Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	day_n	good_a	time_n	5,951	5	3.7938	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78453	The triumphant lady: or, The crowned innocence· A choice and authentick piece of the famous, De Ceriziers, almoner to the King. / Translated into English, out of the original French, by Sir William Lower Knight.; Histoire d'Hirlande, ou l'Innocence couronnée. English	Cerisiers, René de, 1609-1662.; Lower, William, Sir, 1600?-1662.; Gaywood, Richard, fl. 1650-1680, engraver.; Barlow, Francis, 1626?-1702, artist.	1656 (1656)	Wing C1682; Thomason E1617_2; ESTC R209636	67,915	166

troubled at a thing which rejoyceth me is it not a great good to depart out of prison and to depart thence with assurance never to come there again Perhaps the grave is more fearful then this prison I should believe it if one were sensible there and that its worms were more troublesome then this misery which consumes me But yet of what death must I finish Madam answered she they prepare the wood-pile where you are to expire in case there be no person that will defend your honour in taking away your accusers life All things are already prepared but not one of those that run to this spectacle presents himself to succour you She asked her further if the Lord de l'Olive were not in the country that was the Cavalier in whom she had all the remains of her confidence and as she understood his absence she prayed that Governess to cause a Priest to come unto her to prepare her self unto death by the Sacraments which are the buds of the true life and the seed of immortality She could not refuse her that consolation which she enjoyed as long as possibly she could because she passed the best part of the day with a good religious man whom they had sent her All the night of that fatal morning which was to see her martyrdome was imployed in entertaining her self with God into whose hands she consigned a thousand times her life and honour Of all the circumstances of her death nothing afflicted her but the examen of her honesty which was put over to the fortune of arms Never notwithstanding did this couragious Princess let forth one sole tear nor sigh on the contrary imagining with her self that she was going to see again her poor children she felt a joy whose transports she was troubled to moderate Yes cryed she out I shall soon see you innocent victimes But that thought gave her not pleasure long nor her vertue constancy because it made her to remember that these two little creatures had been the innocent cause of her troubles and dishonours Then opening her eyes unto tears and her mouth to regrets she spake thus to her amiable Master My God I complain not to dye unfortunate I am grieved only to die infamous I demand not that thou should'st give me life I desire that thou would'st conserve my reputation Alas must I for being born in a great fortune and for having possessed wealth lose honour oh how much more desirable had it been to me to be born in a country village and to live in the incommodities of a strait poverty then to see me raised to serve as a butt unto evil fortune At least my pitifull Master why wouldst thou not leave me in those woods where the first accident of my marriage had cast me I should have found there the trees and rocks sensible to my plaints and the Ecchoes would have expressed my grief to sweeten me the sharpness thereof What consolation were it my amiable Saviour to live the rest of my dayes in shadow and obscurity but it was too great a favour for a Princess whom thou wouldst render more miserable then a country woman Thou must see Hirlanda die in reproach to see her with contentment And well my God since thou ordain'st it I consent thereunto protesting that nothing is more agreeable unto me then that which is grievous to me provided that I suffer with thy approbation and in thy orders I shall not suffer against my will Let us die Hirlanda let us die since we can live no more let us die since we live but by halfes thy poor children are no more in the world why wouldst thou remain there Our generous Princess pass'd almost the whole night in these sentiments which seemed to balance her soul between the fear and the desire of death notwithstanding any repugnance which she had to die without justification she confented at last to lose as well the esteem of men as her life The break of day scarce appeared yet but every one disposed himself to this spectacle the event whereof all the world feared and desired To see the consternation of the whole town one would have judged that Rennes prepared it self for the funerals of all her inhabitants this place was chosen to render the action more celebrious There was erected a great theatre for the Court in a place which was found then the most capable of that sad ceremony aside of that was to be seen one lesser which by the apparel thereof one would judge to be that of the poor Hirlanda A black cloth reaching even to the ground covered it a chair of velvet two or three seats of the same colour made up the fatal furniture of this scaffold In the midst of the theatre