Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	body_n	young_a	youth_n	100	3	7.7134	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59539	Discourses useful for the vain modish ladies and their gallants under these following heads, viz. I. Of some of the common ways many vertuous women take to lose their reputation, &c. II. Of meer beauty-love, &c. III. Of young mens folly in adoring young handsom ladies, &c. IV. Of the power womens beauty exercises over most young men. V. Of the inconstancy of most ladies, especially such as are cry'd-up beauties, &c. VI. Of marriage, and of wives who usurp a governing power over their husbands. VII. Of the inequality of many marriages, with the sad end that usually attend such matches. VIII. Against maids marrying for meer love, &c. IX. Against widows marrying. X. Against keeping of misses. XI. Of the folly of such women as think to shew their wit by censuring of their neighbours. XII. Of the French fashions and dresses, &c. XIII. Of worldly praises which all ladies love to receive, but few strive to deserve. XIV. Useful advices to the vain and modish ladies, for the well regulating their beauty and lives. By the right honourable Francis Lord Viscou	Shannon, Francis Boyle, Viscount, 1623-1699.	1696 (1696)	Wing S2963A; ESTC R222490	137,565	280

of the Roman Faith In a word our young Gallants are grown so very vain in their Apparel and Dresses that desiring to see change and excess of vanity we need but look on one anothers vain change of Dresses being almost as diverse as the Persons that wear them and therefore 't is impossible to view them all but I can give you in a line this exact and true Character of them That our Modes are become the effects of our vain fantastick Prodigality and more irregular Inconstancy Indeed all our vain expensive French Dresses may make the Ladies or Gallants finer but never better or worser for Embroidered Clothes to our Bodies are but like flowers of Rhetoric in Speeches they make the words sound the sweeter but render not the sense the better it may please the Ear but it does not improve the Judgment Or like silver Dishes on a Table they may shew their own Costliness but they make no addition or goodness to the Meat they contain whatever they may do to the fancy of the Eater or Observer Really if we would but allow Conscience or Reason a Vote in this affair we should soon be assured by them that there appears more true wisdom and satisfaction in giving one Penny as an Alms-deed for Christ's sake than in laying out many Pounds on bravery for our own more real fine in Clothing one that 's naked on a pious account of true Charity than by bedawbing twenty footmen in Gold or Silver rich Liveries on the score either of vanity or Fashion and that because it suits the London or Paris Mode For I esteem Livery-men excepting those that are really necessary to a Mans person and Quality but just so many Porters that are hired to carry about a Mans pride and folly and the several Colours of his Liveries to be but so many Lures and Jack Puddings to draw mens Eyes to behold a fair shew not only of his own Pride but often of his Merchants loss for 't is now grown no common wonder especially in London to see young Sparks Clothes and their Footmens Liveries to last longer in their Merchants books than on their own or Footmens backs and they turned off before the Books are Crossed out In a word I wish our French fashions may not prove fatal follies by being soon naturalized into English Customs for then let them be never so costly ridiculous and vain like blackness among the Aethiopians the commonness may remove their deformity but can never smother the prejudices against them I will now only add this Consideration to conclude all in reference to our fine young Frenchefied Ladies and that is that they would seriously reflect on the end of all their fine Modish Dresses and their greater loss of pretious time they wast about them which occasions their minding so much the fineness of their Bodies as many of them neglect by it the care of their Souls the best and only lasting part and therefore they should remember that they must die certainly tho' they now live pleasantly and then all their plenty of finch rich Frenchefied Dresses will be contained in one poor Winding-sheet and their exact slender shape in a Coffin and all their fine Gallants and constant admirers will leave them at the Grave where their Bodies will be only fit to be enjoyed by nasty worms This young Ladies is the true Epilogue to the sad Tragedy of your vain Dresses and what 's yet worse than all your Souls will be in as sad a condition as your Bodies after death without a hearty Repentance which can never be without a real amendment in abandoning not only great Sins but vain excesses as well in Dresses as wasting time about them and that you come to esteem them as Solomon did the pleasures of this World only as vanity of vanities Therefore all you young Ladies that desire to cloath your Souls in a Heavenly dress adorn your Lives with constant Piety and your Bodies with modest and decent Clothing such as wasts not too much of your time or Estate but wear still what is most generally worn and then you may be sure that few persons will either gaze or laugh at you THE THIRTEENTH DISCOURSE Of Worldly Praises which all Ladies love to receive but few strive to merit with the sad end of it and them when they come to Die WOrldly Praise is a Subject I shall write little of for these two Reasons first that I need not write for it and next that I dare not write against it for as one the one hand it would be vain and superfluous to make that my business to commend what all Praise so on the other side it would argue a great folly to write against that all the World writes for therefore to prevent all I can writing superfluously or foolishly I shall only glance this Discourse on the Worlds high esteem and eager ambition after vain Praises the desires of gaining it being as inseparable from most Men and Womens Actions as Light is from the Sun or heat from fire and shall only name the common ways to it and the usual end of it and them when they come to die Praise is that great Idol which all people in the World adore and flatter as the Supream object of their pleasure and delight as having a perfect influence over all our Actions of what kind degree and quality whatsoever And therefore let publick Writers say what they will and pretend what they please self Praise is the Jack they all Bowl