Selected quad for the lemma: order_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
order_n	chief_a	common_a	great_a	151	3	2.1182	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A06534	The devout hart or Royal throne of the pacifical Salomon. Composed by F. St. Luzuic S.I. Translated out of Latin into English. Enlarged with incentiue by F. St. Binet of the same S. and now enriched with hymnes by a new hand	Luzvic, Stephanus, 1567-1640.; Binet, Etienne, 1569-1639. aut; Hawkins, Henry, 1571?-1646.	1634 (1634)	STC 17001; ESTC S103988	72,609	316

ostentation of his power as also in the third yeare of his raigne to celebrate publikely the day wherein first he tooke a perfect possession of Susa the chiefe seat of his Kingdome prepared a Persian royal and a sumptuous banquèt For first Assuerus himself was the Master of the feast and who was he He raigned from India to Ethiopea from the East to the West and what more He gaue lawes to 27. Prouinces appointing so many Prefects and Gouernours to them who in the Kings name might administer iustice Assu●●●rus therefore was a mighty and most puissant King yea truly he had conquered and subdued to his owne dominion the whole world if we beleeue but his owne Epistle though indeed I should thinke it rather to be no more then a meere exaggeration of insolent men who extending their bounds a litle wider vse to flatter themselues with the Empire streight of the whole world But be it so as they boast of make their braggs Assuerus yet shal seem but a fly compared with God himself nor euer shal though he pusse vp himself neuer so much ariue to the bulke and worth of an Elephant IESVS the Master of this feast not only as God but euen also as man is the Soueraigne supreame Lord of al things in whose loynes is written King of Kings and Lord of Lords and at whose aspect tribunal comming to iudgement shal Assuerus himself appeare one day yea tremble and groane the while The rest may likewise be gathered by this Yet if you please let vs suruay them more perticularly that our purpose scope may appeare more clearly Susa was not the head-Citty of the kindome of Persia but a pleasant and most delicious Tempe which that riuer Coaspes washed as it went a long whose waters Kings and those very farre remote from thence made vse of for daintyest drink and for the amenity of the place it tooke the name of Lilly which Susa signifies in Persia. Here therofore they reposed and lodged themselues and that truly in those royal and princely gardens wodds and groues in the Spring especially as we may beleeue Here not only the pleasant variety of flowers and herbs made a wanton daliance but euen of the beautifullest trees also in disposing whereof in checker-wise and distributing the allyes walks and arbours the royal hands themselues after the Countrey fashion had labowred to some purpose But what trow you was the rest of the garnishment of this festiual Court Where the Pauilions were of a costly and rich stuffe of cerulean aetherean and of the colour of the Hyacinth whose curteynes hung with strings of purple silk fastne with ●●●inges made of iuory at either end these rich and stately Canopyes were gallantly susteyned with marble pillars beneath lay humble pallots on the ground a pleasant pauement to rest vpon al of gold and siluer streyed with the fayrest mantles and rich carpets as the 70. Interpretours signify wrought al ouer embrodered and curiously set forth with needle-works of roses and diuerse other flowers glittering and beguiling the senses besides al which the pauement it-self shined al of a certaine square stone and that in quadruple wise enterstinguished with in the emerald and touch-stone and as the Hebrew hath with marble and Hyacinth being certaine titles forsooth diuersi●yed al in an admirable manner And these for the most part were p●●pared for the common Ghests for I should thinke those of the better ●●●t were al entertained in the i● most lodgings of those Princely Palaces where with tapistryes and pictures were al the roomes and lobbeyes sumpteously hāg'd Could there be euer any thing either for maiestie more royal and magnificent or for luxury and delight more soft and delicious O childish toyes meerly gugawes O loose cogitations of the soule euen bendingto the earth why creepest thou on the earth thou litle mush rump and pleasest thy self so much with these trifles Measure with the eyes of thy mind at least the vast immensnes of the Heauens gaze if thou canst and behold the sunne moone and the rest more then common people of that starry house which are but onely outward ornaments for those within farre different