Campaspe (Alexander, Campaspe, and Diogenes) · chunk 17 of 25
Lyly, John · published 1584 · first performed or written c.1583 (Annals) comedy · Children of the Chapel (first) (Oxford's Boys) · before the Court unassigned nearest T35 Fools, wit and railing · 545 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T35: fool, wit, aristippus, achilles, wise, fools, patroclus, thersites, master, men.
This is the place, the day, the time, that Diogenes hath appointed to fly. I will not lose the flight of so fair a foul as Diogenes is, though my master cudgel my nobody, as he threatened. What Psyllus, will the beast wag his wings today? We shall hear: for here cometh Manes: Manes will it be? Be, he were best be as cunning as a Bee,' or else shortly he will not be at all. How is he furnished to fly, hath he feathers? Thou art an ass, Capons, Geese and Owls have feathers. He hath found Dedalus old waxen wings, and hath been piecing them this month, he is so broad in the shoulders. O you shall see him cut the air even like a tortoise. Methinks so wise a man should not be so mad, his body must needs be too heavy. Why, he hath eaten nothing this sevennight but cork and feathers. Touch him Manes. He is so light that he can scarce keep him from flying at midnight. See they begin to flock, and behold my master bustles himself to fly. Ye wicked and bewitched Athenians, whose bodies make the earth to groan, and whose breathes infect the air with stench. Come ye to see Diogenes fly? Diogenes cometh to see you sink: ye call me dog, so I am, for I long to gnaw the bones in your skins. Ye term mean hater of men: no, I am a hater of your manners. Your lives dissolute, not fearing death, will prove your deaths desperate, not hoping for life. What do you else in Athens but sleep in the day, and surfeit in the night: back Gods in the morning with pride, in the evening belly Gods with gluttony. You flatter kings, & call them Gods, speak truth of yourselves, and confess you are devils. From the Bee you have taken not the honey, but the wax to make your religion, framing it to the time, not to the truth. Your filthy lust you colour under a courtly colour of love, injuries abroad under the title of policies at home, & secret malice creepeth under the name of public justice. You have caused Alexander to dry up springs and plant vines, to sow rocket and weed endive, to shear sheep, and shrine foxes. All conscience is sealed at Athens. Swearing cometh of a hot mettle: lying of a quick wit: flattery of a flowing tongue, undecent talk of a merry disposition. All things are lawful at Athens. Either you think there are no Gods, or I must think ye are no men. You build as though you should live for ever, and surfeit as though you should die tomorrow. None teacheth true Philosophy but Aristotle, because he was the kings schoolmaster. O times, O men, O corruption in manners. Remember that green grass must turn to dry hay. When you sleep, you are not sure to wake, and when you rise not certain to lie down. Look you never so high, your heads must lie level with your feet. Thus have I flown over your disordered lives, and if you will not amend your manners, I will study to fly further from you, that I may be nearer to honesty.
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)
This is the place, the day, the time, that Diogenes hath appointed to flye. I wil not loose the flight of so fair a foule as Diogenes is, though my maister cogel my no bodye, as he threatned. What Psyllus, will the beaste wag his winges to day? We shal heare: for here commeth Manes: Manes will it be? Be, he were best be as cunning as a Bee, 'or else shortly he will not be at all. How is he furnished to flye, hath he feathers? Thou art an asse, Capons, Geese and Owles haue feathers. He hath found Dedalus old waxen wings, and hath beene peecing them this moneth, he is so broad in the shoulders. O you shal see him cut the aire euen like a Tortoys. Methinks so wise a man should not be so mad, his body must needes be too heauy. Why, he hath eatē nothing this seuennight but corke and feathers. Tutch him Manes. He is so light that he can scarse keepe him from flying at midnight. See they beginne to flocke, and behold my maister bustels himself to flye. Yee wicked and bewitched Athenians, whose bodies make the earth to groane, and whose breathes infect the aire with stench. Come ye to see Diogenes flye? Diogenes commeth to see you sinke: yee call me dog, so I am, for I long to gnawe the boanes in your skins. Yee tearme mean hater of menne: no, I am a hater of your māers. Your liues dissolute, not fearing death, wil proue your deaths desperate, not hoping for life. What do you els in Athens but sleepe in the daye, and surfeite in the night: back Gods in the morning with pride, in the euening belly Gods with gluttony. You flatter kings, & call them Gods, speak trueth of your selues, and cōfesse you are deuils. From the Bee you haue takē not the honey, but the wax to make your religion, framing it to the time, not to the trueth. Your filthy lust you colour vnder a courtly colour of loue, iniuries abroad vnder the title of pollicies at home, & secrete malice creepeth vnder the name of publike iustice. You haue caused Alexander to dry vp springs and plant vines, to sow roket and weede endisse, to sheare sheepe, and shrine foxes. All conscience is sealed at Athens. Swearing commeth of a hot mettle: lying of a quick wit: flattery of a flowing tong, vndecent talk of a mery disposition. Al things are lawful at Athēs. Either you think there are no Gods, or I must think yee are no men. You build as though you shoulde liue for euer, and surfeit as though you should die tomorow. None teacheth true Phylosophy but Aristotle, beecause he was the kinges schoolemaister. O times, O menne, O corruption in manners. Remember that greene grasse must turne to dry hay. When you sleep, you are not sure to wake, and when you rise not certeine to lye downe. Looke you neuer so hye, your heads must lye leuel with your feet. Thus haue I flown ouer your disordered liues, and if you will not amende your manners, I will studie to flye further from you, that I may be neerer to honestie.