Selected quad for the lemma: opinion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
opinion_n	world_n	write_v	year_n	232	4	4.4903	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09530	Phisicke against fortune, aswell prosperous, as aduerse conteyned in two bookes. Whereby men are instructed, with lyke indifferencie to remedie theyr affections, aswell in tyme of the bryght shynyng sunne of prosperitie, as also of the foule lowryng stormes of aduersitie. Expedient for all men, but most necessary for such as be subiect to any notable insult of eyther extremitie. Written in Latine by Frauncis Petrarch, a most famous poet, and oratour. And now first Englished by Thomas Twyne.; De remediis utriusque fortunae. English	Petrarca, Francesco, 1304-1374.; Twyne, Thomas, 1543-1613.	1579 (1579)	STC 19809; ESTC S114602	539,184	716

writing without choise or discretion and they that destroy all haue assured rewardes And this is not so much the fault of the writers which accordyng to the common custome of men do seeke after gayne as of studentes and those that are put in trust with publique gouerment who neuer had any care of such matter hauing forgotten what Constantinus gaue in charge to Eusebius of Palestine to wit that none should write bookes but such as were of skill and wel seene in the studie of antiquitie and very expert in the Art wherin they wryte Ioy. I haue good store of bookes Reason What yf thy mynde be not capable Dooest thou remember Sabinus in Seneca howe he vaunteth in the skyll of his seruantes What difference is there betweene thee and hym but that thou art the more foole and both of you bragge of that whiche is anothers he of his seruantes which in deede were his owne and thou of the learnyng of thy bookes whiche apparteyneth nothyng vnto thee There be some that wyl seeme to knowe what so euer is wrytten in theyr bookes at home and when there is mention made of any matter of learnyng that booke sayth he is in my studie supposyng that that were as muche to say as it is here also in my breast and so with a proude looke they say no more A ridiculus kynde of people Ioy. I haue abundaunce of bookes Reason Howe much rather had I that thou dyddest abounde in wyt and eloquence and learnyng and specially in innocencie and vertue Howbeit these thynges are not to be solde for money as bookes are and yf they were I knowe not whether they shoulde fynde so many buyers as those bookes doo Those furnysh the walles these the mynd whiche forasmuche as they are not seene with the eyes men regard them not But truely yf store of bookes made men learned or good then they that are the rychest men myght be the best and learnedst men the contrary wherof we see commonly Ioy. I haue bookes whiche are meanes and helpes to learnyng Reason Take heede that they be not rather impedimentes For as great multitudes of souldyers haue been vnto some an hynderaunce of wynnyng so plentie of bookes haue ben a let vnto some of learnyng and of store as it chaunceth commeth scarcitie but yf it be so that a man haue them they are not to be cast away but layde asyde and the best are to be vsed and diligent heede to be taken least perhaps they whiche woulde profyte in tyme may hynder out of season Ioy. I haue many and sundry bookes Reason The diuersitie of wayes many tymes deceyueth the trauayler and he that want assuredly in one path was in doubt when he came to a crosse way and the incertentie of three or foure wayes meetyng togeather is farre more great and so it happeneth often tymes that he that hath read one booke with effect hath opened and turned ouer many without profyte There be many thynges burdensome to them that learne but to the learned few woordes do suffice to much is hurtful vnto both but with strong shoulders it is to be borne vp Ioy. I haue gotten togeather a great many of excellent bookes Reason There is no man that I can nowe cal to remembraunce that was famous for his multitude of bookes besides the Kyng of Egypt of whom I spake before which honourable name he wan not so much by the number of his bookes as by his worthie transtation of certayne of them Doubtlesse a marueylous woorke of so many wittes vnlesse the wyt of one that came afterwarde had been a greater wonder but yf thou seeke glory by bookes thou must take another course for thou must not haue them only but know them neyther are they to be committed to the Library but to memorie and not to be shut vp in the ful studie otherwise no man shal be more glorious then the publique librarie or his owne studie Ioy. I haue many notable bookes Reason Thou