Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	know_v	love_v	see_v	15,121	5	3.6465	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A82335	The prodigal returned to Scotland, or, A letter, written by a gentleman, to his friend at Montrose wherein he represents, the lover's warfare, the vanity of reposing confidence in rich friends, a short historie of his own misfortunes, the desireableness of conversation, and lastly, the true character of magnanimity, and a noble ambition, and the uncertainty and contempt of riches.	Dempster, George, of Kirktounhill.	1700 (1700)	Wing D984; ESTC R212963	16,422	24

Massare in the Senate especially being contrived by his Confident Brutus And when our own Relations neither out of piety or naturality cannot conceal nor obliterate our offences or misfortunes How may we expect to be made the vox populi especially when such misrepresntati●●s flow from such a Fountain Which commonly are more easily believed and Intertain'd when they are vented by such whom others may be ap● to believe through ignorance of their disposition who speak thus That they talk so as having no dislike or prejudice against us But I being perswaded you know perfectly well what and of whom I write this I leave them to their own fate and the just reward of providence As distress makes men run where they may expect he●p And as that must be the securest harbour to which distrestest vessels make their application So I fly to the choisest of your wholsome advices as the only Asylum and Sanctuary for my aid and safety If misfortunes could make men Philosophers as Afflictions are said to make real Christians I might expect to become wise by experiencing so many But such is the innate rudeness and dullness of my genius that it cannot look through the right end of the perspective and see the Wise hand of Providence directing them Dearest Familiar I know the Premisses and Preceeding Discourse stand in no need of a Commentar to Explain the Genuine Sense thereof you knowing exactly well that it is not propper to be too plain by Discovering my Thoughts to all who may have Occasion to see me in Print but I have Endeavoured alse much as possible Clearness and Ingenuity And because you have possibly met with the like Dispensation of Providence in your Amours that I met with some Years ago I have therefore to comfort you and me taken so much Leasure from my other Bussiness as to set apart one Afternoon and write you my following Thoughts The Design of Lovers should be al 's Latent as the Springs which do inwardly move Mechanick Machins if you either consider the Nature of it or the Inconveniencies that attend a Disappointment I fancie Love proceeds from a Vehement desire of the Object in hopes of a full Satisfaction of pleasure and content therefrom Which pleasure we fondly dote upon and this Love proceedeth from Contemplation But Love may be compared to Hunger which though it is once Satisfied continues no longer so than it hath for a litle time preyd upon what was at first presented to it And like the fire is so far from being Satisfied with what is thrown into it that it is by that new Fewel not only enabled to destroy but likewise forc'd to seek more Aliment for sustaining it's wasting Rage Pleasure in Men is ane Act of the Fancy and Cons●quently of the Soul and certainly these pleasurs which do more immediatly affect the soul must needs be the most Active pleasures and such are those which arise from Contemplation For Contemplation does often drive our souls into Extasies and is so charming that it may be rather said to Ravish then Please committing so open a Rapture upon our Souls that it pulls them almost into a State of Separation Dear and kind Soul You have known these things doubtless by sad experience if ever Love had the Commanding Faculty of your Soul For by Love we go nearest the Image of GOD and the Imitation of our Savior 4. Chap. 1 Epist general of John 7 and 8 verses Beloved let us love one another for love is of GOD And every one that loveth is born of GOD and knoweth GOD. He that leveth not knoweth not GOD For GOD is Love The greatest Inconveniency that attends Lovers while they Sail upon so Vnknowen and Tempestuous Seas as the instability and unconstancie of a Woman's fancy are the false Reports whereunto they may be exposed by Bussie Bodies who may tale a Thousand Lies of them For who can promise that they shall never drop one word in Passion act any thing without a previous Deliberation or never fall under Misinformation And which is yet worse when Misrepresentations are forged against them they are not acquainted by such as either give or receive them and so their Defence becomes wholly imprstable But why need I expect to teach you what Love is or what discouragments Lovers may propos● to themselves before they arrive at the conquest seing you have traced those Paths far more succesfuly than I have done And it has added no small Commendation to your Character That Fancy rather than Ambition or Riches were your choice For what could you have proposed