Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	great_a	time_n	year_n	9,128	5	4.5915	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08919	The miserable estate of the citie of Paris at this present With a true report of sundrie straunge visions, lately seene in the ayre vpon the coast of Britanie, both by sea and lande.		1590 (1590)	STC 19197; ESTC S105861	3,317	8

The miserable estate of th● Citie of Paris at this present With a true report of sundrie straunge visions latel● seene in the ayre vpon the coast of Britanie both by Sea and lande LONDON Printed for Thomas Nelson 1590. The miserable estate of the Cittie of Paris at this present with a true report of sundrie straunge visions lately seene in the ayre vpon the Coast of Britaine both by Sea and lande THe present and distressed estate of the Citie of Paris as it is vnknowen to some so it is well knowen vnto many thousand persons that daily féele the force and bitternesse therof The same being most extreame and lamentable I could doe no lesse but lay it open to the view of the whole worlde that all the Cities in Christendome may take example by the same and feare hereafter to attempt the like inhumaine vnnaturall and most vngodly actions which aboue all other that Citie hath sundrie times committed especially in two points first in slaughtering the bloud of many thousande innocents and secondly for resisting and rebelling from time to time against the authoritie of their Soueraigne and Christian King wherein they haue of long time péeuishly continued For which their so insolent crimes doubtles almighty God doth iustly plague and punish them the rather to make it knowen vnto them and others that he is a iust God and will punish the bloud-thirstie and wicked as he hath promised euen to the third and fourth generation Such haue béene the crimes of those proude and disloyal Pariseans who of late yeares liued in great prosperitie and abounded in wealth that in the life time of that bloud-thirstie Butcher and vnnaturall Murtherer of Christians called the Duke of Guize with the consent of the Quéene mother and her associates suffered to be accomplished and performed within the saide Citie a lamentable Massacre of many thousand innocents in one night and such especially as were of the flower and chiefe of the Nobilitie of France the fact being yet so fresh in memorie that the bloud of those then slaughtered asketh reuenge and craueth bloud againe vpon those hard hearted helhoundes and their posteritie now maintayners of their vnholy League that long time haue resisted the authoritie of the higher powers and giuen their consents to séeke the dissolution and ruine of that kingdome and the subuersion of their King his Crowne and dignitie Royall as they haue doone from time to time For which their so horrible actions together with their gréeuous crimes and detestable pride whoredome incest gluttony and such like abhominable vices which they of long time vsed it hath pleased God to sende among them extreame famine a sharpe messenger of reuenge to punish them whereby they are at this present in such gréeuous distresse as it is lamentable to report For the Citie is besieged round about by the kinges power which is very strong and therby hath cut them off from hauing any victuals or other succour whatsoeuer their victuals within was spent long since whereby they are in wofull ease for want of foode They are enforced to eate Horses Asses Dogges Cattes Rattes Mice and other filthie and vnaccustomed things for their sustenance yea that which is more odious in respect of their necessitie it is sayd that they are enforced to féede one vpon an other and that through féeblenesse and want of victuals they fall downe dead in the stréetes and in their houses A most lamentable and vnaccustomed thing to be done yet constrayned so to doe by meanes of their want and gréeuous famine which is now generally among them This their necessitie may be compared to the want miserable estate of the Iewes at the siedge of Ierusalem where death threatned the destruction of all the inhabitants thereby shewing them that for their wickednesse and wilfull stubbornnesse their destruction is at hand The Friers and Cleargie men who are the ring leaders and principall gouernours there at this present time perceiuing the great necessitie whereunto the Citizens would bée driuen by meanes of their detestable perswasions dealt pollitickely sending for the Citizens of Paris into seuerall Cloisters religious Houses within the same Cittie and commaunded them to bring in all their warlike furniture which they had in their houses to the intent that they might sée if they were seruiceable or not for warre so when they had gotten al the same furniture of pikes halbards muskets gunnes dagges swordes and such like they detained their weapons and sent euery man home again