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	see_v	think_v	3,978	5	3.8757	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17476	A Saxon historie, of the admirable adventures of Clodoaldus and his three children. Translated out of French, by Sr. T.H.	N. C.; T.H., Sir (Thomas Hawkins), d. 1640.; Caussin, Nicolas, 1583-1651, attributed name.	1634 (1634)	STC 4294; ESTC S107367	57,717	118

sonne on whom he might repose his decaying age But who is able to penetrate the turnes and winding wayes of this great Laborinth of time and the employments of worldly affaires In a short space I was snatched from him by a notorious theft leaving him with a childe yet in the Cradle and after many adventures I have scene my selfe confined to this place of Massacres to become the most unfortunate creature of the World But now that I may speake vnto you with an open heart I every moment die and each day a thousand times abhor my wretched life captived vnder the most infamous tyranny may happen to a creature of my condition Wherefore most heroicke and generous gentlemen I coniure you by your inviolable friendship your adventures your danger and mine take mee from hence to restore me to the house of my Father Save your owne lives to preserve mine and think not you atchieve a slight conquest in redeeming your owne selves and making mee a paterne of your triumph for perhaps it may proove one of the most glorious acts which the Sun enlightneth or the earth sustaineth Ischyrion well perceived shee had taken fire and that she spake in a good tone since she seasoned every word with her tears Notwithstanding to make her give more lustre to this discourse he said unto her Madame it is to make triall of us and to sound if in these images of death wee bee capable of vaine hopes If you wished us so well as your words witnesse you might finde men fit enough to yeeld you true service How Sir replyeth shee doe yee thinke these words which I moysten with the waters of mine eyes are counterfeit I command in this place and have absolute power to set you all at liberty to mount you on horsebacke to arme you so that you employ the sword which I will put into your hands for my safety I use not to entertaine any man with dreames and illusions I am the daughter of a Prince and my father commandeth over a large Territory Onely make unto me a religious and solemne oath that you will deliver me with all honour and integrity into the Kingdome of Denmarke in such a place as I will direct you and beleeve me my father shall not bee ungratefull nay nor prove unable to requite your good office The brave Ischyrion became wholly ravished with such goodnesse and very faithfully protested to her all she desired Therevpon she caused their irons to be strucken off and appointed the houre of their departures which was to be the same night Behold hopes in flowre the most sweet and charming of the world but they were sodainly blasted by a furious storm of haile There was a certaine Damsell among the virgins of the Temple called Geronda of an ill disposition and a cunning wit who for a long time had fought meanes to satifie the malice she conceived against the poore Hildogardis and this occasion seemed unto her the most happy opportunity which might bee found for her ends It is a strange thing how the most fervent friendships of the world oftentimes degenerate into the vehement●st enmities and that the most desperate hatreds are such as spring from love ill mannaged There are certaine bodies ill disposed say Physioians that quickly putrifie in balme which is made to hinder corruption so are their hearts which draw corruption from love from whence they should derive immortality These two virgins had been bred together from their most tender yeeres and were so straightly linked in amity that they had but one heart betweene them Geronda sprang from one of the best families of the Countrey being placed in this Castle of Irminsul to bee trayned up with the virgins and seeing shee came at the same time when the young Hildegardis was brought thither she was from her child-hood so taken with her worthy disposition that shee neither had contentment nor life but in her conversation The beame doth not more accompany the Sunne nor the shadow the body then these two creatures esteemed one another they equally shared all their ioyes and discontents all their affaires all their recreations and seemed willing to dissolue their hearts as one would melt one peece of waxe into another Behold there is a certaine malignity in humane things which so handleth the matter that they never are so neere declining as when they arrive at the highest period of their happinesse nay the same is observed in the loves of the world which insensibly wither away when they are mounted to the highest point of the contentments which nature can expect The great fervours of these two companions changed first into a coldnesse from coldnesse into distaste from distaste into aversion from aversion into enmity It is true the spirit of Hildegardis was too free and generous to give occasion that such effects should grow from her but the