reasonably to your self in so doing For litle can defend us against our present necessities and nothing can defend against the Future And when Riches are piled up they serve either to satisfie Nature and that is easie or to satisfie Fancy and that is Impossible Riches are realy though they remain but like the Manna in that 16 Chap. of Exodus 18 verse Whereof he that gathered much had nothing over and he that Gathered litle had no Lack. Ecclesiasties 5 chap 10 and 11 and 12 verses He that Loveth silver shall not be satisfied with Silver nor he that Loveth abundance with Increase this it also Vainity When goods increase they are increased that eat them And what good is there to the Owners thereof saving the beholding of them with their Eyes The sleep of the Labouring Man is Sweet whether he eat little or much but the abundance of the Rich will not suffer him to sl●ep Such was the Insatiat desire of that Rich King Craesus who wa● said to have had Mountains of Gold and Vast Treasures that he took a great deal of pleasure to see his Gold and thefore called in for all his Exchequer at once whereupon his Subjects finding him to have so Vast a desire for Gold conspired against him and Murthered him And when he was Dead they were pleased thus Reproachfully to Triumph over him Saying he Loved Gold while he was on Life let him once have his fill of it before he be burried and accordingly they melted Gold and poured it down his Throat that it might be knowen how little a Portion of all his great Treasure would satisfie him when Dead when all his Dominions and the Riches therein could not Satisfie his vast Appetite when he was Living Solon gave him this Advice when he Enquired at him if he thought him a happy Man which Sentence made him set King Cyrus at Liberty when he was Captivated by him He gave him this Answer That no Man could be called happy till Death came as you have it prettily expressed by Invenal thus ultima Semper Expectanda dies homini Dicique Beatus Ante obitum nemo supremaque funera debet The day of Death should still be thought upon And no Man can be happy till it come Dearest Familiar If at any time hereafter either Fortunatly or Unluckily you six your Contemplation upon a Woman whom Providence hath

THE PRODIGAL RETURNED TO SCOTLAND OR A Letter Writen by a Gentleman to his Friend at Montrose Wherein he Represents The Lover's Warfare the vanity of reposing Confidence in Rich Friends a short Historie of his own Misfortunes the desireableness of Conversation And lastly the true Character of Magnanimity and a noble Ambition and the Uncertainty and Contempt of Riches Hebrews 12 Chap. 7 8 Verses For whom the Lord loveth He Chasteneth and Scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth If ye endure Chastening GOD dealeth with you as with Sons for what is he whom the Father Chasteneth not But if ye be without Chastisement whereof all are Partakers then are ye Bastards and not Sons James 2 Chap. 15 16 Verses If a Brother or Sister be Naked and destitute of dayly Food and one of you say unto them depart in Peace be you Warmed and Filled Notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needfull to the Body What doth it Profit 1. Epistle General of John 2 Chap. 15 Verse Love not the World neither the things that are in the World If any Love the VVorld the Love of the Father is not in him Dulcia non meruit qui non gustavit amara Si quid novisti rectius Candidus imperti si non his utere mecum EDINBURGH Printed in June 1700 by John Reid Printer and are to be Sold at John Vallange's Mrs. Ogstoun's and Thomas Carruthers Stationers in Edinburgh their Shops THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY To the Virtuous and Honourable Young Gentlemen attending the Honourable Faculty of ADVOCATS And Others who have their Dependance upon the Parliament-House the Seat of Administration of Justice at Edinburgh my Fellow Commerads and Acquaintances Ye justly challenge all Respect and Love From me who do in that same Body move With you who by the Pen and Ink Command Th' attendance here of Nobles of the Land Here by this Letter I present you Love How richest Friends Unnatural oft do prove How I have run a little piece of Fate By rash procedure and my now Estate Sweetness of Converse and the Divine Man Contempt of Riches hereby you may Scan. The Matters Flat Unpolish'd but 't is true Receive it kindly in it's Nat'ral hew I have not Homer's Pindar's Virgil's flight 's Dryden's nor Cowley's these Terrestrial Lights Neither could I by this rude vulgar Letter Better things write than taught me GOD and Nature I have not Cicero's nor Demosthenes wits Nor fluent Raptures and Diviner fits Of a Commanding Eloquence to dare And damp the Vulgar else you 'd had a Share Nor Soaring Flights of Poetry to give Or write with more Success than I can Live The Prodigal Returned receive with Charms Of Love and take him kindly in your Arms For as the Romans by their Wit and Sense More than by Force contriv'd a strong Defence So Love and Friendship by Mysterious Arts Vanquish the