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 0.83 · 462 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T19: virtue, fortune, virtues, honour, fame, vice, envy, world, pride, great.
O dread deity. Kneel not to me: if Fortune list to frown, You need not fall down, for she'll spurn you down. Arise, but fools, on you i'll triumph thus. What have gained by being covetous? This prodigal purse did Fortune's bounteous hand Bestow on them, their riots made them poor, And set those marks of miserable death, On all their pride, the famine of base gold Hath made your souls to murders hands be sold, Only to be called rich But Idiots see The virtues to be fled, Fortune hath caused it so, Those that will all devour, must all forego. Most sacred Goddess. Peace, you flatterer. Thy tongue but heaps more vengeance on thy head. Fortune is angry with thee, in thee burns A greedy covetous fire; in Agrippine Pride like a Monarch revels, and those sins Have led you blindfold to your former shames, But Virtue pardoned you, and so doth Fortune. All thanks to both your sacred deities, As for these Metal-eaters, these base thieves, Who rather than they would be counted poor, Will dig through hell for gold, you were forgiven By virtues general pardon; her broad seal Gave you your lives, when she took off your horns. Yet having scarce one foot out of the jail, You tempt damnation by more desperate means, You both are mortal, and your pains shall ring Through both your ears, to terrify your souls, As please the judgement of this mortal king. Fair Empress of the world, since you resign Your power to me, this sentence shall be mine, Thou shalt be tortured on a wheel to death, Thou with wild horses shalt be quartered. Ha, ha, weak judge, weak judgement, I reverse That sentence, for they are my prisoners, Embalm the bodies of those Cypriots, And honour them with princely burial, For those do as you please, but for these two, I kiss you both, I love you, you're my minions, Untie their hands, Vice doth reprieve you both, I set you free. Thanks, gracious deity. Be gone, but you in liberty shall find More bondage than in chains, fools, get you hence, Both wander with tormented conscience. O horrid judgement, that's the hell in deed. Come, come, our death ne'er ends if conscience bleed. O miserable, miserable men. Fortune triumphs at this, yet to appear, All like myself, that which from those I took, King Athelstane I will bestow on thee, And in it the old virtue I infuse: But, king, take heed how thou my gifts dost use. England shall ne'er be poor, it England strive, Rather by virtue, then by wealth to thrive. Virtue? alas good soul, she hides her head. What envious tongue said, Virtue hides her head? She that will drive thee into banishment.
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)
O dread deitie. Knéele not to me: if Fortune list to frowne, You néed not fal downe, for shaele spurne you downe▪ Arise, but fooles, on you ile triumph thus. What haue gaind by being couetous? This prodigall purse did Fortunes bounteous hand Bestow on them, their ryots made them poore, And set those markes of miserable death, On all their pride, the famine of base gold Hath made your soules to murders hands be sold, Onely to be cald rich But Ideots sée The vertues to be fled, Fortune hath causd it so, Those that will all deuowre, must all forgoe. Most sacred Goddesse. Peace, you slatterer. Thy tongue but heapes more vengeance on thy head. Fortune is angrie with thée, in thée burnes A greedie couetous fire; in Agripyne Pride like a Monarch reuels, and those sinnes Haue lead you blind-fold to your former shames, But Vertue pardond you, and so doth Fortune. All thankes to both your sacred deities, As for these Mettall-eaters, these base thieues, Who rather then they would be counted poore, Will dig through hell for gold, you were forgiuen By Vertues generall pardon; her broad seale Gaue you your liues, when shée tooke off your hornes. Yet hauing scarse one foote out of the Iayle, You tempt damnation by more desperate meanes, You both are mortall, and your paines shall ring Through both your eares, to terrifie your soules▪ As please the Iudgement of this mortall king. Faire Empresse of the world, since you resigne Your power to me, this sentence shall be mine, Thou shalt be torturd on a whéele to death, Thou with wild horses shalt be quartered. Ha, ha, weake Iudge, weake iudgement, I reuerse That sentence, for they are my prisoners, Embalme the bodies of those Cypriots, And honour them with princely buriall, For those doe as you please, but for these two, I kisse you both, I loue you, y'are my minions, Untie their hands, Uice doth repriue you both, I set you frée. Thankes, gracious deitie. Be gon, but you in libertie shall find More bondage then in chaines, fooles, get you hence, Both wander with tormented conscience. O horrid Iudgement, thats the hell in déede. Come, come, our death ne're ends if conscience bléede. O miserable, miserable men. Fortune triumphes at this, yet to appeare, All like my selfe, that which from those I tooke, King Athelstane I will vestow on thée, And in it the old vertue I infuse: But, king, take héede how thou my gifts doest vse. England shall ne're be poore, it England striue, Rather by vertue, then by wealth to thriue. Uertue? alas good soule, shée hides her head. What enuious tongue said, Uertue hides her head? Shée that will driue thée into banishment.