Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T35: fool, wit, aristippus, achilles, wise, fools, patroclus, thersites, master, men.
Famamalum, quo non velocius ullum. Next them, a company of ragged knaves, Sun-bathing beggars, lazy hedge-creepers, Sleeping face upwards in the fields all night, Dreamed strange devices of the Sun and Moon, And they like Gipsies wandering up and down, Told fortunes, juggled, nicknamed all the stars, And were of idiots termed Philosophers: Such was Pythagoras the silencer, Prometheus, Thales, Milesius, Who would all things of water should be made: Anaximander, Anaximenes, That positively said the air was God; Zenocrates, that said there were eight Gods: And Cratoniates, Alcmeon too, Who thought the Sun and Moon, & stars were gods: The poorer sort of them that could get nought, Professed, like beggarly Franciscan Friars, And the strict order of the Capouchins, A voluntary wretched poverty, Contempt of gold, thin fare, and lying hard: Yet he that was most vehement in these, Diogenes the cynic and the Dog, Was taken coining money in his Cell. What an old Ass was that? methinks, he should have coined carrot roots rather: for as for money, he had no use for, except it were to melt, and solder up holes in his tub withal. It were a whole Olympiad's work to tell, How many devilish, ergo armed arts, Sprung all as vices, of this Idleness: For even as soldiers not employed in wars, But living loosely in a quiet state, Not having wherewithal to maintain pride, Nay scarce to find their bellies any food, Nought but walk melancholy, and devise How they may cozen merchants, fleece young heirs, Creep into favour by betraying men, Rob churches, beg waste toys, court city dames, Who shall undo their husbands for their sakes: The baser rabble how to cheat and steal, And yet be free from penalty of death. So those word-warriors, lazy stargazers, Used to no labour, but to louse themselves, Had their heads filled with cozening fantasies, They plotted how to make their poverty, Better esteemed of, then high Sovereignty: They thought how they might plant a heaven on earth, Whereof they would be principal low gods, That heaven they called Contemplation, As much to say, as a most pleasant sloth, Which better I cannot compare then this, That if a fellow licenced to beg, Should all his life time go from fair to fair, And buy grape-seed, having no business else. That contemplation like an aged weed, Engendered thousand sects, and all those sects Were but as these times, cunning shrouded rogues, Grammarians some: and wherein differ they From beggars, that profess the peddlers French? The Poets next, slovenly tattered slaves, That wander, and sell Ballets in the streets. Historiographers others there be, And the like lazars by the high way side, That for a penny, or a halfpenny, Will call each knave a good faced Gentleman, Give honour unto Tinkers, for good Ale, Prefer a Cobbler fore the Black prince far, If he bestow but blacking of their shoes:
seed 43: T58 · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Famamalum, quo non velocius vllum. Next them, a company of ragged knaues, Sun-bathing beggers, lazie hedge-creepers, Sleeping face vpwards in the fields all night, Dream'd strange deuices of the Sunne and Moone, And they like Gipsies wandring vp and downe, Told fortunes, iuggled, nicknam'd all the starres, And were of idiots term'd Philosophers: Such was Pithagoras the silencer, Prometheus, Thales, Milesius, Who would all things of water should be made: Anaximander, Anaximenes, That positiuely said the aire was God; Zenocrates, that said there were eight Gods: And Cratoniates, Alcmeon too, Who thought the Sun and Moone, & stars were gods: The poorer sort of them that could get nought, Profest, like beggerly Franciscan Friers, And the strict order of the Caponchins, A voluntarie wretched pouertie, Contempt of gold, thin fare, and lying hard: Yet he that was most vehement in these, Diogenes the Cinicke and the Dogge, Was taken coyning money in his Cell. What an olde Asse was that? Me thinks, hee should haue coynde Carret rootes rather: for as for money, he had no vse for, except it were to melt, and soder vp holes in his tub withall. It were a whole Olimpiades worke to tell, How many diuillish, ergo armed arts, Sprung all as vices, of this Idlenesse: For euen as souldiers not imployde in warres, But liuing loosely in a quiet state, Not hauing wherewithall to maintaine pride, Nay scarce to finde their bellies any foode, Nought but walke melancholie, and deuise How they may cousen Marchats, fleece young heires, Creepe into fauour by betraying men, Robbe churches, beg waste toyes, court city dames, Who shall vndoe their husbands for their sakes: The baser rabble how to cheate and steale, And yet be free from penaltie of death. So those word-warriers, lazy star-gazers, Vsde to no labour, but to lowze themselues, Had their heads fild with coosning fantasies, They plotted how to make their pouertie, Better esteemde of, then high Soueraignty: They thought how they might plant a heauē on earth, Whereof they would be principall lowe gods, That heauen they called Contemplation, As much to say, as a most pleasant slouth, Which better I cannot compare then this, That if a fellow licensed to beg, Should all his life time go from faire to faire, And buy gape-seede, hauing no businesse else. That contemplation like an aged weede, Engendred thousand sects, and all those sects Were but as these times, cunning shrowded rogues, Grammarians some: and wherein differ they From beggers, that professe the Pedlers French? The Poets next, slouinly tatterd slaues, That wander, and sell Ballets in the streetes. Historiographers others there be, And the like lazers by the high way side, That for a penny, or a halfe-penny, Will call each knaue a good fac'd Gentleman, Giue honor vnto Tinkers, for good Ale, Preferre a Cobler fore the Black prince farre, If he bestowe but blacking of their shooes: