Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	child_n	father_n	life_n	5,155	5	4.4801	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02250	The antient, true, and admirable history of patient Grisel a poore mans daughter in France: shewing, how maides, by her example, in their good behauiour may marrie rich husbands: and likewise, wiues by their patience and obedience may gaine much glorie. Written first in French. And therefore to French I speake and giue direction. For English dames will liue in no subiection. But now translated into English. Therefore say not so. For English maids and wiues surpasse the French, in goodnesse of their liues.; Decamerone. Day 10. Novel 10. English	Boccaccio, Giovanni, 1313-1375.	1619 (1619)	STC 12383; ESTC S118969	20,419	34

In this manner passed foure yéeres wherein shée ouerpassed all of her kinde and he thought it a donatiue from heauen to haue such a wife At last nature bestird herselfe againe and made her a happy mother of a faire sonne the ioy whereof led the whole Country into the house of praier thanksgiuing and brought them home againe by cresset-light and bonfires so that shée well perceiued how acceptable shée was to her people and beloued of her husband Notwithstanding with the same water that draue the mill hée drowned it and made her still beléeue the contrary for after two yéeres that the childe was past the danger of a cradle and the trouble of infancy hée took occasion once againe to inflict vpon the vertuous Grisel a new punishment erecting his building vpon the old foundation You knowe saith hée what former contentions I haue had with my Nobility about our marriage not that they can lay any imputation on you or your worthy behauior but on my fortune and disasterous affection to match my selfe so meanly wherin yet their forward exprobration was rebated all the while we either had no children or that they supposed that which we had to be taken from vs all which ariseth out of the error of ambition which in a manner is carelesse of vertue respecting nothing but a high Progeny so that euer since this child was borne there hath passed many secret grudgings and vnkinde speeches against it as if it were a disparagement to their greatnesse to haue a lord of so meane Parentage and the Country to be subiect to the grand child of Ianicola whom you sée neuer since our mariage they would admit to place of honor or to ouertop them by way of association nor will suffer this my Gualter though it carry the fathers name to rule ouer them Therefore to allay the heat of these present fires to preserue the peace of my estate by preuēting the mischief of future troubles I am resolued to settle my contentment and to deale with your sonne as I haue dealt with your daughter And of this I thought good to aduertise you as a preparatiue for patience lest sorrow should distract with ouersuddennesse Now you Ladies and Dames of these times that stand vpon tearmes of spirit and greatnesse of heart some will haue it courage and magnanimity of minde that are affrighted at the Character of a foole and silly poore soule I speake not of Strumpets or of such as are willing to brand themselues with the impurity of vncleannesse and dare out of impudency or running tell their Husbands to their faces they will goe where they list and do what they please but of such that vnder that impregnable target of honestie are yet so impatient at euery distemperature that they dare answere taunt for taunt yea like Viragos indeed offer the first blow though a horrible confusion follow what would you haue answered this lord or with what fire-works would you haue made your approches vnto him I will not tarry for your answere lest I pull the old house in peeces and so though I scape the timber I may be crushed with the rubbish but I will now 〈…〉 all obiections In telling you what faire GRISEL said and if there bée hope of reformation insert it as a caution to diuert you from your naturall fiercenes When shée had heard him out though to the griefe of her soule shée conceiued the murther of her childe and that the apprehension renewed the sorrow of her daughters losse yet would shée giue no way to such distemperature that either hée should haue cause to suspect her patience or shée herselfe the temptation of disquiet and therefore thus replied My lord I haue many times told you that my soule reioiceth in nothing but in your reposednes for you are the lord of mée and this infant and though I could bée contented to shew my selfe a mother in his education and bring him now and then vnto you as the pledge of our loues yet are you the commander of my vowes and I will rectifie all disordered appetites by the rule of your pleasure Take him then a Gods name and if hée bée marked for death it is but the common brand of all creatures nay if the mother may bée a sacrifice of propitiation to appease your disquiet neuer was lamb so meek nor holocaust so willing to bée offred For what may bée comprehended vnder the titles of father kinred children friends life pleasure honour and contentment are all comprised vnder your loue and the society of a husband Do with mée then what you please the body shall serue your turne while it liues and the soule attend you after death Héere was an answer to pacifie the tyrants of Sicilie and put a man quite out of his tract of prouing such a wife yet the Marquesse onely made vse of it to reioice in the assurance of her goodnes and went the rather forward in his dangerous course of temptation CHAP. VII The Marquesse resolute to proue his wife further sendeth for his son disposeth of him as he had done of his daughter AS this patient and wonderfull lady was one day sporting with her infant like an vntimely tempest spoiling the beauty of some new rooted plants did this messenger of death interpose himselfe betwéene her recreation making the hollow demand of her sonne worse than the noise of aschrich-owle ouer a sick mans bed yet as if there were a conscience in disquieting her greatnes or if you will her goodnes he came forward with preambles and apologies insinuating with crauing pardon the authority of a lord the duty of a seruant the terrour of death the circumstance of obedience and all other enforcements which might either excuse a messenger or make the message it selfe without blame What should I enlarge a discourse of terrour it is a curtesie to conclude a mischiefe with quicknes hée was not so sudden in his demand as shée was ready in her dispatch for she presently blest the child kissed it crossed it adorned it and deliuered it to the executioner onely with the same enforcement shée pleaded as shée had spoken of in the behalfe of her daughter not to sée it perish for lack of a buriall or deuoured for want of a graue In this manner and with this report hée returned to his lord who had still more cause of amazement and lesse reason to trouble such a creature had not his wilfulnes put him forward to make an end of his businesse and taught him still variety of trying this gold in the fire But for the time hée sent likewise this childe to his sister the Duchesse of Bologna yet some will haue her but Countesse of Paniche who vnderstanding her brothers minde brought vp both these children in such a fashion that though no man knew whose children they were yet they imagined whose they might bée that is the son and daughter of some prince or other potentate willing to haue his

