Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	life_n	mercy_n	sin_n	7,643	5	4.4754	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00810	The bloudy booke, or, The tragicall and desperate end of Sir Iohn Fites (alias) Fitz		1605 (1605)	STC 10930; ESTC S105621	14,005	43

mynd what he had done how greeuouslie he had offended his maker in committing so detestable murthers as also in laying vyolente handes vpon himselfe and withall persvvading him to repent and be content to vse al the best meanes that might be for his recouerie not to continue in his wicked cours But all was one with him he would not liue but die only being desired to aske mercie at Gods hand for his offences which humbly he did he said that he was sorrie for the death of the poore man whom so desperatly he had murdered and whose wife he had so greeuouslie wounded likewise leuing 3. wretched infants vpon the mothers hands And being asked whether he would wilingly giue any thing vnto the poore woman in recompence of the losse of her husband hee was contented to bestowe vpon her an hundred pounds But whither he had any thing in his owne power to giue that knowe not I. For I think if anie thing be giuen it must proceed from his friends goodwils and pitty but so it should be and not otherwise He would oftentimes after he was wounded crie out vpon sir William Courneyes men whose daughter he married that they were come to apprehend him and that they would blow him vp with their gunpouder all which questionlesse proceeded from the guiltinesse of his owne conscience for the wrongs he had doone and being once demanded wherefore he killed the poor man It was not I said he that didde it but one of my followers which thing is note-worthy He left behind him a daughter whose wardship was presently obtained by an honourable Earle Thus gastly death hauing seized vpon his corporall body we will commit his soul for albeit his sinnes were great yet are the mercies of God infinitely greater into the hāds of the Almighty for charitye iudgeth the best and hopeth the beste in whose kingdome there is nothing but peace In the view of these his murthers there little needeth anye paraphrase since euerie man that thoroghly considereth of the facts themselues cannot but in themselues finde them to be most hainous before God most odious before men This therefore is the report of his desperat courses in his life time who as he cannot be any blot at all vnto other his vertuous and wel-deseruing frends so no question he is no more a griefe vnto other then a fearefull example vnto all his wicked associates Obseruations gathered out of the former discourse MAny and diuers things are in this precedent lamentable discourse worthie most deepe consideration and may serue the true vse of all such stories to put vs in mind of our duties towards God for we should not read only to know but learn to know that thereby we follow the good and shun the euill the Prince and Countrey and our selues As namely the eager desire that Sathan hath to increase his kingdome The watchfulnesse and warinesse that we ought to haue that wee come not within his clawes The wretched estate of a desperate mind The horror and trembling of a guiltie Conscience which pursueth a mans owne selfe when no man else doeth The desperate courses of vnbrideled follie The griefe of friends for so hard an hap The astonnishment of Associates in committing of mischiefe The mallice of Sathan in tempting vnto euill The wofull estate of two Widdowes the one in hauing a husband that was no more comfort vnto her whiles he liued and yeilded so great cause of sorrow being dead the other that so suddenly and vnexspectedlie had her dearest husband the one half of hir life by such fatall meanes taken from her The pittifull estate of three Infants left vpon the mothers hands hauing verie small meanes to maintaine them The great libertie that power and might if God guid not the hart giueth vnto the performance of euill The blindnesse of our sinfull nature that wil neuer let vs see into our riotous liues vntill wee bee carried awaie with a full streame of wickednesse The obduracie and hardnes of a mans hart envred and acustomed vnto sin How apt to follow the worser parte how hardly framed to good Drunkenes and fleshly lustes the effects that follow thē Euill companions and lewd retainers the discommodities and dangers thereof Our forwarnesse in pursuing euill and slacknesse vnto good The manye miseries that we fall headlong into for want of due consideration The temporall crosses that god sendeth vpon his children to trie their patience What the friendship of man is and how soone turned into hate Gods iudgements vpon the Wicked His loue vnto the godlie And lastly to close vp this discours a generall warning vnto all to put them in mind to amend their wicked liues mispent to turne vnto the Lorde whiles they haue time and to call for mercie before the gate of mercy be shut that repenting of the euill past they may leade their liues more carefully more purely and more holilie hereafter that so dying a godlie death they may make a blessed ende Which that it may so be the Lord of his mercy grant vnto vs all a sufficient measure of his holy spirite Amen FINIS