hast many tyed in chaines who if they could breake away and speake they woulde bring thee to the iudgment of a priuate prison then wyl they priuily weepe and that for sundry thynges but specially for this one thyng for that one couetous person many tymes hath plentie of those which many that are studious do want Of the fame of writers The .xliiii. Dialogue IOY YEA what say you vnto it that I write bookes my selfe Reason A publique disease contagious and incurable Euery man taketh vpon hym the office of writing which belongeth but to fewe and one that is sicke of this disease infecteth many It is an easie matter to enuie and harde to imitate so that the number of the sicke encreaseth dayly and the strength also of the sycknesse waxeth more myghtie euery day moe doo wryte euery day woorse by reason that it is an easyer matter to folow then to ouertake Very proper and approued and founde true by experience is the saying of the wyse man of the Hebrues There is no ende of wrytyng bookes Ioy. I doo write Reason I woulde wyshe that men coulde keepe them selues within their boundes and that an order amongst all thynges were obserued whiche by the rashnesse of men is confounded They should write that haue skyll and are able and other reade and heare But nowe is it no small pleasure to the minde to vnderstande vnlesse the proud hand make haste also to pen and paper and whosoeuer doth vnderstand or thynke that he vnderstandeth some smal peece of a booke thinketh he hym selfe meete by and by to write bookes I woulde that this one saying of our countrey man Cicero in the very beginning of his Tusculane questions were engrauen in your memories so that it myght be knowen vnto all that are in high degree and place of lyght and knowledge It may be sayth he that a man may meane well but yet is not able eloquently to vtter that whiche be meaneth It foloweth also But for a man to commit his meanyng and thought to writing that is not able well to dispose and set it foorth in comly order neyther by any meanes to delyght the Reader is the part of one rashly abusing both his leasure and learning These woordes of Cicero are most true but this abuse is nowe growen so common that euery man taketh that to be sayde to hymselfe whiche sometyme was to that most holy banished man who wrote suche matter as he had learned out of the verie fountayne of trueth and not out of the dryed puddles sayde and oftentimes repeated this woorde Write Whiche commaundement al contemners of al preceptes doo obey for all doo write And yf as I haue sayd there be so great danger in those that write other mens bookes what shall we thynke of them that write their owne and them that be newe Whereby they bring into the worlde doubtful and damnable artes and opinions or that which is the least mischiefe that they commit they weerie men with theyr rude

and vnpleasaunt style insomuche as who so wanteth in them promptnesse of witte yf he lyst to loose his tyme and bestowe the traueyle of his yeeres he shall not want weerinesse This is the fruite and none other of your inuentions to infect or affect but seldome or neuer to refreshe Notwithstandyng all men wryte bookes nowe adayes and there was neuer suche store of wryters and disputers in any age and neuer suche scarcitie of those that are skylful and eloquent It chaunceth therefore that that hapneth vnto these mens bookes whiche Cicero sayth in the same place And therefore sayth he they reade their bookes with their freendes neither wyll any man touch them but such as woulde fayne haue the lyke libertie in writing graunted vnto them This was rare in Ciceroes age but nowe it is common And euery man medleth with them because all woulde haue the same libertie Thus these triflers and pamphlet writers commende exhort cheryshe and pricke foorth one another and arrogate vnto them selues falsly the prayses of other men in lyke cases Hereof commeth this boldnesse in writers and disturbaunce of matters and therefore please not thou thy selfe ouermuche in writing of bookes Ioy. I wryte bookes Reason Perhappes thou mayest doo better in readyng them and conuertyng that whiche thou readest into the rule and gouernment of thy lyfe For the knowledge of learning is then profitable when it is applyed to purpose and declareth it selfe in deedes and not in woordes onely otherwyse that is often founde to be true whiche is written Knowledge puffeth vp To vnderstande perfectly and speedily to remember many thynges and those great also exactly to vtter them comly to write them cunningly to pronounce them sweetely vnlesse all these