Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
enemy_n	evil_a	good_a	overcome_v	2,148	5	9.0851	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26096	Six familiar essays upon marriage, crosses in love, sickness, death, loyalty and friendship written by a lady.	Astell, Mary, 1668-1731.	1696 (1696)	Wing A4066; ESTC R16320	41,222	124

for nothing besides his power to do mischief if his Station alters will find that fear turned into hatred nor can his death be regretted it being for the publick good to have so ill an example removed If incivility proceeds from Pride it is a base effect from a worse cause which never proves of advantage to those that nourish it if it is from ignorance we shall be dispised for not informing our selves better since those who have not had an opportunity of fine breeding may learn a civil candescention and that we owe to every body even our very enemies for we must pity and assist them in their necessities and neither affront them nor proclaim their failings it is a sign of our leading an ill life if we carry a register of the wicked actions of others and it is the consolation of fools only to be satisfyed with their own sins because another's are of something a deeper dye yet too many are as violent in decrying those debaucheries they imitate as if they were provoked by the steps they made in Vice beyond themselves and whilst they rail still run to overtake them Let us on the contrary be strict in observing our own ways and easy in the interpretation we put upon others A generous person will speak well of those that are not his friends as far as truth permits and where he cannot will be silent since it is much better to be so then to say that which will prostitute our Neighbours reputation but to magnify his faults with all the severity we can invent is to make our tongues like the poison of a Serpent whose bite is mortal and will render us as detestable as they are A wise man will be moderate to all his discourses and particularly in giving the Character of others not being transported into a heat whether they are friends or enemies he mentions nor hyperbolizing in the commendation of people that are deserving for excessive praise awakens curiosity and provokes envy to look into their failings and every one appears the worse that has been too much extolled before hand but besides the disadvantage we bring upon our friends in having so mighty expectations to satisfy if they fall short of what we have represented them we must bring our own sincerity or Judgment in question but we should least of all describe our selves since we are so unable to Judge rightly in that point to commend our selves in an abominable vanity and to discommend our selves is to beg a complement and both ways we put the company in pain either to forbear laughing at our conceitedness or to find something to say which they think will answer our expectations tho they do not believe one word of it themselves but they who delight to hear no bodies tongue in motion but their own are liable to these and many other errors and the most watchful may sometimes need a friend to reprimand them for tho Conversation is the ordinary exercise of life we must consider how small a slip in it may ruine our reputation which is of inestimable price and is never in more danger then when we keep company with those that have none of their own to lose whatsoever charms they possess if vertue is wanting our fame will quickly be like theirs and friendship will then divide the ill as well as the good of this world betwixt us why should we for any diversions incourage a reprobate person and run the risque of being esteemed so our selves It is every bodies happiness to have wise friends if they have wit enough to be advised by them they which love truly are firm as a Diamond and as hard to break but some capricious people are like glass so brittle and dangerous to touch that it is impossible to have a correspondence with them without being in constraint the least punctilio that you omit makes a flaw in the acquaintance they are continual discontents to themselves and others they who would keep their favour must study their humors and dares scarce stir before them lest they should be offended at their motions they are fond of nothing but themselves and being slaves to their own wills expect their friends should be so too we should be careful whom we receive into that intimacy if they are well principled the correspondency will be mingled with pleasure and profit but amongst the generallity of people freedom in discourse is of ill consequence lest we furnish them with Arms to destroy us if they become our Enemies and we often see those that express kindness to us to day are most ready to do us an injury to morrow and they are capable of making the more cruel war upon us if they know our weakness Tho we may be sensible when we are treated ill and shew a reasonable resentment yet in all quarrels we should leave a door open for reconciliation and put a curb to all thoughts of revenge for if we give liberty to such inclinations we may do that in our passion that may out-ballance the delight of punishing another and a religious person finds a greater satisfaction in pardoning then in returning an affront rejoicing when they have an opportunity to overcome evil with good But some are very far from this temper who will take part with those that are in the wrong if their enemies have a dispute with him only to oppose the man they hate not reflecting that they hurt themselves most if he has the sense to espouse the right side they show great folly that are against him only for contradiction sake which would be more inexcusable then if they did it through a defect in their understandings but those who are guided by virtue and goodness will act quite otherways knowing a positive spightfulness makes all conversation uneasy and many times those that think to show their wit by disputing proclaime their ill nature only and give their adversary cause to triumph we should rather imitate the Bee then the Spider as the Bee industriously sucks the sweets from every flower so let us make the best of all cross accidents and then the counsels of our friends will prove as honey to us but they whose envious disposition observe the worst they can in every discourse are like the Spider that swells with the Venom he extracts where're he goes they that cannot bear a private friendly reproof are as big with conceitedness as any of those insects I mentioned can be with the most Poysonous Exhalation It is a misfortune to be allied to such a Person but when we fall into his Hands we must not spend our Time in Fruitless Lamentations For Complaints do often cause Disdain and the World is so Inhumane that instead of moving Compassion the Injuries we Receive from one encourages another of as ill a principle to accumulate our wrongs it is best to conceal the rudenesses we suffer and cannot remedy and acknowledge the favours that are conferr'd upon us which is Policy as

