Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	let_v	life_n	soul_n	9,147	5	4.9888	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12650	The triumphs ouer death: or, A consolatorie epistle, for afflicted mindes, in the affects of dying friends. First written for the consolation of one: but now published for the generall good of all, by R.S. the author of S. Peters complaint, and Mœoniæ his other hymnes	Southwell, Robert, Saint, 1561?-1595.	1595 (1595)	STC 22971; ESTC S111055	19,504	40

be longer registred in gratefull memories diuers that haue tried her in that kinde auowing her for secrecie wisedome and constancie to be a miracle in that sex yea when shee found least kindnesse in others she neuer lost it in hirselfe more willingly suffering then offering wrong and often weeping for their mishappes whome though lesse louing her shee could not but effect Of the innocencie of her life this generall all can auerre that as she was gratefull many wayes and memorable for vertues so was shee free from the blemish of any vice vsing to her power the best meanes to keepe continually an vndefiled conscience her attire was euer such as might both satisfie a curious eye and yet beare witnesse of a sober minde neyther singular nor vaine but such as her peeres of least report vsed her tong was very little acquainted with oathes vnlesse eyther duetie or distrust did enforce them and surelie they were needelesse to those that knewe her to whome the trueth of her words could not iustly be suspected much lesse was she noted of any vnfitting talke which as it was euer hatefull to her eares so did it neuer defile her breath of feeding shee was very measurable rather of too sparing then too liberall a diet so religious for obseruing all fasts that neuer in her sickenesse shee could hardly bee wonne to breake them and if our soules be possessed in our patience surely hir soule was truly hir owne whose rocke thought often stricken with the rod of aduersitie neuer yeelded any more then to giue issue of eie streames and though these thr●ugh the tendernesse of her nature aptnes of h●r sex were the customarie tributes that her loue paied more to her friendes than her owne misfortunes yet were they not accompanied with distempered words or ill seeming actions reason neuer forgetting distancie though remembring pitie her deuotions she daily obserued offering the daily sacrifice of an innocent heart and stinting her selfe to her times of prayer which shee performed with so religious a care as well shewed that shee knew howe high a Maiestie shee serued I neede not write how duetifully shee discharged all the behoofes of a most louing wife since that was the commonest theame of her praises yet this may be saide without improofe to any that whosoeuer in this behalfe may be counted her equall none can iustly be thought her superiour where she owed she payed dutie where she found she turned courtesie wheresoeuer she was knowen she deserued a●itie desirous of the best yet disdaining none but euill company she was readier to requite benefits thē reuenge wrongs more grieued then angred with vnkindnes of friends when either mistaking or misreport occasioned a●y breaches for if their words carie credite it entred deepest into her thoughts they haue acquitted her from all spice of malice not onely against her friends whose dislikes were but a retire to steppe further into friendship but euen her greatest enemies to whom if she had bene a iudge as she was a suppliant I assuredly thinke she would haue redres●ed but not reuenged her iniuries In summe she was an honour to her predeces●ours a light to her age and a patterne ●o her posteritie neither was her conclusion different from her premisses or her death from her life she shewed no dismay being warned of her danger carying in her conscience the safeconduct of innocencie But hauing sent her desires before to heauen with a milde countenaunce and a most calme minde in more hope then feare she expected her owne passage shee commended both her duetie and goodwill to all her friends and cleared her heart from all grudge towardes her enemies wishing true happinesse to them both as best became so soft and gentle a minde in which anger neuer stayed but as an vnwelcome stranger Shee made open profession that shee did die true to her religion true to her husband true to God and the world she enioyed her iudgement as long as she breathed her body earnestly offering hi● last deuotions supplying in thought what faintnes suffered not her tongue to vtter in the end when her glasse was tunne out and death beganne to chalenge his interest some labouring with too late remedies to hinder the deliuery of her sweet soule she desired them eftsoones to let her goe to God and her hopes calling her to eternall kingdomes as one rather falling asleepe then dying shee most happily tooke her leaue of all mortall miseries Such was the life such was the death of your dearest sister both so ful of tru comfort that this suruey of her vertues may be a sufficient lenatiue to your bitterest griefes For you are not I hope in the number of those that reckon it a pa●te of their paine to heare of their best remedies thinking the rehearsall of your dead friendes prayses an vpbraiding of their losse but sith the obliuion of her vertues were iniurious to her let not the mention of her person be offensiue vnto you and bee not you grieued with her death with which shee is best pleased So blessed a death is rather to be wished of vs than pitied in her whose soule triumpheth with God whose vertues stil breatheth in the mouthes of infinite praises and liueth in the memories of all to whom either experience made her knowen or fame was not enuious in concealing her deserts shee was a iewel that both God and you desired to enjoy he to her assured benefit without selfe interest you for allowable respectes yet employing her restraint among certaine hazards and most vncertaine hopes Be then vmpier in your owne cause whether your wishes or Gods will importeth more loue the one the adornement of her exile the other her returne into a most blessed countrie and sith it pleased God in this loue to be your riuall let your discretion decide the doubt whome in due should carry the suite the prerogatiue being but a right to the one for nature grace being the motiues of both your loues she had the best title in them that was author of thē and she if worthy to be beloued of either as she was of both could not but prefer him to the dearest portion of her deepest affectiō let him with good leaue gather the grape of his own vine plucke the fruit of his owne planting and thinke so curious workes euer safest in the artificers hand who is likeliest to loue them and best able to preserue them shee did therefore her duety in dying willingly and if you will doe yours you must be willing with her death sith to repine at her liking is discourtesi● at Gods an impietie both vnfitting for your approoued vertue she being in place where no griefe can annoy her she hath little neede or lesse ioy of your sorrow neither can ●he allow in her friends that she would loathe in her selfe loue neuer affecting likenesse if she had bin euill she had not deserued our teares being good she cannot desire them nothing being lesse to the