comes Sir John in his shirt with his naked rapyer in his hande his eies looking as if they hadde sparkled foorth fire his countenaunce so terrible and gastly as that it was of power to haue scarred a mann out of his wittes and his strength so forceable as it seemd to them it was bootles for on or two to withstand him for needs must he go whom the diuell driues the men fear fully gaue back and he slips out at the back dore and so towards the gate which led out of the street into the back-side and beeing gon forth of the gate the men stept into the backside likewise wher being said the good man softlie to the other the present sighte of his naked weapon causing a presumption of such a matter God graunt hee haue not murdered my wife and children and some made towards the gate purposing to shutte the gate after him which he perceiuing suddenly retires for his feet were swift to shed bloud and espyeng the man going to shut the Gate desperately cried out Ah villain Art thou one of them that should aprehend me Art thou he that shoulde laie holde of me I will surely kil thee swearing a blodie oath if there were no more Men liuing therewith suddenly and violentlie ran at the goodman of the house with his Rapier but feare made the man nimble and swift for before Sir Iohn could retyre the goodmanne had closed the gate and his Rapier point hitting in a little hole of the gate a fatal hole it was thrust him quite through the bodie be tweene his shoulder and his breast so that the man fell downe presentlie and died onlie with a woful noyse and hydeous shrieck crying out I am kild The other man who was close by him but that the gate was shut might wel haue beene serued with the same sawce likewise wherefore being strucken into such a terrible feare at the death of the goodman of the house as that the scarcely knew which waie hee vvent euen as the fearefull byrd which hearing the sounde of the Havkes bels creepeth into euerie bush thereby thinking to escape death euen so I saie he runs vppe and downe to seek som place to hide himselfe from so furious an Enemie Sir Iohn Fites being without the gate runs rounde about by the pale on the streate side still raging and rauing in moste terrible manner Thus did he expostulate with himselfe a while and after this manner did hee deale with himselfe Now a man would iudge that the Deuill himselfe should be glutted with bloud but yet Sir John miserable and wretched man that hee was takes againe the point of his bloudyed Rapier and setting it some twoe or three inches from the same place what pitty could be expected to bee shewed vnto other from one who would shew non vnto himselfe with all his mighte ranne againe thereupon goring himselfe quite thorough the body And yet again a second time pulling it out for Sathans mallice is boundles Oh worthie courage had it been in a good cause he runs into the house after the Woman but his strength fayling him downe he falles in the floore of the house where hee vvas anon for as yet fevv had the courage to hinder his attempts were stirring found wallovving in his owne bloud like a Pigge that had beene latelie sticked Oh heauye spectacle Oh Tragicall and rufull sighte Pitty it was if God had so beene pleased that it had not falne out otherwaies NOw tell me thou that readest Didst thou euer read a thing more tragical Didst thou euer looke vppon a more wofull spectacle Didst thou euer heare of a more horrible strange and lamentable fact Again if thou enter into a further cōsideration of Gods Justice is it not a sufficient warning to make a man giue himselfe to prayer vnto the Almighty God of heauen to bee deliuered from the like temptation Hereby may a man perceue what the worm of a mans conscience of a guilty consciense and the guilt of murder depressed with desperation is Hereby may al young Gentle men and Gallants take heed and bee warned that they giue not themselues ouer vnto to their lustes to follow after and lay holde on the least meanes that may be to do euill and shun such meanes as might leade them vnto goodnesse Hereby may wilde heades perceiue what it is to follow luste drunkennesse and excessiue riot the verie true badges of a dissolute and vnrulie life and lastly if God call not to repentance a wicked vngodly end Hereby may al Ruffians and swearing swaggerers if any sparke of grace remaine in them bee warned to leaue off their wicked liues and to turne vnto the most iuste God least hee in his iustice suffer them to be so tempted likewise Herby may the Stabbers and killers of this age be warned to staie their hands and not to shedde the bloud of Gods saintes for it is precious in his sight otherwise hee in his Iustice will giue them ouer to be tempted of Sathan to be the Butchers of their owne selues as this man was But let me now proceed to make an ende of this wofull and heauye Narration Neighbors being by this time gathered togither about the house came in found the man of the house quite dead hauing yeil ded no doubt his soule into the handes of his Redeemer But Sir Iohn Fites not altogither dead but fainting for want of strength laie tumbling and wallowing in his own gore hauing a strong heart and myghtie courage but yet willing as it should seem to die if he could vntill that company beeing assembled came in and findinge him in that wofull case tooke him vp and carried him into the chamber and presentlie Surgeons were sent for to seeke meanes to cure him but he as vnwilling now to hear of life as he was before eager of death woulde by no meanes endure to hear of any Surgeon But notwithstanding diuers were sent for as namely maister Quinsie of Brainford with others who being come tented the wounds perforce but he still pulled them out again alwaies crying out that he would die and not liue Thus hauing done diuers times at last he was let bloud and diuers meanes vsed for his recouerie but all preuailed not for after he had liued some 48. houres after his hurts he gaue vp the Ghost Vppon the Thursday after the Coroner sate vpon the man of the house who was alreadie dead and by verdict there giuen sir Iohn Fites alias Fitz was found guilty both of the mans death and his own also if so be he died thereupon All which notwithstanding because hee was a Gentleman borne and of good kindred so much friendshippe was shewed vnto him in respect of the worshipfull stocke from whence he descended as that hee was buried in the Chauncell at Twicknam The Honourable Earle of Northumberland hearing hereof sent a certaine Gentleman of his old acquaintance to commende him vnto him and also to put him in