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
B08389	La stratonica, or, The unfortunate queen a new romance / written in Italian by Luke Assarino and now Englished by J.B.; Stratonica. English	Assarino, Luca, 1602-1672.; Burbury, John.; Cartolari, Giovanni Battista.	1651 (1651)	Wing A4016A; ESTC R218449	91,350	186

a Plain of moving Christal having onely so much wind in their Sails as served to make peaceably their way 'T was a very fine sight to see the huge Galley which carried the three Princes flame all of Gold and draw after it for bravery its Streamers of Purple along the contiguous shore The proud Ornaments that deckt it were a Patern perhaps to Cleopatra's Ship which was afterwards seen to ride in such Pomp upon Nilus It was so capacious that it held two thousand of the Guard and besides many very useful Chambers had a Piazza and Gardens proudly compassing the Prore and the Poupe The Pride of the Kings of Asia was not onely not content to tame the Sea with the weight of such prodigious Fabricks but would also inverting the Order of Nature have Trees seen to blossom and fruit ripen too in those Barren and Salt Plains Amongst other Maids of Honor which Stratonica had brought with her was by chance Sophonisba the daughter of Faustus Demetrius his kinsman She had to accompany the Nobleness of her Blood a most beautiful Body and as fair a Minde She was skilful in Rhetorique and very well learned She had good skill in Musick and made as good Verses as any of the Poets of her time She was infinitely well Fashioned but humorous and all her Actions shewed a kinde of Greatness and Spirit which made her much admired She was for those qualities not onely well beloved and esteemed by Stratonica but likewise of all the Court Antiochus his Gemus resembling Sophonisba's both in Musick and Poetry he took delight to be every day in her Company to Sing and make Verses This Recreation encreasing with Pleasure was a little while after the cause of great Amity between them but the friendship so augmented in Sophonisba who was very full of life that it quickly turned to love Antiochus at that time was but seventeen years of age He was tall of stature and very finely shaped though still growing His Masculine gravity encreasing with his age began then to bud in the full blown Beauty of his Face He looked and spake so sweetly that all swore the Graces had their residence in his Eyes and in his Mouth His Minde was as Resolute as Gallant and though he was young yet he always shewed great Constancy in his Resolutions The now Love-sick Sophonisba felt therefore her Bowels to burn with more violence by how much she endeavored to conceal with greater secrecy her flame Those amorous fits would have shortly come to dotage if she had not very wisely used means to help decaying Nature To be often in the sight of her beloved was the way to feed in her a great part of that desire which was nourished by nothing but Antiochus his Presence But the Waters of those Visits served for no other end to her Amorous Dropsie but to make her thirst the greater All the ease she had if it be credible that a secret Lover can have any ease consisted not in any thing but in mentioning him often and praising him to Stratonica her Mistress She disguized her Praises of affection in the habit of Duty adventuring to hide with some pretext that which no pretext could do her the favor to reveal But the Sentinels now began to discover Demetrius his Navy from the Mountains of Soria Seleucus who two days before was come with a reasonable Army to Tripolis to meet with his Bride as soon as he knew it gave orders to his Soldiers to be ready and he with the Flower of his Court very gloriously Adorned went aboard certain Bucentori of the nature of Galleys to go meet with his heart which was coming to him in his Mistresses Bosom The first Salutations in the approaching of the Fleet were artificial Sounds passing through the holes of a thousand hollow instruments of Box. Perhaps they joyned to Seleucus his Sighs formed an equal Wind either to refrigerate his Flames or to blow them with more Violence As soon as they had Boarded one another 't was a Sight that deserved to be seen by all the World to see with what Majesty and Ceremony the two Kings received one another at whose onely Names the remotest Confines of Asia trembled Seleucus beheld Demetrius and admired him The Beauty of his Body and the Gallantry of his Minde represented him to Seleucus for more then a Man Demetrius on the other side reverenced Seleucus as a Relick of Alexanders Glories and as a Captain who had been a Soldier under the Command of a Man to whom the Command of one World seemed too little Seleucus was tall of Stature and strong of Body in so much that on a time when Alexander was a sacrificing by chance a wilde Bull having fled from the Altar was by him caught again and held fast He was clad that day in a sky-coloured Armor sparkling with pieces of polished Silver He had on the side of his Heart set in his Corslet a heart of fine Corral near which a Sun of Gold was represented darting its