Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	woman_n	world_n	young_a	200	3	6.3135	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47658	The characters, or, The manners of the age by Monsieur de la Bruyere ... made English by several hands ; with the characters of Theophrastus, translated from the Greek, and a prefatory discourse to them, by Monsieur de la Bruyere ; to which is added, a key to his Characters.; Caractères. English	La Bruyère, Jean de, 1645-1696.; Theophrastus. Characters. English.	1699 (1699)	Wing L104; ESTC R10537	259,067	532

whole Life is imploy'd in and whose most vigorous attention is taken up in sawing of Marble this is very foolish and trivial But there are others more astonishing for they are intirely useless and spend their days in doing nothing this is yet less than sawing Marble * The major part of Mankind so far forget that they have a Soul and launch out into such Actions and Exercises that we appear in the wrong if we believe we speak advantageously of any Man when we say he thinks this is become a common Elogy and yet it raises a Man only above a Dog or an Horse * How do you divert your self how do you spend your time Is the Question asked both by Fools and Men of Sense if I answer 't is to open my Eyes and to see to prepare my Ears to hear to enjoy Health Ease and Liberty 't is to say nothing the solid the great and the only good is slighted makes no impression The Answer should be Do you Game do you Dance Is it good for Man to have a liberty if it were possible so large and extensive that it would only prompt him to desire one thing else that is to have less liberty Liberty is not Idleness it is a free use of time to choose our Labour and our Exercise in one word to be free is not to do nothing but to be the sole Arbiter of what we do and what we leave undone In this Sense what good so great as Liberty * Caesar not being old enough to think of the Conquest of the Universe had no other happiness to endeavour after than a brave course of Life and a great Name after Death he was born fierce and ambitious enjoy'd a vigorous health he could not better imploy his time than in the Worlds Conquest Alexander being too young for so serious a design 't is stupendious that in his juvenile years Women and Wine had not confounded his Enterprize * A young Prince of an August Race the love and hope of his People given by Heaven to prolong the felicity of the Earth greater than his Progenitors the Son of an Hero who was his Pattern hath now told the Universe by his divine qualities and anticipated Vertues that the Sons of Hero's are nearer being so than other men * If the World should continue an hundred millions of years it is still in its Spring and is but now beginning we our selves are not far from the first Men and the Patriarchs and who could distinguish us from them in Ages so distant but if we may judge of what is to come by what is past how many things are there unknown to us in Arts and Sciences in Nature nay I durst say in History too What vast discoveries would then be made what different Revolutions would then happen in the States and Empires of the whole World How great would our Ignorance appear and how slender our Experience that is not of above six or seven thousand years standing * There is no way too tedious for him that Travels gently and without hurry and there are no advantages too remote from those that prepare themselves with Patience * To make Court to none and not to expect Courtship from any is an happy condition a Golden Age and the most Natural State of Man * The World is for those that follow the Court or people Cities but Nature is theirs who inhabit the Country they only live or at least only know that they live * Why do you treat me with this coldness and why do you complain on me for some Expressions of mine in relation to some of our young Courtiers You are not Vicious Thrasyllus are you for my part I know it not but you inform me so your self that which I know is that you are not Young And you that are personally offended at what I said of some great people don't cry out of a wound intended for another Are you Haughty Malicious a Buffoon a Flatterer a Hypocrite I was ignorant of it indeed and did not think of you but was speaking of some Great men * Moderation and Prudence in Conduct leave men obscure To be known and admir'd 't is necessary to have great Virtues or what●s perhaps equal great Vices * Men are pre-engag'd prejudic'd and charm●d indifferently with the conduct of great and mean persons a fortunate C●ime wants little of being commended as much as a real Virtue and success supplies the place of all Virtues 'T is a black action a horrid odious attempt indeed that Success cannot justify * Men seduc'd by fair appearances and specious pretences are easily induc●d to like and approve an ambitious design of some great man's contrivance They speak of it with concern the boldness or the novelty pleases 'em it becomes familiar to 'em already and they expect nothing but the success when on the contrary it happens to miscarry they confidently and without any regard to their former judgme●t decide of the action that it was rash and cou'd never take * There a●e some designs which are of that vast consequence and make so great a figure