Wager, William · published 1570 · first performed or written 1560 [c.1559-c.1570] (Annals) moral T37 Riches, poverty and covetousness typicality 0.79 · 464 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T37: wealth, riches, money, god, rich, poverty, men, learning, poor, ic.
Sigh worthy policy you have entertained: Now none of his instruments must be disdained. Disdained? no faith let him teach me what he will: And I will do it, if it were mine own father to kill. Say you so? by the mass give me your hand: Come go with me, let us no longer idle stand. O how hard a thing and difficult it is, For them that in their riches do trust: To enter into the kingdom of Heaven or bliss, The words of our Saviour to be true grant we must, it is as easy for a Camel through an Needles' eye to thrust? As for him that on riches hath fixed his mind: The way to eternal salvation to find. Example hereof you see with your eyes, Of the worldly man given to vain pleasure: He promised you heard, from sin to arise. And said he would not love neither money nor treasure. But as he aught to love it, that is in a due measure. But behold how quickly his promise he hath broke: Whereby he kindleth God's wrath against him to smoke. For now hath he entertained to him temerity Precipitation and heady Inconsideration: These cause him to work all things hedely, And covet to be had in reputation. Then covetous disguiseth himself on such a fashion. That as Seneca saith, he doth good to no man: But hurt, & most to himself as time shall prove when. Alaz, alaz, to whom should I make my moan? For ever and a day cham quite undone. My Londlord is so covetous as the devil of hell: Except I'll give him such a shameful rent. As cham not able, away ich must incontinent. Chave dwelled there this zix and therty year: Yea these forty, ich may tell you well near. And ich never paid above yearly vive pound: And by our Lady, that to be enough chave vound. Well, now I must give him even as much more: Or else ich must voided the next quarter or bevore. O masters, is not this even a lamentable dhing? To see how Londlords their poor tenants do wring. And they are not so covetous to ask nother, ich believe: But a zorte of vooles are as ready to give. And especially Strangers, ye a shameful zorte: Are placed now in England and that in every port. That we, our wives and Children, no houses can get: Wherein we may live, such price on them is zet. Chad thought a while a go my Londlord would not have done thus For he said he would be a heavenly man I was. But soul, the Devil is as Heavenly as he: Three times worse than he was before as var as I can zée.
seed 43: T35 · seed 44: T34 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Sith worthy policy you haue intertained: Now none of his inſtruments muſt be diſdained. Diſdained? no faith let him teache me what he wil: And I wil doo it, if it were mine owne father to kil. Say you ſo? by the maſſe giue me your hand: Come go with me, let vs no longer idle ſtand. Oh how hard a thing and difficult it is, For them that in their riches doo truſt: To enter into the kingdome of Heauen or blis, The words of our Sauiour to be true graunt we muſt, it is as eaſy for a Cammel through an Nedles eye to thruſt? As for him that on riches hath fixed his minde: The way to eternall ſaluation to finde. Example héerof you ſee with your eyes, Of the worldly man giuen to vain pleaſure: He promiſed you heard, from ſin to ariſe. And ſaid he would not looue neither money nor treaſure. But as he ought to looue it, that is in a due meaſure. But beholde how quickly his promiſe he hath broke: Wherby he kindleth Gods wrath againſt him to ſmoke. For now hath he entertained to him Temeritie Precipitation and heady Inconſideration: Theſe cauſe him to woork all things hedely, And couet to be had in reputation. Then couetouſe diſguiſeth him ſelf on ſuch a faſhion. That as Seneca ſaith, he dooth good to no man: But hurt, & moſte to him ſelf as time ſhall prooue whan. Alaz, alaz, to whome ſhould I make my mone? For euer and a day cham quite vndoon. My Londlord is zo couetouſe as the deuil of hel: Except chil giue him ſuch a ſhameful rent. As cham not able, away ich muſt incontinent. Chaue dwelt there this zix and therty yeer: Yea theſe vorty, ich may tel you wel neer. And ich neuer paid abooue yéerly viue pound: And by our Lady, that to be inough chaue vound. Wel, now I muſt giue him euen as much more: Or els ich muſt void the next quarter or bevore. Oh maſters, is not this euen a lamentable dhing? To zee how Londlords their poor tenants doo wring. And they are not zo couetouſe to aſk nother, ich beleeue: But a zorte of vooles are as ready to giue. And eſpetially Straungers, ye a ſhameful zorte: Are placed now in England and that in euery Porte. That we, our wiues and Children, no houſes can get: Wherin we may liue, ſuch price on them is zet. Chad thought a while a go my Londlord would not haue doon thus For he ſaid he would be a heauenly man I wus. But zoule, the Deuil is as Heauenly as he: Three times wurſe then he was be vore as var as I can zée.