Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	lord_n	name_n	write_v	5,698	5	5.8489	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A36609	Cleomenes, the Spartan heroe a tragedy, as it is acted at the Theatre Royal / written by Mr. Dryden ; to which is prefixt The life of Cleomenes.	Dryden, John, 1631-1700.; Southerne, Thomas, 1660-1746.; Plutarch. Kleomenēs. English.; Creech, Thomas, 1659-1700.	1692 (1692)	Wing D2254; ESTC R19821	71,103	117

my_o side_n to_o be_v ever_o esteem_v your_o lordship_n most_o thankful_a and_o most_o obedient_a servant_n john_n dryden_n preface_n it_o be_v now_o seven_o or_o eight_o year_n since_o i_o design_v to_o write_v this_o play_n of_o cleomenes_n and_o my_o lord_n falkland_n who_o name_n i_o can_v mention_v without_o honour_n for_o the_o many_o favour_n i_o have_v receive_v from_o he_o be_v please_v to_o witness_v for_o i_o that_o in_o a_o french_a book_n which_o i_o present_v he_o about_o that_o time_n there_o be_v the_o name_n of_o many_o subject_n that_o i_o have_v think_v on_o for_o the_o stage_n among_o which_o this_o tragedy_n be_v one_o this_o be_v out_o of_o my_o remembrance_n but_o my_o lord_n on_o the_o occasion_n of_o stop_v my_o play_n take_v the_o opportunity_n of_o do_v i_o a_o good_a office_n at_o court_n by_o represent_v it_o as_o it_o be_v a_o piece_n long_o ago_o design_v which_o be_v judicious_o treat_v i_o think_v be_v capable_a of_o move_a compassion_n on_o the_o stage_n the_o success_n have_v justify_v my_o opinion_n and_o that_o at_o a_o time_n when_o the_o world_n be_v run_v mad_a after_o farce_n the_o extremity_n of_o bad_a poetry_n or_o rather_o the_o judgement_n that_o be_v fall_v upon_o dramatic_a write_n be_v i_o in_o the_o humour_n i_o have_v sufficient_a cause_n to_o expose_v it_o in_o its_o true_a colour_n but_o have_v for_o once_o escape_v i_o will_v forbear_v my_o satyr_n and_o only_o be_v thankful_a for_o my_o deliverance_n a_o great_a part_n of_o my_o good_a fortune_n i_o must_v confess_v be_v owe_v to_o the_o justice_n which_o be_v do_v i_o in_o the_o performance_n i_o can_v scarce_o refrain_v from_o give_v every_o one_o of_o the_o actor_n their_o particular_a commendation_n but_o none_o of_o they_o will_v be_v offend_v if_o i_o say_v what_o the_o town_n have_v general_o grant_v that_o mrs._n barry_n always_o excellent_a have_v in_o this_o tragedy_n excel_v herself_o and_o gain_v a_o reputation_n beyond_o any_o woman_n who_o i_o have_v ever_o see_v on_o the_o theatre_n after_o all_o it_o be_v a_o bold_a attempt_n of_o i_o to_o write_v upon_o a_o single_a plott_n unmix_v with_o comedy_n which_o though_o it_o be_v the_o natural_a and_o true_a way_n yet_o be_v not_o to_o the_o genius_n of_o the_o nation_n yet_o to_o gratify_v the_o barbarous_a party_n of_o my_o audience_n i_o give_v they_o a_o short_a rabble-scene_n because_o the_o mobb_n as_o they_o call_v they_o be_v represent_v by_o plutarch_n and_o polybius_n with_o the_o same_o character_n of_o baseness_n and_o cowardice_n which_o be_v here_o describe_v in_o the_o last_o attempt_n of_o cleomenes_n they_o may_v thank_v i_o if_o they_o please_v for_o this_o indulgence_n for_o no_o french_a poet_n will_v have_v allow_v they_o any_o more_o than_o a_o bare_a relation_n of_o that_o scene_n which_o debase_v a_o tragedy_n to_o show_v upon_o the_o stage_n for_o the_o rest_n some_o of_o the_o mechanic_n rule_v of_o unity_n be_v observe_v and_o other_o be_v neglect_v the_o action_n be_v but_o one_o which_o be_v the_o death_n of_o cleomenes_n and_o every_o scene_n in_o the_o play_n be_v tend_v to_o the_o accomplishment_n of_o the_o main_a design_n the_o place_n be_v likewise_o one_o for_o it_o be_v all_o in_o the_o compass_n of_o alexandria_n and_o the_o port_n of_o that_o city_n the_o time_n may_v easy_o have_v be_v reduce_v into_o the_o space_n of_o twenty_o four_o hour_n if_o i_o will_v have_v omit_v the_o scence_z of_o famine_n in_o the_o five_o act_n but_o it_o please_v i_o to_o try_v how_o spartan_n can_v endure_v it_o and_o beside_o give_v i_o the_o occasion_n of_o writing_n that_o other_o scene_n betwixt_o cleomenes_n and_o his_o suspect_a friend_n and_o in_o such_o a_o case_n it_o be_v better_a to_o trespass_v on_o a_o rule_n than_o leave_v out_o a_o beauty_n as_o for_o other_o objection_n i_o never_o hear_v any_o worth_n answer_v and_o least_o of_o all_o that_o foolish_a one_o which_o be_v raise_v against_o i_o by_o the_o spark_n for_o cleomenes_n not_o accept_v the_o favour_n of_o cassandra_n they_o will_v not_o have_v refuse_v a_o fair_a lady_n i_o grant_v