Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	duke_n	great_a	king_n	6,693	5	3.8621	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07373	The golden meane Lately written, as occasion serued, to a great lord. Discoursing the noblenesse of perfect virtue in extreames.	Ford, John, 1586-ca. 1640, attributed author. aut; Stafford, Anthony, attributed author. aut	1613 (1613)	STC 17757; ESTC S102688	22,283	138

of folly is a worke of more praise then the working of folly is a cause of disgrace What misery can it then be to be eased of that care which onely brings care in the possession Of all mischiefes the greatest mischiefe is to be a rich man with a rich mans minde There is no more reason why a meerely couetous man should loue Gold but for that it is yellow or faire Pastures because they are greene and so hath the enuious much more reason to Co●…uer abundance of wealth because other men should want it A couetous miser is rightly a malicious consumer for in heaping for himselfe he consumes the maintenance of the needy yet it is to be noted that plenty is not alwayes to be dispraised if the hauing of it doe no●… procure a scarcitie But what losse is so great in a worldly estate considering how weake it is more then in opinion which a wise man should not beare with moderation It is a misery to want but a greater misery to haue too much but for a good man to hugge the loue of abundance that he should imagine the losse of it should make him miserable I must conclude this point that he hath neither goodnes nor resolution if goodnesse his content should be his best estate if resolution his want cannot be esteemed the worst pouertie since extremity is a singular teacher to learne vs that we are men and that there is both a diuine power and a prouidence aboue vs the one consisting in being a God the other in hauing a God-head The difference between a wise man reformed by counsell and instruction and an ignorant man informed in will and folly is that the wife will make good vse of all aduersity when the ignorant thinks all aduersitie intollerable This is proued in the greatnes of a Noble courage when it is enforced to forsake either vpon publike disgrace or some priuate causes the comforts of his friends and Countrie which men of low hearts doe account a misery of mischiefes and reckon that banishment is a bad kinde of torture It may not be denied but that such may be the vnworthinesse of the action for which a man is banished that his owne conscience will in all places be a tormentor to his memory and then the wound which he beares with him can neuer by change of place or time be wholy cured Such a one another of this latter times well compared to the wounded Doe in Virgill who as the Poet sayes fled ouer Hils and Mountaines to escape death but all in vaine for still in her sides the Bow-mans killing Arrowe sticks So those men who haue the arrow of some mischieuous art piercing their afflicted hearts although they be banished from the place where they haue committed villanie yet they doe but goe from it they cannot forget it They flie the detraction of their sin but cannot shunne it or if they could shun the deed as they cannot what can that auaile when the doer is the man himselfe In good men who through diuers misfortunes are sequestred from their natiue Countries vpon wrongfull or sleight occasions it is nothing so for to them if they rightly as beeing good they will instruct themselues in the first rules of wisedome all Countreyes are a home A noble and free resolution is a stranger no where in which respect men perfectly wise are said to be perfectly valiant since as true wisedome is perfect vallour so is true vallour perfect moderation Many men haue abandoned their Countries made themselues voluntary exiles vpon a desire and greedy hope of gaine or better prosperitie such haue beene the Romans Romulus and Aeneas of the Patauynes Antenor of the Britaine 's if the history bee of credite euen our owne Brute yet truely the end of those men was no●… vvay glorious for they may more rightly be called fugitiues and 〈◊〉 then exiles or trauailers He deserued well of the Common-vvealth of Athens who hauing instituted excellent lawes for th●… state publique tooke Oat●… of the Magistrates tha●… his lawes should be day●… and duely practised 〈◊〉 his returne from a iourne●… vvhich hee vvas to vndertake the oath being receiued the good man freely liued banished from his Country neuer returning that for the safety of his Country his lawes might ●…ee kept inuiolable Yet ●…as this wise man so farre in this banishment from reproofe that his action