Beams on it The extravagant wearing of his Crown which resting on a Rowl of fine Bisse woven with divers colours gilded his temples and the wanton negligence of his regal Mantle falling from his right shoulder and hanging on the side he wore his Sword were an alluring Habit which though they were fitter for a man of fifty years misbecame him not at all Having ended their Complements and rejoycing much together for their new made Alliance Antiochus who had at the first done his Duty to his Father bowed to him again and Seleucus having quitted Demetrius embraced him with great kindness Thence going all three towards the Chambers of the Queens they were very well seen by the Gentlemen and Soldiers there present of both Crowns The Sea groaned quietly under the stroaks of the Oars of so many Galleys and the Air being beaten with Millions of Sounds of Drums and Trumpets made so great a noise that it wearied the Eccho's of the neighboring Shores The three Princes being come to the Antichamber of the Poupe heard themselves welcomed on the sudden by a Consort of Viols whose strings without doubt would have played away Seleucus his Heart if the hand that toucht them had plaid more then once But no sooner they had begun but the door was opened to them I want a Similitude to express with it the wonder that by drawing of that Curtain was presented to the eyes of Seleucus The removing of a Vail which shews in the night the Glory of a Scene beautified with innumerable Lights is a vile Comparison Seleucus resembled a man who departing this life opens his eyes in another world The Chamber was all covered with Mother of Pearl The Conjunctions of Gold which held them together were wrought with fine Figures Stratonica with Fila her Mother sate on a Couch of cloth of Silver on Cushions of the same Eight or ten Children cloathed like little Cupids with a Bow and a Quiver at

of all the handsomest Women that had been or were to be in the World were exposed to view Among them by chance turning my eye I perceived a Ladies Picture who was and shall be the first and last flame of my Heart whose Eyes although they were painted being fastned on mine I thought said to me Behold me O Climenes thou knowest in what maner I was killed and I know how much my Death hath been pitied by thee Be confident That albeit I am in the other World I will not fail to love thee as long as I shall have my Being How sensless I was at the Sense of those words your Highness may imagine My Heart had not a Vein which converting it self into a River of Tears ran not emptying it self at the Flood-gate of those Eyes Mirtenia who saw me on the sudden become all a Deluge being unable to penetrate the cause of so strange a Sorrow anxiously asked me What Accident had the power to alter me in that maner But the frequent Sobs not permitting me to speak a whole word I informed her as well as I could That I desired to go out of that Room as soon as was possible and out of the whole Pallace likewise I had scarce said that but I was I know not how at the mouth of the Cave where we had left the Servants Mirtenia there asking me again very earnestly of the cause of my Weeping I answered her onely That this was a Disaster which used to befal me since I had had a very great Misfortune at the time my Mother died She falling to comfort me as well as she possibly could endeavored to make me merry and drew all her Lines to this Centre to gain my Affection I who had engraven in the sensiblest part of my Heart the Looks of that Picture which had represented to my memory the Being of my Mistress the more I saw my self made much of by Mirtenia the more loathed her Love Whereupon she perceiving my Ingratitude when we were returned to the City and being perswaded that all did proceed from my Love to Gloricia bewitched her to Death then killed my Father and confined me to the straights of a Bed where I endured such diseases both in Minde and Body that it was an Excess of Heavens Miracles to preserve me alive At last when Mirtenia had seen that I could by no means be induced to love her she sickning of Madness died desperately soon after So after many Troubles and many Moneths being recovered of my disease hating that Climate under whose Influences so many Disasters had befaln me I resolved to leave Cyprus and when I long had wandered through several Kingdoms I came lastly to this Court This Relation was a Lecture to the Prince of the Calamities of this World He repondering to what Miseries his Condition was subject whose Ruines were designed by Fortune and Love bewailed his own Disasters in the Misfortunes of Climenes And when he had expressed the Consolation he had felt by knowing some success of his Life Since he said to himself we must live if Life be an hostage why trust we Fortune with it to give her assurance of all that which her Cruelties will have I before was resolved to die to free my self from the Torments of a desperate Love Now I am resolved not to live to be quit of the Troubles of a pitiless Fortune Le ts die O Antiochus what can at all adventures be hoped for of a Womans