Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T37: wealth, riches, money, god, rich, poverty, men, learning, poor, ic.
When Solon was asked of Croesus' the king, What man was most happy in this vale terrestrial, To the end he seemeth to attriqute that thing, When men be asociate with treasures celestial, Before the end can no man judge he doth say, That any man is happy that here beareth breath, But then by his end prettily judge we may, Thus true happiness coesisteth saith he after death. If this be a truth as undoubtedly it is, What men are more foolish, wretched and miserable, the in these treasures account their whole bliss Being infect with amdition that sickness uncurable, A wicked Adrastia, thou gods deceivable, Thus to pluck from men the sense of their mind, So that no contentation, therein they can find. The treasure of this world we may well compare To Circe's the witch, with her crafty cautilitie, Where with many men's minds so poisoned are, That quite they are carried into all fidelity, They are conjured in deed, and bewitched so sore, That treasure is their trust, joy and delight, True trust is expelled they pass not therefore, And against contentation, they continually fight. But though wicked men follow their lust, crying, on earth is our felicity and pleasure, yet God doth so guide the hearts of the just, That they respect chief the celestial treasure. Alas should we not have that estimation, Which God hath prepared for his dear elect, Should not our minds rest in full contentation, Having trust in this treasure, most high in respect: S. Paul, when the Lord so high did erect, Saith: it passeth the sense of our memory and mind, Much less can our outward eyes the same find. And as for treasures which men possess here Through fickelnes of fortune, soon fadeth away, The greatest of renown and most worthy peer, Sometime falleth, in the end to misery and decay, Record of Dionysius, a king of much fame, Of the valiant Alexander, and Caesar the strong, Record of Tarquinius, which Superbus had to name, And of Heliogabolos that ministered with wrong, If I should recite all, I should stand very long. But these be sufficient plainly to approve, How soon by uncertainty, this treasure doth remove. It is true, therefore a mind well content, Is great riches as the wise king Solomon doth say: We have seen of late days this cancar pestilent Corrupting our realm, to our great decay, Ambition I mean, which chief did reign Among those that should be examples to other, We saw how their brethren they did disdain, And burned with fire the child with the mother, It is often seen that such monsters ambitious, As spare not to spill the blood of the innocent, Will not greatly stick to become seditious, The determination of God thereby to prevent: God grant every one of us earnestly to repent, And not to set our minds on this fading treasure, But rather wish and will, to do the lords pleasure.
seed 43: T35 · seed 44: T34 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
When Solon was aſked of Creſſus the king, What man was moſte happie in this vale tereſtriall, To the ende he ſemeth to attriqute that thing, When men be aſociate with treaſures celeſtiall, Before the ende can no man iudge he doth ſaie, That any man is happie that here beareth breath, But then by his ende pretely iudge we may, Thus true happines coeſiſteth ſaith he after death. If this be a truthe as vndoubtedly it is, What men are more fooliſh, wretched and miſerable, Thē thoſe ye in theſe treaſures accōpt their whole blys Being infect with amdition that ſicknes vncurable, A wicked Adraſtia, thou goddes deceiuable, Thus to plucke from men the ſence of their mynde, So that no contentation, therein they can finde. The treaſure of this worlde we may well compare To Circes the witche, with her crafty cautilitie, Where with many mens myndes ſo poyſoned are, That quite they are caried into all fidelitie, They are coniured in deede, and bewitched ſo ſore, That treaſure is their truſte, ioye and delight, True truſte is expelled they paſſe not therefore▪ And againſt contentation, they continually fight▪ But though wicked men folowe their luſt, Criyng, on earth is our felicitie and pleaſure, yet God doth ſo guide the hartes of the iuſte, That they reſpecte chiefly the celeſtiall treaſure. Alas ſhould we not haue that eſtimation, Which God hath prepared for his dere elect, Should not our myndes reſte in full contentation, Hauing truſte in this treaſure, moſt highe in reſpecte: S▪ Paule, when the Lorde ſo highe did erecte, Saith: it paſſeth the ſence of our memory and mynde, Much leſſe can our outward eyes the ſame finde. And as for treaſures which men poſſeſſe here Through fickelnes of fortune, ſone fadeth away▪ The greateſt of renowme and moſt worthy pere, Sometime falleth, in the end to myſery and decaie, Recorde of Dioniſius, a king of much fame, Of the valiaunt Alexander, and Caeſar the ſtrong, Record of Tarquiniꝰ, which Superbus had to name, And of Heliogabolos that miniſtred with wronge, If I ſhould recite all, I ſhould ſtande very long. But theſe be ſufficient plainely to approue, Howe ſone by vncertentie, this treaſure doth remoue. It is true, therefore a mynde well contente, Is great riches as the wyſe king Salomon doth ſay: We haue ſeene of late daies this cancar peſtilent Corrupting our realme, to our great decaie, Ambition I meane, whiche chiefly did raigne Among thoſe that ſhould be examples to other, We ſawe howe their brethren they did diſdaine, And burned with fire the childe with the mother, It is often ſeene that ſuch monſters ambitious, As ſpare not to ſpill the bloud of the innocente, Will not greatly ſticke to become ſeditious, The determination of God thereby to preuente: God graunt euery one of vs earneſtly to repent, And not to ſet our mindes on this fading treaſure, But rather wyſhe and wil, to doe the Lordes pleaſure.