Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	body_n	life_n	soul_n	5,160	5	5.5664	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A38677	The art of making devises treating of hieroglyphicks, symboles, emblemes, ænigma's, sentences, parables, reverses of medalls, armes, blazons, cimiers, cyphres and rebus / first written in French by Henry Estienne ... ; translated into English by Tho. Blount ...; Art de faire des devises. English	Estienne, Henry, sieur des Fossez.; Blount, Thomas, 1618-1679.	1646 (1646)	Wing E3350B; ESTC R40266	59,361	106

or similitude of a certaine and true quality which they have in themselves Besides that the object of the Devise is to treat onely of things unfeigned to clear and prove them And because the most noble conceptions of humane wit are of that nature we ought to exclude all fictions and never to make use of them in Devises Ruscelli Contile André Palazzi and Alexandro Farra admit of no humane figure unlesse it be fabulous monstrous or historicall because otherwise they beleeve that a Devise would resemble the Medall Some other Doctors do not think fit that the Devise be deprived of so noble and excellent a thing as the figure of a man in favour whereof they urge many seeming reasons which I omit the more willingly because I doe not intent to perswade others to that which I approve not my self Frastaglato Intronato permits in in case of necessity whereto we may answer that things done by necessity seldome or never succeed well besides it happens rarely that a Devise receives any constraint having a field of so great extent as all those things which Art and Nature doe afford T is true Aristotle proves that we may take comparisons from the humane body but he doth not affirme them to be equally good with those which are borrowed elsewhere The very Poets take no Comparisons from the same Species so long as fancy affords them others of a different So the Author that frameth a Devise ought to ground it upon the most noble and sure Basis of Comparison that can be taken from a different Species The Author which compiled a discourse at Rome upon the Devise of the Academicks called Renovati is yet more rigorous in not admitting of any part of humane body nor hands nor armes nor heart but surely that is too great a scruple For what grace can a hammer striking upon an Anvile have unlesse a hand be bestowed upon it And how can we represent the winds which serve for bodies of very excellent Devises if we be not permitted to adde a head to them it were indeed to incur a great inconvenience wherin a certain Pedant vaunting a skil in that Mystery as being professor of the 2 best languages in the world and reputed to have so prodigious a memory that it consumed all his judgement as the Epitaph doth witnesse which is already prepared for him before his death This universall Doctor then causing a Devise to be drawn by an excellent Limmer who understood as little the art of making them as theend wherto they tended discovered unto him his intent to have the body of a Devise drawn wherof the Motto was Quo FLANTE CORUSCANT the figure was burning coals upon a Chafing-dish And because it wanted the blowing of wind for the expression of which he was much troubled the Painter proposed the adding of a little face as it is usuall in such cases Apagè Apagè said this great devisor I will have no humane face the Artificer in a merry and joviall humour answered him smilingly Sir I know no way more fit to represent your intention unlesse you apply unto it the other part of the body that hath no face and yet makes wind At last he concluded to set a paire of bellowes unto it Is not that I pray a figure of a goodly apparence and proportionate to a gallant and magnanimous designe nor is it for that these figures have no relation one with another nor are derived from the same art of Kitchinry well knowne to the Vniversities I give you this example to let you see that that man is oft-times deluded that useth too much subtility And this passage is the more credible in regard I had it from the self same Artificer who telling me of it did then complaine that the Doctor had not to that day paid him for his labour according to his promise I had not mentioned this conceit if the subject we handle had not engaged me to it I could rehearse a prank no lesse unjust then the other ridiculous but that I have already insinuated it under the title of Ruscelli's opinions concerning the condition that ought to be observed in appropriating to ones self the Devise of another Author It is there where I have made mention of the Devise which my late Uncle Robert Estienne did invent in honour of the Duke of Rosny since Duke of Suilly grand Master of the Artillery by whom hee had the honour to be beloved it was then received with so generall applause that it was judged worthy to be eternized in Gold and brasse and to say truth it was stamped upon all the Ordnance that were cast at that time in the Arcenall embroydred upon the Officers Cassocks and upon the ornaments of the shops of Artillery It is not possible therefore that this new Devisor should be ignorant as well of the name of the first Master as of the comon use of this Devise however by dissembling it he did appropriate to himself the invention of it and was so bold as to give it as an originall wholly and without alteration to another Lord that had the same command among the great Officers of that Crowne and who in that Kingdome held the place of its rightfull poss●ssor Motto's are absolutely necessary in a Devise though some Authors have held the contrary for according to their opinion the Devise being a kind of Metaphor which is in a maner nothing else but a Comparison it needs but one subject changed into another But these Authors are deceived in this point since the figure of an Animal plant or such like subject is of it self indifferent to the signification of the particular qualities that the thing represented may have In so much that it ought to be determined by the Motto to some one of its qualities that is to say to that which the Author intends to attribute to the person of whom hee makes the Devise From thence it commeth that the greatest confusion or difficulty in understanding some Devises ariseth from the bodies being altogether naked an destitute of words which should distinguish their different proprieties whence the conception fancy and invention of another may be justly formed CHAP. XIIII The Principall Causes composing a Devise A Devise as a subject composed of a body and a soule ought to have his essentiall causes the materiall is no other but the figure of the bodies or the instruments of those things which are inserted in the Devise The formall cause which gives it life is is the resemblance or comparison which to expresse the Authors meaning occurres in the naturall or artificiall properties of the figure The finall cause is the signification or Comparison understood by meanes whereof we expresse more cleerly with more efficacy and livelinesse a rare and particular conception of wit But here we must observe that these termes of Singuler and rare are due to the definition of Devise for as much as a Devise ought not to be made use of