Inconstancies And if the flames of a gentle Feaver and the weakness of a long Extenuation are unable to kill us let us adde a forbearance of Meat So spake Antiochus and so cunningly he prepared himself to perform his Resolutions that hiding his determined Fast under the pretext of having no Appetite he seemed to be pleased with nothing because he would not be constrained to eat any thing It was then the Moneth of January masked like April whereupon all the Lords of the neighboring Pallaces being perswaded no less by the Beauty of the Season then Stratonica's commands came to dwell in Elysium The Court and Conversation being multiplyed by that means the Nobility studied nothing else but the inventing of ways to recreate the Prince Every one supposed that some sudden Pastime would more vigorously awake in Antiochus his lull'd-asleep Mirth and that a Ball which owed its beginning to nothing but Harmony might mitigate with its Motions a diseased Hearts Sorrows But yet this Resolution was not so concealed but it came to the Ears of the disconsolate Stratonica When she heard of the leave which the Gentlemen asked him to bring their Ladies thither going together with the King to Antiochus his Bed she conferred with him about the business and desired him to be pleased that the Banquet might be kept in his Chamber He who by the greatness of his sickness was not so estranged from himself as not to comprehend what degree of malignity his condition was arrived at which made use even of Feasts for the increase of his Melancholly when he saw that to deny his Consent was to displease his Friends shrugged patiently his Shoulders and intimated to the Queen That they might do there what she pleased Leave being obtained in this maner the jolly Assembly delayed not to crowd themselves together within the Princes Room The Ladies appeared in the most extravagant Fashion that their Glasses could advise them unto The Gold and Gems which by reason of the Torches blazed within their Cloaths increased the splendor of their Faces and took away the light from others Eyes A sight miserably fortunate to whose testimony even the brightness of the Lights was a Lyar. And who could with reason commend that Pomp for Beautiful which judged to be guilty by it self they saw tyed in Chains and stoned with Jewels Many of the Ladies as enemies to mankinde being angry that Nature had not imparted that Beauty to them which they would have had martyrizing with Curling-Irons their Hair and poysoning with Sublimate their Cheeks had resolved to kill whosoever beheld them Now when they had taken their places in order to their Quality they heard the Air beaten with very pleasant Musick by a regulated Confusion of several Instruments A Ball is the Feets sensuality It is raised with noise and evaporates with weariness Nature that is the beginning of Motion would not enrich the Head so with Sense as to leave the Foot quite deprived of it Even this takes its time to be Luxurious neither is there any Itch that more foments Luxury then a Ball. It can confirm Love with a fortunate Madness among its changing Motions and unite the Will with the measure of short Distances The Lovers danced being onely then happy with their Mistresses because they did exercise the Acts of Inconstancy They might call the Dance their Benefactor for they received not greater favors of any other action then that To have the means of seeing of speaking to and touching the

mouth on her hand But thou wouldst have been certainly very happy if thou couldst with that kiss have buried thy life in one of those fair little Graves While they were so discoursing Seleucus came to them and informed with emulation now by Stratonica now by Antiochus of Demetrius his good fortune he seemed externally to be very glad of it but really within himself he was very sorry for it Men applaud but fear his Greatness who is able to suppress them Princes like Plants cannot endure the height of those Trees which can shade them Every one hates in his Companion that happiness which he fain would have himself and continually seeking to ballance anothers power comes many times to lose his own Seleucus howsoever to conceal his own resentments gave order the same morning for the making of a very Solemn Feast where by the number of the Lords which were to be present the quality of his Love which he fained to his Father in law might appear the more Glorious Tables like Tragical Scenes use oftentimes to kill noysom Thoughts with the death of Meats And those cares which sayling on the Ocean of the Minde are affraid to lose themselves being plunged in the little Lake of a foaming Christal suffer often Shipwrack Man hath no Theater more delightful to entertain all his Senses then a Table and nothing more hurtful to his health or more scandalous to his behavior The Fame of Demetrius his good Fortune and the order for the Banquet being spread through the Court the joy was universal in all Hearts especially in theirs who professed themselves the Subjects and Dependants of that King Among them Licofronia a Lady well in years and