hardest Adamantine Hearts GENTLEMEN This is all from Your Humble Servant George Dempster To my Familiar and Intimate at Montrose Kirktounhill May 24th 1700. Dearest Commerad THough I have had as yet but little Correspondence with you yet I have found so great Satisfaction already in your Desireable Company that the thoughts and Consideration thereof have influenced me to offer my Respects to you by a Letter Some perhaps will be apt to carp at my putting the same to the Press But who ever wrote yet with that Successfulness as not to meet with Censures And I did not design to Emit it to publick View in hopes of obtaining the Suffrage and Applause of others seeing it wants the Ornament and Flourishes of Eloquence which might make it more pleasant and Desireable but to satisfie partly the Curiosity of some of my Acquaintances and your self And if I obtain their and your Approbation I shall not be grieved whether it be Condemned or Commended by the Multitude The World is a Comedy where every Man acts that part which Providence hath assigned him and seeing my Talent consisteth mostly in Writing though very meanly I thought fit to produce and give you a Swatch of i● and not to keep it tyed as in a Napkin or to lock it up in the dark like a Candle set under a Bushel For Man is not born to be only useful and helpful to himself but also to disperse his Gifts as GOD has blessed him to the Common Good of others Though you are more Capable to give than to receive an advice from me I have nevertheless used that Freedom to Write you my Thoughts anent the several Occurrences of Providence which I have already been Trysted with I shall not wish you to be so Unhappy as to meet with the like and what my carriage was or should be if I be trysted with worse any time hereafter Dear Soul It 's impossible to secure our selves against Envy and Competition for distance of Place cannot Protect us from her Malignity You have a clear instance of this in the Trium●viri at Rome whereof Marcus Antonius was one who rather chose to endure the greatest hardships before one of them would Succumb in Power to another and so it came to pass For Cleopatra with her Beauty Vanquished the Magnanimous Soul of Marcus Antonius and made his Valour become Eff●minate by giving way to his Love Passions And she that she might not adorn the Romans Triumph and Victory by her being carried a Captive Applyed Snakes to her Body to draw her Blood and to prevent the comeing of Death by her Preparation So you may see That three Suns could not all shine at once For such is the Ambition of some That to prosecut their bad designs they would hire the Devil himself before they could not get them effectuate But on these Occasions where Malice rather than Emulation carrys the Van we should as Seneca advises with flying colour manage our Retreat Proverbs Chap. 27. Ver. 4. Wrath is Cruel and Anger is Outragious but who is able to stand before Envy 'T is hard to discern an Honest Man for what was the Subject of this days Conference will be the Subject of ane Accusation to Morrow and that secret which we did but la●ely Depositate in Our Friend's Breast will shortly fly in our Faces from the Mouths of our Enemies But though our Friend were Real and Secret yet his inconstancie may make these either no Verat all or ineffectual and Unprofitable Ones Such is the baseness of some who for a small Compliment will be Tempted to betray Secrets to become Rivals to their Friends who put Confidence in them and assisting to their Enemies Such a Man was the Perfidious Judas who betrayed our Saviour for 30 Talents And that which Aggravates the crime of such is because possibly they are our Dearest yet Hypocritical Familiar Friend who acts thus Treacherously under colour and a pretext of True Love After this manner The famous Renown'd Caesar was dealt with who with all the Prudence of his Court could not avert his

who are not strained and Oppressed with Business and an Active course of Life so much that we cannot reserve Vacant times of Leasure whilest we expect the Returns and Tides of Affairs may Commendably enough Speak and Write to one another without Censure of the Multitude For I reckon not them who are readiest to Censure ●●hers and to Dispute upon every small Occasion to be the most Knowing Men but those who Discourse Patiently and Pertinen●y of things and who speak Modestly of themselves and are not in the least Discomposed with the Common Accidents of Life but that stand Unshaken amidst all Viscissitudes and can with Moderation support both Good and Adverse Fortune Dear Commerad As I spoke some place else where in this my Letter That many good Spirits are lost for want of Liberal Education So there are al 's many Wits and Vituoso's crushed and cannot Aspire to great things fot want of Power For I think there is nothing which more Distinguishes Man from Brutes their Law and useless Appetites than an Honourable and Noble Ambition For Ambition cannot be Burried Repressed or Damped it may be but never extinguished And doubtless Advancement is either