Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T50: sea, honour, general, soldiers, men, ship, fight, soldier, king, vittori.
Then Cyrus by the reins his Courser took, And being mounted, holding out his hands, With an assured and Imperious look Went breathing valour through th'unconquered bands. He willed all them that at Death's game should strive, To spare none of their foes in any form, But as for Croesus, to take him alive, And keep him captive for a greater storm. Where famous Hellus doth to Hermus' post In his broad waves t'entomb his strength and name, Our Army ran against a greater Host T'enrich it likewise with our force and fame. Our Troops a time with equal valour stood, Till giving place, at length we took the chase, While as the River ran to hide our blood, But still his borders blushed at our disgrace. For so soon as the Camels once were come, Our Horses loathing to endure their sight, Ran raging back again, and of them some Disordering ranks, put many to the flight. Yet others that were of more martial minds, Perceived the Stratagem that did deride them, And lighting on their feet, like mighty winds, Bore down before them all that durst abide them. There, whilst: the world proved prodigal of breath, The headless trunks lay prostrated in heaps, This field of funerals, proper unto death, Did paint our Horror in most hideous shapes. There men unhorsed, horses unmastered, strayed, Some called on them whom they most dearly tendered, Some raged, some groaned, some sighed, roared, wept & prayed, Fighting, fainting, falling, desp'rate, maimed, rendered. Those that escaped, like beasts unto a Den, Fled to a Fortress, which true valour drowns, Walls are for women, and the fields for men, For Towns cannot keep men, but men keep Towns. And we were scarcely entered at the Ports, whenas the enemies did the Town enclose, And rearing many artificial Forts, To the Defenders did huge pains impose. There all the military slights were found, Which at the like encounters had prevailed, Both for to use th'advantage of the ground, Or for to help with Art where Nature failed. They ever compassing our Trench about, Still where the Walls were weakest, made a breach, Which being straight repaired, we threw tools out, And killed all those that came within our reach. There all the bolts of death edged by disdain, That many curious wits inclined to ill, Helped by th'occasion, and the hope of gain, Had power t'invent, were put in practice still. Yet as we see, it oft times hath occurred, Where we suspected least, we were surprised, Whilst fortune and the fates in one concurred To have our ruin in their rolls comprised. The side of Sardis that was least regarded, Which lies towards Tmolus, and was thought most sure, Through this presumption, whilst 'twas weakly guarded, Th'o'erthrow of all Lidia did procure. As one of ours (unhappily it chanced) T'o'ertake his helmet that had scaped his hand, Alongst that steepy part his steps advanced And was returning back unto his Band:
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)
Then Cyrus by the raynes his Courſer tooke, And being mounted, holding out his handes, With an aſſured and Imperious looke Went breathing valour through th'vnconquer'd bandes. He willd all them that at Deaths game ſhould ſtriue, To ſpare none of their foes in any forme, But as for Croeſus, to take him aliue, And keepe him captiue for a greater ſtorme. Where famous Hellus doth to Hermus poſte In his broad waues t'entombe his ſtrength and name, Our Armie ran againſt a greater Hoſte T'enrich it likewiſe with our force and fame. Our Troupes a time with equall valour ſtood, Till giuing place, at length we tooke the chace, While as the Riuer ranne to hide our blood, But ſtill his borders bluſht at our diſgrace. For ſo ſoone as the Camels once were come, Our Horſes loathing to indure their ſight, Ranne raging backe againe, and of them ſome Diſordring rancks, put many to the flight. Yet others that were of more martiall mindes, Perceiu'd the Stratagem that did deride them, And lighting on their feet, like mighty windes, Bare downe before them all that durſt abide them. There, whilſt: the world proou'd prodigall of breath, The headleſſe troncks lay proſtrated in heapes, This field of funeralls, proper vnto death, Did paint out Horror in moſt hideous ſhapes. There men vnhorſde, horſes vnmaſtred, ſtrayed, Some calld on them whom they moſt dearely tendred, Some ragde, ſome groand, ſome ſigh'd, roard, wept & prayd, Fighting, fainting, falling, deſp'rate, maymde, rendred. Thoſe that eſcapt, like beaſts vnto a Den, Fled to a Fortreſſe, which true valour drownes, Walles are for women, and the fields for men, For Townes cannot keepe men, but men keepe Townes. And we were ſcarcely entred at the Portes, When as the enemies did the Towne incloſe, And rearing many artificiall Fortes, To the Defenders did huge paines impoſe. There all the military ſlights werere found, Which at the like encounters had preuaild, Both for to vſe th'aduantage of the ground, Or for to helpe with Arte where Nature faild. They euer compaſſing our Trench about, Still where the Walls were weakeſt, made a breach, Which being ſtraight repaird, we threw tooles out, And killd all thoſe that came within our reach. There all the bolts of death edgde by diſdaine, That many curious wits inclinde to ill, Helpt by th'occaſion, and the hope of gaine, Had powre t'inuent, were put in practiſe ſtill. Yet as we ſee, it oft times hath occurrde, Where we ſuſpected leaſt, we were ſurpriſde, Whilſt fortune and the fates in one concurrde To haue our ruine in their rolles compriſde. The ſide of Sardis that was leaſt regarded, Which lyes t'wards Tmolus, and was thought moſt ſure, Through this preſumption, whilſt t'was weakely guarded, Th'orethrow of all Lidia did procure. As one of ours (vnhappily it chanc'd) T'o're-take his helmet that had ſcapt his hand, Alongſt that ſteepy part his ſteps aduanc'd And was returning backe vnto his Band: