Jonson, Ben · published 1631 · first performed or written 1616 [Oct-Nov (?)] (Annals) comedy · King's Men T26 Devils, hell and fiends typicality 0.79 · 542 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T26: devil, hell, devils, sure, soul, fiend, sr, wife, lord, men.
Only, thus more I bind you, To serve the first man that you meet; and him I'll show you, now: Observe him. Yon is he, You shall see, first, after your clothing. Fellow him: But once engaged, there you must stay and fix; Not shift, until the midnight's cock do crow. Any conditions to be gone. Away, than. I, they do, now, name Bretnor, as before, They talked of Gresham, and of Doctor Foreman, Franklin, and Fiske, and Savoury (he was in too) But there's not one of these, that ever could Yet show a man the Devil, in true sort. They have their crystals, I do know, and rings, And virgin parchment, and their dead-men's sculls Their ravens wings, their lights, and pentacles, With characters; I ha' seen all these. But— Would I might see the Devil. I would give A hundred o' these pictures, to see him Once out of picture. May I prove a cuckold, (And that's the one main mortal thing I fear) If I begin not, now, to think, the Painters Have only made him. 'Slight, he would be seen, One time or other else. He would not let An ancient gentleman, of a good house, As most are now in England, the Fitz-dottrels, Run wild, and call upon him thus in vain, As I ha' done this twelve mone'th. If he be not, At all, why, are there Conjurers? If they be not, Why, are there laws against 'hem? The best artists Of Cambridge, Oxford, Middlesex, and London, Essex, and Kent, I have had in pay to raise him, These fifty weeks, and yet h'appears not. 'S death, I shall suspect, they, can make circles only Shortly, and know but his hard names. They do say, HE will meet a man (of himself) that has a mind to him. If he would so, I have a mind and a half for him: He should not be long absent. Pray thee, come I long for thee. An I were with child by him, And my wife, too; I could not more. Come, yet, Good Beelzeebub. Were he a kind devil, And had humanity in him, he would come, but To save one's longing. I should use him well, I swear, and with respect (would he would try me) Not, as the Conjurers do, when they ha' raised him. Get him in bonds, and sand him post, on errands. A thousand miles, it is preposterous, that: And I believe, is the true cause becomes not. And he has reason. Who would be engaged, That might live freely, as he may do? I swear, They are wrong all. The burnt child dreads the fire. They do not know to entertain the Devil. I would so welcome him, observe his diet, Get him his chamber hung with arras, two of 'em, I' my own house; lend him my wives wrought pillows: And as I am an honest man, I think, If he had a mind to her, too; I should grant him, To make our friendship perfect. So I would nor To every man. If he but hear me, now? And should come to me in a brave young shape, And take me at my word? ha'! Who is this?
nodes 183–243 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 4 of 54 in this edition
Length
542 words · 742 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T26 — Devils, hell and fiendscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.789 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T23 · seed 44: T23 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Onely, thus more I bind you, To ſerue the firſt man that you meete; and him I'le ſhew you, now: Obſerue him. Yon' is hee, You ſhall ſee, firſt, after your clothing. Follow him: But once engag'd, there you muſt ſtay and fixe; Not ſhift, vntill the midnights cocke doe crow. Any conditions to be gone. Away, then. I, they doe, now, name Bretnor, as before, They talk'd of Greſham, and of Doctor Fore-man, Francklin, and Fiske, and Sauory (he was in too) But there's not one of theſe, that euer could Yet ſhew a man the Diuell, in true ſort. They haue their chriſtalls, I doe know, and rings, And virgin parchment, and their dead-mens ſculls Their rauens wings, their lights, and pentacles, With characters; I ha' ſeene all theſe. But— Would I might ſee the Diuell. I would giue A hundred o' theſe pictures, to ſee him Once out of picture. May I proue a cuckold, (And that's the one maine mortall thing I feare) If I beginne not, now, to thinke, the Painters Haue onely made him. 'Slight, he would be ſeene, One time or other elſe. He would not let An ancient gentleman, of a good houſe, As moſt are now in England, the Fitz-dottrel's, Runne wilde, and call vpon him thus in vaine, As I ha' done this twelue mone'th. If he be not, At all, why, are there Coniurers? If they be not, Why, are there lawes againſt 'hem? The beſt artiſts Of Cambridge, Oxford, Middleſex, and London, Eſſex, and Kent, I haue had in pay to raiſe him, Theſe fifty weekes, and yet h'appeares not. 'S death, I ſhall ſuſpect, they, can make circles onely Shortly, and know but his hard names. They doe ſay, H' will meet a man (of himſelfe) that has a mind to him. If hee would ſo, I haue a minde and a halfe for him: He ſhould not be long abſent. Pray thee, come I long for thee. An' I were with child by him, And my wife, too; I could not more. Come, yet, Good Beelezebub. Were hee a kinde diuell, And had humanity in him, hee would come, but To ſaue ones longing. I ſhould vſe him well, I ſweare, and with reſpect (would he would try mee) Not, as the Conjurers doe, when they ha' rais'd him. Get him in bonds, and ſend him poſt, on errands. A thouſand miles, it is prepoſterous, that: And I beleeue, is the true cauſe becomes not. And hee has reaſon. Who would be engag'd, That might liue freely, as he may doe? I ſweare, They are wrong all. The burn't child dreads the fire. They doe not know to entertaine the Diuell. I would ſo welcome him, obſerue his diet, Get him his chamber hung with arras, two of 'hem, I' my own houſe; lend him my wiues wrought pillowes: And as I am an honeſt man, I thinke, If he had a minde to her, too; I ſhould grant him, To make our friend-ſhip perfect. So I would nor To euery man. If hee but heare me, now? And ſhould come to mee in a braue young ſhape, And take me at my word? ha! Who is this?