Selected quad for the lemma: order_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
order_n	elder_a	young_a	youth_n	26	3	8.1280	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43430	Herodian's history of the Roman emperors containing many strange and wonderful revolutions of state in Europe, Asia, and Africa : also, their most remarkable embassies, speeches, antiquities, &c. : together with the most solemn ceremonies us'd at the deification of the Roman emperors : with a character of the ancient Britains / done from the Greek by a gentleman at Oxford.; History. English	Herodian.; Gentleman at Oxford.	1698 (1698)	Wing H1581; ESTC R13737	140,954	430

the Prerogative should be lower'd and the Privileges of the Subject advanc'd and Arbitrary Power should sink into an Aristocracy That there was no Reason why they should esteem him unworthy of the Empire or judge it the Error of a blind Chance by which he was exalted from a Private Gentleman of Rome to this high Station That there was no Advantage in high Birth unless it was accompanied with Moderation and Clemency That the Gifts of Fortune were often cast on those that did not deserve them but the Vertues of the Mind stamp'd a real Value and Dignity on all that possess'd them That Estate Luster of Family c. might make a Man happy but were not good Topicks of Commendation because they are deriv'd from others but Gentleness and Humanity are not only admir'd by all Men but redound to the real Praise of those whom they adorn That the Publick had receiv'd no Benefit from the Noble Parentage of Commodus nor from Antonine's succeeding his Father That these Princes take the Empire as it were by Right of Inheritance and abuse it as their own Patrimony but those that receiv'd it from the free Gift of the People will always remain sensible of the infinite Obligation and will still be meditating Returns proportionable to so great a Merit Besides this Nobility dispos'd them to Arrogance and a Contempt of their Subjects as their Inferiors whereas those that advanc'd through inferior Employments to this high Dignity would endeavour to defend it as the Reward of their Industry and will pay the same Respect and Deference which they us'd to do to those who were their Superiors before this Elevation As for his part he would do nothing without their Approbation they should be his Counsellors and have a Share in the Conduct of all Publick Affairs and should enjoy their ancient Liberty and Repose which their High-born Princes had depriv'd them of and which Marcus and after him Pertinax both Men of mean Extraction had endeavour'd to restore Concluding That it was better to be the first of a Noble Family than to debase that Nobility which was transmitted from Glorious Ancestors by declining from the generous Paths in which they trod As soon as the Letter was read all the Senators broke out into Acclamations of Joy and unanimously decreed him Imperial Honours But they were more overjoy'd that Antonine was dead than that Macrinus succeeded him which was express'd by Publick Rejoycings made on that Occasion All common Informers and Servants that had accus'd their Masters were publickly Gibbeted and what by Proscriptions what by Capital Punishments inflicted on profligate Villains the City and indeed the whole Empire was pretty well purg'd Those that lay conceal'd were quiet for fear of the Justice of the Government So the People liv'd in Security and enjoy'd at least an Appearance and as it were a first Dawn of Liberty during that one Year in which Macrinus reign'd Macrinus commitred a great Soloecism in not disbanding and dispersing the Soldiers and in that he did not hasten to Rome where his Presence was greatly desired and whither he was invited by the daily repeated Clamours of the People But he staid in Antioch where he began to affect a long Beard and slow Gate He would scarce vouchsafe to speak to those that came to him and when he did he often spoke so low it was a hard matter to tell what he said In these Particulars he copied after Marcus and they were the only Actions of that Prince which he imitated for he abandon'd himself to dissolute Courses became a great frequenter of Plays and Musick-meetings neglected Publick Affairs and appear'd always in Publick with Buttons and a Belt curiously embroider'd with Gold and Precious Stones This Luxury was by no means pleasing to the Army that look'd upon it as an unmanly Softness better becoming a Woman or the Barbarous Nations than the Emperor of Rome These things I say gave great disgusts to the Soldiers they dislik'd his Course of Life as too effeminate and calling to mind Antonine's Way of Living which was such as became a Soldier and a Man of Business they condemn'd Macrinus's Luxury Besides they murmur'd extremely that they were not permitted to return home but were constrain'd to live in a Camp in a Foreign Country where sometimes they wanted necessary Provisions and that too after a Peace was concluded They observ'd too at the same time how softly and delicately the Emperor liv'd So in short things tended to a Rebellion They began to speak disrespectfully of him and only sought for some sort of Pretence to remove this Author of their Grievances Thus it pleas'd the Fates that Macrinus having revell'd it in Imperial Dignity for the space of one Year should lose his Life and Empire together Fortune soon affording a slight Occasion to the Soldiers for the effecting what they desir'd There was a certain Lady call'd Maesa born in Phoenicia in the City Emesa She was Sister to Julia Severus's Wife and Mother to Antonine and had liv'd many Years in the Emperor's Court in her Sisters Time both in the Reign of Severus and Antonine but after her Sisters Death and the Murder of Antonine was commanded by Macrinus to depart into her own Country with her Effects which were very considerable by reason of her living at Court so many Years Maesa obey'd the Orders and return'd into Phoenicia This old Lady had two Daughters the elder Soaemis and Mammaea the younger Each of these had a Son Soaemis call'd hers Bassian Mammaea's was nam'd Alexian Both the Youths were bred up under the Care of their Mother and Grandmother Bassian was about Fourteen Years old Alexian had just enter'd his Tenth Year They were both Priests of the Sun which is the God of the Phoenicians and in their Language is call'd Heliogabulus They have a magnificent Temple built for him adorn'd with Gold and Silver and Precious Stones Nor do the Natives only worship this God but all the neighbouring Princes and Potentates send rich Presents to him every Year They have no Statue made with Hands in the likeness of the God as is usual amongst the Greeks and Romans but only a huge Stone that is round at the bottom and grows sharper by degrees towards the top The Colour of it is Black and the Figure Conical The Tradition is that it fell from Heaven It hath some little Rudenesses and Marks upon it They say 't is the Image of the Sun not made by any mortal Artificer and esteem it as such Bassian was ordain'd his Priest and performed the Functions of the Priests Office as being the Elder appearing publickly in his barbarous Formalities which were a Gown of Purple Silk flower'd with Gold that came down to his Feet and Hands all his Legs being cover'd with Under-Vestments of the same Silk Upon his Head he wore a Crown richly adorn'd with Precious Stones of several Colours Besides he was then in the flower of his Age and the