Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	good_a	great_a	true_a	2,848	5	3.8360	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A84170	The state of France, as it stood in the IXth yeer of this present monarch, Lewis XIIII. Written to a friend by J.E.	Evelyn, John, 1620-1706.	1652 (1652)	Wing E3514; Thomason E1328_2; ESTC R209097	48,352	165

THE STATE OF FRANCE As it stood in the IXth yeer of this present Monarch LEWIS XIIII Written to a Friend By J. E. LONDON Printed by T.M. for M.M. G Bedell T Collins at the middle Temple gate Fleetstreet 1652. The State of FRANCE as it stood in the Ninth yeer of this present Monarch LEWIS the XIIII Written to a Friend SInce I had first the honour to bee one of those whose Conversation you have cherished with so many signall obligations and as it were currents of civility I can hardly think that when by so many literal expresses and personal commands you enjoin me to deliver something in writing touching the late subject of our discourse you have either cause to delight in my triviall conceptions or designe my discredit For however your instances have at last prevailed yet your Honor is no lesse concerned to be tender how you publish my defects whilest in them onely though the faults be mine men will so peremptorily conclude your want of judgment and condemn your Election But you have promised to be discreet and I shall then make a saving adventure of my Reputation with you who have candor and charity not from the Multitude but the stock of your own worth and ingenuous Education of which this Essay will be rather an History then any thing otherwise capable to informe you who know already so much more and better then I can possibly either write or relate But to begin once since it is my fate to obey you I shall nothing alter the Scene which was then Presented you when you were pleased as it since appears to take notice of those casuall Discourses of mine wherein I posted over the best Remarks and most materiall Observations which my weak Judgment had been able to recollect during my so many Pererrations and unprofitable Sojourn abroad and especially in this Kingdome of France Nor wil I vex your patience with any Topographicall Descriptions as being the daily subject of your Contemplations when at any time you please to refresh your self amongst those exquisite Cards of the latest and most accurate Editions But represent in as succinct a Method as I am able what in order to Affairs as in the Government of this most active and Illustrious Monarchie they now stand I conceive to be chiefly proper and requisite for a Gentleman of our Nation under the notion of a Traveller to be able to render an accompt of at his Return And therefore before I proceed further I will complie with your desire and speak a word or two by way of Introduction or Digression rather of my sentiment and opinion touching Forraign Travel in General wherein I shall also deal very impartially with all the world concerning mine own particular as being I hope taking my long farewel thereof That which first rendred me of this Apodemick humour I shall not discourse here of Mercuriall complexions whom Physiognomists affirm to be Individua vaga's like my self proceeded from a certain vaine Emulation which I had to see the best of Education which every body so decrying at Home made me conceive was a commodity onely to be brought from a far Countrie and I cannot say without a little ambition too of knowing or at least of having the priviledg to talk something more then others could reasonably pretend to that had never bin out of sight of their owne chimnies smoke All which was a Ridiculous affectation contracted first from the ordinary Radomontadas of such as have seen strange places and great want of discretion and so fondly transported with the pleasure onely and temptation of Novelties the very instrumental causes of this unsetled extravagancy True it is Non omnis fert omnia Tellus for the great and good God hath discreetly and very wisely disposed in the furnishing and adorning as I may say of this Terrestrial Cabinet having left no one part or corner thereof without some thing specially different and admirably remarkable either in the composition quality or use all of them according to their position situation and effects admirably commodious and dependant of which divine Oeconomy there may be infinitely more spoken then will be sutable to this design after I have inferred that for these respects only a Traveller has some excuse as well as encouragement to go abroad and see the world Now then for as much as the end of all our Appetites wisely inquired into ought to be the principal Mira and terme to all our actions he that would travell rationally and like a Philosopher must industriously apply himself to the pursuit of such things as throughout all his Peregrinations may result most to the profit and Emolument of his own Country at his Return whether in the accomplishing of his person or affairs there being nothing more veritable then that saying of Homer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Turpe quidem mansisse diu vacuúmque redire And therefore Peregrinatio animi imperio corporis ministerio debet perfici For so it was that Ptolomies young Noblemen of whose rich fraight and return wee read of travelled and brought home with them wares of more value then if they had transported Gold and Pearles For the same cause PYTHAGORAS took leave of his Friends and native Country to which hee afterwards returned with the Learning of the Aegyptians as Strabo in his seventh Book and fourteenth Chapt. