Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	begin_v	great_a	king_n	1,466	5	3.5201	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02779	A discoursiue probleme concerning prophesies how far they are to be valued, or credited, according to the surest rules, and directions in diuinitie, philosophie, astrologie, and other learning: deuised especially in abatement of the terrible threatenings, and menaces, peremptorily denounced against the kingdoms, and states of the world, this present famous yeere, 1588, supposed the greatwonderfull, and fatall yeere of our age. By I.H. physition.	Harvey, John, 1564-1592.	1588 (1588)	STC 12908; ESTC S103904	90,621	134

pleaseth you so to terme him for honors sake that prophet or wizard shall not greatly néede to hire him post horses for spéedier deliuerie and dispatch of such happie newes but may well ynough come and go soone ynough or rather ouersoone on foote that shall carrie such blessed tidings in his mouth or in letters missiue certifieng any like ioyfull occurrents But I beséech you what may be either the great mightie causes in effecting or the violent inforcements in constraining or the pithie reasons in proouing or the cunning insinuations in persuading the necessarie sequele or credible contingence of so great woonderfull casualties and dreadfull terrors Forsooth Helisaeus Reslyn a mathematician and philosopher of good fame in our age propounding the foresaid Germanical translation of Staephlerine in his Theorianouacaelestium Meteoran auoweth that himselfe knoweth not any other reason cause or ground of that famous Prognosticate than onely this that some recounting the Synagog of the Iewes touching the space of time from the egresse of the children of Israel vnto the abolition and deuastation of the temple made vnder the raigne of Vespasian by the rage of his sonne Titus to haue continued iust so many yéeres as are now passed sithence Christ and withall affirming that Mosaicall Synagog to be a true type or figure of his Church will néedes from hence as they imagine probably conclude that some great alteration or notorious mightie Accident is now likewise imminent whilest the same number of yéeres is againe accomplished Which computation or Chronologie how incongruous and erronious it is as the learned nothing doubt so I think few of the vnlearned to be so blinded in our daies as to applaude to this Iewish Cabalisticall reason or mysticall application thereof had the account it selfe béene found neuer so exactly or precisely true But as it falleth out if you either take the true continuance of the Synagog of the old Testament which is but 1580. yéeres by some former computes and begin to reckon at the time of Christs passion or comming of the holy Ghost when the beginning of the primitiue Christian Church was founded shall the said number be expired in the new Testament before the yéere 1614. or 1613. at the soonest which is almost 30. yéeres hence Or if you follow the newest computation of the learned Cosmographer and Chronologer Gerardus Mercator was not the same date or terme of yéeres of the Iewish Synagog finished Anno 1520. that is 67. yéeres agoe And yet this euen this silly deuise séemeth to be the strongest and forciblest argument that a cunning Astronomer and erpert Meteorologician could alledge in defence and maintenance of that notorious prediction Whereby to begin with Reslins censure it may partly appéere at the very first entrance that there are no such great ordinarie or extraordinarie causes of any such vniuersal dangers or generall calamities imminent as is ouercredulously supposed and ouertimorously misdoubted when so sufficient an Artist in this very kinde of Prognosticall knowledge hath no more varietie of proofes or no greater proofe of certaintie to inforce or insinuate so weightie and peremptorie a resolution Therefore to procéede with the opinions of other Some preferring the shadowed and imagined fantasies of Pythagoras Plato Aristotle Porphyrie and our later Platonists touching the excellencie and preeminence of Arithmeticall and Geometricall proportion in numbers will néedes include a déepe mystery high secret in the very number 5550. it selfe the present yéere of the world and the 88. of Christ and thereby euen from the onely number of yéeres go about to inforce I know not what and what dangerous and lamentable confusion about that period But is it credible that the extreame dismall fate of the world or any vtter casualtie of so mightie consequence should in very déede depend vpon the fickle state of numbers and figures Or may the Proportionable quantitie of 5. to 50. of 50. to 500. of 500. to 5000. or any such fiuefold or tenfold or Geometricall or Arithmeticall concord and equalitie by the vertue of I know not what mysticall Analogie square out any such dreadfull discords and inequalities as are now beyond all number weight and measure expected I cannot reach so high as many other but in my simple knowledge there is no such matter of proofe or Demonstration I am not ignorant that Plato and Aristotle in the summitie of their Ethicall Oeconomicall Politique and Metaphysicall Idees haue displaied some such philosophicall quiddities and in a maner panegyrically extolled like Harmonicall resemblances but discusse the subiect it selfe and consider their figuratiue maner of handling and shall you finde any more sufficient matter in them for auailable direction to anie such Superplatonicall Intelligence or Superaristotelicall intendiment than resteth in Pythagoras lot