from them transcending not only the faculty of the senses but euen the agility of the mind also are meerely laid out of sight Heare the mellifluous Bernard that same indeed is the true and onely ioy which is not of the creature but is truly conceiued of the Creatour himself and which being p●ssessed by thee no man can take away from thee where to compared al pleasure otherwise is but sorrow al sweetes but bitternes al beautie d●formity Lastly al other things nought els but tedious and irksome which otherwise might seeme more pleasing and delightful Now then which is the other point looke we into the great Assuerus Ghests and directours of the feast Of these I note two sorts some purple Heroes of tke Perseans and chiefe Prefects of those Countreyes and Prouinces 127. in nomber who al leauing magistrates of inferiours orders behind them in their roomes to take vp differences accurring the while flock to thy City Princely Court to that great feast the other Ghests were the common sort of the City of Susa itself from the highest to the lowest a vast people vvithout head or certaine number of them But for the ministers and vvaiters there I seeme also to behold tvvo orders of them some Prefects of the royal Palace vvho as Stervvards V●●●hers and Sevvers of the feast appointed and placed the Ghests prescribing lavves and rules to them to be kept amongst them others to execute lesser and inferiour offices as Butlers Tasters Cup-brearers and the rest of vvayters al But if compared vvith the Angels as vvel the Pages and others of that diuine table as the bidden Ghests themselues or either vvith the number or splendour of the rest of the blessed Citizens of heauen those are but dvvarfs these Giants those vvretches and for manners most cōmonly vvicked these blessed and happy yea most holy these except a fevv an ignoble and base people and these not only most graue Senatours but Kings and Monarks al vvithout exception Behold here the Queene-Mother of God to amit the Spouse himselfc behold the Patriarks Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessours Virgins and al the rest of the Court of Heauen and let the Medes and Persian Ghests alone Yet stil Assuerus vants Boasts of the bowels dishes of his feast Be it so let vs set downe thē to eate drink our fil for this is thesumme of al. The dishes plates and trenchers are often changed such is the multitude and variety there and store of siluer gold and other precious vessels For here they eat and drinke also in gold and cups made al of gēmes As for the cups the Septuaginta auerre there was one made of Carbuncles surely of a vast and immense price to wit of thirty thousant talents which of our

florens comes to more then 101 millions Let no man after this speake or wonder any more at the suppers excesse costs of Cleopa●●●ra L●●●llus or Heliog●balus But what was the meate now brought to the table The sacred Scriptures speake not a word thereof for that perhaps al might guesse then if they would as wel by the Pe●●●sia● pomp very vsual in those things and now brought into a prou●rb as by the great ostentation touched aboue of the plates cups and dishes had in that feast What the drinke Forsooth the best forts as became the royal magnificence there was aboundance of al and the choycest wines that could possibly be had but on that condition that none should be compelled to drinke more or lesse but euery-one haue liberty to drink as much and as litle as he would Surely a holsome and laudable law of the King For this tyrannical order of Let him doe reason or begone sprūg first no doubt from the Greek Tauernes of I know non what Caldus B●●●berius or Mero But now goe to thou great admirer of the Pe●●●sian banquet vvhat account makest thou of the gold siluer ievvels in those cups and dishes This gold siluer ievvels beleeue me are but a harder kind of earth vvhereto the sunne starres haue giuen a colour and some lustre vvhereon I say lest auarice perhaps might set to great a price nature had vvissel hid them in the vvomb or bovvels of the elements and these also vvhere they are most in vse and vvorne of al become but cheap and of litle worth But for meats and drinks what they are appeareth then when hardly being let downe into the stomake they are streight egested thence And wilt thou compare this filth this dirt to say no worse with the riches and delights of heauen with the Nuptials of IESVS with the Euangelical supper with the vision of the diuine Essence lastly with those delights and inexhaustible pleasures which flow incessantly from that ocean of the highest good The great lohn saw this table in his