the dying and corrupting soules they may purchase fauor and repeale the sentence till it be executed as the example of Ezechias doeth testifie but when the punishment is past and the verdict performed in effect their pleading is in vaine as Dauid taught vs when his childe was dead saying that hee was likelier to go to it than it by his weeping to returne to him Learne therefore to giue sorrow no long dominion ouer you Wherefore the wise should rather marke than expect an end meete it not when it commeth doe not inuite it when it is absent when you feele it do not force it sith the bruite creatures which nature seldome erring in her course guideth in the meane haue but a short though vehement sence of their losses you should burie the sharpenesse of your griefe with the course and rest contented with a kind yet a milde compassion neither lesse then decent for you nor more then agreeable to your nature and iudgement your much heauinesse woulde renew a multitude of griefes and your eies woulde be springs to many streames adding to the memorie of the dead a new occasion of plaint by your own discomfort the motion of your heart measureth the beating of many pulses which in any distemper of your quiet with the like stroke will soone bewray themselues sicke of your disease your fortune thogh hard yet is notorious and though moued in mishap and set in an vnworthy lanthorne yet your owne light shineth farre and maketh you markeable all will bend attentiue eye vpon you obseruing howe you warde this blowe of temptation and whether your patience be a shield of proofe or easily entred with these violent strokes It is commonly expected that so high thoughts which haue already climed ouer the hardest dangers shuld not now stowp to any vulgar or femal complaints great personages whole estate draweth vpon them many eies as they cannot but be themselues so may not they vse the liberti● of meaner estates the lawes of Nobilitie not alowing them to direct their deeds by their desires but to limite their desires to that which is decent Nobilitie is an ayme for lower degrees to leuell at markes of higher perfection and like stately windowes in the northeast roomes of politicke and ciuil buildings to let in such light and lie open to such prospects as may affoord their inferiors both to find meanes and motiues to heroicall vertues if you should determine to dwell euer in sorrow it were a wrong to your wisedome and countermaunded by your qualitie if euer you mind to surcease it no time sitter then the present sith the same resons that hereafter might mooue you are now as much in force Yeeld to Wisedom that you must yeeld to Time be beholding to your selfe not to time for the victory make it a voluntarie worke of discretion that wil otherwise be a necessary worke of delay We thinke it not enough to haue our owne measure brimme full with euill vnlesse we make it runne ouer with others miseries taking their misfortunes as our punishments and executing forraine penalties vppon our selues yea disquiet mindes being euer bellows to their owne flames mistake o●t times others good for ill their follie making it a true scourge to them that how socuer it seemed was to others a benefite Iacob out of Iosephs absence sucked such surmises as hee made his heart a prey to his agonies whereas that that buried him in his owne melancholies raised Ioseph to his highest happinesse if Mary Magdalen saide and supposed shee could haue suncke no deeper in griefe than shee had already plunged her selfe and yet that which she imagined the vttermost of euils prooued in conclusion the very blisse of her wishes The like may be your errour if you cumber your minde with musing vppon her death which would neuer be discharged from cares till death set his hand to her acquittance nor receiue the charter of an eternall being till her soule were presented at the fealing I loathe to rubbe the scarre of a deeper wound for feare of renewing a dead discomfort yet if you will fauour your owne remedies the maisterie ouer that griefe that springs from the roote may learne you to qualifie this that buddeth from the bra●ch let not her losses moue you that are acquainted with greater of your owne and taught by experience to knowe how vncertaine this chance is for whome vnconstant fortune throweth the dice if she want the woonted titles her part is nowe in deede and they were du but vpon the stage her losse therein is but a wracke of woundes in which shee is but euen with the height of princes surpassing both hir selfe in them and the new honors of heauenly stile If shee haue left her children it was her wish they should repay her absence with vsury yet had she sent her first fruits before her as pledges of hir own comming And now may we say that the Sparrow hath found a home and the Turtle Doue a nest where she may lay her yongling enioying some and expecting the rest If she be taken from her friends shee is also deliuered from her enemies in hope hereafter to enioy the first out of feare of euer being troubled with the latter If shee be cut off in her youth no age is vnripe for a good death and hauing ended her taske though neuer so short yet shee hath liued out her full time Old age is venerable not long to be measured by increase of vertues not by number of yeares for heauines consisteth in wisedome and an vnspotred life is the ripenes of the perfectest age If she were in possibilitie of preferment shee coulde hardly haue wanted higher then from whence shee was throwen hauing beene bruised with the first she had little wil to clime for a second fall we might hitherto truely haue said this is that Noemi shee being to her ende inriched with many outward and more inward graces But whether heereafter shee would haue bid vs not to cal her Noemi that is faire but Mara that signifieth bitter it is vn●ertaine sith she might haue fallen into the widows felicitie that so changed her name to the likenesse of her lot Insomuch that she is freed from more miseries than she suffered losses and more fortunate by not desiring then shee would bee by enioying fortunes fauour which if it be not counted a follie to loue yet it is a true happinesse not to neede we may rather thinke that death was prouident against her imminent harmes then enuious of any future prosperities the times being great with so many broiles that when they once fall in labour we shall thinke their condition securest whome absence hath exempted both from feeling the bitter throwes and beholding the monstrous issue that they are likely to bring foorth the more you tender her the more temperat should be your griefe sith seeing you vpon going shee did but steppe before you into the next world to which she thought you to