and memory in his action will neuer be forgotten Of all accidents that can happen to a prepared minde this of banishment hath little cause to trouble the quiet calme of a steady resolution It is often seene that sundry persons for rarities sake for morall instruction in complement or in behauiour willingly some times trauaile into forraine lands and there spend their time for three sixe tenne yeeres or more with great delight taking pleasure and content in so growing old Euen so 〈◊〉 like manner let a good man resolue him selfe tha●… this hard word of banishment is but a iourney of pleasure into some outlanding country not proposing or limitting to the minde a time of comming backe but alwayes minding some fit imployment why hee should goe as if ●…ee were but Ambassador from his owne to some vnknowne Prince and with what dishonor can an Ambassadour be blemished who in the seruice of his Soueraigne leaues his life as a pledge of his dutie It may be in the bondes of Nature some man will esteeme it an heauy misfortune to forsake or as in the vvorst sence they terme it to be thrust from the fruition of the comfort of his Friends Children Allyes and Kinsfolkes such a thought can no more moue the temper of a resolued minde the●… it should doe if hee were to leaue the world since in dying and in being banished heere is the difference that the one necessitie is commanded by an vnchangeable decree from Heauen the other by a seuere imposition of man both being a seueration of old friends What a madnesse were it in any to repute death being thereto naturally called a misery Euen so let him thinke of banishment and withall compare the great fortunes that some haue attained vnto in that estate of 〈◊〉 with the possibilitie of his owne THOMAS MOV●…RAY Duke of Norffolke in the Reigne of RICHARD the second being by the said King by reason of the Kings youth and indiscretion and in regard of some other differences between Mowbray and other Princes of the bloud vpon an appeale of Treason banished was so far from being heerewith deiected that adding practise to the noblenesse of his courage hee vndertooke a glorious warre in the land of Palestine against the common enemie of God and Truth the Turke and willingly made his bloud a sacrifice to the redemption of his Fame Happy man that sought out death with victorie before that death could make him vnhappy by finding him out with ouerthrow Happy banishment which hath beene the meanes of such a memory and happy cause of

can imagine and what adoration and reueren●… the humilitie of the publique wonder can giue●… Let his words be obserued as Oracles his commands as Lawes his displeasure ●…s death yet with the flight of a thought if vpon some dislike grounded or vngrounded the King at any time shorten his Royall fa●…our or the Law in any point take hold on him ●…hereby hee appeares to ●…he iudgement of the world to bee entring into ●…he way of miserie how ●…ensibly and how soone 〈◊〉 all hefeele an alteration of those large flatteries which the seruilitie of the ●…ncertaine people promi●…ed A witnesse hereof in his time was and in this time may be Iohn that great and last Duke of No 〈◊〉 THVMBERLAN 〈◊〉 whose pride and 〈◊〉 were at once hastened by the too much confident he had in the harts of the Cominaltie with what speed was hee disgran●… of his Soueraigne 〈◊〉 of the Lords and 〈◊〉 of the multitude 〈◊〉 who is onely couetous of any 〈◊〉 though 〈◊〉 be change from the good to the worst A iust man therefore whose soundnesse of minde like 〈◊〉 Centre of the earth 〈◊〉 euer vnmoued by the light of those few 〈◊〉 dent reasons may vnderstand how easie it is for the popular iudgement as ●…ell in distinctions of mi●…eries as of happinesse to ●…rre for as they account ●…states and conditions miserable which are not 〈◊〉 with the vanitie of outward glory or fulnesse of substance so doe they likewise reckon that felicity the truest happinesse whose dignitie and migh●…inesse is like the blazing Starre for the present as strange as fearefull and for a wise a good ●…noble spirit to be 〈◊〉 with the neglect of 〈◊〉 in such creatures would be strong proofe that hee neuer 〈◊〉 the perfect relish eythe●… of perfect wisedome perfect goodnesse or perfect Nobilitie Like as hath before beene said of Neglect 〈◊〉 much or more may be inferred of that misery called the forfeiture 〈◊〉 Estate that is of all 〈◊〉 plenty or fulnesse of temporall substance as with worldly men the name and possession of riches doth include Of all 〈◊〉 ther miseries this in th●… iudgement of such as 〈◊〉 not truly directed by true●… iudgement of such as are not truely directed