Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T25: feare, kings, power, princes, lawes, loue, state, downe, honor, men.
So change all things that subject are t'our sight; Disorder order breeds, and order it, Next night comes darkness, and next darkness light. This never changing change transcends our wit. Thus poverty and riches, sickness, health: Both honour and dishonour, life and death, Do so depend on other, that by stealth, All go and come as th'accidents of breath. t'each worldly state the heavens a height appoint, Where when it once arrives it must descend: And all perfections have a fatal point, At which excellency itself must end. But as all those that walk on th'earth are crossed With alterations, happening oft and strange: The greatest states with greatest storms are tossde, And sought of many must make many a change. Nor speak I this by speculation now, As gathering credit out of ancient scrolls: souls. No, I have lived at court and I know how, there's nought on th'earth more vexed, then great men's souls. thralled to the tyrant honour, whilst they moan Their plaints to subjects ears ashamed t'empart: They must bear all the weight of woes alone, Where others of their grief lend friends a part. Their rising us above to such a height, Which seems their best is worst, whilst since being lords: They never hear the truth that comes to light, When frank society speaks naked words. Whilst sadness, whiles seems majesty, time tells How dear they buy their pomp with loss of rest: Some feign three furies but in all the hells, And there's three thousand in one great man's breast. I think all monarchies are like the Moon, Which whiles eclipsed, whiles under cloud, whiles clear, Grows by degrees, and is when full, undone; Yet Aeson like renewed doth reappear. For so the first, but small, begin to shine, And when they once their spheric form obtain, Do then begin to languish and decline; Yet fallen in other realms, do rise again. Th' Assyrians once made many a nation bow; Then next, all power was in the Persians hand: And lo, the Macedonians monarchs now Amongst themselves divided cannot stand. A secret fate, alternantly all things Doth in this circle circularly lead: Still generation from corruption springs, To th'end that some may live, some must be dead. Each Element another's strength devours; Th'air to the fire succumbs, the fire to rain: The water strives to drown all th'earth with showers, Which it by vapours vomits out again. Thus with a gordian knot together bound, All things are made, unmade, and made again: Whilst ruin sounds, perfection doth confound, And nothing in one state doth long remain. But nought in th'earth more dangerously stands Than sovereignty, that's rated at such worth, Which like the stormy deities blustering bands, Doth fly from East to West, from South to North. A long experience now makes this nought strange, Though mighty states whose reins one only leads; Be whiles distracted and constrained to change, As too great bodies for so little heads,
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)
So change all things that ſubiect are t'our ſight; Diſorder order breeds, and order it, Next night comes darknes, and next darkneſſe light. This neuer changing change tranſcends our wit. Thus pouertie and riches, ſickeneſſe, health: Both honour and diſhonor, life and death, Do ſo depend on other, that by ſtealth, All goe and come as th'accidents of breath. T'ech worldly ſtate the heauens a height appoint, Where when it once arriues it muſt deſcend: And all perfections haue a fatall point, At which excellencie it ſelfe muſt end. But as all thoſe that walke on th'earth are croſſde With alterations, happning oft and ſtrange: The greateſt ſtates with greateſt ſtormes are toſſde, And ſought of many muſt make many a change. Nor ſpeake I this by ſpeculation now, As gathring credit out of ancient ſcroules: ſoules. No, I haue liu'd at court and I know how, Ther's nought on th'earth more vex'd, then great mens ſoules. Thral'd to the tirant honor, whilſt they mone Their plaints to ſubiects eares aſham'd t'empart: They muſt beare all the weight of woes alone, Where others of their griefe lend friends a part. Their riſing vs aboue to ſuch a height, Which ſeems their beſt is worſt, whilſt ſince being lords: They neuer heare the truth that comes to light, When franke ſocietie ſpeaks naked words. Whilſt ſadneſſe, whiles ſeemes maieſtie, time tells How deere they buy their pompe with loſſe of reſt: Some faine three furies but in all the hells, And ther's three thouſand in one great mans breaſt. I thinke all monarchies are like the Moone, Which whiles eclipſd, whiles vnder cloud, whiles cleare, Growes by degrees, and is when full, vndone; Yet Aeſon like renew'd doth re-appeare. For ſo the firſt, but ſmal, begin to ſhine, And when they once their ſpherick forme obtaine, Do then begin to languiſh and decline; Yet falne in other realmes, doe riſe againe. Th' Aſſyrians once made many a nation bow; Then next, all powre was in the Perſians hand: And lo, the Macedonians monarchs now Amongſt themſelues diuided cannot ſtand. A ſecret fate, alternantly all things Doth in this circle circularly leade: Still generation from corruption ſprings, To th'end that ſome may liue, ſome muſt be dead. Each Element anothers ſtrength deuours; Th'ayre to the fire ſuccumbes, the fire to raine: The water ſtriues to drowne all th'earth with ſhowres, Which it by vapours vomites out againe. Thus with a gordian knot together bound, All things are made, vn-made, and made againe: Whilſt ruine founds, perfection doth confound, And norhing in one ſtate doth long remaine. But nought in th'earth more dangerouſly ſtandes Than ſoueraigntie, that's rated at ſuch worth, Which like the ſtormie deities bluſtring bandes, Doth flie from Eaſt to Weſt, from South to North. A long experience now makes this noght ſtrange, Though mightie ſtates whoſe reines one onely leades; Be whiles diſtracted and conſtrain'd to change, As too great bodies for ſo little heads,