Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	call_v	chief_a	province_n	5,625	4	8.4072	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A84910	The French rogue: or, The life of Monsieur Ragoue de Versailles Containing his parentage; monstrous birth, early rogueries, pleasant and witty pranks, not only in France, but in divers other countries. With the strange and wonderful plots, projects, policies and stratagems, by which he contrived, managed, and brought about his villanies, and escaped many dangers; and more particularly the prank he played with the French king, &c. All very comical and delightful. Done from the original by J.S.		1694 (1694)	Wing F2196C; ESTC R226224	68,321	202

of Tears After a Sigh or two she sate down by me And our Two-handed House-keeper to divert the Melancholy she perceiv'd had seiz'd us propos'd to give us a brief Narration of her Pranks and how she came to this Place Trust and Office Which seeing us attentive to listen to she began in this manner IT matters not said she to tell you where I was born it being too great a Difficulty for me to do seing my Parents were Wandring Strolers and carried me at their Backs thorough so many Countreys before I came to Understanding that themselves could never give me any direct Account of it only thus far That the Chamber where my Mother Pigg'd me was a Gravel-Pit her Bed a few Rushes on the Ground Curtains Pebble-Stones and Tester the Skyes And at Twelve Years of Age I had the wide World to shift in my Parents taking their leave of me after some little swinging on Cross-Timber for Breaking-open and Robbing a House and Murthering most of the Family The Terrour of this Disaster and my Aversion to the kind of Living wherein they had hitherto dragg'd me up made me consider how by some genteeler way I might advance my Youth and that little Beauty that Nature had furnish'd me withal Seeing others Fine I emulated their Bravery being homely Clad my self and much affected Gaudy Apparel yet was a great Hater of Labour and Pains-taking and hearing what a Brave Place Naples was and the Gallantry of those People that liv'd there I resolv'd to trudge thither in hopes of mending my Condition and bettering my Fortunes And so setting out without any further Deliberation and almost at every other step struck Fire on the Flint-paved Causeways an Emblem of what Fire-works I should make before my Return Coming into this stately City the most spacious in all Italy except Rome and Venice I wander'd up and down begging from Door to Door for several Days till an Old Woman who kept an Ordinary seeing me a likely Girl and she then wanting a Scullion Drudge entertain'd me as her Servant But this kind of Work not suiting my Humour I stay'd no longer then I could make a Booty and then packing up my Awls gave her the Go-by I found by our Trade she had Money though for fear of losing it she always complain'd of Poverty but where it was nested and how to find and take these White and Yellow Birds I was at a loss till one day musing on the Matter I resolv'd to fire the Callico-Hangings in her Chamber as done by Accident of a Candle placed too near them when I light her to Bed This I effected and she thereupon the first thing she did leaving me labouring to extinguish the Flame which I easily subdued was running into a little dark Closet and lifting up a Board so artificially plac'd as if it had been as firmly nail'd down as the rest took out something on which no doubt her Heart was most Intent and that I concluded must be her Treasure I had soon put out the Fire and running to her said Pray Seniora or Mistress don 't be frighted the Danger is over But instead of Thanking me though I look'd with Smoke and Soot like a Brimstone-Devil recollecting her Amazement and Affright Anger took place so that falling on me with great fury she cufft and kickt me well-favour'dly for my Carelessness as she term'd it I bore it patiently however as knowing now I had not long to stay with her for the next day when the House was full of People and all in a Hurry I stole her Bunch of Keys out of the Barr sneak'd up Stairs unhoarded the long imprison'd Cash and so rubb'd-off without any ceremonious Complement at parting For the loss of which as I was afterwards inform'd she fell Distracted and took up her Quarters in the College of the Bethlemites Having got what I long'd for and taken on content I trudg'd on all that Day and all the Night following thorough all the Cross-Ways I could find for fear of a Pursuit but when the next Morning-Sun gilded the Mountain-tops with its chearful Beams I found my self weary and faint through long Travel and want of Food when striking about a Furlong into a large Wood I took the boldness after having a little satisfy'd my craving Stomach with Kernels Medlers and other wild Fruit growing there and a Promise of better Fare to open my Pouch and found Coin the Richest of both sorts amounting in all to Forty Ducats a greater Summ perhaps than many of my Ancestors had seen of their own in the whole progress of their Lives This exceedingly lightned my Heart till Father and Mother's Catastrophie bolting into my Thoughts caused in me some Allay and put it into my Head that I was not yet arriv'd at a place of Safety so tucking up my Treasure in an old ragged Petticoat I again took the Road begging and taking up my Nights Quarters in Woods and Barns for fear my Changing of Money in those Parts should breed Suspicion and cause my being stayed till I came into the Suburbs of the City of Florence and there I concluded I was pretty safe This City gives Name to the Province or Dukedom of Florence and is a very fair one feated near the River Arne and Chian beautified with many stately Edifices the Duke being accounted the Richest and Chiefest Merchant in Italy usually call'd the Great Duke of Tuscany Here I bought me a convenient neat Garment and going into the Fields stript me of my coarse Apparel almost degenerated into Rags and bury'd them in a Lime-Pit that they should never rise up to accuse me by any Description that might be given concerning them This done and being a little smugg'd up I came back again and bought other Necessaries I wanted and about the Sun 's declining I took me a Lodging pretending many sham-Occasions of my coming thither as That I had a Brother return'd thither on board the Galleys that had been cruising in the Mediterranean c. But at last finding my Landlady an honest free open-hearted Old Woman but withal very poor after having taken a View of that spacious and pleasant City taking its Name from the curious Gardens of Flowers that almost every where incompass it I told her I was so mainly taken with its Situation and Healthful Air that I would if I could meet with a convenient Service settle there and if she would use her Endeavour to that purpose I would out of the little Money I had give her a Gratuity and better it when more able She promis'd me her Diligence should not be wanting to serve me When to encourage her I sent for a good Supper and a Can of Wine and so we spent the Evening in Telling of Old Stories In the Morning she went upon the Hunt and returning about noon told me she had been successful for that a rich Merchant's Maid died the Day before and they were destitute of another After Dinner I went