Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	build_v	great_a	king_n	5,770	4	3.5361	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A32905	The golden book of St. John Chrysostom, concerning the education of children translated out of the Greek by J.E., Esq.; De educandis liberis. English	John Chrysostom, Saint, d. 407.; Evelyn, John, 1620-1706.	1659 (1659)	Wing C3978; ESTC R10323	26,823	144

burthen too great for him to support I do not compel Bring up a Champion I say for Christ and whilst he remains in this world instruct him from his very cradle If whilst he is yet young thou imprint good principles in him no body shall be ever able to efface them when he becomes more firme being then as the wax which hath received the impression As yet thou hast him trembling fearful and revering thy very looks thy words and every little beck Treat him as thou shouldst at the beginning If thou have a good child thou wilt have the first benefit of him and then God Thou labourest but for thy self 'T is reported that when Pearles are first taken up they are only little drops of water so that he which receives them being sk●lful pl●cing the drops in ●is hand and exquisitely turning them in his palm renders them perfectly round and polished But when once they have attained their perfect shape and are become hard they are no more to be moulded to every mans fancy for that which is soft is every way flexible being not as yet compacted and therefore is easily drawn which way one pleaseth but that which is hard as having once attained a disposition to st●ff●esse is with difficulty to be moved or susceptible of any other form Let then every one of us who are Parents as we behold Painters adorning their Pictures and Statues with so much exactnesse be diligently studious about these wonderful Statues For when Painters have once designed a Picture they work every day about it to bring it to perfection the same do Statuaries abating what is superfluous and adding whatsoever is deficient So you also like so many Statuaries b●nd all your endeavors as pr●paring those admirable Statues for God take away that which is superfluous add that which you find wanting consider every day how they abound in Natural Endowments that you may timely augment them what Natural Defects you espy that you may accordingly abate them But with all sedulity and above all things be careful to exterminate unseemly speeches for this custom begins extremly to inf●ct the minds of youth yea and before he have ess●yed it teach him to be sober to be vigilant and assiduous in his devo●io●s and upon whatsoever he saith or doth to put the Seal upon it Imagine thy self a King who hast a City to govern the Mind of thy Child for really the mind is a City and as in a City some are Thieves some live honestly some labour and others transact all they do foolishly just so it is with the discourses and cogitations of the mind some of them strive and militate against injuries like as in a City there are souldiers some of these thoughts provide for the Body and●Houshold like the Senators of a City others command in Chief such as are Governors some speak lascivious things s●ch as shamelesse men others more modest such as are modest persons Some again are effeminate as Women be amongst us others discourse more indiscreetly like children some domineer as if over Vass●ls because they are domesticks others ●s over the free-borne because they are noble and ingenuous We must therefore of necessitie have Laws that we may e●terminate t●e●e evil cogitations and cherish those which are good but never let us permit the evil ●o rebel against the good For as in a City if one should constitute Laws giving liberty and impunity to Thieves it would soon subvert all And if the Souldiers pursue their fury without respect to what is fit all things fall to confusion and if every one quitting his due order take upon him to prosecute that which belongs to another by this usurpation and avarice he violates and utterly spoiles the whole Government It is truly no otherwise in that which we have spoken The Mind of a Child is therefore a City a City newly built and furnished a City full of new inhabitants and as yet wholly unexperienced 'T is an easie matter to instruct and model such for those which have been at first possest and grown up with evil principles such as are many old persons are truly with great difficulty reformed though neither is that impossible for even they themselves may be converted if they will but such as are totally ignorant will with ease embrace the Laws which you enjoyn them Establish Laws therefore in this City and for those who are Denisons of it formidable and severe Lawes which if any shall dare to violate approve thy self a Governor and revenge it for it is to no purpose to enact Laws unlesse Punishment be also inflicted Make Laws then and look diligently to your Work for know that wee impose Lawes upon no lesse then the Universe it selfe To day we build a City let the four Senses be the Bullwarks and the Ga●es and let all the rest of the Bodie be as the Walls Now these Gates are the Eyes the Tongue the Eares and the Nose and if you please also the Touch Through these overtures it is that the Citizens go out and in at that is to say by these Ports it is that our cogitations are corrupted or amended Go to then And first let us go to the Gate of the Tongue since this is of all the rest the chief and the greatest Port let us now prepare for it the doors and its barres not of wood nor of iron but of Gold for the very City it self which is thus built is of Gold and not any man but he that is the King of the Universe shall keep his Court in this City if thus you prepare it and you shall perceive by the processe his speech in what parts of this City to consig● him a Palace Let us therefore make the Doores and the Barrs for it of Gold I say namely the Oracles of God as the Prophet speaketh The words of God are more delicious then honey or the honey comb above Gold and much precious stone Let us teach them to have these things continually in their mouths and wheresoever they stir and that not slightly nor perfunctorily or seldom but without ceasing Nor is it yet sufficient that the doors be overlayed with Gold but they must be framed altogether of solid gold and having the precious stones fixed one against another without Let the Crosse of our Lord be the barre of these Gates which is indeed every where inchased with stones of price let this then bee put athwart the middle of the Gates and when we shall thus have made the doores fast solid and of Gold and shut to the bolt let us then make them worthy Citizens namely by instructing the Child to speak gravely and piously banishing all strangers out of Town lest otherwise a certain impure and infected rabble enter and commix themselves with our Citizens such as are reprochful words injurious and foolish filthy speeches secular and worldly all these let us eject nor besides the King only permit any to passe these Gates but to

