Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	according_a	master_n	servant_n	1,516	5	7.1482	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00188	The court of the most illustrious and most magnificent Iames, the first King of Great-Britaine, France, and Ireland: &c. VVith diuers rules, most pure precepts, and selected definitions liuely delineated.	A. D. B., fl. 1619.	1619 (1619)	STC 1022; ESTC S100552	103,059	184

and Philosophie needs no longer dread or be affraid of any iniquitie impietie or grosse enormitie which like hideous Hydra's or mortiferous Monsters the Court may feed and foster but with a hardie and heartie courage to wit a blotles and spotlesse Conscience and innocencie and integritie of life and conuersation may boldly enter into the Palace of his Prince But whosoeuer not being as yet entred thereinto doth honestly and discreetly desire to prouide for and to forecast his owne well fare and future felicitie Him I admonish that he be inquisitiue and carefull to seeke out the Court of a most potent Prince or Monarch rather To liue in greatest Cou●●s than of an infirme weake and lesse puissant King or kingdome and according to the counsell of the olde Prouerbe Ad faelicem se inflectat parietem Let him leane and trust to a strong wall Yea and let the Courtier no lesse wisely and willingly search out and desire to serue a most prudent than a most potent Prince or Potentate for this is a Maxime as true as Truth it selfe that the Offices and dutie of Seruants is euermore adorned and illustrated by the honour and dignitie of their Maister let him therefore be perswaded that to liue vnder a most wise and mightie Monarch is not thraldome and seruilitie but freedome and libertie Wherefore he which findeth such a Court to wit a good a great and a gracious Prince a Prince for his sound iudgement and much experience most Prudent and for his great dignitie and authoritie Potent and Puissant I counsell and aduise that Courtier by all meanes to follow such a King such a Court. And And let not any fleeting or flying tales so moue thee as to remoue separate and alienate thee from so good a Prince If in the meane while any sinister distastefull or aduerse accident oppose or oppugne thee beare it patiently harden thy selfe against it industriously and constantly and doubtlesse Time will in due time demulceate mollifie and mitigate those things which formerly seemed most obdurate difficult and intricate For euen as a Souldier in his kinde of life and a Mariner or Seaman well seasoned with skill for all seasons perceiuing dangers as iminent as euident knowes which of them will proue most perillous hurtfull and pernicious Euen so ought euery Courtier so soone as euer hee hath cast and contriued to lay the platforme and foundation of a Courtly life to see and foresee what in the Court is hopefull what hurtfull what is profitable what vnprofitable Yea what is seasonable and befitting and what is vnseasonable and vnbefitting For they are fooles and by no meanes to be endured which will hope beyond and against hope that is being altogether anxious and vncertaine doe depend vppon an obscure blind and hopelesse hope Let him then which is wise beware of this least thus he lead and mis-lead himselfe and others And indeed how is it possible for him who with such vaine hope brings himselfe into a fooles Paradise to order and frame his counsels and affaires to a direct and desired end and conclusion Let the Courtier therefore with all conuenient expedition endeuour and desire to know whither he bee to settle his hope vpon the rising or declining estate of his Prince Moreouer let the Courtier apply and bend all his power so long as he continues in the Court that as much as in him lies he be very morigerous and gratefully officious to his Prince but yet so as that hee doe Obseruance or obedience nothing with pricke of his owne Conscience By obedience I here vnderstand piety or an honest reuerent and religious care whereby wee heedfully heare and dutifully finish and accomplish the Commandements of one lawfully commanding For what can such a man doe or well performe which is not of a quicke and nimble hearing but is so dull and vndiligent in vnderstanding and apprehension that hee doth not rightly conceiue nor is duly and truly capable of what is either commanded or demanded Be thou therefore good Courtier very well affected to this Vertue if thou desire to insinuate and creepe into the fauour and affection of thy Prince Thinke with thy selfe that there is nothing more vnindifferent vnreasonable or more void of discretion than for a man to desire to be reuerenc't and obeyed by his Inferiors who himselfe is most way-ward and vndutifull to his owne Superiors therefore hee is surely a happie and