Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	word_n	worthy_a	year_n	62	3	3.9827	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77581	The life of the renowned Sr Philip Sidney. with the true interest of England as it then stood in relation to all forrain princes: and particularly for suppressing the power of Spain stated by him. His principall actions, counsels, designes, and death. Together with a short account of the maximes and policies used by Queen Elizabeth in her government. Written by Sir Fulke Grevil Knight, Lord Brook, a servant to Queen Elizabeth, and his companion & friend.	Greville, Fulke, Baron Brooke, 1554-1628.	1651 (1651)	Wing B4899; Thomason E1288_1; ESTC R208970	75,650	263

Princely Shepherd or Shepherdish King which creatures of scorn seldome fail to become fit sacrifices for home-born discontentments or ambitious forrain spirits to undertake and offer up Againe who sees not the chanceable arrivall of Euarchus into Arcadia his unexpected election to the temporary Soveraignty of that State his sitting in a cloudy seat of judgement to give sentence under a mask of Shepherds against his Son Nephew Neeces the immediate successors to that Scepter and all accused and condemned of rape paricide adulteries or treasons by their own Lawes I say who sees not that these dark webs of effeminate Princes be dangerous forerunners of innovation even in a quiet and equally tempered people So that if Sir Philips had not made the integrity of this forrain King an image of more constant pure and higher strain than nature makes those ordinary mouldes wherein she fashioneth earthly Princes even this opportunity and map of desolation prepared for Euarchus wherein he saw all the successors of this Province justly condemned under his own sentence would have raised up specious rights or pretences for new ambition in him and upon the never-failing pillars of occasion amasednes of people and sad offer of glorious novelties have tempted him to establish this Election for a time successively to him and his for ever To be short the like and finer moralities offer themselves throughout that various and dainty work of his for sounder judgements to exercise their Spirits in so that if the infancie of these Ideas determining in the first generation yield the ingenuous Reader such pleasant profitable diversity both of flowers and fruits let him conceive if this excellent Image-maker had liv'd to finish and bring to perfection this extraordinary frame of his own Common-wealth I meane the return of Basilius from his dreames of humor to the honor of his former Estate the marriage of the two sisters with the two excellent Princes their issue the warres stirred up by Amphialus his marriage with Helena their successions together with the incident Magnificences pompes of state providences of councells in treaties of peace or aliance summons of warres and orderly execution of their disorders I say what a large field an active able spirit should have had to walk in let the advised Reader conceive with grief Especially if he please to take knowledge that in all these creatures of his making his intent and scope was to turn the barren Philosphy precepts into pregnant Images of life and in them first on the Monarch's part lively to represent the growth state and declination of Princes change of Government and lawes vicissitudes of sedition faction succession confederacies plantations with all other errors or alterations in publique affaires Then again in the subjects case the state of favor disfavor prosperitie adversity emulation quarrell undertaking retiring hospitality travail and all other moodes of private fortunes or misfortunes ●n which traverses I know his purpose was to limn out such exact pictures of every posture in the minde that any man being forced in the straines of this life to pass through any straights or latitudes of good or ill fortune might as in a glasse see how to set a good countenance upon all the discountenances of adversitie and a stay upon the exorbitant smiling of chance Now as I know this was the first project of these workes rich like his youth in the freedome of affections wit learning stile form and facilitie to please others so must I again as ingenuously confess that when his body declined and his piercing inward powers were lifted up to a purer Horizon he then discovered not onely the imperfection but vanitie of these shadowes how daintily soever limned as seeing that even beauty it self in all earthly complexions was more apt to allure men to evill than to fashion any goodness in them And from this ground in that memorable testament of his he bequeathed no other legacie but the fire to this unpolished Embrio From which fate it is onely reserved untill the world hath purged away all her more gross corruptions Again they that knew him well will truly confess this Arcadia of his to be both in form and matter as much inferior to that unbounded spirit of his as the industry and Images of other mens works are many times raised above the writers capacities and besides acknowledge that howsoever he could not choose but give them many aspersions of spirit and learning from the Father yet that they were scribled rather as pamphlets for entertainment of time and friends than any accompt of himself to the world Because if his purpose had been to leave