Jonson, Ben · published 1602 · first performed or written 1601 (Annals) comedy · Children of the Chapel (second) · Blackfriars T19 Virtue, Fortune and Vice as abstractions typicality 0.80 · 498 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T19: virtue, fortune, virtues, honour, fame, vice, envy, world, pride, great.
Phoebus himself shall kneel at Caesar's Shrine, And deck it with Bay Garlands dewed with Wine, To quite the worship Caesar does to him: Where other Princes, hoisted to their thrones By Fortune's passionate and disordered power, Sat in their height, like Clouds, before the Sun, Hindering his comforts; and (by their excess Of cold in Virtue, and cross heat in Vice) Thunder and tempest, on those learned heads, Whom Caesar with such Honour doth advance. All human business, Fortune doth command Without all order; and with her blind hand, She, blind, bestows blind gifts; that still have nursed They see not who, nor how, but still, the worst. Caesar, for his Rule, and for so much stuff As Fortune puts in his hand, shall dispose it (As if his Hand had eyes, and soul, in it) With worth and judgement." Hands, that part with gifts, Or will restrain their use, without desert; Or with a misery, numbed to virtues right, Work, as they had no Soul to govern them, And quite reject her; severing their Estates From human order. Whosoever can, And will not cherish Virtue, is no man. Virgil is now at hand, imperial Caesar. Rome's Honour is at hand then. Fetch a chair, And set it on our right hand; where 'tis fit, Rome's Honour, and our own, should ever sit. Now he is come out of Campania, I doubt not he hath finished all his AEneids, Which, like another Soul, I long t'enjoy. What think you three, of Virgil, Gentlemen, (That are of his profession, though ranked higher) Or Horace, what sayst thou, that art the poorest, And likeliest to envy, or to detract? Caesar speaks after common men, in this, To make a difference of me, for my poorness: As if the filth of Poverty sunk as deep Into a knowing spirit, as the Bane Of riches doth, into an ignorant soul. No Caesar; they be pathless, moorish minds, That being once made rotten with the dung Of damned Riches, ever after sink Beneath the steps of any Villainy. But Knowledge is the Nectar, that keeps sweet A perfect Soul even in this Grave of sin; And for my Soul, it is as free, as Caesar's: For, what I know is due, I'll give to all. He that detracts, or envies virtuous Merit, Is still the covetous, and the ignorant spirit. Thanks Horace, for thy free, and wholesome sharpness: Which pleaseth Caesar more, then servile fawns. A flattered Prince soon turns the Prince of Fools. And for thy sake, we'll put no difference more 'Twixt Knights, and Knightly spirits, for being poor. Say then, loved Horace, thy true thought of Virgil. I judge him of a rectified spirit, By many revolutions of discourse (In his bright reasons influence) refined From all the tartarous Moods of common Men; Bearing the Nature, and similitude Of a right heavenly Body; most severe In fashion, and collection of himself; And then as clear, and confident, as Ioue.
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)
Phoebus himſelfe ſhall kneele at Caeſars Shrine, And deck it with Bay Gyrlands deaw'd with VVine, To quite the worſhip Caeſar does to him: Where other Princes, hoyſted to their thrones By Fortunes paſſionate and diſordered power, Sit in their height, like Clouds, before the Sunne, Hindring his comforts; and (by their exceſſe Of cold in Vertue, and croſſe heate in Vice) Thunder and tempeſt, on thoſe learned heads, VVhom Caeſar with ſuch Honour doth aduance. All humane buſineſſe, Fortune doth command Without all order; and with her blinde hand, Shee, blinde, beſtowes blinde gifts; that ſtill haue nurſt They ſee not who, nor how, but ſtill, the worſt. Caeſar, for his Rule, and for ſo much ſtuffe As Fortune puts in his hand, ſhall diſpoſe it (As if his Hand had eyes, and ſoule, in it) VVith worth and iudgement. "Hands, that part with gifts, "Or will reſtraine their vſe, without deſert; "Or with a miſery, numm'd to Vertues right, "Worke, as they had no Soule to gouerne them, "And quite reiect her; ſeuering their Eſtates "From humane order. VVhoſoeuer can, "And will not cheriſh Vertue, is no man. Virgill is now at hand, imperiall Caeſar. Romes Honour is at hand then. Fetch a chaire, And ſet it on our right hand; where 'tis fit, Romes Honour, and our owne, ſhould euer ſit. Now he is come out of Campania, I doubt not he hath finiſht all his AEneids, Which, like another Soule, I long t'enioy. VVhat thinke you three, of Virgill, Gentlemen, (That are of his profeſſion, though rankt higher) Or Horace, what ſaiſt thou, that art the pooreſt, And likelieſt to enuye, or to detract? Caeſar ſpeakes after common men, in this, To make a difference of me, for my pooreneſſe: As if the filth of Pouertie ſunke as deepe Into a knowing ſpirit, as the Bane Of riches doth, into an ignorant ſoule. No Caeſar; they be path-leſſe, mooriſh minds, That being once made rotten with the dung Of damned Riches, euer after ſinke Beneath the ſteppes of any Villany. But Knowledge is the Nectar, that keepes ſweete A perfect Soule euen in this Graue of ſinne; And for my Soule, it is as free, as Caeſars: For, what I knowe is due, I'le giue to all. "He that detracts, or enuies vertuous Merit, "Is ſtill the couetous, and the ignorant ſpirit. Thanks Horace, for thy free, and holſome ſharpneſſe: Which pleaſeth Caeſar more, then ſeruile fawnes. "A flatterd Prince ſoone turnes the Prince of Fooles. And for thy ſake, wee'll put no difference more 'Twixt Knights, and Knightly ſpirits, for being poore. Say then, lou'd Horace, thy true thought of Virgill. I iudge him of a rectified ſpirit, By many reuolutions of diſcourſe (In his bright reaſons influence) refin'd From all the tartarous Moodes of common Men; Bearing the Nature, and ſimilitude Of a right heauenly Bodie; moſt ſeuere In faſhion, and collection of himſelfe; And then as cleare, and confident, as Ioue.