fortunate man who vnto his facilitie and easinesse in hearing and apprehending doth couple and conioyne promptitude and readinesse in performing but alwayes with this Prouiso and exception that he vndertake not to finish or effect any dis-honest vniust or vnlawfull Command whatsoeuer but let him kindly and courteously entertaine that excellent saying of Aeschylus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obedience is the Mother of felicitie Let the Courtier then which rightly and honestly desires to decke and adorne the forme and fashion of his life in the Court and to make his Prince his friend and fauourer as also to bee expert and cunning in counselling himselfe contryuing all his actions and affaires Let him I say diligently ponder and seriously consider these things But after that his labours haue beene with prompt expedition sustained and concluded since the estate and condition of Courtiers is very slippery and vncertaine as they who indeed are too often and too easily circumuented and enuironed with the fraudulent accusations and malicious detractions of wicked men Let the Courtier therefore well and wisely To demand his Pardon shift for himselfe and prouide a remedie against them let him I say in his first entry or ingredience into the Court Couenant or Compact with his Prince that hee will vouchsafe vnto him a generall pardon and let him diligently take heed that this Patent of his Purgation be not by the necessitie of the Time subtilly or violently taken from him Now as touching Liberty and Freedome in speaking Of libertie of speech which Princes for the most part doe take very distastefully I must herein also admonish the Courtier because indeed they are but few which freely and faithfully doe aduise admonish and aduertise Princes Thou therefore whosoeuer thou be which wilt shew thy selfe not to be a counterfeit false hearted or sained but rather a faithfull seruant to thy Prince follow not so fast seeke not so much the glittering splendour of fickle Fortune thine owne priuate commoditie as the Truth which by no Truth meanes should be concealed but honestly reuealed whensoeuer it may redound and be conducible to the commoditie and honest vtilitie of thy KING and his Common-wealth therefore thou being wise wisely forbeare to speake vntill fit time and occasion be happily offred vnto thee Heare what Salomon sayes to thee Mars vit● in manu Linguae Life and Death are in the power of the Tongue Wherefore be thou neither a futile or vnprofitable babler by vnseemely Loquacitie Neither contrariwise let thy Tacitarnitie or

promote and much enlarge that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and pollicie which is 〈◊〉 and genuine In which respect if vnto naturall promptnesse and pro 〈…〉 ty learning and experience be associated then indeed may a man perfectly performe any noble eminent and excellent act or imployment But peremptorily to auouch or affirme that men Famous for their excellent parts of vertue learning and intelligence cannot be able soundly exquisitely and considerately to discusse or discourse of euen those things whereof they neuer were personall Actors and Agents is doubtlesse the badge cognizance of an ignorant illiterate man yea of one who neuer knew the maiestie and excellencie the light and delight of Science and intelligence which Antiquitie was wont to call the Muses nor a Limine Salutarunt as it is in the old Adagie did they euer stand at the threshold to bid the Muses Good-morrow And Hesiod hath left this testimonie in writing that Hee himselfe got al his knowledge and experience in Nauigation from these Tutors and Teachers But whither runs all this prolixitie Euen hither Right Ho. this is the end thereof that your Honour would vouchsafe to hold me excused if peraduenture as hath bin foresaid I do not in its proper colours pourtray and delineate to the life that plat-forme and similitude of the life of a Courtier which either your Lordships noblenesse may require or those courtiers may expect whom in this point much time practicke experience the best Schoolmaster may more firmely haue informed in the rules and customes of the Court But as for others happ what hap may when the dice are to bee cast and my chance to be chosen I had rather with some impeach to my name write and say something according to my weake Talent which might be truely acceptable to you right Honourable Marquesse then vnseasonably or vnciuilly to be wanting in my bounden duty Therefore this one thing 〈…〉 submissiuely and earnestly desire that you● 〈◊〉 would be pleased courteously to respect 〈…〉 heart most faithfully and affectionately ho 〈…〉 ing and duely reuerencing your venerable and noble vertue and that in your accustomed courtesie you would fauourably accept and protect