destitute of any furniture wherwith to defend themselues if occasion should serue whereby they haue weakened the whole multitude of Citizens and drawen the strength of the Cittie into their owne direction and gouernment fearing least that famine shoulde compell the generall multitude to rebell against them and so constrayn the fatte fed Friers to yéelde to their daily outcries which is to yéelde vppe the Cittie into the kinges handes and to submitte them selues to his mercy which to doe they can not compell them for want of weapons Some here may happely demaunde why the Cleargie men and chiefe Rulers will not yéelde it vppe as well as the rest rather then to taste of famine and so to suffer so grieuous and cruell a torment which is more bitter then death but for aunswer thereto let this suffice The Leagers and Cleargy men of the Cittie suspecting long before that such misery would come to passe did vitaile themselues for a long time so that those especially that are chiefe gouernours Officers Watchmen and Guard to the Cittie haue yet some sufficient maintenance neuertheles the ordinary Friers are not far differing from the generall state of the lay men in that Citty for they are almost starued by reason 〈◊〉 their small allowance so that most of them looke like vnto wild men whose countenance is leane and stearne as willing to snatch at the quarter of a good dogge as soone as any other though it cost twentie shillings as at this present it is worth among them This is the true estate of the said Citty and inhabitants therein whose misery is doubtles sent of God as a sharpe scourge for their so great wickednesse and disobedience towards God and their Soueraigne Thus doth God still harden the hearts of the Gouernours and maketh them wilfull blinde and foolishe in their owne fancie that their punishment for their wickednes might be the more sharpe and grieuous The Prince of Parma for certaintie hath entered France with tenne thousand men of horse and foote but soone after hee passed the borders intending to aide those of the Legue the Kings power gaue him a battaile and discomfited thrée thousand of his men They of the League are very sorrowfull for that the towne of Moutriall in Pickardy is yeelded vp to the King which is of certaine troth done verie lately A generall Battaile is daily expected forthwith betweene the Duke de Mayne and the Christian King of Fraunce for whome almighty God daily doth fight and will doubtles spéedily deliuer his enemies into his handes they are within foure leagues one of another on both sides of a riuer It is therefore very conuenient that all Christians should pray for the good successe of the King that it woulde please God to giue him victory ouer those rebellious and traiterous persons At the comming of the Prince of Parma into the French countries it is reported there was visibly séene in the Aire to all his army thrée raine bowes and betwéene euery one of them the forme of a toade and presently the riuers ther about séemed nothing but bloud and so continued for a short space wherby his army was in great feare and would willingly haue returned but they were by their generall commaunded on paine of death to goe forwards Sundry such sights haue lately béene séene vpon the coast of France for one of her Maiesties shippes called the Vangard being in the narrow seas met with nine hulkes and flie boats of the lowe countries bound homeward from Spaine where the Captaine examined them concerning sundry matters who among other things tolde him that they being on the coaste of France on the one and twentith of Iune last in a place called Bell I le the Sea round about them was of the coulour of blood for the full space of halfe an houre and nothing was to be séene but bloud so farre as they could discerne taking vp the water in their buckets they could not perceiue it from bloud this the Maister and other in the company did sweare to be true Moreouer in Iuly last past the saide shippe of her Maiesties called the Vangard being at Sea in an euening about setting time of the watch all the men in the shippe at the rising of the Moone did discerne in the ayre ouer the Moone the shape of a man with a crowne on his head the king of Spaines armes plainely displaide which continued visibly to be séene for some small space and soone after it was as a thing ouerthrowne and vanished away and séemed to them as though it were falling All which visions generall by the coniecture of sundrie of good iudgement presageth the ruine and confusion of those vnwholy Leaguers vpholden by the Pope and the king of Spaine and contrariwise the good successe of the French King whose ancient armes is the thrée toades God for his mercie sake daily defende and protect him that he may vanquish all his enemies which séeke and pretend his vtter confusion which God grant for his mercie sake Amen FINIS