Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	jewel_n	plate_n	time_n	21	3	2.1262	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B14170	The doctrinal of princes made by the noble oratour Isocrates, [and] translated out of Greke in to Englishe by syr Thomas Eliot knight; To Nicocles. English	Isocrates.; Elyot, Thomas, Sir, 1490?-1546.	1550 (1550)	STC 14279; ESTC S109091	11,018	40

THE DOCTRINAL OF PRINces made by the noble oratour Isocrates translated out of Greke in to Englishe by syr Thomas Eliot knight 1534 Sir Thomas Eliot knight to the reader This little booke whiche in mine opinion is to be compared in coūsaile and short sentence with any booke holy scripture excepted I haue translated out of greeke not presumyng to contende with theim whiche haue doone the same in latine but to thintent onely that I wolde assaie if our Englisshe tunge mought receiue the quicke and propre sentences pronounced by the greekes And in this experience I haue founde if I be not muche deceiued that the forme of speakyng vsed of the Greekes called in greeke and also in latine Phrasis muche nere approcheth to that whiche at this daie we vse than the order of the latine tunge I meane in the sentences and not in the wordes whiche I doubte not shall be affirmed by them who sufficiently instructed in all the saide three tunges shall with a good iudgement read this worke And where I haue put at the beginnyng this wordꝭ vessell plate or for that which is in greeke brasse or golde wrought it is perceiued of euery wise man for what intent I did it Finally the chiefe cause of this my litle exercise was to the intent that thei which do not vnderstande greeke nor latine shoulde not lacke the commoditee and pleasure whiche maie be taken in readyng therof wherfore if I shall perceiue you to take this myne enterprise thankefully I shall that litle porcion of life whiche remaineth God sendyng me quietnesse of minde bestowe in preparing for you such bookes in the readyng wherof ye shall finde bothe honest passe tyme and also profitable counsaile and lernyng Fare ye well ¶ The oracion of Isocrates to Nicocles the kynge THei that b● wonte Nicocles to bringe to you that be kynges garmentes vessell or plate or other lyke iewelles wherof thei be nedie and ye be riche and haue plentie thei plainely seme vnto me not to present you but to make open market sellyng those thinges much more craftily than thei that confesse them selfe to retaile For my parte I suppose that to bee the beste gefte and moste profitable also most conuenient as well for me to geue as for the to receiue if I mought prescribe vnto the by what studies desiryng and from what workes absteinyng thou maist best order thy roialme and citee For to priuate persons be sufficient Instructions specially that thei liue not delicately but daiely do labour for thinges concernyng their liuyng And moreouer thei haue lawes wherby thei are gouerned Thei h●ue also libertee of speche wherwith it is lefull for freendes to blame eche other and enemies to reproche eche other of their offences Therto diuers ancient poetes haue left sondrie workes instructyng men howe to liue well so that by all those meanes it seemeth that diuers men haue amended their liuyng ¶ But to great princes no suche thyng hapneth for thei who of all other ought to be best taught or instructed after thei be ones stablished in their authoritee thei styll perseuere most ignorant and without lernyng For as muche as many men dare not approche them and thei that kepe theim companie speake alwaie to please them ¶ Moreouer beyng made lordes of muche substance and great authoritee and not vsyng well suche occsions as happen thei haue caused many to doubte whiche life is best to be chosen either of them that liue priuately and meanely or of them that be in princely dignitee for whan they beholde their honour richesse and authoritee thei suppose that all princes be equall to gods but whan thei consider the feare and perils and reuoluyng in their remembrances dooe finde some slaine by them that leste ought to haue doone it other doyng some displeasure to their most familiar companions to diuers hapneth bothe the one and the other than contrarie wise thei thinke it better and more commodious to liue in any other maner how so euer it be than in so many dangers to be kynge of all Asie The cause of this disorder and trouble is for as muche as thei repute a kyngedome as mete for euery man to haue as any other meane office where of al thinges perteining to man a kingdome is the greattest and requireth most prouidence touchyng euery acte wherby a man maie beste gouerne accordyng to the maners of people and to obserue suche thinges as be good and exchue those that be noifull it is expedient to take counsaile and examine suche actes as be in daily experience Generally all studies whiche ought to be obserued most diligently and wherin a man ought to be exercised I wyll assaie to declare but whether this my gifte ones finished shall accorde to the purpose that I goe about it is harde to know at the beginnyng for many thinges whiche haue bene written as well in verse as in prose as longe as thei were in the myndes of the writars men had of them great expectacion but after thei were ones finished openly published men had of them opinion much lasse than thei hoped Howe be it this myne enterprise is to be commended wherin I seke for that whiche other men haue committed and do prescribe rules to them that be gouernours ¶ For they that teache priuate persons do profite them whom thei teache onely But if any man instructeth in vertu them that haue rule ouer the multitude he therby profiteth the one and the other as well them that be in auctoritee as those that be vnder their gouernance for as muche as to the firste he maketh their aucthoritee the more stable and sure and to the other he causeth the rule or gouernance to be the more easier ¶ First therfore it muste be considered what is the office of them that dooe gouerne for if we order well the head and that which is the principall of the whole matter hauyng our respecte thervnto the better shall we treate of the residue ❧ I suppose all men wyll graunt that it perteineth to princes their countceie by any aduesitee beyng troubled to set it in quietnesse And if it be welthie so to preserue it And to make also great of that that is litle sens therfore all other thynges whiche daiely happen ought to bee doone and experienced and verily it is apparant to all men that it behoueth them that are and shal be of power to do the premisses and also those whiche shall therof consult not to be ignorant but to consider how thei maie vse them more prudently than other in their ministracion For it is very certaine that suche shall princes haue their roialmes and gouernance as thei them selfes haue prepared their owne mindes and opinions And therfore no wrasteler or champion ought so muche to trauaile his bodie in exercise as kynges ought their mindes in studie for all the prices that euer were geuen in commune games or Iustes are in no parte to be compared to that price wherfore