which have imploy●d the Tongues of Men so long which have caus'd so much hope or fear to several People engag'd in 'em according to their different Interests● in which all the Honour and Fortunes of a man are concern'd these have made too much shew to be withdrawn without being executed How dreadful soever the danger may be that a man begins to foresee will be the consequence of his undertaking He must on tho it overwhelms him the least evil he is to expect is the miscarriage * In a ill man there is not wherewithal to make a great man You may commend his Insight and his Contrivance admire his Conduct extol his Address to make use of the properest and shortest means to attain his ends if his ends are bad Prudence has no share in them and where Prudence is wanting find Greatness if you can Of the Fashion 'T IS a very foolish thing and very much betrays our weakness to be subject to the fashion in our Diet way of Living Health and Conscience Brown Meat is out of fashion and therefore 't is insipid and ●twou●d be an offence against good manners to cure a Fever otherwise than by bleeding It has been out of fashion this great while to die by the hands of Theotymus none but the populace are now sav'd by his Pious Exhortations he has outliv'd himself * Curiosity is not an inclination to what is good and beautiful but to what is rare and singular for those things which another can't match 'T is not an affection for those things which are best but for those which are most in the fashion● 'T is not an amusement but a passion often so violent that it yields to Love and Ambition only in the meanness of its object 'T is not a passion for every thing that is scarce and in vogue but only for some particular

Director as to live so discreetly as not to need one * If a Woman wou'd tell her Confessor among the rest of her weaknesses That which she has for her Director and what Time she mis-spends in his Company perhaps her Director might be injoin'd leaving her for a Pennance * If I had the Liberty which I cou'd wish I wou'd certainly cry out as loud as I were able to some of those Holy Men who have been made Martyrs by Women Fly Women Do not you direct 'em but let others that will a Gods Name take care of their Salvation * 'T is too much for a Man to have a Wife both a Coquet and a Bigot one of these Qualities at once is enough in Conscience * I have defer'd a long Time saying something which for all my struggling to suppress it must out at last and I hope my freedom may be of some Service to those Ladies who not having enough of a Confessor to instruct 'em use no manner of Judgment in the choice of their Directors I admire I stand amaz'd to behold some People that shall b● nameless I gaze I look fixtly on 'em They speak I listen I am all Ears They tell me some matters I take particular notice yet after all cannot I comprehend for my Life how these People whom I think in all things to he diametrically opposite to right Reason good Sense all Experience of the World Knowledge of Mankind Religion and Morality how I say they can presume that Heaven shou●d in their Persons renew in our Days the Miracles of the Apostleship in making them poor mean ignorant Wretches capable of the Ministry of Souls which of all Offices is the Noblest and most Sublime But if on the contrary they fancy themselves born fit for so high and difficult a Function that few are Qualify'd for it ●and perswade themselves that in undertaking it they do but exercise their Natural Gifts and follow it like some Ordinary Calling I confess I comprehend it still less I see very well 't is the Satisfaction of being privy to the Secrets of Families of being necessary in making Reconciliations procuring Employment● or helping 'em to Servants 't is the pleasure of finding all the Doors open to 'em at Noble-mens Houses of eating frequently at good Tables of being carry'd up and down the Town in a Coach of making a delicious Retreat in the Country of seeing Persons of great Rank and Quality concern themselves in their Life and Health and of managing for others and themselves all worldly Interests I see very well that 't is for the sake of these things only which makes 'em take up the laudable and specious pretence of the Care of Souls and has propagated in the World that incredible Swarm of Directors * Devotion comes upon some People but especially upon the Women either as a Passion or as one of the Infirmities of Age or as a Fashion which they are oblig'd to follow They reckon the Week by the Employments of the several Days There are their Days of Gaming of going to the Play the Concert the Masquerade and to Church On Mondays they throw away their Money at Ismena's on Tuesdays they throw away their Time at Climene's and on Wednesdays their Reputation at ●elimene's They know over-night what 's to be done the next morning They enjoy at once the present Pleasure and the future They only wish that 't was but possible to unite 'em both in one day For nothing troubles 'em nothing grieves 'em but that when they are at the Opera they cannot be the same moment at the Play At other Times they have other Manners Their Austerity and Retirement are altogether as Extravagant They hardly open their Eyes they 're so Demure or make any use of their Senses and what is indeed