was placed a table in form of an Altar to lay there a crucifix enveloped with a cipress as with a sad cloud which presag'd but misfortune to all the Assembly The Heaven extraordinarily charg'd seemed to be willing that this execution should be done in the night so little light gave the Sun There was at the foot of the scaffold a great number of faggots all ready to take fire in a word there wanted no more but the poor Dutchess upon the pile to make the most pitiful spectacle that ever History hath represented unto us My dear reader if you have your eyes full of tears I conjure you to dry them to contemplate that Nobility which appeared rather to be upon that great Theatre to dye then to see Behold I pray you that Lady which approacheth you judg well that it is the deplorable Hirlanda whom they lead to punishment her long mourning robe the vail which covers her face and of all sides descends even to her girdle denotes that it is she her self at least they tell me that this equipage was that of the Adulterers amongst the Ancients O God! How comes it that this word is slip'd from my pen since it hath more cruelty for the heart of my Princess then death it self I Providence of my God is it there then that you conduct a crowned head which hath no other crime but its ●●●-fortune and which perhaps might live in honour if it could live in impiety Is it so then that you take pleasure to afflict those that adore you have you but racks and punishments for those that should expect your recompences If your thunder-bolts seek Criminals behold them upon the Throne which brave your power behold them in the Lists who provoke all your vengeances Gerard and his false witness deserve they that you should spare their lives With what service have they ever honoured you Perhaps there is but the massacre of Lambs that pleaseth you and that you suffer willingly the Tigers and Bears to tear your faithful servants My God I will never think it since thou art good I will alwaies believe the contrary since thou art just Yet I see not any person that presents himself for the defence of Hirlanda

the second King of England Though he had never seen Matilda her portrait gave him love so must he confess that the pencil never did better in the expression of all the parts which make up a perfect visage But what if the copy of an excellent beauty could kindle so many innocent fires is there not cause to fear that its Original made fatal combustions Love is a flame of another nature then that of the lightning which fixeth but on the oaks and firre she spareth not the meanest fortunes because very often their ambition as wel as their design is to burn contrary to those humble plants that hide themselves in the fire of heaven for fear to be perceived of it Behold the misfortune that happened as the History relates it to a Gentleman of the Emperours house This rash person having beheld his Mistress with too much curiousity had so little discretion as to speak of Love to a Queen who pessessed as much vertue as she had beauty The refusal which he received gave him with the shame of his demand a lively apprehension of the punishment which his presumption merited To divert the storm thereof he judged that he must gain the spirit of Henry and prevent his judgment upon the complaint which he believed Matilda would make unto him of his impudence In this design he spake to the Emperour and told him with much candour that his wife ceased not to solicite him to a disloyalty the sole thought whereof he supposed would be culpable In a word that the Princess would have him for her friend Wee have s●en but very few Soveraigns that take pleasure to divide their Crown but we see yet fewer husbands that suffer the participation of their bed The woman is a Kingdom of the man as St. Chrysostome assures it if this Monarchy degenerates into a Republick the Monarch falls into fury perhaps Henry would have dissembled if any one of his Provinces had given it self to a tyrant but his indignation witnessed well that be could not suffer that his wife should offer her self to one of his servants The suspition that he received of her upon the report of a slanderer caused that he cast Matilda into prison swearing by his Scepter and his Life that the blood of that unfortunate Princess should wash off that spot if no body presented himself for the proof of her innocence Behold then that poor Queen in a strait prison where the horror of death could not make her to pronounce one word of despair or of murmur she adored the Providence that permitted her oppression but if she spake or deplored it was but to witness the joy of her sufferance That shee might not betray her vertue she was contented to protest once of her innocence and to say that never cither her body or her heart were divided They say that jealoufie is an excess of love and that a husband would never fear to lose the affection of his wife if he esteem'd her not much and judged her not worthy to be sought Let every one believe hereof what be will for my part I maintain that this distrustful passion takes more from hatred then from love since it