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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	woman_n	word_n	year_n	69	3	4.4000	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44659	The history of the seven wise mistrisses of Rome ... wherein, the treachery of evil counsel is discovered, the innocency of harmless virgins cleared, and the wisdom of seven wise women displayed, to the wonder of their own nation, and the administration of all the world.; Seven wise mistresses of Rome	Howard, Thomas, 17th/18th cent.	1663 (1663)	Wing H3008; ESTC R4376	68,088	179

that advised you to let her live therefore great Lady I counsel you while it is time to cut her off and destroy her lest the curse of the Empire follow you Then said the Empress all that shall not happen for to morrow I shall sit in Iudgement and she shall dye without fail When the day was come the Empress sate in Iudgement and commanded her Officers to lead her away to be burnt at a stake and as we was led through the City in a long smock of Lawn and a branch of Rosemary in her hand and the Trumpets sounding her doleful Funeral all the people ran out and wept crying alas alas the onely Daughter of the Empress is leading to death Then came Debora the first Mistris passing by as the young Lady saw her she bowed der head as if she said remember me when you come before my Mother and when she came to the Empress and did reverence the Empress said unto her with a storn countenance Thou ungrateful and vile woman how hast thou tutozed my childs I delivered her to thee well and hopeful and now she is become the viceousest creature that ever a woman bare surely thou shalt dye as strange a death as may be thought on Then said the Mistris gracious Lady the cause why she speaketh not the divine powers know and without cause it is not and as for the sin of Fornication we all can testifie that for the space of these seven years we never saw the least motion neither in thought word nor déed therefore gracious Lady if you do put her to death onely for the accusation of Radamentus it will happen to you as it did unto the Queen of Syra who poisoned her husband through the perswaston of one wicked person Then said the Empress shew me that example Nay said the Mistris except you send for your Daughter back otherwise she may be dead before I make an end then will it be in vain upon which words the Empress sent for her Daughter again and committed her to prison then the Mistris began as followeth The Example of the first Mistriss In Syra lived a Quéen of great renown and of such excellent beauty that a fairer woman was not in all the world for which many Kings and Princes of Noble Blood came a suiting to her each man confident she should be his This Queen delighted much in seeing Iusts and Turneys therefore it was a day appointed and they all assembled together to shew their valour before the Quéen amongst whom was Crassus a most valiant Prince and of such incomparable features and beauty that his like was not among men Vpon this Prince the Queen fixed her eye all that part of the day in whose sight he did such worthy acts that deserved perpetual memory and to be brief he had the day of all the Kings Princes and Barons that were there whereby he came off the Field with Trumpets souning and victorious Trophies bore before him On the morrow after the Queen sent for him and when be came he kneeled before her to have kist her hand but she refused and in a comely deportment tendered her lips The Prince being somewhat bashful the Queen gave him farther encouragement so that by little and little they grew in a wonderful familiarity and soon after the Queen took him for her Husband and made him joynt King of Syra with her He was a wise and gracious Prince and beloved of all his Subjects all people joyed at his presence the whole land sorrowed in his absence never no Queen loved King better nor never was Queen more beloved of a King and it came to pass afterwards that the King of the Parthians lay very sick whose Son this King was and he received a Letter from his Father to make haste unto him that after his death he sh●uld take possession of the Realm and after a while he was gone an evil Counsellour in his Court being in love with the Queen intercepted all the Kings Letters that passed betwéen him and his Queen and informed the Quéen he had married another Lady in his own Countrey which raised such jealousis in the Quéen that she tore the ornaments of her head wringing her hands saying O my dear Lord what evil have I done what word have I mispla●● wherein have I offended you that another should reap the Consolation of your Love The King in the mean time wondering be could never receive any Letter from the Queen lamented saying O my Dear wherein have I offended I can never hear how you do nor how the affairs of our Kingdom standeth All this while the wicked Counsellor intercepted their Letters on both sides to work the destruction of the King and at last he indented a strong Person and carried the same to the Queen and