Lingua, or The Combat of the Tongue and the Five Senses for Superiority · chunk 31 of 51
Tomkis, Thomas · published 1607 · first performed or written 1607 [1602-1607] (Annals) comedy; allegory unassigned nearest T56 Magic, spells and conjuring · 501 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T56: magic, faustus, charms, charm, conjure, spirits, skill, ho, power, spells.
Good, good▪ but what had your invention been, but for my remembrance: I can prove that thou belly-sprung invention, art the most improfitable member in the world, for eversince thou wert born thou hast been a bloody murderer, and thus I prove it: In the quiet years of Saturn (I remember Iupiter was then but in his swath-bands) thou rentest the bowels of the earth, & brings gold to light, whose beauty (like Helen) set all the world by the ears, then upon that thou foundest out Iron, and puttest weapons in their hands, and now in the last populous age, thou taugh'st a scab-shin friar, the hellish invention of powder and guns. Callest it hellish? thou liest it is the admirable'st invention of all others, for whereas others imitate nature, this excels nature herself. True for a Cannon will kill as many at one shot, as Thunder doth commonly at twenty. Therefore more murdering art thou then the light bolt. But to show the strength of my conceit, I have found out a means to withstand the stroke of the most violent culvering: Mendatio thou sawest it when I demonstrated invention. What some woolpackes? or mudwalls? or such like? Mendatio I prithee tell it him for I love not to be a trumpeter of mine own praises. I must needs confess, this device to pass all that ever I heard or saw, and thus it was, first he takes a Falcon, and charges it without all deceipts, with dry powder well camphored, then did he put in a single bullet, and a great quantity of drop shot both round and lachrymal, this done he sets me a boy 60. paces off, just point blank over against the mouth of the piece, now in the very midst of the direct line he fastens a post, upon which he hangs me in a cord a Siderits, of Herculean stone. Well, well, I know it well, it was found out in Ida, in the year of the world— by one Magnes, whose name it retains, though vulgarly they call it an Adamant. When he had hanged this Adamant in a cord, he comes back, and gives fire to the tutch-hole, now the powder consumed to a void vacuum. Which is intolerable in Nature, for first shall the whole Machine of the world, heaven, earth, sea, and air, return to the misshapen house of Chaos, than the least vacuum be found in the universe. The bullet and drop-shot most impetuously from the fiery throat of the Culvering, (but ● strange) no sooner came they near the Adamant in the cord, but they were all arrested by the Sergeant of Nature, and hovered in the air round about it, till they had lost the force of their motion, clasping themselves close to the Stone in most lovely manner, and not any one flew to endanger the mark, so much did they remember their duty to nature, that they forgot the errand they were sent of.
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)
Good, good▪ but what had your inuention beene, but for my remembrance: I can proue that thou belly-sprung inuention, art te most improfitable member in the world, for euersince thou wet bore thou hast beene a bloudy murtherer, and thus I proue it: In the quiet yeares of Saturne (I remember Iupiter was then but in his swath-bands) thou rentest the bowels of the earth, & broughts gold to light, whose beautie (like Hellen) set al the world by the eares, then vpō that thou foundest out Iron, and puttest weapons in their hands, and now in the last populous age, thou taugh'st a scab-shin frier, the hellish inuention of pouder and gunnes. Cal'st it hellish? thou liest it is the admirable'st inuention of all others, for whereas others imitate nature, this excells nature her selfe. True for a Cannon will kill as many at one shot, as Thunder doth commonly at twenty. Therefore more murthering art thou then the light bolt. But to shewe the strength of my conceite, I haue found out a meanes to withstand the stroke of the most violent culuering: Mendatio thou sawest it when I demonstrated inuention. What some wool-packes? or mudwalls? or such like? Mendatio I prethee tell it him for I loue not to bee a trumpeter of mine owne praises. I must needs confesse, this deuise to passe all that euer I heard or saw, and thus it was, first hee takes a Faulcon, and charges it without all deceiptes, with dry powlder well canphred, then did hee put in a single bullet, and a great quantity of drop shot both round and lachimall, this done he sets me a boy 60. paces off, iust pointe blanke ouer against the mouth of the peece, now in the very midst of the direct line hee fastens a post, vpon which he hangs me in a corde a Siderits, of Herculean stone. Well, well, I know it well, it was found out in Ida, in the yeare of the world—by one Magnes, whose name it retaines, though vulgarly they call it an Adamant. When hee had hangd this Adamant in a corde, he comes back, and giues fire to the tutch-hole, now the powder consumed to a voide vacuvm. Which is intollerable in Nature, for first shall the whole Machin of the world, heauen, earth, sea, and ayre, returne to the mishapen house of Chaos, then the least vacuvm be found in the vniuerse. The bullet and drop-shot most impetuously from the ierie throate of the Culuering, (but strange) no sooner ame they neere the Adamant in the corde, but they were all arrested by the Sargent of Nature, and houered in the ayre round about it, till they had lost the force of their motion, clasping themselues close to the Stone in most louely manner, and not any one flew to endanger the marke, so much did they remember their duty to nature, that they forgot the errand they were sent of.