Jonson, Ben · published 1616 · first performed or written 1609 [Feb 2] (Annals) masque · before the Court T19 Virtue, Fortune and Vice as abstractions typicality 0.74 · 447 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T19: virtue, fortune, virtues, honour, fame, vice, envy, world, pride, great.
SO should, at FAMES lowd sound, and VERTVES sight, All darke, and enuious witchcraft flie the light. I did not borrow HERMES wings, nor aske His crooked sword, nor put on PLVTO'S caske, Nor on mine arme, aduanc'd wise PALLAS shield, (By which, my face auers'd, in open field I slue the GORGON) for an emptie name: When VERTVE cut off TERROR, he gat FAME. And, if when FAME was gotten, TERROR di'de, What black ERYNNIS, or more hellish pride, Durst arme these HAGS, now shee is growne, and great, To thinke they could her glories once defeat? I was her parent, and I am her strength. Heroique Vertue sinkes not vnder length Of yeeres, or ages; but is still the same, While he preserues, as when he got good FAME. My daughter, then, whose glorious house you see Built of all sounding brasse, whose columnes bee Men making Poets, and those well-made Men, Whose strife it was, to haue the happyest pen Renowne them to an after-life, and not With pride, to scorne the Muse, and die forgot; Shee, that inquireth into all the world, And hath, about her vaulted Palace, hoorl'd All rumors and reports, or true, or vaine, What vtmost lands, or deepest seas containe; (But only hangs great actions, on her file) Shee, to this lesser world, and greatest Ile, To night sounds Honor, which shee would haue seene In yond' bright BEVIE each of them a Queene. Eleuen of them are of times, long gone. PENTHESILEA, the braue Amazon, Swift foot CAMILLA, Queene of Volscia, Victorious THOMYRIS of Scythia, Chast ARTEMISIA, the Carian dame, And fayre-hayr'd BERONICE, Aegypts fame, HYPSICRATEA, glorie of Asia, CANDACE, pride of Aethiopia. The Brittane honor, VOADICEA, The vertuous PALMYRENE, ZENOBIA, The wife, and warlike Goth, AMALASVNTA, And bold VALASCA, of Bohemia. Her house is all of echo made, Where neuer dyes the sound; And, as her browes the cloudes inuade, Her foot doe strike the ground. Sing then good Fame, that's out of Vertue borne: For, who doth Fame neglect, doth Vertue scorne. WHen all the Ages of the earth Were crown'd, but in this famous Birth; And that, when they would boast their store Of Worthy Queenes, they knew no more: How happier is that Age, can giue A Queene, in whom all they doe liue! WHo, Vertue, can thy power forget, That sees these liue, & triumph yet? Th' Assyrian pompe, the Persian pride, Grekes glory, and the Romanes di'de: And who yet imitate Their noyses, tarry the same fate. Force greatnesse all the glorious waies You can, it soone decaies; But so good Fame shall neuer: Her triumphs, as their causes, are for euer.
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)
SO should, at FAMES lowd sound, and VERTVES sight, All darke, and enuious witchcraft flie the light. I did not borrow HERMES wings, nor aske His crooked sword, nor put on PLVTO'S caske, Nor on mine arme, aduanc'd wise PALLAS shield, (By which, my face auers'd, in open field I slue the GORGON) for an emptie name: When VERTVE cut off TERROR, he gat FAME. And, if when FAME was gotten, TERROR di'de, What black ERYNNIS, or more hellish pride, Durst arme these HAGS, now shee is growne, and great, To thinke they could her glories once defeat? I was her parent, and I am her strength. Heroique Vertue sinkes not vnder length Of yeeres, or ages; but is still the same, While he preserues, as when he got good FAME. My daughter, then, whose glorious house you see Built of all sounding brasse, whose columnes bee Men making Poets, and those well-made Men, Whose strife it was, to haue the happyest pen Renowne them to an after-life, and not With pride, to scorne the Muse, and die forgot; Shee, that inquireth into all the world, And hath, about her vaulted Palace, hoorl'd All rumors and reports, or true, or vaine, What vtmost lands, or deepest seas containe; (But only hangs great actions, on her file) Shee, to this lesser world, and greatest Ile, To night sounds Honor, which shee would haue seene In yond' bright BEVIE each of them a Queene. Eleuen of them are of times, long gone. PENTHESILEA, the braue Amazon, Swift foot CAMILLA, Queene of Volscia, Victorious THOMYRIS of Scythia, Chast ARTEMISIA, the Carian dame, And fayre-hayr'd BERONICE, Aegypts fame, HYPSICRATEA, glorie of Asia, CANDACE, pride of Aethiopia. The Brittane honor, VOADICEA, The vertuous PALMYRENE, ZENOBIA, The wife, and warlike Goth, AMALASVNTA, And bold VALASCA, of Bohemia. Her house is all of echo made, Where neuer dyes the sound; And, as her browes the cloudes inuade, Her foot doe strike the ground. Sing then good Fame, that's out of Vertue borne: For, who doth Fame neglect, doth Vertue scorne. WHen all the Ages of the earth Were crown'd, but in this famous Birth; And that, when they would boast their store Of Worthy Queenes, they knew no more: How happier is that Age, can giue A Queene, in whom all they doe liue! WHo, Vertue, can thy power forget, That sees these liue, & triumph yet? Th' Assyrian pompe, the Persian pride, Grekes glory, and the Romanes di'de: And who yet imitate Their noyses, tarry the same fate. Force greatnesse all the glorious waies You can, it soone decaies; But so good Fame shall neuer: Her triumphs, as their causes, are for euer.