be referred vnto our lyfe what be they other then the instrumentes of vayne braggerie and vnprofitable labour and foolysh ianglyng Ioy. I write bookes Reason Perhappes it were better for thee to goe to Plough to keepe Sheepe to be a Weauer to play the Mariner Many whom nature hath made Handicraftes men in despite of her haue become Philosophers And contrariwyse fortune hath kept vnder foote some whiche were borne in the feeldes or vnder hedges or vppon the shoppe boordes and staulles of Artificers or the nettyng of Shyppes whiche were apt to haue been Philosophers Whereby it commeth to passe that they that are ignoraunt of the causes doo woonder yf as in the myddes of the Sea or Countrey in the Wooddes and Shoppes there be founde sharpe and quicke wittes when as in the Schooles there be dull and blockyshe For yf nature be wonne she is hardly wonne Ioy. I write earnesty Reason Howe muche more earnestly haue some written in fore tymes whose heate is so extinguished that it were vnknowen whether euer they had written or noe vnlesse other had written so of them No humane woorke endureth alwayes and mortall labour maketh no immortall thyng Ioy. I wryte much Reason Howe muche more haue other written Who can recken the woorkes of Cicero or Varro Who can recite the bookes which Titus Liuius or Plinius hath written There is one Grecian who wrote as it is sayde sixe thousande bookes O feruent spirite if this be true O long and quiet leasure Truely if it be a businesse of great trauell to write well one or two bookes that one man shoulde wryte so many thousande it is not so easie to beleeue as strange to wonder at Howbeit writers of credite doo report it whom it were hard not to beleeue who say that they haue not onely hearde so but also seene them and that more is knowne it to be true for that them selues haue read the bookes whiche yf it be a maruelous matter that one man coulde reade so many is it not more marueyle that one man coulde write them all It were ouerlong to repeate what men amongst you and amongst the Gretians haue written and what they haue written among whom none hath been fully fortunate to the full accomplishment of his studie but that some part of the one and a great part of the other and some are wholy perished and therefore looke what thou canst prognosticate of thyne owne studies Ioy. I wryte that is myne onely delyght Reason If it be to exercise thy witte and in writing vnto others to instruct thy selfe yf to forget the tyme and to the intent that by the remembraunce of that whiche is past thou mayest auoyde the present weerisomenesse I doo excuse thee and yf thou doo it to the intent to cure thy secret and incurable disease of wrytyng then doo I take pitie vppon thee For there be some yf thou knowest not so much which would not write but because they can not leaue of and running as it were headlong downe an hyll and vnwilling to stay are forcibly caried away with that desire Ioy. I haue a great courage to write Reason They say there be infinite kinds of Melancholie Some cast stones some write bookes and to write so vnto one is the beginnyng of madnesse and to another the ende Ioy. I haue and doo write much Reason If it be to profi●e posteritie there is nothing better If to gette a name only there is nothing more vayne Ioy. I haue written muche Reason O notable madnesse and may we marueyle then yf paper be deerer then it was wout to be Ioy. I write and thereby I looke for fame Reason As I sayde erewhyle perhaps it were better for thee to digge and goe to plough and thereby to hope for a good Haruest for it is salfer sowing in the ground then in the winde For the studie of fame and earnest trauell in writyng as it hath aduaunced the renowme of many so hath it sent ouer innumerable to be fooles and beggers in their olde age and shewed them bare and babblyng spectacles to the common people For whyle ye be writing fyt tyme for better traueyles escapeth away and beyng rauished and forgetting your selues ye marke not so muche vntyll at last olde age and pouertie awake ye Ioy. Notwithstanding I write for desire of fame Reason A strange desire for paynes to seeke winde Truely A had thought that Saylers only had wished for winde Of Maistershyp The .xlv. Dialogue IOY BVT I haue taken the degree of a Maister Reason I had rather thou haddest gotten learnyng for there is nothyng more shamefull then rude and vnlearned Maistershyppe Ioy. I am woorthyly made a Maister Reason Thou canst not woorthyly be made a Maister vnlesse thou hast been a scholler and necessarie it is that thou haue shewed thy selfe duetifull lowly and willing to learne or els thou hast gone astray out of the way that leadeth to Maistershyp although I am not ignorant how that some haue risen to the highest degree of knowledge without a Maister whiche certaine excellent men of great name haue reported and written of them selues but their traueyle their wit their desire to learne their intent their diligence and continuaunce stoode vnto them in steede of a Maister

