Middleton, Thomas · published 1623 · first performed or written 1623 [Oct 20] (Annals) civic play; pageant T19 Virtue, Fortune and Vice as abstractions typicality 0.74 · 403 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T19: virtue, fortune, virtues, honour, fame, vice, envy, world, pride, great.
THey that with Glory-enflamde hearts; desire To see Great Worth deservingly aspire, Let 'em draw near and fix a serious Eye, On this Triumphant Mount of royalty; Here they shall find fair Virtue and her Name, From low-obscure Beginnings raised to Fame, Like Light struck out of Darkness; the mean wombs No more Eclipse brave Merit, then rich Tombs Make the Soul happy; 'tis the Life, and Dying Crowns both with Honour's Sacred Satisfying; And 'tis the Noblest Splendour upon Earth, For man to add a Glory to his Birth (All his Life's Race with honoured Acts commixed) Then to be nobly-born and there stand fixed; As if 'twere Competent Virtue for whole Life To be Begot a Lord; 'tis virtuous Strife That makes the complete Christian; not high Place, As true Submission is the State of Grace, The Path to Bliss, lies in the humblest Field, Who ever rise to Heaven that never kneeled, Although the Roof hath Supernatural Height, Yet there's no Flesh can thither go upright: All this is instanc'st only to commend, The low condition whence these Kings descend; I spare the Prince of Prophets in this File, And preserve him for a far Holier Style, Who being King Anointed, did not scorn To be a Shepherd after; these were borne Shepherds, and rise to Kings, took their ascending From the strong hand of Virtue, never ending Where She begins to raise, until she place Her Love sick Servants equal with her Grace; And by this Day's great Honour it appears Sh' as much prevaylde amongst the Reverend years Of these Grave Senators, chief of the rest Her Favour hath reflected most and best, Upon that Son whom we of Honour call, And may 't Successively reflect on all. I Am all Memory, and me thinks I see Into the farthest Time, Act, Quality; As clear as if 'twere now begun again, The Natures, Dispositions, and the Men; I find to goodness they bent all their powers, Which very Name makes blushing Times of ours; They heaped up Virtues, long before they were old, This Age fits laughing upon Heaps of Gold, We by great Buildings strive to raise our Names, But they more truly wise built up their Fames, Erected fair Examples, large and high, Patterns for us to build our Honours by; For instance only Memory relates, The Noblest of all City-Magistrates, Famous Fitz-alwin, naming him alone,
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)
THey that with Glory-enflamde hearts; deſire To ſee Great Worth deſeruingly aſpire, Let e'm draw neere and fixe a ſerious Eye, On this Tryumphant Mount of Royaltye; Here they ſhall finde faire Vertue and her Name, From low-obſcure Beginnings rayſde to Fame, Like Light ſtruck out of Darknes; the meane wombes No more Eclipſe braue Merit, then rich Toombes Make the Soule happy; 'tis the Life, and Dying Crownes both with Honors Sacred Satiſfying; And 'tis the Nobleſt Splendor vpon Earth, For man to adde a Glory to his Birth (All his Lifes Race with honor'd Acts commixt) Then to be Nobly-borne and there ſtand fixt; As if 'twere Competent Vertue for whole Life To be Begot a Lord; 'tis vertuous Strife That makes the compleate Chriſtian; not high Place, As true Submiſſion is the State of Grace, "The Path to Blisse, lyes in the humbleſt Feild, "Who euer riſe to Heauen that neuer kneeld, Although the Roofe hath Supernaturall Height, Yet there's no Fleſh can thither goe vpright: All this is inſtanc'ſt onely to commend, The low condition whence theſe Kings deſcend; I ſpare the Prince of Prophets in this File, And preſerue him for a farre Holier Stile, Who being King Annoynted, did not ſcorne To be a Shepheard after; theſe were borne Shepheards, and riſe to Kings, tooke their aſcending From the ſtrong hand of Vertue, neuer ending Where Shee begins to rayſe, vntill ſhee place Her Loue ſicke Seruants equall with her Grace; And by this Dayes great Honor it appeares Sh' as much preuaylde amongſt the Reuerend yeares Of theſe Graue Senators, chiefe of the reſt Her Fauour hath reflected moſt and beſt, Vpon that Sonne whom wee of Honor call, And may' t Succeſſiuely reflect on all. I Am all Memory, and me thinkes I ſee Into the fardeſt Time, Act, Quality; As cleere as if 'twere now begun agen, The Natures, Diſpoſitions, and the Men; I finde to Godneſſe they bent all their powers, Which very Name makes bluſhing Times of ours; They heapt vp Vertues, long before they were old, This Age fits laughing vpon Heapes of Gold, We by great Buildings ſtriue to rayſe our Names, But they more truely wiſe built vp their Fames, Erected faire Examples, large and hie, Patternes for vs to build our Honors by; For inſtance onely Memory relates, The Nobleſt of all City-Magiſtrates, Famous Fitz-alwin, naming him alone,