Wager, William · published 1570 · first performed or written 1560 [c.1559-c.1570] (Annals) moral T26 Devils, hell and fiends typicality 0.89 · 517 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T26: devil, hell, devils, sure, soul, fiend, sr, wife, lord, men.
If thou speed well now I dare promise' thee, The Devil will give thee the Crown of hell. God speed you Sir, I pray you might I be so bold, As to have a word or two with you in your ear? Yea, hardly my friend say what you would. Your mind unto me you may boldly declare. I pray you are you not acquainted with this gentleman? I would fain speak with him a word or twain alone: I beseech you help me to my request if you can, For I have haste on my way I must needs be gone. If you had required a greater thing of me, I would have done it for you I tell you certain: Sir, one of yonder men which you do see, Would speak with you alone very fain. I will go to him and know his mind: is it you that would speak with me my friend? Yea forsooth sir? What say you to me? O Sir, o good Sir, o, o, o my heart will break: O, o, for sorrow God wots I cannot speak. What is the matter? wherefore weep you thus? Pure love causeth him, Sir I was. I am sure that be loves you at the heart. I thank him truly it is undeserved on my part. Gentle friend I pray you cease your lamentation: Sure it is a strange thing to see a man weep on this fashion. I cannot choose, o, o, I cannot choose: Whow? I cannot choose if my life I should lose. To hear that I hear, o well it is no matter: O, o, o, I am not he that any man will flatter. To hear what you here, why what hear you of me? Marry sir he heareth the wonderfully changed you be I am so in deed, for that I give God the glory: And if you be my friend for my change you are not sorry. I trust I have chosen all for the best: For my former wickedness I hate and detest. Whow, nay I would to God that were the worst: But I shall have ill will, I think I am accursed. I judge him not to be of a discrete mind: That for the truth will be angry with his friend. The talk of talkers tongues I do not much way: Yet I pray you heartily tell me what they say. Covetous, covetous, every man saith you be: A shame take them all prattling knaves for me. I am of such a nature as no man is but I: To hear my friend il spoken of I had rather die. Yea wiss man, you are called even so: All the country of you speak both shame and wo. He was wont (saith one) to keep a good house: but now (saith an other) thereiss no living for a mouse If this be the worst, for their talk I do not care: Let them say so still hardly and do not spare. I trust I have chosen with Mary the better part:
nodes 683–735 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 13 of 29 in this edition
Length
517 words · 642 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T26 — Devils, hell and fiendscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.889 (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)
If thou ſpéed wel now I dare promiſe the, The Deuil wil giue thée the Crown of hel. God ſpéed you Sir, I pray you might I be ſo bolde, As to haue a woord or two with you in your eare? Yea, hardely my fréend ſay what you would. Your minde vnto me you may boldely declare. I pray you are you not acquainted with this gentleman? I would fain ſpeak with him a word or twain alone: I beſeech you help me to my requeſt if you can, For I haue haſte on my way I muſt needs be gone. If you had required a greater thing of me, I would haue doon it for you I tel you certain: Sir, one of yonder men which you doo ſee, Would ſpeak with you alone very fain. I wil go to him and knowe his minde: is it you that would ſpeak with me my fréend? Yea forſooth ſir? What ſay you to me? Oh Sir, oh good Sir, oh, oh, oh my hart wil breke: Oh, oh, for ſorow God wot I cannot ſpeak. What is the matter? wherfore wéep you thus? Pure looue cauſeth him, Sir I wus. I am ſure that be looues you at the hart. I thank him truely it is vndeſerued on my parte. Gentle freend I pray you ceaſſe your lamentation: Sure it is a ſtraunge thing to ſee a man wéep on this faſion. I cannot chuſe, oh, oh, I cannot chuſe: Whow? I cānot chuſe if my life I ſhuld looſe. To hear that I hear, oh wel it is no matter: Oh, oh, oh, I am not he that any man wil flatter. To hear what you héer, why what hear you of me? Mary ſir he heareth ye wunderfully chaunged you be I am ſo in déed, for that I giue God the glory: And if you be my fréend for my chaunge you are not ſory. I truſt I haue choſen all for the beſt: For my former wickednes I hate and deteſt. Whow, nay I would to God that were the worſt: But I ſhall haue il wil, I think I am accurſt. I iudge him not to be of a diſcrete minde: That for the trueth wil be angry with his fréend. The talke of talkers tungs I doo not much way: Yet I pray you hartely tel me what they ſay. Couetouſe, couetouſe, euery man ſaith you be: A ſhame take them all pratling knaues for me. I am of ſuch a nature as no man is but I: To hear my freend il ſpoken of I had rather dye. Yea wiſſe man, you are called euen ſo: All the cuntrey of you ſpeak bothe ſhame and wo. He was wunt (ſaith one) to kéep a good houſe: but now (ſaith an other) thereis no liuīg for a mouſe If this be the wurſt, for their talke I doo not care: Let them ſay ſo ſtil hardely and doo not ſpare. I truſt I haue choſen with Mary the better parte: