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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	great_a	life_n	see_v	3,300	5	3.3210	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09793	A philosophicall treatise concerning the quietnes of the mind. Taken out of the morall workes written in Greeke, by the most famous philosopher, & historiographer, Plutarch of Cherronea, counsellor to Traian the emperour. And translated out of Greeke into French by Iames Amyor Bishop of Auxerre, and great almoner to the most Christian King of Fraunce Charles the ninth. And now turned out of French into English by Iohn Clapham; De tranquilitate animi. English	Plutarch.; Clapham, John, b. 1566.	1589 (1589)	STC 20059; ESTC S119209	26,197	83

house But verie true it is as the Poet Hesiodus saith The percing winde that from the North doth passe Hurtes not the bodie of the tender Lasse But greefes cares vexations and discontentments be it through iealousysuperstition ambition or proceeding from vaine opinions and conceites that are almost innumerable do easilie rush euen into Ladies closets and bedchambers And Laertes which liued solitarilie in the countrie for the space of twentie yeares Alone with one olde woman that hee had To dresse his meat he liu'd pensiue sad Albeit he separated himselfe far from his countrie from his house and kingdome yet he alwaies carried griefe and sadnes in his hart which are euer accompanied with idle discontentment and pensiue silence Moreouer there are some which say that not to bee emploied in affaires is oft times cause of displeasure and the disquiet of a mans minde As appeareth by the discontented Greeke whom Homer describeth But stout Achilles sprung of Peleus race Being light of foote and full of diuine grace Had no delight once from his ships to moue Or march in battle as did him be houe Amidst the Greekes or els among the wise To sit in counsell or to enterprise Some braue attempt beseeming his estate But all alone possest with spite and hate He did consume himselfe from countrie far Although hee loued nothing more than war Wherupon himselfe being passionate and vexed in minde sayth a litle after that Hard by my shippes where doing naught I stoode A lumpe of Earth vnsit for any good In so much that Epicurus himselfe is of opinion that a man ought not to continue still doing nothing but that euerie man should followe the inclination of his owne nature as the ambitious and desirous of Honour to deale with publicke affaires and to entermeddle with the gouernment of the common wealth saying that otherwise in doing nothing they should be more troubled disquieted because they could not obtaine that which they desired But herein he is of a bad iudgement in calling to the gouernment of the state not those men which are most fit for the place but such as can least giue themselues to case and rest Howbeit we ought not to measure or determine the quiet or disquiet of the mind by the great or small number of matters but by the good or bad handling of them For as we haue alreadie said it is no lesse troblesome nor lesse offensiue to the minde to omit that which is good then commit that which is ill And as for them which thinke that there is assuredlie a certaine speciall kinde of life without anie discontentment as some hold the life of labouring me to be some the life of yong men to be married and some the life of Kinges Menander answereth them sufficientlie in these verses O Phania I thought that men of power Which haue great store of wealth at euerie hower So that they neede not vpon vsury To borrow as men doo in penury Had from all care thought beene freed cleane And had not known what greefe paine dooth meane Or all nights groning sighing vnrest Turning from side to side as men opprest To crie alas and wish it were their hap To close their eyes or take one slumbring nappe But afterward looking neerer into their state and perceauing that the rich liued as much discontented as the poore he saith Thus discontentment in all states beeing rife The sister german of this human life Participates with nobles in the Court With men of power of welth of euery sort The silly soule by hir dooth pine away And euery where she beares no litle sway But this is euen as those that are fearfull and sick vpon the seas which thinke to ease and cure them selues in passing out of a Barke into a Brigandine and out of a Brigandine into a Galley And yet they gaine nothing thereby for so much as they alwaies carrie with them the humor and feare which causeth their sicknes Euen so alteration in the kindes of life dooth not take away the greefes and vexations that trouble the quiet of minde which greefes proceed partlie of want of experience in matters partly of lacke of good conference and aduise partly of default of knowledg discretion to apply our selues to our present estate This is it which disquieteth as well the riche as the poore This is it which troubleth as well the married as the vnmaried This is the cause that manie doo flie the pallace and please please in courtes And yet for all this they cannot brooke quietnes or giue themselues to rest by reason they