onelie by nature Which thing although it be written in the workes of learned and famous authours yet should it be counted in the number of things incredible if so bee perhaps it were written of the Indian or Scythian Ocean had not rather happened that in our seas this wonder had bin knowen to the Romane Emperours The cause of the stay was founde by this meanes in that when an whole fleete of shippes was setting forth one of them stoode stil as if she had lien at anker not stirring a whit out of her place Then some that were expert being lette downe into the sea easilie perceiued the trueth and there was founde cleauing fast to the bottome of the rudder a litle fishe like a snaile whiche was brought away and presented to the prince who disdained that so little a creature should be of so great power but speciallie wondred at this one thing that when it was receiued into the shippe it had no longer power to worke that effect which it did when it cleaued to the outside But as touching that other kinde of straunge thing truelie I had rather keepe silence than absolutely to auerre it the fame whereof I knowe not howe true it is but surelie it is newe and for that cause the more to bee doubted of The thing is this That about the Indian sea there is a certeine birde of an incredible bignesse whom our countriemen call a Roche which is able and accustomed to take vp not onelie a man but also an whole shippe in her beake and to flie away with it into the cloudes and so procureth a terrible death to the wretched people hanging in the aire See therefore howe great the force of couetousnesse is which not being able to deter the followers thereof from sayling neither by manie other perilles neither by this most cruell daunger maketh them a pray that are so greedie of pray And nowe also to bring some inuisible things to my purpose in what commixtion of contraries consisteth wished temperature among whiche there is a conioyning of repugnant cōtraries for the bringing foorth of the middle vertue By meanes of whiche differences and by what disagreement of voyces doe men atteine vnto true Musical concord Finallie examine whatsoeuer there is runne through in thy minde al the heauen the earth the sea there is like contention in the toppe of the skie and the bottom of the sea and there is strife in the deepe riftes of the earth aswell as in the woddes fieldes and aswell is there perpetuall disagreement in the desertes of sandes as in the streetes of cities And now lest through varietie of matter I wander from my purpose I say nothing that at the verie beginning of the world there was a battel fought in the highest of heauen betweene the ethereal spirites and some are of opinion also that they fight yet at this day in this region of the darke and mistie aire I say nothing howe that in the same heauenly conflict the angels that were vanquished beeing nowe become inferiour to their conquerours whilest they endeuour to be reuenged vpon vs mortall men that inhabite the earth they haue procured vnto vs an immortall warre of sundrie temptations with an hard and doubtfull businesse And that I may gather together into one summe al things whatsoeuer hauing sense or without sense from the vppermost toppe of heauen as I haue said vnto the lowermost centre of the earth and from the chiefest angell to the basest and least worme I omitte to speake howe there is continuall and euerlasting strife betweene them Man him selfe the lord gouernour of all liuing creatures who onely by the rule of reason seemeth able to guide in tranquillitie this course of life and this swelling and troublesome sea with what continuall strife is he tossed not onelie with other thinges but also with him selfe wherof I will speake anon But now I will intreat of the first for there is no mischiefe that one man worketh not against another to admit that all other harmes by what meanes soeuer they happen whether by nature or fortune yet being cōpared with these do seeme but light discommodities Which if I would discipher at large which I would not willingly do and it is far from my purpose both al the whole sceane of humane actions were