Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	day_n	great_a	time_n	4,794	5	3.3956	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07590	The mirrour of friendship both hovv to knovve a perfect friend, and how to choose him. With a briefe treatise, or caueat, not to trust in worldly properitie. Translated out of Italian into English by Thomas Breme Gentleman.	Breme, Thomas.; I. B., fl. 1584.	1584 (1584)	STC 17979.7; ESTC S110017	15,331	52

toward the common wealth that there cannot be found a man that is able to Iustifie that euer he sawe thée doe euill or that any euer durste pray thée of any fauour or grace in any cause that was not iust and honest Cato would haue no statue or Image of him self set vp as the notable Romans vsed And by good reason such honour was done hym for amonge all the noble and famous Romaynes it was he alone that would not suffer that any Image of himselfe should be erected or set vp in the capytoll of Rome as the other famous Romaynes did vse for their honour and remembrance to continue Many hauing great maruell why this worthy Cato refused the honour where vpon were great discourses and spéeches in Rome Cato vpon a day being in the Senate house sayd openlie vnto them the cause that I wil not cōsnent to erect my Image in the capitoll is for that I desire that after death my good workes should rather be followed A mans good works rather to be followed then his image to be looked vpon then to goe after beholde my Image and enquire what house or parents I came of and what euill I haue done in my life time and so my euill deserts might cause my statue or Image to be throwen downe to my infamy and dishonour after my death for it happeneth often that those which by variant fortune from bace estate be mounted to great honour come afterwards by the same occasion to be plonged and ouer throwē into vtter ruine and defamy for many be reuerenced and honoured for their great riches while they possesse them which after are mocked when fortune hath abaced them and depriued them of their riches Lucian doth recite that Pompey the great was wonte to say Note Pompeius wordes of the varietie of Fortune my friends we haue little cause to trust the flatterings of fortune as for my parte I haue prooued by experience that obtayned the rule of the Roman empire before I did once pretend it or had any hope to doe it you know how sodainly againe it was taken from me whē I nothing suspected any such hap to come Lucius Seneca being banished from Rome wrot a letter to his mother Albine in which in comforting her he said these words know this for certaine good mother Albine that in my life I neuer gaue credit to or trusted fortune The wise will not presume vpō good hap although there were betwéene me and her many showes of friendlinesse but what so euer she as a traitres consēted to whereby I found my selfe in rest and tranquility it was not done by fortune by will to cease to hurt me but onely to giue me the more great fall and dissimuled assurance of her furious reuenge towards me yea euen with the furies that one campe of them come after another armd against me to giue battayle for all that she giues me either in ryches or honour by her liberality I accept it but lent not to continue but small time the promises that fortune offers me the honours she doth mée and the riches she giues me I lay it by accompte in my house by it selfe that alwayes I looke to lose it euery howre of the day and night euen when it pleaseth her to take all againe without any thing troubling my minde or spirites or making dolorous or heauy my heart any thing at all and further knowe that although I haue bene beholding to fortune yet I haue alwayes determined neuer to put trust in any thing she giues me nor hope in my hearte safely to kéepe it otherwise then for the time to take pleasure in it but no assurance I loue to haue fortune my friend rather then mine enimie but notwithstanding if I lose all that she giues mée it shall grieue mée nothing therefore I conclude finally that when fortune causeth or suffereth my house to be robbed and assayled by the greatest extremity shée can yet shall it not cause me to giue one sigh from my heart We reade that King Phillip the father of great King Alexander A wise kinge that doubted prosperous fortune when he had receiued newes of thrée victories that his Captaines and men of warre had gotten in diuers places he immediatly knéeled down ioyning his hands togither lifting vp his eies to the heauens spake these wordes O cruell fortune Oh most pittifull gods after my prosperous successe I most humbly pray you that after such great glory as you haue giuen mée at this present you will moderate the chastisement I feare will follow How fearefull the king Phillip was and that it may be with such pitty that it be not the cause of my extreame ruine and destructiō for I am certaine that after great felicity and prosperity of this life there followeth great misfortunes and disgraces All these examples afore recited be worthy to be noted and often called to our remembraunce that by thinking on them we may know how little we haue to trust in fortune and how much we haue to feare the flattering fawning and felicityes of this life True it is that we be very frayle by nature therefore fall into many fragilities dayly This world as a traytor doth vse alwayes to giue vs troubles and sorrowes as a recharge after our good happes So that we may by good right call our felicities cawteries or burning diseases in the flesh almost incurable to heale for that the world is suttle to finde euery fraud and mischéefe without giuing vs warning to foresée the sequell that followes As is manifestly séene for we fall into a number of mishappes before we can beware After pleasure payne followeth Yea if it fortune that sometimes we happen vpon pleasures or contentmēts of mind by good fortune as we terme it there followes a daungerous gulfe of troubles and a sea of dolorous thoughts so that we hoping as right worldlings to holde in certenty our good happes riches treasures of this world are suddaynly entrapped and toyled in the nets of misfortune hidden vnder a vaine hope of our good fortunes cōtinuing with vs. As though we had good fortune taken in our netts and so forced to abide with vs as had one notable Captaine Timotheus as poets fayne for that hée was happy in all his enterprises wherefore Timotheus a fortunate Captayne how high great riche or how wise so euer we accompt our selues of this wée may be sure and certaine that all men that be in the world shall find thē selues deceiued in following the world and the practises vsed in the same And such is our folly that after a little good fortune our wittes be captiuated and drowned in our owne conceite that we offer our selues as a prayr to euill haps and froward fortune most commonly irrecuperable O trayterous world which for a short time doest flatter vs and sodainely with the twinckling of an eye doest hunt vs from thée sodaynly thou giuest