Apocalyps and wondered at it the royal Psalmist saw it likwise and wholy astonished exclaymed ●hey shal be inebriated with the plenty of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the torrent of pleasure But take here a litle this simple tast therof Al the goods of this world are nothing els but as rinds and springs of the fruits of Paradise cut off and if the rinds and springs be such that men euen raie with the loue and d●sire of them what shal the fruits themselues be and the apples of Paradise it-self and if such be the fruits and apples what shal the rest be of those more solid and better meats Surely they shal be such as they may alwayes be eaten without loathing and alwayes desired without anxietie And now finally how long haue these feasts of Assuerus lasted A hundred eightye dayes at most scarce half a yeare especially if we speake of the feasts of the Peeres and Nobles for the cōmon sort● continued hardly a weeke in these transitory delightes Take me here a hundred thousand yeares yea a thousand millions of yeares of this Nuptial supper which IESVS furni●eth in the louers hart and you shal find no end of the feast which end yet if you seeke further measure Eternity As long as Heauen and God shal be these Nuptials shal continue alwayes Not so in this banquet of Su●a For oh inconstancy of humane things behold how in the tables of Assuerus himself mourning occupies the last of ioyes After the Persian King had wel carroused now al enflamed with B●●●cchus deep in his cups thought he had done but litle yet if he shewed not the Queene Vasth● to his Ghests because the either of pride or modesty rather refused to come into the drunken presence of al those Princes by the King her husbād she was fowly ignominiously intreated in the very banqueting roome it-self weere she feasted with her Ladyes being thrust from the royal throne and dignity was refused and reiected by him Goe to now and praise the feasts and nuptials of the great Assuerus if you wil or rather be wise and admire and loue the celestial Nuptials of the Lamb. XIX MEDITATION The preparatory Prayer Actiones nostras quesumus c. THE PRELVDE BLessed are they who are cald to the Nuptial supper of the Lamb 1. Point Cōsider the highest dignity then which a greater cānot be imagined as wel of the soule in loue which IESVS which from an abject and base condition is aduanced to the Nuptials of God himself as of the humane hart wherein these diuine Nuptials are celebrated Whence comes it O humane soule saith S. Bernard whence happens this so in●stimable glory to thee that thou should●st deserue to be his Spouse on whom the Angels wish to gaze How happens this that he sho●ld be thy Spouse whose beauty the sunne and moone admire at whose b●ck are al things changed What wilt thou yeald to thy Lord for al he hath thus afforded thee to be his com●anion at table and compartener of his Kingdome lastly his bed-fellow and to haue the King himself to lead th●e into his chamber And by and by behold with what armes of mutual charity he is to be embraced and loued againe who hath made such reckning of thee and at last forget thy people and thy fathers house Forsake carnal affects vnlearne secular māners absteine from former vices commit al naughtie customes to obliuion 2. Point Weigh how great sincere and solid the pleasures are like to be which the spouse prepares for thee in the Nuptial supper suruey al things which vnder heauen are precious delightful and deare to men in the ayr earth or ocean Sea and then reason with S. Augustine thus Is my Lord thou affordest so much to vs in prison what wilt thou doe in the Palace For since here al things are so exceeding good and delectable which thou hast conferred on the euil as wel as the good what wil those be which thou hast laid vp for the good onely If so various and innumerable thy guifts are which now thou equally distribu●est to frends and enemyes how great and innumerabbe how sweet and delect●ble shal they be thou wilt bestow on thy freinds only If in this day of teares and mourning thou impar●st such things what wilt thou doe on the nuptial day Hearest thou this my soule and yet exclaymest not Blessed be he who shal eate bread in the Kingdom of God 3. Point Attend to this also how of the ten Virgins of the Ghospel being al Virgins indeed that is espoused to Christ through true and sincere faith and who had sometimes pleased the Spouse in carying lamps of good works in their hands fiue were become foolish and from the nuptials and wedding supper on hard fortune quite excluded Beware thou be not of their number let thy lamp be alwayes burning and sending