Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	john_n	life_n	write_v	3,027	5	5.7261	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07097	The rule of an honest lyfe, wryten by the holy man Martyne, bysshop of Dumiense, unto ye ryght famouse kyng Myto, kyng of Galitia in spayne. And now (beyng founde in an auncyant copy) is faythfully translated out of the latyn tonge into Englyshe. For theyr sakes that be desyrous to rede englyshe bokes onely for utylyte and encrease of vertue. Here vnto is added a proper booke called: the Encheridyon of a spyrytuall lyfe; Formula vitae honestae	Martin, of Braga, Saint, ca. 515-579 or 80.; Seneca, Lucius Annaeus, ca. 4 B.C.-65 A.D., attributed name.	1538 (1538)	STC 17500; ESTC S103484	13,610	56

¶ The rule of an honest lyfe wryten by the holy man Martyne bysshop of Dumiense vnto the ryght famouse kyng Myto kyng of Galitia in spayne And now beyng founde in an auncyant copy is faythfully translated out of latyn tonge into Englyshe For theyr sakes that be desyrous to rede englyshe bokes onely for vtylyte and encrease of vertue ¶ Here vnto is added a proper booke called The Encheridyon of a spyrytuall lyfe ¶ The reuerend father Iohn̄ a Tryttenhem abbot of Spanhemense in his boke entyteled Cathologus scryptorum ecclefiasticorū wytnesseth of this holy mā on this wyse MArtyne the bysshop of Dumience somtyme ruler abbot of a monasterye a man excellently lerned bothe in dyuine scrypture and also in the lawe cyuyle came from the Caste partes into Fraunce and conuerted the people of Sweuia a prouince in germayne from the wicked heresye of the Arrians vnto the ryght fayth And he constytute rules of the same trew catholike fayth he reformed chyrches And also he wrote vnto kynge Myto kyng of Galicia this proper volume of the iiii vertues called the .iiii. cardynale vertues The which he wold haue called The rule of an honest lyfe ¶ Martyne the bysshop of Dumience vnto the moste gloryouse peaceable kyng Myto kynge of Gallicia in Spayne sendeth gretynge ▪ I Do very well know most gentell kyng the feruent thyrste of your minde whiche vnsacyably gapeth after the lycure of sapyence and without cease coueteth those thynges that floweth from the ryuers of morall scyence And for this cause you haue monysshed me often tymes by your letters to wryte vnto your magestye by the waye of epystle some consolation or exhortation or els some other thynge what so euer it were I sholde sende it vnto you But all though this laudable desyer of your deuocion requyreth this thynge of me neuertheles I perceyue it wyll be imputed vnto me of some busye persons as a poynt of presumpcion aboue my knowlege yf I sholde trouble your royal dygnite with assydual letters or as I myght saye with vyle letters And therfore lest I shold other abuse the lybertye of your godly motyon in to moche bablynge or els seme to denye your holly desyre in holdynge my peace I haue sent you this lyttell boke faythfully to satysfye your desyrours ears not garnysshed with the shew of sophystrie nor logyke but takē out of the playnest of pure symplycite The which boke I haue not wryten specyally for your instytution in whom is naturally quycknes of wysdom but generally for those that gyueth atendaūce vpon you vnto whom it shal be very ꝓfytable to redde to lerne to print perfectly in theyr memorye The tytle therof is The rule of an honest lyfe which ▪ I wolde shold be so called bycause it doth not intrete of the hygh and perfecte thynges that a fewe contemplatyue heuenly persons doth kepe but rather it doth teache those thynges that may without the knowledge of diuine scryptures by the naturall lawe of mans intellygens ye of the lay people craftes men so that they lyue well honestly be playnly vnderstand kept ¶ The boke AFter the opinions of many wyse men there be defyned iiii kyndes of vertues wherwith a mans mynde ones bewtyfyed maye attayne vnto the honestye of good lyuynge Of these iiii one is called Prudence an other Magnanimyte or fortytude the thyrde Contynence or temperaunce and the fourth Iustyce or ryghtwysnes All the whiche vertues togyther with theyr offyces here vnto them annexed maketh a man honest cyuile and well manered ¶ Prudence Who so euer therfore that coueteth to folowe prudence let hym then order his lyfe iustely accordyng vnto reason ponder way all thynges before and gyue vnto eche thynge the value and dygnite not after the opinions of many men but accordynge vnto theyr qualite and nature For you shall vnderstande that there be some thynges that semeth to be good and be not there be some that apereth not to be good yet they be good What so euer therfore you possesse of transytorye thynges make not to moch vpon them ne do not exteme that thyng to be of great value or pryce whiche is casuall vayne Nor kepe not ī hugger mogar your goodes as though they were other mens but bestowe them for your necessyte as you wolde your owne yf you do enbrace and loue prudence you shall be all wayes one man lyke as the cause of thynges and varyete of tymes dothe requyre so behaue your selfe do not chaunge your selfe in any affayers or busynes but rather apply your selfe lyke your hande which is euer one both whan you sprede it abrode into a palme and also whan you gather it togyther into a fyste It behoueth a prudēt man to take councell with aduisement and not suyftly by lyghte credence to fall vnto falsehode Of dowbtfull thynges gyue no rasshe iudgement but deferre the sentence vntyll you haue forther knowlege Affyrine nothynge styfely bycause all thyng that semeth trewe is not trewe in dede lyke as many tymes that whiche at the fyrste scyte appereth to be vncredyble is not alwayes false for oftentymes the trueth bareth the face of a lye and falshode lorketh vnder the symylytude of trueth And euen as a frende somtymes sheweth a lowerynge countenaunce a flaterer a fayre face so is falshode colored with the lykelyhod of trueth to the entent he maye begyle and deceyue yf you intende to be prudent beholde thynges a farre of and consyder in youre mynde what thynges maye chaunce hereafter Let nothyng be vnto you soden or vnloked for but behold all thyng before hande For a prudent man doth not saye I thoughte these thynges wolde not haue come thus to passe Bycause he dothe not doubte but seeth furely before nor he doth not suspecte and feare but doth cyrcumspectly prouyde and beware yow shall serche out the cause of euery thynge and when you haue founde out the begynnynges you shall caste what wyll come of the endes of the same you shall vnderstande that in certeyne thynges you ought to perseuer and contynewe bycause you haue begonne but some thynges you maye not begyn wherin to perseuer is great hurte daunger A prudent man wyll not deceyue other nor he hym selfe can not be deceyued Let your opynyons he sure iudgementes Do not receyue nor suffer wandrynge cogytacions and thoughtes that be lyke vnto dreames wherwith yf you please your mynde you shall be heuy and pensyfe when you haue ordered all thynges the beste waye you can but let your cogytacyōs be stedfast stable and suer whether it doth delyberate take aduysement whether it doth inquyre serche or whether it doth contemplate and studye let it not swerue from the trueth Suffer not your communycacyon to be ydle nor in vayne but other swade and exhorte or speke of dyuine thynges or comforte other or els cōmaunde and teache Laude and prayse other moderatly blame and rebuke very seldom For to moch praysynge