Alexander, William · published 1637 · first performed or written 1604 (Annals) tragedy unassigned nearest T37 Riches, poverty and covetousness · 473 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T37: wealth, riches, money, god, rich, poverty, men, learning, poor, ic.
Lo, how the stormy world doth worldlings toss, Twixt sandy pleasures, and a rocky will, Whilst them that Court it most, it most doth cross, To vice indulgent, virtue's stepdame still: This mass of thoughts, this animated slime, This dying substance, and this living shadow, The sport of Fortune, and the prey of Time, Soon raised, soon razed, as flowers are in a meadow. He toils to get (such is his foolish nature) A constant good in this inconstant ill: Unreasonable reasonable creature, That makes his reason subject to his will! Whilst on the height of contemplation placed, I weigh fond earthlings, earnest idle strife, All (though they all have diverse parts embraced) Would act a comic Scene of tragic life: The mind (which always at some new things aims) To get for what it longs, no travel spares; And loathing what it hath of better dreams, Which (when enjoyed) doth procreate but cares: Yet to a Sovereign bliss which they surmise, By diverse means, all pregnant wits aspire, But with strange shapes the same so much disguise, That it we scarce can know, much less acquire: Some place their happiness (unhappy beasts, Whose minds are drunk with momentary joys) In gorgeous garments, and in dainty feast, To pamper breath-toss'd-flesh with pleasures toys; Some more austere, no such delights allow, But rein their passions with advised respects, And by no fortune moved to brag nor bow, Would make the world enamoured of their sects; Some bathing still in virtue's purest springs, Do draw Ideas of a heavenly brood, And search the secrets of mysterious things, As most undoubted heirs of that high good: Thus with a dreamed delight, and certain pain, All seek by several ways a perfect blisses; And let none wonder though they toil in vain, Who cannot well discern what thing it is, What happiness can be imagined here, On painted grounds though we our hopes repose, Who dearly first do gain, what we hold dear, Than what we once must lose, still fear to lose? Think (though 'mongst thousands scarcely one of all, Can at this point of happiness arrive) One fortune have (whilst so to fortune thrall) To get the thing for which a world doth strive: What though he swim in Oceans of delights, Have none above him, and his equals rare; Ears joying pleasant sounds, eyes stately sights, His treasures infinite, his buildings fair? Yet fortunes course which cannot be controlled, Must mount some mean men up, throw down the great, And (still in motion) circularly rolled, From what it is, must alter every state. Though of his wealth, the greedy man doth boast, Whilst treasures vain his drossy wits bewitch, What hath he gained, but what another lost? And once his loss may make another rich. But ah, all lose who seek to profit thus,
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)
Loe, how the ſtormy world doth worldlings toſſe, Twixt ſandy pleaſures, and a rocky will, Whil'ſt them that Court it moſt, it moſt doth croſſe, To vice indulgent, vertues ſtepdame ſtill: This maſſe of thoughts, this animated ſlime, This dying ſubſtance, and this living ſhadow, The ſport of Fortune, and the prey of Time, Soon rais'd, ſoon raz'd, as flowers are in a meadow. He toyles to get (ſuch is his fooliſh nature) A conſtant good in this inconſtant ill: "Unreaſonable reaſonable creature, "That makes his reaſon ſubject to his will! VVhilſt on the height of contemplation plac'd, I weigh fond earthlings, earneſt idle ſtrife, "All (though they all have divers parts imbrac'd) "Would act a comicke Scene of tragicke life: "The minde (which alwaies at ſome new things aymes) "To get for what it longs, no travell ſpares; "And lothing what it hath of better dreames, "Which (when enjoy'd) doth procreate but cares: "Yet to a Soveraign bliſſe which they ſurmiſe, "By divers meanes, all pregnant wits aſpire, "But with ſtrange ſhapes the ſame ſo much diſguiſe, "That it we ſcarce can know, much leſſe acquire: Some place their happineſſe (unhappy beaſts, Whoſe mindes are drunke with momentary joyes) In gorgeous garments, and in dainty feaſt, To pamper breath-toſs'd-fleſh with pleaſures toyes; Some more auſtere, no ſuch delights allow, But reyne their paſſions with advis'd reſpects, And by no fortune mov'd to brag nor bow, Would make the world enamour'd of their ſects; Some bathing ſtill in vertues pureſt ſprings, Doe draw Ideas of a heavenly brood, And ſearch the ſecrets of myſterious things, As moſt undoubted heires of that high good: Thus with a dream'd delight, and certaine paine, "All ſeek by ſeverall wayes a perfect bliſſes; And let none wonder though they toyle in vaine, Who cannot well diſcerne what thing it is, What happineſſe can be imagin'd here, On painted grounds though we our hopes repoſe, Who dearely firſt doe gaine, what we hold deare, Then what we once muſt loſe, ſtill feare to loſe? Thinke (though 'mongſt thouſands ſcarcely one of all, Can at this point of happineſſe arrive) One fortune have (whilſt ſo to fortune thrall) To get the thing for which a world doth ſtrive: What though he ſwimme in Oceans of delights, Have none above him, and his equals rare; Eares joying pleaſant ſounds, eyes ſtately ſights, His treaſures infinite, his buildings faire? Yet fortunes courſe which cannot be contrould, Muſt mount ſome meane men up, throw down the great, And (ſtill in motion) circularly rould, From what it is, muſt alter every ſtate. "Though of his wealth, the greedy man doth boaſt, "Whil'ſt treaſures vaine his droſſie wits bewitch, "What hath he gain'd, but what another loſt? "And once his loſſe may make another rich. "But ah, all loſe who ſeeke to profit thus,