Incredible they speak little They think tho and that very well of themselves and ill enough of others They Envy one anothers Vertue and Reformation as before they were Jealous upon a different account The Pride of outvying one another continues still in this new course of Life which reign'd in that which they lately quitted either out of Policy or Disgust Their Intreaguing Luxury and Sloth Damn'd them before very gayly● now their Presumption and Envy will Damn them as surely tho not so merrily * What Hermas if I shou●d marry a Covetous Woman she will be sure not to ruine me or if I shou'd marry one that Games she may inrich me or a Woman of Learning she will know how to instruct me or one that 's Precise she will not be Passionate or one that 's Passionate she will exercise my Patience or a Woman of Gallantry she will perhaps be so Gallant as to love me in my turn or suppose one of your Devout Ladies But then tell me Hermas what ought I to expect from her who wou'd deceive ev'n Heaven and who really deceives herself * A Woman is easily Govern'd provided a Man gives himself the Trouble One Man often Governs a great ma●y He cultivates their Wit and Memory fixes and determines them in their Religion and undertakes to regulate their very Hearts They neither approve nor disapprove commend or condemn till they have consulted his face and eyes He is the Confident of their Joys their Griefs their Desires their Jealousies their Aversions and their Amours He makes 'em break with their Gallants embroils and reconciles 'em to their Husbands and then makes his advantage of the Intervals He takes care of their concerns sollicits their Law-suits and visits the Judges for 'em He recommends to 'em their Physician their Tradesmen and Workmen He takes upon him to provide 'em Lodgings to furnish 'em and order their Equipage He is to be seen with 'em in their Coaches in the Streets and Walks as well as in their Pew at Church and their Box at the Play He makes the same visits with ●em waits on 'em to the Bath the Waters and in their Journeys He has the best Apartment at their Houses in the Country He grows old without falling from his Authority having a little Wit and a great deal of Leisure he wants nothing more to preserve it The Children Heirs the Daughter-in-law the Niece the Servants all depend on him He began by making himself esteem'd and ends by making himself fear●d This old and necessary Friend dyes without being regretted and ten or a dozen Women over whom he was a very Tyrant come to Inherit their Liberty by his Death * Some Wom●● have endeavour'd to conceal their Conduct under an exteriour form of Modesty but the best Character they have got by the closest and most constant Dissimulation has been to have it said One wou'd in●eed have taken her for a Vestal * 'T is a strong proof that a Woman has a fair and establisht Reputation when 't is not blemisht by the familiarity of those who do not resemble her● and when for all the propensity of people to make ill constructions

her * The Women are not at so little trouble to express what they never feel as the Men are to Express the real Sentiments of their Heart * Sometimes it happens that a Woman conceals from a Man the Passion she has for him while he only feigns the Passion he professes for her * Is a man suspected of indifference He returns presently wou'd any one offer to perswade a Person that he loves her whom he has no Concernment for But what answer can he make to this Question Is it not easier to deceive the Woman who loves you than her that does not * A Man by feigning an Inclination may deceive a Woman but then he must have no real Engagement elsewhere * A Man for the present rails and curses at a Woman whom he no longer cares for and quickly forgets the loss of her A Woman is not so outragious for being left but the Regret lasts a long time * Idleness is never cur'd in Women but by Vanity or Love Tho on the contrary in Women of a brisk and sprightly Temper 't is the Presage of Love * 'T is cartain that a Woman who writes with warmth is agitated tho 't is not so certain that she 's truly sensible A Passion that is sincere and tender is more likely to be pensive and silent and for a Woman who is no longer at Liberty it seems to be more her Interest to be well assur'd of her Gallants affection than to be too forward to convince him of her own * Glycera does not love her own Sex she hates their Conversation and their Visits she orders her self to be deny'd to 'em often to her very Friends who are not many She 's reserv'd to 'em allows of nothing but bare Friendship from 'em is uneasy with 'em answers 'em in Monosyllables and seems to seek all occasions to get rid of ' em She affects to be alone and retir'd at her own House Her Gate is more strictly Guarded and her Chamber more inaccessible than a Minister of States Yet there is One that is expected admitted at all Hours Corinna who is embrac'd a thousand times Carest and Whisper'd with tho they 're alone in the Closet there 's such attention given to all she says that both Ears are hardly sufficient to hear her discourse She is assur'd again and again that every body else is Troublesome and is inform'd of all Passages tho she learns no News for she is the Confident of both Parties However Glyc●ra