Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T9: play, stage, poet, prologue, author, wit, plays, muse, scene, players.
CAndid spectators, you that are invited Tô see the Lily and the Rose united; Consider that this Comedy of ours, A Nosegay is composed of sundry flowers. Which we selected with some small expense Of time, to please each one that hath a sense: But if this glorious Cynic crown contains A head that wants a competence of brains, We could desire his absence, and be glad That one more wise his seat or standing had. Because experience shows that such as he, The greatest enemies to science be: For what the Noddy cannot understand, He will seek to disparage underhand, Branding eternal lines with black disgrace, Because they do his numbers smooth surpass. For this bold Critic would have the world know it, That he no small fool is, though a small Poet. But with Icarean wings, why strives he thus, To mount Parnassus tops with Pegasus? When 'tis most meet that he with Asses meek, His pasture at the mountain's feet should seek, On thistles wild, and brakes there let him knabble, While Pegasus does make the skies his stable. But you (judicious friends) that well descry The strength and worth of noble Poesy; That can discreetly judge of what is done, We crave your favour and attention, And shall applaud the fortune of our Muse, If aught worth your acceptance we produce. _TS the world's eye not yet asleep? Hath love not yet put on his starry nightcap? No; nor Iuno her spangled smock? What, hath Hesperus forgot to light heavens tapers up? Or be the charet wheels of Night o'er loaden with the leaden weights of sleep, That she delays to throw her misty veil upon the face of things? Blind Ignorance that gropest in Cimmerian darkness, That liest enveloped in the shades of everlasting night, That want'st those glorious spectacles of Nature, Those Crystalline spheres that should illumine Thy Microcosmus, Why dost thou thus malign the guiltless light, She being the fairest Creature that Nature ever made? I hate her because she is light: I say she is The Mistress of disquiet and unrest, and breeds More troubles in the world then one of my young Hungry Lawyers doth in a Commonwealth, Or a schismatical self-conceited Coxcomb in an ancient Corporation. Oh that I could Ulysses-like burn out the eye Of that Celestial Polypheme; Or raise dull Chaos from Demogorgons Cell To quench the world's unnecessary luminaries. Bold Ignorance, thou Idol of these times That o'er a woollen wit, oft wear'st a satin Cap: And sometimes at our Bacchanalian feasts Appear'st as brave as a Canonical Saint In a Calendar: I hug thy resolution, stupid devil, That dost with generous malice amply supply What is defective in thy intellect: But if thou'lt give my faithful Counsel leave For to divert the torrent of thy wrath,
seed 43: T16 · seed 44: T15 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
CAndid spectators, you that are invited Tô see the Lilly and the Rose united; Consider that this Comedy of ours, A Nosegay is compos'd of sundry flowers. Which we selected with some small expence Of time, to please each one that hath a sence: But if this glorious Cynicke crowne containes A head that wants a competence of braines, We could desire his absence, and be glad That one more wise his seat or standing had. Because experience shewes that such as he, The greatest enemies to science be: For what the Noddy cannot understand, He will seeke to disparage underhand, Branding eternall lines with blacke disgrace, Because they doe his numbers smothe surpasse. For this bold Criticke would have the world know it, That he no small foole is, though a small Poet. But with Icarean wings, why strives he thus, To mount Parnassus tops with Pegasus? When 'tis most meet that he with Asses meeke, His pasture at the Mountaines feet should seeke, On thistles wilde, and brakes there let him knabble, While Pegasus does make the skies his stable. But you (iudicious friends) that well discry The strength and worth of noble Poesie; That can discreetly iudge of what is done, We crave your favour and attention, And shall applaud the fortune of our Muse, If ought worth your acceptance we produce. TS the worlds eye not yet asleepe? Hath love not yet put on his starry night-cap? No; nor Iuno her spangl'd smocke? What, hath Hesperus forgot tolight heavens tapers up? Or be the Charret wheeles of Night o're loaden with the leaden waights of sleepe, That she delayes to throw her misty veyle upon the face of things? Blind Ignorance that grop'st in Cymerian darknesse, That lyest invelop'd in the shads of everlasting night, That want'st those glorious spectacles of Nature, Those Chrystalline spheres that should illumine Thy Microcosmus, Why dost thou thus maligne the guiltlesse light, She being the fairest Creature that Nature ever made? I hate her because she is light: I say she is The Mistris of disquiet and unrest, and breeds More troubles in the world then one of my young Hungry Lawyers doth in a Common-wealth, Or a schismatical selfeconceited Coxcombe in an antient Corporation. Oh that I could Vlysses-like burne out the eye Of that Celestiall Polypheme; Or raise dull Chaos from Demogorgons Cell To quench the worlds unnecessary luminaries. Bold Ignorance, thou Idoll of these times That o're a woollen wit, oft wear'st a sattin Cap: And sometimes at our Bacchanalian feasts Appear'st as brave as a Canonicall Saint In a Kalender: I hug thy resolution, stupid divell, That dost with generous malice amply supply What is defective in thy intellect: But if thou'lt give my faithfull Counsell leave For to divert the torrent of thy wrath,