desire and seeke to be a duanced and to haue great places in Princes courtes which when they haue once obtained sodainely they become weary of them Hard is it to content the man that's sicke So saith Ion the Poet for his wife displeaseth him He accuseth the Phisition Hee is angrie with his bed some one of his friendes offendeth him because hee commeth to visite him another because he commeth not or being come for that he will needes depart But afterwardes when the disease decreaseth and that there commeth an other temperature disposition of body then health returneth againe which maketh all thinges pleasing and delightful So that he which of late nay but yesterdaie refused with loathing and abhorred egs fine cheat the whitest manchet that might be got this day falleth to brown houshold bred with oliues and water cresses euen sauourly and with a good stomacke Euen so the iudgement of reason comming to forme it selfe in mans vnderstanding bringeth with it the like facility and the very same chaunge in euery kind of life They say that Alexander hauing heard Anaxarchus the Philosopher dispute and maintaine in argument that there were innumerable worldes began to weepe And beeing asked what reason hee had so to doo answered saying haue I not great cause to weepe if the number of worlds be infinite seeing that I cannot yet make my selfe lord of one alone Wheras Crates hauing for al his wealth but one olde ill-fauored ragged cloake and a patched scrippe did nothing al his life long but sport and laugh as if he had alwaies beene at a feast Contrariwise Agamemnon complained for that he had such a great world to commaund Loe Agamemnon sonne to Atreus Vpon whose necke Iupiter caus'd to bide The heauy waight for al the world beside Whereas Diogenes when they solde him for a slaue lying all along vpon the ground mocked the crier that sold him and would not rise vp when hee commaunded him but sported and iested with him saying And if thou shouldst sel a fish wouldest thou make it rise vp And Socrates beeing in prison vsed familiar conference in discoursing of matters of ●●ilosophie whereas Phaeton beeing mounted vp to heauen yet wept for despite that they would not let him rule gouerne the horses and Chariot of the Sun his

A Philosophicall Treatise concerning the quietnes of the mind Taken out of the Morall workes written in Greeke by the most Famous Philosopher Historiographer Plutarch of Cherronea Counsellor to Tra●●● the Emperor And translated out of Greeke into French by Iames Amyor Bishop of Auxerre and great Almoner to the most Christian King of Fraunce Charles the ninth And now turned out of French into English by John Clapham Printed by Robert Robinson for Thomas Newman 1589. ¶ To my verie good Father Master Luke Clapham contentment of minde in this life and continuance of ioy in the life to come SIR after I had finished the translation of this Philosophicall Treatise which was my chiefe woorke these long Winter nightes I purposed to send the written copy vnto you not minding then to publish it Howbeit being since perswaded that it might be beneficiall to others considering the necessitie of the argument I haue now made that common to al which at the first was intended onely to you wherein whatsoeuer my intention was I can hardlie excuse my selfe of rashnes in publishing it to the view and censure of the learned skilfull in the French tongue wherof my selfe haue but a tast who will easilie perceiue my wants errors in the translatiō And yet seeing oftentimes that endeuor supplieth default of sufficiencie and a good meaning counteruaileth a bad performance J haue at all aduentures as you see stripped this morall treatise out of a rich French attire into a poore English weed I would be loth that some French man should take it as an iniurie thrusting it out to the eie of the world vnder your patronage being the first fruites of my labour in this kind not doubting of your fauourable acceptance thereof as proceeding from him that in nature and dutie is most bownd vnto you and to whom he oweth himselfe and all that hee hath If the paines I haue taken herein may either please or profit the Reader I shall bee glad if both I require no more Jf neither yet for the first time Sit voluisse satis And thus in my hartie praiers I commend you with my good Mother to the protection of the Almightie whom J beseech to send yee manie happie yeares to your ioy and contentment in this world and euerlasting peace to your endlesse comfort in his Kingdome From the Court at Richmond the 2. of Ianuarie 1589. Your humble and obedient sonne Iohn Clapham Translator ad Libellum Si quis parue liber quum primum viderit hospes Forte rogat quiduis cuius es vnde venis Jgnotus dic tu Dominus me protulit atqui Cum nequeat quod vult sit bene velle satis Intereà faueátque tibi Dominóque precare Qui me lior a volet cum meliora valet A Philosophicall treatise concerning the quietnes of the minde Plutarch to Paccius health c. I Receaued your letter verie lately wherin you desire mee to write some thing vnto you cocerning the quietnes of the mind and with all touching certaine places of Platoes Timaeus which