or any like Cabalisticall tradition Howbeit neither will I nor can I in truth denie but that there lurketh as it were a kind of Hieroglyphical interpretation and hidden or mysticall vnderstanding in sundrie Arithmeticall and Geometricall Analogies but as I cannot conceiue how or why the finall destinie of this whole Vniuersalitie or any other most notable change or chance by woonderfull innouation or confusion should be comprized therein or comprehended thereby howsoeuer the heretical Arithmeticians Marcus Magus and Valentinus haue blasphemously babled to like purpose so particularly for the present yéere 5550. I am well assured there is no such exquisite Arithmeticall or exact Geometricall proportion in the figures and numbers thereof as shall be in the yéere 5555. approching 5. yéeres after which by soundest proportion and Harmonical equalitie of numbers if they preuaile any whit to the effecting of such terrible and lamentable alterations should expresse more déepe and peremptory impressions than this in regard of any such Pythagoricall or Arithmanticall Theorie Wherfore by the reason and Analogie of this reckoning the sounder of the two it is the 93. not the 88. yéere of the Christian Epocha that must prooue the dismall period and fatall yéere of lamentations But to ouerpasse so slight an argument without any longer stay let such finally as builde so much vpon the prerogatiue of 5550. remember by the way that howsoeuer we estéeme the 88. yéere of Christ for that yéere of the world there are by the Chronological reckonings of the Hebrews aboue 5000. and 600. yéeres by the reckonings of Paulus Orosius Beda Eusebius Tritemius and their sectaries aboue 6000. and 700. yéeres by the reckonings of the first fathers and Doctors of the Church aboue 7000. yéeres and by the compute of the most noble Mathematician king Alphonsus aboue 8000. and 500. yéeres alreadie passed and fully complete sithence the time of the originall creation thereof Is it therefore impossible or vnlike that any of those should sée as far into Decretoriall numbers or future ieoperdies and publique casualties as any of late memorie Nay were not they generally more déepely grounded and better exercised in such mysteries and priuities both of Nature and Art than we are now a

Atomes or sun motes something of nothing Sibb to the fantasticall monke Rabanus or the conceited woman Valeria Proba who gleaning sundry verses out of Virgils heathen poetry would néeds bring togither on an heape a goodly sheafe of heauenly Diuinity and cunningly describe euen Christ himselfe with his most sacred Euangelicall mysteries in Virgils owne Heroicks who neuer vnderstoode or once dreamed of any such Christian significations A fonde worke of an idle woman but O fonder conclusions of these phantastique and couenous workers of mortall confusions Will you likewise heare the Prognosticall opinion of the old renowned Leopoldus Austriacus slaine of the Heluetians Ann. 1386. touching this same yéere Which some also alledge for one doughtie argument of these pretended sturs and imagined alterations When the 1. Cal. of Ianuarie quoth he falleth vpon the day of the Moone as very now it doth the winter that yeere shall be indifferent the spring temperate sommer hot there shall be mighty inundations or ouerflowes by rage of waters in sundrie places many infirmities shal raigne but such as shal especially sweepe away the viler and more popular sort there shall arise much bickering and contention amongst women the beginnings of many innouations and alterations shal appeere matrones shal moorne kings and princes shall perish there shall be many slaughters and massacres with bloody dint of sword much icie and pruinous cold to be expected Autumnall fruits shall be neither plentifull nor sound and there shall be a great death of Bees Is not this perpetuall Prognosticon think you somwhat too durable and ouer generall to be vniuersally true Or is there any proper reason according to this common reason why 88. should bring with it any other more terrible effects than the yéeres 1554. 1560. 1565. 1571. 1582. c. alreadie passed séeing those yéeres were in the selfesame state or did accordingly fall out euen as this doth now Or should not euery 5. or 6. yéere héerafter ensuing if the Intercalation of the Bissextile or leape day ouerslip it not otherwhiles be such a woonderfull yéere by the same reckoning O noble Leopold thy meaning I doubt not was simple and good although thy rule other whiles faileth But thy corrupt interpreters and commenters are vndoubtedly false and naught séeking or rather trauelling to dismay discomfort and disorder the world without cause But behold another iolly deuise touching the falling of Newyeeres day When Newyeeres day quoth they falleth on a Munday there insueth a winter somwhat vncomfortable a temperate sommer no plentie of fruit manie fantasies surmizes and fables shall that yeere be opened Agues shall raigne kings princes and many other shall die marriages shall be contracted and hudled vp in most places and a common fall of noblemen and gentlemen shall ensue Doubtles these were cunning fellowes and perilous hoorsons indéede else could they neuer haue hitten the naile so iust on the head for when were there so many fansies surmizes and fables opened according to their saying as are already and shall héereafter appéere to haue béene opened of and in this yéere And I beséech you did there euer any yéere passe wherein agues rained not more or lesse Som kings princes nobles gentlemen and many other