Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T53: crown, king, state, life, lord, lords, live, queen, tullia, prince.
My ample Empire, and my Princely birth, My great magnificence, and vain excess, All cannot yield my mind one minutes mirth, To ease me now in this extreme distress. Lo here, reduced unto the worst of ills, Past help, past hope, and only great in grief, I wait upon two abject vassals wills, And dare not, no, not think upon relief. Death would I scorn (my course must once have run) If I had first repaired mine honour's breach, Whose wounds so thrill my soul, as unbegun The life I wish that does my fame impeach. This mortal vail I willingly resign, Since to an end my days the destinies bring: Nor will I so from Majesty decline, As to do aught unworthy of a King. SOme new disaster day lie doth for show Our coming ruin: We have seen our best. Now fortune bent us utterly t'o'erthrow, Throws down our King from her wheels top so low, As by no means his state can be redressed. And since his foes by arms have him oppressed, His friends, and servants leave him all alone. Few have compassion of his state distressed: Yea, false to him themselves do many show. So foes and feigned friends conspire in one; Frail Fortune, and the fates with them agree. With axes all run on this falling tree. This Prince in prosperous state hath flourished long, And never dreamed of any evil success, But was well followed while his state was strong: Him flattering Syrens with a charming song Strived to exalt: whileas he did possess This earthly dross, that with a vain excess He might reward their mercenary love. But now when fortune drives him to distress, His favourites whom he remained among, With foes and fortune straight their faith remove. And who for gain to follow him were wont, They after gain by his destruction hunt. O more than happy ten times were that King, Who were unhappy but a little space, So that it did no utter ruin bring, But made him prove (a profitable thing) Who of his train, did best deserve his grace; Then could, and would of those the best embrace, And fly such vultures as devour him living; That these whom he found faithful might have place. O how this doth a generous stomach sting, To see some graced for craft and lies contriving? This is the grief that bursts an honest heart; Lords favour comes by chance, not by desert. Those Minions to whom Princes do extend, Above their worth, immoderate goodwill, To the disgrace of good men, show in end They only in prosperity depend Not upon them, but on their Fortune still. Which if it change, they change. then though they fill, Their hopes with honour, and their chests with coin Yet if they fall, or their affairs go ill, Those whom they raised, will not with them descend, But with th'ascending Sun will straight way join. And do forget all that they gave before, For that of them they can expect no more.
seed 43: T57 · seed 44: T6 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
My ample Empire, and my Princelie birth, My great magnificence, and vaine exceſſe, All cannot yeelde my minde one minutes mirth, To eaſe me now in this extreame diſtreſſe. Loe heere, reduc'd vnto the worſt of illes, Paſt helpe, paſt hope, and only great in griefe, I wait vpon two abiect vaſſals willes, And dare not, no, not thinke vpon reliefe. Death would I ſcorne (my courſe muſt once haue rū) If I had firſt repair'd mine honours breach, Whoſe wounds ſo thrill my ſoule, as vnbegun The life I wiſh that does my fame impeach. This mortall vaile I willinglie reſigne, Since to an ende my dayes the deſtinies bring: Nor will I ſo from Maieſtie decline, As to doe ought vn-worthie of a King. SOme new diſaſier day lie doth for ſhowe Our comming ruine: We haue ſeene our beſt. Now fortune bent vs vtterly t'ore-throw, Throwes down our King from her wheels top ſo low, As by no meanes his ſtate can be redreſt. And ſince his foes by armes haue him oppreſt, His friendes, and ſeruants leaue him all alone. Few haue compaſsion of his ſtate diſtreſt: Yea, falſe to him them ſelues doe many ſhow. So foes and fined friendes conſpire in one; Fraile Fortune, and the fates with them agree. With axes all runne on this falling tree. This Prince in proſperous ſtate hath floriſh'd long, And neuer dream'd of any euill ſucceſſe, But was well follow'd while his ſtate was ſtrong: Him flattering Syrens with a charming ſong Striu'd to exalt: while-as he did poſſeſſe This earthly droſſe, that with a vaine exceſse He might reward their mercenary loue. But now when fortune driues him to diſtreſſe, His fauorites whom he remain'd among, With foes and fortune ſtraight their faith remoue. And who for gaine to follow him were wont, They after gaine by his deſtruction hunt. O more then happie ten times were that King, Who were vnhappie but a little ſpace, So that it did no vtter ruine bring, But made him proue (a profitable thing) Who of his traine, did beſt deſerue his grace; Then could, and would of thoſe the beſt imbrace, And flie ſuch vultures as deuour him liuing; That theſe whom he found faithful might have place. O how this doth a generous ſtomacke ſting, To ſee ſome grac'd for craft and lies contryuing? This is the griefe that burſts an honeſt hart; Lords fauour commes by chance, not by deſart. Thoſe Minions to whom Princes do extend, Aboue their worth, immoderate good-will, To the diſgrace of good men, ſhew in end They onely in proſperity depend Not vpon them, but on their Fortune ſtill. Which if it change, they change. thē though they fil, Their hopes with honour, and their cheſts with coine Yet if they fall, or their affaires goe ill, Thoſe whom they rais'd, will not with them deſcend, But with th'aſcending Sunne wil ſtraight way ioyne. And doe forget all that they gaue before, For that of them they can expect no more.