May, Thomas · published 1622 · first performed or written 1620 (Annals) comedy · Red Bull (Revels) Company (first) T6 Money, debt and credit typicality 0.71 · 492 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T6: money, master, pound, law, lawyer, chain, gentleman, gold, pay, pray.
I run Sir. He is a subtle Lawyer, and may find Some point, that in the law's obscurity ee hid from vs, some point may doe vs good, I have seen some of his profession Out of case as plain, as clear as day To our weak judgements, and no doubt at first Meant like our thoughts by those that made the Law, Pick out such hard inextricable doubts, That they have spun a suit of seven year long, And lead their hood wink Clients in a wood, A most irremovable Labyrinth, Till they have quite consumed 'em, this they can do In other cases, why not as well in this. I have seen others could extend the Law Upon the wrack, or cut it short again To their own private profits, as that thief Cruel Procrustes served his hapless guests, To fit them to his bed; Well I shall see, I would Nicanor were returned again, I would fain ease my conscience of that oath, That rash and inconsiderate oath I took, But see, here they are coming. Health to my Sovereign. Matho, welcome. I sent for thee about a business I would entreat thy help in. Your Highness may command my service In that, or any thing lies in my power. 'tis to decide a case that troubles me. If it lie within the compass of my knowledge, I will resolve your Highness presently. Then thus it is, Lord Euphues son, Young Philocles, has lately stolen away The Daughter and Heir of Lord Polimetes, Who is his enemy, he following him hard Has apprehended him, and brings him to his trial Tomorrow morning: thou hast heard this news. I have my Liege, and every circumstance That can be thought on in the business. And what will be the issue by the Law. He must die for it, the case is plain, Unless your grace will grant his pardon. But can there be no means thought upon To save him by the Law. None my Lord. Surely there may, speak man, I'll give thee Double Fees. It cannot be my Liege, the Statutes is plain. Nay now thou art too honest, thou shouldst do As other Lawyers do, first take my money, And then tell me thou canst do me good. I dare not undertake it, could it be done, I'd go as far as any man would do. Yes if 'twere to cut a poor man's throat you could, For some rich griping Landlord you could grinned The face of his poor Tenant, stretch the Law To serve his turn, and guided by his Angels, Speak Oracles more than the tongues of men, Than you could find exceptions, reservations, Stand at a word, a syllable, a letter, Or coin some scruples out of your own brains, But in a cause so full of equity So charitable as this, you can find nothing, I shall for ever hate all your profession.
nodes 1553–1617 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 26 of 33 in this edition
Length
492 words · 621 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T6 — Money, debt and creditcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.707 (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)
I runne Sir. He is a ſubtill Lawyer, and may find Some point, that in the Lawes obſcurity ee hid from vs, ſome point may doe vs good, I haue ſeene ſome of his profeſſion Out of caſe as plaine, as cleere as day To our weake iudgements, and no doubt at firſt Meant like our thoughts by thoſe that made the Law, Picke out ſuch hard inextricable doubts, That they haue ſpun a ſuit of ſeuen yeere long, And leade their hood winke Clients in a wood, A moſt irremoueable Labyrinth, Till they haue quite conſum'd vm, this they can doe In other caſes, why not as well in this. I haue ſeene others could extend the Law Vpon the wrack, or cut it ſhort againe To their owne priuate profits, as that thiefe Cruell Procruſtes ſeru'd his hapleſſe gueſts, To fi them to his bed; Well I ſhall ſee, I would Nicanor were returned againe, I would faine eaſe my conſcience of that oath, That raſh and inconſiderate oath I tooke, But ſee, heere they are comming. Health to my Soueraigne. Matho, welcome. I ſent for thee about a buſineſſe I would intreate thy helpe in. Your Highneſſe may command my ſeruice In that, or any thing lies in my power. Tis to decide a caſe that troubles me. If it lye within the compaſſe of my knowledge, I will reſolue your Highneſſe preſently. Then thus it is, Lord Euphues ſonne, Yong Philocles, has lately ſtolne away The Daughter and Heire of Lord Polimetes, Who is his enemy, he following him hard Has apprehended him, and brings him to his tryall To morrow morning: thou haſt heard this newes. I haue my Liege, and euery circumſtance That can be thought on in the buſineſſe. And what will be the iſſue by the Law. He muſt dye for it, the caſe is plaine, Vnleſſe your grace will grant his pardon. But can there be no meanes thought vpon To ſaue him by the Law. None my Lord. Surely there may, ſpeake man, Ile giue thee Double Fees. It cannot be my Leige, the Statutes is plaine. Nay now thou art too honeſt, thou ſhouldſt do As other Lawyers doe, firſt take my mony, And then tell me thou canſt doe me good. I dare not vndertake it, could it be done, Ide goe as farre as any man would doe. Yes if twere to cut a poore mans throat you could, For ſome rich griping Land-lord you could grin'd The face of his poore Tenant, ſtretch the Law To ſerue his turne, and guided by his Angels, Speake Oracles more then the tongues of men, Then you could find exceptions, reſeruations, Stand at a word, a ſilible, a letter, Or coine ſome ſcruples out of your owne braines, But in a cauſe ſo full of equity So charitable as this, you can find nothing, I ſhall for euer hate all your profeſſion.