they_o will_v not_o but_o let_v they_o grant_v i_o that_o they_o be_v not_o hero_n and_o so_o much_o for_o the_o point_n of_o honour_n a_o man_n may_v have_v plead_v a_o excuse_n for_o himself_o if_o he_o have_v be_v false_a to_o a_o old_a wife_n for_o the_o sake_n of_o a_o young_a mistress_n but_o cleora_n be_v in_o the_o flower_n of_o her_o age_n and_o it_o be_v yet_o but_o honeymoon_n with_o cleomenes_n and_o so_o much_o for_o nature_n some_o have_v tell_v i_o that_o many_o of_o the_o fair_a sex_n complain_v for_o want_v of_o tender_a scene_n and_o soft_a expression_n of_o love_n i_o will_v endeavour_v to_o make_v they_o some_o amends_o if_o i_o write_v again_o and_o my_o next_o hero_n shall_v be_v no_o spartan_a i_o know_v it_o will_v be_v here_o expect_v that_o i_o shall_v write_v somewhat_o concern_v the_o forbid_v of_o my_o play_n but_o the_o less_o i_o say_v of_o it_o the_o better_a and_o beside_o i_o be_v so_o little_o concern_v at_o it_o that_o have_v it_o not_o be_v on_o consideration_n of_o the_o actor_n who_o be_v to_o suffer_v on_o my_o account_n i_o shall_v not_o have_v be_v at_o all_o solicitous_a whether_o it_o be_v play_v or_o no._n no_o body_n can_v imagine_v that_o in_o my_o decline_a age_n i_o write_v willing_o or_o that_o i_o be_o desirous_a of_o expose_v at_o this_o time_n of_o day_n the_o small_a reputation_n which_o i_o have_v get_v on_o the_o theatre_n the_o subsistence_n which_o i_o have_v from_o the_o former_a government_n be_v lose_v and_o the_o reward_n i_o have_v f●om_o the_o stage_n be_v so_o little_a that_o it_o be_v not_o worth_a my_o labour_n as_o for_o the_o reason_n which_o be_v give_v for_o suspend_v the_o play_n it_o seem_v they_o be_v so_o ill_o found_v that_o my_o lord_n chamberlain_n no_o soon_o take_v the_o pain_n to_o read_v it_o but_o they_o vanish_v and_o my_o copy_n be_v restore_v to_o i_o without_o the_o least_o alteration_n by_o his_o lordship_n it_o be_v 〈◊〉_d as_o it_o be_v act_v and_o i_o dare_v assure_v you_o that_o here_o be_v no_o parallel_n to_o be_v find_v it_o be_v neither_o compliment_n nor_o satyr_n but_o a_o plain_a story_n more_o strict_o follow_v than_o any_o which_o have_v appear_v upon_o the_o stage_n it_o be_v true_a it_o have_v be_v garble_v before_o by_o the_o superior_n of_o the_o playhouse_n and_o i_o can_v reasonable_o blame_v they_o for_o their_o caution_n because_o they_o be_v answerable_a for_o any_o thing_n that_o be_v public_o represent_v and_o their_o zeal_n for_o the_o government_n be_v such_o that_o they_o have_v rather_o lose_v the_o best_a poetry_n in_o the_o world_n than_o give_v the_o least_o suspicion_n of_o their_o loyalty_n the_o short_a be_v that_o they_o be_v diligent_a enough_o to_o make_v sure_a work_n and_o to_o geld_v it_o so_o clear_o in_o some_o place_n that_o they_o take_v away_o the_o very_a manhood_n of_o it_o i_o can_v only_o apply_v to_o they_o what_o cassandra_n say_v somewhere_o in_o the_o play_n to_o ptolomey_n to_o be_v so_o nice_a in_o my_o concern_v for_o you_o to_o doubt_v where_o doubt_n be_v not_o to_o be_v too_o fearful_a to_o raise_v a_o bugbear_n shadow_n of_o a_o danger_n and_o then_o be_v fright_v though_o it_o can_v reach_v you_o but_o since_o it_o concern_v i_o to_o be_v as_o circumspect_a as_o they_o be_v i_o have_v give_v leave_n to_o my_o bookseller_n to_o print_v the_o life_n of_o cleomenes_n as_o it_o be_v elegant_o and_o faithful_o translate_v out_o of_o plutarch_n by_o my_o learned_a friend_n mr._n creech_n to_o who_o the_o world_n have_v be_v indebt_v for_o his_o excellent_a version_n of_o lucretius_n and_o i_o particular_o oblige_v in_o his_o translation_n of_o horace_n we_o daily_o expect_v manilius_n from_o he_o a_o author_n worthy_a only_o of_o such_o hand_n which_o have_v former_o reveal_v the_o secret_n of_o nature_n to_o we_o here_o on_o earth_n be_v now_o discover_v to_o we_o her_o palace_n in_o the_o sky_n and_o if_o i_o may_v be_v allow_v to_o say_v it_o give_v light_n to_o the_o star_n of_o heaven_n ergò_fw-la vivida_fw-la vis_fw-la animi_fw-la pervicit_fw-la &_o extra_fw-la processit_fw-la longè_fw-la flammantia_fw-la maenia_fw-la mundi_fw-la but_o to_o return_v to_o plutarch_n you_o will_v find_v he_o particular_o fond_a of_o cleomenes_n his_o character_n who_o as_o he_o be_v the_o last_o of_o the_o spartan_a hero_n so_o he_o be_v in_o my_o opinion_n the_o great_a even_o his_o enemy_n polybius_n though_o engage_v in_o the_o contrary_a faction_n yet_o speak_v honourable_o of_o he_o and_o especial_o of_o his_o last_o action_n in_o egypt_n this_o author_n be_v also_o