Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	air_n	earth_n	fire_n	4,364	5	6.5692	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20644	Iuuenilia or Certaine paradoxes and problemes, written by I. Donne	Donne, John, 1572-1631.	1633 (1633)	STC 7044; ESTC S109982	16,536	47

IVVENILIA OR CERTAINE PARADOXES AND PROBLEMES WRITTEN BY I. DONNE The second Edition corrected NOLI ALTVM SAP●●● LONDON Printed by E.P. for Henry Seyle and are to be sold at the signe of the Tygers head in St. Pauls Church-yard Anno Dom. 1633. PARADOXES I. A Defence of Womens Inconstancy II. That Women ought to paint III. That by Discord things increase IV. That Good is more common than Evill V. That all things kill themselves VI. That it is possible to find some vertue in some Women VII That Old men are more fantastike than Young VIII That Nature is our worst guide IX That onely Cowards dare dye X. That a Wise man is known by much laughing XI That the gifts of the Body are better than those of the Minde PARADOXES I. A Defence of Womens Inconstancy THat Women are Inconstant I with any man confesse but that Inconstancy is a bad quality I against any man will maintaine For every thing as it is one better than another so is it fuller of change The Heavens themselves continually turne the Starres move the Moone changeth Fire whirleth Ayre flyeth Water ebbs and flowes the face of the Earth altereth her lookes time stayes not the Colour that is most light will take most dyes so in Men they that have the most reason are the most inalterable in their designes and the darkest or most ignorant do seldomest change therefore Women changing more than Men have also mor● Reason They cannot be immutable like stockes like stones like the Earths dull Center Gold that lyeth still rusteth Water corrupteth Aire that moveth not poysoneth then why should that which is the perfection of other ●hings be imputed to Women as greatest imperfection Because thereby they deceive men Are not your wits pleased with those jests which coozen your expectation You can call it Pleasure to be beguil'd in troubles and in the most excellent toy in the world you call it Treachery I would you had your Mistresses so constant that they would never change no not so much as their smocks then should you see what sluttish vertue Constancy were Inconstancy is a most commendable and cleanely quality and Women in this quality are farre more absolute than the Heavens than the Starres Moone or any thing beneath it for long observation hath pickt certainety out of their mutability The Learned are so well acquainted with the Starres Signes and Pla●ets that they make them but Characters to reade the meaning of the Heaven in his owne forehead Every simple Fellow can bespeake the change of the Moone a great while before-hand but I would faine have the learnedst man so skilfull as to tell when the simplest Woman meaneth to varie Learning affords no rules to know much lesse knowledge to rule the minde of a Woman For as Philosophy teacheth us that Light things doe alwayes tend upwards and heavy things decline downeward Experience teacheth us otherwise that the disposition of a Light Woman is to fall downe the nature of Women being contrary to all Art and Nature Women are like Flies which feed among us at our Table or Fleas sucking our very blood who leave not our most retired places free from their familiarity yet for all their fellowship will they never bee tamed nor commanded by us Women are like the Sunne which is violently carryed one way yet hath a proper course contrary so though they by ●he mastery of some over-ruling chu●lish Husbands are forced to his Byas yet have they a motion of their owne which their Husbands never know of It is the nature of nice and fastidious mindes to know things onely to bee weary of them Women by their flye changeablenesse and pleasing doublenesse prevent even the mislike of those for they can never be so well knowne but that there is still more unknowne Every Woman is a Science for hee that plods upon a Woman all his life long shall at length find himselfe short of the knowledge of her they are borne to take downe the pride of wit and ambition of wisedome making fooles wise in the adventuring to winne them wisemen fooles in conceit of losing their labours witty men starke mad being confounded with their uncertaineties Philosophers write against them for spight not desert that having attained to some knowledge in all other things in them onely they know nothing but are meerely ignorant Active and Experienced men raile agai●st them because they love in their livelesse and decrepit age when all goodnesse leaves them These envious Libellers ballad against them because having nothing in themselves able to deserve their love they maliciously discommend all they cannnot obtaine thinking to make men beleeve they know much because they are able to dispraise much and rage against Inconstancy when they were never admitted into so much favour as to be forsaken In mine Opinion such men are happy that Women are Inconstant for so may they chance to bee beloved of some excellent Women when it comes to their turne out of their Inconstancy and mutability though not out of their owne desert And what reason is there to clog any Woman with one Man bee hee never so singular Women had rather and it is farre better and more Iudiciall to enjoy all the vertues in severall Men than but some of them in one for otherwise they lose their taste like divers sorts of meat minced together in one dish and to have all excellencies in one Man if it were possible is Confusion and Diversity Now who can deny but such as are obstinately bent to undervalue their worth are those that have not soule enough to comprehend their excellency Women being the most excellentest Creatures in that Man is able to subject all things else and to grow wise in every thing but still persists a foole in Woman The greatest Scholler if hee once take a Wife is found so unlearned that he must begin his Horne-booke and all is by Inconstancy To conclude therefore this name of Inconstancy which hath so much beene poysoned with slaunders ought to bee changed into variety for the which the world is so delightfull and a Woman for that the most delightfull thing in this World II. That Women ought to paint FOulenesse is Lothsome can that be so which helpes it who forbids his Beloved to gird in her waste to mend by shooing her uneven lamenesse to burnish her teeh or to perfume her breath yet that the Face bee more precisely regarded it concernes more For as open confessing sinners are alwaies punished but the wary and concealing offenders without witnesse doe it also without punishment so the secret parts needs the lesse respect but of the Face discovered to all Examinations and survayes there is not too nice a Iealousie Nor doth it onely draw the busie eyes but it is subject to the divinest touch of all to kissing the strange and mysticall union of soules If shee should prostitute her selfe to a more unworthy Man than thy selfe how earnestly and justly wouldst thou