Shakespeare, William · published 1623 · first performed or written 1602 [1602-1603] (Annals) tragedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men T19 Virtue, Fortune and Vice as abstractions typicality 0.78 · 490 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T19: virtue, fortune, virtues, honour, fame, vice, envy, world, pride, great.
I do believe it: For they passed by me, as my sers do by beggars, Neither gave to me good word, nor look: What are my deeds forgot? Time hath (my Lord) a wallet at his back, Wherein he puts alms for oblivion: A great sized monster of ingratitudes: Those scraps are good deeds passed, Which are devoured as fast as they are made, Forgot as soon as done: perseverance, dear my Lord, Keeps honour bright, to have done, is to hang Quite out of fashion, like a rusty male, In monumental mockery: take the instant way, For honour travels in a strait so narrow, Where one but goes a breast, keep then the path: For emulation hath a thousand Sons, That one by one pursue; if you give way, Or hedge aside from the direct forth right; Like to an entered Tide, they all rush by, And leave you hindmost: Or like a gallant Horse fall'n in first rank, Lie there for pavement to the abject, near Ore-run and trampled on: than what they do in present, Though less than yours in past, must overtop yours: For time is like a fashionable Host, That slightly shakes his parting Guest by th' hand; And with his arms outstretched, as he would fly, Grasps in the comer: the welcome ever smiles, And farewells goes out sighing: O let not virtue seek Remuneration for the thing it was: for beauty, wit, High birth, vigour of bone, desert in service, Love, friendship, charity, are subjects all To envious and calumniating time: One touch of nature makes the whole world kin: That all with one consent praise new borne gauds, Though they are made and moulded of things past, And go to dust, that is a little guilt, More laud than guilt over dusted. The present eye praises the present object: Then marvel not thou great and complete man, That all the Greeks begin to worship Aiax; Since things in motion begin to catch the eye, Then what not stirs: the cry went out on thee, And still it might, and yet it may again, If thou wouldst not entomb thyself alive, And case thy reputation in thy Tent; Whose glorious deeds, but in these fields of late, Made emulous missions 'mongst the gods themselves, And drove great Mars to faction. Of this my privacy, I have strong reasons. But 'gainst your privacy The reasons are more potent and heroical: 'Tis known Achilles, that you are in love With one of Priam's daughters. Ha'? known? Is that a wonder? The providence that's in a watchful State, Knows almost every grain of Pluto's gold; Finds bottom in th' uncomprehensive deeps; Keeps place with thought; and almost like the gods, Do thoughts unuaile in their dumb cradles: There is a mystery (with whom relation Durst never meddle) in the soul of State; Which hath an operation more divine, Then breath or pen can give expressure to:
seed 43: T13 · seed 44: T16 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
I doe beleeue it: For they paſt by me, as my ſers doe by beggars, Neither gaue to me good word, nor looke: What are my deedes forgot? Time hath (my Lord) a wallet at his backe, Wherein he puts almes for obliuion: A great ſiz'd monſter of ingratitudes: Thoſe ſcraps are good deedes paſt, Which are deuour'd as faſt as they are made, Forgot as ſoone as done: perſeuerance, deere my Lord, Keepes honor bright, to haue done, is to hang Quite out of faſhion, like a ruſtie male, In monumentall mockrie: take the inſtant way, For honour trauels in a ſtraight ſo narrow, Where one but goes a breaſt, keepe then the path: For emulation hath a thouſand Sonnes, That one by one purſue; if you giue way, Or hedge aſide from the direct forth right; Like to an entred Tyde, they all ruſh by, And leaue you hindmoſt: Or like a gallant Horſe falne in firſt ranke, Lye there for pauement to the abiect, neere Ore-run and trampled on: then what they doe in preſent, Though leſſe then yours in paſt, muſt ore-top yours: For time is like a faſhionable Hoſte, That ſlightly ſhakes his parting Gueſt by th' hand; And with his armes out-ſtretcht, as he would flye, Graſpes in the commer: the welcome euer ſmiles, And farewels goes out ſighing: O let not vertue ſeeke Remuneration for the thing it was: for beautie, wit, High birth, vigor of bone, deſert in ſeruice, Loue, friendſhip, charity, are ſubiects all To enuious and calumniating time: One touch of nature makes the whole world kin: That all with one conſent praiſe new borne gaudes, Though they are made and moulded of things paſt, And goe to duſt, that is a little guilt, More laud then guilt ore duſted. The preſent eye praiſes the preſnt obiect: Then maruell not thou great and compleat man, That all the Greekes begin to worſhip Aiax; Since things in motion begin to catch the eye, Then what not ſtis: the cry went out on thee, And ſtill it might, and yet it may againe, If thou would'ſt not entombe thy ſelfe aliue, And caſe thy reputation in thy Tent; Whoſe glorious deedes, but in theſe fields of late, Made emulous miſſions 'mongſt the gods themſelues, And draue great Mars to faction. Of this my priuacie, I haue ſtrong reaſons. But 'gainſt your priuacie The reaſons are more potent and heroycall: 'Tis knowne Achilles, that you are in loue With one of Priams daughters. Ha? knowne? Is that a wonder? The prouidence that's in a watchfull State, Knowes almoſt euery graine of Plutoes gold; Findes bottome in th' vncomprehenſiue deepes; Keepes place with thought; and almoſt like the gods, Doe thoughts vnuaile in their dumbe cradles: There is a myſterie (with whom relation Durſt neuer meddle) in the ſoule of State; Which hath an operation more diuine, Then breath or pen can giue expreſſure to: