Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	great_a	king_n	war_n	4,472	5	6.2395	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A36598	Annus mirabilis, The year of wonders, 1666 an historical poem containing the progress and various successes of our naval war with Holland, under the conduct of His Highness Prince Rupert, and His Grace the Duke of Albemarl : and describing the fire of London / by John Dryden, Esq.	Dryden, John, 1631-1700.	1667 (1667)	Wing D2238; ESTC R14738	30,420	102

Mr Iohn Dryden ANNVS MIRABILIS The Year of WONDERS 1666. AN HISTORICAL POEM CONTAINING The Progress and various Successes of our Naval War with Holland under the Conduct of His Highness Prince RUPERT and His Grace the Duke of ALBEMAR● And describing THE FIRE OF LONDON By JOHN DRYDEN Esq 〈…〉 an homines latius impera●● 〈◊〉 Trajan Imperator ad Pl●n V●rg London Printed for Henry Herringman at the Anchor in the Lower Walk of the N●● Exchange 1667. TO THE METROPOLIS OF GREAT BRITAIN The most Renowned and late Flourishing CITY of LONDON I● its REPRESENTATIVES The LORD MAYOR and Court of ALDERMEN the SHERIFS and COMMON COUNCIL of it AS perhaps I am the first who ever presented a work of this nature to the Metropolis of any Nation so is it likewise consonant to Justice that he who was to give the first Example of such a Dedication should begin it with that City which has set a pattern to all others of true Loyalty invincible Courage and unshaken Constancy Other Cities have been prais'd for the same Virtues but I am much deceiv'd if any have so dearly purchas'd their reputation their fame has been won them by cheaper trials then an expensive though necessary War a consuming Pestilence and a more consuming Fire To submit your selves with that humility to the Judgments of Heaven and at the same time to raise your selves with that vigour above all humane Enemies to be combated at once from above and from below to be struck down and to triumph I know not whether such trials have been ever parallel'd in any Nation the resolution and successes of them never can be Never had Prince or People more mutual reason to love each other if suffering for each other can indear affection You have come together a pair of matchless Lovers through many difficulties He through a long Exile various traverses of Fortune and the interposition of many Rivals who violently ravish'd and with-held You from Him And certainly you have had your share in sufferings But Providence has cast upon you want of Trade that you might appear bountiful to your Country's necessities and the rest of your afflictions are not more the effects of God's displeasure frequent examples of them having been in the Reign of the most excellent Princes then occasions for the manifesting of your Christian and Civil virtues To you therefore this Year of Wonders is justly dedicated because you have made it so You who are to stand a wonder to all Years and Ages and who have built your selves an immortal Monument on your own ruines You are now a Phoenix in her ashes and as far as Humanity can approach a great Emblem of the suffering Deity But Heaven never made so much Piety and Vertue to leave it miserable I have heard indeed of some vertuous persons who have ended unfortunately but never of any vertuous Nation Providence is engag'd too deeply when the cause becomes so general And I cannot imagine it has resolv'd the ruine of that people at home which it has blessed abroad with such successes I am therefore to conclude that your sufferings are at an end and that one part of my Poem has not been more an History of your destruction then the other a Prophecy of your restoration The accomplishment of which happiness as it is the wish of all true English-men so is by none more passionately desired then by The greatest of your Admirers and most humble of your Servants JOHN DRYDEN An account of the ensuing Poem in a LETTER to th● Honorable Sir ROBERT HOVVARD SIR I Am so many ways oblig'd to you and so little able to return your favours that like those who owe too much I can onely live by getting farther into your debt You have not onely been careful of my Fortune which was the effect of your Nobleness but you have been sollicitous of my Reputation which is that of your Kindnes● It is not long since I gave you the trouble of perusing a Play for me and now instead of an acknowl●dgment I have given you a greater in the correction of a Poem But since you are to bear this persecution I will at least give you the encouragement of a Martyr you could never suffer in a nobler cause For I have chosen the most heroick Subject which any Poet could desire I have t●ken upon me to d●scribe the motives the beginning progr●ss and successes of a most just and necess●ry War in it the care management and prudence of our King the conduct and valour of a Royal Admiral and of two incomparable Generals the invincible courage of our Captains and Sea men and three glorious Victories the result of all After this I have in the Fire the most deplorable but withall the greatest Argument that can be imagin'd the destructio● being so swift so sudden to vast and miserable as nothing can parallel in Story The former part of this Poem relating to the War is but a due expiation for my not serving my King and Country in it All Gentlemen are almost oblig'd to it And I know no reason we should give that advantage to the Commonalty of England to be for most in brave actions which the Noblesse of France would never suffer in their Peasants I should not have written this but to a Person who has been ever forward to appear in all employments whither his Honour and Generosity have call'd him The latter part of my Poem which describes the Fire I owe first to the Piety and Fatherly Affection of our Monarch to his suffering Subjects an● in the second place to the courage loyalty and magnanimity of the City both which were so conspicuous that I have wanted words to celebrate them as they deserve I have call'd my Poem Historical not Epick though both the Actions and Actors are as much Heroick as any Poem can contain But since the Action is not properly one nor that accomplish'd in the last successes I have judg'd it too bold a Title for a few Stanza's which are little more in number then a single Iliad or the longest of the Aen●ids For this reason I mean not of length but broken action ti'd too severely to the Laws of History I am apt to agree with those who rank Lucan rather among Historians in Verse then Epique Poets In whose room if I am not deceiv'd Silius Italicus though a worse Writer may more justly be admitted I have chosen to write my Poem in Quatrains or Stanza's of four in alternate rhyme because I have ever judg'd them more noble and of greater dignity both fro the sound and number then any other Verse in use amongst us in which I am sure I have your approbation The learned Languages have certainly a great advantage of us in not being tied to the slavery of any Rhyme and were less constrain'd in the quantity of every syllable which they might vary with Spondaees or Dactiles besides so many other helps of Grammatical Figures for the