Coelum Britannicum (The British Heaven) · chunk 6 of 15
Carew, Thomas · published 1634 · first performed or written 1634 [Feb 18] (Annals) masque · before the Court unassigned nearest T19 Virtue, Fortune and Vice as abstractions · 495 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T19: virtue, fortune, virtues, honour, fame, vice, envy, world, pride, great.
Vice, that unbodied, in the Appetite Erects his Throne, hath yet, in bestial shapes, Branded, by Nature, with the Character And distinct stamp of some peculiar Ill, Mounted the Sky, and fixed his Trophies there: As fawning flattery in the little Dog; I'th' bigger, churlish Murmur; Cowardice I'th' timorous Hare: Ambition in the Eagle; Rapine and Avarice in th' adventurous Ship That sailed to Colchos for the golden fleece; Drunken distemper in the Goblet flows; I'th' Dart and Scorpion, biting Calumny; In Hercules and the Lion, furious rage; Vain Ostentation in Cassiope: All these I to eternal exile doom, But to this place their emblemed Vices summon, Clad in those proper Figures, by which best Their incorporeal nature is expressed. From henceforth it shall be no more said in the Proverb, when you would express a riotous Assembly, That hell, but heaven is broke loose: this was an arrant Goal-delivery, all the prisons of your great Cities could not have vomited more corrupt martyr: but cousin Cylleneus, in my judgement it is not safe that these infectious persons should wander here to the hazard of this Island, they threatened less danger when they were nailed to the Firmament: I should conceive it a very discreet course since they are provided of a tall vessel of their own ready rigged, to embark them all together in that good Ship called the Argo, and send them to the plantation in New-England, which hath purged more virulent humours from the politic body, then Guacum and all the West-Indian drugs have from the natural bodies of this kingdom: Can you devise how to dispose them better? They cannot breathe this pure and temperate Air Where Virtue lives, but will with hasty flight, 'Mongst fogs and vapours, seek unsound abodes. Fly after them, from your usurped seats, You foul remainders of that viperous brood: Let not a Star of the luxurious race With his loose blaze stain the skies crystal face. Here is a total Eclipse of the eighth Sphere, which neither Booker, Allestre, nor any of your Prognosticators, no nor their great Master Tico were aware of; burr yet in my opinion there were some innocent, and some generous Constellations, that might have been reserved for Noble uses: as the Skales and Sword to adorn the statue of justice, since she resides here on Earth only in Picture and Effigy. The Eagle had been a fit present for the Germans, in regard their Bird hath mewed most of her feathers lately. The Dolphin too had been most welcome to the French, and then had you but clapped Perseus on his Pegasus, brandishing his Sword, the Dragon yawning on his back under the horses feet, with Pytheus' dart through his throat, there had been a Divine St. George for this Nation: but since you have improvidently shuffled them altogether, it now rests only that we provide an immediate succession, and to that purpose I will instantly proclaim a free Election,
seed 43: T13 · seed 44: T16 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Vice, that unbodied, in the Appetite Erects his Throne, hath yet, in beſtiall ſhapes, Branded, by Nature, with the Character And diſtinct ſtampe of ſome peculiar Ill, Mounted the Sky, and fix'd his Trophies there: As fawning flattery in the little Dog; I'th bigger, churliſh Murmur; Cowardize I'th timorous Hare: Ambition in the Eagle; Rapine and Avarice in th' adventrous Ship That ſail'd to Colchos for the golden fleece; Drunken diſtemper in the Goblet flowes; I'th Dart and Scorpion, biting Calumny; In Hercules and the Lion, furious rage; Vaine Oſtentation in Caſſiope: All theſe I to eternall exile doome, But to this place their emblem'd Vices ſummon, Clad in thoſe proper Figures, by which beſt Their incorporeall nature is expreſt. From henceforth it ſhall be no more ſaid in the Proverbe, when you would expreſſe a riotous Aſſembly, That hell, but heaven is broke looſe: this was an arrant Goale-delivery, all the priſons of your great Cities could not have vomitted more corrupt marter: but Cozen Cylleneus, in my judgement it is not ſafe that theſe infectious perſons ſhould wander here to the hazard of this Iſland, they threatned leſſe danger when they were nayl'd to the Firmament: I ſhould conceive it a very diſcreet courſe ſince they are provided of a tall veſſell of their owne ready rigg'd, to embarque them all together in that good Ship calld the Argo, and ſend them to the plantation in New-England, which hath purg'd more virulent humors from the politique body, then Guacum and all the Weſt-Indian druggs have from the naturall bodies of this kingdome: Can you deviſe how to diſpoſe them better? They cannot breath this pure and temperate Aire Where Vertue lives, but will with haſty flight, 'Mongſt fogs and vapours, ſeeke unſound abodes. Fly after them, from your uſurped ſeats, You foule remainders of that viperous brood: Let not a Starre of the luxurious race With his looſe blaze ſtaine the skyes chryſtall face. Here is a totall Ecclipſe of the eighth Spheare, which neither Booker, Allestre, nor any of your Prognoſticators, no nor their great Maſter Tico were aware of; bur yet in my opinion there were ſome innocent, and ſome generous Conſtellations, that might have beene reſerved for Noble uſes: as the Skales and Sword to adorne the ſtatue of Iuſtice, ſince ſhe reſides here on Earth onely in Picture and Effigie. The Eagle had beene a fit preſent for the Germans, in regard their Bird hath mew'd moſt of her feathers lately. The Dolphin too had beene moſt welcome to the French, and then had you but clapt Perſeus on his Pegaſus, brandiſhing his Sword, the Dragon yawning on his backe under the horſes feet, with Pytheus dart through his throat, there had beene a Divine St. George for this Nation: but ſince you have improvidently ſhuffled them altogether, it now reſts onely that wee provide an immediate ſucceſſion, and to that purpoſe I will inſtantly proclaime a free Election,