Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	find_v	great_a	see_v	3,195	5	3.1087	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10594	Remedies against discontentme[n]t drawen into seuerall discourses, from the writinges of auncient philosophers. By Anonymus.	Anonymus, fl. 1596.	1596 (1596)	STC 20869; ESTC S115830	33,379	114

qualities which deserue no reprehension it were good not to double or play the counterfeit For it is a very difficult matter to vse grauitie alwaies if nature inclineth not thereto To change ones countenance to speake highelie looke bigge which thinges if by chance you forget īmediately you are laide open It were farre better to followe a pleasaunt conuersation and milde manner of life Notwithstanding if it happened that you were placed in some highe estate which did require greater seueritie herein it were not amisse some-what to force nature Yet this ought to be done with great wisedome and moderation yea by little little so that this alteration might breed offence to no man This manner of dissembling cannot be blamed for it greeueth none but those who doe vse it and chaunge their naturall disposition But there are some who being in deed men of a light behauiour and ridiculous desire yet to be helde for graue wise and worthy persons Others there are who without any occasion do seeke to plaie the Counterfets who being borne to all meekenes and humanitie delight to shew themselues rude and crueil Others being very Cowards make a shew to be wonderfull valiant not regarding in deed what they are These kinde of men cannot long hide themselues that being alwaies true which is commonly saide No violent thinge is durable 9. Discourse Of vanitie IT is a very harde matter yea I may saye impossible for a man that is vainelye giuen and ouer curious of honour that he should euer tast the comfort of the tranquilitie of the minde which is so much desired and the which wise men do seeke to attaine vnto by all possible meanes The reason hereof is because he cānot purchase all that which he longeth after neither the place nor the honour nor the credit which he seeketh for He alwaies promiseth himselfe more then he is able to performe being not able to set himselfe forth in apparrell nor in othings according to his mind because he desireth to passe the common sort in all things So that he is troubled no lesse then they who swim against the streame hope against the hill in stead of aduauncing himselfe steppeth backward Contrarilie the meanes to liue most at ease is to make lesse shew countenance thē our power wil suffer or stretch vnto leaue of al pompe vanity aswel in apparell as in the traine of seruants and other things to hold alwaies as a meane that which is necessarie and not that which is grounded in the vaine opinion of men Yea euen in our diet we ought to take heede that we be not ouer sumptuous It were not amisse likewise to bridle our hopes and not to enterprise vndertake those matters that did passe our power to bring to effect As concerning ritches it were good that we tooke order that we rather made prouision of them our selues then expected them of Fortune In all matters it were best to hould a meane aswell in our actions as in our thoughtes For when any storme of fortune commeth it shall haue lesse meanes to ouerthrow vs finding vs to haue stroken sayles then when they are full hoisted Finallie you ought to dispose of your selfe in such sort that albeit you wanted wealth yet should it not bee any crosse vnto you If you delight in bookes see that they serue you to other purpose then to set forth your studie as some doe vse them onely for a vaine shew like vnto brute beasts who carrie victuals on their backe but eate not thereof themselues Too great a number of seruants are but a trouble who marre one another with ouer much ease To conclude yf in any thing you make accompt to liue after the common opinion you shall neuer liue contented yf according to reason nature you shall neuer haue want O how quietly and peaceably doth the humble man liue who taketh no great care for his prouision Surelye euen in those brute beastes which wee bring vp we hate such as are disdainfull and do seeme to bee oppugnant and not to rule themselues according to our mind To be short remember that Thunder and Lightning doe commonly fall vppon the highest places 10. Discourse Of Prosperitie WHen fortune smileth vpon vs and that all thinges as wee saie fall out according to our wishe then is the time when we ought most of all to looke vnto our selues to bridell our affections and watch to frame our actions by the rule of reason For aduersitie doth induce euen our enemies to pittie prosperitie doth moue our friendes to enuie Yf we shold in this place recite all those who haue ended their liues miserably by a suddaine and violent death because they could not moderate themselues in their prosperitie the discourse should be ouerr longe Our purpose being to vse breuitie we will forbeare to entreate thereof in regarde it is a matter that euery manne knoweth And therefore when we haue a tyme of fauour we ought to auoide presumption whiche doth ordynarilye accompanie it and diminish and beate downe as much as lieth in vs this loftines which doth follow it True it is that there are some who in respect of the ranke and degree they houlde may not abase themselues without falling It were very necessarie that such persons did in such sorte ymploye their witts to temper their grauitie that men might impute their statelines to their Office and not to their nature excusing themselues to their Frindes and to such as are of lesse calling that they haue not the leisure to entertaine them and make such acompt of them as they would willinglye vsing notwithstanding all the curtesie their estate will suffer them not entring into choller if any one offereth importunatlie or indiscreetelie to speake vnto them For it is all one vice not to be able to gouerne our selues in prosperitie and not to haue the pacience to endure aduersitie We ought then to houlde an equalitie in all the course of our life if it be possible to shew allwaies a cheerefull Countenance full of meekenes curtesie ALEXANDER the greate farre surpassed his Father in worthy deedes of armes but his Father surmounted hym in mildenes and humanitie The Father was alwaies vertuous and welbeloued and the Sonne many times vicious and hated So that their Councell is most good and wholesome who affirme That by how much wee are aduanced to a highe estate by so much ought wee to shewe our selues humble and lowlie Scipio Affricanus did commonlie say that like as we are woont to put vnbroken horses to some skilfull Rider to manage that wee mighte vse them at our neede so is it needfull to tame those persons who are growen moste prowde and insolent through their fortune and to bring them to tread within the ring or compasse of reason shewing vnto them the miserie and weakenes of the affaires of this world and the inconstancie of fortune This is the cause why wee ought in our greatest