this my peculiar Dedication to your Lordship of which your Honourable fauour I am most confidently perswaded whose worthy and meritorious actions not only towards your owne Countrey and kingdome are by the Trump of ●ame blazoned abroad but euen your Lordships manifold fauours and benificent courtesies towards strangers also are euery where extant which blessed Britaine with most due and deserued praises doth publish and 〈…〉 lgate and euen wee that are strangers yea all neighbouring Nations both farre neere do most worthily wonder at Nor need I feare least what I haue herein writ should rather seeme to sauour of gnathonicall flattery then reuerently to loue and embrace your Honours noble vertues with true integrity for All that know your Lordships Excellency your so great grauity and Temperance all I say which doe neerely and throughly looke into them do know that I speake but what is most sincerely true and faithfull Finally that I may omit nothing which may conduce to the accumulation of your Lordships worthy praises the elegancy and gracefull pleasancy of your Honours Behauiour is such and so singular that not onely these present times but euen succeeding posterity will doubtlesse with a cheerefull voice commemorate and immortalize the same And than this what Greater Better Trulier can be said This is it which hath purchased and procured vnto your Ho the reputation approbation loue and singular supportation of our most religious gracious potent and most prudent King whereby we may and that with very good reason most duely and truely heere take vp that verse as true as auntient Gratior est pulchro veniens è corpore virtus Virtue is more louely much more acceptable Proceeding from a Bersonage amiable But I stray to farre time cals vpon me now to set vpon the Subiect it selfe before I proceede to any other matters First then let the Courtier or whosoeuer els which hath determined with himselfe to bestow and dedicate his endeauours to the seruice of Princes often deliberate thinke vpon this one thing that the Court The Court compared to a warre-fare in some sort doth represent and resemble loue or a warfare and louers we know will diligently remoue euery rubbe obstacle or impediment whereby they may content and please their beloued Souldiers also do labour and endeauor with all care and diligence and make this Courtiers to Souldiers the marke whereat they wholy leuell and ayme namely to follow their Captaine or leader and as much as in them lies to do what he commandeth so should an honest Courtier adorned and endued with wit and discretion bend and incline all his studie and industrious indeuours not onely with diligence to entertaine his Kings or Princes commission and command but promptly speedily and with all care and fidelity to discharge the charge which is committed vnto him And he which layes this foundation of a Courtiers life shall doubtlesse 〈…〉 in the sight of his Soueraigne 〈…〉 〈…〉 soeuer well nurtured and generously co 〈…〉 man will deuote and consecrate himsel● 〈…〉 follow the Court let him not presently imagine or conceit with himselfe that hee is to lead a soft delicate easie or calme kind of life but now must hee learne to beare patiently the courts encombrances yea to digest and swallow downe many leasings much enuy greiuous contumelies and malicious detractions Assuredly t is no fiction I tell thee but let euery Courtier which doth aspire and desire to attaine vnto that celestiall and eternall court of Heauen and which intendeth both constantly and sincerely to say and to doe that which may be gratefull to God and the common weale 〈…〉 addresse himselfe to this point to this resolution For that Courtier is in a great error and very much mistaken which hunts and hopes for nothing els in the Court but honour riches pleasure power and authority and long before hee enters into the Court 〈…〉 not seriously consider with himselfe that euen in these seeming sweet and odoriferous roses of Courtly delights full many thornes and thistles doe priuily grow vp for if wee doe but iudge and examine one thing by another and let truth take place we haue both knowne and read of in the memory of antient and moderne times many noble and worthy men yea such as haue exceedingly well deserued both of their Prince and common-weale who in Court haue wasted spent the most flourishing time of their youthfull yeares with great praise and applause of their Prince and all good people who not with standing all this haue oftentimes euen for triuiall or small causes yea sometimes none at all bin most lamentably molested and with enuy and detraction subtilly circumuented yea which is more and most miserable haue bine either wofully deiected and clapt vp into Prison banisht into bitter calamity or euen