Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	evil_a	good_a	reason_n	2,746	5	5.3703	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16237	The true order and methode of wryting and reading hystories according to the precepts of Francisco Patricio, and Accontio Tridentino, two Italian writers, no lesse plainly than briefly, set forth in our vulgar speach, to the great profite and commoditye of all those that delight in hystories. By Thomas Blundeuill of Newton Flotman in Norfolke. Anno. 1574.	Blundeville, Thomas, fl. 1561.; Patrizi, Francesco, 1529-1597. Della historia diece dialoghi.; Aconcio, Iacopo, d. 1566. Della osservationi et avvertimenti che haver si debbono nel leger delle historie.	1574 (1574)	STC 3161; ESTC S104654	14,877	67

from the beginning to the ending Thus much touching the order of vvriting Hystories VVhat order and methode is to be obserued in reading hystories WHo so is desirous to know hovve hystories are to bee readde had neede first to knovve the endes and purposes for vvhich they are vvritten VVhereof though there be diuers as some to vvinne fame to the vvriter and some to delighte the readers eares that reade only to passe avvay the time and such like yet in my opinion there are but three chiefe principall First that vve may learne thereby to acknovvledge the prouidence of God vvherby all things are gouerned and directed Secondly that by the examples of the vvise vve maye learne vvisedome vvysely to behaue our selues in all our actions as vvell priuate as publique both in time of peace and vvarre Thirdly that vve maye be stirred by example of the good to follovve the good and by example of the euill to flee the euill As touching the prouidence of God vve haue to note for what causes and by vvhat meanes hee ouerthrovveth one kingdome setteth vp an other For though things many times doe succeede according to the discourse of mās reason yet mans vvisedome is oftentymes greatlye deceyued And vvith those accedēts which mans vvisedome reiecteth and little regardeth God by his prouidence vseth vvhen he thinketh good to vvorke marueylous effects And though he suffreth the vvicked for the most part to liue in prosperitie ▪ and the good in aduersitie yet vve maye see by many notable examples declaring asvvell his vvrath and reuenge tovvardes the vvicked as also his pittie and clemencie tovvardes the good that nothing is done by chaunce but all things by his foresight counsell and diuine prouidence Humane vvisdome hath three principall partes the first vvhereof teacheth vs rightlye to iudge of all thinges vvhat is to be desired and vvhat is to be fled The seconde hovve and by vvhat meanes vve may best attayne to the things which vve desire The thirde teacheth vs to take occasiō vvhen it is offered and to foresee all peril that may hap And the first part requireth tvvo consideracions First to knovve by the examples of others vvhyther those thinges vvhich vve desire and seeme to vs good be good in deede or not and secondlye vvhat the obtayning therof vvill cost For manye tymes those things vvhich seeme good haue bene cause of great euil as riches ▪ honour and greatnesse vvhich euill proceedeth either of the nature of the things themselues or by euill vsing the same as for example by theyr ovvne nature honour and greatnesse causeth enuie And riches sometyme causeth both enuie murder and robberie Againe riches by euill vsing them doe cause the ovvner manye times to be disdaynfull prowde arrogant to leade a dissolute lyfe hating all vertuous exercises Contraryvvise those thinges that seeme euill are manye tymes causes of great good partly by their owne nature and partly for being vvell employed and turned to good vse As pouertie of hir ovvne nature maketh a man industrious Agayne if a man bee defamed or slaundered by hys foes hee taketh occasion thereby to correct his ovvne faulte and so turneth theyr slaunder to his great gayne and commoditie The other consideracion of the fyrst parte of humane vvisedome is as I sayde before to consider hovve much the thing vvhich vve desire vvill cost For the cost maye be such as vve vvere better to be vvithout our desire than to haue it And therefore in valueing this cost vvee haue to consider our labour and traueyle our expenses and losse of tyme also vvhat perilles displeasures and griefes myght chaunce vnto vs by hauing it and vvhat commodities vve may enioye in being vvithout it Againe to vvay the certaintie of the euills vvheron vve venter and the incertayntie of obtayning the good vvhich vve seeke vvhich is made manifest vnto vs by the examples of many vvhich haue long sought deare bought and yet obtayned naught Moreouer it shall be needefull to compare the long time of our traueyle and great charges vvith the short tyme of enioying the thing vvhich vvee are to obtayne