Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	fruit_n	good_a	tree_n	4,830	5	9.4106	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B05979	The Earle of Strafford, his speech in the Tower to the Lords, before hee went to execution. May the 12. day. 1641.	Strafford, Thomas Wentworth, Earl of, 1593-1641.	1641 (1641)	Wing S5793; ESTC R184662	5,727	11

THE EARLE OF STRAFFORD His Speech in the Tower to the Lords before hee went to execution May the 12. day 1641. Printed 1641. His Speech in the Tower to the Lords before hee went to Execution RIght honourable and the rest you are now come to convey me to my death I am willing to die which is a thing no more than all our Predecessours have done and a debt that our Posteritie must in their due time discharge which since it can be no way avoyded it ought the lesse to be feared for that which is common to all ought not to be intollerable to any It is the law of nature the tribute of the flesh a remedy from all worldly cares and troubles and to the truly penitent a perfect path to blessednesse And there is but one death though severall wayes unto it Mine is not naturall but enforced by the Law Justice It hath been said that the Lawes vex only the meaner sort of people but the mighty are able to withstand them It is not so with me for to the Law I submit my selfe and confesse that I receive nothing but Justice For he that politikly intendeth good to a Common-wealth may be called a just man but he that practiseth either for his owne profit or any other sinister ends may bee well tearmed a Delinquent person Neither is delay in punishment any priviledge for pardon And moreover I ingenuously confesse with Cicero that the death of the bad is the safety of the good that be alive Let no man trust either in the favour of his Prince the friendship and consanguinity of his Peeres much lesse in his owne wisedome knowledge of which I ingenuously confesse I have been too confident Kings as they are men before God so they are gods before men and I may say with a great man once in this Kingdome had I strived to obey my God as faithfully as I sought to honour my King diligently I had stood and not fallen Most happie and fortunate is that Prince who is as much for his justice feared as for his goodnesse beloved For the greater that Princes are in power above other the more they ought in vertue to excell other and such is the Royall Soveraigne whom I late served For my Peeres the correspondence that I had with them during my prosperitie was to me verie delightfull and pleasing and here they have commiserated my ruine I have plentifully found who for the most generous of them I may boldly say though they have detested the fact yet they have pitied the person delinquent The first in their loyalty the last in their charity Ingenuously confessing that never any subject or Peere of my ranke had ever that helpe of Counsell that benefit of time or a more free and legall tryall than I have had In the like whereof none of my predecessours hath had so much favour from his Prince so much sufferance from the people in which I comprehend the understanding Commons not the many headed monster Multitude But I have offended am sentenced must now suffer And for my too much confidence in my supposed wisedome and knowledge therein have beene the most deceived For hee is wise to himselfe that knowes by others faults to correct his own offences To be truely wise is to be Secretaries to ourselves For it is meere folly to reveale our intimate thoughts to strangers Wisedome is the most precious Gem with which the mind can be adorned and learning the most famous thing for which a man ought to bee esteemed and true wisedome teacheth us to doe well as to speake well In the first I have failed for the wisedome of man is foolishnesse with God For knowledge it is a thing indifferent both to good and evil but the best knowledge is for a man to know himselfe hee that doth so shall esteeme of himselfe but little for hee considereth from whence he came and whereto he must go he regardeth not the vaine pleasures of this life hee exalteth God and strives to live in his fear But he that knoweth not himselfe is wilfull in his owne wayes unprofitable in his life infortunate in his death and so am I. But the reason why I sought to attaine unto it was this I have read that he that knoweth not that which hee ought to know is a bruit beast amongst men Hee that knoweth more than he ought to know is a man amongst beasts But he that knoweth all that may be known is a God amongst men To this I much aspired in this I much failed Vanitie of vanities all is but vanitie I have heard the people clamour and cry out saying That through my occasion the times are bad I wish that when I am dead they may prove better Most true it is that there is at this time a great storme impending God in his mercie avert it And since it is my particular lot like Ionah to be cast into the sea I shall thinke my life well spent to appease Gods wrath and satisfie the peoples malice O what is eloquence more than aire fashioned with an articulate and distinct sound when it is a speciall vertue to speake little and well and silence is oft the best oratorie For fooles in their dumbnesse may bee accounted wise It hath power to make a good matter seeme bad and a bad cause appeare good But mine was to mee unprofitable and like the Cypresse trees which are great and tall but altogether without fruit What is honour but the first step to disquietnesse and power is still waited on by envie neither hath it any priviledge against in famie It is held to be the chiefe part of honour for a man to joyne to his office and calling curtisie and affabilitie commiseration and pitie For thereby he draweth to him with a kind of compulsion the hearts of the multitude But that was the least part of my studie which now makes mee call to minde that the greater the persons are in authority the sooner they are catcht in any delinquencie and the smallest crimes are thought to be capitall the smallest spot seemes great in the finest linnen and the least flaw is soonest found in the richest Diamond But high and noble spirits finding themselves wounded grieve not so much at their owne paine and perplexitie as at the derision and scofs of their enemy But for mine own part though I might have manie in my life I hope to finde none in my death Amongst other things which pollute and contaminate the mindes of great spirits there is none more hainous than ambition which is seldome unaccompanied with Avarice Such to possesse their ends care not to violate the Lawes of Religion and Reason and to breake the bonds of Modestie and equitie with the nearest tyes of Consanguinitie and Amitie Of which as I have beene guiltie so I crave at Gods hands forgivenesse It is a maxime in Philosophy that ambitious men can never bee good Counsellours to Princes The desire of