Dekker, Thomas · published 1600 · first performed or written 1599 [Nov 9-30, payment] (Annals) romance · Admiral's (Nottingham's) Men · before the Court T19 Virtue, Fortune and Vice as abstractions typicality 0.86 · 487 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T19: virtue, fortune, virtues, honour, fame, vice, envy, world, pride, great.
servants of this bright devil & that poor Saint. Apply your talk whilst you are labouring: To make your pains seem short our priest shall sing. virtues branches wither, virtue pines, O pity, pity, and alack the time, Vice doth flourish, Vice in glory shines, Her gilded boughs above the Cedar clime. Vice hath golden cheeks, O pity, pity, She in every land doth monarchize. Virtue is exiled from every City, Virtue is a fool, Vice only wise. O pity, pity, Virtue weeping dies. Vice laughs to see her faint (alack the time) This sinks: with painted wings the other flies, Alack that best should fall, and bad should climb, O pity, pity, pity, mourn, not sing, Vice is a Saint, Virtue an underling. Vice doth flourish, Vice in glory shines, virtues branches wither, Virtue pines. Flourish or wither, Fortune cares not which, In either's fall or height our Eminence Shines equal to the Sun: the Queen of chance Both virtuous souls and vicious doth advance. These shadows of yourselves shall (like yourselves,) Strive to make men enamoured of their beauties, This grove shall be our temple; and henceforth Be consecrated to our deities. How few will come and kneel at virtues shrine? This contents virtue, that she is called divine. Poor Virtue, Fortune grieves to see thy looks Want cunning to entice: Why hang these leaves, As loose as autumns hair (which every wind, In mockery blows from his rotten brows?) Why like a drunkard art thou pointed at? Why is this Motley-scorn set on thy head? Why stands thy Court wide open, but none in it? Why are the Crystal pavements of thy temple, Not worn, not trod upon: All is for this, Because thy pride is to wear base attire, Because thine eyes flame not with amorous fire. Virtue is fairest in a poor array. Poor fool, 'tis not this badge of purity, Nor Sibi sapit, (painted on thy breast,) Allures mortality to seek thy love. No: now the great wheel of thy Globe hath run, And met his first point of creation. On Crutches went this world but yesterday, Now it lies bedrid; and is grown so old, That it's grown young, for 'tis a child again, A childish soul it hath, 'tis a mere fool: And fools and children are well pleased with toys: So must this world, with shows it must be pleased. Then Virtue, buy a golden face like Vice, And hang thy bosom full of silver Moons, To tell the credulous world, As those increase, As the bright Moon swells in her pearled Sphere, So wealth and pleasures them to heaven shall rear. Virtue abhors to wear a borrowed face. Why hast thou borrowed then that idiot's hood? fools placed it on my head that knew me not, And I am proud to wear the scorn of fools. Mourn in that pride & die; all the world hates thee.
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)
Seruants of this bright diuell & that poore Saint. Applie your talke whilst you are labouring: To make your paines séeme short our priest shall sing. Uertues braunches wither, vertue pines, O pittie, pittie, and alacke the time, Uice doth florish, Uice in glorie shines, Her gilded boughes aboue the Cedar clime. Uice hath golden cheekes, O pittie, pittie, She in euery land doth monarchize. Uertue is exilde from euery Cittie, Uertue is a foole, Uice onely wise. O pittie, pittie, Uertue wéeping dies. Uice laughs to see her faint (alacke the time) This sinckes: with painted wings the other flies, Alacke that best should fall, and bad should clime, O pittie, pittie, pittie, mourne, not sing, Uice is a Saint, Uertue an vnderling. Uice doth florish, Uice in glorie shines, Uertues braunches wither, Uertue pines. Florish or wither, Fortune cares not which, In eithers fall or height our Eminence Shines equall to the Sunne: the Queene of chance Both vertuous soules and vicious doth aduance. These shadowes of your selues shall (like your selues,) Striue to make men enamoured of their beauties, This groue shall be our temple; and henceforth Be consecrated to our deities. How few will come and knéele at vertues shrine? This contents vertue, that she is cal'd diuine. Poore Uertue, Fortune grieues to see thy lookes Want cunning to intice: Why hang these leaues, As loose as Antumnes haire (which euery wind, In mockerie blowes from his rotten browes?) Why like a drunkard art thou pointed at? Why is this Motley-scorne set on thy head? Why stands thy Court wide open, but none in it? Why are the Christall pauements of thy temple, Not worne, not trod vpon: All is for this, Because thy pride is to weare base attire, Because thine eyes flame not with amorous fire. Uertue is fairest in a poore aray. Poore foole, tis not this badge of puritie, Nor Sibi sapit, (painted on thy breast,) Allures mortalitie to seeke thy loue. No: now the great whéele of thy Globe hath runne, And met his first point of creation. On Crutches went this world but yester-day, Now it lies bed-rid; and is growne so old, That its growne young, for tis a child againe, A childish soule it hath, tis a méere foole: And sooles and children are well pleasde with toyes: So must this world, with shewes it must be pleased. Then Uertue, buy a golden face like Uice, And hang thy bosome full of siluer Moones, To tell the credulous world, As those increase, As the bright Moone swelles in her pearled Spheare, So wealth and pleasures them to heauen shall reare. Uertue abhorres to weare a borrowed face. Why hast thou borrowed then that Idiots hood? Fooles plac'd it on my head that knew me not, And I am proud to weare the scorne of fooles. Mourne in that pride & die; all the world hates thée.