at tho many take several Grounds to it And tho some Writers are more humble and reserv'd more moderate and less opinionaters of their own Writings less apt to Censure those of others that differ in Opinion from theirs than usually most kind of Writers are yet all of them court Praise tho in several shapes and differing manners Some court Praise by their ingenious Writing others think to gain it by their witty speaking and a third sort hope to procure it by a discreet silence relying upon wise Solomon's saying a Man of understanding holdeth his peace and a Fool useth many Words The finest Ware is usually the closest wrapt up and Silence is not only still useful to shelter a Fool but often to discover a wise Man 'T is wisdom to speak when one ought and folly when we ought not he needs much Reason that speaks well but a little serveth him that holdeth his Peace since he that takes upon him to speak wisely on a Subject but does it simply all hearers are Judges and witnesses of his folly but he that is silent none can justly tell whether he can speak wisely or not and so as to him ought to hold their Peace because he does his There are as many Roads and Paths to Praise as there are employments I think I might well venture to say all Actions in the World and hope of Praise is the common Guide and Conductor general to them all making the greatest

Indeed I have known some young handsom Widows who have lov'd their own Reputation and their Husbands Memory so much as to continue some years in a strict deep Mourning as well in their Life as Dress And I have also known other Widows of the wild brisk London brood that have not so much Complemented their Husbands death as to hold out one year a Widows Life tho contrary to the Custom of the Country and the common Rules of decency and civility And as shewing so little a concern for a Husband is very unbecoming and highly immodest not to speak worse so on the other hand overmuch grief and despair are both imprudent and irreligious But I need not speak much of this overabundant Mourning for a Husband since 't is a distemper of mind very few Widows of our age are inclin'd too and therefore not in danger of being infected with for most Widows can tell us that they are so well read in the brave Roman Story who though they had no other bounds to their aspiring hopes than the Conquest of the whole world yet they still placed their glory and praise as much in suffering well as in doing so saying as they ought not to be overmuch exalted by prosperity so they ought not to be too much depressed or cast down by adversity but to observe the Golden Rule of Mediocrity in both Cases and therefore 't is not ill Wife like but brave Roman like to suffer all losses with Courage and Patience And 't is from these Considerations that many of our fine young gay brisk Widows say They esteem more the Phylosophers Wit than his Wisdom who being in great affliction and weeping most bitterly for the death of his Wife one of his friends told him his crying could do neither him nor her any good Therefore said the Philosopher I Cry But this is a kind of doleful Logick that suits ill with the sprightly gaiety of our fine young Widows and therefore it must be needless as well as troublesom to mind them of it it being a very unmodish doctrin to preach to such young Widows that because their Husbands are out of the world therefore they ought to live as if they were not in it and bury themselves alive in a strict solitary retirement which they will tell you savours more of great folly than true wisdom since no Woman by her Matrimonial Vow is engaged to Love her Husband longer than till death them do part and indeed as Wives now go I think 't is very extraordinary to meet one that truly loves her Husband half so long In a word she that gives her Husband a more lasting Love than she promised is generously kind but she that pays him as much as she ingaged for is truly just Next 't is most certain that all extreams are bad and therefore Widows ought to avoid them on both sides either by shewing too little a Concern or too violent a Grief for their Husbands death I know I need not travel your thoughts so far as the East-Indies to shew you the barbarous examples of Womens love to their dead Husbands bodies by sacrificing themselves to the Devil by burning themselves alive soon after their Husbands death we have examples enough in the History of our Neighbouring Princes of their Wives barbarous Cruelty committed against their own Lives for their Husbands loss of theirs but then do not mistake me so as to think I believe there are any such kind of fond foolish Wives in our age as Adymond Queen of Sweedland who when she heard her Husband was kill'd by the Danes said she would soon follow him and presently stabb'd her self I might name you many more of this bloody Nature but surely such kind of Tragical examples are to be look'd upon but as the vile and wicked effects of madness or a devilish despair and not at all the motions of a pious vertuous love since good Wives may shew their kindness without shedding their blood and may mourn heartily without dying Cruelly for such unnatural deaths utterly destroy that great Christian vertue of well regulating their passions And certainly no Widow stands more engaged to her Husbands memory either by the Laws of outward Civility and good manners or by the inward effects of true love and real esteem than to observe those kinds of measures and degrees of mourning for their Husbands which are usual according to the rules of custom and decency which is to live a strict religious and unmarried life for some considerable time or longer as some Women do and among those many who continue so to the end of their days and so are Widows indeed according to S. Pauls phrase and so deserve his character of honour And among those I cannot omit a just commendation of the three most Excellent vertuous Ladies and kind Sisters who live together near London I need not name them because I am sure there are not three Widow Sisters of their high Quality great Vertue and clear Reputation that live together in all England for which as they have the just admiration and praises of all true Lovers of Vertue so I wish all Widows would strive to imitate their religious example that so like them they might enjoy comfort of true devotion and felicity upon earth as an earnest of more blessed comforts and happiness they do expect in the other World And who by leading such a constant religious and