Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	work_n	world_n	worthy_a	111	3	5.9582	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86606	Poems, and essays with a paraphrase on Cicero's Lælius, or Of friendship. Written in heroick verse by a gentleman of quality.	Howard, Edward, fl. 1669.; Cicero, Marcus Tullius. Laelius de amicitia. Paraphrases.	1673 (1673)	Wing H2973; ESTC R230675	88,758	208

him the better part of me subsists My Soul my Body moves but Loves most his This vertue should man's best esteem create Which does to such Transcendent deeds relate The force of Union here the world maintains Where providence with such high grandure raigns Should it one cause of Concord disunite Twou'd puzzle Heaven to set its works at right To humane life Man's discord is a Curse Which than all beings renders Mankind's worse This the world's reason knows both just and true Though 't is man's crime and fate so bad to do In words who will not worthy acts commend Or him that with his peril serves his Friend But how unworthy are such Ethicks made If of their practice Reason is afraid Orestes Pylades such Friendships make As either sought to dye for eithers sake This fiction we on Theatres behold A Noble Moral in high Language told VVhich to applaud yet live less great and wise Shews that our Fables do our lives despise Our guilty Nature blushing to confess It knows more good than we in deeds express Thus far my speech this Noble Theam has brought And what remains from others may be sought Fan. Too soon a close our Lelius us affords On this high subject heightn'd by his words Fit to prolong the fleeting hours of day And raptures to our nightly sleeps convey The thred of thy discourse yet more extend Though it will length still want when it do send Scaev. Well hast thou Fannus spoke great Lelius worth Thy Love provokes him farther to set forth As once I did when sweetly pass'd the day In Scipio's Gardens whilst with us did stay The accurate Philus gravely argu'd too Yet learn'd from Lelius what was fit to do VVho did so wisely Justice make his cause That it might have been written with Rome's Laws But on our Friendly subject more to touch And briefly to declare what I think such By it the most agreeing Love I mean Or such admits few turns to raise its Scene Which constancy and Justice must defend Who 's various soon may falsly be call'd Friend A worthiness of minde my Love expects From him I love or he my Love neglects Lel. Hard 't were my Scaevola in Friendships cause VVhich of all humane has the kindest Laws T'enact such strict Conformities of life VVhich with our Natures have too high a strife Vertue 't is true we chiefly should allow And yet not Criticize upon it so That no allay should pass amongst its gold VVhil'st we our souls in Bodies do behold Compos'd of dross in which 't were vain to think Our minds can pass Lifes-strands and nothing sink Friendship I can't resist could I not finde A well-deserving Love in humane kinde Vertue in us must this foundation lay Our Friends would else like bribes their Friendship pay As on this subject often I have thought This worthy question by my Soul was brought Whether man's helpless life or want should be Sufficient ground to enter Amity Or whether giving and receiving prove The mutual endearments of his Love Which vertues near affinities express Though more the Beauties of its cause confess That from our Nature's goodness did arise Or from above inspir'd the great and wise VVhose Souls Divinely did themselves prepare To fix such Concords before Friendships were VVhich had I not a Friend it 's worth would show How much beforehand me the world does owe. Our Souls their own internal Love assign'd But scorn'd to be unto themselves confin'd VVhich great instinct diffusive soon was made VVhil'st men did Traffick for their vertues Trade Unburthen'd with the fraight of meaner ends VVhich for design or profit seek out Friends In Friendship nothing feign'd or false should be A choice unmixt of man's felicity Pure as we Souls in Bodies can suppose VVhen to their Vice alone declared Foes How contrary a course the world does run And few there are who are not first undone Before the vertue of their Friend they prove Or his ingratitude does meet their Love A Friend too dearly by his Friend is bought That proudly gives respects or would be sought Expecting for his good deeds to be pray'd VVho takes my Money is less meanly paid Than such a sordid or unkinde return A grief our Souls are most oblig'd to mourn Their best estate of life is then destroy'd VVhen Friendship fails or meanly is enjoy'd My Love I place not to advance my gain But on a worth that may with mine remain In which consists the prudence of our choice VVhen minds are match'd that best themselves rejoyce On vertues lovely-Ethicks man should feast Before his amity deserves a guest Her entertainment highly does invite Our Souls the good of others