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
A57590	The secrets of government and misteries of state plainly laid open, in all the several forms of government in the Christian world / published by John Milton, Esq.; Cabinet-council	Raleigh, Walter, Sir, 1552?-1618.; Milton, John, 1608-1674.	1697 (1697)	Wing R187; ESTC R226476	78,208	248

Persons of Authority and Reputation for he that hopeth no Good feareth no Evil Yet true it is that dangerous Enterprises the more they be thought upon the less Hope they give of good Success for which reason Conspiracies not suddenly executed are for the most part revealed or abandoned All People do naturally imitate the Manners of their Prince and observing his Proceedings resolve to Hate or Love him But if they happen once to Hate the Prince then his Doings Good or Evil are afterwards not Good but if at the beginning he gained the Love of the People then every bad Action is reputed a Vertue as though he could not be induced to do amiss without good Cause or Reason Greatly are Princes deceived if in the Election of Ministers they more respect their own particular Affection than the Sufficiency of the Person elected A Prince having conquered any new Dominion is thereby rather incumbered than strengthened unless the same be after well governed and seldom is it seen that a Principality by ill means gotten hath been long enjoyed As to the Perfection of the whole Body soundness of Head only sufficeth not unless the other Members also do their Office even so it is not enough that a Prince be Faultless but it behoveth also that the Magistrates and Ministers should perform their Duty Great Princes rarely resist their Appetites as for the most part private Men can for they being always honored and obeyed do seldom with Patience indure the want of any thing reasonable as being perswaded that what they desire is Just and that their Commandment hath power to remove all Difficulties All Men are naturally good when no respect of Profit or Pleasure draws them to become Evil. But this Worlds Corruption and our Frailty is such as easily and often for our particular Interest we incline to the worst which was the cause that wise Law-makers found out Reward and Punishment the one to incite Men to Good the other to fear them from being Evil. A Tyrant indeavoreth to maintain his Estate by three means First He practiseth to hold all Subjects in extreme Awe and to be basely minded to the end they should want Courage to take Arms against him Secondly He kindleth Diffidence and Discord among the Great Men thereby to remove occasion of Conspiracy and Combination Lastly He holdeth them Disarmed and Idle so as they neither know nor can attempt any thing against him To govern is nothing else but to hold Subjects in Love and Obedience for in respect of the end they ought not and in regard of the other they cannot attempt any thing contrary to the Governor's Will and their Duty The Laws and Ordinances of a Common-weale made at the beginning thereof when Men were good do often prove unprofitable when they are become evil and therefore new Laws are made according to the Accidents which happen The Discontent and Disorder of People is ever occasioned by the Inequality of their Goods because the Poorer sort would be made equal to the Rich but the Offence that grows among great Men is the desire of Honor for they being equal do endeavor to aspire to equal Authority A Prince that desireth by means of his Ambassador to deceive any other Price must first abuse his own Ambassador to the end he should do and speak with more Earnestenss being indeed perswaded that the Intent and Meaning of his Master is Simple which happily would not were he privy that his Prince's Meaning were to Dissemble This course is also commonly holden by those that by Imployment of a third Person would perswade any thing Feigned or False For the Performance of Conditions of Treaty of Peace or League of Amity the Promises Vows and Oaths of Princes are of great Effect and because Fidelity in a Man is not ever certain and time doth daily offer Occasions of Variation there is no Assurance so Secure and Good as to stand so prepared as the Enemy may want able means how to offend To resolve in Matters Doubtful or answer Requests which we are not willing to grant the least offensive way is not to use direct Denial but by delays prolong the time and so in effect afford good Expectation The old Proverb faith Magistratus virum ostendit which is no less true than Ancient for Men in such Fortune are occasioned not only to make proof of their Sufficiency but also to discover their Affections and the more their Greatness is the less respect they have to contain those Passions which are natural Albeit great Troubles and continual Adversity seem Insupportable yet is there nothing more Dangerous than overmuch Prosperity and being pressed by new Appetites they disturb their own Security In speaking of Occurrents doubtful it is always Wisdom to feign Ignorance or at least alledge that we believe them not for most commonly they are utterly untrue or far other than vulgarly is believed The Actions of Men are commonly liked or disallowed according to the bad or good Success attributing that to Council which sometimes is due to Fortune The Multitude of Men were wont to be more pleased with sudden than slow Resolutions and many times account those Enterprises Generous which are rashly and inconsiderately attempted Great Difference there is between Subjects Desperate and others which are only Discontented for the one desire nothing but present Alteration which they endeavor with all Hazard the other wish for Innovation inciting any Motion or Practice because their Intent is to attend time and that occasion may present it self A Benefit bestowed on him who thinketh himself greatly injured doth not suffice to raze the same out of his Memory chiefly if the Benefit be given at such time as no mere Motion but Necessity may seem the occasion thereof That Peace ought to be desired which removed Suspition which assureth us from Peril which bringeth Quiet certain and acquitteth us of Expences but when it worketh contrary Effects it may be called a dangerous War covered with the name of Deceitful Trust not unlike a perilous Poyson ministred in lieu of a wholsome Medicine The Effect of things and not External show or seeming ought to be regarded yet it is credible what great Grace is gained by courteous Speech and Affability the reason whereof is as I suppose that every Man believeth he doth merit more than indeed he is worthy and consequently holdeth himself injured whensoever he findeth Men not to afford him like Estimation Men ought in any wise to refrain to do or say any thing which may offend for which respect it were great Folly either in presence or absence to utter displeasing Speech unless necessity inforceth The Matters whereof Counsellors are chiesly to consider are five The Prince's Revenue Peace and War Defence Traffick and what Laws are to be made In giving Council divers things are to be observed but amongst them are two of most Importance First It behoveth that he who is counselled should be Wise for seeing Counsel

