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	see_v	2,875	5	3.5208	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12650	The triumphs ouer death: or, A consolatorie epistle, for afflicted mindes, in the affects of dying friends. First written for the consolation of one: but now published for the generall good of all, by R.S. the author of S. Peters complaint, and Mœoniæ his other hymnes	Southwell, Robert, Saint, 1561?-1595.	1595 (1595)	STC 22971; ESTC S111055	19,504	40

be longer registred in gratefull memories diuers that haue tried her in that kinde auowing her for secrecie wisedome and constancie to be a miracle in that sex yea when shee found least kindnesse in others she neuer lost it in hirselfe more willingly suffering then offering wrong and often weeping for their mishappes whome though lesse louing her shee could not but effect Of the innocencie of her life this generall all can auerre that as she was gratefull many wayes and memorable for vertues so was shee free from the blemish of any vice vsing to her power the best meanes to keepe continually an vndefiled conscience her attire was euer such as might both satisfie a curious eye and yet beare witnesse of a sober minde neyther singular nor vaine but such as her peeres of least report vsed her tong was very little acquainted with oathes vnlesse eyther duetie or distrust did enforce them and surelie they were needelesse to those that knewe her to whome the trueth of her words could not iustly be suspected much lesse was she noted of any vnfitting talke which as it was euer hatefull to her eares so did it neuer defile her breath of feeding shee was very measurable rather of too sparing then too liberall a diet so religious for obseruing all fasts that neuer in her sickenesse shee could hardly bee wonne to breake them and if our soules be possessed in our patience surely hir soule was truly hir owne whose rocke thought often stricken with the rod of aduersitie neuer yeelded any more then to giue issue of eie streames and though these thr●ugh the tendernesse of her nature aptnes of h●r sex were the customarie tributes that her loue paied more to her friendes than her owne misfortunes yet were they not accompanied with distempered words or ill seeming actions reason neuer forgetting distancie though remembring pitie her deuotions she daily obserued offering the daily sacrifice of an innocent heart and stinting her selfe to her times of prayer which shee performed with so religious a care as well shewed that shee knew howe high a Maiestie shee serued I neede not write how duetifully shee discharged all the behoofes of a most louing wife since that was the commonest theame of her praises yet this may be saide without improofe to any that whosoeuer in this behalfe may be counted her equall none can iustly be thought her superiour where she owed she payed dutie where she found she turned courtesie wheresoeuer she was knowen she deserued a●itie desirous of the best yet disdaining none but euill company she was readier to requite benefits thē reuenge wrongs more grieued then angred with vnkindnes of friends when either mistaking or misreport occasioned a●y breaches for if their words carie credite it entred deepest into her thoughts they haue acquitted her from all spice of malice not onely against her friends whose dislikes were but a retire to steppe further into friendship but euen her greatest enemies to whom if she had bene a iudge as she was a suppliant I assuredly thinke she would haue redres●ed but not reuenged her iniuries In summe she was an honour to her predeces●ours a light to her age and a patterne ●o her posteritie neither was her conclusion different from her premisses or her death from her life she shewed no dismay being warned of her danger carying in her conscience the safeconduct of innocencie But hauing sent her desires before to heauen with a milde countenaunce and a most calme minde in more hope then feare she expected her owne passage shee commended both her duetie and goodwill to all her friends and cleared her heart from all grudge towardes her enemies wishing true happinesse to them both as best became so soft and gentle a minde in which anger neuer stayed but as an vnwelcome stranger Shee made open profession that shee did die true to her religion true to her husband true to God and the world she enioyed her iudgement as long as she breathed her body earnestly offering hi● last deuotions supplying in thought what faintnes suffered not her tongue to vtter in the end when her glasse was tunne out and death beganne to chalenge his interest some labouring with too late remedies to hinder the deliuery of her sweet soule she desired them eftsoones to let her goe to God and her hopes calling her to eternall kingdomes as one rather falling asleepe then dying shee most happily tooke her leaue of all mortall miseries Such was the life such was the death of your dearest sister both so ful of tru comfort that this suruey of her vertues may be a sufficient lenatiue to your bitterest griefes For you are not I hope in the number of those that reckon it a pa●te of their paine to heare of their best remedies thinking the rehearsall of your dead friendes prayses an vpbraiding of their losse but sith the obliuion of her vertues were iniurious to her let not the mention of her person be offensiue vnto you and bee not you grieued with her death with which shee is best pleased So blessed a death is rather to be wished of vs than pitied in her whose soule triumpheth with God whose vertues stil breatheth in the mouthes of infinite praises and liueth in the memories of all to whom either experience made her knowen or fame was not enuious in concealing her deserts shee was a iewel that both God and you desired to enjoy he to her assured benefit without selfe interest you for allowable respectes yet employing her restraint among certaine hazards and most vncertaine hopes Be then vmpier in your owne cause whether your wishes or Gods will importeth more loue the one the adornement of her exile the other her returne into a most blessed countrie and sith it pleased God in this loue to be your riuall let your discretion decide the doubt whome in due should carry the suite the prerogatiue being but a right to the one for nature grace being the motiues of both your loues she had the best title in them that was author of thē and she if worthy to be beloued of either as she was of both could not but prefer him to the dearest portion of her deepest affectiō let him with good leaue gather the grape of his own vine plucke the fruit of his owne planting and thinke so curious workes euer safest in the artificers hand who is likeliest to loue them and best able to preserue them shee did therefore her duety in dying willingly and if you will doe yours you must be willing with her death sith to repine at her liking is discourtesi● at Gods an impietie both vnfitting for your approoued vertue she being in place where no griefe can annoy her she hath little neede or lesse ioy of your sorrow neither can ●he allow in her friends that she would loathe in her selfe loue neuer affecting likenesse if she had bin euill she had not deserued our teares being good she cannot desire them nothing being lesse to the

