Two Wise Men and All the Rest Fools · chunk 12 of 68
Anonymous · published 1619 · first performed or written 1619 [1613-1619] (Annals) satire; dialogue unassigned nearest T5 Christian faith, sin and salvation · 513 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T5: god, christ, david, sin, holy, israel, lord, mercy, sins, faith.
Nay Sirrah, if any man hit the nail on the head, it should be you, because you are a Smith; but soft, you are so hot with your rip rapping, that you miss the nail and Anvil also. For my part although I do boldly work on holidays as other tailors use Christmas day and all, yet would I not miss the holidays for any good, nor would I break the order without necessity. But is it so easy a matter to put down the holidays think you? And will you do it with the furious fire-fork? And you Master Gardner that will rake up holidays and fasting-days like weeds, and bury them all in a trench, you are both both foully deceived. For neither have you put down the fasting-days, because still they are bidden in Churches, nor is the case alike: for Fasting is private, and cannot so well be punished, but if you come not to Church, up you go not to Church, up you go for a Recusant an you were my father. Why for all that should we be troubled with so many holidays? wood not fewer serve the turn as well? I do not think our auncetrums were so pestered. Yea, and with many more; and kept the eves half holy. How didne a then for doing their business? sure a were all beggars. And yet 'twood anger me that my grandsire should be a beggar. I it wood. Not so neither. They lived very well: and had not the twentieth beggar that we have: and were great housekeepers every man almost. They built all the Towns, Colleges, and Religious houses. Didne a so indeed? I cha heard my grandsire, & grannam talk much of those things. Sure but I think they went to blow and cart on the workadays, and built those things you talk on upon the holidays, or else it could never be. No, no. They suffered no kind of lighter works to be done in those days, much less such painful labours as they were. Why were the Saints days kept holy at all? Tell me some reason for it. They did in those days give great honour to such as suffered death for Christian religion, although the men were as poor as Christ's fishermen. And therefore the days of their martyrdom they kept holy, and came to Church to glorify and praise that God, for whom those Saints died, there were people exhorted to do the like. But I mislike the very ground, and cause of those holidays which (you say) is suffering death willingly. Do not we die fast enough (think you) against our wills, but we must set up a trade of dying with a good will? Thou speakest against reason. For if thou must needs die, first, or last, wert not better to die for a glorious cause, so to be sure of heaven, & willingly in perfect memory, then against thy will wrestling with death, & overcome in the end with great pain, and perhaps past thy senses.
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 Sirra, if any man hit the naile on the head, it should be you, because you are a Smith▪ but soft, you are so hot with your rip rapping, that you misse the nayle and Anyle also. For my part although I doe boldly worke on Holy▪ dayes as other taylers vse Christmasse day and all, yet would I not misse the Holy-dayes for any good, nor would I breake the order without necessity. But is it so easie a matter to put downe the Holy-dayes thinke you? And will you doe it with the furious fire-forke? And you Master Gardner that will rake vp Holy-dayes and Fasting-dayes like weedes, and bury them all in a rrench, you are both both fowly deceiued. For neither haue you put downe the Fasting-dayes, because still they are bidden in Churches, nor is the case alike▪ for Fasting is private, and cannot so well be punished, but if you come not to Church, vp you go not to Church, vp you goe for a Recust an you were my father. Why for all that hud we be troubled with so many holydaies? wood not fewer serue the turne as well? I doe not thinke our auncetrums were so pestred. Yea, and with many more; and kept the eues halfe holy. How didne a then for doing their businesse? sure a were all beggers. And yet twood anger me that my graundsir should be a begger. I it wood. Not so neither. They liued very well: and had not the twentith begger that we haue: and were great housekeepers every man almost. They built all the Townes, Colledges▪ and Religious houses. Didne a so indeed? I cha hard my grandsir, & grannam tauke much of those things. Sure but I thinke they went to plow and cart on the workydaies, and built those things you tauke on vpon the holydaies, or else it cood neer be. No, no. They suffered no kind of lighter workes to e done in those daies, much lesse such painfull labours as they were. Why were the Saiuts daies kept holy at all? Tell me some reason for it. They did in those daies giue grea honour to such as suffered death for Christian religion, although the men were as poore as Christs fishermen. And therefore the daies of their martyrdome they kept holy, and came to Church to glorifie and praise that God, for whom those Saints died, there were people exhorted to doe the like. But I mislike the very ground, and cause of those holydaies which (you say) is suffring death willingly. Doe not we die fast enough (thinke you) against our wils, but we must set vp a trade of dying with a good will▪ Thou speakest against reason. For if thou must needs dye, first, or last, wert not better to die for a glorious cause, so to be sure of heauen, & willingly in perfect memory, then against thy will wrestling with death, & overcome in the end with great paine, and perhaps past thy sences.