Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T25: feare, kings, power, princes, lawes, loue, state, downe, honor, men.
At length by force he made a patent way, And was advanced them lovingly to greet; When lo, these dolorous Ladies prostrate lay, And with a flood of tears bedewed his feet. Then sobbing said, we not refuse to die: Let us entomb first Darius like a King: Then when that we his latter honour see, Death cannot but a great contentment bring. This so they urged, as he could scarce persuade That Darius was not dead as they supposed, But lived, in hope through dangers Seas to wade And in the power of other Realms reposed. And further he protested on your part, That they might look for clemency and grace. Thus after that I had assuaged their smart, It seemed they longed to see my sovereign's face. Of my goodwill they may themselves assure: I never warred with such as were subjected: And if my presence may their ease procure, Straight to their tent my steps shall be directed. OF all the passions that possess the soul, None so disturbs vain mortals' minds As this Ambition, that so blinds The sense of man, that nothing can control Nor curb their thoughts who will aspire. This raging vehement desire Of sovereignty no satisfaction finds, But in the breasts of men doth ever roll The restless stone of Sisiph to torment them. And as his heart, who stealed the heavenly fire, The vulture gnaws, so doth Ambition rent them: Had they the world, the world would not content them. This race of Ixion to embrace the clouds, Contemn the state wherein they stand, And would all but themselves command, As one desire is quenched another buds: When they have travelled all their time, Heaps blood on blood, and crime on crime, There is a higher power that guides their hand. More happy he whom a poor cottage shrouds Against the tempest of the threatening heaven, He stands in fear of none, none envy him: His heart is upright, and his ways are even, Where others' states are still twixt six and seven. That damned wretch up with Ambition blown, Whileas he turns the wheel about, Whiles cast within, whiles cast without, In striving for the top is still thrown down. Those that delight in climbing high Oft with a precipice do die: So do the stars sky-climbling worldlings flout. But this disease is fatal to a crown; Kings, who have most strive most t'augment their bounds; And if they be not all, they can not be: Which to their damage commonly redounds. Too great a state her proper weight confounds. Th'ambitious toiling to enlarge their state Themselves exceedingly deceive, In hazarding the hap they have For a felicity that they conceit. Though their dominions they increase, Yet their desires grow never les: For though they conquer Climates, more they crave. This is the misery of being great. Such eye-beguiling pomp is all but fume; Such glorious shows disguise the mind's distress; And who to conquer all the earth presume, A little earth shall them at last consume.
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)
At length by force he made a patent way, And was aduanc'd them louingly to greet; When loe, theſe dolorous Ladies proſtrate lay, And with a flood of teares bedew'd his feete. Then ſobbing ſaide, we not refuſe to die: Let vs entombe firſt Darius like a King: Then when that we his latter honour ſee, Death cannot but a great contentment bring. This ſo they vrg'd, as he could ſcarce perſwade That Darius was not dead as they ſuppoſ'd, But liu'd, in hope through dangers Seas to wade And in the pow'r of other Realmes repoſ'd. And further he proteſted on your part, That they might looke for clemencie and grace. Thus after that I had aſſwag'd their ſmart, It ſeem'd they longd to ſee my Soueraignes face. Of my good-will they may themſelues aſſure: I neuer war'd with ſuch as were ſubiected: And if my preſence may their eaſe procure, Straight to their tent my ſteppes ſhall be directed. OF all the paſsions that poſſeſſe the ſoule, None ſo diſturbes vaine mortals mindes As this Ambition, that ſo blindes The ſenſe of man, that nothing can controule Nor curb their thoughts who will aſpyre. This raging vehement deſire Of ſeueraignty no ſatiſfaction findes, But in the breaſtes of men doth euer roule The reſtleſſe ſtone of Siſiph to torment them. And as his hart, who ſteal'd the heu'nly fire, The vulture gnawes, ſo doth Ambition rent them: Had they the world, the world would not content them. This race of Ixion to embrace the cloudes, Contemne the ſtate wherein they ſtand, And would all but themſelues command, As one deſire is quench'd another buds: When they haue trauel'd all their time, Heaps blood on blood, and crime on crime, There is a hier power that guides their hand. More happie he whome a poore cottage ſhroudes Againſt the tempeſt of the threatning heauen, He ſtands in feare of none, none enuy him: His hart is vpright, and his wayes are eauen, Where others ſtates are ſtill twixt ſixe and ſeauen. That damned wretch vp with Ambition blow'n, While-as he turnes the wheele about, Whiles caſt within, whiles caſt without, In ſtriuing for the top is ſtill throwne downe. Thoſe that delight in climbing hie Oft with a precepice doe die: So doe the ſtarres sky-climbling worldlings flout. But this diſeaſe is fatall to a croune; Kings, who haue moſt ſtriue moſt t'augment their bounds; And if they be not all, they can not be: Which to their domage commonly redounds. Too great a ſtate her proper waight confounds. Th'ambitious toyling to enlarge their ſtate Themſelues exceedingly deceaue, In hazarding the hap they haue For a felicitie that they conceate. Though their dominions they incres, Yet their deſires growe neuer les: For though they conquer Climats, more they craue. This is the miſerie of being great. Such eye-beguyling pompe is all but fume; Such glorious ſhowes diſguiſe the minds diſtres; And who to conquere all the earth preſume, A little earth ſhall them at laſt conſume.