Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
friend_n	david_n	jonathan_n	saul_n	1,059	5	10.1589	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16657	The English gentleman containing sundry excellent rules or exquisite observations, tending to direction of every gentleman, of selecter ranke and qualitie; how to demeane or accommodate himselfe in the manage of publike or private affaires. By Richard Brathwait Esq.	Brathwaite, Richard, 1588?-1673.; Vaughan, Robert, engraver.	1630 (1630)	STC 3563; ESTC S104636	349,718	488

the mountaine Taurus which abounds with Eagles they carry stones in their bills for feare their crie should discover them to their enemies Reason should teach us that which Nature hath instructed them lest by diverting from the rule of reason we become inferiour to them who never had the use of reason For there is nothing which detracts more from the glory of man than by too prodigall a discovery of himselfe to lay himselfe open to the trust of another so as it may be positively averred There is nothing that betrayeth a man so much to ruine as his owne credulitie Dionysius gave straight commandement the head of Brias one of the Gentlemen of his Chamber should be cut off for telling Plato who had demanded of him what the Tyrant did That he had stripped himselfe by reason of the heat and was painting in a Table So tender were Princes of the discovery of their actions even in affaires of indifferencie Let us imitate therefore that Grecian of former times who being told that his breath did smell answered It was by reason of the many Secrets which had a long while laine rotting and put●ifying within him Let our bosome the recluse of Secrets be like the Lions den in the Apologue towards the mouth whereof the prints and prickings of sundry sorts of beasts might easily be discerned Sed nulla retrorsum but from thence none at all Let us alwayes talke with Harpocrates at the signe of the finger on the mouth and learne of Anacharsis that the tongue hath need of more strong restraint than Nature Let us not be too curious with them of Bethshemesh in the search of other mens Secrets nor yet too carelesse with Hezekiah in the discovery of our own Morality giveth us a prohibition for the one and a precept for the other Seeke not to know that Secrecie thy friend reserved hath But keepe what 's tender'd to thy trust though drunke with wine and wrath And indeed it is a prophanation of dutie to publish any thing we should not and too much insinuation to winde our selves in the privacie of others Secrets which make knowne we ought not Those things therefore which are to be concealed let us conceale them Vt curia Martis Athenis as close as either silence or darknesse will afford us meanes to keepe them both from eye and eare for the better effecting whereof there is necessarily required in every one a wise distrust and slownesse of beleefe wherewith the brest must so equally be ballanced that he may steddily run on without suffering shipwracke in such a doubtfull and dangerous course It hath beene ever held a singular argument of policie to have an open face but a shut heart to give entertainment with a free and affable countenance but with a wise and discreet reservancie of our counsells to prevent the occasion of giving our friend power over us Yea but it may be objected it may sometimes fall out that a friend cannot performe the office of a friend but by discovering the secret purpose or practice of another For how could faithfull Ionathan advertise David of Sauls wicked purpose against him but by discovering what Saul in secret had imparted to him How could he I say have advertised David of his fathers fury by shooting three arrowes but by discovering what his father had secretly intended against him To which objection it may be thus answered That as amongst evill men there can be no true friendship continued so neither are the Secrets of such men tending ever to mischiefe and effusion of innocent bloud to be concealed but by all meanes should be discovered that such tragicall issues might be prevented Yea but it may be againe objected that admit this were so may wee not impart our griefes to a friend or communicate our counsells to one whom we have made triall of to be trustie and faithfull To which I answer that wee may but with this provision that we never unrip our bosome so farre as to give our friend power over us in matters which may either concerne life state or name For though your experience of the trust of such a friend hath beene long and those affaires wherein you have imployed him of serious consequence we have knowne many Comicall beginnings have a Tragicall Catastrophe many promising mornings turne to duskie afternoones many faire glozing friends recoile like the Bat in the fable and become either Neuters or profest enemies So as it was wisely answered by that learned Sage to one who demanded of him what hee thought to be the hardest thing in the world To keepe Counsell quoth he We say it is good sleeping in a whole skin but how can our sleepes be quiet our rest from terrours freed when wee have lost our libertie by committing our Secrets to others trust Yea but friendship being one soule ruling two hearts or one heart dwelling in two bodies loseth her prerogative if excluded from partaking in her friends griefes or comforts for would you thinke it well that your friend should finde you sad and so leave you sick without ministring any comfort to you or poore without releeving you Surely you could not chuse but thinke such an one commeth to jest rather than to visit or comfort you Now how should he comfort you who is wholly ignorant of the cause of your discomfort or how minister any receits to you when he knowes not what distempers you or how releeve you when he knowes not of any povertie that hath befallen you Whereto I answer that these are not to be numbred among those Secrets which wee hold unfitting to bee imparted or discovered by one friend to another for the discovery of these may profit but cannot prejudice us Whereas the disclosing of such Secrets as concerne our name may afterwards brand us with infamie or such as concerne our state may bring us to povertie or such as concerne our life may weave our unhappie webbe in a fearfull tragedy Therefore it is good counsell not to give our friend power over us but with a circumspect eye to take heed whom we entertaine as a friend and of what nature those Secrets are which we impart to that friend When that unhappie Emperour Commodus had communicated his secret'st thoughts to Martia his best affected Concubine and withall how his purpose was before many dayes were ended to dispatch Laetus and Electus two of his Senators Shee perceiving how the world went and that the Emperour was no lesse inconstant in his love than illimited in his lust discovered to the Senators what the Prince had intended against them which to prevent with one consent they resolved to dispatch the Emperour and so rid them of all occasion of feare Farre more hatefull was that act of Bessus and Nabarzanes in discovering the counsels of their unfortunate Prince Darius which discovery though it deposed their Prince of Crowne and deprived him of life