It importeth also not a little to remember that many tymes things doe seeme vnto vs more precious and more goodly vvhy lest vve seeke them than vvhen we haue gotten thē And in seeking them by vnlavvfull meanes vvee haue to note what reuenge God is vvoont to take of such doinges and hovve short a tyme vvith what trouble hee suffereth vs to enioye them So cōtraryvvise vve haue to note vvith hovv small trauell and vvith hovv little charges a most great good benefite is many tymes obtayned As touching the second part of humane wisedome sith some easily and some hardlye doe attayne the thing vvhich they seeke It is needefull in reading Hystories to obserue vvell euery thing that hath bene done by vvhom to vvhat ende and vvhat meanes vvere vsed for the accomplishment thereof and vvhyther suche endes by suche meanes are alvvayes or for the most part or seldome or neuer obtayned and vvhither all men dyd vse therein lyke meanes or diuers if diuers vvhich tooke effecte and vvhich did not and vvhat maner of thinges those be vvithout the vvhich the ende cannot be obtayned And by vvhat accidents the same is hindered and vvhich are vvoont to chaunce often and vvhich more seldome also vvhich may be forseene and vvhich cannot And of euery meane vve haue to consider all the qualities and circumstaunces that make to the purpose from vvhence euery one sprange vvhither of industrie or of chaunce In the obseruing of meanes to attayne the ende it is meete to marke vvell the order of those meanes and hovve they are linked togither vvhich order may proceede three maner of vvaies that is eyther in beginning vvyth the verye first thing that tendeth to any ende and so forvvarde from one thing to an other vntil you come to the last or else contraryvvise in beginning vvith the last meane next to the ende and so backevvarde from meane to meane vntill you come to the first or leauing both these vvaies you maye take the thirde which is to deuide all the meanes into their general kinds and to consider of all the meanes contayned in euery kinde apart by themselues of all which three vvayes lo here the examples in one selfe matter of vvarre had vvith some forraine Nation VVherin if you do first note the establishment of truce and peace vvith your mightie neighbours vvith those that might harme you at home and then the prouision of mony and of armour the choise of chiefetaines the leauiyng of souldiours the order of their gouernement in marching in incamping and in fighting and so forth from one meane to an other euen to the victorie you shall follovv the first order but if you begin at the victorie and cōsider the next causes thereof as to haue fought vvith more valiauntnesse or vvyth greater force or vvith more aduauntage eyther of place time or occasion then

¶ The true order and Methode of wryting and reading Hystories according to the precepts of Francisco Patricio and Accontio Tridentino tvvo Italian writers no lesse plainly than briefly ▪ set forth in our vulgar speach to the great profite and commoditye of all those that delight in Hystories By Thomas Blundeuill of Nevvton Flotman in Norfolke Anno. 1574. ¶ Imprinted at London by VVillyam Seres Firmo Appoggio HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE 1574 To the most Noble Erle of Leycester KNowynge youre Honor amongst other your good delyghtes to delyght moste in reading of Hystories the true Image and portrature of Mans lyfe and that not as many doe to passe away the tyme but to gather thereof such iudgement and knowledge as you may therby be the more able as well to direct your priuate actions as to giue Counsell lyke a most prudent Counseller in publyke causes be it matters of warre or peace I that haue no other meane to shewe my thankfull mynde towardes your Honor from tyme to tyme but with yncke and Paper thought I coulde not wryte of anye thing more pleasing or more gratefull than of those preceptes that belong to the order of wryting and reading Hystories which preceptes I partly collected out of the tenne Dialogues of Francisco Patricio a Methodicall writer of such matter and partly out of a little written Treatyse whych myne olde friende of good memorie Accontio did not many yeares since present to your Honor in the Italian tongue of whych my labour and good wyll I most humbly beseech your Honour to allowe ▪ wyth that fauourablle iudgement which you haue alwayes heretofore vsed towards me and therwith to continue my good Lord vntyll I shall deserue the contrary Most bounde to your Honor Thomas Blundeuill The true order and methode of writing and reading hystoryes c. AN Hystorye ought to declare the thynges in suche order as they were done And bycause euery thing hath hys beginning augmentacion state declinacion and ende The writer ought therfore to tell the things so as therby a man