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	good_a	sin_n	1,408	5	4.8951	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16676	The schollers medley, or, an intermixt discourse vpon historicall and poeticall relations A subiect of it selfe well meriting the approbation of the iudicious, who best know how to confirme their knowledge, by this briefe suruey, or generall table of mixed discourses. ... By Richard Brathvvayte Oxon.	Brathwaite, Richard, 1588?-1673.	1614 (1614)	STC 3583; ESTC S106127	82,694	128

though preuented by a Brutus who to rid Rome of tyranny restored poore Britaine to her liberty for his iourney was staied by death And doubtlesse there is nothing which inflames the minde of man more vnto valour and resolution then the report of the acts of their Auncestors whose monuments remaining of record with this Impress Non norunt h●…c monumenta mori must needs stirre vp in them a desire of imitation Many examples I could produce herein as the Trophies of Mil●…iades inducements of imitation to Casar the acts of Achilles to Alexander of Vlysses to T●…lamon of the Greekish Heroes to Prymaleon of Danaus to Linceus Aegeus to Theseus Many times we reade where a naturall defect and want of courage was seated euen a retrograde from the sphere of valour there though a barren seed-plot to work on by historical discourse hath magnanimity shewne herselfe in more perfect real colors thē if nature her selfe had implanted in that man a Natiue desire to fight so powerfull is history in her selfe where Nature in her selfe expresseth small power This discourse therefore should not bee emploied in any thing saue in excitements to Glory motiues to warlike designes since by it valour is quickened a desire of honour inflamed Countries fame dispersed and Monuments of neuer dying glory erected O then who should so disalow the precious treasure of a refined discourse as to mix it with impudent and scurrilous inventions such fictions as are not onely in themselues fabulous but to the vnstaid Reader of which sort wee haue too many mortally dangerous Which fables in my opinion fall among the impertinent and feagured Tables called Milesiz onely aiming at the depravation of manners and the effeminating best resolued Spirits The ripnesse whereof by such vnseasoned discourses become blasted before their time O that the depravednesse of these times should taint so generally approued study making Histories meere Panygi●…icks poems of adulation to insinuate and winde themselues into the affection of the great leauing the scope of an History to gaine by their studious trafficke But let vs returne to the office of a good Historian He will not write but vpon singular Grounds reasons impregnable conferring with the best to make his Narrations confirmed of the Best Hee writes the stories of Princes truely without concealing their errours by way of silencing them or comment vpon an History annexing to it an vnnecessary glosse He will not be so ingaged to any as that he will be restrained of his scope or so countermanded as that he must of necessity illustrate vice vertue cannot passe without her character A good Historian will alwaies expresse the actions of good men with an Emphasis to sollicite the Reader to the affecting the like meanes whereby hee may attaine the like end This was the cause all the Noble Heroes in ancient time did liue to posteritie their acts to imitate not so much for record of their owne memorable lifes as for the propagating their Countries eternall honour by succeding Worthies As those establishers of good and wholesome Lawes made themselues with their Countrie renowned Mynois and Radamanth among the Cretensians Orpheus among the Thracians Draco and Solon in Athens Lycurgus in Lacedemon Zamolx is among the Scythians Nor bee Historians if so the Professours merite that style of lesse esteeme then the prudentest and most experienced Statists For these direct euery Senatour in polliticke affaires by producing such as excelled in administration of iustice describing the very natures of such Lawes and the causes why such Lawes were enacted to present times These Ages haue beene and are to this day much indebted to Transcriptions Inventions are oft times slow where the application of things inuented to the present State seemes more facile and easy Hereto then should the scope of Histories tend not onely to personate the acts of men vpon the Theater of this world but likewise to cull out such Lawes Orders and Precepts as well Morall as Diuine which may benefiet their present estate Sysambris skin was a good caueat for succeding Iudges Iustice before went on crutches and more were troubled with Demosthenes disease then with Phoycions bluntnesse The Historian must not sow pillowes to the elbowes of Magistrates nor sooth corruption with an humour