and seeing the Success of some others to be such as without Cause or Desert are aspired to Dignity thereby encouraged they promised to themselves the like Nevertheless being entred into the course of their Design and finding many Crosses and Impeachments they do not a little repent their Overweening and Presumption but also many times utterly abandon their rash and unadvised Enterprize neither can I think that the Vertue or Sufficiency of any Man without the Favor of the Heavens can advance him for as the Poet saith Nec velle juvat potiusve nocet si fat a repugnant Whoso serveth a Prince far from his Presence shall with great Difficulty content him For if he commit any Error it shall be aggravated Besides that the Instructions sent unto him cannot be particularly conceived because the State of wordly things doth daily alter Also to serve aloof is a thing full of Danger and far from Reward which Inconvenience may for the most part be avoided by him that attendeth near to his Prince's Person Let no Man that cometh to serve in Court assure himself by his Wisdom to be advanced or eschew all Encounters Neither is he to bear himself so careless as to commit all to Fortune but be perswaded that this worldly Life is like to a Voiage by Sea wherein albeit Art with the favor of the Wind may do much yet can we not assure our selves to arrive safe in the Haven appointed for daily Experience doth shew that some strange Ships in the calmest Weather are drowned or impeached by the way when others much weaker and disarmed pass securely Among Men worthy of Commendations those have merited best that first planted true Religion next they that framed Kingdoms and Commonwealths the third place is due to such as have augmented or enlarged their Dominions lastly Learned Men deserve Fame and Memory and as every of these are worthy of Fame and Honor so ought they to be accompted Infamous that introduce Atheism or the Subversion of Kingdoms or are become Enemies to Learning and Virtue Whosoever taketh in hand to govern a Multitude either by way of Liberty or Principality and cannot assure himself of those Persons that are Enimies to that Enterprise doth frame a State of short Perseverance yet true it is that such Princes be infortunate as for their own security are inforced to hold a course extraordinary and have the Multitude their Enemy for he that hath few Foes may with small dishonor be assured but he that is generally hated can by no means live assured and the more Cruelty he useth the weaker his Principality proveth In commending another Man great Moderation is to be used for as contumely offendeth him against whom it is used so great praise besides that it is uttered with danger to his Judgment that speaketh it the same doth oft-tentimes offend him that heareth it For Self-love which commonly possesseth Men causes the Good or Evil we hear to be measured with our own And consequently every Man that is touched with like deserts and defects doth grow offended that his Commendation is not set forth and feareth lest his Imperfection should be discovered It is often or rather ever seen that the force of Leagues not used in their first heat becomes cold because Suspition soon entereth which in short space will destroy whatsoever was concluded and may not without long time be rejoined The power of Ambition which possesseth the Minds of Men is such as rarely or never suffereth them to rest The reason thereof is That Nature hath framed in them a certain Disposition to desire all things but not to obtain them so as our Desires being greater than our Power therefore following Discontenr and evil Satisfaction Hereof also proceedeth the Variation of Fortune for some Men desiring to get and others fearing to lose that they had gotten do occasion one Man to injure another and consequently Publick Wars do follow by means whereof one Country is ruined and another inlarged Princes of great Power and chiesly those that are Inhabitants of the North having many Children were wont to be much inclined to the Wars as well to win unto themselves Honor as also to get Possessions for their Sons which manner of Proceedings did oft-tentimes remove such Disturbance as the Plurality of Brethren bringeth These and other reasons induced Princes to attempt War against those Kingdoms which in cheir opinion seemed easily conquered or whereunto they can pretend little for by colour thereof they may the rather justifie their Proceedings When a Prince deferreth to answer an Ambassador it proceedeth from some of these Respects either because he will take time to resolve himself of somewhat whereof he doubteth or that he intendeth covertly to deny that which is demanded or that he esteemeth not the Prince that doth demand or that he disdaineth the Person by whom the demand is made or else that he intendeth to hear from his own Ministers to be better resolved Wherefore a discreet Negotiator ought in such cases to consider which of these Reasons move the Prince where he is employed to entertain him with delays and make his dispatch accordingly The sufficiency of good Counsellors consistetd in fonr things First They ought to be wise and skilful how to handle their Affairs directing all doings to publick Commodity Secondly To be just in their Proceedings giving to every one that which to him appertaineth Thirdly To be stout and void both of partial respects and fear And lastly To be temperate and moderate in their Desires Whoso desireth to govern well and securely it behoveth him to have a vigilant Eye to the Proceedings of great Princes and to consider seriously of their Designs For it is matter of small difficulty to live in Peace with him who desireth our Amity and provideth for others that endeavor to offend us The Intelligences that Princes study to attain are procured by divers means Some are brought by report some vented by Conversation and Sounding some by means of Espials but the most sure and credibe Occurrents are those which come from Ambassadors chiesly those that either for the Greatness of their Prince or their own Virtue be of most Reputation For those Men conversing daily with great Personages and pondering diligently their Manners Words Wisdom and the order of each Man's Troceedings yea of the Prince himself may with Commodity attain unto matters of great Importance sooner than they that are Writers of Rumors or that take upon them to Conjecture of things to come Whensoever a People is induced to commit so great an Error as to give Reputation to one only Man to the end he should oppress all those great Men whom they hate they thereby give him opportunity to become their Prince and so being assisted with their Favor and Aid he may likewise extinguish all the rest of the Nobility and they being extirpated he will also endeavor to tyrannize over the People by whose help he aspired So many as are not consenting