Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	conscience_n	good_a	life_n	4,272	5	4.6749	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15036	The honorable reputation of a souldier with a morall report, of the vertues, offices, and (by abuse) the disgrace of his profession. Drawen out of the liues, documents, and disciplines, of the most renowned Romaine, Grecian, and other famous martialistes. By George Whetstone, Gent.	Whetstone, George, 1544?-1587?	1585 (1585)	STC 25339; ESTC S111682	22,474	44

against the Malians vntil his Army had broke into the cittie and both rescued him and subdued the Malians The like aduenture of Caesar rūning desperatly vppon the fierce Neruij saued the remnant of the Romaines who had that day beene all slaine if Caesar had not incouraged them with this little care of life The Senate so honored Caesar for this victorie because the danger was great as they ordained that the Sacrificators should doe sacrifice vnto the Gods and that there should be solempne procession fifteene dayes together without intermission hauing before neuer made the like ordināce at Rome for any victorie that euer was obtained The dangers of war are oftentimes such as necessity spurreth the valiant Gentleman to runne vpon the like perils and therein is true valiancy seene For many wilbe ●orwarde where the hazard is indifferēt that haue no legs to follow such exploits And ●or y ● this seruice is many times required of the worthie Souldier without execution whereof he can neuer be famous The Souldier of all men ought to set the feare of God before his eyes to haue a pure conscience to be of good conuersation least in running vpō the pikes he falleth into hell fire His state is like vnto a man that is ●icke for death wayteth vpō Mars as duly as vpon Surfet And surely he that retourneth safe out of the ●ield escapeth as great a danger as he that is recouered of a mortall infirmitie and as men commonly see nothing but holy good matters among men that are sicke so the conuersation of the auncient Romane Souldiers was purged from dissolute and vngodly behauiour The faith of a Souldier is at this day a cōmon pr●testatiō but in those dayes was neuer violated Alexander surnamed Seuerus had so well a gouerned Army as his companies were reputed to be rather Philosophers thē Souldiers The Souldier was in that gouerment pryuiledged as a sick man The T●staement Millitarie was allowed The Bequeast that Artorius made to his friende Lucius and his heires at the stege of Ierusalem for the inheriting of his lands Titus commanded to be executed as men that ar sicke dispose their goods to their children frendes so the Romanes by a publique law enacted that the sonne of euery Souldier that was slaine how young soeuer hee were should inherite the Paye of his father That this prouision being made for their posteritie their souldiers might be the lesse affraid of death into whose power continuall danger subiected them The case so standing that the Souldiers glory is wrought out of hazard and the benefite of his seruice proceedeth from the perill of his life It is as I haue sayd requisite that his conscience conuersatiō be alwayes holy and then euery day hee may boldly say as Cra●inius sayd to Caesar I will before night be praised either aliue or dead For in both estates the vertues and valiant are and shalbe alwayes commended and as it is the principall duety of a Souldier to be hardy and resolute in execution so it a hye vertue in him to be mercifull after victorie obtained For as the Iudge deserueth more commendation that winneth men from stealing then he that pardoneth no offence euen so the Captaine is farre more worthie prayse that with wisedome and linitie bringeth the enimie to a peace-able obedience then hee that hardeneth their hartes with cruelties and oppressions For as the Athenians wrote vnto the Lacedemonians There be the fruits of warre the losse of the vanquished is certaine and the Vanquishor gaineth nothing by his losse Theaft murder c. are foule vices yet is the Iudge honorable that chastiseth thē he more honorable y ● banisheth thē euen so war which is cōposed of these many other mischiefs cōmēdeth y e worthy Souldier that with his sword dryueth this monster Warre foorth of the Cittie gates and by clemencie out of the Cittizens harts What greater victorie had euer Augustus Caesar then in pardoning of Lutius Cinna This Cinna conspired against Caesar and was found in his Enimies tents whome Caesar not onely pardoned but also highly aduanced notwithstāding all this Cinna practised Caesars death for the rootes of Malice ar seldome plucked vp with kindnesse Neuerthelesse the Emperour sent againe for Cinna When Cinna was come hee