of shadowing vice He showes what was done and commends the one to reprehend the other Vertue neuer wants her character nor vice her reproofe For such Hystoricall Relations as induce to vertue and deterre from vice comprehend in them the true vse of such Subiects being Apologeticall and Morall to reforme not Mylesian or prophane to deforme or disfigure the exact simmetree of a vertuous Idiome No maruell if Alexander laid the workes of Homer vnder his head being such as directed him how to be a Head how to gouerne Prouinces how to sway his inordinate affections so as Cleanthes Fable vertues best elucidary had her Liberall Sciences neuer better portraied then the differences twixt true fortitude and a foole-hardy boldnesse were by Homer deblazoned Here a Hectors badge of true valour there an Antenor whose grauity purchas'd him honour there a Diomedes no lesse wise then resolued here a Troilus stoutnesse but vnaduised here warres well managed abroad but lesse successiue at home examplefied in Agamemnon there a subtile scouce no lesse frieghted with pollocy then successe in Sinon All these are expressed by that Heriocke Historian Qui quid sit pulchrum quid turpe quid vtile quid non Plenius ac melius Chrysippo Crantore dicit These acts couid not but minister sufficient matter of admiration to such Iudicious Readers as apprehended each circumstance in the subiect making that apt connexion of all that the body might seeme more excellent by the proportioning of euery member Histories in themselues are diuerse producing seuerall fruits to the pervsers according to euery mans affection Which made that moderne Historian compare them to a Banquet wherein were to be serued seuerall dishes some to prouoke appetite others to satiate more delightfull subiects penned for relishing more serious studies grauer discourses to ripen the vnderstanding by applying the instructions of forraine States to our owne iudgements where we may make vse of the best part of man in his reasonable power and that is Election approuing of what is good or may in it selfe be beneficiall to the State and slieghtly obseruing discourses of indifferency as accomplements ceremonies circumstances and the like resembling faire frontespices which are made rather for ornament then vse It is necessary for a good Historian to haue maturity of iudgement to apprehend what is fittest for his discourse and to be as little complemental as may be lest the varnish marre the worke for the words of an History in my opinion iumps with Mirandula Vt non sint le●…ta ita nec neglecta the one implics a kind of deiection the other a minde too curious to profite any desiring onely to please himselfe Caesar in his Comment

if the Sabine Rape had bene committed in their time The like we reade of the destruction and vtter subuersion of the Gabians in the time of Tarquin Superbus The generall vnion of Historians about the time place and occasion so concordantly iumping as if all those proceedings as well in the Stratagemes by Tarquins yongest sonne as the very Contents of that Letter writ by the father to his sonne for the management of this exploite had bene set downe by one pen. The like in that Combat or bloudy Banquet rather of Thomyris her eldest sonne and the Persian Cyrus with such natiue descriptions of euery circumstance the Riuer Araxis the place of their passage the reasons which moued Thamyris to suffer their passage and the very plot where their Tents were pitcht their dainty viands left for the Scythian surffet in what sort prepared how insatiably desired by the Scythian army comming rather to feast then to fight And then their defeate being there vanquished where they were most confident of victory In these explanations the Reader should not be delayed or frustrated too much in his hopes by vnnecessary ambages We should not trifle out the time in vaine and impertinent repetitions it cloies and satiates the appetite too much not vnlike to your great feasts reseruing the choycest dainties for the end when the appetites of the Guests are satisfied before they come It is a good frugall course and includes an Occonomicke pollicy their best dishes may be preferued for another time He that discouers euents and sequels without their precedent causes is as one that would draw a Riuer dry without knowing whence the Spring is deriued applying the conclusions of things as it pleased the Ethnickes in ancient time to reserre them to the arbitriment of Fortune making euer this womanish argument The euent was so because it was so and it was so because fate would haue it so answering Titus opinion Potestates fato dari But these which thus apply the course of all conclusions to fortune be as blind as Fortune Nay farre more for though Fortune be blind yet she is not inuisible But these men are not onely blind in the