by truest iudgement is reputed the most miserable Insomuch as most men thinke and so thinking so resolue that Death in any forme is much more tollerable then beggary for so they terme pouerty by any casualty One example or president to both Noble and vnderstanding men of what commendation the abandoning of rich fortunes being reported by Quintus Curtius may be remembred with immortall glory of Abdo-hominas a poore man rich in all plenty except plenty of riches to whom Alexander of MACEDON profferring the Kingdome of Sidon to him who was beefore but a Gardener was by him refused who replyed that hee would take no care to loose that which hee neuer cared to enioy The Historie is worthy the answere full of obseruation and will bee euer memorable Of all other things free spirits wise men should least respect the losse of temporall wealth which is no part of a man Riches were fitly by the Philosophers called bona Fortunae vncertaine endowments to figure vnto vs that as fortune is euer variable so should her benefits bee reputed but vnconstant friends in regard whereof they were excluded from the gifts as well of the body as of the minde that is neither Health Beautic or vertues of any sort did neede the ornament of those gifts of Fortune A good man if of his owne industrie and merit hee hath purchased vnto himselfe wealth hath little reason to grieue at the losse of them since he remaines still as perfect in the cunning of gayning as when he first began but another of more aboundance whose possessions come to him by inheritance without any care of his owne he hath no reason at all to distaste the seizure of his estate since he doth forgo but that which hee neuer laboured for Truly in respect of this it behoueth euery resolued minde to beare the courage of the wise man of GREECE that said he at all times carried all what was his with him wheresoeuer he went Wisedome Temperance Valour Iustice are the substance and hereditary possessions of a perfectly happy man and these riches cannot bee forfaited except by a decay of Vertue they cannot be seized except the owner cast them off they cannot suffer contempt so long as they bee nourished in a noble minde Indeede riches are to a good man like a light silken Cloake vpon his backe who is else prouided against the extreamitie of colde with warme furres So hee that hath his owne goodnesse and resolution to warme him in all winters of aduersitie needes wealth but as a thinne silken Cloake vpon a furred Gowne rather to shew the vanitie of his disposition then any vsefull imployment to the sustenance of life If nature be prouided for against hunger with meate against frosts with apparell against contempt with comelinesse the desire of money or large Lordships argues but the base filthinesse of an vnsatisfied couetousnesse There may be obiected that ô my estate being forfeited mine Heires are beggard and the antiquitie of my ancestors house made the spectacle of ruine This being admitted it is soone answered that the houses of most continuance and personages of Noblest births account that antiquitie of best estimation which is deriued from the longest discent in which they shall finde that the first of their honors were gotten by him who was in as low an ebbe of fulnesse as hee is now at the present for all greatnes had a beginning and the beginning of that greatnesse is desert Am I Noble let me know that this noblenesse is the least part of mine for my fathers wonne it by their vertue they had the glory but I enioy the Titles Haue I robd mine Heires of those Titles Honours or Possessions let them striue to haue more honour in deseruing more that their Successors may asmuch remember their vertues as I haue remembred the vertues of my Ancestors Questionlesse howsoeuer the reputation of a continued Family in ancient Honours be preferred aboue any men of latter greatnesse of some whose worth hath raised his house to a noble stile yet is it in the lawes of reason most reasonable that hee should deserue more respect that by his owne atchiuements hath purchased dignitie then others that onely haue it by the priuiledge of bloud since the one weares but the shaddowes of his Predecessors triumphes the other the substance of his owne Pouerty is no burthen to them as can susteine it is no enemy to such as will imbrace it He is only miserable that knowes not to be content with his Fortune especially if his fall be procured by his owne errours Then the surest the Noblest the only meanes to redeeme publike calamitie is by a publike and yet inward profession of sufferance for in all persons and personages reformation