Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	apt_a	argument_n	good_a	25	3	2.1572	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16309	Nero Cæsar, or Monarchie depraued An historicall worke. Dedicated, with leaue, to the Duke of Buckingham, Lord Admirall. By the translator of Lucius Florus.	Bolton, Edmund, 1575?-1633?; Delaram, Francis, 1589 or 90-1627, engraver.	1624 (1624)	STC 3221; ESTC S107099	147,362	336

or ends of their owne few or none of the mightie lead onward to the remoue of an euill for common reliefe Therefore after BOADICIA was once enraged other causes were diligently sought to drawe and encrease a side for enabling her particular reuenge The names of libertie and reformation are the vsuall maskes of faction and libertie it selfe after a short while is rarely any-where lesse then vnder the new lords rule Things fit for all times and nations to consider lest too late they finde true The vniustest peace is to bee preferred before the iustest warr BOADICIA notwithstanding liues a name of glory among the fewest for the great nobilitie of her pretenses and the most roial qualitie of her vndertakings such as neuer any lady waged higher CHAP. XXVI ONE OF THE PRETORS IN ROME GVILTY OF An Heynous Libell AGAINST NERO. FREE TOVCHES VPON THAT OCCASION CONCERNING Libells AND THEIR Authors OTher sicknesses of the time brought forth a case at ROME the next yeare after the troubles in BRITAIN which for that it hath most neare affinitie with the ranck and odious licenciousnesse of some in our own age deserues in a prime degree to be exemplified ANTISTIVS SOSIANVS who for his birth might haue had better manners and for his place ought as being a magistrate of honour and a senatour composed in his owne house a railing inuectiue against NERO and divulged it in anothers For at a famous supper with OSTORIVS SCAPVLA the generous sonne of that great OSTORIVS SCAPVLA who died in BRITAIN the intemperate gallant among his bits and cups did openly read the defamatorie verses But the auditorie was not staunch enough for the fame soaking through arriued soone at CAESARS eares The senate was hereupon acquainted with the man and matter as the proper auengers of their princes iniurie This ANTISTIVS take him as he was in himselfe had nothing of a discreet or honest man which fully qualified him for the writing of libels It is worth the labour to scanne him all ouer Hee was therefore in his first times a factious friend of immodest and idle quarrels euen so farre forth as to engage his magistracies power for their maintenance For whereas VIBVLLIVS a graue and honourable officer of state in the second CONSVLS of NERO by vertue of his pretorship had cast certaine persons into prison for seditious partakings about common players the matter oftentimes of much offence ANTISTIVS attempted to free them by authoritie of his countermand as he was a tribune of the people of ROME But VIBVLLIVS carried the cause and the other the blame by the voice of the Senate Afterwards when himselfe came to be a pretor and encrease of dignitie should haue encreased his grauitie he despising his proper happinesse and station and madlie supposing that neither any argument time nor person was exempted from the licence of his wit a phrensie of false glory vndid himselfe and endangered others A most headlong medler apt for mischiefe and of an iniurious spirit For the Prince though being NERO'S selfe was neither at the worst nor had in particular giuen him any cause of spleene and CAESARS reformation could not any way belong to him who was himselfe so farre out of all good order They who are cleare ought to be spare in reprouals but the foule should euermore be silent The sentence that I meane which was executed vpon him for this fact tooke his honour estate and liberty away And of this milder doome PAETVS THRASEA the wonder of his time for morall life was the leading author For others would haue also had him put to death after the most smarting and ignominious manner But whom prosperitie made vnreuerent to her blessings aduersity perhaps recouered to soundnesse and himselfe Nothing lesse For in his banishment that was a branch of the censure hee bewrayed the truth of a libellours nature playing parts when hee thought they would serue his turne most abiect false and base CORNELIVS TACITVS with a penne which prints deeper then the hottest fearing-yrons hath branded them in vpon him for euer nor doth that pondrous author temper himselfe from calling him vile Among two-footed beasts it is hard to say whither a delator or a libellour be worst And it is not an ordinarie infelicitie to bee in company where such mis-behauiours happen OSTORIVS SCAPVLA therefore the maister of that vnluckie feast willing all hee could to preserue that sacred obliuion vnder which faire conuersation locks vp table-talke gaue in for euidence that hee heard nothing And most happie had it beene for that magnanimous and valiant gentleman if in the voider the memorie of those heinous lines had beene also corapped-vp For the libellour should then haue afterwards mist the meanes to ruine him and others by counterfeit friendship trecherous interception of doubtfull secrets mischieuous pilferie of papers and their poisnous enforcements Of all which as ANTISTIVS was most guiltie so it did consummate his shame For to the rest of his bad qualities it added the foulest and the summe of all that hee was ingratefull Thus much for the person of ANTISTIVS in whom wee vndoubtedly behold the image of his fellow-libellours or priuie true speakers of scandalous things against maiestie with treasonable ends and not in sorrow for the publicke or as a friend of vertue The office of a soueraigne is sacred his person for his offices sake and though his vices bee not more exempted from hatred then from view yet euen the worst would haue them hidden This accordingly was the endeuour and desire of NERO who when he was afterwards most infamous did hope notwithstanding that what hee did shamefull in the night the darkenesse of night in fauour of the proper workes of it self would fully couer Therefore when hee found by the codicils of PETRONIVS that his lasciuious secrets which hee till then did suppose lay hidden were detected SOSIA was banisht as the pipe by which they were conveigh'd from CAESARS chamber thither Nor could it but add to the crime of ANTISTIVS that the seuere PAETVS THRASEA spake very much honour of NERO before he deliuered his opinion in abatement of the libellours punishment and stiled NERO a right worthy Prince for all this while was SENECA about him It is good for the world that there should be some sharpe declamers against vices in abstract or in generall The defamatorie noting of persons is not to bee permitted but onely to the magistrate Take mutuall reuerence away and you lift the world from off the hindges And it was no new prouision which the emperours VALENTINIAN and VALENS ordained but the interpretation of an old when they signified by their rescript that not onely to compose and divulge a defamatorie libell against any honest subiect of the empire but meerely to publish the contents though they destroyd the originall was by them declared felonie And truely if honour bee worthily more pretious then life the touch whereof whether true or false is the common ground of bloudie duells can