Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T19: virtue, fortune, virtues, honour, fame, vice, envy, world, pride, great.
Then innocency naked lived, And had no need nor thought of arms, Whilst spiteful sprites no means contrived, To plague th'unprovident with harms. Then snaring laws did not extend The bounds of reason as they do: Strife being begun where it should end, Clearing one doubt t'engender two. Then customs but by conscience stood, By which dark things were soon discerned, Whilst all behooved there to be good; Whereas no evil was to be learned: And how could any then prove nought, Whilst virtue by example's taught? Then mortal minds all most pure, Free from corruption lasted long: Whilst armed with innocency sure, When none did know how to do wrong: Then stung with no suspicious thought, Men mischief did from none expect: For that which in themselves was not, In others they would not suspect. And though none did stern laws impart, That might t'use virtue men compel, Each in the table of his heart Had graved a law of doing well: And all did wickedness forbear, Through a free-will, and not for fear. The first that spoiled the public rest, And did disturb this quiet state, 'twas Avarice the greatest pest That ever passed th'infernal gate: A monster very hard to daunt, Lean, as dried up with inward care, Though full of wealth for fear of want, Still at the borders of despair. Scarce taking food t'have nature eased, Nor for the cold sufficient clothing. She with her riches never pleased, Thinks all hath much, she hath nothing. This daughter of stern Pluto still, Her father's dungeon strives to fill. That monster-tamer most renowned, The great Alcides, Thebes glory. That for twelve several labours crowned, Was famous made by many a story. As one that all his time had toiled, To purge the world of such like pests, That robbers robbed, and spoilers spoiled, Still humbling haughty tyrants crests: He by this monster once overthrown, Did pass in Spain his strength to try: And there took more than was his own, What right had he to Gerion's ky? Thus avarice the world deceives, And makes the greatest conquerors slaves. Ah, when t' afflict the world with grief, This poor-rich monster once was borne, Then weakness could find no relief, And subtlety did conscience scorn: Yet some that laboured to recall The bliss that guilded th'ancient age, Did punishment prepare for all, That did their thoughts to vice engage. And yet the more they Laws did bring, That to be good might men constrain, The more they sought to do the things, From which the laws did them restrain: So that by custom altered quite, The world in evil doth most delight. NOw fortune smile upon my rising state, And seems to promise more than I require: Lo by degrees my glory doth grow great, And by their death that did my death conspire.
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 Innocencie naked liu'd, And had no neede nor thought of armes, Whilſt ſpightfull ſprites no meanes contriu'd, To plague th'vnprouident with harmes. Then ſnaring lawes did not extend The bounds of reaſon as they doe: Strife being begunne where it ſhould end, Clearing one doubt t'ingender two. Then customes but by conſcience ſtoode, By which dark things were ſoone diſcern'd, Whilſt all behoou'd there to be good; Whereas no euill was to be learn'd: And how could any then proue naught, Whilſt vertue by example's taught? Then mortall mindes all moſt pure, Free from corruption laſted long: Whilſt arm'd with innocencie ſure, When none did know how to doe wrong: Then ſtingd with no ſuſpitious thought, Men miſchiefe did from none exſpect: For that which in themſelues was not, In othrs they would not ſuſpect. And though none did ſterne lawes impart, That might t'vſe vertue men compell, Each in the table of his hart Had grau'd a law of dooing well: And all did wickedneſſe forbeare, Through a free-will, and not for feare. The firſt that ſpoil'd the publike reſt, And did diſturbe this quiet ſtate, T'was Auarice the greateſt pest That euer paſt th'infernall gate: A monſter very hard to daunt, Leane, as dry'd vp with inward care, Though full of wealth for feare of want, Still at the borders of diſpaire. Scarſe taking food t'haue nature eas'd, Nor for the cold ſufficient clothing. She with her riches neuer pleas'd, Thinkes all hath much, ſhe hath nothing. This daughter of ſterne Pluto ſtill, Her fathers dungeon ſtriues to fill. That monſter-tamer moſt renown'd, The great Alcides, Thebes glory. That for twelue ſeuerall labours crown'd, Was famous made by many a ſtory. As one that all his time had toyl'd, To purge the world of ſuch like peſts, That robbers rob'd, and ſpoilers ſpoyl'd, Still humbling hautie tyrants creſts: He by this monſter once or'e-throwne, Did paſſe in Spaine his ſtrength to try: And there tooke more then was his owne, What right had he to Gerions ky? Thus auarice the world deceiues, And makes the greateſt conquerors ſlaues. Ah, when t' afflict the world with griefe, This poore-rich monſter once was borne, Then weakeneſſe could finde no reliefe, And ſubtiltie did conſcience ſcorne: Yet ſome that labor'd to recall The bliſſe that guilded th'ancient age, Did puniſhment prepare for all, That did their thoughts to vice engage. And yet the more they Lawes did bring, That to be good might men conſtraine, The more they ſought to do the things, From which the lawes did them reſtraine: So that by cuſtome alterd quite, The world in euill doth moſt delight. NOw fortune ſmyle vpon my riſing ſtate, And ſeemes to promiſe more then I require: Loe by degrees my glory doth grow great, And by their death that did my death conſpire.