told her it was of such a Vertue that if the would cause a King to be made hollow and put a little of this vertue in it and sond it to the King as a taken and as oft as ever the King old lo●● upon it ●would cause him to forsake all other women and haste home unto her so the Quéen believed his wicked counsel and was very glad and without the advice of any other she caused a King to be made as he had said and put therein this poison and sent it away to her Husband When the messenger came before him he did him reverence and presented the King to him the harmless King joyfully put it on saying ●was the swéetest present he ever received soon after his finger began to swell and he sent for his Physicians who said his finger was venomed with the strongest poyson in the world and said he must cut it off else 't would venome his whole body Then said the King cut it off which accordingly was done then his arm began to swell and in like manner that was cut off to preserve his life Then the good King groaned out this complaint O thou vile woman why hast thou done this to him who thou wert as dear to as his own soul thou hast attempted that by poyson which the stoutest Champion durst not do by arms I that hath won thée the greatest glory that ever came to Syra hast thou now destroyed with inferiour poyson for which thou wilt gain reproach of all Nations and be reviled of all women for returning me malicious poyson for pure in flamed love but all as I can say is ingratitude is the grandest insolency in the world O woman why hast thou done this Thereupon he sunk down in his Chair and gave up the ghost The messenger hasted home and told the Queen what had happened by the King and that all the Counsellor had fold her of the King was false then the Quéen fell a wéeping and wringing her hands saying O what hade I done what have I done I have by the advice of an evil Counsellor slain my dear Husband the King O cursed Traytor would to God I had

chanced by the way to fall sick of a Feaver and lying in such a desperate condition without hopes of recovery he considered more the education of his young Daughter then the state and condition of his whole Empire in reference to the innocency and weakness of her age and therefore it induced him to write unto his Empress this following Letter Dear Lady my Journey hath proved very illsuccessful to me for by the way I am taken sick with a most sad and grievous Feaver therefore pray make haste unto me that we may provide for the education of our young Daughter Sabrina and the State and settlement of our Empire for I am without hopes of recovery and if you make not great speed you are never like to see me alive The messenger posted away to the Empress and finding her walking in the Garden expecting every hour news from her beloved husband he did reverence unto her and delivered the Letter the Empress broke it up and reading what condition her Lord was in fell in a swound to the astonishment of all her Ladies but as soon as she had recovered life she caused her Chariot and Horses to be made ready incontinent and halted both night and day till she came to her Lord the King who she found almost dead and she fell upon his breast and kissed his clay cold lips he rising half up in his bed with snowres of fears betwixt each face he to her spake thus O my dear Lady it joyes me that you are come where with you I may impart all my troubled minde I am possest withall since I may not escape this infirmity the natural love and care I bear unto you and your young Daughter Sabrina makes me sue unto you thus First that you cause her to be brought up with the best experienced and wisest Matron in all the Realm whereby she might be tutored and well educated in all Arts and Sciences befitting a Princess so nobly descended and after that she hath attained unto all those Vertues I will that you take her home to your Royal Palace and to have recourse to your honourable Councel whereby she may perfect her self in all State and Temporal Affairs And thirdly that after your decease she may enjoy the Empire and wear the Royal Diadem And you my dear Lady considering you are old add well stricken in years I will that you chuse by the advise of your Honourable Councel a wise and grave Senator to assist your Royal person in all things appertaining to the affairs of the Empire and Guardian to your young Daughter Sabrina till she come to Maturity The grieved Empress answered My dear Lord all these things shall be performed and done according to your will and request then kissing each other the King turned himself upon his Pillow and gave up the ghost afterwards conveighed into his own Countrey and his doleful Funeral solemnized he was honourably interred in his own Chappel Chap. 1. How the Empress and her Councel committed the charge of her Daughter Sabrina to seven Wise Mistrisses for her Education in all Arts and Sciences IT happened upon a time as the Empress was solitary walking in her Garden she bethought her sol● of the death of her late Husband and musing in her heart