his memory in books I am confident in the right use of Logick Philosophy History and Poësie nay even in the most ingenuous of Mechanicall Arts he would have shewed such tracts of a searching and judicious spirit as the professors of every faculty would have striven no less for him than the seaven Cities did to have Homer of their Sept. But the truth is his end was not writing even while he wrote nor his knowledge moulded for tables or schooles but both his wit and understanding bent upon his heart to make himself and others not in words or opinion but in life and action good and great In which Architectonical art he was such a Master with so commending and yet equall waies amongst men that whersoever he went he was beloved and obeyed yea into what Action soever he came last at the first he became first at the last the whole managing of the business not by usurpation or violence but as it were by right and acknowledgment falling into his hands as into a naturall Center By which onely commendable monopolie of alluring and improving men how the same drawes all windes after it in fair weather so did the influence of this spirit draw mens affections and undertakings to depend upon him CHAP. II. HEre I am still enforced to bring pregnant evidence from the dead amongst whom I have found far more liberall contribution to the honor of true worth than among those which now live and in the market of selfnesse traffique new interest by the discredit of old friends that ancient wisdome of righting enemies being utterly worn out of date in our modern discipline My first instance must come from that worthy Prince of Orange William of Nassau with whom this young Gentleman having long kept intelligence by word and letters and in affaires of the highest nature that then passed currant upon the stages of England France Germany Italy the low Countries or Spaine it seemes that this young Gentleman had by his mutuall freedome so imprinted the extraordinary merit of his young yeares into the large wisdome and experience of that excellent Ptince as I passing out of Germany into England and having the unexpected honor to finde this Prince in the Town Delph cannot think it unwelcome to describe the clothes of this Prince his posture of body and minde familiarity and

performed all his other cōmandments this that concerned Sir Philip thinking to make the fine-spun threads of Friendship more firm between them I acquainted Sir Philip with not as questioning but fully resolved to doe it Unto which he at the first sight opposing discharged my faith impawn'd to the Prince of Orange for the delivery of it as an act only entending his good and so to be perform'd or dispens'd with at his pleasure yet for my satisfaction freely added these words first that the Qu. had the life it self daily attending her and if she either did not or would not value it so highly the commendation of that worthy Prince could be no more at the best than a lively picture of that life and so of far lesse credit and estimation with her His next reason was because Princes love not that forrain Powers should have extraordinary in their Subjects much lesse to be taught by them how they should place their own as arguments either upbraiding ignorance or lack of large rewarding goodness in them This Narration I adventure of to shew the clearness and readiness of this Gentlemans judgement in all degrees and offices of life with this farther testimony of him that after mature deliberation being once resolved he never brought any question of change to afflict himself with or perplex the business but left the success to his will that governs the blinde prosperities and unprosperities of Chance and so works out his own ends by the erring frailties of humane reason and affection Lastly to manifest that these were not complements self-ends or use of each other according to our modern fashion but meer ingenuities of spirit to which the ancient greatness of hearts ever frankly engaged their Fortunes let Actions the lawfully begotten children equall in spirit shape and complexion to their parents be testimonies ever sufficient My second instance comes from the Earle of Leicester his unckle who told me after Sir Philips and not long before his own death that when he undertook the government of the Low Countries he carryed his Nephew over with him as one amongst the rest not only despising his youth for a Counsellor but withall bearing a hand over him as a forward young man Notwithstanding in short time he saw this Sun so risen above his Horizon that both he and all his Stars were glad to fetch light from him And in the end acknowleged that he held up the honor of his casual authority by him whilst he lived found reasō to withdraw himself from that burthen after his death My third record is Sir Francis Walsingham his Father-in-law that wise and active Secretarie This man as the world knows upheld both Religion and State by using a policy wisely mixt with reflexions of either He had influence in all Countries a hand upon all affairs Yet even this man hath often confessed to my self that his Philip did so far over-shoot him in his own Bow as those friends which at first were Sir Philip's for this Secretaries sake within a while became so fully owned and possest by Sir Philip as now he held them at the second hand by his Sonin-laws native