If It Be Not Good, the Devil Is in It (If This Be Not a Good Play, the Devil Is in It) · chunk 23 of 44
Dekker, Thomas · published 1612 · first performed or written 1611 [1611-1612] (Annals) comedy · Queen Anne's Men · Red Bull unassigned nearest T35 Fools, wit and railing · 491 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T35: fool, wit, aristippus, achilles, wise, fools, patroclus, thersites, master, men.
And what good thoughts bred that within thee? This: I thought to myself, what a happy fellow that man in the moon was, to see so many fools and knaves here below, and yet never to be troubled with 'em, nor meddle with 'em. he's happy that meddles not with this world indeed. If that man in the moon should write a prognostication, oh he should not need to tell astronomical lies to fill his book, nor talk in gibberish no man understands, of Quartiles, Aspects, Stations, Retrogradations, Peragrations; centrical, Eccentrical, Cosmical, acronical, and such Palquaical, Solar, Lunar, Lunatical vaulting over the rails of heaven, that no Christian dare look upon their tricks, for fear his wit break his neck. Thou putst into a Sea, thou canst not sound, Ignorance still is foe to Arts profound. Come hither man, come hither. art's profound, Arts make men as very asses as women do, I have no Art, and yet I know this Moon that shines tonight, sees more than you or I do, for all your spectacles. True, 'tis the eye of heaven. Which of the eyes? 'tis but the left eye: and the Sun is the right: and yet the left sometimes sees more than the right, and the right as much as the left, there's paxonism for you father globical paxonism. I understand thee not. No, why here's the oyster opened, I say the Sun sees much knavery in a year, & the Moon more in a quarter▪ the Moon sees men carried by a quarreling watch to prison, and the Sun sees the constable and the bookkeeper share fees the next morning. That's not well. Yes, but they swear 'tis well: the Moon sees bastards come bawling into the world, & the Sun sees'em shifted and shuffled in dossers, away to nurse, & that's the cause we have so many dosser-heads: the Moon sees old curmudgeons come reeling from Taverns with sipping of half pints of Sack, and the Sun sees the same churls the next day, soberly cutting any man's throat for a penny. Enough of this: come hither: look what here lies. What here lies: marry, father Subprior, the devil and some usurers money have been here at their lechery, and see what goodly children they have begot: if you will i'll keep the bastards at nurse. I am content that half this gold he thine, (If it be asked for never, for 'tis not mine,) So thou wilt promise other half to give To such as I appoint. By this gold I will lay it out bravely, as you appoint me. Look not to prosper; if thou dealest amiss; Good works are keys opening the gates of bliss, That golden key, thou in that heap mayst find; If with it thou relieve the lame, sick, blind▪ & hungry I will do it I protest. One half bestowed so, take thyself the rest. So fare thee well.
seed 43: T49 · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
And what good thoughts bred that within thee? This: I thought to my selfe, what a happy fellow that man in the moone was, to see so many fooles and knaues here below, and yet neuer to be troubled with 'em, nor meddle with 'em. Hees hppy that meddles not with this world indeed. If that man in the moone should write a prognostication, oh he should not neede to tell astronomicall lyes to fill his booke, nor talke in gibrish no man vnderstands, of Quartiles, Aspects, Stations, Retrogradations, Peragrations; Centricall, Eccentricall, Cosmicall, Acronicall, and such Palquoicall, Solar, Lunar, Lnaticall vaulting ouer the railes of heauen, that no Christian dare looke vpon their tricks, for feare his wit breake his necke. Thou putst into a Sea, thou canst not sound, Ignorance still is foe to Arts profound. Coe hither man, come hither. Arts profound, Arts make men as very asses as women doe, I haue no Art, and yet I knowe this Moone that shines to night, sees more than you or I doe, for all your spectacles. True, tis the eye of heauen. Which of the eyes? tis but the left eye: and the Sun is the right: and yet the left sometimes sees more than the right, and the right as much as the left, ther's paxonisme for you father globicall paxonisme. I vnderstand thee not. No, why heres the oyster opend, I say the Sun sees much knauery in a yere, & the Moone more in a quarter▪ the Moone sees men caryed by a quarelling watch to prison, and the Sun sees the constable and the booke-keepr share fees the next morning. Thats not well. Yes, but they sweare tis well: the Moone sees bastards come bwling into the world, & the Sun sees'em shifted and shuftled in dossers, away to nurse, & thats the cause we haue so many dosser-heads: the Moone sees old curmudgeons come reeling from Tauerns with spping of halfe pites of Sack, and the Sun sees the same churles the next day, soberly cutting any mans throate for a pennie. Enough of this: come hither: looke what here lyes. What here lyes: mary, father Subprior, the diuell and some Vsuters mony haue bin here at their lecherie, and see what goodly children they haue begot: if you will ile keepe the bastards at nurse. I am content that halfe this gold he thine, (If it bee ask'd for neuer, for tis not mine,) So thou wilt promise tother halfe to giue To such as I appoint. By this gold I will lay it out brauely, as you appoint me▪ Looke not to prosper; if thou dealst amisse; Good workes are keyes opening the gates of blisse, That golden key, thou in that heape maist find; If with it thou relieue the lame, sick, blind▪ & ūgry I will doe it I protest. One halfe bestow'd so, take thy selfe the rest. So fare thee well.