Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	action_n	effect_n	necessary_a	1,860	5	7.1073	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40750	Advice to a young lord written by his father ...	Fairfax, Thomas Fairfax, Baron, 1657-1710.	1691 (1691)	Wing F255A; ESTC R13706	24,090	146

of my Advice and Counsel and in the first place I shall treat about Civility for want of which I have known many great Persons trusting too much to their Justice and severe Virtues have been utterly ruined and undone and several Persons of great Parts and Abilities for want of civil Address and Compliance have become useless in their generation And others by their surly and uncomplyant humour render themselves distasteful to Society and from thence fall into contempt and hatred of all Men and from thence not only bring dishonour upon themselves but their Family and Parents upon their Country likewise if they happen amongst strangers they will be apt to censure hardly of that Nation whose Gentry is so little Civiliz'd Therefore you are to take an extraordinary care of your Carriage in Conversation especially in our Cities and Courts where are Persons of greater and more piercing Spirits and more curious observers and no Man in these Places can expect to live except he sometimes mortifie his own Humour and Inclination You are to imitate in this Affair the Courtier who for his Interest complys with every one is always gay chearful and Complaisant and makes this his humour to borrow the Companies 'T will be one great part of Civility not to resent every word or Action which perhaps rationally may be interpreted to be disesteem or undervaluing And I like a story of a Gentleman who when one told him how such a one affronted him answered but he has not for I will not be affronted This perhaps some will esteem as pusillanimity but what ever they look upon it to be I 'm sure 't is greater prudence for revenge is but a poor satisfaction which makes me Extreamly admire at the Extravagance of some of our Nobility and Gentry who think their honour engaged to require satisfaction for the smallest Injury imaginable and from thence proceed to the Sword where if it happens that one be mortally wounded as it very often does the other except the Mercy and Clemency of the Prince interpose by becoming obnoxious to the Laws brings upon himself an Ignominious death and a disgrace and infamy to his Posterity I reckon not Civility to consist in certain modish and particular Ceremonies and fashions in Cloaths Gesture Meen Speech or punctuality of behaviour it is not using such Discourses Words Phrases Games as are in fashion at Court with Gallant Ladies c. This is a constrained formality but Civility ought to be built upon the Basis of Prudence and Charity which are to perpetuity unchangeable I reckon Complements but a poor piece of Civility because it proceeds from a different Cause Civility from Sincerity and Vertue these from Duplicity and Deceit He that uses them most believes not himself and by thinking to make them believe they are directed to exposes himself to their Derision He is always very ready to promise not so to perform asking pardon where there is no Offence nor Necessity c. These are imaginary Services notional and impertinent Humiliations a solemn Nonsence an abusing of Language a putting together many good words to signifie nothing The use of this Traiterous Discourse is only fit for Trades-men who love to keep you in talk lest you should too narrowly examine the Wares they would put upon you Let this also in your Conversation be a great part of your care to avoid all manner of Affectation and Singularity for whatever is according to nature is best and what contrary to it always distastful and betrays Vanity and Indiscretion A seeming Negligence is very graceful but a constrainedness or seeming to do with design or study undervalues an Action and nothing is more absurd and foolish than an affected Negligence Pride Insolence Stateliness and Imperiousness are not Signs or Qualifications of a Gentleman but the Scandals of Conversation when Civility and Affability are the greatest Magnetisms in the World a conforming ones self to the innocent Humours and Infirmities sometimes of others and readiness to do Courtesies for all Not only in Conversation but in the whole management of your Life Prudence will be your best and greatest Assistant this therefore depending upon Experience without which no Man of ever so great Capacity can any more arrive to be a wise Man than Fruit to Maturity without time Experience is either of other Men which we see read or hear or of our own Affairs This is the harsher Mistress and happy is he that can arrive to Perfection tho in his Old Age. Conversing much makes a Man bold and confident and engaging in business fits for more There is a vast difference between Prudence and Cunning The Prudent Man deals so sincerely that he neither dreads nor fears the Examination of his Actions or Purposes and is not afraid to have Witnesses if it were possibly of his Thoughts The Cunning measures Justice by escaping Punishment Wisdom by Success Reputation by Wealth or Power and the satisfaction of others by his own Interest He uses Artifices as taking advantage of the Person if in necessity or in danger if weak or ignorant he watches the time if in drink if dejected if inadvertant if easie he pretends great kindness and affection in general Expressions or particular ambiguous ones or such as he will not be obliged by his great Engine is a smooth Tongue and a competent stock of Wit 'T is a great piece of Prudence to be jealous and suspect our selves lest we run away too hastily with a Likelihood instead of Truth and abound too much in our own sense Many Vices tho' contrary yet are like to Vertues The confines of both are the same and the exact Limits and Boundaries difficultly fixt as of Pride and Greatness of Spirit Religion and Superstition Quickness and Rashness Government and Tyranny Liberty and Licentiousness Subjection and Servitude Covetousness and Frugality c. And yet Prudence chiefly consists in this very exactness of Judgment to discern the one from the other and give to every Cause it 's proper Actions and Effects It is therefore necessary for every one to observe his own Actions and the Original of them his Thoughts and Intentions with great care and circumspection he must otherwise despair of ever arriving to any tolerable knowledge of what he doth well or ill I have before advised you to abstain from the Society of debauched and scandalous Persons to these I shall add the Railers whose chiefest pleasure and delight consists in exposing others to contempt and derision either by imitating their Actions or Imperfections or by jeering and mocking them him I would have you avoid as you would the Heels of an Horse that kicks every one he can reach if you cannot take the part of the abused blame the Action spare the Person or if the Person be known excuse the Action if neither can be done praise the Person for some other good Action or Quality so you have an Antidote against the Poyson There is not in