Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	good_a	read_v	write_v	2,874	5	5.1956	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26201	The way to be rich, according to the practice of the great Audley who begun with two hundred pound in the year 1605, and dyed worth four hundred thousand pound this instant November, 1662.	G. B.; Audley, Hugh, d. 1662.	1662 (1662)	Wing B71; Wing A4200; ESTC R28318	23,533	42

one way or other he gained four thousand pounds aiming at the study of the Law he resolved with himselfe to lay aside some leasure time for that purpose the time was from ten a clock at night to one of the clock in the morning which was his co●stant hour for nine yeares together and then from six till eight when he gave himselfe to his usual affaires he had an excellent way of contriving his study without any expence as he learned so he taught he contrived the notes he gathered as he read so that they might be usefull for publick good and so by writing several things then seasonable but now lost he purchased a faire Library of Law and got money to boot for he seldome read a book for his own advantage but he contrived a design for his own advantage His Master being one of the Clarks of the Counter he had this way of improving himself viz. when Persons were sued he found Bayl ready upon all occasions and withall usually compounded for desperate Debts and so made an extraordinary advantage of his Place particularly One William Miller a Linnen-Draper owed one Jo. White Merchant two hundred pound he sueth Miller he breakes Audley buyes off Whites two hundred pound for forty pound and agreeth with Miller for fifty pound to be paid upon a formal contract drawn betwixt them thus That the said Miller if ever he were able should pay within twenty yeares after he set up ●pon twenty dayes viz. the first day of 20 Moneths after he set up a penny doubled viz. a penny the first day two pence the next and so on until the twentyeth day and then he was discharged this Miller having compounded with all his Creditors sets up again and thrives Audley within two yeares comes upon him for the Debt he payes him a penny the 1 of October 1608. and two pence the 1 of November and a groat the 1 of December and so on doubling until the first of February and the said Miller perceiving the trick forfeited his Bond which was five hundred pound rather then he would pay on for the penny doubled within twenty dayes would come to two thousand pound Another time there was a Debt made over to him of this nature a Bookseller in the Countrey owed another in the City fifty pound he breakes but had a good estate enough to satisfy his Debts this estate he makes over to his Brother by suffering a judgment to passe upon it the Citizen despairing of his Debt comes to Audley makes his Case known to him he undertakes the debt findes that the judgment was not passed bona fide but to defraud Creditors discovers the deceit and got an hundred pound by it Sect. 3. How he ventured with a Merchant HAving furnished himself with a considerable summe of money he resolved to venture 200. l. in four Ships 50. l. in each One whereof failed the other three returned happily with his thrice fifty pounds made thrice two hundred and really there is not a nobler way of disposing money either for honour or advantage then in the publick way of Trade and commerce where with a little observation a man may make such advantage of the contingency in several Nations as may quickly raise a man to an estate which he may live on hansomely and comfortably and at death bequeath honourably what advantages this Gentleman by the Bie out of his profession made of the Wares with Spain and Holland in reference to the commodities that have relation to those Countries was only known to himselfe he being very reserved in that which he gained out of the reach of his profession only this is well known that Ship of Currance ariving a little before Christmas wherein he had a share upon a sudden Embarge was raised by him and some Partners to an incredible summe of money by intelligence held with some Factors they had abroad Sect. 4. How he came to buy Lands WHen by these and other meanes he had raised a considerable summe of money he bethought himself of laying it out upon an Estate that might be both certain and improveable the L. of B. had 9●0 l. a year engaged upon mortgages which he must needs sell he imployes one Warner of Lawrence Lane to find him a Chapman he meets with Audley and offereth it him with the particulars Audley finds that the Wood and Timber upon it was worth 4000. l. he bids 1200● and hath it for thirtten thousand two hundred pounds and two hundred pound to Warner he buyeth it and felleth 3000. l. three hundred and thirty pounds worth of Wood and Timber parcells the Estate into two and thirty parts and gaines within the compass of a twelvemoneth by his 13000. l. 8000. l. for he sold the Estate for above 17000. l. besides the Wood that he felled from it Another time he was acquainted with a Steward that belong to a needy Gentleman which Gentleman was to let some 11. hundred a year for 7. yeares Audley and the Steward foreseeing that he must sell that which he now let within an year or two joyne heads together and let the Land below the value of it so that when the Gentleman came to sell and deliver in particulars he had but 900. l. a year in present rent to shew whereby they gained 4000. l. pounds among them but they made him amends againe when being to sell another part of his Estate they had Tenants that paid 550. l. a year for that which was scarce worth 425. and according to that counterfeit rent sold the Estate gaining for themselves or their Lord 2000. l. Sect. 5. How he managed his calling at the Counter when he was his own man WHen he set up for himselfe the repute of his care industry and ability drew him a world of Customers his advice was so ready for their money and his purse for their Estates that there was none whose occasions were great or care perplexed but they repaired to Audley his advices were brief and weighty his management of affaires was subtle and close his own behaviour retyred and reserved his privadoes and companions were rich prudent and industrious his correspondence was general and usefull there being very few within his acquaintance but such as were subservient to his thriving way his friends were choice his houres were certaine his vigilance was observable his condescention to the meanest was obliging his garbe was grave and decent his expences improved and usefull so that he laid out the very money he spent and was as it were a Broker in his very Meat Drink and necessaries his actions and discourse were intricate and dark a man had much a do to find out the sence of the one or the designe of the other his pleasure was private and discreet wherein it might cost him least and where he might be least discovered passing through the street neer her corner and going the blindest way to her house in the twilight in the Evening in the