of the words he spake unto her at his last breath concerning the State of his Empire and especially his young Daughter Sabrina whose onely delight in all the world she was muttered in her heart and said Now my dear Lord and Husband is dead and gone there is but one in the world whom I take pleasure in and that is my onely Daughter Sabrina the dory stower and glory of all other Virgins and but she alive to inherit my Realm after me it is good whiles she is yong that she be set unto some wise experienced Matron who is a b●ly and devout Virgin to learn understanding and to resolve Reasons when time might require her upon the Iudgement Seat Thereupon the Empress assembled all the Lords of her Councel before her and demanded every one his advice concerning her young daughter Sabrina and some of them gave their advice that the Empress should build a Tower within her own C●stle and cause to be put in there the young Lady with fide devout and wise Virgins to attend her and two Philosopers which then lived in Rome to instruct her in natural Philosophy and other arts and scices but the other Lords of the Councel would not agrée thereto and flood up and said to the Empress thus Most Sovereign Lady this is not expedient that she should be in such a tower nor in such a way instructed for thrée things First if she be in such a tower your Nobles and Ladies that frequent your Palace by too often visiting her will make her minde more the pleasures of the Court then to practice in her learning Secondly Men tutors are not méet for such a Princess so incomparable in beauty as she is for through too much familiarity and weakness of her tender years great injuries may ensue and her Princely Vertues stained Thirdly for her Attendants being but five weak Ladies and consequently not over skilful might for hopes of future advancement to please the young Lady give her too much liberty in yielding to her fancies and thereby destroy the best time of her studience But gracious Lady there is living not far from this City in a fair and stately Cloister seven Wise Mistrisses most cunning and expert in wisdom answering all Reasons and Questions and for their famous skill and learning excelleth all women in the world the Empress hearing this accorded to their advice and sent her Letter of Summons unto them upon great penalties to appear before her Majesty They anon came and the Empress demanded the cause of their coming they answered we shall resolve you the cause for we have seen it in a dream which was this We saw a high and mighty trée whose branches covered all the Realm under whose leaves the beasts of the earth did shelter without number and in an instant we sawit fall dissolve that nothing but the roots remained obvious The Empress said shew me the meaning thereof they said the trée which we saw was our Sovereign Lord the King the sproading branches signified his power extending over all his Empire when the trée falling it signified our Lord died out of whose roots is sprung up a young Cien who shall rule the Empire with equity and honour whose learning and education you will commit to our charge You have said right answered the Empress for my Lord is dead and I have but one onely Daughter in all the world who I commit unto you to instruct and conform in all good wayes and vertues learning so that by your skill and wisdom she may attain to all good things appertaining to so great and noble a Patronage c. The first Mistris named Halicuja said great Lady commit the education of your

Daughter to me and I shall teach her as much wisdom Ecclesiastical and Civil in seven years as I and all my fellows can all dayes of our lives Then stood up the second Mistris named Mardula and said Great Lady I have tutored Emperors daughters and instructed Quéens both at home and abroad in all arts and sciences therefore if you please to deliver your Daughter to me I shall learn her as much natural Philosophy in six years as I and all my fellows have The third then addressed her self named Cicre and said gracious Lady I have been with you in strange Countreyes and shewed you by my Art and Skill in the Planets what noble Prince should wed ye and never asked any reward onely this if I may obtain that favour of ye as to vouchsafe me the tuition and instruction of your daughter I will inform her as much in five years as all the Mistrisses in Rome can The fourth Mistriss drew near the Empress who was called Penthisilia and said Great Lady I have been Governess to many Ladies and have served you in your infancy therefore if you will deliver your Daughter to me I will train her up in vertue and teach her as perfect in all arts and sciences in four years as I and all my fellows be The fifth Mistriss named Debora then addressed her self and said O honoured Lady I have by my skill and wisdom defended the City of Rome from dangerous and great invasions and many times called to the Senate house where they have profited much by my counsel yet the greatest thing I desire in the world is to have your Daughter to instruct