a man be when he considereth and remembreth his wicked doings and thinkes what he hath béene what he he is It is a wicked thing to dissemble and what may happen to him for dissembling with his friends and other his euill doings that if any sparke of grace or any goodnesse remaine in him he will repent him of his former euil it bringeth heauinesse to him when he hath done wickedly for so say truly we neuer receyue so much pleasure and contentment in doing euill as we shall finde displeasure griefe vengeance and punishment after euil doing Certaine counsells and good aduertisments I will giue all men Note these councels neuer discouer nor declare to any person all that thou thinkest nether make any priuy how much treasure or valure in goods thou haste for if thou canst not haue all thou desirest doe not say all thou knoweste nether doe hurte to any that thou maiest and is in thy power to doe for commonly greate hurte doeth a man procure to himselfe in following his owne will without resting vpon the rocke of good consideration and reason The second is to be wary carefull neuer to put to the hazzard of variant fortune those things that concerne thy person thy estate and goods for the wise will neuer repose or put themselues in perrill vppon hope where daunger and perrill is likely to ensue neither thinke that all seruices and proffers that shal be made them in words and friendly protestations shal be performed for commonly those that most liberally offer their friendships are slack in performing ye a sometime redyest if they sée a man hath néede of him or that fortune frowne vpon him to whome he professeth great good wil none shall be found a greater enimie then he neuer be thou a medler in other mens businesse or matters that touth thée not neither be slacke in following thyne owne for a time lost in doing thy businesse the like oportunitye thou shalt neuer finde or recouer againe if thou stand in daunger and that there be hope of helpe the duties of a perfect friend spéedily preuent thy mishappe least by detracting the time all hope of helpe may faile thée choose them for thy friends assured and faithfull that will haue care of thée hold thée vp frō falling not them do not opresse or hurte the poore that after thou art fallen will proffer thée their hand to helpe thée vp againe hurt not those that thou hast power to hurt for the cryes and cursses of the poore and sometimes of other being wronged commeth before the presence of God demaunding iustice and vengeance in that thou art of abilitie to do good help thy friends parentes and kindred and also the poore In counsell that that thou shalt giue be not affectionate be not presumptuous or seuere against them you may commaund nether doe any thinge without good consideration kéepe company with them that will speake the trueth and flée from them that be lyars flatterers and dissemblers for more account is to be made of them that will forewarne thée of euill that may follow to thée then to those that will giue counsell after thou hast receyued the hurte For a wise man is to thinke that although euils commonly happen not to the prouident man yet to thinke possible they may come is wisdome for it happeneth the shippe soddainely by tempest to wracke when the Sea is a litle before very calme quiet A wise consideration and the more fauourable thou findest fortune so much the more haue thou feare that she will be cruell and despitefull against the make no small accounte of this little worke and briefe aduertisment for experience teacheth vs that a little diamond is of more estimation then a great ballays Consider also how the time flyeth away and all things come to an ende A notable coūcell and that thou must depart from thy riches be forsaken of friendes and thy person to dye and those that should succéede and follow thée shall vtterly forget thée and thou shalt not knowe to whome thy goods and succession shall come and lesse how thy children and heires shall gouerne themselues nor whether they should proue good and vertuous or not Chilon the philosopher being asked what thing he did finde in this worlde vpon which fortune had no power he answered there be two thinges onely in this worlde which time cannot consume Fame and verity will neuer be couered nor fortune destroy that is fame and good reputation of a man that is written in bookes and veritie hidde for that veritye and trueth may be hidde and clowded for a time but in the ende it will manifeste it selfe if thou wilt sometime for the recreation and contentment of thy spirites To peruse these councels here sette downe thou shalt haue cause to think it a good trauaile and woorke and time bestowed well As Suetonius Tranquillus doth write of Iulius Caesar Time spente vertuously that among all the warres and continuall following them he did not ceasse to reade and write some thing yea being in the campe and in his tente commonly in one hande he held his speare and in the other his penne to write his commentaries Man is to make great accounte of the time loste more then to haue care to kéepe his treasures and riches for the time being well emploied shall bring him to saluation and treasures euill gotten shall be the cause of eternall damnation ouer and besides a great trauaile and wearynesse to the body of man and greater perrill to his soule when he occupies all his dayes and all his life in the affaires of this world and cannot separate his mind from these worldly affaires till he be called to the place where he must make accounte of all his wretched doings and leaue his body in the earth a foode for woormes And finally I assure you all that shall reade this shorte aduertisemente and councell that of all the treasures ritches prosperities seruices authorities and powers that you haue and possesse in this your mortal life you shall carrie nothing with you but only the time that you haue well employed and spente vertuously during the course and time of this your mortall life FINIS An excellent aduertisement and councell to be by the readers well remembred not to trust prosperous fortune neither the felicities of this worldly life With diuers histories and antiquities approouing the same by examples Collected out of sundry tongues by I. B. AT LONDON Printed for Abell Ieffes dwelling in Sermon lane neere Paules chaine A godly aduertisement to the Reader Among al the Romains the great Cato the Censor was had in singular reputation which in all the progresse of his life was so honest and in gouernement of the common wealth was so rightwise a Iusticiar that by good righte there was written vpon the Gate of of his house these Epitaphes O most fortunate Cato the reputation of whome is such