Wager, William · published 1570 · first performed or written 1560 [c.1559-c.1570] (Annals) moral T37 Riches, poverty and covetousness typicality 0.77 · 521 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T37: wealth, riches, money, god, rich, poverty, men, learning, poor, ic.
Like as Gold and silver is tried in the fire, So faithful men in the furnace of adversity be proved: The heavenly must not live as flesh and lust doth desire, But heavenly things of heavenly men be loved. With no kind of temptation he must be moved. Be it sickness or poverty, or what so ever of God is sent: The heavenly must take it patiently and be therewith content Enough is as good as a feast, where contentation doth dwell, For where he remaineth is the spirit of God with rest: The unquiet mind of the covetous doth grudge and swell, And to live with enough he doth abhor and detest. The greedy gasping of Covetous doth him so molest. That to be rich he all his whole mind doth set: Nothing regarding how the same he doth get. Pythagoras saith, that a man of Covetous desire, Cannot be contented neither with abundance: For the more he hath, the more still he doth require, Wherefore such persons provoke God to vengeance, Example of the worldly man, late of remembrance. Whose wicked life offended the Lord so exceedingly. That his heavy plagues came upon him suddenly. God grant his end, example may be, To all men how their riches they shall use: Make not that thy God, which should be servant unto thee, For in so doing thou dost it greatly abuse. I pray God (I say) that our covetous we may refuse, And one of us to love an other, for that pleaseth God dost: So shall we be sure to inherit the good land of rest. By God's great goodness I am sent unto thee, Rest is my name wherein the heavenly shall abide: Happy are those persons that come unto me, For I being present all troubles I do divide. With joys I am adorned, yea on every side, Which are prepared for the heavenly from the beginning: And given unto them for a reward of their godly living. Thanks be given to thee O Father omnipotent, Thy mercies Lord, and not my deserts truly: Hath caused those joys to me to be sent, Grant me grace therefore to praise thy name duly. Thy goodness appeareth to me every day newly. Whilst breath and life prolong my days: My mouth shall not cease thy holy name to praise: Enough is as good as a feast, here let us stay, We have troubled our audience, that let us remember: Let us conclude therefore, but first let us pray, That it will please God in mercy our good mistress to tender, Our faith to establish wherein we be slender. That at the last day when the trump shall blow: For to be heavenly men the Lord may us all know First let us call to God for Iesu Christ's sake, Long to preserve Elizabeth our most noble Queen Good Lord grant her highness the heavenly path to take, And that all bye ways, of her highness may be seen. Increase her wealth, prolong her health, preserve her life: That long she may rule this realm, without debate or strife.
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)
Like as Golde and ſiluer is tried in the fire, So faithful men in the fornace of aduerſitie be prooued: The heauenly muſt not liue as fleſh and luſt dooth deſire, But heauenly things of heauenly men be looued. With no kinde of temptation he muſt be mooued. Be it ſicknes or pouertie, or what ſo euer of God is ſent: The heauenly muſt take it patiently and be therwith cōtent Inough is as good as a feaſt, where contentation dooth dwel, For where he remaineth is the ſpirit of God with reſt: The vnquiet minde of the couetouſe dooth grutch and ſwel, And to liue with inough he dooth abhorre and deteſt. The greedy gaſping of Couetouſe dooth him ſo moleſt. That to be rich he all his whole minde dooth ſet: Nothing regarding how the ſame he dooth get. Pithagoras ſaith, that a man of Couetouſe deſire, Cannot be contented nether with abundance: For the more he hath, the more ſtil he dooth require, Wherfore ſuch perſons prouoke God to vengeance, Example of the worldly man, late of remembrance. Whoſe wicked life offended the Lord ſo excedingly. That his heauy plagues came vpon him ſudenly. God graunt his ende, example may be, To all men how their riches they ſhall vſe: Make not that thy God, which ſhould be ſeruant vnto thée, For in ſo dooing thou dooſt it greatly abuſe. I pray God (I ſay) that our couetouſe we may refuſe, And one of vs to looue an other, for that pleaſeth God deſt: So ſhall we be ſure to inheret the good land of reſt. By Gods great goodnes I am ſent vnto thée, Reſt is my name wherin the heauenly ſhal abide: Happy are thoſe perſons that come vnto me, For I beeing preſent all troubles I doo deuide. With ioyes I am adorned, yea on euery ſide, Which are prepared for the heauenly from the beginning: And giuen vnto them for a rewarde of their godly liuing. Thanks be giuen to thée O Father omnipotent, Thy mercyes Lord, and not my deſerts truely: Hath cauſed thoſe ioyes to me to be ſent, Graunt me grace therfore to praiſe thy name duely. Thy goodnes appéereth to me euery day newly. Whileſt breath and life prolong my dayes: My mouth ſhall not ceaſſe thy holy name to praiſe: Inough is as good as a feaſt, heer let vs ſtay, We haue troubled our audience, that let vs remember: Let vs conclude therfore, but firſt let vs pray, That it wil pleaſe God in mercy our good miſtres to tender, Our faith to ſtabliſh wherin we be ſlender. That at the laſt day when the trump ſhall blowe: For to be heauenly men the Lord may vs al knowe Firſt let vs call to God for Ieſu Chriſtes ſake, Long to preſerue Elizabeth our moſte noble Quéen Good Lord graunt her highnes the heauenly path to take, And that all bye waies, of her highnes may be ſeen. Encreace her welth, prolong her helth, preſerue her life: That long ſhe may rule this realme, wtout debate or ſtrife.