and I will learn her to do as marvellous things in three years as I and all my fellow Students Then addressed the sixth named Dejanara and said Dread Lady if you commit the tuition of your Daughter to me I will teach her as much as all can do in two years And likewise the seventh Mistriss said Glorious Empress vouchsafe your Daughter me and I will learn her as much art and science in one year as is in all the world Then stood up the Empress and spake before them all I render unto you many thanks for as much as I am obliged unto you all but if I should commit the charge of my onely Daughter to one and not to another for her education the event would prove a great discord amongst you therefore do I commit her to the charge of you all joyntly together to teach and tutor in all learning vertue and wisdom as best fits a Princess in such Royal dignity The wise and learned Mistrisses hearing the noble and generous expression of the Empress knowing it to be but justice with a full and general accord they agreed together and with great joy returned thanks to the Empress so received her Daughter and led her away towards a sumptuous Pallace some four miles out of Rome and going on their way Baodicia said to her fellows if we should now instruct and teach this childe publickly and grant her recourse to the pleasant Gardens it would prove a hinderance to her princely study Moreover the Egyptian Knights hearing of so great a beauty might by chance when we little think of it steal her away by force Then answered Mardula Let us put her in the brazen tower on which are seven locks and let every one of us keep a key and we will paint upon all Instruments of Musick The seven liberal Sciences that when ever she delights to play upon the Musick she might there behold her Doctrine thereon so that it may never be out of memory This saying pleased all well and being done accordingly the Mistrisses used their best skill and diligence in attending the young Lady for the space of seven years which being expired they appointed a day for to prove her experience in what she had learnt thereupon they all consented and for the trial thereof proposed three questions to her First what number of stars were fixed in the Firmament She answered that number first created Secondly when do the Planets begin to rise She answered after they go down Thirdly what knowledge made women wisest She answered the knowledge of good and evil The wise Mistrisses hearing these wise and accute answers said among themselves doubtless this Lady will be a famous woman and also will excel all her Progenitors Chap. 2. How the Empress by the advice of her Lords chose Radamentus her assistant in the Government of the Empire and also Guardian to her Daughter Sabrina NOw about this time the Princes of the Land with all the Barons assembled themselves together before the Empress in full Councel for the election of a grand Consul expert in the Laws and customs of the Empire for to assist the Empress in all Temporal Affairs according to the will of her late Husband the King and they chose one Radamentus who was Vncle to the late King a wise and cunning Politick and one whom the Empress reposed great confidence in that whatsoever he did enact or contrive she was ready to sign to which the Nobles of the Land gave their general consent for the better ease of the Queen and their own future trouble This Radamentus helding the Helm of the Empire in so great sway he grew haughty and ambitious to more honour and thinking to himself that the Empress was weak and sickly and if she did dye 't was probable he may take the sole Government to himself and rule as Lord and Emperour But understanding the Empress had a young Daughter and brought up in the School of the seven Wise Mistrisses and right heir to the Crown he thought when she came to maturity she would out-wit him and prove more craftier then himself therefore from that time he daily sought her destruction Now there was a Law at that time that whosoever was found in Fornication or Adultery were to dye by that Law without mercy so upon a day as the Empress and Radamentus were both walking in the Garden Radamentus seemed to be very melancholly and would not speak the Empress séeing him so heavy marvelled greatly and asked him the cause of his sadness who answered Now the Realm is in full peace and quietness there is but one thing I request of you the Empress said Ask what you will it shall be granted to the one half of my Prerogative Then said the Consul you have but one onely Daughter in the world and heiress to the Empire and she you cause to be detained between stone walls wherein she spends the flower of her years onely in thoughts and contemplations that what she as a Princess do there imagine within the variest wretch in the world do see it actually abroad therefore sand for her to Court that you may have consolation of her and she may see the practice thereof and have recourse to the Councel Then answexed the Empress I like your saying for it is seven years since I have seen