looks but upon the ruine of its object in stead of procuring the advantages of it Never will any one think that Henry loved Matilda with excess if he considers that he persecuted her without pity all things were disposed for the punishment of this deplorable Princess and they began already to dress her a wood pile according to the custom then which was that an adulterous woman should expire in the flames the lamentable spectacle of this sad preparation could not change the countenance of the Princess to see her constancy one would judg that it was a Comedy in which every one acted well his part except she who was the subject thereof As they expected the day which was to shut the lifts to the Champions of the Empress there arrived a Hermit at the Court who was permitted entrance into the prison from whence Matilda beheld death to come This Religious man after he had heard the general confession of the poor Queen and known her perfect innocence departed out of the prison to appear the next day in the lists with resolution to defend a vertue which he saw unjustly oppressed I will not extend the ceremonies of this combat it is sufficient to say that heaven ayded for this bout the good intention of a simple in behalf of an innocent The Calumniator was constrained to confess the vertue of Matilda and afterward to die upon an infamous Gibbet I know that this History hath nothing good but its end and that there is nothing but the cleerness of the former ages that can justifie it That Cavalier which presented himself for Champion to the Princess was quite otherwise then he seem'd to be the habit of a Religious man under which he appeared served as a vail to his design and not as vestment to his profession and not to disguise a disguisement it was a French Prince who touch'd with the misery of Matilda had quitted his Court to come to defend Innocence after he had known by the artifice which he used the truth or falshood of her accusation As he had finished an enterprise which would be glorious in all its circumstances if it had not imployed that unlawful means he retired himself remaining unknown as before If the History assured us not that it was the last of the Berangers Count of Barcelona and Provence whom it names different from the others Remond Teste d'estoupe we should not know yet his name and quality Those who have thought that the merit of that protection acquired him Provence have not well read the Records which import expresly that this Soveraignty came unto him by his marriage with Douce the one of its heir esse All this supposed as the History represents it I leave now to judg if Matilda meriteth not more praises for having suffered without murmur then Remond for having vanquished with good fortune It is a spectacle which hath the eyes of men for witnesses and admirers to see a Prince in hazard of his life without other interest then of justice but an Empress in infamy and without impatience it is in my judgment a miracle which may arrest both the Angels and God himself The arms of Remond have asplendor that shal never perish and the tears of Matilda a sweetnesse which triumphs eternally I admire the courage of the Cavalier but I am ravished with the patience of that happy unfortunate The Triumphant Lady OR The Crowned Innocence TEares have I know not sweetnesse which makes us to love them and though them may be the marks of grief in those that shed them they are motives of joy to those that consider them The sole sight of one in misery gives the experience of this truth But if any one remain insensible by an afflicted person we ought to believe either that

you what she did it would be to tell you little lesse then what she would have done if her Artus had been returned On the other side Gerard rendred her all the Testimonies which could be expected from a true amity Madam said he at the same time that he feigned to be able to speak I should have other then common words to expresse unto you my resentments I am ravished to see you but I am the more so in that I cannot tell it you to see you in the condition to be one of the happiest mothers of the earth If I deceive me not you are upon the point to give us a young Artus at least your Vermilion complection and that vigour which appeareth in your whole body makes me believe that you have conceived nothing but what is generous Though you have more need of a Midwife then of a younger Brother who is not versed therein I rejoyce notwithstanding to be at your lying in to the end to render you a part of the offices and tendernesses which you should expect from my Brother it seemes long unto me till I hold that little Babe in my armes Oh Traitor it will be too soon Besides I declare unto you my good Sister that it belongs unto me to rock him and that I will not suffer any body to pay him these petty Devoires to my prejudice The sweetnesse of this Complement mollified Hirlanda in such manner that she could not reply unto him one sole word so was it better to answer him with the heart then with the mouth Some dayes slid away in good cheer and preparatives for the Lying in nine months