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 will_n 3,297 5 6.8462 4 true
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A05091 Politique discourses, treating of the differences and inequalities of vocations, as well publique, as priuate with the scopes or endes wherevnto they are directed. Translated out of French, by Ægremont Ratcliffe Esquire.; Discours politiques sur la voye d'enter deuëment aux estats. English La Place, Pierre de, 1520-1572.; Radcliffe, Egremont, d. 1578. 1589 (1589) STC 15230.5; ESTC S110593 110,171 164

There are 4 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

doeth him good whiche he easily forgetteth contrarily prompt to that which by apperance séemeth to doe good to another man without consideration of the euill he séeth not And we sée wel inough when a shooe sitteth well vppon an other mans foote but we féele not where it pincheth him Wherehence this light and mutable inconstancie procéedeth in the minde of man whereby he forsaketh his owne vocation straight to runne to an other whereas if he regarded as he ought to doe the commoditie is giuen him in this manner of liuing he is in and considered well of other mens euils he should liue in greater contentation and constancie exempt from ingratitude and affliction We sée by experience the newfanglednesse Man is soone annoyed with his own trade of life and varietie of man to be such in the mamment of his vocation that almoste assoone as he is placed in any state or fashion of liuing he is by by yrked therw t disliking of the same streight desireth an other as by example we sée him that is married think him happie that is not contrarily him that is frée praise his life that is wedded euen as they whiche leade a priuate life couet nothing more then to haue some Publique charge they that be in the same Horace praise nothing more then to be priuate Horace saying in his Epistles to this purpose Being fast in wedlockes bandes y linckte the single life we then best thinke The widow deems them best some say whō loues links kepe fast chaind alway Binde fast then with bonde durable how shall we this Protee mutable So displeasant as Terence saith are we of ourselues discontented with our present estate stil aspiring to that which passeth our capacitie The Romane people yrked with the Monarchal estate Terence Example of the Romanes gouernment of one alone would néeds be cōmanded by many first by Consuls then by Tribunes in diuers mutations changes as the Israelits before them annoied to be gouerned by many asked a king where they found worse then before thus hath it always ben shal be of the inconstancie instabilitie of man most manifest apparent in the exercise of his vocatiō The famous wise Philosophers espying this varietie The opinion of diuerse which haue searched out the cause of this inconstancie inconstancie of man prompt inclined to all disorder yet for all that séeing in naturall things so permanent measured an order be it in the mouing of heauen of starres planets be it in the so well according discorde of the Elements so equall counterpoise of the earth flowing reflowing of flouds riuers be it in al other creatures great smal all keping their naturall order haue béene maruelously and not without cause amased whence it shold come that such disorder confusion should be in mankind the most excellent noble of all other creatures And in the end haue imputed al the fault cause therof partly to the matter wherof men be compounded as fraile caduke partly to mans will so light variable of it selfe ascending higher be come to euerie ones fatall destinie saying the there is a certeine connexion coniunction of the first cause with the second naturall of the will of man so constreined that it is not possible to be able to auoid them And in the end there were a sort maner of people The Manicheis opinion whiche were named Manicheis ingendred of a depraued corrupt Philosophie which passing further dreamed imagined that there were two Gods the one good the other euil to whom they imputed the cause of all this confusion disorder But we must confesse that al this fault cōmeth no whence else but of the corruption The corruption of man causeth his newefanglednesse and deprauation of mans wil iudgment a point not sufficiently known by the ancient Philosophers from the which there procéedeth a blind confidence presumptiō of himself which is the spring of al errour Euerie man coueting to be a God to himselfe that is to say to vndertake whē so him listeth the gouernment administratiō of men Cōmon weales wtout attending vntil they be otherwise called So sore be they infected peruerted by this malign false persuasion You shal be as gods Witnes Caesar Sylla Pompeie M. Antonie Gene. 2. Example of Sylla Pompeius Caesar and others Brutus Cassius Cinna infinite other which led by this arrogancie leauing their vocations haue procured raised infinite seditions disorders As also Brutus Cassius Cinna their companions conspirers murtherers of Iulius Caesar the which blinded by their own particular arrogant counsel in sted of restoring the Ro. Republike as they were not ashamed to promise stirred vp parcialities nūberles troubles In recompense wherof they receiued in the end most miserable death A good lesson for rebelles no one of them remaining within thrée yeres after vnslain by the sword either by others or by their own hands which is the ordinarie fruite of their rashnes which passing out of limits The rewarde of them whiche aduaunce themselues vncalled is to