courtesie This is that true remission of mind whereof I would gladly have the world take notice from these dead mens ashes to the end that we might once again see that ingenuity amongst men which by liberall bearing witnesse to the merits of others shews they have some true worth of their own and are not meerly lovers of themselves without rivals CHAP. III. TO continue this passage a little further I must lift him above the censure of Subjects and give you an account what respect and honour his worth wanne him amongst the most eminent Monarchs of that time As first with that chief and best of Princes his most excellent Majesty then King of Scotland to whom his service was affectionately devoted and from whom he received many pledges of love and favour In like manner with the late renowned Henry of France then of Navarre who having measured and mastered all the spirits in his own Nation found out this Master-spirit among us and used him like an equall in nature and so fit for friendship with a King Again that gallant Prince Don John de Austria Vice-Roy in the Low Countries for Spain when this Gentleman in his Embassage to the Emperor came to kiss his hand though at the first in his Spanish haughture he gave him access as by descent to a youth of grace as to a stranger and in particular competition as he conceived to an enemy yet after a while that he had taken his just altitude he found himself so stricken with this extraordinary Planet that the beholders wondered to see what ingenuous tribute that brave and high minded Prince paid to his worth giving more honour and respect to this hopefull young Gentleman than to the Embassadors of mighty Priuces But to climb yet a degree higher In what due estimation his extraordinary Worth was even amongst enemies will appear by his death When Mendoza a Secretary of many Treasons against us acknowledged openly That howsoever he was glad King Philip his Master had lost in a private Gentleman a dangerous Enemy to his Estate yet he could not but lament to see Christendome depriv'd of so rare a Light in these cloudy times and bewail poor Widdow England so he term'd her that having been many years in breeding one eminent spirit was in a moment bereaved of him by the hands of a villain Indeed he was a true modell of Worth A man fit for Conquest Plantation Reformation or what Action soever is greatest and hardest amongst men Withall such a lover of Mankind and Goodnesse that whosoever had any reall parts in him found comfort participation and protection to the uttermost of his power like Zephyrus he giving life where he blew The Universities abroad and at home accompted him a generall Mecaenas of Learning Dedicated their Books to him and communicated every Invention or Improvement of Knowledge with him Souldiers honoured him and were so honoured by him as no man thought he marched under the true Banner of Mars that had not obtained Sir Philip Sidney's approbation Men of Affairs in most parts of Christendome entertained correspondency with him But what speak I of these with whom his own waies and ends did concur since to descend his heart and capacity were so large that there was not a cunning Painter a skilfull Engenier an excellent Musician or any other Artificer of extraordinary fame that made not himself known to this famous Spirit and found him his true friend without hire and the common Reude-vous of Worth in his time Now let Princes vouchsafe to consider of what importance it is to the honour of themselves and their Estates to have one man of such eminence not onely as a nourisher of vertue in their Courts or service but besides for a reformed Standard by which even the most humorous persons could not but

headlong into one of these three desperate courses viz. Either to fly for protection to the Flower-de-Luce with whom they join in continent Or precipitately submit their necks to the yoking Cittadells of Spain against whose inquisitions and usurpations upon their Consciences and Liberties so much money and bloud had been shed and consumed already Or else unnaturally to turn Pirates and so become enemies to that trade by which they and their friends have reciprocally gotten and given so much prosperity The choice or comparison of which mischiefes to them and us he briefly laid before me in this manner First that if they should incorporate with France the Netherlands manufactures industry trade and shipping would add much to that Monarchie both in peace and war The naturall riches of the French having been hitherto either kept barrain at home or barrainly transported abroad for lack of the true use of trade shipping exchange and such other mysteries as multiply native wealth by improving their man-hood at home and giving formes both to domestique and forrain materialls which defect as he said being now abundantly to be supplied by this conjunction with the Netherlands would in a little time not onely puff up that active Common-wealth with unquiet pride but awake the stirring French to feel this addition to their own strengths and so make them become dangerous neighbours by incursion in invasion to the Baltique Sea many waies prejudice to the mutuall traffique between Italy the Germans and England and consequently a terror to all others that by land or Sea confine upon them yea and apt enough once in a year to try their