my browne bill. Come away quickly. Dick, Tom, Will, ye hoorsons, make ye all ready, and haste apace after. But let me heare, how stands the case? Marrie, sir, here-by, not farre from this place, A plaine simple man ryding on his Asse, Meaning home to his Country in Gods peace to passe, certaine Roysters most furious and mad, Is spoyled and robbed of all that he had. And yet not contented, when they had his money, But the villaynes haue also murderd him most cruelly. Good God for his mercy! It was my hap to come then present by him, And found him dead, with twenty wounds vpon him. But what became of them? They fled this way. Then, neighbour, let vs here no longer stay, But hence and lay the countrey round about. They shall be quickly found, I haue no doubt. My Lords, you see how far this worldly state is, From good declinde, enclined still to follow things amisse. You see but verie few, that make of Vertue any price: You see all sorts with hungry willes, run headlong into vice. We see it oft, we sorrow much, and hartily lament, That of himselfe, man should not haue a better gouernment. The verie beasts that be deuoyd of reason, dul & dumbe, By nature learne to shun those things, wherof their hurt may come. If man were then but as a beast, onely by nature taught, He would also by nature learne, to shun what things are naught. But man with reason is indude, he reason hath for stay, Which reason should restraine his will, from going much astray. Madam, tis true: Where reason rules, there is the golden meane. But most men stoope to stubborne will, Which conquereth reason cleane. And Will againe to fancie yeelds, Which twaine be speciall guides, That traine a man to treade ill pathes, Where ease and pleasure bides. No ease, no pleasure, can be good, that is not got with paines. That is the cause from Vertues , Mans fancy still refraines. And paines, I thinke, they feele likewise, That vnto vice doe bend.