Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
friend_n	authority_n	great_a	king_n	814	5	3.6971	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44619	The character of a trimmer his opinion of I. The laws and government, II. Protestant religion, III. The papists, IV. Foreign affairs / by ... Sir W.C.	Halifax, George Savile, Marquis of, 1633-1695.; Coventry, William, Sir, 1628?-1686.	1688 (1688)	Wing H296; ESTC R38783	43,501	48

the Pirenean and Aix le Chapelle the King of France at the Moment of making it had the thought of breaking it for a very little time after he broach'd his Intentions upon a Cost or things that if they had been offer'd by a less formidable hand would have been smiled at but ill Arguments being seconded by good Armies carry such a power with them that naked sense is a very unequal Adversary It was thought that these aiery Claims were chiefly rais'd with the prospect of getting Lunenburgh for the Equivalent and this Opinion was confirm'd by the blocking it up afterwards pretending to the Country of China that it might be entirely surrounded by the French Dominions it was so pressed that it might have fallen in a little time if the King of France had not sent Orders to his Troops to retire and his Christian Generosity which was assign'd for the reason of it made the World smile since it hath been seen how differently his devout Zeal worketh in Hungary that specious Reason was in many respects ill tun'd and France it self gave it so faintly that at the very time it look'd out of Countenance the true ground of his Retiring is worth our observation for at the Instance of the Confederates Offices were done and the Memorials given but all ineffectual till the word Parliament was put into them that powerful word had such an effect that even at that distance it rais'd the Siege which may convince us of what efficacy the King's words are when he will give them their full weight and threaten with his Parliament it is then that he appears that great Figure we ought to represent him in our Minds the Nation his Body he the Head and joined with that Harmony that every word he pronounceth is the word of a Kingdom Such words even by this Example are as effectual as Fleets and Armies because they can create them and without this his word founds abroad like a faint Whisper that is either not heard or which is worse not minded But tho' France had made this step of forced Compliance it did not leave off the pursuit of their pretensions and therefore immediately proposed the Arbitration to the King but it appear'd that notwithstanding his Merit towards the Confederates in saving Luxenburgh the remembrances of what had passed before left such an ill taste in their Mouths they could not without being put into a Condition to dispose of their Interests and therefore declin'd it by insifting upon a general Treaty to which France hath ever since continued to be averse our great earnestness to perswade the Confederates to consent to it was so unusual and so suspicious a method that it might naturally make them believe that France spake to them by our Mouth and for that Reason if there hath been no other might hinder the accepting it and so little care hath been taken to cure this and other Jealousies the Confederates may have entertain'd that quite contrary their Ministers here every day take fresh Alarms from what they observe in small as well as greter Circumstances and they being apt both to take and improve apprehensions of this kind draw such Inferences from them as make them entirely despari of us Thus we uow stand far from being Innocent Spectators of our Neighbours Ruine and by a fatal mistake foregetting what a Certain Forerunner it is to our own and now it 's time our Trimmer should tell something of his Opinion upon this present State of things abroad he first professeth to have no Biass either for or against France and that his thoughts are wholly directed by the Interest of his own Country he alloweth and hath read that Spain used the same Methods when it was in its height as France doth now and therefore 't is not Partiality that moveth him but the just fear which all reasonable Men must be possess'd with of an overgrowing Power Ambition is a devouring Beast when it hath swallow'd one Prince instead of being cloyed it hath so much the greater Stomach to another and being fed becometh still the more hungry so that for the Confederates to expect a security from any thing but their own strength is a most miserable fallacy and if they cannot resist the Incroachments of France by their Arms it is in vain for them to dream of any other means of preservation it will have the better grace besides the saving so much Blood and Ruine to give all up at once make a Present of themselves to appease this hungry Stomach rather than be whipser'd flatter'd or Cozened out of their Liberties nothing is so soft as the first applications of a greater Prince to engage a weaker but that pleasing Countenance is but a Vizard it is not the true Face for as soon as their turn is serv'd the Courtship flyeth