for there is not a penny you spend but will buy a foot of Land he would say to young men fie fie why are you so Idle there is not an hour in the day but you might gain six pence in and sure two pence It 's a sad thing he would say to see Gentlemen under pretence to learn Law here learn to be lawless not knowing by their study so much as what an Execution means till they Learn it by their own dear experience By his Scriveners means he grew acquainted with most of these young gallants nor were the youngsters so needy as the other was ready to feed them with money sometimes with a courteous violence forcing upon them more then they desired provided the security were good or the advantage great sometimes he would adventure to trust if his estate in hope were over measure though he himself were under age he adviseth them to be good husbands and sell first the stragling part of their Estates perswading them that they should not be sensible of such Sales which would make their means more entire as counting the gathering of such scattering rents rather burdensom than profitable this he would have at half the value so that the feathers would buy the goose and the wood pay for the ground and when the poor Gentleman had with his money stopped one gap by prodigality he would open another O how the Principal the Use the Use upon Use swell the debt to an incredible summe until half the Estate was sold and then the old man knew that when half the Estate was gone the Gentleman would live as if he enjoyed the whole and though he abated in Possessions he abated not in Expences how cunningly would he put his decoying Gentleman upon such projects as in hope of recovery would ruine them or it may be which is worst he would engage two decaying Gentlemen together until they both miscarried how subtilly would he let his debts grow on until they became to a considerable summe Gentlemen could not be more careless to pay then he was willing to continue the debt knowing his Bonds like Infants battle best with sleeping SECT VIII What a Master he was TO give him his due he had a courage as a Master extraordinary that made him Overseer of all his business either in person or providence so that a thrifty Fellow that served him gained not above 400 pound under him in the space of thirty years He was very careful in his Accounts This being a Rule with him If the Master makes no Account of his servant the Servant will make small Account of the Master and cares not what he spendeth or doeth who is never brought to an Audit and Reckoning He would say That the dust that fell from the Masters shooes was the best Compost to manure ground He allowed his Servant board-wages whereby they might provide for themselves what was wholesome sufficient and necessary The Wages he contracted for he duly and truly payed his Servants If he finds a servant utterly unuseful so that he cannot fairly prevail with him to do him any good or himself he rid his hands of him and fairly put him away neither discomposing himself in fretting at him nor troubling himself in correcting him such things being neither fit for him nor useful for his servant which might torment him but not reform him and so make him keep his faults and forsake his Master He loved dearly those servants that continued with their Masters Therefore he allowed at his death ten pound apeece to forty Maids that had continued three years together with their Masters He said he desired not a wise servant who would not do but dispute and he observed that simple servants understand such whose capacity is bare measure without surplusage equal to the business he is used in are more useful because more managable then other men especially in matters wherein not thier brains but hands are required yet if a Master out of want of experience enjoyns him to do what is hurtful or prejudicial to his own State Duty herein makes him undutiful if not to deny to demur in his performance and choosing rather to displease then hurt his Master he humbly represents his reasons to the contrary he desired that a servant should make true direct and dutiful Answers to his Master and he liked the servant that industriously endeavoured to provide something for himself whereby he may be maintained in his old age SECT IX How he kept Company COmpany is the greatest pleasure of the nature of man yet he reckoned solitariness better then a debauched company for the wildness of the place is only uncheerful while the wildness of loose persons is dangerous he would not avoid miscarriages onely but the very occasions of them among which bad company the limetwigs of the Devil is the chiefest especially to catch those natures which like the good fellow Planet Mercury are most swayed by others in all company he stood upon his guard and though with them yet he was not of them the company he kept was the comment whereby he discovered the closest man Let other men study Books he for his part would study Men. He liked that Proverb very well He that eats Cherries with Noble men shall have his eyes spirred out with the stones for he observed that they who live constantly with men above their Estates shall reap shame and losse thereby if thou payest nothing saith he thou art their scorn and contempt if thou payest along with them thou wilt be thine own ruine although he was very welcome to his betters as being such a one as though he paid not a penny of the shot he spends enough in lending them his time and discourse and he would say he might lose but could not gain by inferiors company he liked men of a communicative nature remote discourses were as full as fluent and their judgements were as right as their tongues ready His friends were few but choice his great friends used to wait upon him in great state to gain credit and repute one among the rest came always attended with a large retinue who it seems were onely hired for the time and so dismissed when the complement was over this was observed by the old man and one time the Grandee taking his leave of him with extraordinary Complements spare your Complement said he for I believe I shall shortly see you again but let me I pray you salute your servants whom I shall never see again he loved serious men and would say that a wanton jest make fools laugh and wise men frown It s good to make a jest that is harmless mirth but it is naught to make a trade of jesting that is weak folly he could not endure to hear any abused who were dead for to wrong their memories is to wrong their ghost of their winding sheet he could not endute any should scoff at their defects who are not able to amend them nor to