Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	people_n	read_v	word_n	2,947	5	4.1038	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52443	Discourses upon trade, principally directed to the cases of the interest, coynage, clipping, increase of money	North, Dudley, Sir, 1641-1691.	1691 (1691)	Wing N1280; ESTC R5762	21,202	42

Discourses UPON TRADE Principally Directed to the CASES OF THE Interest of MONEY Coynage of MONEY Clipping of MONEY Increase of MONEY LONDON Printed for Tho. Basset at the George in Fleet-street 1691. THE PREFACE THese Papers came directed to me in order as I suppose to be made Publick And having transmitted them to the Press which is the only means whereby the University of Mankind is to be inform'd I am absolv'd of that Trust. The Author is pleas'd to conceal himself which after perusal of his Papers I do not ascribe to any Diffidence of his Reasons the Disgusts of Great Men nor overmuch Modesty which are the ordinary Inducements for lying hid but rather to avoid the Fatigue of digesting and polishing his Sentiments into such accurate Method and clean Style as the World commonly expects from Authors I am confident he seeks only the Publick Good and little regards Censure for the want of Neatness and Dress whereof he seems to make a slight account and to rely wholly upon the Truth and Justice of his Matter yet he may reasonably decline the being noted for either a careless or an illiterate Person The Publick is an acute as well as merciless Beast which neither over-sees a Failing nor forgives it but stamps judgment and Execution immediately thô upon a Member of itself and is no less Ingrateful than common Beggars who affront their Benefactors without whose Charity their Understandings would starve Wherefore I cannot but excuse our Friend's Retiredment and shall take advantage of his absence so far as to speak of his Discourses with more freedom then I verily believe his Presence would bear As for the Style you will find it English such as Men speaks which according to Horace is the Law and Rule of Language Nor do I perceive that the Gentleman intended more than his Title holds forth common Discourses which possibly were taken by an Amanuensis and dispatcht without much Correction Surely no Man would refuse the Conversation of an ingenious Friend because he doth not speak like Tully And if the Conversation be so desirable why should we quarrel with the same thing in Writing Nay it is very impolitick by such Exactions of Labour and Pains to discourage all Ingenious Persons from medling in Print whereby we lose the benefit of their Judgment in matters of common concern Words are indeed a Felicity which some have in great perfection but many times like a fair Face prove Temptations to Vice for I have known very good Sence neglected and post-poned to an Elegance of Expression whereas if Words are wanted the whole Effort is made by pure strength of Reason and that only is relied on The Lawyers in their Deeds wave all the Decorums of Language and regard only incontrovertible Expressions The Merchants in their Policies and Exchanges use no one Word but what is necessary to their Point because the Matter and Substance only is intended and not the Dress Why then should Reasoners be incumbred beyond what is necessary to make their Reason understood To speak very short and yet clear is a Vertue to be envyed and if directed to Persons or Assemblies whose business is great or made so by many Mens interposing in it it is absolutely necessary for your Discourse if it be tedious is better spared than the time but it is not so in dealing with lazy Ignorance of any sort or an Earitching Rabble who are actually impertinent as well as impetuous and not sensible of cheat And I may add That in Writing unless in the Epistolary way which being supposed hasty ought to be short and figurative an abundance of Words is more pardonable than obscurity or want of Sence because we take our own time and have leisure to peruse it I will grant that amongst opulent and idle Persons as well as Schollars whose business lies in Words the bare polishing of Language is one of the most commendable Entertainments and to them we resign it for to Men of business it is the most hateful thing I mean meer Idleness I grant also that delicacy of Words now most used in Poetry is useful for disposing way-ward People to learn or make them endure to read But the World is not at such low ebb of Curiosity in this Age. Men are forward enough to run their Noses into Books especially such as deal in Faction and Controversie And it were well if they were either Wrote or Read with as much Integrity as Industry we have no need of Sugar-plum devices to wheedle Men into Reading they are Inquisitive enough and if the Subject be their own Interest I am of Opinion if you can make 'em understand it you may trust them As for the Method used in these Papers there is so little of it affected that I am afraid some will say there is none at all I never thought that true Method consisted in affected Divisions and Sub-divisions Firsts Seconds Sub-firsts c. tho' all that is very useful in Works intended to be consulted as Repertories but where the Understanding is to be informed it is meer trash and the business is often lost in it And in such Designs it is enough if Things lie in the Order of Nature and the Conclusion is not put before the Premisses so that the course of the Argument is limpid and intelligible A Friend of mine used to say That if the First Chapter were before the Second it was all the Method he cared for meaning only what I have observed which I suppose you will find here This drudgery of Digesting is another Excise upon Sence which keeps back a great deal of it from coming forth and without a singular tallent and much exercise it makes composing extreamly difficult I do not understand why other Men as well as Mountaigne may not be indulged to ramble in Essays provided the Sence fails not The Scalligerana Pirroana Pensees and Mr. Selden's Table-talk are all heaps of incoherent scraps yet for the wit and spirit esteemed therefore let that which is most valuable Reason and Truth be encouraged to come abroad without imposing such chargeable Equipages upon it whereby Writers are made to resemble Brewers Horses very useful Animals but arrant Drudges Methinks when I meet with a great deal of Firsting and Seconding I smell one who conceits himself an Author a Creature as fulsome as any other sort of Impertinents If there be Reason and that understood what could the formal Methodist add Let me have the Cockle and who will take the gay shell Now after all this it will be injust not to say some what of the Subject-matter of these Discourses which is Commerce and Trade and the Author's manner of Treating it He seems to be of a Temper different from most who have medled with this Subject in Publick for it is manisest his Knowledge and Experience of Trade is considerable which could not be attained unless he were a Trader himself and yet it is not to be collected from any