Wager, William · published 1570 · first performed or written 1560 [c.1559-c.1570] (Annals) moral T26 Devils, hell and fiends typicality 0.75 · 511 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T26: devil, hell, devils, sure, soul, fiend, sr, wife, lord, men.
Once you know that I am greatly in def: And now every one will strive, their own for to get. Bid my wife therefore get a letter of administration, as soon as she may And then as she listeth, my Criditors she may pay. In deed I have enough to pay every man his: But by Lady I cannot tell what mine own shall mis. Commend me to her, and bid her take no thought: But in any wise let her (as near as she can) for go naught. By my truth this is wonderfully well invented: As you have said, I warrant you it shallbe frequented. Your mind in this thing undoubted is not ill: Now as for other things it is best you make a wil. It shallbe (Devotion) even as thou haste said: Writ quickly for of my life I am afraid. O must I needs die? o must I needs away? Here is Ink and Paper, what shall I writ? In the name, first of all do thou in dite. In the name, in, in, in, in the name, what more? Of, of, of, of, what more? Body of me, down with the paper, away with the Ink: Passion of me Covetous he is gone me think. Hold, hold him, let us see if any life in him be: Nay hold him that will, the Devil hold him for me: Passion of me he is dead, how shall we do now? Canst thou not tell? no more can I, I make God avow. Sirrah here was a trim end that he did make: Thou never heardst him the name of God in his mouth take. Tush, God: a straw, his mind was other ways occupied: All his study was who should have his goods when he died. Indeed all men may perceive his mind to be corrupt and ill: For God would not suffer him to name him in his wil. A strange matter, when men have given over God: They may be sure to be scourged with his sharp rod. This is the end always where I begin: For I am the root of all wickedness and sin. I never rest to teach and instruct men to evil: Till I bring them both body and soul to the Devil. As we have done this worldly man here as you see: Come therefore Ignorance, wait thou upon me. The Devil and I, thou shalt see will not leave: Till we have made the greatest part to us to cleave. Come, let us go hence, here is no more to be said: Farewell my masters our parts we have played. O, o, o, o, all is mine, all his mine, My kingdom increaseth every hour and day: O, how they seek my majesty divine, To come to me they labour all that they may. The worldly man (quoth he) nay the devilish man than, For more wickedness and mischief than he did use: I myself indeed never devise can, O at his jolly wisdom I must needs muse.
nodes 1387–1437 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 27 of 29 in this edition
Length
511 words · 640 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T26 — Devils, hell and fiendscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.747 (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)
Once you knowe that I am greatly in def: And now euery one wil ſtriue, their owne for to get. Bid my wife therfore get a letter of adminiſtration, as ſoon as ſhe may And then as ſhe liſteth, my Criditors ſhe may pay. In déed I haue inough to pay euery man his: But by Lady I cannot tel what mine owne ſhall mis. Commend me to her, and bid her take no thought: But in any wiſe let her (as neer as ſhe can) for go nought. By my trueth this is wunderfully wel inuented: As you haue ſaid, I warrāt you it ſhalbe frequented. Your minde in this thing vndouted is not il: Now as for other things it is beſt you make a wil. It ſhalbe (Deuotion) euen as thou haſte ſaid: Write quickly for of my life I am afraid. Oh muſt I needs dye? oh muſt I needs away? Héer is Ink and Paper, what ſhall I write? In the name, firſt of all doo thou in dite. In the name, in, in, in, in the name, what more? Of, of, of, of, what more? Body of me, down with the paper, away with the Ink: Pſſion of me Couetouſe he is gone me think. Holde, holde him, let vs ſee if any life in him be: Nay holde him that wil, the Deuil holde him for me: Paſſion of me he is dead, how ſhall we doo now? Canſt thou not tel? no more can I, I make God auow. Sira heer was a trim end that he did make: Thou neuer heardſt him the name of God in his mouth take. Tuſh, God: a ſtrawe, his minde was other waies occupyed: All his ſtudy was who ſhould haue his goods when he dyed. Indeed all men may perceiue his minde to be corrupt and il: For God would not ſuffer him to name him in his wil. A ſtraunge matter, when men haue giuen ouer God: They may be ſure to be ſcurged with his ſharp rod. This is the end alwaies wher I begin: For I am the root of all wickednes and ſin. I neuer reſt to teach and inſtruct men to euil: Til I bring them bothe body and ſoule to the Deuil. As we haue doon this worldly man héer as you ſée: Come therfore Ignorance, wait thou vpon me. The Deuil and I, thou ſhalt ſée wil not leaue: Til we haue made the greateſt parte to vs to cleue. Come, let vs go hence, heer is no more to be ſaid: Farewel my maſters our partes we haue playd. Oh, oh, oh, oh, all is mine, all his mine, My kingdome increaſeth euery houre and day: Oh, how they ſeek my mageſtie deuine, To come to me they labour all that they may. The worldly man (quoth he) nay the diuiliſh man than, For more wickednes and miſcheef then he did vſe: I my ſelf indéed neuer deuiſe can, Oh at his ioly wiſdome I muſt néeds muſe.