died not Or wherein many marriages were not contracted celebrated and somtimes hudled vp Lo then the learned resolutions and profound practises of these opinitiue and contemplatiue masters which notwithstanding their want of skill and experience in such negotiations will in their kind be medling and intermedling in affaires of grandest consequence as well and assoone as the wisest or déepest Politique euen in despite of the crow according to the prouerb or rather euen in contempt of all good order and Ciuill discipline Peruse yet for varieties sake another of their perpetuall euerduring infinite and Catholicall rules they hold it for a Canonicall and euerlasting certaintie that if Christmas day commeth whilest the moone decreaseth there shall follow a hard and naughtie yéere and the néerer the latter end of the moone that it commeth the woorser and harder shall the yéere prooue and so contrariwise Reioice then O ye Coridons Rest you merrie O ye Colin clowtes Clap your hands O ye Lobilins For lo a most plentiful and happy yéere awaiteth you séeing this last Christmas day falleth whilest the moone increaseth yea before she reacheth to the first quarter which is all the luckier and merrier by your traditionall December marks And sufficient to make 88. a prosperous and gladsome yéere if you credit the most autenticall records of your owne currantest soothsayings The good old Errans Pater Erra Pater I should haue said with sundry like ancient surebies and old sokers haue set downe many other such wholsome rules and goodly Maximes in part appliable to 88. as truly no doubt and as necessarily to be effected that yéere as the strange Calabrian newes of the reuerend Astronomer and doughtie clarke Iohn Dolteta Doleta I would say were accomplished in the yéere 87 immediately preceding But to leaue such forlorne said sawes and trifling gewgawes and to wade a little further into the profound déepes of this bottomles pit and intricate Labyrinth where is the sound Diuinitie or learned Humanitie from whence these propheticall tidings either Theologically or Artificially may séeme to be deriued Or what else what a Gods name is it that should thus excéedingly and monstrously disquiet and vexe and disguise and plague and crucifie and torment the world this 88 May it be déemed either by ordinarie learning or other extraordinarie reason that any higher power or Secundeian godhead or superior Intelligence or mightie spirit or ouerruling angell presently menaceth any such heinous mischéefes tragicall myseries horrible hurlie burlies huge desolations dreadfull and insufferable and hellish horrors as are strongly imagined Why Are we not euen now as verily I take it according to the mysticall and sound doctrine of Abbat Triteme howsoeuer himselfe mistaketh the matter being ouertaken with false Epochaes and erronious Chronologies vnder the gouernment of Anael the milde and amiable spirit of gentle Venus Who began his third Regiment in the yéere of the world 5315. the 31. day of Ianuary and shall continue the same dominion vntill the yéere 5669. and foure months Then is it like that so louing and swéete a spirit as that of Venus who was neuer so deified or rather hominified as she is now a daies will in the flower and pride of hir brauest yéeres and as it were in the perfect type and highest degrée of hir soueraigne gratious préeminence ouer the world as well christned as vnchristened suffer hir angell so spitefully and cruelly to destroy or afflict hir gentle and louely creatures in all nations euen hir very tenderest ones and déerest darlings and swéetest harts and lustiest bloods and most couragious amarous knights that euer loued or liued on earth Or if peraduenture hir angell ruleth hir and not she hir angell is it credible that he can finde in his pure hart to

not euery reasonable scholler of any reckoning with no great difficultie add diuers other materiall reasons and testimonies as well Diuine and Canonicall as philosophicall mathematicall and such like of artificiall consideration both in generall discredit and in particular disgrace of the said imaginatiue and fantasticall terrors How readily might I or any other confute this prophesie with other prophesies as namely by conference and examination of the circumstances of Elias owne prophesie whence notwithstanding it séemeth primitiuely deriued and no lesse specially by sundry and almost infinite other pretended prophesies old said sawes antique prognosticates and shepheardly soothsayings which are not any farther to be dreamed vpon or any way more or lesse either to be hoped or feared in one respect or other in case this instant prophesie deserueth any héedfull or behoouefull regard But I take it not greatly woorth the labor either of meditation or of writing to wade any déeper or farther in so néedlesse and bootlesse a fansie For doth it not alreadie sufficiently appéere what priuate or publique credit is in reason to be assigned vnto the saide notorious Epigram or rather poeticall Satyre and hypocriticall Libell in respect of any naturall causes or preternaturall speculations or artificiall arguments or inartificiall authorities or whatsoeuer colourable pretence of diuine or humane allowance Of whose both generall and speciall maintenance or patronage it is vtterly destitute before God and man and therefore accordingly to be estéemed or valued in the world chiefly of the learneder discréeter or godlier sort I shal not néed to repeat or recapitulate any proofes or testimonies prealledged in the former part It