Nabbes, Thomas · published 1637 · first performed or written 1635 (Annals) tragedy · Queen Henrietta Maria's Men · Phoenix/Cockpit unassigned nearest T19 Virtue, Fortune and Vice as abstractions · 498 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T19: virtue, fortune, virtues, honour, fame, vice, envy, world, pride, great.
That person yet Is free, and capable of new designs, To make himself full owner of a glory 'Bove Scipio's conquest. 'tis not thy success Declines me the least step towards subjection Of my still high built hopes: which being strongly Propped with my resolutions, shall in time Raise monuments of fame unto my actions. Let not one chance exalt thee. Hannibal, Though Carthage owns him not, commands a world Greater than her, or Rome. But the dimensions Are bounded with that strict necessity They cannot be extended. Flatter not Those hopes with expectation of a change To any better than the now condition Of thy subverted greatness: which being ruined Beyond all reparation, thy attempts To build it new, wanting materials, Are vainer far than the Sicilian Dogs Barking against the Moon. Be not deceived With too much confidence. The more theyare pressed, The more palms flourish. That that would make Scipio Look downwards, lifts me up. How thou art mocked With self-opinion! Know I have a soul So full instructed, it hath power to temper The difference of my fortune with that mean, That even the highest glory to myself Is but adversity, and an abject state No less than is my present greatness. Man From outward accidents should not derive The knowledge of himself: for so he's made The creature of beginnings over which His virtue may command: Fortune and chance. When he by speculation hath informed His divine part he's perfect; and till then But a rough matter, only capable Of better form. It oft begets my wonder That thou a rude Barbarian, ignorant Of all art, but of wars, which custom only Hath (being joined to thy first nature) taught thee, Shouldst know so much of man. I study man Better from practice, than thou canst from books. Thy learning's but opinion, mine known truth; Subject to no gross errors, such as cannot Be reconciled, but by production Of new and greater. Did thy learned Masters Of Arts, with whom even armed thou hast conversed Before a battle joined (if fame speak truth) By their instructions show thee surer ways To victory, than Fortune joined to valour, And a full strength of men? That which consists In action only, and th'event, depends Upon no certain rule demonstrative, Is fates, not reasons. Fie, this strife sounds harshly, Come Massanissa, you have shared your part Of virtue and of fortune. Least of virtue, That left a just cause to support a wrong one; Such was his fall from Carthage. You being judge In your own cause: but who will else subscribe To such a partial sentence? Pray no more. My Court looks like a Parliament of Soldiers; Where war methinks should be discoursed on; how A battle should be ordered, or what form Hath most advantage. What men have you known, Or History doth mention, that exceeded In the degrees of merit? Alexander The first best Captain. Who the second? Pyrrhus. And who the third?
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)
That person yet Is free, and capable of new designes, To make himselfe full owner of a glory 'Bove Scipio's conquest. Tis not thy successe Declines me the least step towards subjection Of my still high built hopes: which being strongly Propt with my resolutions, shall in time Raise monuments of fame unto my actions. Let not one chance exalt thee. Hannibal, Though Carthage ownes him not, command's a world Greater than her, or Rome. But the dimensions Are bounded with that strict necessity They cannot be extended. Flatter not Those hopes with expectation of a change To any better than the now condition Of thy subverted greatnesse: which being ruin'd Beyond all reparation, thy attempts To build it new, wanting materials, Are vainer farre than the Sycilian Dogs Barking against the Moone. Be not deceiv'd With too much confidence. The more th'are prest, The more palmes flourish. That that would make Scipio Looke downewards, lifts me up. How thou art mockt With selfe-opinion! Know I have a soule So full instructed, it hath power to temper The difference of my fortune with that meane, That even the highest glory to my selfe Is but adversity, and an abject state No lesse then is my present greatnesse. Man From outward accidents should not derive The knowledge of himselfe: for so hee's made The creature of beginnings over which His vertue may command: Fortune and chance. When he by speculation hath inform'd His divine part hee's perfect; and 'till then But a rough matter, onely capable Of better forme. It oft begets my wonder That thou a rude Barbarian, ignorant Of all art, but of warres, which custome onely Hath (being joyn'd to thy first nature) taught thee, Shouldst know so much of man. I study man Better from practice, than thou canst from bookes. Thy learning's but opinion, mine knowne truth; Subject to no grosse errours, such as cannot Be reconcil'd, but by production Of new and greater. Did thy learned Masters Of Arts, with whom even arm'd thou hast converst Before a battayle joyn'd (if fame speake truth) By their instructions show thee surer wayes To victory, than Fortune joyn'd to valour, And a full strength of men? That which consists In action onely, and th'event, depends Vpon no certaine rule demonstrative, Is fates, not reasons. Fie, this strife sounds harshly, Come Massanissa, you have shar'd your part Of vertue and of fortune. Least of vertue, That left a just cause to support a wrong one; Such was his fall from Carthage. You being judge In your owne cause: but who will else subscribe To such a partiall sentence? Pray' no more. My Court lookes like a Parliament of Souldiers; Where warre me thinkes should be discours'd on; how A battaile should be order'd, or what forme Hath most advantage. What men have you knowne, Or History doth mention, that exceoded In the degrees of merit? Alexander The first best Captaine. Who the second? Pyrrhus. And who the third?