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And not as Plinie affirmeth Exiliis verius quam peregrinationibus susceptis Nay his passion and thirst after this excellent Commerce was so admirable that the same Authour in Syren tells us he made nothing of Circumcising himself that so hee might with the more freedom and lesse suspicion pry into their profoundest Mysteries For therefore were the Egyptian Priests called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incommunicable and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imparticipable Clem. Alex. Such a designe led THALES EUDOXUS APOLLONIUS nay PLATO himself and divers other renowned Personages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To comprehend saith Plutarch the Mysteries of Philosophy and Divinitie As it seems esteeming the Aegyptians to be the most Ancient and Noble people of the whole World both for the wisdom of their Constitutions and exceeding Reverence which they bare to Learning These being indeed the fruits most noble acquisitions which a Gentleman who is a qualified Traveller should study and endeavour to furnish himselfe with whilst he is abroad But these some may object are Heathen examples Christians are content to be lesse curious and stay at home Saint Hierom shall be mine Instance on this occasion and truely it is worth the reading what he hath delivered in one of his Epist ad Paulinum you shall find it praefixed amongst severall other to Sixtus his Edition of the Bible when after those words Legimus in veteribus historiis quosdam lustrasse provincias novos adisse Populos maria transisse ut eos quos ex libris noverant coram quoque viderent c. making a very ample repetition

Royal City is likely the best Map of the Country wherein it stands so may Paris be esteem'd the most exact Compendium of France Paris is a City in a Ring Paris site Edifices c. whereof the Louvre or Palace of the King is the Diamond And truly considering the vastnesse of its circumference so incomparably built all of the living Rock whereupon it is seated which for beauty easie working and lastingness renders it a preheminence above many more costly Materials I think no City in the whole world equalizes it I have seen Naples Rome Florence Genoa and Venice all stately Cities and full of Princely Fabricks but then I compare the extent and here are many Centuries of Noblemens Houses both within the Town and the Environs which altogether approach if not exceed the best of them This I will boldly affirm that for the Streets Sububrs and common buildings it infinitely excels any City else in Europe for publick Edifices some of the Hospitals are fair Foundations and handsome Piles but the Convents and Churches come far short of the Towns before recited yet that of the Sorbonne and Jesuites are not much inferiour to some of the best and most modern Pieces of Architecture extant The River of Seine The River of Seine which divides it is nothing comparable for sweetnesse and good condition to our Royal River of Thames yet it would deceive any man in the use when he shall seriously examine and consider the huge Vessels of burden though not Ships it brings up full of Commodities and necessary Provisions In conclusion Paris wants nothing but clean Streets and a redresse of the multitude of Coaches Laquays and throngs of Mankind with all which Number of people c. in Paris too great it is generally so pestered that it appears a miracle to me how so many backs are clothed and bellies maintained in a Town of no eminent Staple as you may behold in one day if you walk the streets and publick Carfours Most of the Houses ordinarily harbouring six True cause of our reproaching their Nastinesse as often ten families betwixt heaven and hell the Garrets and the Cellars and this I take to be the true cause of that Nastinesse which we usually impute to the Nation Persons of Quality Persons of quality more neat and sumptuous then any in England and such as have room enough being far more proper and sumptuous in their houses then the best of us here in England however we arrogate the contrary Touching the Extent of this City The extent of Paris and London difficult to be compared and why it hath been and is still a great controversie amongst our Countrey-men Travellers which is the larger This or London every one speaks according to his inclinations But the figures of them both are so different that it would be a very difficult matter to reconcile them by making an exact tryall and peradventure all things considered there is as yet no very great inequality but if we may conjecture from the buildings at present Prodigious increase of buildings and prodigious