Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T25: feare, kings, power, princes, lawes, loue, state, downe, honor, men.
OF all the creatures below We must call Man most miserable, Who all his time is never able T'attain unto a true repose, His very birth may well disclose What miseries his bliss overthrow, For being borne he can not know Who to his state is friend or fo. Nor how at first for to stand stable, But even with cries and tears doth show What dangers do his life enclose, Whose griefs are sure, whose joys a fable? Thus still his days in dolour so He to all perils must expose, And with vexation lives, and dies with woe, Not knowing whence he come nor where to go. While as he brooks this lowest place, O how uncertain is his state, Which governed by a secret fate Is subject to inconstancy, And ever changing as we see Is still in toil, never in peace. For if man prosper but a space, With each good success too too bold, And puffed up in his own conceit, He but abuses Fortune's grace: And when that with adversity His pleasures come to end their date, And with disasters are controlled, Straight he begins for grief to die: And still the top of some extreme doth hold, Not suffering summer's heat, nor winters cold. His state doth in most danger stand That most abounds in worldly things, And soars too high with Fortune's wings, Which carry up aspiring minds For to be beaten with all winds, The course of such being rightly scanned, Whilst men can not themselves command Transported with a powerless name, Oft unexpected ruin brings. W' have seen examples in this land, How worldly bliss the senses blinds, And on a reed unsurely hangs, He that presumes upon the same Hid poison in his pleasure finds, And sailing rashly with the winds of fame, Doth oft times sink into a sea of shame. It's to be feared our King at last Whilst he for nothing is afraid, Be by prosperity betrayed, For growing thus in greatness still, And having worldly things at will, He thinks though Time should all things waste, Yet his estate shall ever last, The wonder of th'inferior round, And in his own conceit hath said, No course of heaven his state can cast, Nor make his success to be ill; If Fortune once those thoughts t'upbraid Will have our King to be uncrowned, She may that mind with horror fill, And in an instant utterly confound The state, that stands upon so slippery ground, When such a monarch's mind is bent To follow most the most unwise, Who can their folly disguise With sugared speeches poisonous baits, The secret canker of great states, From which at first few disassent, The which at last all do repent, While as repenting lust must go, When Kings begin for to despise Of honest men the good intent, Who to assure their sovereign's seats, Would feign in time some help devise, And would cut off all cause of woe, Yet can not second their conceits, These dreadful Comets commonly forego The king's destruction that's miscarried so.
seed 43: T25 · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
OF all the creatures below We muſt call Man moſt miſerable, Who all his time is neuer able T'attaine vnto a true repoſe, His very birth may well diſcloſe What miſeries his bliſſe ouerthrow, For being borne he can not know Who to his ſtate is friend or fo. Nor how at firſt for to ſtand ſtable, But euen with cryes and teares doth ſhow What dangers do his life encloſe, Whoſe griefes are ſure, whoſe ioyes a fable? Thus ſtill his dayes in dolour ſo He to all perils muſt expoſe, And with vexation liues, and dies with wo, Not knowing whence he come nor where to go. While as he brookes this loweſt place, O how vncertaine is his ſtate, Which gouernd by a ſecret fate Is ſubiect to inconstancie, And euer changing as we ſee Is ſtill in toile, neuer in peace. For if man proſper but a ſpace, With each good ſucceſſe too too bold, And puft vp in his owne conceit, He but abuſes Fortunes grace: And when that with aduerſitie His pleaſures come to end their date, And with diſaſters are controld, Straight he begins for griefe to die: And ſtill the top of ſome extreme doth hold, Not ſuffering ſummers heate, nor winters cold. His ſtate doth in moſt danger ſtand That moſt abounds in worldlie things, And ſoares too hie with Fortunes wings, Which carrie vp aſpiring mindes For to be beaten with all windes, The courſe of ſuch being rightlie ſcand, Whilſt men can not themſelues command Tranſported with a pow'rles name, Oft vnexpected ruine brings. W' haue ſeene examples in this land, How worldlie bliſſe the ſenſes blindes, And on a reed vnſurely hings, He that preſumes vpon the ſame Hid poyſon in his pleaſure findes, And ſailing raſhlie with the windes of fame, Doth oft times ſinke into a ſea of ſhame. It's to be fear'd our King at laſt Whilſt he for nothing is affraid, Be by proſperitie betraid, For growing thus in greatnes ſtill, And hauing worldlie things at will, He thinks though Time ſhould all things waſt, Yet his eſtate ſhall euer laſt, The wonder of th'inferiour round, And in his owne conceit hath ſaid, No courſe of heau'n his ſtate can caſt, Nor make his ſucceſſe to be ill; If Fortune once thoſe thoughts t'obbraid Will haue our King to be vn-cround, She may that mind with horrour fill, And in an instant vtterly confound The ſtate, that ſtands vpon ſo ſlipprie ground, When ſuch a Monarchs mind is bent To follow moſt the moſt vnwiſe, Who can their follie diſaguiſe With ſugred ſpeaches poyſonous baites, The ſecret canker of great ſtates, From which at firſt few diſaſſent, The which at laſt all do repent, While as repenting luſt muſt go, When Kings begin for to deſpiſe Of honeſt men the good intent, Who to aſſure their Soueraignes ſeates, Would faine in time ſome help deuiſe, And would cut off all cauſe of wo, Yet can not ſecond their conceats, Theſe dreadfull Comets commonly forgo The Kings destruction that's miſcarried ſo.