is to be seen abroad in Company at the Ball the Theatre the Walks on the Road to Venouse where they eat Fruit early in the Season sometimes alone in a Chair on the way to the Grand Faubourg where she has a delicious Orchard Or at Canidia's Door who professes so many rare secrets who promises second Husbands to young Wives and tells ●em the time when and all the Circumstances She appears commonly in Night-cloaths loose and negligent in a plain Dishabille without Stays and in Slippers She is Charming in this Dress and wants nothing but a little Colour 'T is observable tho that she wears about her a very curious Jewel which she takes special care to conceal from her Husbands Eyes Him she Caresses is fond of and every day invents some new pretty Name for him has no other Bed but that of her dear Husbands and wou'd not lye from him for the world The morning she spends at her Toilette and in writing some necessary Billets A Servant enters and speaks to her in private 'T is Parmeno her Favorite whom she supports in spight of his Masters aversion and his fellow-servants envy He deserves it indeed for who takes a hint sooner or does a message better who has a greater Gift of secrecy in those things which are not to be spoken of who understands how to open a Door with less noise who is a better Guide up a back pair of Stairs or who has a more cleaver conveyance down again the same way * I cannot understand how a Husband who gives himself up to his own ill humour and temper who conceals none of his ill qualities but on the contrary exposes them all is covetous slovenly surly rude neglectful and sullen I cannot conceive I say how such a Man can hope to Defend the heart of a young Woman from her Gallants attempts who uses Dressing Magnificence Complaisance Care Assiduity Presents and Flattery to win her● * A Husband seldom has a Rival whom he does not make himself and whom he does not as it were make a Present of to his Wife He is always praising him before her for his handsomeness for his fine Teeth He receives his visits and encourages his assiduity and next to what comes off his own ground nothing relishes better with him than the Fowl and Fruit his friend sends him He makes a Treat and bids his Guests fall to on such a thing 'T is Leander's says he and does not cost me any thing but thanks * There are those Wives who bury their Husbands before their time That is a Husband with one of those Ladies is not so much as mention'd in the world 't is doubted whether such a man is alive or no. In the Family he is a Cypher of no use except it be to show an example of perfect Submission Fear and Silence He has nothing to do with Portion and Settlement If 't were not that he does not lye in one wou'd almost take him for the Wife and her for the Husband They may be a quarter of a year in the house together without any danger of meeting one another They live as if they were only Neighbours He pays the Butcher and Cook but 't is my Lady that gives the Treat They have nothing in common neither Bed nor Table They have not so much as the same name They live after the Roman and Greek manner She has her name and he his and 't is a long time and not before one is well acquainted with the Language of the Town that one comes to know at last that Mr B. and Madam L. have been Man and Wife this twenty years * There are some Wives who if they brought no other Plagues with 'em are vexatious enongh to their Husbands upon the account of their great Birth and Alliances and Fortune upon the account of their Beauty and Merit and of that which some People call Vertue * There are few Wives so perfect who do not give their Husbands cause once a day to repent of their Marriage or at least to envy a Man that is unmarry'd * Silent stupid Grief is out of Fashion Women now adays are very talkative in their Sorrow They are so toucht with their Husbands Death that they do not forget to tell you and repeat to you every circumstance of it * Is it impossible for a Man to discover the art of making his Wife to love him * The Woman that is Insensible is one that has not yet seen the

her Daughter without any regard to her inclinations takes upon herself the charge of another Soul besides her own and ●tands bound for such a Soul of God himself That this Mother may escape eternal Death the Daughter must obtain eternal Life * A broken Gamester marries his Daughter and gives her all that he has left for her portion The youngest is upon making her self a Nun and all the Call she has is her Father's gaming * There has been virtuous healthy zealous Maids and who had a good and lawful Call but who wanted money to devote themselves to Poverty in a rich Abbey * That man is blinded by his passion and guilty of the highest piece of folly that marries Melita a pretty young virtuous and prudent woman who is of a saving temper and has as great a kindness for him as he has for her but less money than Acgina who is offer●d to him with an extraordinary good portion and extraordinary qualifications to squander it all away and his own estate along with it * Marrying formerly was a nice thing It was a settlement for life a serious piece of business and which deserv'd a great deal of consideration A man was formerly to take his wife for better for worse the same House the