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	know_v	see_v	5,670	5	3.0830	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60070	A Short discourse upon the designs, practices, & counsels of France in a letter to a friend.		1677 (1677)	Wing S3589; ESTC R10678	14,260	16

A Short DISCOURSE UPON THE DESIGNS PRACTICES COUNSELS OF FRANCE In a LETTER to a Friend LONDON First Printed in 1677. And now Reprinted for the Information of the present Times Dec. 29. 1688. And are to be Sold by Randal Taylor near Stationers-Hall A Short Discourse upon the Designs Practices and Councels of France SIR YOu gave me a Brief and a pertinent Deduction the other day of the French Practices and Designs the Progress of their Arms and the Methods of their Proceedings Together with a Scheme of the Inevitable Ruine and Slavery that threatens Europe without a speedy and a powerful Conjunction against them After this general Contemplation of the present State of Christendom you were pleased to take a particular Prospect of the Interest of this Nation and how far we are to reckon our selves concerned in the common Calamity Coming at last to this Conclusion that England cannot reasonably expect to stand long after the Loss of Holland and Flanders For the support of this Opinion besides the Force of your own Reasoning you referr'd me to several Historical and Political Treatises upon the subject which I have diligently examin'd and made use of in this following Discourse wherein I take the Freedom to give you my Thoughts upon the whole matter Your first Charge upon the French was Breach of Faith and you pitch'd upon the Cases of Spain and Portugal the barbarous usage of the Duke of Lorain and the Nulling of the most Christian Queens Renuntiation upon Marriage which was the very foundation of the Pyrenean Treaty by a pretended devolution of the Spanish Netherlands in the Right of that Match Their underhand tampering of Denmark and Swede to draw the One from us and hinder the Other from joyning with us the Influence they had upon our Disgrace at Chatham Their playing Booty on both sides betwixt England and Holland in the Dutch-war And to these Instances which are all so notorious that they need no expounding you might have added a thousand more of the like Quality But these may suffice for a seasonable and a necessary Caution and without the Helps of Aggravation and Clamour especially that extraordinary Action of destroying the Queens Renunciation and then invading the Spanish Netherlands upon it An Action hardly to be paralell'd in the Story of the whole World for a concurrence of so many enormous Circumstances There was in it the Publique Faith of the two Crowns which is the only security of Government and the Bond of Humane Society There was in it the Solemnity of an Oath at the very Altar which is the most Sacred Tye of a Christian There was also the highest Profession and assurance of Friendship imaginable which is accompted one of the most binding Obligations betwixt Man and Man And then there was a Brother a Cousin and an Infant in the Case which makes it matter of Humanity and Honour And yet all these Cords were as easily broken as Bulrushes This single President may serve however for a warning to all Princes and States not to leave themselves at the mercy of men of such Principles But His most Christian Majesty is not the only Prince that has been abused by Corrupt and Ambitious Ministers Your next Observation was that they are the greatest intermediers in the World in other Peoples Affairs that they embroyl all whereever they come and that there 's hardly any Rebellion but they are in the bottom of it For their Mony walks in all the Courts and Councils of Christendom nay and beyond it too For 't is said that the last Grand Visir was their Pentioner Was it not France that debauch'd Scotland first and afterwards England into the late Rebellion Nay did they not stand still and look on to see the Crowning of the work which they themselves began in the Execrable Murther of the late King And did they not refuse to our Gracious and persecuted Sovereign even a Retreat in their Dominions How did they prolong the War in Portugal What Havock have they made in Poland and what work in Hungary And are they not at this day in Counsel with the Port against the Empire and undermining the Bullwark of Christendom How have they dash'd England against Holland blinded the Eyes of several Princes of the Empire and baffled all Mediations towards a General Peace Did they not formerly under the Colour of protecting Germany cut off Alsatia from the Empire And in a word this has been their practice wheresoever they have come They Covet Harbours in Spain says the admirable Baron del ' Isola Leagues in the Empire Factions in Poland Wars in England and Holland Passes into Italy and the Sovereign Arbitrage every where Their Quiet consists in the Trouble of all others and their Advantage is in the Publique Calamities Nor have they any other way then by dividing and weakening of the parts to master the whole which is the Capital design And if so There 's no Fence against a Common Enemy but a Common Vnion It is already made appear by what is above said how dangerous they are to mankind The next hint you gave me was to consider on 't whether the English may reasonably expect any better Quarter from them then other People in which point I shall only lay the matter before you and leave you the Judge on 't The Four main Interests of a Nation are Religion Reputation Peace and Trade For the first of these we shall neither fare the better nor the worse but lose just as much for being of another Communion as his Catholique Majesty gets by being of the same The Question now on Foot is a Communion of State not of Faith The Alcoran and the Gospel go hand in hand and at the same time the Protestants are protected in Hungary and persecuted in France To say nothing of the Encouragements they give there to the Jansenists which may for ought we know prove the greatest Blow to the Church of Rome that ever it received since the Reformation But what do I talk of Religion in a Cause that is dipp'd in Christian Blood and in the Tears of Widows and Orphans A Cause that is propagated by Sacrilege Rapes Depopulation Slavery Oppression and at least a Million of Lives sacrificed to it already The very thought of it is enough to strike the Soul of any man with horrour and Indignation If you would see now how tenderly they have handled us in the Business of Reputation Pray do but cast an Eye upon the Character of an English man in their Politique de France Quant à ce qui est des Anglois ils n'ont aucuns amis ce sont des gens sans Foy sans Religion sans Probité sans Justice aucune defians legers au dernier point Cruels Impatiens gourmands superbes audacieux avares propres pour les coups de main et pour une promte execution mais incapables de conduire une Guerre avec jugement Leur Pais est assez