Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	ability_n	able_a	think_v	75	3	3.5427	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A06782	Romulus and Tarquin. First written in Italian by the Marques Virgilio Malvezzi: and now taught English, by HCL.; Romulo. English	Malvezzi, Virgilio, marchese, 1595-1653.; Marshall, William, fl. 1617-1650, engraver.; Monmouth, Henry Carey, Earl of, 1596-1661.	1637 (1637)	STC 17219; ESTC S111904	76,547	312

for if she were likely to be lost if set on only by the Sabine forces what thinke you would have become of her when they should have been assisted by so many other confederates SUndry people assembled together to worke the same end doe not alwayes endevour it with the same end lines which meet all in one point go not al the same way they often meet and yet differ These men will overthrow this frame but because each one puts it upon anothers backe none move it WHere there is store of pates there is store of confusion many stones of not above three inches thicke may raise a height of a thousand yards but the uniting of many wits serve not to the advancement of one understanding they helpe not they hinder one another nor is it true that two eyes joyned see more than one if one see more than both disjoyned when the greatest spheare of the eyes motion is understood to be the greatest distance In such an assembly there cannot be so good a resolution had but will become bad if observed but by a few nor so bad which may not prove exceeding good if observed by all wise men ought alwayes to counsell the best yet sometime follow the worst if the worst be the opinion of the most The Cernetians Crustumanians and those of Antenna depart no waies contented with the Sabins slow resolutions and the Cernetians more impatient than the rest enter the Roman territories to ransacke them THe desire of revenge is more eager than any other affection yea more than love it selfe for that the bloud is more active in the arteries than in the veines Choler hath no commerce with Wisdome she is companion to audacitie she levels precipices makes mountaines valleyes The cholericke man feares not because hee lookes upon the object only how he may offend it not how he may by it be offended his eyes are alwayes on the extremes hee sees not the middle and oft-times fals because he knowes not that he can fall all his spirits flocke to assist him making him beleeve he is able to doe more than indeed he is and hindering one another hee oft-times is of lesse ability than usuall he thinkes upon nothing but how to quench that fire that burnes nor findes he other water to quench it withall than that of revenge he runs for remedy to him that first did kindle it that by his bloud he may extinguish it nor doth he stop till it be thus fed or by feare quite put out Romulus makes towards them teaching them how vaine that Anger is which is not sustained by forces He overcomes them treads them under foot kills their Leader takes their Citie and brings home his victorious Armie Romulus was no lesse daring in his actions than eloquent in his speech valiant in doing brave things wary in assisting them with faire appearances GReat actions have need of helpe else they will be suffocated by simplicity when wonder is conceived thence proceeds reverence It is easie to adde to the greatnesse of actions by words to truth by appearances and it is not amisse A Prince obliges himself to things greater than he hath yet done if he make them not seeme lesse than what they are beleeved to bee to adde to petty actions moves laughter and merits the name of vanity to assist actions of a middle condition causes admiration and immortall fame Hee caused the enemies spoiles bee erected and from top of the Capitoll did dedicate them together with a Temple to Jupiter Feretreus Whilst the Romans were busied about such solemnities those of Antemna did in hostile manner forrage their Country the Romans without delay bring forth a Squadron of men against them and easily defeated them who of spoilers became a spoile and they which lay in wait for the goods of other men lost their owne Castle but Ersiglia Romulus his wife solicited by the teares of those women which had beene violently detained by profitable intreaties perswaded her triumphing husband to pardon those who were their parents and kinsfolke and to receive them into the City THis manner of making the conquered companions to receive for citizens those whom the same day they had seene as enemies did make the waging of war more easie to other people but made it more difficult to overcome in warre it increased the desire of combat but tooke from the heat of fighting where it was a question whether were the greater reward to overcome or be overcome whilst they who lost acquired the honour of being a Citizen of Rome Whosoever shall read the Roman Histories considering their wayes of growing greater will either beleeve that they did ill or else will blame those who now adayes having Monarchies and needfull of people doe rather drive away former forrenners than they are perswaded to receive in new ones whereunto they have by some beene solicited but the diversitie of circumstances hath not given applause to such couns●…ls The Romans by taking people of the same Province may be rather said to have framed one body out of many members than out of many bodies there being under the selfe-same clime of the same language and little or nothing differing in manners freed them from tumults their union was the more secured by their being all new and tender easie to bee joyned together as it fals out in young childrens bones their love was the more secured by calling them to Senators places and other commands in the Citie for being straitned by warres they were easily perswaded to accept of their enemies company when being come to a greater growth they refused the societie even of their friends Strangers may be received for companions where there is a forme of Common-wealth or bodie of a Senate but where there is an absolute Monarchie they cannot be accepted of but as servants They therefore doe wisely who having passed their younger yeares in which it was necessary to receive into their body people of different language climate and manners doe not call in strangers to enjoy or without all peradventure to trouble what they have with their sweat wonne Those of Antemna being vanquished the Crustumanians take armes and were soone overcome fighting more out of feare than out of hope disheartned and made weak by their neighbours losses THe glory of the first warres had its rise from honour of the rest from reputation to have overcome in these availes as much as to overcome in those An armie which feares to lose the day is already beaten by its owne beleefe each noise the enemie makes seemes victory each motion of its owne men flight such an armie is more prepared for what it feares than for what it hopes and oft-times it leaves the field more for that it feares to lose than for that it hath lost he who alwaies thinks to overcome fights alwayes but he that doubts defends himselfe but fights not Romulus knowing that things wonne by valour must bee maintained by wisdome caused the Senat