to some other Prince or State where the same part is to be acted leaveth the old mistaken Friend to Neglect and Contempt and like an insolent Lover to a Cast off Mistress Reproacheth even with that Infamy of which he himself was the Author Sweden Bavaria ●alatine c. may by their Fresh Examples teach other Princes what they are reasonably to expect and what Snakes are hid under the Flowers the Crown of France so liberally throws upon them whist they can be useful The various Methods and deep Riddles with the differing Notes in several Countries do not only give suspicion but assurance that every thing is put in Practice by which the Universal Monarchy may be obtained who can reconcile the withdrawing of his Troops from Luxenburgh in Consideration of the War in Hungary which was not then declar'd and presently after encouraging the Turk to take Vienna and consequently to destroy the Empire Or who can think that the Prosecution of the Poor Protestants of France will be accepted of God as an Attonement for hazarding the loss of the whole Christian Faith Can he be thought in earnest when he seen'd afraid of the Spaniards and for that reason must have Luxenburgh and that he cannot be fafe from Germany unless he is in possession of Strasburgh All Injustice and Violence must in it self be grievous but the aggravations of supporting them by false Arguments and insulting Reasons hath something in it yet more provoking than the Injuries themselves and the World hath ground enough to apprehend from such a Method of arguing that even their Senses are to be subdu'd as well as their Liberties Then the Variety of Arguments used by France in several Countries is very observable In England and Denmark nothing instill'd but the Greatness and Authority of the Crown on the other side the great Men in Poland are commended who differ in Opinion with the King and they argue like Friends to the Priviledge of the Dyet against the separate Power of the Crown In Sweden they are troubled that the King should have chang'd something there of late by his single Authority from the ancient and settled

Authority and Constitutions at Ratisbone the most Christian Majesty taketh the Liberties of all the Electors and their Estates into his immediate protection and telleth them the Emperour is a dangerous Man an aspiring Hero that would infallibly devour them if they were not at hand to resist him on their behalf but above all in Holland he hath the most obliging tenderness for the Common-wealth and is in such disquiets lest it should be invaded by the Prince of Orange that they can do no less in gratitude than destroy themselves when he biddeth them to see how sensible they are of his excessive good Nature yet in spight of all these Contradictions there are in the World such refin'd States-men as will upon their Credit affirm the following Paradoxes to be real truth first that France alone is sincere and keepeth its Faith and consequently that it is the only Friend we can rely upon the King of France of all Men living hath the least mind to be a Conquerour that he is a sleepy tame Creature void of all Ambition a poor kind of a Man that hath no farther thoughts than quiet that he is charm'd by his Friendship to us that it is impossible he-should ever do us hurt and therefore tho' Flanders was lost it would not in the least concern us that he would fain help the Crown of England to be absolute which would be to take pains to put it into a condition to oppose him as it is and must be our Interest as long as he continueth in such an overballancing Power and Greatness Such a Creed as this once receiv'd might prepare our belief for greater things and as he that taught Men to eat a Dagger began first with a Penknife so that if we can be prevail'd with to digest the smaller MIstakes we may at last make our stomachs strong enough for that of Transubstantiation Our Trimmer cannot easily be converted out of his senses by these State Sophistries and yet he hath no such peevish Obstinacy to reject all Correspondence with France because we ought to be apprehensive of the too great power of it he would not have the Kings Friendship to the Confederates extended to the involving him in any unreasonable or dangerous Engagements neither would he have him lay aside the consideration of his better establishment at home and of his excessive Zeal to serve his Allies abroad but sure there might be a Mean between these two opposite Extreams and it may be wish'd that our Friendship with France may be so bounded that it may consist with the humour as well as the interest of England There is no Woman but hath the fears of contracting too near an intimacy with a much greater Beauty because it exposeth her too often to a Comparison that is not advantagious to her and sure it may become a Prince to be as jealous of his Dignity as a Lady can be of her good looks and to be as much out of Countenance to be thought an humble Comparison to so much a greater Power to be always seen in an ill light to be so darkned by the brightness of a greater Star is somewhat