being now even fully accomplished since the Conception of the Dutchess The good mother would her self prepare the little swadling cloaths and other moveables for her dear Infant Whilst this happy day advanced what did Gerard He put on the best countenance he could to beget in the Dutchesse a perfect confidence of an unfeigned Amity But alas Heart of man how perfidious art thou At the same time that his sister made him all the Entertainment that she could he mingled with it the most dangerous perplexity that her Innocence could fear The Midwife and Nurse who attended the Birth of that little Prince were already in Hirlanda her house since the arrival of her Brother in Law these were the two women that he attempted but with so much cunning that his conduct passed in the beginning for a simple design only to affectionate them to the succours of his sister and to the eares of her child He advised them notwithstanding to discover nothing of his Lib●ralities to the other Domesticks for feare that his favour might put them into jealousie nor likewise to his Sister lest that it might passe with her in stead of the recompence which she destined them At last after a long practise judging that he possessed enough the spirit of these Mercenary souls he declared unto them that their fortune depended on their courage and that if they had never so little heart they might hope good fortune enough The assurance to put themselves in place where they should have nothing to feare gave them the boldnesse to enterprize any thing And then all that he demanded from their fidelity was to feigne that his sisters child was dead in her labour and to follow him in a Country where he pretended to cause it to be brought up for great reasons which obliged him to withdraw it from its mother At last the very moment of lying in arrived the Convulsions thereof were so violent for the space of a day that it was easily believed that nothing would proceed thence but the death of the poor Princess It is true yet that she was delivered in a swoun which gave opportunity enough to those whom Gerard had gained to betake themselves to the sea where a Shallop attended them They were to imbark in a place of the Armorick which at this day is called Quidalet and was then named Alethe a word which in its Orginal signifies Errour this place merited formerly so much veneration from the Inhabitants of these coasts that all the slaves which the tempest brought to this Sanctuary recovered their liberty as soon as they touched the borders of that happy Land But this good fortune hapned not to those that stole away our little Prince for scarce were they entred into their Shallop but a troop of armed men boarded them their angry Visages and their naked swords shined so bright amidst the darknesse which the first break of the day had not fully dissipated that our Fugitives could draw from thence but a fatal presage of their ruine Behold them then Captives and loaden with Irons in a place where the most miserable quitted them These poor people surprised with an accident which they had neither apprehended nor foreseen doubted whether they should lament or blesse their very fortunate misfortune The knowledge which they had of their Crime gave them too much fear of the punishment to rejoice at this favourable disaster On the other side seeing themselves delivered from a death which they began to taste when they were arrested it was impossible that the present joy should not put some good interval to the fears which their evil conscience furnished them Adoreable providence of God which conducts so wisely the misfortunes of the wicked that it leaves them fear enough in the bottom of their hearts to punish them and confidence whereby not to yeild themselves to despair My Reader You know the just Motive of their apprehension but you are ignorant for a while of that of their joy be not troubled with that which is to arrive to our Fugitives there is but one Innocent amongst them Perhaps these Strangers that hold him will have pity of his misery But though they should want sweetnesse to spare his life the death which they shall make him suffer will be a favour to him both because it will be more humane then that which they destine him and because he is lesse sensible of the grief then he shall be if compassion permits him to grow up In respect of them who have carried him away there is nothing too cruel and rigorous that may arrive unto them let their Pirats have all the ill will that the sea hath ever maintained it will not be too much to punish them I would not have you to consider a poor mother in the convulsions of death I would not have you think of the interest of a Prince who is not yet unfortunate but with the foresight of his misfortune It is sufficient to make you consent to the death of the guilty to put you in mind of their Treason Without doubt servants merit not for the most part the outrages which they receive from their Masters if they are faithful they ought to be humane to them But if avarice or some other passion takes from them that quality which hinders them to be our most dangerous