If It Be Not Good, the Devil Is in It (If This Be Not a Good Play, the Devil Is in It) · chunk 25 of 44
Dekker, Thomas · published 1612 · first performed or written 1611 [1611-1612] (Annals) comedy · Queen Anne's Men · Red Bull T6 Money, debt and credit typicality 0.78 · 481 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T6: money, master, pound, law, lawyer, chain, gentleman, gold, pay, pray.
Man wherefore dost not swear? Reach me a book. Let me before I swear, on my notes look, I'll tell you the very day; pray hold my staff, Till I draw out my false eyes. Draw thy heart out an't wilt: thou mayst well say thy false eyes. The day: August, 14. That's now, be damn, and so away. On this day (August, 14.) I swear I paid Into these hands, 200. crowns in gold. Zounds not in silver: by this book I had none. One of you two is perjuriously forsworn. He, he, as I am true Curstian man. He swears, To your own hands he paid them. Else let that eye, Which sees me play false, scourge my perjury With fearful stripes. O justice I fallen down dead▪ Would I had lost all▪ though I had been cozened, Rather than thou thy soul. He bleeds at mouth. See his staff (beating the earth, for heaven loves truth Is burst in shivers, and that gold he swore paid to me, lies scattered on the flore. He comes again, the devil will not receive him. Take him away, we'll punish him for this crime. Beg his office: you a Courtier? I have a suit to your highness. What be't count Spendola? Master, look up man, In this black trance had thy soul flyen away, I had wrought hard and made a holiday. Lose not a minute (pew-fellow) leave him not yet, I have whales here too, lie playing in the net. I'll take this gold at venture, (sweet young King,) For all this hellhound owes me. Do, and be gone. I am paid: the devils turned Puritan I fear, (methinks) to hear his own child swear. The office of this perjured Bartervile, I frankly give away, dividing it To the Count Spendola, and our worthy friend Brave 〈◊〉 here; farm it to whom you please. We thank your Highness. Who bids most, he buys it. If to his life▪ the devil gives longer lease, To build more work for hell; go see, & from him of what he owes us. That strict account I'll take. Show him no favour. If now thou art a just King, keep thy word, With thy poor subjects. How now uncle? why This is thy day to hear the poor man's cry: And yonder's crying enough, at thy Court gates; Five hundred white heads, and scarce 10, good hats, Yet haberdashers too, of all trades some, Crying out they are undone. Undone, by whom? marry, look: by such as you are, who go gay, wear't out, book down more, set to their hands but never pay; Never in dear years was there such complaining Of poor starved servants, or (when plagues are reigning) Mourn orphans so and widows, as those do That owe these sorrowful papers. Pray how can I To their complainings add a remedy?
nodes 1446–1513 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 25 of 44 in this edition
Length
481 words · 667 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T6 — Money, debt and creditcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.779 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T9 · seed 44: T10 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Man wherefore doest not sweare? Reach me a booke. Let me before I sweare, on my notes look, Ile tell you the very day; pray hold my staffe, Till I draw out my false eyes. Draw thy heart out an't wut: thou maist wel say thy false eyes. The day: August, 14. Thats now, be daod, and so away. On this day (August, 14.) I sweare I payde Into these hands, 200. crownes in gold. Zounds not in siluer: by this booke I had none. One of you two is periuriously forsworne. He, he, as I am true Curstian man. He sweares, To your owne hands he payde them. Else let that eye, Which sees me play false, scourge my periury With fearefull stripes. O iutice I falne downe dead▪ Wud I had lost all▪ tho I had bin cozened, Rather than thou thy soule. He bleedes at mouth. See his staffe (beating the earth, for heauen loues ruth Is burst in shiuers, and that gold he swore W py'd to me, lyes scattred on the ore. He comes againe, the diuell will not receiue him. Take him away, weele punish him for this cryme. Beg his office: you a Courtier? I haue a suite to your highnes. What count Spendola? Maister, looke vp man, In this black trance had thy soule flyen away, I had wrought hard and made a holliday. Loose not a minute (pue-fellow) leaue him not yet, I haue whales here too, lye playing in the net. Ile take this gold at venture, (sweete yong King,) For all this hel-hound owes me. Doe, and be gon. I am pay'd: the diuels turn'd puritane I feare, tes (me thinkes) to heare his own child sweare. The office of this periurd Barteruile, I giue away, diuiding it To the Count Spendola, and our worthy friend Braue here; farme it to whom you please. We thanke your Highnes. Who bids most, he buyes it. his life▪ the diuel giues longer lease, To build more worke for hel; goe see, & from him of what he ow vs. That account take. Show him no fauou. If now th ar a ust King, keepe thy word, With thy poore subiects. How now vcle? why This is thy day to heare the poore mans crye: And yonders crying eough, at thy Court gats; Fiue hundred heads, and scarce good has, Yet haberdashers too, of all trades some, Crying out they are vndon. Vndon, by whom? Mary, looke: by such as you are, who goe gay, Weare't out, booke downe more, set to their hands but neuer pay; Neuer in deare yeares was there such complayning Of poore staru'd seruants, or (when plagues are raigning) Mourne orphans so and widdowes, as those doe That owe these sorrowfull papers. Pray how can I To their complainings adde a remedy?