caused a chaire to be set him which done Th'emperour opened all his benefits towards Cinna and of Cinnaes ingratitude in seeking of his life These circumstaunces abashed Cinna But Caesar ending his expostulation thus comforted Cinna Cinna quoth hee I once gaue thee thy life being my enemie and now I giue it thee being a traitor and a paracide Cinna being vanquished with this clemencie became so faithful and assured a friend to Caesar as Caesar made him his heire See here what loue the obedience that proceedeth of Clemency breadeth when the fearefull obedience that is forced by tyranny awaighteth but a passage for treason Augustus might haue executed Cinna and so haue beene rid of a dangerous enemie But in pardoning of him he purchased a faithfull frend Iulius Caesar had neuer beene so great a Monarke if hee had not gloried in the forgiuing of his enimies Yea hauing ouercome Pompey the great he entertained all Pompeys frends with suche clemencye and curtesie as many of them honored him with faithful seruice When he had ended the Ciuil warres hee shewed such clemency to his enimies that bore armes against him as there was a temple erected in honour of his Clemency In so much as when Cicero sawe that Caesar set vp Pompeys Images he sayd Behold Caesar setteth vp Pompeys Images that his owne may stande the surer And certainly though Caesar set thē vp of a magnanimous disposition Cicero spake the trueth in derision for Clemency setleth loue and good-wil in subiects which is the best gard safety for princes Alexander the great was highly renowned for the Clemencie that he vsed towardes his enimies Especially when the stout messadge of Iadus the chiefe Sacrificator moued him so purpose the destruction of Ierusalem Neuerthelesse when Iadus putting on his Garments of preesthood and accompanied with the people cloathed all in white humbled himselfe before this great King Alexander gratiously receiued him and entring peaceably into the cittie he not onely gaue rich gifts to the Sacrificatour but shewed great liberalitie towardes all the people The courage of these great Monarkes conquered kingdomes by force and their clemencie millions of people with loue It is a wonder what a tumult the people made in Rome whē Caesar was treacherously slaine they so honored him for this vertue none of the Senators durst stirre forth of their dores nor none of the Conspirators abyde the Towne they slewe all Caesars suspected enimies and fyred many of their houses On the contrarie part Tamberlaine and other cruel Tyrants were neither beloued a liue nor moned after death The dissolute and wantō behauior

Princes that neyther aske aduise of God nor seeke satisfaction with quietnesse If any man brought the Romaines tydinges of some Prouince reuolted or of any other iust cause of warre the Senate first sent to the Offenders frendly requiring them to returne to their obediēce if they continued their contempt they thē created their Captaines for this expedition But before any prosecution they caused their Sacrificators to make praiers vnto the gods after this the Senate assembled themselues and went vnto the Temple of Iupiter and there solemply swore that so oftē as the enemy against whom they moued war would seeke new conditions or craue pardō for their offences committed that their clemēcy should at no time be denyed This done the Consull elect for the enterprise went vnto the Capitoll and there made a solempne vowe that if he retourned with victorie he would offer vnto the Gods some special pretious thing After this the Banner of the Eagle which was the auncient Ensigne of Rome was displayed in the field called Mars by which the people were warned that during the tyme that the Citizens their parents were in the warres that they should neyther celebrate feasts or publicke spectacles finally a Preest mounted vpō the gate called Salarie caused a Trumpet to be soūded to sommon the men of warre and there euery particuler Captaine receiued his ensigne by this it was publikly known that they set not forward their Armies before they had appeased and honored their Gods The Athenians neuer moued warre before the Philosophers and the graue Common-wealthes-men had aduisedly considered whether the same were righteous or no. The Israelites prosecuted the warre by derectiō of the Prophets as appeareth by m●nyexāples of the olde Testament when the Captaines and Souldiers were thus sacisfied by the Prophetes graue common wealthes-men that they should in the extreamest degree but sacrifice their bloods in the seruice of God the safetie of their Countrey and their owne immortall honnour Small is the wounder if they lightly regarded of life and proudely encountred death Sole desire