Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T25: feare, kings, power, princes, lawes, loue, state, downe, honor, men.
No man is only for himself brought forth, And Kings for th'use of many are ordained, They should like Suns, clear Kingdoms with their worth, Whose life a pattern must be kept unstained. Those that are virtuous have an ample field T'express their wisdom and t'extend their merit, Where mean men must to their misfortune yield, Whilst lack of power doth burst a gallant spirit. As precious Stones are th'ornaments of rings, The Stone decores the ring, the ring the hand: So Countries are conform unto their Kings, The King decores the Court, the Court the Land. And as a drop of poison spent alone, Th'infected fountain doth with venom fill, So mighty States may be o'erthrown by one; A vicious Prince is a contagious ill. This is an easy thing, for us to spy And paint in th'air the shadows of our minds, And t'apprehend with th'intellectual eye; A blessing that no worldly Kingdom finds. I grant imaginary grounds of ours Will never move a world-bewitched Prince, To disenchant himself, and spend some hours His own designs of folly to convince. Ere Croesus can refrain from this his fury, He must forsake himself, and be renewed, And in the Lethe of oblivion bury The vanities that have his soul subdued. He first must his prerogatives all smother, And be a man, a man to be controlled, Than all his faults as they were in another Like an unpartial Arbiter behold. Could he cast off this vail of fond self-love, Through which all things not as they are he spies, He would those wicked Parasites remove, Vile instruments of shame that live by lies. And th'only means to force them to depart, That he might judge more freely of his state, Were to cast out the Idol of his heart Which puffs him up with a pride-swollen conceit. For foreign flatterers could not find access, Were't not overvaluing his own worth too much, He flattered first himself and thinks no less But all their praises ought for to be such. And when these hireling Sycophants have found A Prince whose judgement self-conceit disarms, They breach his weakest part, and bring to ground The greatness of his State with flatteries charms. Then bearing over his Passions once the sway, lest by the better sort he be advised, To wholesome counsel they close up the way, And use all means t'have honest men despised. If you at Court to credit would arise, You must not seek by truth t'acquire renown, But learn t'applaud whiles what you most despise, And smile in show, whilst in effect you frown. From Court in time I will myself retire, I find my humour is not fit for Court. I'm none of those whom Croesus doth desire, I can not alway of his worth report. O that he cannot see light Fortune flout him While as he glories in this outward show, Hedged in with greedy Harpies round about him, That gape t'enrich themselves with his overthrow.
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)
No man is onely for himſelfe brought forth, And Kings for th'uſe of many are ordaind, They ſhould like Sunnes, cleere Kingdoms with their worth, Whoſe life a paterne muſt be kept vnſtaind. Thoſe that are vertuous haue an ample field T'expreſſe their wiſdom and t'extend their merite, Where meane men muſt to their misfortune yield, Whilſt lacke of power doth burſt a gallant ſpirite. As precious Stones are th'ornaments of rings, The Stone decores the ring, the ring the hand: So Countries are conforme vnto their Kings, The King decores the Court, the Court the Land. And as a drop of poyſon ſpent alone, Th'infected fountaine doth with venome fill, So mighty States may be orethrowne by one; A vicious Prince is a contagious ill. This is an eaſie thing, for vs to ſpie And paint in th'ayre the ſhadowes of our mindes, And t'apprehend with th'intellectuall eie; A bleſſing that no worldly Kingdom findes. I grant imaginarie groundes of ours Will neuer mooue a world-bewitched Prince, To diſenchaunt himſelfe, and ſpend ſome howrs His owne diſſeignes of follie to conuince. Ere Croeſus can refraine from this his furie, He muſt forſake himſelfe, and be renew'd, And in the Lethe of obliuion burie The vanities that haue his ſoule ſubdewd. He firſt muſt his prerogatiues al ſmother, And be a man, a man to be controld, Then all his faults as they were in another Like an vnpartiall Arbiter behold. Could he caſt off this vaile of fond ſelfe-loue, Through which all things not as they are he ſpies, He would thoſe wicked Paraſites remoue, Vile inſtruments of ſhame that liue by lies. And th'onely meanes to force them to depart, That he might iudge more freely of his ſtate, Were to caſt out the Idole of his hart Which puffs him vp with a pride-ſwolne conceate. For forraine flatterers could not find acceſſe, Wer't not ouer-valuing his owne worth too much, He flattred firſt himſelf and thinks no leſſe But all their praiſes ought for to be ſuch. And when theſe hireling Sycophants haue found A Prince whoſe iudgement ſelfe-conceat diſarmes, They breach his weakeſt part, and bring to ground The greatneſſe of his State with flatteries charmes. Then bearing ouer his Paſſions once the ſway, Leaſt by the better ſort he be aduiſd, To wholeſome counſell they cloſe vp the way, And vſe all meanes t'haue honeſt men deſpiſd. If you at Court to credit would ariſe, You muſt not ſeeke by trueth t'acquire renowne, But learne t'applaud whiles what you moſt deſpiſe, And ſmile in ſhow, whilſt in effect you frowne. From Court in time I will my ſelfe retire, I find my humour is not fit for Court. I'am none of thoſe whom Croeſus doth deſire, I can not alway of his worth report. O that he cannot ſee light Fortune flout him While as he glories in this outward ſhow, Hedg'd in with greedy Harpies round about him, That gape t'enrich themſelues with his ouerthrow.