him and to all his Retinue let them be still opened according as it is said of it This is the Gate of the Lord the Rightious shall enter into it And with the blessed Paul If there be any word which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace to the hearers Let their talk be giving of thanks modest songs and let them alwayes be discoursing of God and of that Philosophy which is from above But which way shal we now effect all this and from what Topicks shall we instruct them If we become severe Judges of the actions which they do for in a child there is an extraordinary facility How He contends not for wealth nor for glory He is yet a child not for a Wife not for Children not for an House therefore what occasion hath he to injure or traduce any one He only contends with his equals Appoint him a Law immediately That he wrong none that he defame none that he do not swear that he be peaceable and if you shall perceive him to transgresse this Law Chastize him some●imes with a sterne countenance sometimes with sharp reproofs such as may go to the quick and upbraid him and now and then sooth and flatter him with promises Treat him not alwayes with blows nor accustome thy self so to chastize him for if thou art used to correct him every day he will soon learn to despise it and having once learned to do so it utterly marres all rather cause him alwayes to fear the rod not alwayes to feel it shake indeed the scourage but touch him not with it neither from threats proceed to the work But let him not know that your words are only menaces for then threatnings are only proper when children believe they will proceed to deeds For if the Offender once understand this oeconomy he will soon contemne it Let him therefore expect to be chastized but yet let him not be chastized lest it extinguish his reverence rather let it remaine like a glowing fire and every where burn up the thornes or like a keen pick-axe let it dig to the very bottom And when once you perceive that you have gained any fruit by fear remit a little for there is due even to our very natures some relaxation Teach him to be modest and courteous but if you perceive him to do any injury to his servant connive not at it but check even your child though free for hee that shall see he is not permitted to reproach his very Lacquey will much lesse dare to injure or miscal one that is free-borne and his equal Lock up his mouth from ill language if you find him accusing of any stop the mouth and convert your tongue against her own errors Admonish his mother his Paedagogue and his servant that they still speak and inculcate the same things to the child that they may all of them be his keepers together and diligently observe that none of those evil cogitations proceed from his mouth and those golden portals Do not imagine that the thing requires so much time provided that from the beginning thou presse it earnestly upon him threaten and dost constitute so many Guards over him Two months will be sufficient all things will be redressed the business established and pass into very nature it selfe By this means will this gate be made worthy for the Lord when there shall be neither filthy speech scurrility nor folly or any such thing but all as becomes such a Master For as those who traine up their children to serve the State in the Wars immediately instruct their Warlike Youth in the Art of shooting to put on the Corslet and manege the great Horse their age and stature being no impediment How much rather then those which are entred into the heavenly Militia ought they to provide themselves with these Accoutrements for the serservice of their King Learn him therefore to sing Praises to God that he have no leisure for impurer Songs and foolish discourses And be this Gate thus guarded and such Citizens el●cted the rest let us destroy within as the Bees do the drones not suffering them to go forth or once to buz at home But now let us proceed to the next Gate What is that even that which is the next and of neer affinity with it I mean the Hearing for that Gate indeed hath Citizens which passe out from within but none that have admission through it but in this they enter in from without and there are none which by it do sally forth This therefore hath great affinity with the other For if no filthy nor polluted thing be suffered to climb up by this Portal there will be no great difficulty to preserve the other since he which doth not heare filthy and wicked things does not likely speak wicked things but if these lie open and common to all the danger will be great and give disturbance to all that are within This then peradventure were first to have been spoken of and the Entrance to have bin secured Let Children therefore heare nothing impertinent neither of their Domesticks nor their Governors nor their Nurse For as Plants have then most need of care when they are yong and tender so have Children Provide them careful and virtuous Nurses that a good Foundation be laid at first and that from their very infancy they receive nothing of ●vil Let them then never hear any foolish and ●ldwives fables Such a person sayes he gave such a one a kisse the Emperors Son and his little Daughter did this and this permit them to hear none of these matters but other things they may hear so they be related without any Circumlocution and with all fidelity They may indeed hear the discourses of their servants and those which wait upon them but 't is not fitting to mix with all promiscuously and with the Domesticks in general but let them be known what they are as it becomes them whom we take as assistants for the framing of these artificial Statues For if it be necessary that being skilful Architects and building a Palace for the Prince we admit not all the servants in Common to be our associates in the Edifice shall we now when we are erecting a City and making Citizens for the King of heaven admit of all rashly to the work let those servants which are indeed fitted for it be taken to our assistance and in case we can find none enquire after ingenuous person for a Stipend such a one as is virtuous and commit rather all things to him that he be taken in as a Co●djutor of the work Let them by no means therefore hear such idle Fables but when the child is to have relaxation from his Taske for the mind is much delighted to stay a little upon old Stories discourse f●eely to him and withdrawing him as m●ch as possible from Childish sports remember thou bringst up a Philosopher and a Champion and a Citizen of Heaven