for the expression of triviall or vulgar fancies the invention being onely to declare virtuous thoughts or heroicall designes with grace and subtility And it is to the end that this kind of conceptions may be held worthy to spring and grow in generous souls by the power and efficacie which Devises have to ravish and excite the most noble spirits which way soever they comprehend them and with so much the more ease by how much they shall discover the rarity and gentillesse of the Devise in the conception The efficient cause is the wit or understanding disposed to know the relations similitudes and conformities which meet in the things figured there being nothing in this world but hath a conformity resemblance or relation with other though the subjects be more or lesse unlike It is not needfull to produce any other reason for the formall cause of a Devise because we doe not say that the Motto is the forme nor have we call'd it the Soule as Paulus Jovius and others have done Seeing that as the proper and substantiall forme of a living Creature is the Soul and not the breath or tone of the voice which he uttereth in token of his inward meaning and to expresse his affections or passions So is it very certaine that the resemblance or comparison is the forme of a Devise and by consequence its life and soule And the Motto is but as the breath or tone of the voice which declares the nature and propriety of the thing whence the comparison is taken Therefore we may say that the motto added to these foure causes is the Instrumentall cause which is made use of to discover by vertue of the words the proper quality of the figure and by discovering it to distinguish the other qualities that have their being in it In so much as the Motto considered alone by it selfe by no means makes a Devise as the Commentatour upon Jovius would have it who holds that a Devise may be framed of a Motto without a body and of a body without a Motto The end of a Devise according to Ammirato Contile Aruigio among the Academicks of Bresce Johan André Palazzi the Boleniam Doctor and Academico Renovato is nothing else but to expresse covertly by meanes of figures and words a conception of humane wit And some of these Authors say that it ought to be expressed in such sort that it be intelligible to the learned and hidden from the illiterate To this purpose I am resolved to make a small digression for it seemes to me that all Devises as to the facility and understanding of them ought not to be handled in that manner Paulus Jovius and some others doe distinguish them into Amorous and Heroick and will that under these two kinds divers Species be contained And truly there is no doubt but that there are as many sorts of Devises as we have passions and inclinations Therefore it is needfull to distinguish them and to observe what we have already said That onely some Devises ought to be knowne and intelligible to every one and that others ought to be more obscure or lesse common according to the circumstances of time place and persons for whom they are made as if they be for Tournaments Masques or such like I am of Ruscelli's opinion that the Devise ought then to be cleere and intelligible to all and that the Motto may be in a vulgar tongue provided the words be well chosen emphatick or significative and briefe The like may be said of Amorous Devises unlesse the Author would have his intentions onely discovered to his Mistresse or particular friends in which case the Devise may be made obscure and he that bears it may reserve the exposition to himselfe The morall Devises which are not made for any particular person but onely for instruction ought to be so contrived that every one may receive some profit by them Not that I approve the Mottoes of these to be in a vulgar language but I could wish them to be taken out of some good well-knowne Author and the least obscure that can be met with for if they be put in a vulgar tongue for the foresaid reason of Ruscelli viz. to the end that every unlettered person may understand them that would deprive us of another benefit which a moral Devise should bring with it which is to be understood by the generality of men and in that case strangers though learned will not comprehend it Therefore it is better some of the unlearned should be deprived of the understanding of your Devise by which also they would not be much edified then that all the learned men of forraigne parts should be debarred from the knowledge of it I know well that an Author may compose Devises of Love Morality or such like subjects wherewith to adorne the chimney-peeces Closets or Galleries of his house with intention to have them understood by his Compatriots but this reason hinders not the Mottoes being in an universall language because strangers that shall visit you out of a curiosity to see rarities will take as much pleasure in contemplating the acutenesse of your wit as in beholding the magnificence of your buildings and your countrymen will receive the same contentment and no lesse profit when they shall be entertained by you with the exposition of the words We may say as much of those Devises which are made for Cornets Ensignes Standards and Guidons in regard we doe not willingly beare armes at home bat rather make them known in forraigne parts where we ought to be very free in making our courage appeare and to denounce some kind of terrour by the gallant designs of our Devises And for that which concerns the Devises of Kings and all soveraigne Princes it is of absolute necessity that the Motto's if intended for seemly profitable be either in Latine or Greek to the end that the enterprizes or heroicall designes of those Princes whose virtues are very exemplar to all people may be understood by the generality by making use of those ancient languages which cannot receive any such alteration as the vulgar ones doe which whilst the Academicks strive to reforme the comon people doe dayly corrupt by the confusion of strange Idiomes And wee may with so much the lesse difficulty use these two Mistresse tongues by how much it is most certaine that the body of a Devise taken either from nature or art hath the same proprieties and use in all Countries I am also of opinion that we ought not to make use of my other language in such Devises as are made in these daies for the Coins or Stamps of Princes and Communities since they serve instead of reverses of ancient Medalls and are stamped in lasting mettall to serve as tradition and historicall memory to posterity A perfect Devise as we have already shewed takes its essence from the Comparison or Metaphor these two figures of Rhetorick are onely employed in discourse to give some light