fortune with that growing Monarch of Spain for his Indian treasure 2. On the other side if any stricter league should come to pass between those adventurous French Spirits and the solid counsells of Spaine and so through fear scorn or any other desperate apparances force the Netherlands into a precipitate but steady subjection of that Spanish Monarchie then he willed me to observe how this fearfull union of Earth and Sea having escaped the petty Monarches of Europe would in all probability costrain them to play after-games for their own Estates Because these two potent Navies his and the Netherland's being thus added to his invincible Armies by land would soon as he thought compell that head of holy mother Church whose best use for many yeares had been by ballancing these two Emperiall greatnesses one with another to secure inferior Princes would as I said soon enforce that sacred Mother-head to shelter her self under the wings of this Emperiall Eagle and so absolutely quit her Miter-supremacie or at least become Chaplain to this suppressing or supporting Conqueror Besides in this fatall probability he discovered the great difference between the wisdom of quiet Princes in their moderate desires of subsistence from the large and hazardous counsells of undertaking Monarches whose ends are onely to make force the umpier of right and by that inequality become Soveraign Lords without any other title over equalls and inferiors 3. Now for this third point of constraining this oppressed yet active Netherland people to become Pirates he willed me in the examples of time past to observe how much Scirpalus did among the Grecians Sextus Pompeius the Romans even in their greatness and in themodern Flushiug Dunkerk Rochell and Algiers Inferring withall that this people which had so long prospered upon the rich materialls of all Nations by the two large spreading armes of manufacture and traffique could not possibly be forced at once to leave this habit but would rather desperately adventure to maintain these enriching strengthes of marriners souldiers and shipping of their own with becomming a Rende-vous for the swarm of discontented subjects universally inviting them with hope of spoil and by that inheritance to try whether the world were ready to examine her old foundations of freedom in the specious and flattering regions of change and Powers encrochments Lastly besides this uneven ballance of State the very reflexion of scorn between age and youth her comeliness his disadvantage that way the excessive charge by continuall resort of the French hither danger of change for the worse her reall native States and riches made subject to forrain humors little hope of succession and if any then France assured to become the seat and England the Province children or no children misfortune or uncertainty These I say and such like threatning probabilities made him joyn with the weaker party and oppose this torrent even while the French faction reigning had cast aspersions upon his Uncle of Leicester and made him like a wise man under colour of taking physick voluntarily become prisoner in his chamber CHAP. VI THus stood the state of things then And if any judicious Reader shall ask Whether it were not an error and a dangerous one for Sir Philip being neither Magistrate nor Counsellor to oppose himself against his Soveraigns pleasure in things indifferent I must answer That his worth truth favour and sincerity of heart together with his reall manner of proceeding in it were his privileges Because this Gentlemans course in this great business was not by murmur among equals or inferiours to detract from Princes or by a mutinous kind of bemoaning error to stir up ill affections in their minds whose best thoughts could do him no good but by a due address of his humble reasons to the Queen her self to whom the appeal was proper So that although he found a sweet stream of Soveraign humors in that well-tempered Lady to run against him yet found he safety in her self against that selfness which appeared to threaten him in her For this happily born and bred Princess was not subject-like apt to construe things reverently done in the worst sense but rather with the spirit of annointed Greatness as created to reign equally over frail and strong more desirous to find waies to fashion her people than colours or causes to punish them Lastly to prove nothing can be wise that is not really honest every man of that time and consequently of all times may know that if he should have used the same freedome among the Grandees of Court their profession being not commonly to dispute Princes purposes for truths sake but second their humours to govern their Kingdomes by them he must infallibly have found Worth Justice and Duty lookt upon with no other eyes but Lamia's and so have been stained by that reigning faction which in all Courts allows no faith currant to a Soveraign that hath not past the seal of their practising corporation Thus stood the Court at that time and thus stood this ingenuous spirit in it If dangerously in mens opinions who are curious of the present and in it rather to doe craftily than well Yet I say that Princely heart of hers was a Sanctuary unto him And as for the people in whom many times the lasting images of Worth are preferred before the temporary visions of art or favour he could