other was double crafty malicious ayming at particular ends and walked in the way of not loving any body in that she was too much fixed on the loue of her selfe These fractions began by petty jealousies which in that sexe are very frequent For many with passion desire to be singularly beloved and courted thinking a great affront is put upon them when they are set in the number of things indifferent The worthy and eminent quallities which our Hildegardis received from nature as a dowry and comming to sprout with yeeres as flowers which spred themselves to the rayes of the Sunne was the cause that courtships services and admirations seemed onely to be made for her Geronda who was entertained in her affection thought to divide her happinesse with her as she did her heart grew very angry to see her too much courted and thought the honour done to her companion turned to her disadvantage From this jealousie envie was created which discoloured her face cast poyson into her veynes withered her up alive and made her to behold all the prosperities of this admirable mayd with the same eye the Owle doth the Sunne When for merit she was chosen out to be the Princesse of virgins this envious heart was wounded to the quicke at this election and spared not to condemne her discretion and cariage raysing a great storme of fruitlesse words like to a cloud which growne big with flames and tempest cracks it selfe in vaine upon the top of the highest rockes It happened the innocent Hildegardis who endevoured to cure this envenomed spirit having discovered some passages where-into shee very far had proceeded reproached her with it which in the proud spirit of the other not able so easily to digest it bred a mortall hatred which never ceased to hatch the vengeance in her bosom that was in the end discovered in this mischievous occasion It is evidently to be seen in all this proceeding that affections which are truly naturall not speaking of the fire which enflameth Angels in heaven and the most purified hearts on earth are clouds without water which rent

as these projects had not beene executed and that lawes vsed not to search with such rigour into intentions which were not concluded with ill effects that it was expedient to take all assurances possible for the future but that there was no colour to punish with death an evill p●●pose which passed away without the preiudice of any In the end some insisted much on her religious profession ioyned to an inviolable virginity and it was said it would be a spectacle of an ill presage to deliver into the hands of a base executioner a body consecrated so many yeeres to altars and which had preserved it selfe within the limits of so singular purity and which was a thing rather to be amired then reprehended All this seemed very considerable to the most temperate spirits but the high Priest who of his owne nature was harsh and felt himselfe touched to the quicke in this affaire disposed all his counsels towards rigour Sirs said hee if you have any feeling in you reserve it for a god betrayed a Temple polluted for a religion prostituted at the will of Pirats and not for a silly brazen face who braveth us even in fetters Had you no other proofe to condemne her but her owne apologie you would be just enough to chastise an insolent creature who no longer having an heart for the gods hath shewed herselfe shamelesse towards men She speakes in chaines as if she were in Thrones and if wee will beleeve her her discourse is more rationall then ours múch wiser then our lawes more religious then our Temple and more puissant then our gods She will teach us lessons of piety and justice as if they were most proper in the mouth of her who was never willing to know them but to violate them she alleageth nature against the Master of nature shee dares maintaine she did well to flie away as if shee had been in a prison not in a Temple bound not with fetters of iron but with the bonds of her vowes and her owne promises framed and contrived by her proper lips whilst she enioyed full liberty If you will have nature prevaile against reason there is not any crime for which sensuallity findes not more excuses then lawes can create punishments It hath been too great an honour for her to be stolne away thereby to make her reverenced here as a Divinity nor is it strange that she complaine of iniuries since she takes the most solid benefits in evill part It is her great zeale to holy things which mooved her to set men at liberty who by her owne confession are the most wretched and forlorne creatures of the earth and for this cause forsooth shee is pleased to play the Divine condemning our lawes and sacrifices as if we were to give an account to a silly Maid of the beliefe of our ancestors which is common to us with so many other Nations and as if it were a matter unjust to sacrifice offenders against justice who are unworthy to live in the world which they so often have polluted with their wickednesse That she no more accuseth our lawes to ezcuse her passion it is knowne well enough love hath caused her to attempt these goodly tricks It is no wonder