Lyly, John · published 1592 · first performed or written 1589 (Annals) comedy · Children of Paul's (first) · before the Court unassigned nearest T37 Riches, poverty and covetousness · 525 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T37: wealth, riches, money, god, rich, poverty, men, learning, poor, ic.
Love is a pastime for children, breeding nothing but folly, and nourishing nothing but idleness. I would wish to be monarch of the world, conquering kingdoms like villages, and being greatest on the earth be commander of the whole earth: for what is there that more tickles the mind of a king, than a hope to be the only king, wringing out of every country tribute, and in his own to sit in triumph. Those that call conquerors ambitious, are like those that teach thrift covetousness, cleanliness pride, honesty preciseness. Command the world, Midas, a greater thing you cannot desire, a less you should not. What say you Mellacrites? Nothing, but that these two have said nothing. I would wish that everything I touched might turn to gold: this is the sinews of war, and the sweetness of peace. Is it not gold that maketh the chastest to yield to lust, the honestest to lewdness, the wisest to folly, the faithfullest to deceit, and the most holy in heart, to be most hollow of heart? In this word Gold are all the powers of the gods, the desires of men, the wonders of the world, the miracles of nature, the looseness of fortune and triumphs of time. By gold may you shake the courts of other Princes, and have your own settled, one spade of gold undermines faster than an hundred mattocks of steel. Would one be thought religious & devout? Quantum quisque sua nummorum servat in arca, tantum habet & fidei: Religions balance are golden bags. Desire you virtue? querenda pecunia primum est, virtus post nummos: the first stair of virtue is money. Doth any thirst after gentry, and wish to be esteemed beautiful? & genus & formam regina pecunia donat: king Coin hath a mint to stamp gentlemen, and art to make amiableness. I deny not but love is sweet, and the marrow of a man's mind, that to conquer kings is the quintessence of the thoughts of kings: why ţhen follow both, Aurea sunt vera nunc saecula, plurimus auro venit honos, auro conciliatur amor: it is a world for gold, honour and love are both taken up on interest. Doth Midas determine to tempt the minds of true Subjects? to draw them from obedience to treachery, from their allegiance and oaths to treason and perjury? quid non mortalia pectora cogit aurisacra fames? what holes doth not gold bore in men's hearts? Such virtue is there in gold, that being bred in the barrenest ground, and trodden under foot, it mounteth to sit on princes' heads. Wish gold Midas, or wish not to be Midas. In the council of the gods, was not Anubis with his long nose of gold, preferred before Neptune's, whose stature was but brass? And Aesculapius more honoured for his golden beard, than Apollo for his sweet harmony? To have gold and not love, (which cannot be purchased by gold) is to be a slave to gold. To possess mountains of gold, and a mistress more precious than gold, and not to command the world, is to make Midas new prentice to a mint, and Journeyman to a woman
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)
Loue is a pastime for children, breeding nothing but follie, and nourishing nothing but idlenes. I would wish to be monarch of the world, conquering kingdomes like villages, and being greatest on the earth be commaunder of the whole earth: for what is there that more tickles the mind of a king, then a hope to bee the only king, wringing out of euery countrie tribute, and in his owne to sit in triumph. Those that call conquerors ambitious, are like those that teane thrift couetousnes, clenlines pride, honestie precisenes. Commaund the world, Midas, a greater thing you cannot desire, a lesse you should not. What say you Mellacrites? Nothing, but that these two haue said nothing. I would wish that eueriething I touched might turne to gold: this is the sinewes of warre, and the sweetnesse of peace. Is it not gold that maketh the chastest to yeeld to lust, the honestest to lewdnes, the wisest to follie, the faithfullest to deceit, and the most holy in heart, to be most hollow of hart? In this word Gold are all the powers of the gods, the desires of men, the woonders of the worlde, the miracles of nature, the losenes of fortune and triumphs of time. By gold may you shake the courts of other Princes, and haue your own setled, one spade of gold vndermines faster then an hundred mattocks of steele. Would one be thought religious & deuout? Quantum quisque sua nummorum seruat in arca, tantum habet & fidei: Religions ballance are golden bags. Desire you vertue? querenda pecunia primum est, virtus post nummos: the first staire of vertue is money. Doeth anie thirst after gentrie, and wish to be esteemed beautiful? & genus & formam regina pecunia donat: king Coin hath a mint to stamp gentlemen, and art to make amiablenes. I denie not but loue is sweet, and the marrowe of a mans minde, that to conquere kings is the quintessence of the thoughts of kings: why ţhen follow both, Aurea sunt ver nunc saecula, plurimus auro venit honos, auro conciliatur amor: it is a world for gold, honor and loue are both taken vp on interest. Doth Midas determine to tempt the mindes of true Subiectes? to drawe them from obedience to trecherie, from their allegiance and othes to treason and periurie? quid non mortalia pectora cogit aurisacra fames? what holes doth not gold bore in mens hearts? Such vertue is there in golde, that being bred in the barrennest ground, and troden vnder foote, it mounteth to sit on Princes heads. Wish gold Midas, or wish not to be Midas. In the councel of the gods, was not Anubis with his long nose of gold, preserred before Neptunes, whose stature was but brasse? And Aesculapius more honored for his golden beard, then Apollo for his sweet harmonie? To haue gold and not loue, (which cannot be purchast by gold) is to be a slaue to gold. To possesse mountains of gold, and a mistresse more precious then gold, and not to commaunde the world, is to make Mydas new prentise to a mint, and Iorneiman to a woman