Two Wise Men and All the Rest Fools · chunk 46 of 68
Anonymous · published 1619 · first performed or written 1619 [1613-1619] (Annals) satire; dialogue T57 Ships, merchants and pirates typicality 0.76 · 504 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T57: ship, sea, master, sail, home, money, pisaro, life, ships, till.
Sir, a kinsman of yours and mine, a knight, when he went to travail had no money to spare, but bestowed on me 10l which you owe him by this your bill. I beseech you to pay me, for now I am in want. Let me see the bill. If it be mine I will discharge it. She gives him the bill, and after well viewing, he tears off the seal, and saith, I owe him nothing, nor will pay thee any thing. Why do you tear the bill? if you will not pay it. Did not you say it was my bill? if it be mine, why may not I do with it as I list myself? But you promised to discharge it; and doing so, it is at your pleasure to tear or burn it. Have I not discharged it thinkst thou? I warrant thee 'tis sure enough for ever charging me again. O heavens! was there ever such a monster hatched what age but this could have fostered so degenerous, so shameless, so frontless a beast as thou art? It had been happy for many that have had to do with thee if that Skin ere this had been flayed from that impudent face of thine. Be gone; Thy tongue is left thee to rail at large, but thy means be short to revenge thyself by law. Therefore feed upon thy woes, and tears, money thou gettest none of me. Courage my companions. Pluck up your hearts, methinks I hear the sound of trumpets and drums within my breast. Whether I wake or sleep nothing but Alarms beset my thoughts: wars cannot be far off. Every thing prognosticates stirs and broils. The very children muster in the streets. We have lived a great while like metamorphised men. It is such a sight for soldiers to walk in Pawles with long cloaks and grave attire as if they were turned Civilians. Why should we alter our proper habits being ensigns of honour? Hath not the whole need of us by turns, and fits? And to one place or other we are still invited. We succour the besieged, and relieve the distressed. We restore kingdoms, and set captives at freedom. We toss and tennis Crowns and Monarchies, & bestow them at pleasure. Finally we make the earth tremble, and discolour the running streams. Some few faults we have, but not worthy to be so generally condemned. The life of a soldier as now adays it is used, is of all occupations the worst: and in a word is the high way to Hell. You need not bend yourself so stiffly against any sorts of people, be they never so wicked, being yourself one of the basest and most unnecessary fruitspillers that ever made themselves mercenary. An Intelligencer, a spy, an eavesdropper is hated, and shunned of all the world. As true as I live, it were a good deed to apprehend you. I'll lay my life you are an enemy to the state.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: T46 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Sir, a kinsman of yours and mine, a knight, when he went to travaile had no money to spare, but bestowed on me 10 which you owe him by this your bill. I beseech you to pay me, for now I am in want. Let me see the bill. If it be mine I will discharge it. She giues him the bill, and after well viewing, off the seale, and saith▪ I owe him nothing, nor will pay thee any thing. Why doe you teare the bill if you will not pay it. Did not you say it was my bill? if it be mine, why may not I doe with it as I list my selfe? But you promised to discharge it; and doing so, it is at your pleasure to teare or burne it. Haue I not discharg'd it thinkst thou? I warrant thee is sure enough for euer charging me agaie. O heauens! was there euer such a monster hatch'd what age but this could haue fostered so degenerous, so shamelesse, so frontlesse a beast as thou t? It had beene happie for manie that haue had to do with thee if that Skinr this had beene flead from that impudent face of thine. Be gone; Thy tongue is left thee to raile at large, but thy meanes be short to revenge thy selfe by law. Therefore feede vpon thy woes, and teares, money thou gettest none of me. Courage my companions. Plucke vp your hearts, mee thinkes I heare the sound of trumpets and drummes within my brest. Whether I wake or sleepe nothing but Alarums beset my thoughts: warres cannot be farre off. Euerie thing prognosticates stirres and broiles. The verie children ufler in the streetes. We haue liu'd a great while like metaorphised men. It is such a sight for souldiers to walke in Pawles with long cloakes and graue attire as if they were turn'd Civilians. Whie should we alter our proper habits being ensignes of honour? Hath not the whole need of vs by turnes, and fits? And to one place or other we are still invited. VVe succour the besieged, and relieue the distressed. VVe restore kingdomes, and set captiues at freedome. VVe osse and tennis Crownes and Monarchies, & bestow them at pleasure. Finallie we make the earth tremble, and discolour the running streames. Some few faults we haue, but not worthie to be so generallie condemned. The life of a souldier as now adaies it is vsed, is of all occupations the worst: and in a word is the high way to Hell. You need not bend your selfe so stify against anie sorts of people, e they never so wicked, being your self one of the basest and most vnnecessarie fruitspillers that ever made themselues mercenarie. An Intelligencer, a spie, an Euesdropper is hated, and shunned of all the world. As true as I liue, it were a good deed to apprehend you. Ile laie my life you are an enemi to the state.