be reiected of God bounds of their owne vocation ouer vnaduisedly and audaciously take vpon thē the which perteineth to God onely whose will pleasure is that euerie one should kéep contein him selfe within that whervnto he is called without straying elsewhere CHAPTER II. Of the three chiefe aduersaries and enimies to mans cōtancie in the exercise of his vocation first of ambition of glorie and honour mixed with emulation and of the opinion of them that thinke ambition and gealousie necessarie among Citizens THere be thrée principall plagues enimies Three capitall enimies to the constancie of man Example of C●imon Pericles other Nicias Alcibiades Aristides Themistocles and aduersaries to al constancie procéeding from one selfe spring to wit ambition enuie and impatience as may daily be séene by experience and from the which they that haue ben greatest and the moste renowmed among men haue not béene able to warrant themselues As he may easily sée that will take some paines to consider aswell of Cimon and Pericles of Nicias and Alcibiades their behauiours in the administration of their publique as also of the same of Aristides surnamed The iust who was so transported with the ambition of glorie and honour intermedled with emulation enuie hauing Themistocles for his concurrent and competitor that he feared not franckely publiquely to propound vnto the Atheniens that vnlesse bothe himselfe and Themistocles were by them chased away and cast into the Barather which was a déepe dongeon wherinto malefactors and suche as were condemned to death were cast headlong it were not possible that the affaires of their common weale should euer prosper or yet that their citie should be but in greater perill and daunger As Dion in like manner
the whole world What should I say Would not the Lawyer thinke ye agreeably accept the title of a Lord And thus of other No one almoste liuing not infected witnesse experience with this pestiferous canker of fonde selfe loue impatient ambition or yrkesome discontentment of his estate but for the moste parte all corrupted with the delight of daungerous change and innouation And what should be the cause of this disorder Forsooth in my opinion either the ignoring of vocation I meane that men doe not knowe or consider themselues to be but particular members of an vniuersall bodie and that they in that respect be by the incomprehensible ordinaunce of God called appointed eche one in his degree to some assured particular estate honest maner of liuing by his secrete prouidence and not by happe or fortune as Philosophers of olde time helde opinion allotted vnto him to keepe him selfe sufficiently occupied without needing to seeke any other if he list as he ought constantly to perseuere and applie the same in this life in all vertue to the common releefe as is before saide of the vniuersall Politique bodie and societie of all men in generall Or if they knewe this because the natures and manners of men be so depraued and corrupted as that they neither force to obserue this vocation or feare to violate the same but fare as if euerie one were ordeined to liue as a GOD vnto him selfe without respecte of the Publique not caring so their turnes be serued what become of the rest Wherfore considering how necessarie the remembraunce of this vocation is and wishing therewithall the impression thereof in all mens heartes as that whiche is not onely the originall and cheefe parte of humane societie but also the guide sure directer of all actions and affaires be they Publique or Priuate Politique or Domesticall I haue taken vpon me to translate out of the French into our vulgare tongue a Booke intituled Politique discourses treating of vocation and the diuersitie thereof in sundrie kindes By the which as we be assured of the interiour or secrete vocation or manner of liuing each one is called vnto as is before said so we be also taught how and whiche way eache one ought orderly and duely to enter into exteriour or apparent Publike vocatiōs or trades of liuing and haue also laide before our eyes aswell the dueties of them that haue power authoritie to cal men to Publique vocations as of them also whiche seeke or sue to be called therevnto and likewise how eache one ought to behaue himselfe and constantly proceed in that he is called vnto with diuers other points worthie of knowing touching that subiect as I can learne not yet treated of by any other haue made bold to cause the same to be published vnder your Honors protection hoping though I haue in this my translation as a young beginner rather imitated mine Author verbatim in his right sense and meaning then sought by polished style to beautifie the same that yet for all that you will accompte no whit the lesse thereof but accept it in good parte as presented for a testimonie of a hartie desire to gratifie your Honor with any other agreeable seruice whensoeuer it shall please you to commaunde Thus committing your Honour to the tuition of Almightie God I take my leaue praying him to preserue continue your Honour in health long life and all honour Your Honours duetifully at commaund Aegremont Ratcliffe ¶ To the most mightie and most Christian King of Fraunce Charles the ninth of that name SIth it is so that eache thing naturally coueteth and desireth that which is good and that there is nothing that may so muche auaile to the conseruation of humane life and societie as that whiche is necessarie and profitable for him it is most certeine Syr that among all thinges created good and