seeme needfull of a most diligent exposition It chaunced at the same time that Eros our familiar friend had occasion to saile with speede towards Rome about certaine letters which hee had receiued of the most vertuous gentleman Fundanus who therein was verie earnest to haue him depart forth with and to come vnto him So wanting sufficient time to emploie in the matter which you desired and vnwilling that he departing from mee should come vnto you with emptie handes I haue drawne togither summarily out of notes and remembrances which I had long since collected for mine owne priuate vse certaine sentences touching the tranquillitie of the mind perswading my self that you haue not required this discourse to the ende that you might take pleasure in reading a treatise well and eloquentlie written but onely to serue you at need knowing verie well that to get the fauour of great men and to be reported a good speaker and as eloquent a pleader of causes in the Pallace as anie one in Rome you do not for al this as Merops the Tragedian who wearieth consumeth himselfe with vainglorie to please the humour of the popular sort which therfore worthily account you happie but I doubt not that you keepe wel in memoric the speach which you haue oft times heard me vse that neither a noblemans shoe healeth the gout in the foot nor a precious ring the crampe in the finger nor a Diadem the paine in the head For how serueth store of wealth great honors or credit in Court to free the minde from trouble and to make a mans life peaceable if That be not within which can vse it vertuouslie and if it be not alwaies accompanied with contentment which neuer wisheth that it hath not And what other thing is That but onely reason accustomed exercised in bridling straightwaies the vnreasonable part of the minde which easily and oft times passeth hir bowndes so that it cannot wander abroad at hir owne pleasure nor be carried about after hir own appetites Wherefore as Xenophon doth warne men to be mindfull of the gods and to worship them especiallie when they are in prosperitie to the ende that in time of necessitie they may be more assured to reclaime them as hauing bin long before fauourable and frendlie vnto them So ought wise and discreete men to make prouision of reasons which may serue to defend them against passions so that hauing them prepared before hand they may be more auaileable whē need requireth For euen as dogges which are fierce by nature do grin and barke at euerie straunge noise they heare and are not appeased but with the sownd of that voice which is familiar vnto them and with which they are acquainted So is it not an easie matter to bring back to reason the wilde wandering passions of the minde vnlesse we haue a fit and familiar bridle at hand that may checke them as soone as they begin to stirre As for them which say that if wee would liue quietlie we should not deale with manie matters either priuate or publick First I say that they would sel vs this tranquillitie too deerlie which will haue vs buy it with the price of idlenes which is as much as if they should warne euery man as being sicke euen as Electra doth her brother Orestes Continue quiet wretched in thy bed But this were an ill medicine for the bodie which to case the paine thereof must take away the feeling neither is he a better Phisition for the minde who to take all disquiet from it would make it idle effeminate forgetfull of all dutie towards friends kindred and countrey Wee see then it is vntrue that their mindes are setled and quiet which entermedle not with manie matters For if it were so then must we say that women liue more contented and lesse troubled than men considering that for the most part they stirre not out of the

father Euen as the shoe becommeth crooked according to the deformitie of the foote and not otherwise So is it the humors of men which make their liues alike and conformable to their dispositiōs For it is not custome as one would haue it which maketh a good life pleasant to them which haue chosen it but wisdome and temperance are the things which make our life good and pleasaunt withal And therefore sith the spring head of all quietnes of minde resteth in our selues let vs looke vnto it and diligently cleanse it to the end that those chaunces which shall befall vs in outward thinges may seeme pleasing familiar vnto vs when wee are well acquainted with them and can make vse of them Be not offended whatsoeuer chaunceth For at our anger fortune sports daunceth But he that for all happes his mind can frame Vndoubtedly deser●es a wise mans name For Plato compareth our life to Table play wher the Dye must shew the cast and the gamster must content himselfe with his chaunce Now touching these two points the euent and hazard of the Dye are not in our power but patiently and moderately to take in good part whatsoeuer it shall please fortune to send and to dispose euerie thing in such place as it may helpe much if it be good or hurt litle if it be bad this is in ourpower to do this we ought to do if we be wise For fooles that are slaues to their affections which knowe not how to behaue themselues in