Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	age_n	year_n	youth_n	155	3	8.0746	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61711	Sermons and discourses upon several occasions by G. Stradling ... ; together with an account of the author.	Stradling, George, 1621-1688.; Harrington, James, 1664-1693.	1692 (1692)	Wing S5783; ESTC R39104	236,831	593

Georgius Stradling S.T.P. Decanus Cicestrensis Prebendarius Westmon SERMONS AND DISCOURSES UPON Several Occasions By G. STRADLING D. D. Late Dean of CHICHESTER Never Before Printed TOGETHER With an Account of the AUTHOR LONDON Printed by J. H. for Thomas Bennet at the Half-Moon in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1692. The PREFACE 'T WAS the ancient Modesty of those Ages and Nations who had a due Sense of Decency to introduce great Works with the Lives rather than the Elogium's of the Authours and to distinguish a Preface from a Panegyrick Afterwards especially in the declining Age of the Roman Empire Sophistry began its Reign The Prologue that anciently open'd the Play was now spent in commendation of the Poet and Men were drawn into an high esteem of the Writer by the Proëm till they were undeceiv'd by the Book 'T is the unhappiness of those general Prefaces that if ever they avoid the guilt of falsity they are necessarily liable to the charge of impertinence as being unluckily joyn'd to those Books that either do not deserve their praise or do not need it For which of those two Reasons I give no commendation of these following Discourses I leave the Reader to judge it seeming at present more material to give a short plain and naked Account of the Authour Dr. Geo. Stradling then was born about the Year M DC XXI at St. Donat's Castle in Glamorgan-shire the ancient Seat of his Family His Father was Sir John Stradling the fifth of those 200 Original Baronets that were created by K. James upon the first Institution of that Order His Father's propensity to Learning and his Progress in it is easily discernable from those his Works that are yet extant and whether it proceeded from the greatness of his parts the agreeableness of his Temper or the generality of his Studies we shall hardly find any Gentleman whatsoever that among all the eminent Scholars of that Age men of different Professions and very disagreeable Studies appears by their Writings to have gain'd so Universal a respect and esteem Dr. George Stradling the Youngest of his Sons follow'd the genius of his Family and tho' not then design'd for the Clergy pursu'd however the best and most agreeable Studies of humane and polite Learning with great vigour and diligence at first beyond Sea and afterwards at home For so it happened that being very early sent to Travel about the rise and first appearance of the Troubles in England he grew acquainted with the modern Languages abroad before he had obtain'd a familiarity with the Latin here And therefore I have often wonder'd upon the Sight of many of his solemn Exercises in the University afterwards that a Man that came so late to the Study of the Roman Tongue should not only obtain so great an insight into the best Authours thereof but should have made himself an intire Master of their Eloquence Which strange improvement which is not now common to many of those of his Profession who are esteem'd Learned can be attributed to nothing more than the deep Impressions which the true Sense of the Authours of the best Age of the World I mean that of the Augustean Century first made upon his mind so that afterwards by frequent perusal of their Works he without the usual Art or Method occasionally understood rather than industriously learn'd not only the true and genuine Phrase but the best Cadence Turn and natural Beauties of the Roman Language It is observable that when he came to the University of Oxford after his Return from France and Italy about the 18th Year of his Age he much addicted himself to the Study of Musick and made so great Improvements in that Art the grounds of which he had learn'd in his Travels that no man in England was more valu'd for his Skill therein by the greatest Professors of it in his Youth especially Dr. Wilson the Musick Professor of Oxford in his Time nor made better use of it in his declining Age to the diversion of his Leisure or to the raising and heightning of his Devotion When he had for some Years resided in Jesus College he being descended from one of the Brothers of the Noble and Generous Founder of All-Souls College Henry Chicheley once Archbishop of Canterbury was in the Year M DC XLII deservedly and gratefully elected Fellow of that College a Society exactly fitted to his humour and disposition as that which according to its original Institution had always preserv'd an equal Mixture of the Gentleman and the Scholar He was a Gentleman of that easie and affable Temper and withal of so considerable a Character then in the University that 't is no wonder if he was much lov'd and regarded by most of his Cotemporaries in the College and in a particular manner by Dr. Sheldon then Warden thereof I have seen several Letters from him when afterwards Bishop of London which express'd a nearer Intimacy with our Authour than the Distance of Age and Place that was then between them generally seem'd to allow And indeed as they were both of them Men of good Birth and no mean Fortune as their dispositions to the King's Cause were the same the Evenness and Generosity of their Temper alike their Breeding Education and the Tendency of their Studies not different it is hardly to be imagin'd but that such an Agreement and Conformity of Mind Fortune Manners and Studies confirm'd by their long Enjoyment of each others Conversation should improve their Acquaintance into a lasting Friendship To that worthy and generous Prelate at last Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Stradling who after the Restoration of the King became his Chaplain did in a great measure owe those Dignities and Preferments which he afterwards enjoy'd in the Church The Wars coming on and most of the best Gentry in England appearing on the King's side our Authour according to the Inclination of himself and his Family went into the Army and was made Cornet in a Troop of Horse rais'd by his Nephew Sir Edw. Stradling for the Service of His Majesty in which Station he behav'd himself with Courage and Resolution till after the loss of his Brethren and other his Relations in the Field the Army was disbanded by the King and the common Despair of the Royal Party throughout the Nation gave him opportunity of an honourable retreat to his Studies At that time there was a Cessation of Arms rather than a Peace The Fury of the Conquerours was turn'd into deliberate Revenge and those that were conquer'd had lost their strength rather than forgot their hatred The Visitors of the Parliament that were not often inclinable to Forgiveness did frequently take occasion to disturb our Authour in the Enjoyment of his Fellowship and once had utterly ejected him if his Alliance to two great Men of different Principles had not happily secur'd him Mr. Oldisworth a Man of no small Learning once Secretary to the E. of Pembroke who had married his Sister and Coll. Ludlow a