Ford, John · published 1633 · first performed or written 1630 [c.1630-1633] (Annals) tragedy · King's Men · Blackfriars unassigned nearest T19 Virtue, Fortune and Vice as abstractions · 509 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T19: virtue, fortune, virtues, honour, fame, vice, envy, world, pride, great.
Not well, my Lord? A sudden fit, 'twill off; Some surfeit or disorder.— How dost dearest? Your news is none o'th' best. The chief of men, The excellentest Ithocles, desires Your presence Madam. We are hasting to him. In vain we labour in this course of life To piece our journey out at length, or crave Respite of breath, our home is in the grave. Perfect Philosophy: then let us care To live so that our reckonings may fall even When w' are to make account. He cannot fear Who builds on noble grounds: sickness or pain Is the deservers exercise, and such Your virtuous brother to the world is known. Speak comfort to him Lady, be all gentle; Stars fall but in the grossness of our sight, A good man dying, th' Earth doth lose a light. BE well advised, let not a resolution Of giddy rashness choke the breath of reason. It shall not, most sage Master. I am jealous: For if the borrowed shape so late put on, Inferred a consequence, we must conclude Some violent design of sudden nature Hath shook that shadow off, to fly upon A new-hatched execution: Orgilus, Take heed thou hast not (under our integrity) Shrouded unlawful plots: our mortal eyes Pierce not the secrets of your hearts, the gods Are only privy to them. Learned Tecnicus, Such doubts are causeless, and to clear the truth From misconceit, the present State commands me. The Prince of Argos comes himself in person In quest of great Calantha for his Bride, Our kingdom's heir; beside, mine only sister Euphrania is disposed to Prophilus. Lastly, the King is sending letters for me To Athens, for my quick repair to Court. Please to accept these Reasons. Just ones, Orgilus, Not to be contradicted: yet beware Of an unsure foundation; no fair colours Can fortify a building faintly jointed. I have observed a growth in thy aspect Of dangerous extent, sudden, and (look to't) I might add certain— My aspect? could Art Run through mine inmost thoughts, it should not sift An inclination there, more than what suited With justice of mine honour. I believe it. But know then Orgilus what honour is: Honour consists not in a bare opinion By doing any act that feeds content; Brave in appearance, 'cause we think it brave: Such honour comes by accident, not nature Proceeding from the vices of our passion Which makes our reason drunk. But real Honour Is the reward of virtue, and acquired By justice or by valour, which for Bases Hath justice to uphold it. He then fails In honour, who for lucre of Revenge Commits thefts, murders, Treasons and Adulteries, With such like, by entrenching on just Laws, Whose sovereignty is best preserved by justice. Thus as you see how honour must be grounded On knowledge, not opinion: For opinion Relies on probability and Accident, But knowledge on Necessity and Truth: I leave thee to the fit consideration Of what becomes the grace of real Honour. Wishing success to all thy virtuous meanings.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Not well, my Lord? A sudden it, 'twill off; Some surfeit or disorder. — How doest derest? Your newes is none o'th best. The chiefe of men, The excellentest Ithocles, desires Your presence Madam. We are hasting to him. In vaine we labour in this course of life To piece our iourney out at length, or craue Respite of breath, our home is in the graue. Perfect Philosophy: then let vs care To liue so that our reckonings may fall euen When w' are to make account. He cannot feare Who builds on noble grounds: sicknesse or paine Is the deseruers exercise, and such Your vertuous brother to the world is knowne. Speake comfort to him Lady, be all gentle; Starres fall but in the grossenesse of our sight, A good man dying, th' Earth doth lose a ligh. BE well aduis'd, let not a resolution Of giddy rashnesse choake the breath of reason. It shall not, most sage Master. I am iealous: For if the borrowed shape so late put on, Inferr'd a consequence, we must conclude Some violent designe of sudden nature Hath shooke that shadow off, to flye vpon A new-hatch'd execution: Orgilus, Take heed thou hast not (vnder our integrity) Shrowded vnlawfull plots: our mortall eyes Pierce not the secrets of your hearts, the god Are onely priuie to them. Learned Tecnicus, Such doubts are causelesse, and to cleere the truth From misconceit, the present State commands me. The Prince of Argos comes himselfe in person In quest of great Calantha for his Bride, Our kingdomes heire; besides, mine onely sister Euphrania is dispos'd to Prophilus. Lastly, the King is sending letters for me To Athens, for my quicke repaire to Court. Please to accept these Reasons. Iust ones, Orgilus, Not to be contradicted: yet beware Of an vnsure foundation; no faire colours Can fortifie a building faintly ioynted. I haue obseru'd a growth in thy aspect Of dangerous extent, sudden, and (ooke too't) I might adde certaine — My aspect? could Art Runne through mine inmost thoughts, it should not sift An inclination there, more then what suited With iustice of mine honour. I beleeue it. But know then Orgilus what honour is: Honour consists not in a bare opinion By doing any act that feeds content; Braue in appearance, 'cause we thinke it braue: Such honour comes by accident, not nature Proceeding from the vices of our passion Which makes our reason drunke. But reall Honour Is the reward of vertue, and acquir'd By Iustice or by lour, which for Bases Hath Iustice to vphold it. He then failes In honour, who for lucre of Reuenge Commits thefts, murthers, Treasons and Adulteries, With such like, by intrenching on iust Lawes, Whose sou'raignty is best preseru'd by Iustice. Thus as you see how honour must be grounded On knowledge, not opinion: For opinion Relyes on probability and Accident, But knowledge on Necessity and Truth: I leaue thee to the fit consideration Of what becomes the grace of reall Honour. Wishing successe to all thy vertuous meanings.