else can make you avoid me when it is in my power to be serviceable to you unless you question my will to do it I dare not quarrel with you now lest it confirms your design of breaking our correspondence which is as dear to me as ever yet give me leave to complain of a greater loss then yours the loss of my Friend for now I perceive it is in the power of adverse fortune to draw you from me and let me tell you those apprehensions that made you estrange your self must at the same time accuse me of Pride and Coveteousness as well as ingratitude the first of which sins would be more unpardonable in me then the rest of my Sex but I always knew my own defects well enough to stifle any such suggestions nor could I ever boast of any advantage so much as being made happy by your kindness and since every Soul is not capable of faithfulness the Character you gave of me for being so together with your distinguishing me in your confidence above the rest of your friends did indeed elevate me with joy tho not to ostentation but you have sufficiently mortifyed me now by shewing me your trust was not absolute and that you believed I loved you only as long as you were in humor for Diversions or else I had some sinister ends which are disappointed by this turn in your affairs I think I can scarce be charged with crimes I have a much greater antipathy to then these I have mentioned as Coveteousness is the root of all Evil it is an Enemy to all good which I must ever account Friendship to be that person that delights only in money can have no lasting satisfaction for as it is the nature of riches to make themselves wings and fly away the miser that locks them never so fast in his trunk is so sensible of their fleeting qualities that he has as many racking meditations about them as if they were already out of his reach his sleep is interrupted and all tyes of nature are broke he regards a poor relation with as much aversion and caution as he can do a theif as for Fendship he has not the impudence or as he thinks weakness to pretend to it lest he bring in a partner to his wealth for many of those sordid wretches will acknowledge such an intimacy does oblige us to the utmost of our powers to help each other and therefore they not being desirous to give a title to any part of their Estate will keep out of the temptation by which means they want the chiefest comfort of humane life a Coveteous Man after many years denying himself all Conveniencies as well as duties if he gets the reputation of being rich may be courted by them who have an expectation from him but he receives their addresses very warily being conscious to himself that he deserves nothing of civility and jealous still of a design upon his Coffers where he knows his only attraction lies if he gets any presents upon trust of a double return at his Death this Janus may look with smiles upon his Benefactors but his affectionate face is always fixt towards his Gold which yet he knows not how soon he must leave if it does not leave him first but sometimes the miserable wretch meets a disappointment in his darling hopes and by an unforeseen fate is reduced to the real want which his greedy desire of money imposed upon him even in the midst of plenty he may then too late wish he had made himself friends with the Mammon of unrighteousness for he finds no body willing to receive him and does in vain groan for that blessing which he declined in his prosperity and would have proved of more advantage then all his ill got treasure I mean a true friend for they will not be wanting to help and to assist one another in all exigencies with their purse and advise but they that will know no body when it is in their power to oblige will find no body know them in their extremity as a late French Author well observes out of whose ingenious writings I have collected some choice remarks which I hope may be not only an entertainment but an assistance to you in your present circumstances The world is grown so very bad that there is little faith left amongst us nor gratitude for any kindness the best services are too often the worst requited we should therefore observe peoples behaviour in their Correspondencies with others not to imitate their treachery but to stand so much upon our guard that we may not be sufferers by it Those that are too easy to believe do many times when it is too late find themselves mistaken yet we ought to be cautious in shewing a distrust of the truth of another that being an unnecessary rudeness unto them and if it amounts to the degree of suspecting every body it is an indication of falsehood in our selves for a lyer can neither believe nor be believed but upon the first report of any thing it is most prudent to suspend our Judgment unless we know the integrity of him that speaks it yet the safest way of all to avoid being partial is not to make any conclusion till we hear both sides how unjust are they whose understandings are so ingaged towards one party that truth can make no impression on them but continue wedded to their opinion beyond the power of reason to separate them from it the best interpretation that can possibly be put upon such pernicious practises is a defect in their capacity tho 't is ten to one their honesty is chiefly suspected and most in fault The greatest part of our life is spent in information and that which is visible to us is least essential we take most things on the words of others and that makes us generally imposed upon we commonly know the truth of what we see but seldom of what we hear especially if it come from far which should make us more circumspect in what we give credit to for when a relation of a thing has passed through several hands it has so many glosses put upon it by the passions or interest of them that recount it as makes it never arrive pure and unmixt to our ears Let us therefore consider whether they which speak of any person or thing are unbyass'd and if they are not we must give grains of allowance for their praises and much more for their dispraises since the depraved temper of most men is stronglier inclined to be spightful then good natured it is those slanders that are spoken behind our backs to undiscerning men that does us mischief for a wise person will gain a greater advantage from the censure of their enemies for what they do amiss if they hear it then a fool will take from the advice of his friends which seldom prevails with him the envious holds a glass to shew us our faults and we ought to correct them in