Fletcher, Phineas · published 1631 · first performed or written 1615 [Mar 13] (Annals) pastoral · at University unassigned nearest T19 Virtue, Fortune and Vice as abstractions · 496 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T19: virtue, fortune, virtues, honour, fame, vice, envy, world, pride, great.
BEgin, thou royal Muse, Envy ne'er uses, o dwell in gentle Courts, or sacred Muses: To beg of them that common courtesy Must grant; were to condemn both them, and thee: Thy Came assures thee, they will all agree, Gently to bear their actor's infancy; Infants oft please; the choicest Poet song, Breeds less delight than th' infants prattling tongue. Then let me here entreat your minds to see, In this our England, fruitful Sicily, Their two twin Isles; so like in soil and frame, That as two twins they're but another same. But this they beg, which you may grant with ease: That all these pains to pleasure you, may please. Cuma! bear home our spoils, and conquering weapons, And truss them on a wreath as our just trophy: And when Cancrone returns, return to me. Thus: if but thus: yet thus my state is better, While lesser cares do laugh and mock the greater; This change is best when changing I frequent, Even now that moist, now this dry element, When with this sceptre, setting on the Land, The scaly footless people I command: When riding on my wooden horse, I see The Earth that never moves, remove from me. And why my friend doth not this guise beseem me? In this I am not reckless as you deem me. Not that I censure, but demand the cause, Why being borne, and bred, in Shepherd's laws; You have our Hills, and Downs, and Groves forsaken, And to these Sands, and Waves yourself be taken. Shepherd or fisher, I am still the same, I am a sea guest not for gain, but game. A gamesome life? thus with unarmed arms To fight 'gainst winds, and winter's sharp alarms, And paddle in chill Neptune's Icy lap? But if in fishing any pleasure be, In Shepherd's life there is much more say we. Yet fisher's life with me doth most consort, This sporting serves to moralize my sport: Viewing the storms, and troublesome waves; I find Some thing in nature restless as my mind: Each captive fish tells met that in death's snare, My heart is not the only prisoner. Walk along the shore— Oft there he walks Oft there with me or with the waves he talks. There in the tide I see fleet fortunes changing, And state of man, weak state: that's never standing: But rises still, or falls all as the main, That ebbs to flow, or flows to ebb again. Yet fortune I accuse thee not for raging, Let others plain, I never felt the changing, Bud wast thou at the first, and so art still, Before I knew what's good I knew the ill: And since of all my goods thou first bereav'st me, I ne'er expected good, thou ne'er deceived'st me; Therefore although Oracle from whence I late arrived, would feed vain confidence; Yet since so sure assurance thou dost give me, Still of the two fortune I must believe thee.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
BEgin, thou royall Muse, Enuie nere vses, o dwell in gentle Courts, or sacred Muses: To begge of them that common courtesie Must grant; were to condemne both them, and thee: Thy Came assures thee, they will all agree, Gently to beare their Actors infancy; Infants oft please; the choycest Poet song, Breeds lesse delight then th' infants prattling tongue. Then let me here intreate your minds to see, In this our England, fruitfull Sicely, Their two twinne Iles; so like in soyle and frame, That as two twinnes they'r but another same. But this they begge, which you may graunt with ease: That all these paines to pleasure you, may please. CVma! beare home our spoyles, and conquering weapons, And trusse them on a wreath as our iust trophie: And when Canrone returnes, returne to mee. Thus: if but thus: yet thus my state is better, While lesser cares do laugh aud mocke the greater; This change is best when changing I frequent, Euen now that moyst, now this drie element, When with this scepter, setting on the Land, The scalie footlesse people I command: When riding on my wooden horse, I see The Earth that neuer mooues, remooue from me. Ad why my friend doth not this guise beseeme me? In this I am not wretchlesse as you deeme me Not that I censure, but demande the cause, Why being borne, and bred, in shepheards lawes; You haue our Hills, and Downes, and Groes forsaken, And to these Sands, and Waues your selfe betaken. Shpheard or fisher, I am still the same, I am a sea guest not for gaine, but game. A gamesome life? thus with vnarmed armes To fight gainst windes, and winters sharpe alarmes, And paddle in chill Neptuns Icie lappe? But if in fishing any plesaure be, In Shepheards life there is much more say we. Yet Fishers life with me doth most consort, This sporting serues to moralize my sport: Viewing the stormes, and troublesome waues; I finde Some thing in nature rest-lesse as my minde: Each captiue fish tels met that in deaths snare, My heart is not the onely prisoner. Walke along the shore— Oft there he walkes Oft there with me or with the waues hee talkes. There in the tide I see fleete fortunes changing, And state of man, weake state: that's neuer standing: But rises still, or fals all as the maine, That ebs to flow, or flowes to ebbe againe. Yet fortune I accuse thee not for raging, Let others plaine, I neuer felt the changing, Bud wast thou at the first, and so art still, Before I knew what's good I knew the ill: And since of all my goods thou first bereau'st me, I neere expected good, thou neere deceiud'st me; Therefore although Oracle from whence I late ariu'd, would feede vaine confidence; Yet since so sure assurance thou doest giue mee, Still of the two fortune I must beleeue thee.