if she betray Temples who hath betrayed her chasti tie and that she separate her selfe from the gods since she hath separated that from her body which ought to sticke to the body as fast as her soule Never is she virgin enough of whom it may be doubted whether she bee a virgin or no Is it not a goodly businesse for a Maid of a Family to cause her selfe to be stolne away by men who have in the whole world no greater innocency then to debaush virgins We found her in the night time shut up with young strangers we know not what she did but if we consider what she might have done we can find no other proofes of her honour then those we may derive from the lips of theeves and lovers to whom shee hath given those hands which she so many times hath offered up to altars I here accuse not simple desires I condemne most wicked effects which neither sexe nor age can excuse which the gods avenge which religion condemneth which lawes punish and which can never be expiated but by fire The chaste Maid seeing her selfe so sharpely persecuted by the practises of the high Priest in all that which she held most pretious cryed out aloud her innocency was charged with a blacke and most mischievous imposture and since hee spake of fire shee was very willing to handle hot iron before all the company in witnesse of her virginity This was a triall very ordinary among the Saxons Hereupon the Counsell consenting therevnto a piece of iron red-hot was brought forth which the couragious Hildegardis lifting her eies up to heaven grasped hard not burning nor hurting her selfe at all whereat many raised loud cries of admiration in favour of her but the high Priest with an enraged voice pronounced she was a forceresse and did all this by art magick in which he was seconded by this mercenary troupe of counsellers who most basely complied with his passion All protested they ought to condemne to flames an enemy of the gods a Trayteresse and a prostitute And this unworthy high Priest seeing many waver addeth there ought no seruple to bee made of her profession whereof she was degraded nor of her virginity which shee had lost that there were examples enow of Romane vestalls and lastly that it was a soveraigne meanes to appease the gods Yet notwithstanding it was concluded she should be sent backe againe to prison that they might not precipitate any thing before a second audience Wee may see by this passage that the iudgments of men are very divers according to those motions they take from passion There is no doubt but this triall by handling fire hath beene received into the ancient lawes of many people and beene practised else-where by Christians with good effect We know what the most illustrious Cardinall Baronius relateth touching the Empresse Mary daughter of the King of Aragon and wife of Otho the third who most ignobly having sollicited a chaste Court-Lord to sinne and seeing herselfe despised therein accused the innocent man to have attempted her honour and procured his head to bee chopped off by the decree of the Emperour her husband But the wife of the dead man most confident of her husband's innocency taking the head in her hand went to the Emperor as he was fitting on his feat of judgement demanded justice for a death so tragicall and appealed to the triall of fire which shee touched without burning and so perswaded Otho that he caused the vnchaste creature to bee put to death to wipe away the staine of bloud unworthily shed Notwithstanding as it is not lawfull to tempt God nor to have recourse to things so extraordinary so we cannot be ignorant that such practises have been

one comming who opened a little window to give day-light to the darkenesse of the dungeon she much amazed to behold other countenances of men then such as shee had knowne plainly discovered them by their habits and fashions to be strangers They commanded her to follow them wherevpon she replyed Sirs whither will you lead mee and instantly shee understood shee was no longer to give answere to a company of Priests who had forsaken the place but before the throne of the prime Monarch of the world This newes made her conceive at first great hope of liberty imagining with her selfe she should plead her cause before a benigne Prince who would give sentence with all equity But hearing some to murmure round about her who spake what fame published that shee must bee burnt as a sorceresse and that it was she who had lent her hand to so many enormous sacrifices committed in this cursed place this greatly amazed her But forgetting her proper danger for the love shee bare to Ischyrion shee asked whither those gentlemen shut up in the next prison were already put to death or no to which it was answered they were alive and should bee sentenced with her and even at the same time they were taken out of prison to bee brought before the King who called for them and it happened they both met upon the way Verily this was a very heavy meeting for the noble Ischyrion perceiving his dearest Hildegardis led along enchayned and knowing shee had no other crime but for obliging him felt his heart so seized with griefe that