eye of common sence but invisible in the composure of their owne Arguments their Conclusions being as blind as themselues In making likewise our iudgement of Histories and considerately applying it to our present interests we must specially regard the dispositions of the Agents and dilligently remarke how they are affected in minde this is the least dece●…uing ground of forming opinion By the nature of the Agent coniecturall euents or reasons of euents may be drawne As if an ambitious man be imployed in Embassage twixt Prince and Prince he is to be suspected that his Treaty will be lesse happy in that his illimited Passions oftimes rather aggrauate then allay causes of ciuill discord Men of moderate dispositions purchase peace with lesse adoe and more successefull For Princes ballancing their owne wrongs to their apprehension insupportable cannot endure brauing but will rather try the extreamest of Fortune then be vnworthy of themselues by hearing and bearing affronts with patience The like we haue obserued in the successe of war a wise and experienc't Leader to haue accomplished great matters with a handfull of men and that Aphorisme to be very true Better is an Army of Harts with a Lyon to their Leader then an Army of Lyons hauing an Hart to their Leader And contrary wise the vnhappy euents of most flourishing Empires the miserable slaughters of most puissant Armies by the vnaduised gouernement of their Agents or tyranny of their Regents whose improuidence made much people vnfortunate To see Han●…iball once a Conquerour because his hopes were not seated on indirect meanes and by his owne traculent disposition to become a prey to the conquered makes ●…his Assertion good Many examples we haue of the like where the Nature of the Agent ill affected crossed not onely the successe of hopefull designes but buried their Names in obliuion of such I speake as haue bene interrested in the like aduentures As sometimes where the Agents haue bene neglectfull of Religion depending more vpon their owne proper resolutions then the power of heauen directing all humane a●…aires to their appointed ends As wee may reade in that memorable disaster of the Romanes at Canne where the Consull V●…ro with a populous Army of experienc't Souldiers was vtterly discomfited and that as the Romane Historians haue obserued because of Iunoes wrath conceiued against Uarro for erecting in derision of Iupiters Temple a Mimicke-boy to keepe watch as the solemne order was The like of Potitius detracting from the honour of Hercules The like reuenge inflicted on Virilius by Aesculapius By Iuno Lacinian Q. Fulv By Proserpine on Plenimius By Iupiter on that sacriligious Tyrant Dionysius By Apollo on the Pirate-prince Thymasitheus On Alexand●…r by C●…res Sometimes by the libidinous disposition of the Gouernour other sometimes by his Auarice now and then by his Impatience and most of all by his recklesnesse haue the sequels of things proued lesse fortunate because the precedent motiues or instruments directing to the end had no better likely-hoods in them Wee wonder not at all to see troubled water come from an v●…cleere Spring Nor at tares growing in the sluggards field but we admire successiue ends drawne from improbable causes Many times there be I confesse intrinsecall motiues which like as that Beauty is the best which cannot be expressed by the Painter so arrogates it the chiefest place that inwardly mouing cause I meane because the efficient cause of causes more sure more infallible then the euidentest demonstration And I haue for my part euer superstitiously feared to bring such causes in Question since such Arguments haue ministred no small occasion to the prophaner wits both of Ancient and Moderne times to boulster their insufficient opinions As to arguethus Heere we see a flourishing Common-weale supporting her selfe by no other mean●…s then Iustice reaching to as high a perfection in euery degree of as exact gouernment as the blindnesse of the time would permit Yet this State so flourishing laid wast by a people exposed to all impieties Here the end can hardly be collected by the fore-going cause Equity was in the conquered Tirrany in the Conquerour Here is a maine discrepancy in the beginning and conclusion and the actiue causes ordinarily mouing seeme Cardine Uerso to oppose themselues It is true But tell mee whosoeuer thou art that Lucian-like composest this Argument Is he that sets vp and confounds what Empires as b●…st pleaseth him tyed to meanes or secondary causes There is no Realm which for some abuse or other hath no●… deserued to loose her glor●… and herei●… doth the Maiesticke power of heauen shew aboundant mercy to some Kingdomes in chasti●…ing them before they come to the heigth of sinne that their eclypse of glory might be an increase vnto them of vertue their