unmarried Life the world must plainly see that such Widows have no particular fondness for any Man in the world since their dear Husbands are out of it and that they do still shew a constant affection real esteem and memory of their Husbands vertues and reputation and by a particular kindness continued to all their Husbands Relations and Friends as much as if they had been now actually living and could be made sensible of the effects of their good or ill nature towards them I say such a vertuous and discreet carriage in Widows is a most clear demonstration that Loves do not expire with their Husbands Lives and certainly such an affection must be more real and less by assed as to all appearances than the love of any living Wife can possible be since that may only look counterfeit and be disguised by wearing a Mask of self-interest or design rather than of true affection or value and may be reckoned on the account of living in good esteem or reputation as to the world or be counterfeited for an outward seeming kindness to her Husband tho she has no real inward one in order to live at peace and quiet at home both for her Childrens good and for her own and families ease But a Widow that continues as I have said consonant kindness to her Husbands memory and Relations and lives in the state of a private and religious widowhood such a one can expect no return or hope for any praise or advantage but from the just commendation of her vertue while she lives or

whose mind is truly sanctified will extract uses of vertue out of such extravagant Womens vanities like the Bee that sucks Hony out of all sorts of venomous Herbs and like Fire that turns all things within its compass to its self and such a Ladies holy course of Life will be steady and certain in its progress like the Sun in his daily motion nothing of Storms or changable weather can ever hasten or retard its regular course for a Lady that 's in the holy state of true Mortification her constant Piety will so purifie and draw off her inclinations from all vain pastimes and modish vanities and from those foul dregs of impurity that are the usual attendants of a vain idle London Life that by this Transfiguration of Mind and pious habit of Life her Conversation will be as the Apostle says fixed up in Heaven and we all know that the upper Region of the Air it self will admit of no Storms or Thunder for they are all formed below it And farther that Lady who is so blessed as to have her heart touch'd with this Magnetic vertue of true godliness her thoughts will be elevated to such a heavenly pitch of spiritual vertue and religion as she will despise all the young Gallants fine words deep sighs and languishing looks with all their high Praises and showers of Complements which will work no more on her sanctified Mind than showers of Hail on the tops of well covered Houses which fall off as soon as it falls on without ever touching any of the inward part And whereas our vain Ladies receive the extravagant encomiums and flatteries I might have almost said Adorations of their vain Gallants as the Lawful Issue of their own applauded Merit a truly pious Lady will only hearken to all the Airy Praises young Men ascribe to her beauty to be but the Bastard brood of their own abundant sin and folly and she will make such pious reflections on such young Mens overmuch praises grounded on a sense of her own unworthiness of them as she will not only despise their extravagant speeches but themselves for speaking of them which doubtless cannot but be very acceptable to God the searcher of all hearts who still giveth grace to the humble Therefore Ladies if you really desire true piety and humility I must advise you again and again never to hearken with delight or hear with belief or indeed suffer with patience but shun with diligence young Mens airy praises and Complements nor yet countenance their flatteries for multitude of Praises cannot but perplex young Ladies Minds as many Lights still confound the Sight and therefore when you hear young Men give their Tongues such loose liberties and over large ranges in magnifying your beauty remember such high Complemental expressions are to be trusted no more than the Christian Flag of a Turkish Pyrat which he only hangs out that you might esteem him your friend that thereby he may make you become his Slave Therefore Ladies keep still about you this preservative of your vertue that you look upon on all the vain Gallants that Court you with high Complements and great praises to be but so many Judas's that come to betray you with a kiss and do not believe their Oaths either on the account of what they swear as to your great beauty or their own true Love for really flattery and vain praises are now grown such common Arts among fond Lovers as well as great States-men and Complemental Courtiers as we often meet the truth of their meaning in the contradiction of their words 7. My last concluding advise to the vain modish Ladies is when one of you is curiously beholding and admiring your fine Face in your Glass and find that the great beauty of it raises proud thoughts in your heart which is almost as common among handsom Ladies as 't is for them to look in their Glass which nothing can be more common humble your pride with these mortifying reflections that this very fine Face of yours that you like so much love so well and are so taken with and fond of must unavoidably in a little time become loathsom rottenness stink and corruption turn odious either to be seen or smelt which is as very certain as mortality it self and death you know is not only sure to meet you but your are exposed by a thousand accidents to meet it whilst you are travelling in this Earthly Pilgrimage for the spritely gaiety of your blossom youth can only let you know how long you may possibly live but can give no advance security how long you certainly will therefore young Ladies as well as old Men ought still to march under the safe Conduct of a vertuous Life and not to trust to the temptation of a long Life but to rely only on the blessed security of a good one I shall conclude this Discourse and Book with the good saying of an excellent religious person That the vainest beauty on Earth cannot justly deny this great Truth that beauty is not absolutely necessary to the good of this Life but that Piety is essentially necessary both to the good of this Life and the next too since one may live well without beauty but one can neither live or die well without Piety FINIS