beneficiall for the auaile of this life there be none that be to be compared with the commoditie and profite that commeth from man For what is it that hath mainteined caused Common weales Realmes Alexander Iu. Caesar and Empires to flourishe but men Alexander Iulius Caesar and other excellent and greate personages by what other meane haue they done so great and renowmed thinges So that it is moste cleare without need of greater testimonie in so apparent a thing that there is no one thing after God so commodious and profitable for the weale of life and humane societie as man himselfe euen as contrarily it is a thing no lesse certeine and euident that there is no euil be the same neuer so great and detestable which chaunceth not vnto men by them selues by their own default Wherfore he that tooke vpon him to search out the causes of mans death and destruction after he had gathered together an infinite as sicknesses pestilences flouds Dicearchus Cicero lib. 2. of his Offices and other concluded in the end that there haue a farre greater number without comparison bene destroyed and putte to deathe by mans meane as by warres seditions murders poysonings and otherlike then by any other mischiefe or mishap Which hath moued the auncient to say in cōmon prouerb Men like wolues towarde men that men were like vnto wolues toward men And contrarily that man was God to man meaning thereby that euen as there is nothing more beneficiall to man then man him selfe so there is nothing more contrarie and damageable to man then himselfe But to what end will you say Syr tendeth this discourse It is that therby I will inferre that among all politike things and which may apperteine to the gouernment administration of the Publike there is nothing so recōmendable as to vnderstand what belongeth to vocation that is to say which is the way maner to liue whervnto euery one is duly called what is the duetie and office of them that haue authoritie to cal men For without doubt the first part of a Cōmon weale wel instituted consisteth in wel choosing picking out ordeining of men apt and meete for the Publike choice eche one according to the manner of liuing he is called vnto Neither more nor lesse then as we see in the gouernment of a shippe the first and most requisite part to be that the Pilotes Patrons and Gouernors be wel chosen and ordeined in the same And euen as the good husbandman reaping most commoditie of his tilth and labour is he not that hath most land but that can best choose and discerne the propertie and nature of ech plotte of his grounde So the best gouernour and administratour of the Publike is he not that hath a greate extent and most subiectes but that can best handle men in well choosing them apt meete ech one for his office This beeing most certeine that some say that The prince and lorde ought to husband his landes lordships and reuenues by men but that he must husbande men by himselfe And if so be that
despaire to do as Laches who tooke the Isle of Lesbos Laches and being called in iustice to render accompt of his charge which consisted in the two maniments drew out his sword and slue himselfe openly before the world To al those aboue said fidelitie loialtie ought chéefly to be recōmended to them so much the more because that this treasure more thē any other Aristides Princes treasures subiect to thefte Plato as Aristides said speaking of medling with the Finance of Athens wherof he had ben Tresurer is willingly subiect to theft euill demeanor Wherfore Plato said that in the feat of election approbation of Tresurers there néeded no lesse circumspection and diligence then in the choyce and approbation of a head or generall of an armie Because that the Sinewes of warre that is to say the principall force is deposed and put into their handes CHAPTER VIII ¶ Of the warrelike vocation THe warlike vocation that is to say of men of warre comprised also vnder the Politique vocation and yet differing from that we haue hitherto spoken of in that it is exercised by armes and the other without armes is not as it is shewed in many places reproued but allowed and commended prouided there be no iniurie molestation or oppression done to any one by them that be called to this vocation of armes but that they content themselues with their pay and wages so that béeing called by the King Prince or Magistrat hauing authoritie to doe the same to goe on warrefare to mainteine subiectes in peace and repulse iniurie outrage and sedition we may not thinke that the simple obedience to such vocation be other but greatly to be estéemed and necessarie what soeuer may happen thereof be it that we kill or be killed This being most certeine that it is a good commendable act to sley an enimie disturber of the peace weale and publique rest be it either in open warre or else by laying in waite surprise Iesus Naue or ambushe God himselfe willing Iesus Naue to prouide himselfe of spialles vse ambushes A man of warr ought not to aske or inquire after the cause why he is employed And although it so fell out that the warres were euill vniustly and for trifling cause enterprised yet for all that he that is called to that vocation ought not to inquire the reason thereof ne yet vnder that pretext to refuse the obedience due vnto his Prince vnlesse the cause were notoriously knowen to be vniust and vnreasonable as to mainteine or sette vppe a false religion or other wise For the naturall and due order to conserue peace among men requireth that the authoritie aduice enterprise