Alexander, William · published 1637 · first performed or written 1604 (Annals) tragedy unassigned nearest T25 Kings, power and law: political sententi · 507 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T25: feare, kings, power, princes, lawes, loue, state, downe, honor, men.
Or may pretend an interest in their praise: This self-conceit is a most dangerous shelf, Where many have made shipwreck unawares, He who doth trust too much unto himself, Can never fail to fall in many snares. Of all men else great Monarches have most need To square their actions, and to weigh their words, And with advice in all things to proceed; A faithful Counsel oft great good affords. Lo, how th'inferior spheres of force do bend As the first mover doth their courses drive, The Commons customs on the Prince depend, His manners are the rules by which they lives; As for himself none only is brought forth, Kings for the use of many are ordained, They should like Sun's clear Kingdoms with their worth, Whose life a pattern must be kept unstained: All virtuous Princes have a spacious field To show their worth, though even in Fortune's spite, Where mean men must to their misfortune yield, Whilst want of power doth cloud their virtue quite; 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 crop of poison spent alone, Infected fountains doth with venom fill, So mighty states may tainted be by one: A vicious Prince is a contagious ill. It easy is another's fault to spy, And paint in th'air the shadows of our minds, Whilst apprehending with the inward eye A high perfection which no practice finds. I grant, those grounds which we imagine may, Will move no charmed man, much less a Prince, To disenchant himseife, and seek some way At Reason's Court, his passions to convince; Ere Croesus can refrain from this his fury, He must forsake himself (as one renewed) And in the lethe of oblivion bury The vanities that have his soul subdued; Those his prerogatives he first must bound, And be a man, a man to be controlled, Then all his faults (as in another found) An arbiter with equal eyes behold; Can he cast off this veil of fond self-love, Through which each object Pride too grossly spies, He would these ravenous Parasites remove, Vile instruments of shame that live by lies; The only means to make such people part, That he might judge more freely of his state, Were to cast out the Idol of his heart, Which (when overthrown) he must disclaim too late: For, foreign flatterers could find no access, If not that weighing his own worth too much, He first concludes (to sooth himself inclined) That all their praises should of right be such; And when those hireling Sycophants have found A Prince whom too secure opinion makes, His noblest part they by smooth weapons wound, All spoil by pleasing them whom flattery takes: o'er rulers, rule when such a person bears, Of virtuous men the rising to prevent, From wholesome counsel they close up his ears To cross the better sort in all things bend.
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)
Or may pretend an int'reſt in their praiſe: This ſelf-conceit is a moſt dangerous ſhelfe, Where many have made ſhipwrack unawares, "He who doth truſt too much unto himſelfe, "Can never faile to fall in many ſnares. "Of all men elſe great Monarchs have moſt need "To ſquare their actions, and to weigh their words, "And with advice in all things to proceed; "A faithfull Counſell oft great good affords. "Loe, how th'inferiour ſpheares of force do bend "As the firſt mover doth their courſes drive, "The Commons cuſtomes on the Prince depend, "His manners are the rules by which they lives; "As for himſelfe none onely is brought forth, "Kings for the uſe of many are ordain'd, "They ſhould like Sunnes cleare Kingdomes with their worth, "Whoſe life a patterne muſt be kept unſtain'd: "All vertuous Princes have a ſpatious field "To ſhew their worth, though even in Fortunes ſpight, "Where meane men muſt to their misfortune yeeld, "Whil'ſt want of power doth cloud their vertue quite; "As pretious ſtones are th'ornaments of rings, "The ſtone decores the ring, the ring the hand, "So Countries are conforme unto their Kings, "The King decores the Court, the Court the Land; "And as a crop of poyſon ſpent alone, "Infected fountains doth with venome fill, "So mighty ſtates may tainted be by one: "A vitious Prince is a contagious ill. It eaſie is anothers faults to ſpie, And paint in th'aire the ſhadows of our mindes, Whil'ſt apprehending with the inward eye A high perfection which no practiſe findes. I grant, thoſe grounds which we imagine may, Will move no charmed man, much leſſe a Prince, To diſenchant himſeife, and ſeeke ſome way At Reaſons Court, his paſſions to convince; Ere Croeſus can refraine from this his fury, He muſt forſake himſelfe (as one renew'd) And in the lethe of oblivion burie The vanities that have his ſoule ſubdew'd; Thoſe his prerogatives he firſt muſt bound, And be a man, a man to be controll'd, Then all his faults (as in another found) An arbiter with equall eyes behold; Could he caſt off this vaile of fond ſelf-love, Through which each object Pride too groſly ſpies, He would theſe ravenous Paraſites remove, Vile inſtruments of ſhame that live by lyes; The onely meanes to make ſuch people part, That he might judge more freely of his ſtate, Were to caſt out the Idoll of his heart, Which (when o're-thrown) he muſt diſclaime too late: For, forraine flatterers could finde no acceſſe, If not that weighing his owne worth too much, He firſt concludes (to ſooth himſelfe inclin'd) That all their praiſes ſhould of right be ſuch; And when thoſe hireling Sycophants have found A Prince whom too ſecure opinion makes, His nobleſt part they by ſmooth weapons wound, "All ſpoyle by pleaſing them whom flattery takes: Ore rulers, rule when ſuch a perſon beares, Of vertuous men the riſing to prevent, From wholſome counſell they cloſe up his eares To croſſe the better ſort in all things bent.