of fame zeale to do their Contrey seruice moued many that had no thought of the immortalitie of the soule to bee wilfull executioners of their owne liues Plutarke writeth that in Phrigia there was a great gaping of y e earth out of which swelled great waters that ouerthrewe many houses Ancurus king Midas sonne hearing that Gods Ire would not be appeased vntil some one mā leaped into the Gulfe Desire of fame which those heathen men reputed an immortall life hastened Ancurus to leape into that Gulfe as hee thought with the losse of his life to rid his country from this outragious water Curtius the noble Romane did the like vpon the like occasion The two worthy Lacedimonians Spartius Bulides voluntarily bowed their neckes to the gallowes to make satisfactiō for the offence of the Lacedemoniās who contrary to the law of all nations which protecteth euery Ambassadour both in time of peace warre slew king Xerxes Ambassadour Themistocles Mutius Scevola and many others might bee ioyned with these examples but especially the acte of Codrus the last king of Athens is worthy remēbraūce it was foretould by the Oracle at Delphos that if the Athenians would bee victors their kinge must needs be slaine When Codrus vnderstoode that the libertie of his countrie stood vpon the losse of his life hee pre●ētly in the habit of a slaue entred the campe of the Pelloponians and Dorians his enimies and quarelled vntill he was slaine Beholde the noble resolution of the auncient Captaines a nūber feared not death almost euery one hated a dishonorable life The Souldiers of Caesar many tymes died desperatly rather then they would bee the seruile prisoners of their enimies Among many y e most hardy attemps that the Iewes made vpon Vespasian his sonne Titus to bee delinered of the Romane seruitude this one example of their proude disdaine of life shewed their litle feare of death When God to chasten the greeuous sinnes of the Iewes suffred them notwithstanding their invincible courage to be slaine by the Romanes of a number that were slaine there being but fortie one left aliue which few rather thē the Romanes should haue any glory of their captiuitie by the drawing of lottes they appoincted one to be the executioner of an other The Earle of Shreusbury who in Henry the sixte his time was so feared in Fraunce as the frenchmē to scarre their Children as we doe by Robyn good fellow haue to this day a by-word Garde le taulbot being by the enuious contentions in Englande left almost succourlesse in Fraunce In fine was beset with a great power of french men beyonde all possibilitie for his strength to ouercome and albeit hee had good meane to escape by flight yet hee courageously abode their incounter and vpon this resolution he thus sayd vnto his sonne Sonne quoth he thou art yong and mayst with thy honour flye But I am old and haue had my life honored with many victories all which I should loose if I should deferre my death which by course of nature cannot bee farre of by a tymerous flight Therefore I am bound to staye What should his sonne doe but euen which he did followe the fortune of his father and so like as they liued they dyed valiant men This presice preseruation of honor neither the deuines nor many polliticke Martialistes do allowe the one absolutely reprouing desperate ende the other forbidding a mā wilfully to dye when by his death hee neither benefiteth his frend nor hurteth his enimie And yet the greatnes of these mens courages are to be honored although not necessary to be followed But necessitie many tymes approueth resolute bouldnesse to be honorable profitable and necessarie As at the Moūtaine Antilliban in Arabia Alexander being a foote farre off his Army through care that he had of his Tutor Lysimacus who in a maner was tyred with trauell and being bee-nighted and out of his waye hee perceaued that his barborous enimies had made diuers fires in the Mountaine by whome he must passe and therefore as his best remedy in that extremitie he sodenly set vppon one of the cōpanies slue two of the saluadges and like a Fury with a firebrand in his hand he made a passage vntill hee came vnto his Campe And by this hazard hee both preserued him selfe and those that were with him But his hardiest aduenture was among the Malians the stoutest people of y e Indians who hauing scaled the walles of their Cittie his scaling ladder broke and seeing that his Enimies assaulted him sharply with thieir Darts he sodenly leaped among the thickest of them who with the noyse and shining of his Armour so feared his enemies supposing that a light or sprite went before him they fled on euery side and when in the end they assailed him hee set his backe to the wall and fought