of warre should apperteine to kinges and Princes and not to particular persons The authoritie and aduice of warre be longeth to the Prince The Prince also vndoubtedly ought consideredly by good aduice and not throughe ambition glorie and gréedines reuenge or other passion of minde entring into the highe path of kinges as the Oratour Cineas saide to Pyrrhus named insatiable desire to reigne and without great occasion Cineas to come vnto this extreame meane and remedie of warre To be short men of warre ought to be suche Pyrrhus What kinde of men souldiers ought to be Plato as Plato in fewe wordes aduertiseth them to wit like vnto good watching dogges whiche be curst and daungerous vnto such as come from without to doe hurt and courteous gentle and tractable to them whiche be within and not as the Gréeke prouerbe saith Lyons at home and Foxes abroade And I would to God that they of our time had this lesson well in mind Themistocles and would shew themselues such that men might not iustly vpraid them as Themistocles did some of his time That they were like vnto Casserons because saith he that ye haue a knife in déede but ye haue no heart CHAPTER IX Of the comparison of vocations one with an other and first of the Contemplatiue with the Actiue WE haue séene what the vocation particular and generall is that is to say the vocation contemplatiue actiue and the actiue vocation aswell Priuate as Publique with all their kindes and differences without omission as we thinke of ought that may belong to the politique ciuil and humane declaration The authour meaneth not to speake but of humane vocation For as touching the highest secrete and especiall vocation of God and chéefly that which ought not to be drawn to example as of many called to diuers actions whiche be not to be brought in consequence here is no place méete to speake of them Now to make the excellencie vtilitie of all the vocations aboue rehearsed the more cleare euident we must next come to the comparison of ech of them aswell of the contemplatiue with the actiue as of euerie of the actiues also together one with an other The case standing so that aswell of the one parte as of the other there be verie great and apparant reasons also that oftentimes suche comparisons come in question We will then beginne by the comparison of the contemplatiue vocation The contemplatiue vocation resteth in the noblest parte of man with the actiue calling and speaking first of the contemplatiue it is without al doubt that the same lieth in the noblest and most excellent parte of man which is the minde whereby also as by the noblest instrument of all other the highest and greatest actions yea the nearest approching vnto God be exercised For there is nothing wherein a man may approche so nighe and which is more to conforme himself wholy vnto him then by this contemplatiue and speculatiue vocation because that the action of this contemplation is no other thing but a familiar conuersation with God accompanied with the fruition and continuall inioying of a pure and firme delight in all tranquillitie contentation and accomplishment of al felicitie Contemplation consisteth chiefly in the vertue of wisedome And because that sapience is of all other the chiefe vertue as that which resteth in the knowledge of diuine thinges so muche also is this contemplatiue vocation which consisteth in this vertue more excellent then the actiue which resteth onely in prudence and other inferiour and baser vertues Furthermore the highest vertue The greatest vertue is that which causeth a man to haue leaste neede of other helpe and action of man is that whiche procureth him the lesse néede of other aide and meane and in the whiche the point of felicitie consisteth whiche is séene in the contemplatiue vocation the whiche hauing as it were no néede of worldly thinges is contented and satisfied in it selfe whereas the actiue vocation standeth but in humane actions exercised by the lesser and inferiour parte of man mortall and transitorie no wayes sufficient of it selfe but hauing néede of al things treated being therewithal in continuall care toyle and desire to atteine the point and butte of felicitie
for the Common weale that this reuerence and obedience which we so diligently recommaund should be kept then to vanquishe their enimies in battell Scipio Nasica and Caius Marius Scipio Nasion and Caius Marius commended for obeying vnto vocations Agesilaus being towarde the Prouinces allotted vnto them and reuoked for like cause were the better estéemed because that they incontinently quited their Prouinces and streight returned to Rome where they voluntarily deposed thēselues of their estates And Agesilaus king of Lacedaemon was neuer so muche honoured for any acte he did as because that he abandoned his great and prosperous conquestes in Asia assoone as he had receiued a little billet sent him out of his owne countrie by the whiche he was aduised to returne home Leauing by that meanes with Asia a faire and worthie example of obedience Haniball disobeyeth his dismission due to them that haue power to reuoke far other then Hanibals was who beginning to haue euill successe in Italie neuer ment for al that vnlesse of mere force to obey his citizens which reuoked him to defend them frō the wars they had on hand in their own countrie Alexander the great And Alexander the great being for the self cause called backe into his own kingdom of Macedon refused not only to return but also scorned when he heard of the great battel his