to be opened al the historie of life to be perused But it shal be sufficient for me to say thus much for if there had ben neuer any other warres in all the world but the warres of the Romanes there had bin warres strife ynough Adde moreouer the disagrement of opinions the indissoluble knottes and intrications of matters who is able to reckon vp the varietie of sectes or contention of Philosophers The warres of kings nations are at rest but the Philosophers are not at agreement and they cōtend about a matter that when it beginneth to be the ones it surceasseth to be the others These men contend for the trueth which euery one of them cannot haue on his side this strife neither could the maiestie of the purchased veritie neither Carneades the Academike a carefull seeker after the Philosophicall quietnesse though in vaine euer be able to appease Insomuch that Anneus Seneca seemeth vnto me not vnfitly to haue writen where he cōpareth the clocks dials with Philosophers for the like discord that is found among thē Which howe true it is whosoeuer applieth his mind to Philosophers his eares to the clocks may wel perceiue neither is the doctrine of other Artisants in more tranquillitie what cōtentions are there amōg Grāmarians not yet decided what cōflicts among Rhetoricians what alterations among Logicians Finally what discord in all artes what clamour among Lawiers who how wel they agree the cōtinuāce of their causes doth shew Of the agrement of Physitians let their patients be iudge For that life which they haue pronounced to bee short by their contentions they haue made most short Moreouer what deformitie and what disagreement of opinions is there in the holie rites of the Church and Religion not so much in the woordes of the learned as in the weapons of the armed and more often tried in the fielde than discussed in the scooles Thus being but one trueth in all matters vnto which as saith Aristotle al things are agreeable yet the opinion of them is verie dissonant cōtrarie that it troubleth the professours of the truth What shall I say of the cōmon life and affaires of men That there are scarce two in a citie that do agree both manie things else but especiallie the great diuersitie of their houses apparell doeth declare For whosoeuer succeeded anie man in an house were hee neuer so riche and good an husband that hath not neuerthelesse chaunged manie things in it so that looke what one man had a desire to builde another hath a pleasure to plucke downe witnesse hereof may be the often changing of windowes damming vp of doores and

this good tyme wherof thou speakest whiche is euermore hard and fleeting but onely in respect that it leadeth to eternitie Otherwyse yf there were any thyng sweete in it the swyftnesse thereof in passing away may seeme to abate it for who can tast a thing wel as he is running When Darius was in flyght a draught of foule and stinking water seemed most sweete vnto hym Thirst as Cicero thinketh but as I iudge feare had corrupted his tast Alexander that banquished hym folowed hard at his heeles and swift tyme likewise pursueth you apace The yeeres runne away the dayes folow headlong one vpon another the houres haue wynges and slyt swyftly death standeth before your eies neyther can ye returne when ye are staied nor stay when ye are driuen nor passe further when ye are preuented Of this way then that is beset with so many dangers and subiect to so many terrours what part thereof I pray thee can be good But I vnderstand your meanyng you call that a good age whiche is most apt vnto shame and licentiousnesse For this is your manner of speaking to tearme that good whiche is most agreable to your affections be those your affectitions neuer so euyll So doth the theefe cal the chaine good which he prepareth for the trew mans necke and the Tirant his citadel whiche he buildeth to bereaue his subiectes of their libertie and the witche her pestilent poysons whiche she mingleth to infect poore innocentes and the murtherer his blade wherewith he entendeth to commit slaughter and so likewyse do you cal that age good whiche is most conuenient for the thynges that you desire And therefore among al them that lament the losse of their forepassed dayes ye shal not finde one to lament his childhood or infancie which in deede were the best parts of this lyfe if to be best were to be farthest from olde age as ye holde opinion No not the middle age nor olde age which beginneth but nowe is yet to be counted greene old age but it is youth youth that ye require the most dangerous and woorst part of al your life