this human life do presumptuously rush out of their boundes in prosperity and timerously mure vp themselues in aduersitie So that they are troubled with both extremities or to say more truely with themselues in both extremities principally in that which they call Goods as those men who being sicke are vnable to endure either heat or cold Theodorus that for the il opinions he held was surnamed Atheos which is without God or godlesse vsed to saie that he deliuered his discourses to his Auditors with the right hande but that they receiued them with the left euen so simple and ignorant men which know not how to liue entertaining oftimes with the left hand the fortune which commeth to them on the right commit thereby many grosse and absurd enormities But on the contrary part wise men like Bees that suck hunnie out of Time a rough and dry herb do draw some good and profitable thing for thēselues euen out of the worst and most troblesome accidents that befall them This then is the first point wherein we must bee trained and exercised as hee which ayming to hit a Dog with a stone misseth the Dog and striketh his stepmother and yet saith it falleth not out ill euen so may we transfer our fortune by our will and apply it to that which she bringeth vnto vs. Diogenes was driuen out of his countrie into exile yet went it not ill with him for that his banishment was the first beginning of his study in Philosophy Zeno the Citiei an had once a marchants ship and hauing newes that it was cast awaic that the marchandise and all were sunck into the bottom of the sea Fortune quoth he thou dost well to make me fit for the long plaine robe and the study of Philosophy What letteth vs to follow thē herin Thou hast bin deposed from some publicke office or place of autority which thou hadst in charge Well be it so Thou shalt liue priuately in the coūtry vpon that which thou hast Thou did dest make suite to be entertained into the house and seruice of some Prince or noble man Thou hast had the repulse well thou shalt liue at home with thy selfe and that with lesse paine and lesse daunger Contrarywise thou art entred into dealings with matters of state wherein is much paine and great care The hot water of the bath doth not so much com fort the wearied lims as Pindarus saith The hot bath doth not yeelde so much delight Vnto the wearied lims of any wight As hope of glorie others to surmount To liue in wealth in credit and account Doth make all trauayle sweete vnto the minde Tendure such paines as Honor hath assind Art thou fallen into disgrace or hast thou receiued some priuie back blow by enuy or ill report This is a good wind in the Poupe of thy shippe to turne thee straite to the study of learning and philosophie as Plato was whē he had made shipwracke of the good fauour of Dyonisius the tyrant And now it is a meane of no small importaunce for the setling of the minde in quiet to consider the state of great men and to see if they be mooued and troubled with the like accidents As for example The cause of thy discontentment is for that thou canst haue no children by thy wife Looke how manie Roman Emperors there haue beene wherof not one left the Empire to his sonne Art thou greeued because thou art pore And which of the Thebans wouldst thou wishe to resemble rather then Epaminondas or of the Romans then Fabritius Hath one defiled thy wife Hast thou not red the inscription which is set vp in the Temple of Apollo at Delphos vpon an offering which was there presented Agis a crowned King by sea and land Hath placed me in this Temple where I stande And haue you not heard howe Alcibiades corrupted Timoea his wife and howe shee her selfe amongest her women called softelie the child which shee had by him Alcibiades But for all this her lewdnesse was no let that Agis became not the greatest and most famous man of all Greece in his time Neither in like manner was the incontinencie of Stilpoes daughter an occasion that hee liued not as ioyfullie as anie other Philosopher of his time So that when Metrocles the Cynick cast it in his teeth hee sayd vnto him is this my fault or hers Metrocles aunswered the faulte is hers and the misfortune thine Stilpo replied againe howe so Are not faultes vnhappie casualties Yea surelie quoth the other Then Stilpo goeth forward And are not such casualties ill euentes The other confessed it And are not ill euentes misfortunes to them on whō they chaunce to fall By this sweete and Philosophicall progression from point to point hee shewed and prooued that all his reproch and malitious speech was nothing else but a dogs barking Againe on the other side the most part of men are troubled and disquieted not onelie with the vices of theyr friends acquaintance and kindred but also with their verie enemies misbehauiour For ill companie contention enuy emulation and ielousie accompanied with hate and disdaine defile the minds of those men which are possessed with these passions notwithstanding they oft times vexe and offend the vnwife as the sodaine falling out of neighbors the troublesome conuersation of familiars the lewdnes of seruants in those things which are cōmited to their