Alexander, William · published 1637 · first performed or written 1604 (Annals) tragedy T25 Kings, power and law: political sententi typicality 0.78 · 507 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T25: feare, kings, power, princes, lawes, loue, state, downe, honor, men.
Thus worms of th'earth (whilst low-placed thoughts prevail) Love melting things, whose show the body fits, Where soul's of clearer sight do never fail, To value most the treasure of good wits. Those worldly things do in this world decay, Or at the least we leave them with our breath, Where to eternity this leads the way, So differ they as far as life and death. And yet what wonder though he wander thus, Whom still by success treacherous fortune blinds? Though this indeed seem somewhat strange to us, Who have with learning purified our minds; Was he not borne heir of a mighty state? And used with fortunes smiles, not feared for frowns, Doth measure all things by his own conceit? A great defect, which fatal is to Crowns; Then from his youth still trusting in a Throne, With all that pride could crave, or wealth could give, Used with entreaties, and controlled by none, He would the tongue of liberty deprive; Though to his sight I dare not thus appear, Whose partial judgement, far from reason parts; I grieve to see your entertainment here So far inferior to your own deserts; That matchless wisdom which the world admires, And (ravished with delight,) amazed hears, Since not in consort with his vain desires, Did seem impleasant to distempered ears: Ears which can entry give to no discourse, Save that which enters fraughted with his praise; He can love none but them that love his course, And thinks all fools who use no flattering phrase: This with the great ones doth the gods displease, Though spreading all her heavenly treasures forth, They (if not in their livery them to please) Do virtue vilify, as of no worth. I care not, Aesop, how the King conceived Those my frank words which I must always use; I came not here till he my coming craved, And now when come, will not my name abuse; Should I his poisonous Sycophants resemble, Whose silken words their Sovereign do o'erthrow? I for his Diadem would not dissemble, What hearts do think, the tongues were made to show. And what if I, his humour to content, The world's opinion lost by gaining once? He can but give me gifts which may be spent, But nought can clear my fame if darkened once; That so he might my reputation raise, If I soothed him, it would procure my shame; Whilst those who vicious are, our virtue's praise, This in effect is but a secret blame. Though as a simple man he me despise, Yet better simply good, then doubly ill; I not my worth by others praises prise, Nor by opinions doc direct my will. That praise contents me more which one imparts, Of judgement sound, (though of a mean degree) Then praise from Princes void of princely parts, Who have more wealth, but not more wit than he. Who come to Court, must with King's faults comport. Who come to Court, should truth to King's report. A wise man at their imperfections winks.
Other edition — placed after the fit, excluded from the main statistics
Position
nodes 442–504 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 8 of 46 in this edition
Length
507 words · 654 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T25 — Kings, power and law: political sententiaecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.780 (cosine to the topic centroid) · placed after the fit (approximate_predict), not counted in the topic statistics
Other seeds
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: T6 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
"Thus wormes of th'earth (whil'ſt low-plac'd thoughts prevaile) "Love melting things, whoſe ſhew the body fits, "Where ſoules of clearer ſight doe never faile, "To value moſt the treaſure of good wits. "Thoſe worldly things doe in this world decay, "Or at the leaſt we leave them with our breath, "Where to eternity this leades the way, "So differ they as farre as life and death. And yet what wonder though he wander thus, Whom ſtill by ſucceſſe treacherous fortune blindes? Though this indeed ſeem ſomewhat ſtrange to us, Who have with learning purifi'd our mindes; Was he not borne heire of a mighty ſtate? And us'd with fortunes ſmiles, not fear'd for frownes, Doth meaſure all things by his owne conceit? A great defect, which fatall is to Crownes; Then from his youth ſtill truſting in a Throne, With all that pride could crave, or wealth could give, Vs'd with entreaties, and contrould by none, He would the tongue of liberty deprive; Though to his ſight I dare not thus appeare, Whoſe partiall judgement, farre from reaſon parts; I grieve to ſee your entertainment here So farre inferiour to your owne deſerts; That matchleſſe wiſedome which the world admires, And (raviſh't with delight,) amazed heares, Since not in conſort with his vaine deſires, Did ſeeme impleaſant to diſtemper'd eares: Eares which can entry give to no diſcourſe, Save that which enters fraughted with his praiſe; He can love none but them that love his courſe, And thinkes all fooles who uſe no flattering phraſe: This with the great ones doth the gods diſpleaſe, Though ſpreading all her heavenly treaſures forth, They (if not in their livery them to pleaſe) Doe vertue vilifie, as of no worth. I care not, Aeſope, how the King conceiv'd Thoſe my franke words which I muſt alwaies uſe; I came not here till he my comming crav'd, And now when come, will not my name abuſe; Should I his poyſ'nous Sycophants reſemble, Whoſe ſilken words their Soveraigne doe o'rethrow? I for his Diadem would not diſſemble, "What hearts doe thinke, the tongues were made to ſhow. And what if I, his humour to content, The worlds opinion loſt by gaining ones? He can but give me gifts which may be ſpent, But nought can cleere my fame if darkned once; That ſo he might my reputation raiſe, If I ſooth'd him, it would procure my ſhame; "Whil'ſt thoſe who vitious are, our vertues praiſe, "This in effect is but a ſecret blame. "Though as a ſimple man he me deſpiſe, "Yet better ſimply good, then doubly ill; "I not my worth by others praiſes prize, "Nor by opinions doc direct my will. That praiſe contents me more which one imparts, Of judgement ſound, (though of a meane degree) Then praiſe from Princes voyd of princely parts, Who have more wealth, but not more wit then he. Who come to Court, muſt with Kings faults comport. Who come to Court, ſhould truth to Kings report. A wiſe man at their imperfections winkes.