Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	speak_v	time_n	word_n	2,779	5	3.8641	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50693	Meroveus a Prince of the blood-royal of France A novel.		1682 (1682)	Wing M1834; ESTC R217812	35,593	135

one of the most accomplished Princes that France had yet se●h It was to have been wished that Heaven had brought him into the world in a less elevated degree that not being invironed with that dazling pomp all his perfections might have been more nearly contemplated and his merit judged of by it self It was not necessary to proceed to his Soul to find something in him worthy of admiration From all the Features that Nature had printed in his Face there resulted I know not what kind of Air which inspired love and respect in all those who approached him Never any Prince gave so fair hopes and in whose Eyes were read greater things At so tender an age he had already signalized himself in Arms and the Lawrels he had gathered in several important occasions made all the world doubt if the easiness of fighting was not rather born with him than formed by a long habit It seemed that so many fair qualities ought to have subdued Fortune to the happiness of this Prince Yet that cruel Enemy of Virtue made it on the contrary appear that it is in vain that Nature strives to maintain its Works when Fortune undertakes to attack them It was its will that the unfortunate Meroveus should search Posterity for a famous example of its power as well as injustice Fredegonda had not seen him twice when she became infinitely in love with him and as she saw that this passion was but too conformable to her ambition she wholly abandoned her self to it with all manner of joy She fancied that he being of an age that has little force to resist passions and wherein a heart is easily surprized by Love when it meets with a proper object he would hardly escape her artifices but all her cunning and all her address was in vain Meroveus after having a long time avoided her snares at length seeing that she one day spake to him openly of her love rallied her publickly for it and told her that to acknowledge the affection she had for him he would marry her to one of his Officers These words produced in Fredegonda's Soul a furious vexation and an immortal hatred which was the source of all the disgraces of Meroveus and which led him to his Grave But as the force of this wicked Woman lay in artifices she knew so well how to dissemble in that occasion that she smiled at the Princes answer and even thanked him very civily As she knew that on the first impressions good or bad that others have received from us depend oftentimes all the judgments that are made in the sequel she at first affected a conduct with Andouera which procured her the esteem and confidence of her Mistress and the jealousie of her Companions All her actions were governed by a complaisance full of sweetness a respectful submission to all that was exacted from her and an earnestness ever new to acquit her self of the least things her devoir engaged her to It is an usual defect in all good Souls to judg of others by themselves as they are incapable of any disguise they fancy they see in the actions of others as much fincerity as in their own and this imprudent goodness makes them oftentimes take for an effusion of heart what proceeds only from an address of Wit The false and deceitful appearances of Fredegonda so surprized all the affections of Andouera that this good Princess fancyed that she could not do enough to make known to her the sense she had of her services She proposed her for a model to all her other Maids of Honour she filled the Court with her praises and the King was especially dayly importuned with them so true it is that we often run precipitately to our own ruine and we become our selves the contrivers of our own unhappiness Though the Princess Andouera had already spent more than eightteen years in marriage she was still capable of charming and neither that long space of time nor her Lyings In which are usually the destroyers of Beauty had worn out any thing of that surprizing lustre which conquers hearts But as desires and hopes are the only things which maintain Love and that nothing is more capable of making us disrelish an object than a long and peaceable possession Chilperick's passion for the Queen did nothing now but languish and those devouring flames which the first fight of that Princess had kindled in his Heart were as extinguished in the injoyment of her pleasures The reputation of Fredegonda's Wit and Beauty gave him one day the curiosity of considering and discoursing her attentively It was in that occasion that this cunning Maid neglected nothing of all she judged proper for engaging the King She fought for Darts in her Eyes fit to discover the way to his Heart and drain'd all the lights of her Wit to charm the Princes It was not necessary to imploy so much address upon a man who ran to meet his Chains and who longed that a new passion might renew his desires Chilperick told Fredegonda upon his leaving her that he was very much satisfied with her discourse and that he would do her some kindness in a very short time In effect he sent for her some days after by his trustiest Officer and after having repeated to her the same thing he added for the declaring to her his passion that he had found in her more Beauty and Wit than he ought to have desired for his repose that it was to Love she was going to owe all the favours he should heap upon her but as his happiness depended on her she ought to contribute to it in giving him sensible and convincing marks of a mutual tenderness and above all that she should carefully conceal this Gallantry from the Queen who would not fail to be enraged at it As Fredegonda changed as she pleased the motions of her Face she seemed at that moment so modest that it helped to inflame the Kings desires She made him know that she desired nothing so ardently as to make appear to him the joy she felt to see her self beloved by so great a Prince but that he was not to exact any thing from her that her virtue might disallow The King was not yet so blinded with his passion but that he considered that it ever becomes a Woman to make some resistance and not to yield so soon He was not willing to press her more that day he contented himself with telling her that they would talk of it more than once and that he would give her time to think of it Having spoken these words he took out a table-Table-Book with Gold-Covers set with Diamonds which he made her a Present of He had hardly left her than that his imagination representing her to him yet more fair than she was made him sensible of new returns of Love and was extream impatient to see her again so that the next morning while the Queen rested he sent his Confident to