same Table and the same Bed were in common to 'em both he was to be a husband all his life time There was no coming off with a separate maintenance no reconciling of a wife and family with the outward appearance and the delights of a single life * Should a man be afraid of being seen with a woman that is not his Wife I should commend his modesty Were he loth to frequent the company of such persons whose reputation is not altogether untainted I should never wonder at him But what impertinent whimsey can make him blush at his own Wife What makes him be asham'd of being seen in publick with one whom he has chosen for an inseparable Companion one from whom he should expect all the satisfaction and delight that can be reap'd from human Society One whom he loves and admires who is his chief Ornament who credits him no less by her extraction than by her wit her merit her extraordinary virtue And why did he not begin by blushing at his marriage * I am not unacquainted with the prevailing power of Custom with its ruling over the minds of men its tyrannizing over their manners even without ground or reason● yet I should have impudence enough to walk openly in the Maill and to let who will see me there with one that was my Wife * A young man deserves no blame for marrying an old woman He rather shews his prudence in preventing a greater evil The disparagement lies in misusing of ones Benefactriss and in using her so as to let her perceive that she has been impos●d upon by a hypocritical and an ungrateful man If any fiction be excusable it is that of friendship And if deceit be allowable it is on such an occasion as would make sincerity a a piece of cruelty Ay but she lives longer than was expected Had you then computed the time she was to live to be no longer than just what would suffice for her to sign the Deed that clears your debts and raises your fortune And as soon as this great work is done is she to breathe no longer Is a dose of Opium a necessary thing for her Is it a crime in her to live And if you should dye before her whose Funeral you had so well contriv'd and for whom you had design'd the finest Pall and the ringing of the biggest Bell in the Pari'sh must she be accountable for your disappointment * There is a method of improving ones Estate which for these many ages have been practic●d by some of the best of men and blam'd by some of the best Divines * The Commonwealth was ever burden'd with certain Offices which seem to have been erected with no other design than to enrich one man at the expence of many which cause a constant and a perpetual ebb in the Estates of private men and shall I say it from which any advantage is seldom or never reap'd Each of them is a Gulph a Sea that receives the waters of many Rivers but parts with none at least disgo●ges itself through secret and subterranean Conduits in an imperceptible manner and which lessens nothing of the extreme heighth to which it is swell'd 'T is a lake that never overflows but after it has enjoy'd those Waters long and when it can keep them no longer * Have you a piece of Silver That 's not sufficient No nor a piece of Gold neither 'T is a quantity that must do the business Add others to it if you can Improve 'em to a heap of many bags and leave the rest to me You have neither birth nor wit neither natural parts nor any experience of the world No matter only keep up your heap and I 'll place you so high that you shall stand on a level with your Master if you have one And he must be very eminent indeed if with the help of your increasing metal I raise you not even many degrees above him * Oranta has been at Law for these ten years about determining in what Court her Cause is to be heard Her pretensions are just of the highest consequence and on them depends all her fortune About five years hence she is like to know who her Judges are to be and at what Bar she is to plead during the remaining part of her life * That custom is receiv'd with applause which has introduced itself in our Courts of Judicature of interrupting the Council at the Bar in the middle of his discourse of hindering his being eloquent or witty of making him return to the matter of fact and confining him to the bare proofs on which his Client grounds his right and by which the justness of his cause may be demonstrated And so severe a practice which exposes an Orator to the regret of having left out the finest part of his discourse which banishes eloquence from its natural place and which is ready to fill our Courts with mutes This practice I say is authoriz●d by a substantial reason against which there is no exception And that is the dispatch of business I could wish this reason was less forgot elsewhere that it were as much regarded in all Offices belonging to each respective Court as it is in the Court itself That our Lawyers were obliged to aim at a conclusion in their writing as they are in their speaking * The Duty of a Judge consists in the administration of Justice and his Trade in delaying it Some Judges understand their duty and follow their Trade * Whoever becomes a sollicitor to his Judge shews him no respect at all He questions his understanding or his honesty he endeavours to give him a prejudice against his Adversary or else he desires of him a downright