Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	esq_n	james_n	john_n	3,825	5	7.9065	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60461	Patriæ parricida, or, The history of the horrid conspiracy of Catiline against the commonwealth of Rome translated out of Salust, by C.C.; Bellum Catilinae. English	Sallust, 86-34 B.C.; Calle, Caleb.	1683 (1683)	Wing S409; ESTC R4167	36,887	122

CATILINE Printed for Iames Norris at the Kings armes without Temple Ba● Patriae Parricida OR THE HISTORY OF THE Horrid Conspiracy OF CATILINE AGAINST The Commonwealth OF ROME Translated out of Salust By C. C. Plots true or false are necessary things To raise up Commonwealths and ruine Kings Absolom Achitophel LONDON Printed by J. C. and F. C. for James Norris at the Kings-Arms without Temple-bar 1683. TO Sir JOHN FOWELL Bar. WILLIAM CARY Esq And JOHN GLANVILL Esq My Quondam Worthy School-fellows SIRS SInce Books as well as Authors want Patrons under whose protection they may pass free and undisturb'd through the whole series of Censure nor be carpt at by every pretending Zoylus and Factious Critick the aspiring Catiline drest in his English Garb lies at your mercy for his Doom He was once raging in his Passions and immoderate in his Ambition affecting no less than the Soveraignty of the onely Empire of the World but that same Civil War which he was the onely Author of turn'd at last to his own ruine like Envy in Ovid became his own Tormenter and Executioner Or like that foolish Bird that stole a Coal from the Altar which burnt and consum'd he whole Nest Thus we see to what Ruines and Precipices the Igni● fatuus of his Ambition decoy'd him But 't is not only the fate of Catiline but all whose shallow brains entertain such extravagant Chimaera's and are pufft up with the empty bubble of haughty Ambition and 't is the rarest thing in nature if ever they at last compass what they aim at though to the attaining but the least part of it they render themselves the most contemptible of Mankind Catiline who could content himself with no less Power than that of Sylla yet condescended to be a publick Pander to procure Whores and Horses for the Roman Gentlemen whose Heads and Purses he made use of and whose Ruines he caus'd as well as his own The first ambitious men in the World the old Giants are said to have made an heroical attempt of scaling Heaven in spight of the Gods and they cast Ossa on Olympus and Pelion upon Ossa two or three Mountains more they thought would make them absolute Masters of Heaven as well as Earth but the Thunder came and spoil'd all when they were come to the third story The great Attempt was all in vain They reapt their labour for their pain Cromwel the great Giant of our Nation one of their Off-spring when from an inconsiderable Captain he made himself Lieutenant-General of a little Army of Titans which was his first Mountain afterwards General which was his second and then absolute Tyrant of three Kingdoms which was his third is really believ'd to have died of Discontent because he could not attain the name of King and the formality of a Crown But if he had compass'd that yet still something else had been necessary to compleat his Felicity either the Title of an Emperour or a God And to this day what are the minds of many men infected with but the same Disease what mean else these Plots and Conspiracies of which Catiline is but the Model and these flyings from Justice but the cursed fruits of Ambition What makes men of profligate Lives and lost Consciences endeavour the Death and Ruine of their own Monarch and the best of Princes a Prince whom Wonders and an inscrutable Providence have preserv'd and attended from his Cradle to his Crown whose Grace has warm'd into life the Vipers that would have stung him and entertain'd the croaking Vermine into his own Palace We might well now reflect on the Iron Age of Ovid Filius ante Diem Patrios inquirit in annos Or the days of Sylla when the Sword had free sway and acted what it pleased and was as familiar with Entrails as the Augurs And may not we as well imagine that Catiline or Cethegus is now rais'd from the dead and like Mahomet's Pidgeon inspires men with the horrid principles of Bloud and Rebellion What puts the Nation into Frights and Jealousies what ruines Friendship and Commerce among men and turns the whole course of Nature into Chaos and Confusion but Ambition and its pernicious Attendants Thus have I made so large a digression in an Essay of Ambition all that I have to say is That Gratitude and a sense of Honour for my Country-men and School-fellows was the onely cause in this interval of my business why I were so ambitious to attempt so difficult a Task The Original in Latin we learnt at School and I know some will object that like a School-boy I have handl'd it but as I covet not their Smiles so I fear not their Anger but am much of Martial's humour that only studied to please and gratifie the Nobility Let Poetasters beat their Brains To please the Vulgar what 's their gains But my ambition was onely to please my self and if possible gratifie my Friends but especially you who are my Holy-day Friends and ought to be distinguish'd from Pretenders If I have done this my ambition is at its height and 't is but reason I should study not only to requite but if possible erect so lasting a Monument Quod nec Jovis ira nec ignis should be ever able to demolish their Names who have so largely and generously oblig'd me and I doubt not but will continue it I pass by your Vertues and your Pedigree and hate to be thought guilty of the least of flattery for as I acknowledge you my Friends I should be far from being so should I in the least endeavour it If Vertue be Nobility as the Satyrist observes you have a double Claim to it Vertue to a Noble Extraction adds Lustre carrying a Majesty with it and claiming a veneration from every one especially when conspicuous in such young Personages Which that it may still flourish as it is the Wish of all that love you so of none more than SIRS Your most humble and obliged Servant CALEB CALLE THE INTRODUCTION LVcius Sergius Catiline was sprung from an Illustrious Family and endow'd with a vast strength both of Mind and Body but of as wicked and villanous a disposition to him even from his youth Civil Wars Bloud Rapine and Dissentions were ever grateful and welcome and in them did he altogether exercise his Youth He had a Body that could endure Hunger Heat and Watching almost beyond belief His Mind was bold subtile various that could counterfeit or dissemble any thing greedy of anothers Estate and very prodigal of his own raging in his Passions and more Eloquent than Wise His Desires were of so vast an extent that they immoderately coveted things incredibly beyond his ability As soon as the Government of L. * A Noble Roman of the Families of the Scipio's He first serv'd under Marius afterwards aspiring to the power of a Dictator became a great Enemy to Marius and at last his ruine Then had he power to over-rule all Rome which he