Stratonica's nurse made shew of great contentment She was at that time the greatest among those near the Queen Stratonica who had sucked her Milk had likewise sucked the Custom of respecting her as a Mother The Authority in her Face equalled that of her State No Lady spake more eloquently and none led a more unblemished Life In those joyes which were the cause of Confusions and Whisperings the two enamored Princes could very well mingle their pleasures without running the hazard of being observed for the Ladies the Pages and other Domesticks of the Court being busie about one thing or other had no time to stand still and take notice of the Actions of their Patrons But Seleucus when he had conferred some time with the Queen about the news of his Father-in-law and the preparations for the Feast retired into his usual Lodgings the better to attend the Affairs of his Kingdom Antiochus to give no suspition of himself with his being continually with his Mother-in-law did the same The Gods know with what Minde Being come to the Threshold of the Door which locked his Heart from him he turned himself to see his Life which remained there within and he saw her stand looking on him Farewel they said in that encounter of their Looks Heaven knows how I depart Love knows how I stay here Antiochus went away full of Joy but what caused his Affliction to depart from his Happiness He goes through those Rooms he wanders through the Galleries of the Pallace so transported that saluted he returns not the Civility that met with he is ignorant of the Person He answers when he is not spoken to and asks Questions when alone Love is the Wine of the Soul He muses on the world of the Looks he had received He repeats the words that followed and his destiny lastly whether to make him turn Physitian or to distemper him I know not makes him a careful Anatomist of the Body of every little Favor When he had mused enough and concluded with himself that he was very much in Stratonica's Favor he was pleased to speak to some of his Favorites to pass with the Discourse of divers things that short morning which before dinner came seemed to him an Age. Stratonica in the mean time who raved in her Thoughts no less then he resolved to appear to Antiochus more glorious that morning and to honor the Feast with the stateliest show which she could represent of her self to be regally adorned To that end being gone into her Cabinet with two diligent Chamber-Maids she sate down by a Table the Pedistal of a Looking-glass which within the Frame of enamelled Silver seemed as if it came to beatifie that Face in which there is not a Heart that feels not a thousand Beatitudes But here I confess I would fain know how to describe her The dalliances of a Pen which are delightful would not be ingrateful to me in this occasion It was too strange to the World to see a Looking-glass look in a face and a Woman run no less the danger of Idolizing then Deifying her self Stratonica could in nothing shew more her Affection to Antiochus then in looking on her self at that time Being ready to be enamored of her self she omitted to do it because she would not be a rival of her self to her Dear The Queen though she had no need to instruct in any Action her Countenance to set out her Graces more lively yet studied how her laughter might be pleasinger her looks more compassionate and her face more attractive It is the disease of all handsom Women though Nature hath enriched them with her gifts to be begging still of Art those Affectations which infect their Beauties often Looking-glasses are Magick Books to Women They learn in them those Spells which to charm a man become sweetly cruel A Looking-glass hath the Quality of a Counsellor and a Priviledge granted to no Counsellor and a Priviledge granted to no Counsellor it speaks always the truth and is always beloved While therefore Stratonica was either the Glass or looked in it the Chamber Maids began to unpin her Head and untangle the Knots of Ribbands which rowled up together in the folds of her Hair served either to bridle their Boldness or bury their Errors their Boldness or Errors committed in ensnaring Lovers Souls The Queens Hair like a deluge over-flowed her Neck and her Face to hinder peradventure with their inundation the Looking-glass from silvering its Chrystal in the whiteness of that flesh As soon as she was combed she washed her Face with a Water which distilled from many Herbs was in opinion with those Chamber-Maids of having the Vertue to make fairer the skin I say in Opinion because in reality though its Vertue had been such yet it could not do any thing in her Beauty which an infinity having filled all places had rendered incapable of any Augmentation Howsoever they began with this Water and they ended with this Water all their Painting in Stratonica's face She to so many Prerogatives had from Heaven added that of not being an Alchymist Whosoever went to spy in the secretest Repository of her Cabinet found not there a world of little Boxes not to say Crucibles in which most Women think to finde the Stone of Beauty