Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	earl_n	england_n	sir_n	23,623	5	6.1035	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33240	Two letters written by the Right Honourable Edward, Earl of Clarendon, late Lord High Chancellour of England one to His Royal Highness the Duke of York, the other to the Dutchess, occasioned by her embracing the Roman Catholick religion.	Clarendon, Edward Hyde, Earl of, 1609-1674.; James II, King of England, 1633-1701.; York, Anne Hyde, Duchess of, 1637-1671.	1680 (1680)	Wing C4429; ESTC R23246	5,230	6

TWO LETTERS Written by the Right Honourable EDWARD Earl of CLARENDON late Lord High Chancellour of ENGLAND One to His Royal Highness the Duke of YORK The other to the DUTCHESS Occasioned by Her embracing the Roman Catholick Religion SIR I Have not presumed in any manner to approach Your Royal Presence since I have been marked with the Brand of Banishment And I would still with the same awe forbear this Presumption if I did not believe my self bound by all the obligations of Duty to make this Address to You. I have been too much acquainted with the presumption and impudence of the Times in raising false and scandalous reproaches upon Innocent and worthy Persons of all Qualities and Degrees to give credit to those bold Whispers which have been too long scattered abroad concern●ng your Wives being shaken in her Religion But when those whispers break out into noise and publick Persons begin to report that the Dutchess is become a Roman Catholick When I heard that many Worthy Persons of unquestionable Devotion to your R. H are not without some fear and apprehension of it and many Reflections are made from thence to the prejudice of your Royal Person and even of the Kings Majesties I hope it may not misbecome me at what distance soever to cast my self at your Feet and beseech you to look to this matter in time and to apply some Antidote to expel the Poison of it It is not possible your R H. can be without Zeal and Intire Devotion for that Church for the Purity and Preservation whereof your Blessed Father made himself a Sacrifice and to the Restoration whereof You have contributed so much your self and which highly deserves the Kings Protection and yours since there can be no possible defection in the hearts of the People whilst due Reverence is made to the Church Your Wife is so generally believed to have so perfect Duty and Intire Resignation to the Will of your H. that any defection in Her from her Religion will be imputed to want of circumspection in You and not using your Authority or to your connivance I need not tell the ill consequence that such a mutation would be attended with in reference to your R. H. and even to the King himself whose greatest security under God is in the affection and Duty of his Protestant Subjects Your R. H. well knows how far I have always been from wishing that the Roman Catholicks should be prosecuted with severity but I less wish it should ever be in their power to be able to prosecute those who differ from them since we well know how little moderation they would or could use And if this which People so much talk of I hope without ground should fall out it might very probably raise a greater storm against the Roman Catholicks in general than modest Men can wish since after such a breach any Jealousie of their presumption would seem reasonable I have written to the Dutchess with the freedom and affection of a troubled and perplext Father I do most humbly beseech your R H. by your Authority to rescue Her from bringing a Mischief upon You and her self that never can be repaired and to think it worthy Your Wisdom to remove and dispell those reproaches how false soever by better Evidence then Contempt and hope You do believe that no severity I have or can undergo shall in any degree lessen or diminish my most profound Duty to His Majesty or Your R. H. but that I do with all imaginable Obedience submit to Your good Pleasure in all things God Preserve Your R. H. and keep me in your favour Sir Your R. H. most Humble and Obedient Servant CLARENDON THE Earl of Clarendons LETTER TO THE Dutchess of YORK YOu have much reason to believe that I have no mind to trouble you or displease you especially in an argument that is so unpleasant and grievous to my self but as no distance of place that is between us in respect of our Residence or the greater distance in respect of the high condition you are in can make me less your Father or absolve me from performing those obligations which that Relation requires from me So when I receive any Credible advertisement of what reflects upon You in point of Honour Conscience or Discretion I ought not to omit the informing You of it or administring such advice to You as to my understanding seems reasonable and which I must still hope will have some Credit with You I will confess to You that what You wrote to me many Months since upon those Reproaches which I told You were generally reported concerning Your defection in Religion gave me so much satisfaction that I believed them to proceed from that ill Spirit of the Time that delights in Slanders and Calumny but I must tell You the same Report increases of late very much and I my self saw a Letter the last week from Paris from a person who said the English Embassador assured him the day before that the Dutchess was become a Roman Catholick and which makes greater Impression upon me I am assured that many good men in England who have great Affection for You and me and who have thought nothing more impossible then that there should be such a Change in You are at present under much affliction with the observation of a great Change in Your course of Life and that constant Exercise of that Devotion which was so notorious and do apprehend from Your frequent Discourses that you have not the same Reverence and Veneration which You use to have for the Church of England the Church in which you were Baptized and the Church the best Constituted and the most free from Errors of any Christian Church this day in the World and that some persons by their Insinuations have prevailed with You to have a better Op●nion of that which is most opposite to it the Church of Rome then the Integrity thereof deserves It is not yet in my power to believe that Your wit and understanding with Gods blessing upon both can suffer you to be shaken further then with Melancholick reflections upon the Iniquity and wickedness of the Age we live in which discredits all Religion and which with equal license breaks into the Professors of all and prevails upon the members of all Churches and whose Manners will have no benefit from the Faith of any Church I presume You do not intangle Your self in the particular Controversies between the Romanists and us or think Your self a Competent Judge of all difficulties which occur therein and therefore it must be some fallacious argument of Antiquity and Universality confidently urged by men who know less then many of those You are acquainted with and ought less to be believed by You that can raise any doubts or scruples in You and if You will with equal temper hear those who are well able to inform You in all such particulars it is not possible for You to suck in that