enlargement of their Suburbs on all sides what a little time and Peace will render it it must without doubt in a short time outgrow the contention and far exceed it for I finde no end of their erecting not onely of particular houses but even of whole streets and those so incomparably fair and uniform Beauty of the now new Edifices of Paris that you would imagine your self rather in some Italian Opera where the diversity of Scenes surprise the beholder then beleeve your self to be in a reall Citie This is onely to be observed in their prime Builddings and Palaces that the best Fabricks commonly promise less towards the Front or Street then you will finde them within the Court which is caused by the high walls and tarraces that thwart them a piece of Modestie which in other Appearances and outsides they do not usually practise But what our City of London hath not in houses and Palaces London for Shops Taverns other drinking Schools and Noise exceeding all C●●ies of the world she hath in Shops and Taverns which render it so open by day and cheerfull in the night that it appears to be a perpetuall Wake or Wedding to the beholder for so mad and lowd a Town is no where to be found in the whole world The Government and Policy of this Prevesté is exercised by Judges Governmēt of Paris called Lieutenants Civils and Criminels who for purchasing their Offices of the Court sell their Justice at extraordinary rate to such as have use of that rare Commodity Prevost of Merchand● They have also a Prevost of the Merchands les Eschevins which is an Office more resembling our Recorder and Sheriff then Major Likewise the Archbishop hath a spirituall jurisdiction here Archbishop of Paris c. as also some particular Abbots and Priors And with all this I cannot say it is well governed the disorders of every day and night will convince me Disorders of Paris in the night how they might be prevented if I should when so many execrable Murthers and Villanies are committed in the streets an inconvenience which might yet be easily prevented if they would but imitate our Policy and form their Watches of constant and responsible persons Neither is the strength of this renowned City any thing considerable in stresse of a Siege Strength of Paris nothing in a siege or respect of other naturall advantage save onely fire nay so open it is to the Conquerour that Sr Denys which lies but two leagues remote from it hath oftentimes been the Frontier of France had not the late Mareschal de Gassion as deerly Mareschal de Gastion preserved Paris from the Spanyard as bravely purchased their Liberty at the signal battel of Rocroy the Spainyard 't is beleeved might without the least obstacle have marched up to the very gates of Paris But the incomparable Aire of Paris is that which fortifies the Inhabitants The Aire of Paris celebrated so that very seldom hath a Plague or other Epidemical Contagion made here that havock and lamentable devastation which it so frequently doth in our putrified climate and accidentally suffocated City contrary to that Vulgar but most false Tradition which I find in every mans mouth The ordinary tradition amongst us that the plague is never out of Paris refuted that the Pestilence is never out of Paris but this besides the siccity of the aire many Naturalists ascribe to the over sulphurous exhalations of the streets and dry attracting quality of the Plaster Quality of the Plaster of Paris which bears or gives the Name to this goodly city Cert è id firmissimum Imperium est quo obedientes gaudent Thus Sir by the assistance of your Patience I have adventured to draw the Curtain discovering a very ample Theatre in a short time and represented it in as narrow a Circumference as those Artists who introduce a multitude of species through an Optick into some dark room or closet And the similitude peradventure will not appear unapt when you consider the reversed Method and confused Stile in which it is described But as writing of Histories is not my Trade I know you have not commanded me to undergo this Task to make thereby any advantage of my Imperfections but approve mine Obedience And now although I doubt not but many able Persons have most excellently treated upon this very Subject appropriated to their Times yet I will be bold to affirm and that sans vanitie none hath lately performed it with greater faith succinctnesse and in more natural Colours For hee that will truely comprehend the Government and Genius of this Kingdome must prospect and look out every day for new discoveries France being now no more the thing it was forty yeers since then the garb and fashion at that time to the habit and Mode now in use amongst them equally as different as incomparable And in truth to disabuse the World the complexion and Crasis of this Body Politick is of so high concernment to the health and good estate of our poor Nation that to presevre her in entire habit and Constitution there can never be too often inspections into the State and Regiment of this Kingdom This is the opinion of Paris this 15 of Febr. 1652. Stilo novo Sir Your most affectionate Friend and most obedient Servant J.E. FINIS