Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	day_n	see_v	write_v	2,867	5	5.0971	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29768	Amusements serious and comical, calculated for the meridian of London by Mr. Brown.	Brown, Thomas, 1663-1704.	1700 (1700)	Wing B5051; ESTC R19929	56,419	166

Amusements SERIOUS AND COMICAL Calculated for the MERIDIAN OF LONDON By Mr. BROWN LONDON Printed for Iohn Nutt near Stationers-Hall 1700. Amusements SERIOUS AND COMICAL The PREFACE Amusement I. THE Title I have confer'd upon my Book gives me Authority to make as long a Preface as I please for a Long Preface is a true Amusement However I have ventured to put one here under the Apprehension that it will be very necessary toward the understanding of the Book tho' the Generality of Readers are of Opinion that a Preface instead of setting off the Work does but expose the Vanity of the Author A good General of an Army is less embarrass'd at the Head of his Troops than an ill Writer in the Front of his Productions He knows not in what Figure to dress his Countenance If he puts on a Fierce and Haughty look his Readers think themselves obliged to lower his Topsail and bring him under their Sterns If he affects an Humble Sneaking Posture they slight and despise him If he boasts the Excellency of his Subject they believe not a Syllable of what he says If he tells them there is little or nothing in 't they take him at his Word and to say nothing at all of his Work is an unsufferable Imposition upon an Author I know not what Success these Papers will find in the World but if any amuse themselves in Criticizing upon them or in Reading them my Design is answer'd I have given the following Thoughts the Name of Amusements you will find them Serious or Comical according to the Humour I was in when I wrote them and they will either Divert you Instruct you or Tire you after the Humour you are in when you read them T'other Day one of the Imaginary Serious Wits who thought it a Weakness in any Man to laugh Seeing a Copy of this Book at the opening of it fell into a Passion and Wrinkling up his Nostrils like a heated Stallion that had a Mare in the Wind said The Book was unworthy of the Title for Grave Subjects should be treated with Decorum and 't was to profane Serious Matters to blend them with Comical Entertainments What a Mixture is here says he This Variety of Colours said I to my Censurer appears very Natural to me for if one strictly examines all Mens Actions and Discourses we shall find that Seriousness and Merriment are near Neighbours and always live together like Friends if Sullen Moody Sots do not set them at Variance Every Day shews us that Serious Maxims and Sober Counsels often proceed out of the Mouths of the Pleasantest Companions and such as affect to be always Grave and Musing are then more Comical than they think themselves My Spark push'd his Remonstrance further Are not you ashamed continued he to Print Amusements Don't you know that Man was made for Business and not to sit amusing himself like an Owl in an Ivy-Bush To which I answer'd after this manner The whole Life of Man is but one entire Amusement Vertue only deserves the Name of Business and none but they that practise it can be truly said to be employed for all the World beside are Idle One Amuses himself by Ambition another by Interest and another by that Foolish Passion Love Little Folks Amuse themselves in Pleasures Great Men in the Acquisition of Glory and I am Amused to think that all this is nothing but Amusement Once more the whole Transactions of our Lives are but meer Amusements and Life it self is but an Amusement in a continued Expectation of Death Thus much for Serious Matters Let us now make haste to Pleasantry I have a great mind to be in Print but above all I would fain be an Original and that is a true Comical Thought When all the Learned Men in the World are but Translators is it not a Pleasant Jest that you should strive to be an Original You should have observed your Time and have come into the World with the Ancient Greeks for that purpose for the Latines themselves are but Copies This Discourse has mightily discouraged me Is it true then that there is such an Embargo laid upon Invention that no Man can produce any thing that is perfectly New and intirely his own Many Authors I confess have told me so I will enquire further about it and if Sir Roger Mr. Dryden and Mr. Durfey Confirm it then I will Believe it What need all this Toyl and Clutter about Original Authors and Translators He who Imagines Briskly Thinks Justly and Writes Correctly is an Original in the same things that another had thought before him The Natural Air and Curious Turn he gives his Translations and the Application wherewith he graces them is enough to perswade any Sensible Man that he was able to think and perform the same things if they had not been thought and done before him which is an advantage owing to their Birth rather than to the Excellency of their Parts beyond their Successors Some of our Modern Writers that have built upon the Foundation of the Ancients have far excell'd in disguising their Notions and improving the first Essays that they have acquir'd more Glory and Reputation than ever was given to the Original Authors Nay have utterly effaced their Memories Those who Rob the Modern Writers study to hide their Thefts those who filch from the Ancients account it their Glory But why the last should be more Reproach'd than the former I cannot imagine since there is more Wit in disguising a Thought of Mr. Lock 's than in a lucky Translation of a Passage from Horace After all it must be granted that the Genius of some Men can never be brought to Write correctly in this Age till they have form'd their Wits upon the Ancients and their Gusts upon the Moderns and I know no reason why it should be their Disparagement to capaciate themselves by these Helps to serve the Publick Nothing will please some Men but Books stuff'd with Antiquity groaning under the weight of Learned Quotations drawn from the Fountains And what is all this but Pilfering But I will neither Rob the Ancient nor Modern Books but Pillage all I give you from the Book of the World The Book of the World is very Ancient and yet always New In all Times Men and their Passions have been the Subjects These Passions were always the same tho' they have been delivered to Posterity in different Manners according to the different Constitution of Ages and in all Ages they are Read by every one according to the Characters of their Wit and the Extent of their Judgment Those who are qualified to Read and Understand the Book of the World may be beneficial to the Publick in communicating the Fruit of their Studies but those that have no other knowledge of the World but what they collect from Books are not fit to give Instructions to others If the World then is a Book that ought to be read in the Original One may