Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T19: virtue, fortune, virtues, honour, fame, vice, envy, world, pride, great.
If he be forced for to frequent the veils, And there the wanton water-Nimphs to see, The rareness of the sight so far prevails, Each strip appears a flood, each flood a Sea. So all that he re-encountered by the way, Did to his mind a great amazement bring, The gold-embroidred Gallants made him stay, Each groom appeared a Prince, each squire a King. And now he comes t'attain your grace's sight, Whom in his mind, no doubt he doth adore, He gazed on those, who held of you their light, Of force he must admire yourself far more. Now he will set your happy Empire forth, And be eye-witness of your glorious Reign, One wise man's testimony is more worth Than what a world of others would maintain. Disdain not (mighty Prince) the loving zeal, Which a mean man, yet a good mind affords, And who perchance as much affects your weal, As those that paint their love with fairer words. Thy love (sage Greek) is grateful unto us, Whom Fame long since enamoured of thy deeds, We of thy virtues have heard her discuss, Who in extolling of the same exceeds. I wish that many such should here resort, Whose unstained life would teach us what were best; Whose grave aspect would grace so great a Court, And like clear Lamps give light unto the rest. My Sovereign spare, I merit no such praise, I am but one that doth the world despise, And would my thoughts to some perfection raise, A Wisdom-lover that would feign be wise. Yet with great toil all that I can attain By long experience, and in learned schools, Is for to know my knowledge is but vain, And those that think them wise are greatest fools. This is the nature of a worthy mind, It rather would be good then be so thought, As if it had no aim but Fame to find, Such as the shadow not the substance sought. Yet that pursues thee too which thou so fliest, Still troops applaud thy worth though thou not spy them, Whilst thou wouldst press it down, it mounts up highest; For Fame and Honour follow those that fly them. And now I think in all the world none lives, That better may unfold what I would learn, Than thou to whom frank Nature largely gives The grace to see, the judgement to discern. I'll answer freely to what you propose, If my small skill can comprehend the sense. Lo, you have seen in what I most repose My treasures huge, my great magnificence. This is the dream of bliss that Fortune brings, On which the wisest never have presumed I saw nought but a heap of senseless things, A momentary treasure soon consumed. This only serves the body to decore, And for corruption framed cannot persever: The mind immortal lays up better store Of unconsuming joys that last for ever. I wot not what you mean by such surmises, And feigned ideas of imagined bliss, This portrait of Fancy but entices Sick brains to dream that which indeed they miss.
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)
If he be forc'd for to frequent the Vailes, And there the wanton water-Nimphs to ſee, The rarenes of the ſight ſo far preuailes, Each ſtrip appear's a flood, each flood a Sea. So all that he re'ncountred by the way, Did to his mind a great amazement bring, The gold-embroidred Gallants made him ſtay, Each groome appear'd a Prince, each ſquire a King. And now he com's t'attaine your Graces ſight, Whom in his mind, no doubt he doth adore, He gazd on thoſe, who held of you their light, Of force he muſt admire your ſelfe far more. Now he will ſet your happy Empire forth, And be eye-witnes of your glorious Raigne, One wiſe mans teſtimony is more worth Then what a world of others would maintaine. Diſdaine not (mighty Prince) the louing zeale, Which a meane man, yet a good mind affords, And who perchance as much affects your weale, As thoſe that paint their loue with fairer words. Thy loue (ſage Greeke) is gratefull vnto vs, Whom Fame long ſince enamour'd of thy deedes, We of thy vertues haue heard her diſcuſſe, Who in extolling of the ſame exceedes. I wiſh that many ſuch ſhould here reſort, Whoſe vnſtain'd life would teach vs what were beſt; Whoſe graue aſpect would grace ſo great a Court, And like cleare Lamps giue light vnto the reſt. My Sou'raigne ſpare, I merite no ſuch praiſe, I am but one that doth the world deſpiſe, And would my thoughts to ſome perfection raiſe, A Wiſedom-louer that would faine be wiſe. Yet with great toyle all that I can attaine By long experience, and in learned ſchooles, Is for to know my knowledge is but vaine, And thoſe that thinke them wiſe are greateſt fooles. This is the nature of a worthie minde, It rather would be good then be ſo thought, As if it had no ayme but Fame to finde, Such as the ſhadow not the ſubſtance ſought. Yet that purſues thee too which thon ſo flieſt, Still troupes applaude thy worth though thou not ſpie them, Whilſt thou wouldſt preſſe it downe, it mounts vp hieſt; For Fame and Honor follow thoſe that flie them. And now I thinke in all the world none liue's, That better may vnfold what I would learne, Then thou to whom franke Nature largely giues The grace to ſee, the iudgement to diſcerne. Il'e anſwer freely to what you propoſe, If my ſmall skill can comprehend the ſence. Loe, you haue ſeene in what I moſt repoſe My treaſures huge, my great magnificence. This is the dreame of bliſſe that Fortune brings, On which the wiſeſt neuer haue preſum'd I ſaw nought but a heape of ſenceleſſe things, A momentarie treaſure ſoone conſum'd. This only ſerues the body to decore, And for corruption fram'd cannot perſeuer: The minde immortall layes vp better ſtore Of vnconſuming ioyes that laſt for euer. I wot not what you meane by ſuch ſurmiſes, And faind Ideaes of imagin'd bliſſe, This portrait of Fancie but intices Sicke braines to dreame that which indeede they miſſe.