he thought to yeeld up the ghost betweene the armes of Faustinus and Iacinthus who supported him although bound as well as they could So soone as he a little had recovered his spirits and got liberty of speech he cryed out What Madame am I then the instrument of your death There needs no question be asked whither I be criminall since I see my selfe defiled with bloud and am guilty of the murder of a person in whom nothing may bee desired but immortality Where shall I find limbs enow in my body to expiate such a guilt I from hencefoorth defie Wheeles Gibbets keene Razors and flames and if it bee true which is said that the burning pile is already prepared for us I will mount to the top of it without bands or fetters I wil first of all try the violence of the fire I wil render an honorable payment before the eyes of Heaven and earth I most faithfully promise when my soule shall bee separated from my body it shall every where waite on your most purified spirit as the shadow of it but if it must be condemned to darkenesse for eclipsing so divine a light I will onely begge of thee oh great intelligence that from the sphere of splendors due to thy merrit thou wilt some times deigne to send forth a ray of thy clemency to enlighten the dusky nights of my miseries and offences Hildegardis answered this speech with her weeping eyes the dart whereof was not so blunted by teares but that they made impression on the heart of her beloved and so much as her voyce might cleaue a sunder the sharpe sighes of her heart she said Sir accuse not your innocency but my unhappinesse which hath made mee become so unfortunate that even meere benefits have power enough to make mee criminall If death separate our lives at the least I am glad it may perhaps unite our ashes and that wee shall preserve the immortality of our affections in the immortality of our soules This pleasing spectacle softned the heart of the Commissary and guards that they almost forgat themselves so transported they were In the meane time Charlemagine sate on his Throne covered over with a faire pavillion and appeared on that day resplendent in the attires of a Maiestie absolutely Royall encompassed with his Nobility which afforded him the same lustre that leaves doe roses He caused Clodoaldus to bee placed in his Throne that hee might finde out his sonne if happily hee were yet among the prisoners As they were put forward to be presented before the King it hapned Iacinthus who was very carelesly bound for the assurance they had of his liberty seeing his father instantly brake his cords and ranne to leape about his necke in the presence of Charlemaigne and all this goodly company The father tenderly imbracing him said with a confused voice How my sonne What come you now out of your Tombe Ah my poore sonne How were you to your father when you left him in the Forrest to goe to the altar of Irminsul Tell me who hath raised you up againe The son on the other side beheld his father with admiration a blinde man become cleere sighted and said unto him Father who hath restored you your eyes There upon both stood seized with so inexplicable joy that they were unable to expresse the cause of their happinesse but that the father distilling some teares of gladnesse spake thus Oh my sonne It is a worke of God and then perceiving he had done an act of a man transported not considering hee was in the presence of a King hee hastned to prostrate himselfe at the feet of Charlemaigne saying Sir excuse the power of nature otherwise this childe is more yours then mine Then turning to Iacinthus Sonne draw neere and kisse the feet of the chiefe Monarch of the World to whom you owe your happinesse and mine His God hereafter shall be yours his Altars shall be your Altars and you shall have no other Religion with me then his Vpon which the childe making a most lowly obeysance cast himselfe on the earth and the King causing him to be lifted up againe tooke him by the hand and gave him to the Bishop to bee instructed in the faith This matter for a long time entertained the eyes of all the company with his happinesse and this novelty untill Hildegardis was brought forth to take her turne then was the time when all the World shewed it selfe to bee mooved with much curiosity to know who this virgin was and for what offence shee was fettered in the dungeon shee was of a goodly stature and had a body well proportioned in all the parts thereof the lineaments of her face very delicate her colour bright and lively port grave and which sufficiently declared her to bee borne of some noble family And though her countenance was then deiected her eyes dull her haire negligently discheveled and attire very plaine yet all this did much grace her for her beauty failed not to shine thorow so many obstacles as the Sunne in a winters day which is ever constantly the Sunne though the sharpenesse of the season robbe us of the vigour and lustre of his rayes The King at the beginning was amazed seeing such a creature reduced to this state and commanded her to draw neere vnto him which she did with an excellent grace when prostrating her selfe at