Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A44820
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Agathocles the Sicilian usurper· A poem·
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Hoy, Thomas, 1659-1718?
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1683
(1683)
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Wing H3199; ESTC R200830
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18,069
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37
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with fruitless Change and forct at last To kneel to Injur'd Monarchy for rest Against the Coasts of fruitful Italy The Pride and Envy of the Mid-land Sea The dearest pledge of Nereus's beauteous Store The fair Sicilia spreads her lovely Shoar A narrow Isthmus fame tells join'd the Bride Of old to her Rich Latian Husband's side Torn off and ravisht since by amorous Force Too rough by slow advances to divorce Now in soft watry folds it clasps the Place With endless kisses and a Dear embrace For Capes and form Trian'glar known of old But more for temperate Clime and fruitful Mould The healthful Air does Lifes short Span prolong And the rich Soil makes it seem always Young For Grain excelling neighbouring Parts so far Their Bards then sang 't was Ceres's only care Much fatal Steel it 's guilty entrails hold Much Tinn and some few Veines of treach'rous Gold From Spain at first the old Sicani came From them the Island took it's ancient Name These were a pleasant Courteous Valiant kind To guests innately Sweet but not Refin'd With noble Anger could resent a wrong But scorn'd to hoord Revenge or Malice long Tender of Right yet did not Change admire Firm to their Prince and to their Friend entire Brave but too weak to foyl the Roman Band Whom fame of wealth had brought t' invade the Land With ease the warlike Siculi o're came Possest the Land and once more chang'd the Name Next these some Colonies of Grecians come Whose o're stockt Hives afford no room at home These new Intruders the Sicani drive T' a Western Cape 'mong Hills and Woods to live The Grecian Arts and Genius they transplant The only seeds the happy Land did want But Learning quickly ran o're all the I 'le Suiting the temper of the fruitful Soil Each age that flow'd did constantly improve And Arts still found a more peculiar Love With zeal they all the mighty work pursue Cherish the Old and propagate the New Thus by Degrees they to that Acâ—me came Might justly challenge all the breath of Fame Their Wit Eternal as their Godlike mind Without all Affectation most Refin'd In real Knowledge passing all Mankind Lov'd Race whom Heaven and Nature strove to bless With th' utmost stretch of Human happiness But fate which bore Eternal spight to Man Left out the fairest Link of all the Golden Chain The noble Link of Constancy they need Of firm Adherence to their lawful Head That only Blessing added to their store The fates could grant and they could wish no more Yet Kings they had and might have still bin blest Fortune in War and Wealth in Peace possest The warlike Gelo and Good Hiero's Name Had left some lasting footsteps of their Fame But still the Compound Roman-Grecian Race Retain'd the Humours of their former Place The first Resentments that provoke their Cries Are Heavy Loans and frequent Subsidies Pursuing next with an Implicite Hate The Crowns best Friends and Ministers of State Hard fate of Statesmen who forgo their Ease For Publique Safety yet so seldom please They rule Inferior Mankind for their Share And ease the Gods of more then half the Care While Crowds profanely quarrel with their Good And Providence deny because not understood Led by a Traiterous Mungril Kind of Flamen A wretched Medly betwixt Priest and Layman Somewhat from each the Pulpit Zanys stole To dress their Pride and Lust in Ridicule These Holy Men pursuing Earthly Ends Taught None could be the Prince and People's Friends That precious Liberty and Wealthy Kings Were mere Repugnant Inconsistent Things And more to smooth the Blasphemy's they said The Gods were parties in their Treasons made Blest Never-failing Specious Design In common Interest Heaven and Earth to join With these conspir'd the Throng of Libellers Their Daily Bread was Jealousies and Fears And swelling with the ill-digested Load The pois'nous Vernim cast their Filth abroad Secure themselves in no Estate and Name They vallu'd no man's Person or his Fame Till to that height their prosperous Guilt was grown They strove t' eclipse the Glories of the Crown Conscious all hopes of Pardon were foregon The harden'd Wretches sinn'd and scribbled on 'T were endless to repeat the loathsome Cries Of daily Letters Pacquetts Mercurys Thro all the Land the catching Venom spread As all whom Mad Dogs bite themselves run Mad But ablest Huntsmen as the easy'st Cure Hang the Distract the Kennel to secure Nor must we here the Factious Clubs forget In Close Caball where Treason nightly met Shameless She sate and naked to each eye And laid the Masque of Publique Interest by No more that Name was heard among the Crowd But base Revenge and private Wrong were Lowd A numerous huddled Concourse fill'd the place Crackt Citizens and Lawyers in Disgrace Vext Courtiers Officers without Command Raw Esquires lately bubbled of their Land Pleas'd with a Ruban and a Patriot's Name The Boon Garson and Fopp of Bus'ness came Honour and Age alike Indifference met And Noble Peers with Zealous Joiners sate Yet 't was but fit all were Mechaniques there And Publick Good was measur'd by their Square There 't was resolv'd when next the Senate sate What Subject was the ripest for Debate What Greivances 't was proper to present What Limb to lopp next off the Government And still the more th' Indulgent Scepter gave These Men found greater Reason more to crave Till by excess of Goodness quite undon They levell'd with the Ground the Weaken'd Throne Uncertain Grandeur which must fall no less If Monarchs are Indulgent or Oppress False Demagogues into such Failings pry And founding all the Power in Property Their Master 's they depress to raise the People's high Inferring ' cause he gave too much before For Common Safety He must now give more But grant all Power in Property we found Yet why from hence must Kingly Power loose ground For in the Prince all Property we own And Subjects are but Tenants to the Crown Else why of Old did Men Allegeance swear bound up to Feods and ready Arms to bear 'T is hard to think Well-meaning Men they swore Or paid to hire what was their Own before Thus Property in Kings by Heaven defin'd To Subjects on Conditions is consign'd From whence 't is plain in Exigence of State The People should refund not King abate For if their Property he Dang'rous make 'T is more then One can give or t'other take So Ministers that err tho by their Prince's Will Yet suffer Justly ' cause He cann't do Ill. But now 't was time these Artists should produce Their boasted Secret of such Sov'raign use And Liberty prepar'd to the Projectors will Was guilded for the Universal Pill No Cheat so priz'd so easy to obtrude Do Charlatans impose upon the Multitude The Griefe which made the People first complain Was an excess of Blood which craz'd their Brain So these Physicians by Long Warrs thought good To cool the Feaver of their Patient's Blood And more