likenes of goodnesse than to see it selfe any cause of vniust disquiet or trouble to the innocent Would Saul haue thought it friendship to haue wept for his fortunes in hauing found a kingdome by seeking of cattel or Dauid account it a curtesie to haue sorowed at his successe that from following sheepe came to foile a giant and to receiue in fine a royall crowne for his victorie why then should her lot bee lamented whome higher fauour hath raised from the dust to sit with princes of Gods people if securitie had bin giuen that a longer life shuld stil haue bin guided by vertue and followed with good fortune you might pretend some cause to complaine of her decease But if different effectes shoulde haue crossed your hopes processe of time being the parent of strange alterations then had death beene friendlier then your selfe and sith it hung in suspense which of the two would haue hapned let vs allowe God so much discretion as to thinke him the fittest arbitrator in decision of the doubt her foundations of happines were in the holy hilles and God sawe it fittest for her building to be but lowe in this vale of teares and better it was it shoulde be soone taken downe than by rising too high to haue oppressed her soule with the ruines Thinke it no iniury that she is now taken from you but a fauour that shee was lent you so long and shew no vnwillingnes to restore God his owne sith hitherto you haue payed no vsury for it consider not how much longer you might haue enioyed her but how much sooner you might haue lost her and sith she was held vpon curte●ie not by any couenant take our soueraignes right for a sufficient reason of her death our life is but lent a good to make thereof during the loane our best commoditie It is due debt to a more certaine owner than our selues and therefore so long as we haue it we receiue a benefit when we are depriued of it we haue no wrong we are tenants at will of this clayee farme not for tearme of yeeres when wee are warned out we must be ready to remooue hauing no other title but the owners pleasure it is but an Inne not a home we came but to baite not to dwell and the condition of our enrance was in fine to depart If this departure be grieuous it is also common this to day to me to morrow to thee and the case equally afflicting all leaueth none any cause to complaine of iniurious vsage Natures debt is sooner exacted of some then of other yet is there no fault in the creditor that exacteth but his owne but in the greedinesse of our eger hopes either repining that their wishes faile or willingly forgetting their mortalitie whome they are vnwilling by experience to see mortall yet the generall tide washeth all passengers to the same shoare some sooner some later but all at the last and wee must settle our mindes to take our course as it commeth neuer fearing a thing so necessarie yet euer expecting a thing so vncertaine It seemeth that God purposely concealed the time of our death leauing vs resolued betweene feare and hope of longer continuaunce Cut off vnripe cares lest with the notice and pensiuenesse of our diuorce from the world we should lose the comfort of needfull contentments before our dying day languish away with expectation of death Some are taken in their first steppe into this life receiuing in one their welcome and farewel as though they had beene borne onely to be buried and to take their pasport in this hourely middle of their course the good to preuent change the bad to shorten their impietie some liue till they be weary of life to giue proofe of their good hap that had a kindlier passage yet though the date be diuerse the debt is all one equally to be answered of all as their time expireth for who is the man shall liue and not see death sith we all die and like water slide vppon the earth In Paradice wee receiued the sentence of death and here as prisoners we are kept in ward tarying but our times till the Gaoler call vs to our execution Whom hath any vertue eternized or desert cōmended to posteritie that hath not mourned in life and bin mourned after death no assurance of ioy being sealed without som teares Euen our blessed Lady the mother of God was throwen down as deep in temporal miseries as she was aduanced high in spirituall honours none amongst al mortall creatures finding in life more proof then she of her mortalitie for hauing the noblest sonne that euer woman was mother of not onely aboue the condition of men but aboue the glorie of Angels being her sonne onely without temporall father and thereby the loue of both parents doubled in hir breast being her only Sonne without other issue and so her loue of all children finished in him Yea he being God and she the nearest creature to Gods perfections yet no prerogatiue either quitted her from mourning or him from dying and though they surmounted the highest Angels in all other preheminences yet were they equall with the meanest men in the sentence of death And howbeit our Ladie being the patterne of christian mourners so tempered her anguish that there was neither any thing vndone that might be exacted of a mother or any thing doone that might be disliked in so perfit a matron yet by this we may gesse with what curtesies death is likely to friend vs that durst cause so bloody sunerals in so heauenly a stocke not exempting him from the law of dying that was the authour of life and soone after to honour his triumphs with ruines and spoile of death Seeing therefore that death spareth none let vs spare our teares for better vses being but an idle sacrifice to this dease and emplacable executioner and for this not long to be continued where they can neuer profit nature did promise vs a weeping life exacting teares for custome as our first entrance and for suting our whole course in this doleful beginning and therefore they must be vsed with mesure that must be vsed so often and so many causes of weeping lying yet in the debt ●ith we cannot end our teares let vs at the least reserue them if sorowe cannot bee shunned let it bee taken in time of neede sith otherwise beeing both troublesome and fruitlesse it is a double miserie or an open follie We moisten not the ground with pretious waters they were stilled for nobler endes either by their fruites to delight our sences or by their operations to preserue our healths Our teares are water of too high a price to be prodigally powred in the dust of anie graues If they be teares of loue they persume our prayers making them odour of sweetenesse fit to be offered on the aultare before the throne of God if teares of contrition they are water of life to