Lieuetenant had had against Agis Agis Darius King of Persia The authoritie of reuocation nothing inferiour to that of vocation A man may lawfully disobey the reuocation made by them that haue no authoritie Henrie the fourth Duke Rodulphe saying that it séemed vnto him hearing those newes while he defeated king Darius in those partes that they tolde him of a battell of Rattes and Mice In doing whereof without al doubt they were bothe worthie of blame For the authoritie of Reuocation made by them as I haue saide that haue lawfull power and commission to doe it is nothing inferiour to the same of vocation I say especially by them that haue lawfull power to doe it for if they were other then should there be iust cause not to obey the same As Henrie the fourth Emperour of Almaine of the name béeing duly chosen by the Electours of the Empire and yet for al that reuoked or dismissed by Pope Hildebrand who sent the Imperiall crowne wherein these verses were ingrauen vnto Rodulphe Christ Iesus whome Scriptures the rocke doe call To Saint Peter the crowne gaue before all And I who in earth his place represent To thee Duke Rodulphe the same now present Meaning to say that the Empire was by our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christe conferred vnto the Pope The reuocation made by parte and no sufficient number of them that haue authoritie to doe the same is insufficient Example of Coriolanus and that by Popes it ought to be giuen to Princes of whiche enterprise for all that full euill befell him and Rodulph because hée accepted the same as the historie thereof beareth more at large So should it be also if the reuocation were made by some and no sufficient number or parte of them that had authoritie to call as it happened vnto Coriolanus hauing béene chosen Capiteine generall of the Volsques by consent of all reuoked by Tullius alone hauing as then in déede greater authoritie then any other For I will gladly dismisse my self of my charge said he and remitte the same into the hands of the Lords of the Volsques if they all commaunde me as I haue by commaundement of them all and not otherwise accepted the same If a man were called to some authoritie charge The time of charge being expired the same ought to be giuen vp Of them whiche vsurped their vocations Sylla In Caesar M. Antonie Lepide and August Timolion lefte his charge or Publique dignitie for a certeine time limitted or else by occasion of some souden accident onely the time once expired or the occasion ceassing he should be more then blame worthie who that notwithstanding would continue and perseuere in the same as for example Sylla Iulius Caesar Marke Antonie Lepide and August the whiche contrarie to the institution and Publique ordinaunce of their offices ordeined onely for a time did forceably and by violence vsurpe and deteine the same and so continued in their souereigne authoritie or to say better in their tyrannie Wherefore Timolion among other deserued great prayse because that he of his owne frée will assoone as he had wrecked and defeated them that would haue vsurped the gouernement and made an end of that whiche was committed to his charge quited the state and charge of Capteine generall of Siracuse Pelopidas and Epaminondas kept their offices by force And contrarily Pelopidas and Epimanondas were iustly accused and blamed because they kepte their office and gouernement of Boetia longer then they ought although it was but foure monethes onely If he also that is entered into any vocation Infirmitie of bodie or witte is a sufficient cause for a man to giue ouer his vocation cannot any longer satisfie the Common weale wherein he hath béene receiued by reason of his infirmitie of bodie imbecillitie of witte féeblenesse of age or else through some other impediment what so euer it be happened vnto him it shall be best for him to departe or forbeare and dismisse himselfe because that Publique vocations be ordeined vnto men to be vsed to the publique seruice and not to be inioyed in respect of any interest or particular profite As among other Appius Clodius a notable personage who partely because of his age Example of Appius Clodius partely because he had lost his sight surceassed gaue ouer his charge and neither went any more to the Senate or yet intermedled himselfe with any Publique affaires And we haue in our dayes séene the Emperour Charles The Emperour Charles the fifte 5. vpon the like consideration of age and imbecillitie or vnabilitie longer to susteine accustomed trauels retire himselfe wholy from affaires and Publique administration Honest retraite and consolation for age And in verie déede a man féebled with age and whome crooked yeares compell to withdrawe himselfe from the maniment of affaires aswell of warre as of peace is not onely excusable but muche to be commended when he retireth himself vnto some honest consolation to passe the rest of his dayes quietly and especially when he hath the meane to retire him selfe to the moste happie and moste honest contentation of learning full of rest and tranquillitie of mind in the delectation thereof conioyned with honest contemplation happily to ende his vertuous actions all reported or referred to the onely butte of vertue proposed to euerie good seruitour of the Publique and profitable member of humane societie And verily it is a séemelie and honest thing for age to repose and refreshe him selfe after a number of toyles and troubles in the studie of Philosophie in reuiuing of the parte contemplatiue and