word is his gage and his promise such a tye as his reputation will not suffer him to dispence with Men of this ranke as they are readie to beare an equall share in their friends misery so are they resolved with a spirit undanted if such be their chance in their own persons to sustaine misery for they esteeme no man so unhappie as he that cannot beare unhappinesse In Sicilia there is a fountaine called Fons Solis out of which at mid-day when the Sunne is neerest floweth cold water at mid-night when the Sunne is farthest off floweth hot water Such fountaines are these firme friends who when the Sunne shineth hottest upon you with the raies of prosperitie will yeeld you cold water no great comfort or succour because you need it not but when the Sunne is farthest off and the darkest clouds which fortune can contract sit heaviest on you then they send forth hot water they weepe with you there is hot water they suffer with you there is hot water they cheere you drooping comfort you sorrowing support you languishing and in your extremest fortunes are ever sharing These crie with Theophrastus What care we if this friend be rich that friend poore we are the same to either Make choice therefore of these well bred Ones for though some degenerate most of them hold Whereas contrariwise these who are of a base dunghill descent it is seldome seene but they have some base and unworthy condition being generally all for the time but little for trust or as Tops which alwayes run round and never goe forward unlesse they be whipt Such a Neuter among the Romans was Tully who could not resolve whether he should take Caesars part or Pompeyes part Among the Grecians was Tydides who could not determine whether he should joyne himselfe with Achilles or Hector 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Among the Persians was Nabarzanes who seeing his Masters fortunes decline laboured to joyne himselfe to him whose fortunes were in rising Such were Tiberius friends who shrunke from him hearing with patience Tiberium in Tiberim And such were our Northerne Borderers who have beene alwayes uncertaine friends in extremities and assured enemies upon advantage Of which it may be said as was spoken of the Philosophers cloake Pallium video Philosophum non video I see the cover of a friend but no friend For as nothing is more hatefull than a doubtfull and uncertaine man who now draweth his foot backe and now putteth it forward so there is nothing more distastefull to any man than these faire protesting friends whose hollow and undermining hearts make a shew of faire weather abroad when there is a tempest at home comming towards you with their feet but going from you with their hearts In briefe they are Danaus tubs or running sieves that can hold no water leave them therefore to themselves if you desire in safety to enjoy your selves Now to the end I may acquaint you likewise with the rest of such Motives to Love as are powerfully working in the affection of the minde as we have touched the first Motive or inducement to Love to wit Parentage or descent which cannot so farre degenerate from it selfe but it must of necessity shew it selfe so it attracts other motives of love unto it as Benevolence in rewarding excellencie or admiration proceeding from the fame of such redoubted Hero's as have their names charactred and ingraven in leaves of brasse to preserve their memorie as Salomon for his wisdome whom no doubt Nicaula Queen of Saba had a desire to see be known to through report of his wisdome so as her long journey seemed short having understood that to be true with her owne eare which shee had only heard of before by report How much likewise was David affected for his Valour in discomfiting the uncircumcised Philistin So was Alexander whose report brought the Amazon Thalestris from her owne Countrey of purpose to be knowne to so invincible a spirit So Hercules Achilles Dardanus Diomedes Scipio Hannibal Constantine c. whose exploits purchased them Love to such as were never acquainted with their persons Pardoning likewise of injuries is an excellent motive of Love When Chylo's brother was angry that himselfe was not made Ephorus as well as he O quoth he I know how to suffer injuries so doest not thou Though Diogenes the Cynick answered uncivilly to Alexander when he came to his poore Mansion in Synope his Philosophers Barrell yet hee replied unto his Satyricall speech with no indignation but said to such of his attendants as derided the boarish and exoticke speech of Diogenes If I were not Alexander I would wish to be Diogenes The like instance may be confirmed by holy Writ where Miriam for murmuring against Moses was stricken with a lothsome Leprosie he could not suffer this condigne punishment to be inflicted on her but demanded of God that hee would cure her Another motive to Love is Hatred where an ill occasion procureth among enemies a reconciliation Herod and Pilat enemies before were reconciled in combining their powers together against Christ. Mastives if set together will fight till death but in the presence of a Bull will joyne together Sometimes mutuall affliction procureth mutuall affection Such resorted to David as were persecuted by Saul being such as were amaro animo Where Sauls enmitie brought David to a triall of Hushai's faithfull amitie where hee found the words of Ecclesiasticus to be true A faithfull friend is a strong defence and hee that findeth such a one findeth a treasure For when wee are in the greatest straights such an one sheweth the most strength So as the Apostles words may be here verified Strength is made perfect in weaknesse Where one afflicted friend supporteth another by joyning their strengths together Another motive there is proceeding from some especiall delivery from danger for who will not esteeme him for a friend who will expose himselfe to danger to deliver his friend Iudith entred Bethulia with Holofernes head and by that meanes preserved her Countrey from ruine and desolation Esther procured the death of Haman repealed those severe and cruell lawes enacted proclaimed and even ready to be executed by Hamans suggestion in the kingdome of the Medes and Persians whereby she purchased eternall honour love and memory in her Countrey The same love gained Moses for delivering the Israelites from the thraldome of Aegypt The like may be said of Ioshua Samson Maccabeus and many others frequent in holy Writ The Romans so highly honoured and affected such as protected their Countrey and defended her Libertie as they bestowed no lesse style on them than Patres Patriae Another motive there is drawing one Enemie to love another induced thereto in respect of Compassion or some other princely vertue which he seeth in him When Saul understood that David might have taken away his life and would not Levavit vocem