Alexander, William · published 1637 · first performed or written 1604 (Annals) tragedy T25 Kings, power and law: political sententi typicality 0.86 · 538 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.
It may 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 this peopled round; And in his own conceit hath said: No course of heaven his state can cast, Nor make his fortune to be ill; But if the gods a way have laid That he must come to be uncrowned, What sudden fears his mind may fill, And in an instant utterly confound The state which stands upon so slippery ground? When such a Monarch's mind is bend To follow most the most unwise, Who can their folly well 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, Then whilst they must to ruin go; When Kings begin thus 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 cannot second their conceits: These dreadful Comets commonly forego A King's destruction, when miscarried so. WHat fancies strange with terror strike my soul, The tortured captive of distrustful fears? Huge cares (suggesting harm) my joys control, Whose mind some coming cross charactered bears; And credulous suspicion (too too wise) To fortify my fears doth means invent; Whilst sudden trouble doth my spirit surprise, A presage sad which boasts some bad event; I think the soul (since an immortal brood) Hath by inheritance an heavenly power, Which some foreknowledge gives of ill, and good, But not the means to scape a fatal hour; Though with this mortal veil, when made half blind, Not well foreseeing what each time forth brings, Yet it communicates unto the mind In cloudy dreams true (though mysterious) things; Imagination wonderful in force, The judgement oft foils with confusion so, That (than they prove things presupposed worse) Ere time distressed, man multiplies his woe: For as the shadow seems more monstrous still, Then doth the substance whence the shape it takes, So the conjecture of a threatened ill, More than itself some to be troubled makes; This alteration too seems more than strange, Which suddenly so moved hath my mind. I see (more than I thought) all states may change, When heaven pursues, th'earth no defence can find; My soul all pleasure is already loathing, This hath indeed so deep impression left, A dream, a fancy, froth, a shadow, nothing Hath all my mirth even in a moment reft. Whence (mighty Sovereign) can this change proceed, Which doth obscure the rays of Princely grace? Those who are schooled in woe, may clearly read A mighty passion written in your face; And (if a stranger may presume so far) What friend is false, or who are feared as foes? For I imagine in what state you are: A secret sympathy imparting woes; Two strings in diverse Lutes set in accord, (Some say) th'one only touched both give a sound, Even so souls tuned to grief, the like afford, Whose airy motions mutually do wound.
Other edition — placed after the fit, excluded from the main statistics
Position
nodes 706–781 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 12 of 46 in this edition
Length
538 words · 695 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T25 — Kings, power and law: political sententiaecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.863 (cosine to the topic centroid) · placed after the fit (approximate_predict), not counted in the topic statistics
Other seeds
seed 43: T25 · seed 44: T6 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
It may be fear'd our King at laſt, Whil'ſt he for nothing is afraid, Be by proſperity betray'd: For, growing thus in greatneſſe ſtill, And having worldly things at will, He thinks though time ſhould all things waſte, Yet his eſtate ſhall ever laſt The wonder of this peopled round; And in his own conceit hath ſaid: No courſe of heaven his ſtate can caſt, Nor make his fortune to be ill; But if the gods a way have lay'd That he muſt come to be uncrown'd, What ſudden feares his minde may fill, And in an inſtant utterly confound The ſtate which ſtands upon ſo ſlippery ground? When ſuch a Monarchs minde is bent To follow moſt the moſt unwiſe, Who can their folly well diſguiſe With ſugred ſpeeches, poiſnous baits? The ſecret canker of great States, From which at firſt few diſaſſent The which at laſt all do repent, Then whil'ſt they muſt to ruine go; When Kings begin thus to deſpiſe Of honeſt men the good intent; Who to aſſure their Soveraignes ſeats, Would faine in time ſome help deviſe, And would cut off all cauſe of woe, Yet cannot ſecond their conceits: Theſe dreadfull Comets commonly fore-go A Kings deſtruction, when miſcarried ſo. WHat fancies ſtrange with terrour ſtrike my ſoule, The tortur'd captive of diſtruſtfull feares? Huge cares (ſuggeſting harme) my joyes controul, Whoſe minde ſome comming croſſe charactred beares; And credulous ſuſpition (too too wiſe) To fortifie my feares doth meanes invent; Whil'ſt ſudden trouble doth my ſprite ſurpriſe, A preſage ſad which boaſts ſome bad event; "I thinke the ſoule (ſince an immortall brood) "Hath by inheritance an heavenly power, "Which ſome fore-knowledge gives of ill, and good, "But not the meanes to ſcape a fatall houre; "Though with this mortall vaile, when made halfe blinde, "Not well fore-ſeeing what each time forth brings, "Yet it communicates unto the minde "In cloudy dreames true (though myſterious) things; "Imagination wonderfull in force, "The judgement oft foiles with confuſion ſo, "That (then they prove things preſuppoſed worſe) "Ere time diſtreſſ'd, man multiplies his woe: "For as the ſhadow ſeemes more monſtrous ſtill, "Then doth the ſubſtance whence the ſhape it takes, "So the conjecture of a threatned ill, "More then it ſelfe ſome to be troubled makes; This alteration too ſeemes more then ſtrange, Which ſuddenly ſo moved hath my minde. I ſee (more then I thought) all ſtates may change, "When heaven purſues, th'earth no defence can finde; My ſoule all pleaſure is already loathing, This hath indeed ſo deep impreſſion left, A dreame, a fancy, froth, a ſhadow, nothing Hath all my mirth even in a moment reft. Whence (mighty Soveraigne) can this change proceed, Which doth obſcure the rayes of Princely grace? Thoſe who are ſchool'd in woe, may clearly reade A mighty paſſion written in your face; And (if a ſtranger may preſume ſo farre) What friend is falſe, or who are fear'd as foes? For I imagine in what ſtate you are: A ſecret ſympathie imparting woes; Two ſtrings in divers Lutes ſet in accord, (Some ſay) th'one onely touch'd both give a ſound, Even ſo ſouls tun'd to griefe, the like afford, Whoſe airie motions mutually do wound.