to delight For whose bright sake we vertuous Friendships show Nay prove its force toward such we do not know Who can great Curius or Fabritius name Though dead and not rejoyce their living fame As much proud Tarquin's memory we hate VVith Cassius Melius vicious in our State Though Martial Pyrrhus did with Rome make VVar Him less than Annibal we hated far His vertue did his Arms more friendly make But how unworthy did Rome's honour take The cruelty of that great Punick foe Our Cities lasting Odium well does show If we th' effects of probitie confess Oblig'd by Enemies its worth express How much a greater power does goodness gain VVhich more familiar we with friends maintain And with our hours such benefits renew As most endear our Loves and Vertues too VVhat 's beneficial we shall surely finde Though 't were a meanness by us first design'd To fly unto our Friends when fate us drives Is like a Pilot in a Port survives VVhich in a calm perhaps he ne'r had sought So in a storm our Souls should not be brought To Friendship 's harbour to which we should steer More to protect our goodness than our fear In our best strengths our amities should meet Not in our froward age or youthful hear But when we wisely obligations weigh Yet need them less than ready such to pay VVhat did my Scipio of his Lelius want Nor did my Fortune more my Friendship scant His vertue I design'd my Loves high choice And his as gratefully did mine rejoyce Large is th' extent of good that does accrew To such who wisely Noble Loves pursue Their profits sure yet enter'd for no gain Nor are they ours of whom we can complain That our concerns oblig'd us to require Such kinder deeds as they should first desire Request 's a bribe good men should seldom take VVho would be sought to can his Friend forsake The fruit and growth our vertue should expect Is that our Friendship greater it effect How then should we contemn that giddy race VVho their unworthy Loves in pleasures place A motive we in sensual creatures see VVhich for such brutal ends as kinde can be No wonder then if we dissent from these Who more their Bodies than their Souls would please Unworthy farther mention to obtain But in a vile contempt

appear in Creatures rul'd by sense How much should reason for man's good dispense Lest it to which his brutal vassals bow Him Tyrant to himself and them does show Our humane being has the chiefest grace Where Friendship 's fair Societies we place Nor had man's vertue e'r such greatness shown If good men had enjoy'd their worth alone A solitary vertue few desire That would not uselessly themselves admire Our Ethicks then attain their Noble height VVhen to our selves and others they have right VVhich bless'd estate man chiefly does possess As his Societies his Love express In this we honest glory pleasure finde And what Crowns all tranquillity of minde VVho ever was so Impious to deny That Friendship gives to man felicity In other things we reason may dispute In this the most Ill-natur'd sense is mute That even all such who vertue most contemn The useful good of Friendship will esteem Such men whose manners were so strictly wise As they could honour pleasures wealth despise Yet no such Cynick amongst these we finde That did reject the Love of all mankinde The good and bad in this alone conspire Since Vice does make this vertue its desire There 's few ill-natur'd vicious that aflect Their manners should obl●ge their own neglect Or that their practis'd evil would allow Did none to it or them a kindness show Which tells men would in all estates receive Affection to their lives a life does give If any so Morose and Curst appear That they for man's converse do little care Or to some Solitude with hate retire Yet in that bitterness they 'd soon desire Some one to whom they might their ill express And more rejoyce the evil they confess The worst of men their like will kindness show Who has no Friend lives to himself a foe If man on Earth so happily were plac'd That he a fill of all delights embrac'd And only man's converse deny'd to him VVho lives so bad would this a pleasure deem Nay more could one above the Stars ascend And were so bles'd besides to comprehend The brightest glories Heaven and Nature know Yet even all this unpleasant bliss would show VVithout he could it to some breast impart Kinde to partake the wonders of his heart No blessing reason will receive to be Depriv'd of Man's converse and amity These for our help and comfort she requires And do no less oblige our just desires So many wayes by Nature man is taught How vertues pleasing good should win his thought That to themselves they most absurdly live Who from their Out-law'd Vice commands receive Nor can men Friendship so secure express As nothing shall impede its happiness Some mis-conceptions we may well pass by More to advance our own fidelity Where I admonish it shall be my care Not to offend his Love I bid beware My