O say ye the pleasant dayes of fyue and twentie yeeres where are ye become which ye speake that your aunciēt filthinesse may be knowen vnto al men how wel ye like of them without repentāce secking for nothyng els then a conueniēt tyme for them Sorowe I am old why should I not sigh with that king in Virgil that sayde O that Iupiter would restore vnto me my forepassed dayes Reason But we heare not that euer Socrates Plato Fabius or Cato samented for any such matter and yet they were old men but I confesse that it is a more rare thing to finde a wise man then a king And therefore if king Enander had been a wyse king that same sigh of his should not be doubtlesse so cōmonly frequented of our old men now adayes Foolish old men do sigh with heauinesse of minde cal backe for their youthful dayes but al in vayne which they goe about to reuoke not onely with their secrete wyshes but also with bootelesse medicines and cunning woorkemanshyp to alter the course of vnbridled nature In whiche poynt Hadriane the Emperour very pleasantly skoffed at a certayne grayheaded sire vnto whom he had denyed a sute And when he sawe hym come agayne to renue his former request and in the meanewhile had dyed his hoarie haires into a blacke colour he repelled hym with this answeare No goe thy wayes quoth the Emperour for I haue denyed the same alredie to thy father Sorow I am aged O that I coulde waxe young agayne Reason Erewhyle I tolde thee that thy youth woulde returne and nowe I say it is returned If thou mightest so casily obteyne thy wysh in al thynges thou shouldest wyshe for nothyng in vayne The poore man wysheth for ryches the bondman for freedome the deformed person for beautie the sicke man for health the weerie for rest the banished to be called home but he that deserueth the true name of an olde man cannot wyshe for his youth agayne for that is a very chyldishe desire Sorowe I am waxen olde alas why hath my pleasant youth so soone forsaken me Reason It is soone gone that is pleasant and that commeth alwayes to quickely that is payneful But it is a vayne thyng to wyshe for that which cannot be had and annoye in the hauing and would hurt if it returned agayne Leaue of now thy sighing for whilst thou continuest in this minde thou mayst soone become gray-headed but neuer an old man For the desire to be young man old man what is it other then the verye chyldishnes of old age Sorowe I am old and crooked Reason Beholde the earth and thinke from whence thou camest and whyther thou shalt For from thence thou camest and thither thou must goe agayne Nature putteth thee in minde both of thy beginning and ending To the intent thou shouldest not goe astray the common passage is shewed vnto thee into which since thou art entred looke downe vpon it diligently the manner is for blynde men to be lead on their way by the hand Sorowe I am soddenly waxen olde Reason Nay rather by small and smal creepingly slowly softly but that whē men thinke vpon nothing al thynges seeme to happen sodaynly vnto them as contrariwyse when they mind all thynges nothyng commeth vnlooked for And yf olde age were a thing to be lamented then should men lament al the dayes of their lyfe for through them as steppes they trace vnto that Sorow Alas I am olde Reason O vnconstancie of desyres vnto this dyddest thou specially endeuour to attayne vnto this dyddest thou most couet and that thou shouldest not reache thereunto dyddest thou much feare and now that thou art come to it thou lamentest which were a monstrous and incredible matter but that it is now vsual among you All would fayne come to olde age but none wyl be content to be olde but rather ye count olde age miserie and to be called olde an iniurie as yf it were a reproch to be aged which none may iudge so but they that thinke it a shame to haue lyued of which sort I confesse the number is not smal from whom notwithstanding I would haue thee exempted to the ende thou mayest be the better for our communication Otherwyse good counsell can neuer sinke into the hart although it be abundantly poured into the eares Sorowe I am waxen aged at length Reason They that haue susteined losses on the land on the sea in warre ▪ and by gaming immediatly perceiue their harmes but thou onely awakest in the ende and beginnest to complayne when as the ende of all complain●es is at hande Sorowe I am olde Rea on It is the part of a ●oole neuer to thynke vpon olde age but when it is come For truely if thou haddest foreseene that it shoulde haue come or perceyued it commyng thou shouldest with lesse greefe behold it present Sorow