Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	evil_a	good_a	indifferent_a	2,973	5	9.5052	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A21003	The moral philosophie of the Stoicks. Written in French, and englished for the benefit of them which are ignorant of that tongue. By T.I. fellow of New-Colledge in Oxford; Philosophie morale des stoïques. English	Du Vair, Guillaume, 1556-1621.; Epictetus. Manual.; James, Thomas, 1573?-1629.	1598 (1598)	STC 7374; ESTC S100004	56,994	220

that which shall happen vnto vs from without which sheweth that she hath not made vs fit and proper to one thing but to euery thing which shall come vnto vs whatsoeuer in such sort that we may not desire or flie any such externall thing which is not in our power as well for that is a very foolish and vaine affection to will that which it is not in our power to haue as also because that howsoeuer it happen it may proue good vnto vs and be the subiect of many worthie and laudable actions Now then if we can so commaund our selues and our minds as not to desire or flye any thing which is out of our powers but with a sober moderate affection receiue and entertaine it when it commeth we shall bee altogether exempted from all troubles and perturbations of the minde wee shall bee free and happie and neuer frustrated of our expectations or hindered in our affayres and enterprises wee shall not neede to hate any man to complaine of any man to feare any man or to be angry with any man for no man shall be able to do vs harme On the other side if we desire and labour to auoyde that which is out of our powers wee shall oftentimes fall from our hopes and wished ends and misse of our purposes and light vpon that which wee so much abhorre wee shall trouble our selues vexe and torment our selues and all to no purpose or end in the world There is no man so foolish or vnaduised but that hee confesseth that he had rather haue his desires then be depriued of them and rather be free from passions then to be troubled with them if hee may doe otherwise Is there any man then that will denye this to bee a very good profitable and natural rule by the which he may obtaine any thing which he desires if hee desire not any thing which he can not obtaine and by the which we learne not to bee passionate or ouermuch pensiue for any thing which shal happen placing good and euill in ou● power giuing vs one and taking away the other from vs when we will Therefore when any thing doth chance vnto vs that we may not trouble or vexe our selues let vs consider foorthwith whether it bee in our power or no if it bee let vs so order our will that wee may direct and guide all things vnto their true and naturall vses and if we do so we shall bee sure to receiue good thereby but if vpon inquirie we find them not to be in our power let vs not bee mooued a whit but haue this worde alwaies in ou● mouthes as a very profitable and wholesome instruction This thing toucheth not me at all it cōcernes not me that is to say it is neither my good nor my euill and consequently neither seeke after nor auoyde it but when it happeneth I wil make the best of it that I can by applying it vnto the best vse I can and which it is possible for me to referre it vnto And if wee finde our selues to be further moued and y ● any one of the aforenamed passions be stirred vp in vs by apprehending the obiect of things which are out of our power let vs straight waies weigh and consider the nature of it which offereth it selfe and wherefore it is sent vnto vs thē let vs examine our selues to know vnto what passion we are most inclined● and what effects it bringeth with it afterwards let vs marke in our selues what vertue is opposed against it what power and abilitie nature hath granted to rule and gouerne it For as the passion commeth from without and entereth into vs together with the image of the subiect which offereth it selfe vnto our view so nature hath ●enced vs within with a strong bulwarke or rampire to backe vs against the force hereof that is hath graunted vs sufficient strength to resist it and if that we bee willing thereunto Therefore the better to fortifie and strengthē this power let vs furnish our selues with certaine wise precepts and short sentences touching euerie passion wherewith wee may the better bee able to maintaine reason and as it were with the edge of the sword cu● off all such first and sudden motions of the minde as may any waies violence it And to make these precepts stronger and harder to bee ouercome let vs stuffe them out with braue and worthie examples of men in former time which haue behaued themselues right valiantly vpon such or the like occasions For the example of vertue in others engageth vs to bee likewise vertuous and their commendation is a profitable instruction for vs to imitate and resemble them Therefore as soone as any subiect of pleasure for the bodie as delicate and daintie meates doe come into our mind and that we doe finde our selues mooued let vs think thus that this is one of the things which is not in our power neither good nor euill but an indifferent thing a thing which na●ure hath giuen vs for our suste●ance and being taken moderatly preserues the bodie in health and makes it a fit and able instrument for the minde but contrariwise the excesse and superfluitie thereof greatly weakeneth the bodie and engendreth many grieuous and daungerous diseases which are the punishment which nature vseth to bridle our intemperance withall But if once wee loose the reines vnto our appetites to follow abundance or delicatenes of meate we shall bee held in perpetuall torment and paine things superfluous will proue but necessarie vnto vs and the minde e●tsoones will become a slaue vnto the bodie and wee shall finde that we liue but to eate drink Therefore wee must temper thi● pleasure with a moderate vse and learne to know that it is sobrietie that doth preserue the bodie sound and the mind pure And therefor● let vs frame vnto our selues this rule in our diet to vse meate for our necessitie of foode and maintenance and let vs not accustom● our selues to delicious fare an● daintie meats least happily being depriued of them our bodies be●ll disposed and our mindes discontented but contrariwise let vs ordinarily vse our selues to grosser meates as well for that they make vs more strong and sound as also for that they are more easily to be gotten For it is an especial fauour of nature for the which she deserueth singular great thankes at our hands that she hath made things necessarie for our life most easie to be found that the things which are not found but with great difficultie are nothing necessarie at all And truly I cannot chuse but admire the words of Epicurus but I would they had proceeded out of another mans mouth because I would not haue so worthie a sentence marred with the effeminatenes of the rest of his opiniōs My bodie quoth he daunceth for ioy and my heart within me is rauished with pleasure to think that I being content with bread water should bee able to contemne all the