may perceiue and discerne that which apparteyneth to euery degree and that not onely as touching the Countrie or Citie but also as touching the rule or dominion thereof For the beginning augmentacion state declynacion and ende of a Countrie or Citie and of the empire thereof be not all one but diuers things Foure things would be disparsed thoroughout the history that is to saye the trade of lyfe the publique reuenevves the force the maner of gouernement By knowing what trade of lyfe the Countrie or Citie in euery tyme and season hath vsed we learne howe to haue lyke in like times Agayne by knovving the reuenews and what things haue bene done therwith we come to know vvhat the Countrye or Citie is able to doe The force consisteth in Souldiours in the maner of the militar discipline in the Nauies in Munition and instruments of vvarre And the vvriter must not forget to shew vvhither the souldiours be hyred foreners or home Souldiours for lacke whereof Polibius hath giuen great cause of woonder vnto thys age because all Italie at this present is not able to leauie the tenth part of the number of Souldiours which the Romans leauied in his tyme enioy●ing all that tyme neyther Liguria Lombardie Romania nor Marcapianarite And yet as the foresayde Polibius vvryteth they vvere able to set forth foure score thousande footemen and three score thousand horsemen And in their firste vvarres agaynst Carthage being only Lords of Italie they dyd sende a nauie to the sea of three hundred and thirtie great Gallyes called Quinqueremi and novv the Turke for all his greatnesse is scant able to sende to the sea so many small Gallyes The vvriter also muste shevve vvhat kinde of gouernement the Countrye or Citie had in hir beginning augmentation state declynation and ende And whither there vvere any chaunge of gouernemēt for vvhat cause and hovve the same vvas done and vvhat good or euill ensued thereof Hystories bee made of deedes done by a publique vveale or agaynst a publique vveale and such deedes be eyther deedes of vvarre of peace or else of sedition and conspiracie Agayne euery deede be it priuate or publique must needs be done by some person for some occasion in sometyme and place with meanes order and vvith instruments all vvhich circumstaunces are not to be forgotten of the vvriter and specially those that haue accompanyed and brought the deede to effect Euery deed that man doth springeth eyther of some outvvarde cause as of force or fortune vvhich properlye ought not to be referred to man or else of some invvard cause belonging to man of vvhich causes there be tvvo that is reason and appetite Of reason springeth counsell and election in affaires of the lyfe vvhich not being letted do cause deedes to ensue Of appetite doe spryng passions of the mynde vvhich also doe cause men to attempt enterprises Agayne of deeds some haue sometimes such partes as be also deeds and sometymes parts that be no deedes And bycause that euery deede is done by some person for some cause in tyme and place vvith meanes and instrumēts vve vvill therefore suppose that to be alvvayes true as vvell in the principall deede as in the meane and smallest deedes of all And as the qualities offices and placyng of the members of a mans body be diuers and yet tende all to one ende that is to saye to the preseruation of lyfe and of the vvhole body euen so all meaner deedes ought to be applyed to the accomplyshinge of the principall deede And if there be a principall deede vnto the vvhich all other inferiour deedes ought to be referred as to their finall ende there muste needes be also a principall doer vvhome all other inferiour doers must obeye Agayne if there be a principall dooer there is also a principall cause ruling all other inferiour causes and also a principall time place meane and instrument And as deedes haue outvvardly belonging vnto them all the foresayd circumstances so invvardly they doe comprehende three speciall thinges vvhich doe runne thoroughout all the circumstaunces from the beginning to the ending And they be these possibilitie occasiō and successe VVhich things the vvriter must declare euen as they vvere And as touching the dooer to be knovvne vvhat he is and to be knovvne as chiefe dooer is tvvo things and requireth tvvo maner of proceedings For vvee learne vvhat hee is and vvhat maner of man by knovving hys name the name of his family the countrie vvhere hee vvas borne and bredde and such like things but he is knovvne as chiefe doer by his povver skill and industrie For these three things doe bring to effect the possibilitie occasion and successe of the deede For the povver ability of the doer causeth the thing vvhich is possible to be done in deede Againe his skill causeth him to take occasion vvhen it is offered and to vse the meetest meanes to bring it to