mortifying and when England might ride Admiral at the head of the Confederates to look like the KitchinYatch to the Grand Louis is but a scurvy Figure for us to make in the Map of Christendom it would rise upon our Trimmer's stomach if ever which God forbid the power of calling and intermitting Parliaments here should be transferred to the Crown of France and that all the opportunities of our own settlements at home should give way to their designs abroad and that our Interest should be so far sacrific'd to our Compliance that all the Omnipotence of France can never make us full amends for it In the mean time he shrinketh at the dismal prospect he can by no means drive away from his thoughts that when France hath gather'd all the fruit arising from our Mistakes and that we can bear no more with them they will cut down the Tree and throw it into the fire all this while some Superfine States-Men to comfort us would fain perswade the World that this or that accident may save us and for all that is or ought to be dear to us would have us to rely wholly upon Chance not considering that Fortune is Wisdoms Creature and that God Almighty loveth to be on the Wisest as well as the Strongest side therefore this is such a miserable shift such a shameful Evasion that they would be laught to death fot it if the ruining Consequence of this Mistake did not more dispose Men to rage and a detestation of it Our Trimmer is far from Idolatry in other things in one thing only he cometh near it his Country is in some degree his Idol he doth not Worship the Sun becanse 't is not peculiar to us it rambleth about the World and is less kind to us than others but for the Earth of EngLand tho' perhaps inferiour to that of many places abroad to him there is Divinity in it and he would rather dye than see a piece of English Grass trampled on by a foreign Trespasser he thinks there are a great many of his mind for all Plants are apt to taste of the Soyle in which they grow and we that grow here have a Root that produceth in us a Stalk of English Juice which is not to be changed by grasting or foreign infusion and I do not know whether any thing less wilp prevail than the Modern Experiment by which the blood of one Creature is transmitted to another according to which before the French be let into our Bodies every drop of our own must be drawn out of them Our Trimmer cannot but lament that by a Sacrifice too great for one Nation to make another we should be like a rich Mine made useless only for want of being wrought and that the Life and Vigour which should move us against our Enemies is miserably apply'd to tear our own Bowels that being made by our scituation not only safer but if we please greater too than Countries which far exceed us in extent that having Courage by Nature Learning by Industry Riches by Trade we should corrupt all these Advantages so as to make them insignificant and by a satality which seemeth peculiar to us misplace our active rage one against another whilst we are turn'd into Statues on that fide where Iyeth out greatest danger to be unconcern'd not only in our Neighbours ruim but our own and let our Island lye like a great Hulk in the Sea without Rudder or Sail all the Men cast away in her or as if we were all Children in a great Cradle and rockt asleep to a foreign Tune I say our Trimmer representeth to his Mind our Roses blasted and discolour'd whilst the Lillies Triumph and grow Insolent upon the Comparison when he considereth our own flourishing Harvest now withered and dying and nothing left us but a remembrance of

a butter part in History than we shall make in the next Age which will be no more to us than an Escutcheon hung upon our Door when we are dead when he foreseeth from hence growing Infamy from abroad confusion at home and all this without the possibility of a Cure in respect of the voluntary fetters good Men put upon themselves by their Allegiance without a good measure of preventing Grace he would be tempted to go out of the World like a Roman Philosopher rather than endure the burthen of Life under such a discouraging Prospect But Mistakes as all other things have their Periods and many times the nearest way to Cure is not to oppose them but stay till they are crusht with their own weight for Nature will not let any thing to continue long that is violent violence is a wound and as a wound must be Curable in a little time or else 't is Mortal but a Nation cometh near to be Immortal therefore the wound will one time or another be Cured tho' perhaps by such wrong Methods if too long forborn as may even make the best Remedies we can prepare to be at the same time a Melancholly Contemplation to us there is but one thing God Almighties Providence excepted to support a Man from sinking under these afflicting thoughts and that is the hopes we draw singly from the King himself without mixture of any other Consideration Tho' the Nation was lavish of their Kindness to him at his first coming yet there remaineth still a Stock of Warmth in Mens Hearts for him Besides the good Influences of his happy