things contrary vnto them euil what doe we els but tes●ifie vnto all men that there is no true felicitie in this world and that our minds are here held in perpetuall torment For a man must needes haue death and griefe continuallie before his eyes both which are esteemed euils and whereof one is oftentimes present with him the other neuer ●easeth to threaten and menace him If then they be things euill the feare of them is iust if he be alwaies in feare how can hee bee at any time happie Let vs therefore confesse that either man hath no good ordained and prepared for him in this world which he may compasse and attaine vnto or els acknowledge that this good doth wholly and entirely consist in vertue For it must needs be that the end of euery thing should be proportionable vnto the strength and nature of the thing it selfe for other wise if the end were vnpossible to be atchieued in stead of being mans good it would turne to be mans further torment And so he should nothing but labour and trauaile in vaine as the daughters of Danaus are sayd to doe in hell striuing to fill certaine bottomles vessels with water which cā hold no water at all Againe if there bee no Science nor Arte in the world which hath not one end or other limited her which they may come vnto by keeping of certaine precepts and rules what shall we thinke that nature the mother of Arts and Sciences hath proposed vnto man which is her chiefe worke an end which it is vnpossible for him to come vnto because it is out of his power Will as we say is that which seeketh after our good now a ruled and well gouerned will neuer coueteth as indeede it ought not to doe but that which she may and which it is in her power to procure she busieth not her selfe about hauing of that which it is not in her power to haue when she will as health riches and honors For if our good did consist and depend of them wee should not neede to imploy reason or will to the procurement of them but we might as well compasse them by prayers wishes for it is a thing which is subiect vnto a thousand casualties which cannot bee pr●●ented or fores●ene as not being in our hands to dispose of them as we list but subiect vnto the rule of Fortune their good Ladie and mistris What shew or probabilitie of reason is there I pray you in this that Nature should so create man the perfection of all other creatures that his good which is his perfection should depend not onely vpon other matters but vpon so many things that a mā hath no hope to haue them all fauourable vnto him but that he shuld here bene●th with Tantalus lye miserabli● thirsting and crying after water Nay doubtles Nature doth offer you so much to the getting of this good as a minde well disposed and fit to vse any thing which shall be layd before it and to passe ouer those things which doe farre passe his reach and capacitie Will you then rather choose to runne vnto Fortune and waite at her deceitfull handes for that good which you may giue vnto your selfe and if you will For this is a diuine and inuiolable lawe which hath been made since the beginning of the world that if we will haue any good we must purchase and get it our selues by our owne labour and industrie For nature hath prouided a rich store-house of all good things and inclosed it in our minds let vs then but stretch forth the hands of our will and we shall take as much as we will For if the will of man bee well guided and ordered it will turne all things to her good as M●das turned all things that he touched into golde There is no accident so grieuous which can befall a man either in bodie or riches whence a man may not reap some rest and comfort of minde so that if we can here rest content our selues wee haue alreadie found out our end For though we should remit so much of the seueritie of this sect as to confesse that the bodie or goods which are but instruments of mans life were a part of mans substance and might by their qualitie alter the qualitie of the soule yet may wee not auouch this for good that losse ●ither in goods or bod●e is able to hinder the felicitie and happines of man if his minde enioy quiet rest and content In things which are compounded of many partes the most noble part giueth both name and lawes vnto the rest and they take their denominatiō from her what doubt then can there bee but that man should bee wholly happie if his minde enioyeth his happines And so wee say that a Common-wealth is happie after a great victorie although there bee many citizens lost because the happinesse thereof is measured by the person of the Prince or els of the state to the good and seruice of whom all the rest must be obedient Hence is it that particular men doe euen glorie in their wounds doe euen bragge and boast of them if they haue receiued them in the defence of either Prince or countrie Shall we than assigne vnto the bodie any other motion or desire then that by the which it referreth all things that come vnto him vnto the ioy and happines of the mind shall we I say bee so foolish as to linke and knit the soule so fast vnto the bodie that the good thereof should remaine as a slaue within his members and so farre foorth depend on them that accordingly as the bodie should be well or ill disposed the mind should be altered and accounted either happie or vnhappie Truly if so bee that nature would haue had mans happines and perfection to haue depended on his bodie or consisted in his goods she would haue giuē vnto all men like bodies and like measure and quantitie of goods for so she should not haue been partiall● but equall vnto all and so haue passed from the generall vnto euery particular of that kinde But on the contrary side she hauing made all men of very diuers natures and conditions both in respect of their bodies as also in regarde of their goods hath notwithstanding graunted vnto all men like power and abilitie of wel vsing their bodies or riches of what sort soeuer they bee in such sort that the action of the minde may bee as honorable and glorious in one sort as in another yea the excellencie thereof doth appeare shine foorth more gloriously and merit more praise then when being destitute of meanes and instruments he commeth of himself vnto his wished end For so in my opinion wee are to iudge him to bee the skilfuller pilot in a shippe which can in a great tempest amidst the raging flouds guide an old sea-beaten ship full of holes whose sayles are rent and ropes broken then hee which can tell how to gouerne a new ship