Alexander, William · published 1637 · first performed or written 1603 (Annals) tragedy T25 Kings, power and law: political sententi typicality 0.84 · 540 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T25: feare, kings, power, princes, lawes, loue, state, downe, honor, men.
And as Ambition Prince's under-mynes; So doth it those who under them rule all: We see in how short time they rise and fall, How oft their light eclipsed but dimmely shines; They long time labour by all means to move Their Prince to value much their parts, And when advanced by subtle arts, O what a danger is't to be above! For, strait exposed to hatred, and despite, With all their skill they cannot march so even; But some opprobrious scandal will be given: For all men envy them who have most might; And if the King dislike them once, then strait The wretched Courtiers fall with their own weight. ●●me of a spirit more poor, who would be praised, And yet have nought for which to be esteemed, What they are not in deed would fain be deemed, And indirectly labour to be raised. This crew each public place of honour haunts, And (changing garments every day) Whilst they would hide, do but bewray With outward ornaments their inward wants; And men of better judgement justly loathe Those, who in outward shows place all their care, And deck their bodies, whilst their minds are bare, Like to a shadow, or a painted cloth, The multitude which but th'apparel notes, Doth homage, not to them, but to their coats. Yet Princes must be served, and with all sorts: Some both to do, and counsell what is best, Some serve for Ciphers to set out the rest, Like life less pictures which adorn the ports; Fair Palaces replenished are with fears, Those seeming pleasures are but snares, The royal robe doth cover cares; Th' Assyrian die dear buys he who it bears; Those dainty delicates, and farre-fetched food, Oft (through suspicion) savour out of season, Embroidered beds, anatapestries hatch treason; The golden Goblets mingled are with blood. Such shows the shadows are when Greatness shines, Whose state by them the gazing world divines. O happy he who far from Fame at home, Securely sitting by a quiet fire, (Though having little) doth not more desire, But first himself, than all things doth o'ercome; His purchase weighed, or what his parents left, He squares his charge to his store, And takes not what he must restore, Nor eats the spoils that from the poor were reft: Not proud, nor base, he (scorning creeping Art) From jealous thoughts and envy free, No poison fears in cups of tree; No treason harbours in so poor a part: No heavy dream doth vex him when he sleeps, A guiltless mind the guardlesse cottage keeps▪ He doth not study much what storms may blow, Whose poverty can hardly be impaired; He fears no foreign force, nor craves no guard; None doth desire his spoil, none looks so low, Whereas the great are commonly once crossed, As Darius hath been in his flower, Or Sisigambis at this hour, Who hath scaped long, and now at length is lost: But how comes this, that Potentates oft fall, And must confess this trouble of their soul? There is some higher power that can control, The Monarches of the Earth, and censure all: Who once will call their actions to account, And them repress who to oppress were prompt.
Other edition — placed after the fit, excluded from the main statistics
Position
nodes 2157–2226 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 35 of 35 in this edition
Length
540 words · 720 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T25 — Kings, power and law: political sententiaecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.840 (cosine to the topic centroid) · placed after the fit (approximate_predict), not counted in the topic statistics
Other seeds
seed 43: T25 · seed 44: T6 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
And as Ambition Princes under-mynes; So doth it thoſe who under them rule all: We ſee in how ſhort time they riſe and fall, How oft their light ecclips'd but dimmely ſhines; They long time labour by all meanes to move Their Prince to value much their parts, And when advanc'd by ſubtle arts, O what a danger is't to be above! For, ſtraight expos'd to hatred, and deſpight, With all their skill they cannot march ſo even; But ſome opprobrious ſcandall will be given: For all men envy them who have moſt might; "And if the King diſlike them once, then ſtraight "The wretched Courtiers fall with their owne weight. me of a ſprite more poore, who would be prais'd, And yet have nought for which to be eſteem'd, What they are not in deed would faine be deem'd, And indirectly labour to be rais'd. This crue each publicke place of honour haunts, And (changing garments every day) Whil'ſt they would hide, do but bewray With outward ornaments their inward wants; And men of better judgement juſtly loath Thoſe, who in outward ſhows place all their care, And decke their bodies, whil'ſt their mindes are bare, Like to a ſhadow, or a painted cloth, The multitude which but th'apparrell notes, Doth homage, not to them, but to their cotes. Yet Princes muſt be ſerv'd, and with all ſorts: Some both to do, and conſell what is beſt, Some ſerve for Cyphers to ſet out the reſt, Like life leſſe pictures which adorne the ports; "Faire Palaces repleniſh'd are with feares, "Thoſe ſeeming pleaſures are but ſnares, "The royall robe doth cover cares; "Th' Aſſyrian dye deare buys he who it beares; "Thoſe dainty delicates, and farre-fetch'd food, "Oft (through ſuſpition) ſavour out of ſeaſon, "Embrodred beds, anatapeſtries hatch treaſon; "The golden Goblets mingled are with bloud. "Such ſhows the ſhadows are when Greatneſſe ſhines, "Whoſe ſtate by them the gazing world divines. O happie he who farre from Fame at home, Securely ſitting by a quiet fire, (Though having little) doth not more deſire, But firſt himſelfe, then all things doth o'recome; His purchaſe weigh'd, or what his parents left, He ſquares his charge to his ſtore, And takes not what he muſt reſtore, Nor eates the ſpoyles that from the poore were reft: Not proud, nor baſe, he (ſcorning creeping Art) From jealous thoughts and envy free, No poyſon feares in cups of tree; No treaſon harbours in ſo poore a part: No heavy dreame doth vex him when he ſleeps, "A guiltleſſe minde the guardleſſe cottage keeps▪ He doth not ſtudie much what ſtormes may blow, Whoſe poverty can hardly be impair'd; He feares no forraine force, nor craves no guard; None doth deſire his ſpoyle, none looks ſo low, Whereas the great are commonly once croſt, As Darius hath beene in his flowre, Or Siſigambis at this houre, Who hath ſcap'd long, and now at length is loſt: But how comes this, that Potentates oft fall, And muſt confeſſe this trouble of their ſoule? There is ſome higher pow'r that can controull, The Monarchs of the Earth, and cenſure all: Who once will call their actions to account, And them repreſſe who to oppreſſe were prompt.