Andouera perceived it was the Kings table-Table-Book in which he ever set down his most secret Designs At this sight the Queen was seized with a lively resentment she commanded Fredegonda to open to her the Door which she refused to do threatning she would complain to the King if any violence was done her These insolent words increased the Queens vexation and Meroveus being transported with anger having broken the Windows leap'd furiouslly into the Cabinet snatch'd the Table-Book out of Fredegonda's hands and went to the Queen who returned with him to her Chamber to examine it After having turned over several Leaves without finding any thing she read in one place these Verses written by Chilperick's one hand and which he had composed in the beginning of his passion for Fredegonda Love only pleases for a time At length we 're weary of its Chain Virtue the most severe sublime From a new choice can't oft restrain And below these Verses Andouera found these of Fredegonda's hand writing When we have charm'd a great and mighty King Must we have nothing but his pantting Heart His Empire ought to be our Offering E're we do ease his fiery raging smart Yes yes ambition is the brightest Flame What Woman wants it is I 'me sure to blame What became of her after having read these stabbing words It was then that this deplorable Princess took a full view of her misfortunes and that she no longer doubted that Chilperick was charmed with Fredegonda but even that this wicked Maid had already much shaken his Virtue to engage him to marry her She run as distracted accompanied by Meroveus to the Kings Apartment When they came to his Chamber Door the Guards refused to let them in and told them they had Orders not to let any one soever enter without acquainting the King After having learn'd that they were there he came to them contrary to his custom Andouera at the sight of Chilperick let fall a torrent of Tears all the Graces painted at that time in her Face an eloquent Grief capable of moving the most barbarous heart and without doubt Chilperick's would not have been insensible if he had not been full of Fredegonda's Charms whom he had newly quitted The Queen with a languishing Voice and which was every moment interrupted by her sighs told the King that the love she bore him rather than her own interests engaged her to make known to him how shamefully he was going to stain his Glory by the irregularity of his Passion She pray'd him to consider what could be the nature of the affection that Fredegonda had for his Person and to judg of it by the Verses she had made upon that subject Having spoken these words she presented the table-Table-Book to the King That Object filled his Soul with spite and confusion and made him fall into furious motions of choler against the Queen He did not permit her to speak any more but interrupting her he told her angrily that he could never have believed she would have been so bold as to have done violence to persons whom he honoured with his affection even to force from them the Testimonies he had been willing to give them thereof that she as well as Meroveus should pay dear for this affront That as for his passion for Fredegonda if she found it was so great a crime it was for her herself to expiate it since she had been the principal cause that he should never have conceived the least desire of speaking to that Maid if she had not dayly stun'd him with her praises that it was her great importunity alone that had stirred up her curiosity that her dayly discourses repeated in favour of her Rival had made him insensibly love her before he had considered her in fine that she had no body to blame but her self for her misfortune since she had woven with her own hands the Bonds which were going to break theirs This outraging reproach pierced the very Soul of poor Andouera all the words it contained were so much the more sensible to her for that they were true and that she acknowledged she had been the fatal instrument of her own ruine The excess of grief did not leave her force enough to speak but her eyes and sighs declared all the just indignation with which she was seized Meroveus was not so moderate as she or rather his resentment was not capable to deprive him of the use of his voice he told the King that since he was resolved to push things to that extremity he saw himself constrained to be once wanting in the respect that he owed him as his Son and his Subject for the preventing a disorder that was going to fall upon all the Royal Family This menace inflamed Chilperick's anger he caused the Queen and Meroveus to be seized commanded they should be shut up apart and caused Guards to be set at their Chamber doors with express order to let no body enter After which he returned to the Cabinet where Fredegonda expected him She at first affected a false pity for Andouera and told Chilperick that it was against her will that she caused so much disorder in the Court but since it was for the better setling the happiness of her King she did not repent it but that it was convenient and even necessary suddenly to make an end of the Work and to remove the Queen while that people's minds were already prepared for that rupture The too easie Chilperick besotted with his passion consented to all Fredegonda's propositions and would not follow any other rule than her will He agreed with her to send the Queen to the City of Mans. After having hastily made her a small Equipage he caused her to depart at two days end without suffering her to bid him farewel nor even to speak with Meroveus That innocent and deplorable Princess went thus from Soissons and appeared as a wretched Victim that her love for an unfaithful Man was going to consume by little and little So long as she could perceive the Walls of that City she eyed it sent it continually her sighs But as soon as she was out of sight she passed over in her thoughts all that had passed at Court she re-called into her memory all the Graces and Favours she had so often so prodigally bestowed upon her Rival and for which she had not expected so fatal a recompence but that which increased her pain was that she was not allowed at her departure to embrace the Prince her Son whom she cherished with a tenderness worthy of her When she arrived at Mans though that Fame had already carryed thither the news of her Disgrace all the City was in Arms to receive her and did her all the honours that they owed not only to their true Queen but as to a Person who had ever reigned more soveraignly over all their minds by her Virtues than by the Title she had born Meroveus having learn'd his Mothers removal