Attributed to the fancy of the Advancer or to Fate and Hazard And in either of these eases the person promoted is not Honoured but his Fate I acknowledge Men should not be too Rash and take wrong means and Methods to be great but do as Antistheness said who being demanded quomodo ad rempublicam accedendum How should a Man Address himself to publick affairs Replyed he shou●d do it as to come to the Fire neither too nea● for fear of Scorching not yet too far off least he be starv'd with Cold I know no Mediocrity I can more deservedly Recommend to you whom I so sincerely Love You may apply this Allegory to another Sense well enough your self Men should not immoderatly press into Business though it cannot be denyed that some Young persons are of early hopes and have come to Preferment very soon May not men be early qualified and become great if they be early fit for it 'T was wittily said of one of the Scipio's who was a Gentleman of early maturity se sat annorum babiturum si populus Romanus voluerit That he should be old or wise enough if the People of Rome pleased And accordingly they thought fi●●o send him General into Spain which he reduced into a Roman Province by his Valour and Discretion which other Generals who went there before him could not effectuat Great men therefore or Rich men should not like overgrown Trees too much sh●de the subnascent Plants ane young Imps who would grow modestly under their influence But should Receive Protect and Encourage them I confess it becomes not every one to aspire so it is Glorious to those who are Accomplished for it But if those who have Qualified Genius cannot attain to preferment let them solace themselves with this that they be Accounted worthy of the same Dear Familiar The greatest Rencounter that I suggest to my self to meet with by my putting this Letter to the Press and thereby consequently exposing it to the View of others is the loss of my two Vncles formery mentioned their Counte●ance and Favour which I confess should be very Sacred to me in Respect they are my nearest Relations But if you or they into whose hands thir Presents may happen to come weigh and consider how little I have been obliged to them Especially when I stood most in need of their Kindness and with what Disreguaird they look'd upon my Exigent Circumstances with what strangeness and indifferencie they nottice me and as if I were not of their Blood but of a baser Extract What Testimonies and Convincing Proofs of the little Respect they have for me which they have but very lately more clearly than Mathematically Demonstrated by their Carriage If you think any of these would not rather have convinced me to inform their Neighbours and acquaintances who fancy me to be their Favourite and a gainer by their good deeds than to have imposed upon them and caused them believe a lie I remit that to your and their Determination For I hope 't is not their Countenance for they cannot as you may learn by the preceeding History of their Carriage towards me part with one of the Thousand to their dearest and nearest bosom Friends let be to me but GOD's Providence that w●ll cause me come to be honoured and preferred And if GOD think not ●it to gratifie me with Riches as he has favoured and Blessed them but rather to exercise my Patience by troubles and misfortunes I hope he will speak to me as he speaks to the Church of Philadelphia in that 10th Verse of the 3d Chap. of the Revelation Because thou hast kept the word of my Patience I also will keep thee from the hour of Temptation 19 Verse As many as I Rebuke I Chasten And if GOD in his wise Providence tryst me at any time hereafter with Tryals and Crosses I pray he may also give me the Grace of Contentment with them and as they become Familiar to me so give me Grace not to repine at his Dispensations and may bestow those Heavenly Graces upon me where with St. Paul as a Minister was richly indued as you may read in that 6 Chap of the 2 Epistle of his to the Corinthians 4 5 6 7 8 9 and 10 Verses But in all things approving my self in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses in stripes in imprisonments in tumults in labours in watchings in fastings by pureness by knowledge by long suffering by kindness by the Holy-Ghost by Love unfeignied by the word of Truth by the power of GOD by the Armour of Righteousness on the right hand and on the left by honour and dishonour by evil report and good report as deceivers and yet true as unknown and yet well known as sorrowfull yet alwise rejoveing as poor yet making many rich as having nothing and yet possessing all things Dearest Comerad I cannot enough admire the insatiate desire and appetite that some have after Riches and like Craesus think never to get as much scrap●d together as keep up their Grandure and for securing them against Poverty And which is yet worse when they have Wealth Honour and Riches so that they want nothing except Contentment which their heart could wish yet GOD gives them not power to eat thereof as you may read it in that 2 V●rse of the 6 Chap. of Ecclesiaste● But I am su●e no rational Soul who knows or Dreams of the Treasures that are in Heaven will so far esteem the Wealth of the World as to set such a high conceit upon it as rich Dives did who would not let Lazirus have the crumbs that fell from his Table for certainly if the rich Man's Wealth be his strong City and an high wall in his own conceit Proverbs 18 Chap 11 verse as the rich Man in the