one so base and haue still before their eyes our children of such low degrée so that though for my sake they make good semblance of the present yet are they resolued neuer to suffer any of our posterity to rule ouer them of which as they haue disputed with mee I cannot chuse but forewarne you Therefore to preuent this discontentment betwéene vs and to maintaine that peace which must corroborate my estate I must néedes yeelde to their iudgements and take away your Daughter from you to preserue their amity the thing I know must be displeasing to Nature and a Mother cannot well indure such a losse but there is now no remedy only make vse of your first resolutions and remember what you promised me at the beginning of our Contract The Lady hearing this sorrowfull preamble and apprehending the Marquesse resolution to her griefe although euery word might haue béene as arrowes in her sides yet admitting of the temptation and disputing with her selfe to what end the vertues of Patience Modesty Forbearance Fortitude and Magnanimity were ordained if they had not subiects to worke vpon and obiects to looke after thus replyed My lord you are my Soueraigne and all earthly pleasures and contentments of my life come from you as the fountaine of my happinesse and therefore please your selfe and beléeue it it is my pleasure that you are pleased as for the child it is the gift of God and yours Now he that giues may take away and as wée receiue blessings from heauen so must we not dote on them on earth lest by setting our minds too much vpon them wée cannot set off our hearts when they are taken from vs only one thing I desire that you remember I am a mother and if I burst not out into passion for her losse it is for your sake I am no more perplexed and so you shall euer find mee a wife befitting your desires When the Marquesse saw her constancy and was in a manner pleased with her modest answere hée replied not at all at that time For his heart was full and what betweene ioy and feare he departed ioy that so great vertue had the increase of goodnesse feare that he had presumed too farre on such a trial but resolued in his businesse hee went to put it to the aduenture CHAP. V. The Marquesse sent a Varlet for his daughter but priuatly disposed of her with his sister the Dutchesse of Bologna de grace who brought her vp in all things befitting the childe of so great a person NOt long after this sad conference betwéen the Marquesse and his lady hée called a faithfull seruant vnto him such a one as the poet talks of propter fidem taciturnitatem dilectum to whom hée imparts this secrecy and with seuerall instructions what hée truly meant to do with the child sent him to his wife with an vnsauory message which yet hée deliuered in this manner I had not now come to you most noble lady though that power commanded me which hath my life in subiection if I had not more relied vpon your wisdome and vertue than feared death it selfe Therefore I craue pardon if I am displeasing in my message and séeme cruell as it were in tearing your flesh from your sides by bereauing you of this your daughter for hée hath appointed it that must not bée gainsaid and I am a messenger that cannot bée denied but yet with what vnwillingnes God knowes my soule in regard that you are so respected amongst vs that wée think of nothing but what may delight you and talk not a word but of your merit and worthinesse When shée had heard him out remembring the conference the Marquesse had with her and apprehending there was no disputing in a matter remedilesse especially with a messenger shée resolued it was ordained to dy and although shée must now as it were commit it to a slaughter-house whereby any woman in the world might with good becomming haue burst out into some passion and well enough shewed a distracted extasie yet recollecting her spirits and reclaiming those motiues of nature already striuing in her bowels shée took the childe in her armes and with a mothers blessing and swéetned kisses the countenance somewhat sad and the gesture without any violent excruciation deliuered it vnto the fellow not once amazed nor distempred because her lord would haue it so and shée knew not how to haue it otherwise only shee said I must my friend intreat one thing at your hands that out of humanity and Christian obseruation you leaue not the body to bée deuoured of beasts or birds for it is worthy of a graue in her innocency and Christian buriall though shée were but my daughter alone The fellow hauing receiued the childe durst not tarry for feare of discouery such impression had her words make already but returned with it to his Maister not leauing out the least circumstance of her answer nor any thing might enlarge her renowne and constancy The Marquesse considering the great vertue of his wife and looking on the beauty of his daughter began to enter into a kinde of compassion and to retract his wilfulnesse but at last resolution won the field of pity and hauing as he thought so well begunne would not so soone giue ouer but with the same secrecy hée had taken her from his wife hée sent it away to his sister the Duchess of Bologna with presents of worth and letters of gratification containing in them the nature of the businesse and the manner of her bringing vp which shee accordingly put in practice receiuing her néece with ioy and instructing her with diligence so that it soone appeared vnder what a tutelage shée was and whose daughter shee might be For her pregnancy learned whatsoeuer they taught her and the grace shee added quickly discouered that honour had confederated with nature to make her the of-spring of such a mother CHAP. VI. The Marquesse not contented with this proofe tooke away also her sonne in which aduersity with other additions she shewed an extraordinary patience AFter this tempest was ouerpast the rage whereof might easily haue broken the tender sides of poore Grisels Barke For shée verely beleeued that her Daughter was slaine the Marquesse still lay in waite for the trial of his wife watching euery opportunity which might acquaint him with her discontentments especially if he might vnderstand whether shée complained of his rigorousnesse and vnkindnesse or no but when he not onely was aduertised of her constancy and faire demeanor but saw by experience that shée was neither elated in prosperity nor deiected in aduersity when hee perceiued so great a temperature betwéene the ioy of her aduancement and the sorrow for her trouble hée wondred at her constancy and the rather because her loue and obseruation toward him continued with that swéetnes and had such delectable passages that his heart was set on fire againe and hee knew not how to allay the extreamities of his ioy