Selected quad for the lemma: opinion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
opinion_n	great_a	part_n	reason_n	1,999	5	4.5608	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26096	Six familiar essays upon marriage, crosses in love, sickness, death, loyalty and friendship written by a lady.	Astell, Mary, 1668-1731.	1696 (1696)	Wing A4066; ESTC R16320	41,222	124

else can make you avoid me when it is in my power to be serviceable to you unless you question my will to do it I dare not quarrel with you now lest it confirms your design of breaking our correspondence which is as dear to me as ever yet give me leave to complain of a greater loss then yours the loss of my Friend for now I perceive it is in the power of adverse fortune to draw you from me and let me tell you those apprehensions that made you estrange your self must at the same time accuse me of Pride and Coveteousness as well as ingratitude the first of which sins would be more unpardonable in me then the rest of my Sex but I always knew my own defects well enough to stifle any such suggestions nor could I ever boast of any advantage so much as being made happy by your kindness and since every Soul is not capable of faithfulness the Character you gave of me for being so together with your distinguishing me in your confidence above the rest of your friends did indeed elevate me with joy tho not to ostentation but you have sufficiently mortifyed me now by shewing me your trust was not absolute and that you believed I loved you only as long as you were in humor for Diversions or else I had some sinister ends which are disappointed by this turn in your affairs I think I can scarce be charged with crimes I have a much greater antipathy to then these I have mentioned as Coveteousness is the root of all Evil it is an Enemy to all good which I must ever account Friendship to be that person that delights only in money can have no lasting satisfaction for as it is the nature of riches to make themselves wings and fly away the miser that locks them never so fast in his trunk is so sensible of their fleeting qualities that he has as many racking meditations about them as if they were already out of his reach his sleep is interrupted and all tyes of nature are broke he regards a poor relation with as much aversion and caution as he can do a theif as for Fendship he has not the impudence or as he thinks weakness to pretend to it lest he bring in a partner to his wealth for many of those sordid wretches will acknowledge such an intimacy does oblige us to the utmost of our powers to help each other and therefore they not being desirous to give a title to any part of their Estate will keep out of the temptation by which means they want the chiefest comfort of humane life a Coveteous Man after many years denying himself all Conveniencies as well as duties if he gets the reputation of being rich may be courted by them who have an expectation from him but he receives their addresses very warily being conscious to himself that he deserves nothing of civility and jealous still of a design upon his Coffers where he knows his only attraction lies if he gets any presents upon trust of a double return at his Death this Janus may look with smiles upon his Benefactors but his affectionate face is always fixt towards his Gold which yet he knows not how soon he must leave if it does not leave him first but sometimes the miserable wretch meets a disappointment in his darling hopes and by an unforeseen fate is reduced to the real want which his greedy desire of money imposed upon him even in the midst of plenty he may then too late wish he had made himself friends with the Mammon of unrighteousness for he finds no body willing to receive him and does in vain groan for that blessing which he declined in his prosperity and would have proved of more advantage then all his ill got treasure I mean a true friend for they will not be wanting to help and to assist one another in all exigencies with their purse and advise but they that will know no body when it is in their power to oblige will find no body know them in their extremity as a late French Author well observes out of whose ingenious writings I have collected some choice remarks which I hope may be not only an entertainment but an assistance to you in your present circumstances The world is grown so very bad that there is little faith left amongst us nor gratitude for any kindness the best services are too often the worst requited we should therefore observe peoples behaviour in their Correspondencies with others not to imitate their treachery but to stand so much upon our guard that we may not be sufferers by it Those that are too easy to believe do many times when it is too late find themselves mistaken yet we ought to be cautious in shewing a distrust of the truth of another that being an unnecessary rudeness unto them and if it amounts to the degree of suspecting every body it is an indication of falsehood in our selves for a lyer can neither believe nor be believed but upon the first report of any thing it is most prudent to suspend our Judgment unless we know the integrity of him that speaks it yet the safest way of all to avoid being partial is not to make any conclusion till we hear both sides how unjust are they whose understandings are so ingaged towards one party that truth can make no impression on them but continue wedded to their opinion beyond the power of reason to separate them from it the best interpretation that can possibly be put upon such pernicious practises is a defect in their capacity tho 't is ten to one their honesty is chiefly suspected and most in fault The greatest part of our life is spent in information and that which is visible to us is least essential we take most things on the words of others and that makes us generally imposed upon we commonly know the truth of what we see but seldom of what we hear especially if it come from far which should make us more circumspect in what we give credit to for when a relation of a thing has passed through several hands it has so many glosses put upon it by the passions or interest of them that recount it as makes it never arrive pure and unmixt to our ears Let us therefore consider whether they which speak of any person or thing are unbyass'd and if they are not we must give grains of allowance for their praises and much more for their dispraises since the depraved temper of most men is stronglier inclined to be spightful then good natured it is those slanders that are spoken behind our backs to undiscerning men that does us mischief for a wise person will gain a greater advantage from the censure of their enemies for what they do amiss if they hear it then a fool will take from the advice of his friends which seldom prevails with him the envious holds a glass to shew us our faults and we ought to correct them in