valour Numas pitie Tullus his fiercenesse Anchus his goodnesse the vigilancie of Lucumus fortune of Servius and impiety of T●…rquin shall bee my subject Procus King of the Albans had two sons Amulius and Numitor the latter elder in yeares the other of a more working spirit the King left his Kingdome to the elder but the fathers wil and brothers prioritie in yeares were forced to give way to the others more daring spirit THat Power which Princes make use of for the maintaining of Reason in the interests of particular men they use the very same to destroy it in what concernes themselves Justice came downe to us from above to withstand violence mans weaknesse bereaving her of her weapons of choyce makes her assume force to extinguish force b●…t she vanisheth with the planet of her birth when the sword which should defend destroyes her Princes sometimes keepe her vntoucht by others that they themselves may commit a rape upon her they measure her with weapons and when businesse comes to be concluded of amongst them hee hath the justest cause whose strength is greatest all other manner of proceeding they thinke onely doth become such who either dare not use violence or feare to have it used unto themselves They thinke it no reason for him to command others who is not able to resist the force of others neither would subjects be better than their Princes but equally unjust were they not more compelled they who can have recourse to the sword which Justice holds up in her right hand seldome betake themselves to the ballance which hangs on her left side Nor hath the prerogative of Age any more precedencie in matters of State men doe not wait for such yeares as doe destroy life but such as valour may be grounded upon the selfe-same weapons which Time uses to subdue the body are by the understanding used to subdue time whose tyrannie is avoyded whilst by the meanes of Fame it gets into the bosome of Eternitie but admit it should yeeld yet ought we not to honour Time which only workes our destruction Amulius is not content to have unthron'd his brother Numitor the taking away of Kingdoms would be but little crueltie did not the taking of them ingage a man to greater the one springs from the other and the latter is more fruitfull Hee feares his brothers children Hee kils the male nor does the female sex free him from feare if shee chance to have sons he thinkes he hath taught them the art of bereaving Kingdome The Tyrant is afraid of everyone and it is fatall that he feares his owne example for in that hee fears every one he is not exempted from fearing in a manner himselfe He thinkes to fence himselfe sufficiently against fate without bloud by putting her amongst the Vestals to consecrate her virginity to the gods WOmens weaknesse serveth for innocencie with Tyrants they meet with more difficulty where they are least withstood they cannot finde in them those faults which makes their cruelty be praised or faine such feare in themselves as may not make them bea●…e with them They suffer them to live beleeving that at their pleasure they may put them to death but often-times through Gods infallible judgement they are throwne downe head-long as falsifiers of Wisedome Women are fit instruments to cause the losse of Kingdomes nor is it a sufficient remedie to marry them to men of quiet dispositions if they themselves be of a turbulent spirit and say no feare ought to be had of them who can secure himselfe of their off-spring Children for the most part side with the belly and their change is easie where are alike qualities Nor do the people thinke it shame to change Lord if they chuse one out of their Masters Family Amulius was wicked I confesse but he knew not how sufficiently to make use of his wickednesse he bereft his brother of his kingdom his Neece of her liberty and tooke from neither of them their lives I cannot well say whether or no he did despise Numit●…rs weaknesse whether hee built upon his patience or not or whether his policie was to colour his owne wickednesse by making the world see he had not a sufficient courage to governe a Kingdome who had so little courage to live being deprived of one To take away a Kingdome and suffer the King to live is a cruell peece of charitie wherewith all Tyrants whilst they goe about to deceive the world they oft-times deceive themselves The whole will easily meet together the parts whereof are left alive To set the Statue of Vertue upon a despicable foundation is as much as to build a Colossus of gold upon feet of durt Piety becomes a King for that his government is voluntary Cruelty a Tyrant for that his is violent courtesie befits the one force is requisite to the other neither yet doth that secure him he is not unlike a belly-god who if hee persist to eat a surfet kils him if he desist a dyet if the Tyrant bloudy his hands without respect he dyes for being cruell if otherwise for seeming to bee pious Vice though in the midst of Vertue is not secure because shee contaminates them The young woman tarried not long amongst the Vestals before she was brought to bed of two sonnes having had company with Mars as she affirmed to the end that this her necessary errour might not onely through the eminency of the person prove excusable but in some kinde worthy of commendations the martiall acts of Romulus gave credit to this report the people of Rome for their greater glory did increase it and stranger Nations for their lesse of shame gave way unto it IT is no shame to be inferiour in power to what is superiour in nature nay were not the combat to be accounted rashnesse to lose would bee accounted glorious since the victory of the strongest party redounds to the honour of the weakest To make Mars the authour of sacrilege was to save ones selfe from the severity of man with the mantle of a god even good Princes run often shipwrack upon this rocke either in their owne credulity or in that of their people as being pious or not seeming impious A Tyrant laughes at all which not concernes himselfe he more feares the power of men than of God otherwise he would not endevour to secure himselfe from the one by that crueltie which doth more incense the other Hee delivereth the young woman into the hands of the Priests to be dealt withall according to the severitie of Iustice he commits the Twins to the charge of a subordinate officer with charge to drowne them but he endevoured to give way to fortune for their safegard as also for his own defence he feared that Revenge which oft-times not being able to bee taken against the Master doth vent it selfe against the Officer IT is no wholesome counsell to trust another with the death of one descended of Royall bloud he suffers him to live either