I stand not so much of need as of his I hope GOD will continue Peace and Love betwixt us according to my Dependance upon his Providence The sharp Eye of any Indifferent and Vnpr●judiced Person who reads this my Letter may sufficiently discern and understand by the S●●ain of my Discourse That I have penned the same after some particular Offence received by me and done me by my Friends This was the true Reason that occasioned me to expose it to the view of your Citizens for whom in particular I have taken care to cause Print the same and thereby to let them know That a Brether offended is harder to he won than a strong City and their contentions are like the Barrs of a Castle Prov. 18 Ch 19 Verse There may be are some who will talk bad things of me and threaten worse for doing the same and for putting it to the Press But if hereby I do not incurr my kind Master his Displeasure by exposing my self in Print which I hope and expect I shall not I shall be very Indifferent of all the Censures I meet with from others He being the only man whom I now will be ca●fulest not to offend seing I have and ow my Bread and Breeding to his kindness and Love I will take my hazard seing my offence can be reckoned nothing but a just Vindication of my self whom some of my Friends in in your City have endeavoured Characteristically to disapprove and defame For I am not affraid that I can be treated either as Sejanus was by the Emperour of Rome or as Haman was by Abasuerus both of which were great Favourites the one day and Hanged on the Morrow Dearest Familiar Salute in my name my dear Commerads the hopfull Infantry in your City whom I sincerly Love And if providence lay it in my way to serve their Honour and interest either by my Pen or by my Tongue assure your selves all of my willingness Salute my good Friend B. G. O. and all the nice Young Ladies of my acquaintance with you And Particularly the Gentlewoman who Loves me whom I am bound to Love if there be any such in your City I will not say whom I Love lest she love not me for ' ●is in vain to bestow Love and not to obtain Reciprocall Love in Remuneration This with my intirest Tenderest respects and Devotions to your kind self I humbly intreating that GOD may keep you from falling and present you Blamless before his Glory with exceeding Joy shall be all that is thought necessar at present from Kind Familiar Yours while I am George Dempster The POSTSCRIPT Loveing Commerad MY Uncle Mr. John was pleased to say when he had occasion to see me after I had sent him any Letters perswasive to Naturality and Humanity That I wrote the same in my Caballs or the Taverns although neither he nor his Brother Alexander ever Honoured me with one return to any Letter ever Written be me to them But I hope no Unprejudiced person nor even they although they may be will Discommend and Disapprove of the putting of this Letter to the Press will take occasion to say that I have Penned the same so Confusedly as it would have been done if in Company But may rather take it to have been Written ex Industriâ and with some Previous Deliberation Dearest Familiar I shall be sory as I have said else where in this my Letter if the Printing hereof occasion any breach 'twixt my Kind Rationall and Honoured Master and me whom I am bound by many Obligations to Love But if the offence be not Justifiable nor VVorthy of ane Appeal or Merit one word to be said in my behalf and that this be the Common Opinion of all who Read the same Then I must only Lament the Fate of my Fancy which was so Prevalent as to induce me to cause Print the same and be Concerned and griev'd that the Printing hereof should if my Master and I must part for doing so Demonstrate that he has à greater respect for my Relations than for me by taking up the Quarrell yet not debateing the Contraversie betwixt me and them Although I humbly conceive it would not at all Reflect upon him not to take notice what Animosities or Latent VVrongs Jealousies or Debates be betwixt me and my Relatione And I hope that the same GOD who has Graciously provided for me from my Birth will although Friends Relations and Accquaintances forsake me not leave me as ane Ostrige in the VVilderness but pitty the Tender-hearted Pelican and cause me as the Phoenix out of her burnt Ashes rise more Glorious and Conspicuous after the Sharp Storms of Afflicting Providences and Misfortunes are past For man is born to trouble as the Sparks fly upward Cuncta prius tentanda sed immedicabile vulnus Ense rescindendum est ne pars sincera trahatur OVID Spernere mundum spernere nullum Spernere sese Spernere se sperni quatuor ista beant VALE