Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	david_n	king_n	saul_n	1,839	5	10.0881	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12567	Certain discourses, vvritten by Sir Iohn Smythe, Knight: concerning the formes and effects of diuers sorts of weapons, and other verie important matters militarie, greatlie mistaken by diuers of our men of warre in these daies; and chiefly, of the mosquet, the caliuer and the long-bow; as also, of the great sufficiencie, excellencie, and wonderful effects of archers: with many notable examples and other particularities, by him presented to the nobilitie of this realme, & published for the benefite of this his natiue countrie of England	Smythe, John, Sir, ca. 1534-1607.	1590 (1590)	STC 22883; ESTC S117657	85,512	138

kept in seruitude by the Milicia and force of Archerie of diuers other sober Nations The Empire of Constantinople and Rome also at such time as they were vnder one Empire and that the Emperours held their imperiall seate in Constantinople as carefull as some of those Emperours were to keepe their subiects the Grecians in exercise of Armes and chieflie of Archerie yet after in the time of other Emperours that were careles and effeminate their subiects giuing themselues through long peace vnto feasting and drunkennes and neglecting the exercize of Bowes and Archerie did so forget the vse of that most excellent weapon that they were many times vanquished by the Milicia of the Arabians that consisted most of all of Bowemen which conquering Nation at that time gaue themselues to labour and trauell and to the exercise of their bowes with great sobrietie and not to drunkennes And the subiectes of the very same Empire of Constantinople long after the time of their great ouerthrowes by the Arabians through the negligence of some of their effeminate Emperours as aforesaide were by the constraint of certaine imperiall statutes and ordinances of some other wise and valiant Emperours reduced in a great part from their drunkennes to sobrietie and from idlenes to their ancient exercize of Archerie by the which they did defend themselues against the Turkes and Sarazins during the time of those woorthie Emperours very valiantly but after againe in processe of time through the effeminacie and negligence of other Emperours of no valour nor worthines the said Grecians did returne againe to their former drunkennes superfluities and vtter forgetting of the vse and exercize of their bowes and Archerie Whereby it came to passe that Mahomet the second of that name of the house of Otoman with his notable Milicia of Turkes and Ianissaries that consisted most of Bowe-men a Nation no wayes giuen to drunkennesse did vtterly subdue and conquere that Empire Besides which examples I coulde if it were not too long alleadge many others of many kingdomes and mighty Nations that through the detestable vices of drunkennes couetousnes and superfluities haue giuen themselues to effeminacie and forgetting of all vse of their Bowes and Archerie and other exercises Militarie by meanes whereof they haue bene after conquered and brought into seruitude by other sober and valiant Nations that haue had the vse of the Bowe in great perfection And to be briefe there is no man that hath read many notable histories of great antiquitie as also of later ages with obseruation but hee shall most manifestly see that drunkennes couetousnes and superfluities haue caused the forgetting and contempt of the vse of Archerie and all other exercises Militarie which hath beene the ruine of most of all the Empires Kingdomes and Nations that haue beene knowne or written of in Europe Affrick or Asia And if any of our such men of warre be so obstinate that they wil not beleeue such notable Histories let them then resorte to the Bible which is the Booke of God and then if they be not possessed with some infernall spirit that doth breed in them infidelitie they shall not onely there see the great account that King Dauid that holie prophet made of that weapon after the ouerthrow and death of King Saul slaine by the Philistines great effectes perfourmed with that weapon by the Iewes vnder Iosuah their most excellent Captaine that did depose so many Kings with many other particularities by the which it may be iustly gathered that God gaue such excellent effects to that weapon that when he diuers times promised helpe to the Iewes against the Gentiles hee made speciall mention of that weapon And when it pleased him to punish the Iewes for their idolatrie gluttonie by the handes of the Gentiles they receiued diuers ouerthrowes by the effect of Bowes Besides that King Dauid dooth call Bowes a mightie power and in his Psalmes the vessells of death By which examples before alleadged that drunkennes and neglecting of the exercize and vse of Bowes hath bin the ruine of many Empires and kingdomes I thinke all men of consideration and iudgement may euidently see what pernicious and dangerous matters our such men of war haue by their euill and foule examples and sinister perswasions sought to drawe and perswade our Nation vnto Which with their innumerable disorders Militarie by them committed in the Lowe Countries as also elsewhere to the consumption and destruction of many and many thousands of our Nation as is before declared may I thinke euidently shewe how vnfit and vnable such men of warre are to compare themselues with the great Captaines of former times or with the ancient men of war yet liuing that haue bene trained vp in matters of armes in the warres of Emperours or Kings as also how much more insufficient they are to erect and innouate anie new Discipline Militarie amongst vs or any wayes to suppresse or find fault with the exercise vse and effectes of our peculiar and most victorious weapon the Long-bowe And now that I haue in this Proëme laid open many foule detestable proceedings disorders of some of our such mē of war practised and put in execution by them in the Low coūtries as also some here at home greatly to the hurt preiudice of our country Nation I thinke it good to notifie vnto your Lordships that I haue not taken it in hand performed the same any waies moued therunto vpō any priuat hatred or malice by me to anie of them borne For I protest that if they were all my verie neere kinsmen the cause being publique I would respect them no more than I haue respected these but as for those men whosoeuer they be to my remembrance I haue had verie little or no conference with anie of them Besides that there is none of them to my knowledge that euer gaue vnto me in respect of mine owne particular anie occasion of offence but the verie originall and principall cause that hath mooued me to set downe my discourses following as also this my Proëme to your Lordships in this forme and phrase hath been the exceeding loue and extraordinarie zeale that I beare vnto my Prince Countrie and Nation That seeing and foreseeing the wonderfull euills that haue alreadie and are likelie daylie and from time to time more and more to ensue if the same bee not speedilie prouided for and remedied to no lesse in processe of time thā to the ruine or great hazard of this most noble Monarchie I therefore thought it my duetie all priuate passion of feare of loue of hatred and affection set aside to make manifest vnto your Lordships those great disorders and euills before declared that by your being put in remembrance and knowing of them your Lordships being the Nobilitie and Magnates of the Kingdome and the verie eyes eares and of the King and the bodie of the watch and redresse of the Common wealth may prouide for preuent and reforme the aforesaid