Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	world_n	worthy_a	write_v	340	4	4.9709	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75794	The ingenious and diverting letters of the Lady -- travels into Spain. Describing the devotions, nunneries, humours, customs, laws, militia, trade, diet, and recreations of that people. : intermixt with great variety of modern adventures, and surprising accidents: being the truest and best remarks extant on that court and countrey.; Relation du voyage d'Espagne. English	Aulnoy, Madame d' (Marie-Catherine), 1650 or 51-1705.	1697 (1697)	Wing A4217C; ESTC R223570	271,209	292

he comes off with some Cuchillades that is some Cuts but not Thrusts with a Sword As to the Conversation in these Academies there 's of it that is very ingenious and very knowing Persons that frequent them for in a word they are here just as in other Places and there are some that write very fine things What they call Novels seem to me to be of a Stile and to have an Air that charms they never advance any thing but what 's probable and the Subjects they take is so well manag'd and their Narration so concise and plain neither mean nor lofty that one must needs grant they have a Genius which surpasses all others in these sort of pieces I will endeavour to get some of this kind and will translate and send them to you that so you may judge of them your self As I have not capacity enough to speak of things which treat of more sublime matters so shall I say nothing of them till I have been inform'd by those that are competent Judges and then I shall only pretend to be their Eccho But after all I must needs say that I think them extravagant in their Elogies and that in them they keep not near to probability their Imagination which is very lively and active sometimes runs too fast I was t'other day reading in a Book where speaking of Philip the VI. the Author said that his Vertues and great Qualities were so many that there was not Paper enough in the World to write them down that a common Pen was not worthy to describe such divine things and therefore they deserv'd to be writ by the Rays of the Sun upon the surface of the Heavens You 'll grant me that this is really losing a Mans self in the Clouds and that with endeavouring to exalt his Hero our poor Author falls and breaks his own neck Their Books are very ill printed rheir Paper is not white and they are very ill bound being cover'd with Parchment or Sheep-skin Leather I must not forget to tell you one thing and 't is very material and that is the Policy of the Spaniards which perswades them rather to be at the charge of a hundred false Informations than to neglect the Opportunity of receiving one true Advice neither the distance of the Country from whence they come nor their Agents are suspected by them they will know every thing and liberally recompense those that serve them nay they 'll hardly tarry till the Service is accepted before they will reward them You cannot believe how much advantage this Maxim has gain'd them they have been sometimes taken for Fools but that has not discouraged them and in the end they always had what they intended It is likewise true that though they have but very slender ground to beg a favour of the King yet provided they are not disheartned with Repulses but pursue their first Design with Perseverance sooner or later they obtain what they wisht for The Ministers of State think 't is not suitable to the Grandeur of so mighty a Monarch to refuse a small matter and tho there 's but little Justice in pretending to a favour which one has not deserved by some Service yet if it is sued for without intermission it is always obtain'd I see Examples of it every day I have not yet told you dear Cousin that upon my Arrival here all the Ladies did me the Honour to visit me first It is the Custom here to prevent Strangers when once they know they are of Quality and their good Conduct concerning both which they are very nice When I return'd them their Visit every one made me a Present sometimes in one House I receiv'd a Dozen for even the Children of four Years old will treat you I was presented with great Baskets of gilt Silver adorn'd with Corral curiously wrought in Flowers these are made at Naples and Millan I had also Amber Boxes set with Gold ennammell'd and full of Pastils divers presented me with Gloves and with Silk-Stockings and Garters in abundance but these Gloves are singular in that they are as short as the Mens for the Women wear their Sleeves down to their Wrists the Fingers are so long that they look as if they were nothing else and are ridiculous The Stockings are made of Polo that is raw Silk they are made so short and so little in the Foot that I have seen several Babies that they would not fit the Garters are of a broad Ribbond made very light and thin like those our Peasants give at their Weddings they are trim'd at each end with some English Thread Lace They presented me also with several Cups of that Mineral Earth and a thousand other things of this kind If ever I go from hence and make another Journey hither it will be my turn to present But alass any thing pleases them Needles Pins a little Ribbond but above all any thing made of their false Stones ravishes them with Joy they that have so many that are right and so excellent yet wear a prodigious quantity of these false ones which in reality are nothing neither but bitts of Glass sett and just like those our Chimney-sweepers sell to our Provincials who never saw more than their Curate and their Flock The Ladies of the greatest Quality are loaded with these false Stones which they buy at dear rates and when I askt them why they were so fond of these conterfeit Diamonds they told me it was because they could have of them as big as they desir'd And indeed they have of them in their Pendants as big as an Egg and all these come to them either from France or Italy for as I have told you few things are made at Madrid Idleness reigns too much there There 's no good Painters in this City the greatest part of those that draw are not of this Country they are either Flemmings Italians or French which come and settle here but yet they do not grow rich for Money does not come and move in the circle of Trade For my part I must needs say I never saw less stirring My Kinswoman receives pretty considerable Sums all in Quartos it is Copper Money and as nasty as our Doubles but as bad as 't is yet it com●●●ut of the Royal Treasure it is deliver'd by Weight for how is' t possible to count such sorry stuff and Men bring it upon their backs in great matted Baskets when these sort of Payments come the whole House is employ'd for eight days together in taking an Account of these Quartos in three or four thousand Crowns there 's not a hundred Pistols either in Gold or Silver They have here great numbers of Slaves which are bought and sold at great rates these are Moors and Turks there are some of them worth four or five hundred Crowns heretofore they had power of Life and Death over them a Patron might have killed his Slave as he might have kill'd a Dog but it was thought