is actual impietie and blasphemie to presume into Gods office or to vsurpe any his proprietie who alone is singularly termed in Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the only searcher of the hart and raines Mens intentions purposes enterprizes actions or exploits are not so easie or so possible to be discouered or presignified aforehand as the good simple creatures of the world haue béen stoutly and resolutely born in hand especially in so cunning so pragmaticall so dissembling and so hypocriticall an age as this wherein one thing is commonly pretended and neuertheles the cleane contrary often intended a suttle and wilie qualitie as it were appropriately noted in Tiberius the Emperor Inward drifts and Ciuill effects are not necessarily directly or properly to be descried or foreséen by outward signes or natural causes In such Politique matters and Morall occurrences I denie not but the wisest and déepest politiques may otherwhiles euen with credible and warrantable iudgement giue a shrewd gesse and go neare the marke but neither can any man howsoeuer prudent or politique himselfe therein or thereof deliuer any sure or infallible doctrine at least so far as I can conceiue by reading Aristotles politiques and other correspondent discourses or howsoeuer possible that may be déemed it becommeth not one of my age profession experience or other qualitie to vndertake so great a prouince or to decide so high and doubtfull a case namely by requisite suruiew and curious examination of the vniuersall procéedings of states and particular dealings of princes and their subiects both amongst themselues and with their neighbor borderers at home and abroad in peace and in their wars for and about all affaires and actions of publique or priuate gouernment whereupon any such notable casualties or woonderful confusions and ouerthrowes of Commonwelths might possibly séeme to depend in regard either of necessarie assurance or contingent probabilitie It belongeth vnto me in good modestie and dutie to commit the due consideration and whole consequence of such politique Causes and Effects to professed Politicians wise Magistrates and learned Councellers accordingly qualified and furnished for the méete and sufficient discharge of so honorable emploiment but chéefly vnto God himselfe the high and mightie prince of princes and gouernor of gouernors by and through whom kings rule and kingdoms florish as contrariwise without whose gracious aide and assistance they soone perish and come to extreame ruine Howbeit in the meane time and by the way I nothing doubt but princes of all other and such politique personages as they haue néerest about them are as thoroughly prouided and strongly furnished to maintaine the publique weale of their natiue countries and to vphold their owne honors as withall they are best able to answere for themselues and to defend their owne causes both in words and déedes The world was neuer wiser or more industrious to prouide or shift for it selfe either by policie or force either in procuring good or in resisting euill It were but folly in my betters but presumption in me but vanitie in both Tam memores monere No doubt but cunctamundi imperia will warily and circumspectly ynough looke about them and take requisite héed vnto themselues and according to the Lacedaemonian prouerbe Suam quisque spartam ornare as also according to the common but serious and important counsell Pugnare pro Patria Especially hir most excellent Maiestie whose not onely wise and cautelous but also rich and mightie prouision partly for all kinde of munitions partly for other necessaries as well defensiuely as offensiuely imployable against whatsoeuer forren force or hostile malice far passeth any like preparation or fortification of hir most puissant and royall ancestors as expresly appéereth in an Act of Parliament made Anno 27. Elizab. c. 29. So that euen in such Ciuill respects and Politique considerations to speake thereof in generall we are not greatly to dread any such rufull or tragicall terrors as are here more horribly threatned than considerately denounced or skilfully awarded vnlesse peraduenture we will néeds be More afraid than hurt Notwithstanding I wholy relinquish that actuall and reall kind of confutation as méerely appertaining vnto those of higher calling and altogither containing my selfe within my stinted compasse I am onely to vrge and prosecute such arguments and conclusions as either Naturall Mathematicall Theologicall or other Doctrinall principles and obseruations may readily affoord Which both seuerally and iointly make so excéeding much against this terrible prophesieng libell that as by report it was first odly found in an old stonie wall after the disguised maner and fashion of those suborned counterfets mentioned in the former Section and there forsooth registred in glasse a fit metall for the preseruing of such brittle and fickle stuffe so it cannot iustly but séeme a woorthy monument to be accordingly intertained and estéemed euen no otherwise than the foresaid suborned counterfets which no doubt were either maliciously and spitefully contriued or couenously imposturally conueied or at least conceitedly and phantastically deuised either for pleasure or displeasure or some by-aduantage or other Nimirum Pictoribus atque Poëtis as Horace saith Quidlibet audendi semper fuit aequa potestas And thus much bréefly touching the threatning and odious Satyre of that terrible prophet or rather poet whosoeuer he was that forged the saide vaine and