Planet are not yet all spent and tho' the Stars of Men past their Youth are generally declining and have less Force like the Eyes of decaying Beauties yet by a Blessing peculiar to himself we may yet hope to be sav'd by his Autumnal Fortune He hath something about him that will drawdown a healing Miracle for his and our Deliverance a Prince which seemeth fitting for such an offending Age in which Mens Crimes have been so general that the not forgiving his People hath been the destroying of them whose Gentleness gives him a natural Dominion that hath no bounds with such a noble mixture of Greatn●ss and Condeseention an engaging Look that disarmeth Men of their ill Humours and their Resentments something in him that wanteth a Name and can be no more defin'd than it can be resisted a Gift of Heaven of its last finishing where it will be peculiarly kind the only Prince in the World that dares be familiar or that hath right to triumph over those forms which were first invented to give awe to those who could not judge and to hide Defects from those that could a Prince that hath exhausted himself by his Liberality and endanger'd himself by his Mercy who out-shineth by his own Light and natural Virtues all the varnish of studied Acquisitions his Faults are like Shades to a good Picture or like Allay to Gold to make it the more useful he may have some but for any Man to see them through so many reconciling Virtues is a Sacrilegious piece of ill nature of which no generous Mind can be guilty a Prince that deserveth to be lov'd for his own sake even without the help of a Comparison our Love our Duty and our Danger all join to cement our Obedience to him in short whatever he can do it is no more possible for us to be angry with him than with a Bank that securesh us from the raging Sea the kind Shade that hideth us from the scorching Sun the welcome Hand that reacheth us a Reprieve or with the Angel that rescueth our Souls from the devouring Jaws of wretched Eternity CONCLUSION TO Conclude our Trimmer is so fully satisfy'd with the Truth of these Principles by which he is directed in reference to the Publick that he will neither be pall'd and threatned laught nor drunk out of them and instead of being converted by the Arguments of his Adversaries to their Opinions he is very much confirm'd in his own by them he professeth solemnly that were it in his Power to chuse he would rather have his Ambition bounded by the Commands of a Great and Wise Master than let it range with a Popular License tho' crown'd with Success yet he cannot commit such a Sin against the glorious thing call'd Liberty nor let his Soul stoop so much below it self as to be content without repining to have his Reason wholly subdu'd or the Priviledge of Acting like a sensible Creature torn from him by the imperious Dictates of unlimited Authority in what hand soever it happens to be plac'd what is there in this that is so Criminal as to deserve that Penalty of that most singular Apothegme A Trimmer is worse than a Rebel What do angry Men ail to rail so against Moderation doth it not look as if they were going to some very scurvy Extreme that is too strong to be digested by the more considering part of Mankind These Arbitrary Methods besides the injustice of them are God be thanked very unskilful too for they fright the Birds by talking so loud from coming into the Nets that are laid for them and when Men agree to rifle a House they seldom give warning or blow a Trumpet but there are some small States-Men who are so full charg'd with their own Expectations that they cannot contain A kind Heaven sending such a seasonable Curse upon their undertakings hath made their ignorance an Antidote against their Malice some of these cannot treat peacebly yielding will not satisfy them they will have Men by storm there are others that must have Plots to make their Service more necessary and have an Interest to keep them alive since they are to live upon them these Men will perswade the King to retrench his own Greatness so as to shrink into the head of a Party which is the betraying him into such an Unprincely mistake and to such a wilful diminution of himself that they are the last Enemies he ought to allow himself to forgive such Men if they could would prevail with the Sun to shine only upon them and their Friends and to leave all the rest of the World in the dark this is a very unusual Monopoly and may come within the Equity of the Law which maketh it Treason to Imprison the King when such unfitting bounds are put to his Favour and confin'd to the narrow limits of a particular set of Men that would inclose him these Honest and only Loyal Gentlemen if they may be allow'd to bear Witness for themselves make a King their Engine and degrade him into a property at the very time that their Flattery would make him believe they paid down Worship to him besides these there is a flying Squadron on both sides that are afraid the World will agree small dablers in Conjuring that raise Apparitions to keep Men from being reconcil'd like Wasps that fly up and down buz