Ingenious Friend neat Terence has observ'd That flattery more Friends than truth preserv'd Truth does the vicious grieve because their shame Whil'st wise and good improve by taking blame Such more unto their Vice than Friends are kinde That of their Crimes would not be put in minde He is a worthless Friend whose Love is lost In having of his evil manners crost Who 's so offended to himself 's unjust And ruines Friendship to preserve his Lust Who has a wish of good unwilling sees How men Indulge their infelicities If such we flatter we smooth Vices way VVhich slides more fast if not oblig'd to stay Below a Friend or Free-mans-Soul he lives That neither counsels truth or truth receives Where truth distastes or is refus'd an ear There vertues safety we may justly fear Wise Cato this discern'd whose prudence chose Rather to merit the most bitter foes Than Friends that sooth the failings of man's life Or would not with his Vices be at strife From such we truth are never sure to know Whil'st malice or revenge do oft it show Who disapproves the Crimes his Soul do wrong Will joy to hear them from a candid Tongue There 's no concern should men more cautious make Than not for Friend a flatterer to take Truth 's Copy in no paint of sense is known Whose grace simplicity best shows alone How unbecoming Eloquence does show Which pop'lar men on flattery bestow How loath'd are such when we compare their ends With our upright and graver Roman Friends In Scenes of Fiction that which seems to b●●ng The truth to light we hold the highest thing What then is worthy Friendship 's just esteem Which in all actions falshood does condemn An open heart affection does declare Which Truth discovers without search or care Men fruitless Love and are belov'd in vain Unless their Souls improvement thence do gain A Sycophant on him does most prevail Whose heart resembles his that does assail Whil'st such to Parasites betray their ear That sooth themselves or love their praise to hear Vertue her self so wisely understands That all vain-glory has her countermands The seeming good their vertue most do cheat And by dissembling Vice make it more great Such in their feign'd repute will take delight Whose manners unto goodness have least right With these small concord worthy men can hold Whose Tongues to blemish falshood must be bold If one of two obliging truth neglects The other sooths such lyes the first affects Can any judge their hearts are friendly joyn'd When both to truth and vertue are unkind An airy Monster puft up thought is made That vainly owns such worth it never had Or stupid guilt which flatter'd Souls does blinde Who joy what in themselves they cannot finde Though Reason's sight is seldom not so keen That by it open flatt'ry 's unseen The occult and subtle men should most beware Which Serpent-like glide wilely to the ear ' Gainst such our Prudence highly should oppose Who are but seeming Friends are worst of foes Some I have known that would discussions raise Appearing to decline their sweetn'd praise Until they greater blandishments invite And give up reason to their fond delight These from untutor'd sense receive a shock As all vain-glorious Wit it self does mock But pass we these imperfect deeds of men To finish this high Theam which Tully's Pen Gives to the world amongst that useful store Of matchless Eloquence he writ before By whom thus Lelius his discourse now ends Know Scavola and Fannus much lov'd Friends That vertuous Friendship does such worth declare As it's relapse or fall we cannot fear In whose stability our Souls finde rest Though with our passions or deep care opprest A splendent Love that does convey such beams As kindle in mens hearts their mutual flames The highest good that worthy minds can chuse Whil'st bad-mens manners only it abuse Who loves without ends loves his Friend indeed He 's meanly kinde that 's kinde for his own need Vertue does her effects enough dilate Where good 's the cause men need not good intreat The wise and vertuous cannot miss their ends Who prove men worthy e're they call 'em Friends Similitude our appetites rejoyce No less becomes the prudence of man's choice His like in age and manners to delight What suiteth youth in old appeareth light Life's frailty does this just support require That good-men's aid and Love we should desire The worth of Friendship lasts when life does end And so great Scipio dy'd and lives my Friend In Life and Death his vertue is the fame Conspicuous to posterity and fame No great and noble deeds can man atchieve But may a pattern seem which his did give Mens worthy acts by death have their increase Fame most unenvy'd lives at Life's decease Thus I my Age and Memory employ To make my dead and living Friends my Joy Let your Loves also do the same with mine And to your Friendships strictly vertue joyn Without which no good act deserves esteem As its obliging thought shall close this Theam FINIS