Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A08011
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Strange newes, of the intercepting certaine letters, and a conuoy of verses, as they were going priuilie to victuall the Low Countries. By Tho. Nashe Gentleman
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Nash, Thomas, 1567-1601.
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1592
(1592)
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STC 18377A; ESTC S110072
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50,549
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94
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brothers reputation I had neuer medled with thee if thou hadst not leand too much to an olde wall when thou pluckst Tullie out of a wall the damnation of this Iest had bin yet vnbegotten He that hath born saile in two tempests of shame makes a sport of shippe-wracke of good name euer after The wall of the welfare of Fraunce that is started from her King her true foundation thy writinges more wretched than France would faine cleaue vnto if they could tell how and count it a felicity to haue the oportunitie of so heroicall an argument God helpe Alexander if hee haue no other Poet to emblazon his atchieuements but Cherillus High resolued Earle of Essex and vertuous Sir Iohn Norris Englands champions enuied tranquilities confidence vnworthy are your aduentures Iliades to bee reported by such a ragged reede as the iarring Pipe of this Batillus The Portugals Frenchmens feare will lend your Honors richer ornaments than his low-flighted affection fortunes summer folower can frame them The seale that I set to your vertues be silence the argument of prayse is vnauthorized in any mans mouth but olde age VVhen the better parte of youthes feruence is boyld away and that the showres of many sorrowes haue seasond our greene heads with experience with the wither-fac'd weather-beaten Mariner that talks quaking and shudderingly of a storme that hee hath newly toyld through our wordes will bee written in our visage Euen as the sunne so no science shines in his compleate glory till it be ready to decline These be the conclusions that gray hairs prune cut downe the prosperitie of yong yeares with as fast as it aspires but let the seare Oake looke himselfe in the glasse of truth and he shal find that Methusalems blessing is imbecillitie bestowed on any creature but the Foxe who neuer is a right Foxe till he be ripe for the dunghill If my stile holde on this sober Mules pace but a sheete or two further I shall haue a long beard lyke an Irish mantle droppe out of my mouth before I be aware Marry God â—orfend for at no hand can I endure to haue my cheeks muffled vp in furre like a Muscouian or weare any of this VVelch freeze on my face O it is a miserable thing to dresse haire like towe twixt a mans teeth when one cannot drinke but hee must thrust a great spunge into the cup so cleanse his coole porridge as it were through a strayner ere it comes to his lippes This second Epistle I haue said prettily well too I thinke we were best begin THIRDLY VVHEREAS for feare a volume steale vpon vs vnlookt for The Arrainment and Execution of the third Letter To euerie Reader fauourably or indifferently affected TEXT stand to the Barre Peace there belowe Albeit for these twelue or thirteene yeares no man hath beene more loath or more scrupulous than my selfe c. The body of mee hee begins like a proclamation sufficeth it wee knowe you your minde though you say no more Is not this your drift you would haue the worlde suppose you were vrgde to that which proceeded of your owne good nature like some that will seeme to bee intreated to take a high place of preferment vppon them which priuilie before they haue prayde and payde for and put all their strength to clymbe vp to You would foist in non causam pro causa haue it thought your flight from your olde companions obscuritie and silence was onely with Aeneas to carry your Father on your backe through the fire of slaunder and by that shift with a false plea of patience vniustly driuen from his kingdome filch away the harts of the Queenes liege people The backe of those creple excuses I haue broke in the beginning oâ— my booke if you haue anie new infâ—ingement to destitute the inditement of forgerie that I bring against you so it is Heere enters Argumentum a testimonio humano like Tamberlaine drawne in a Chaâ—iot by foure Kings I THAT IN MY YOVTH FLATTERD NOT MY SELFE VVITH THE EXCEEDING COMMENDATION OF THE GREATEST SCHOLLER IN THE VVORLD c. Ille ego qui quondam gracili modulatus auena Ah neighbourhood neighbourhood dead and buried aâ—t thou with Robinhood a poore creature here is faine to commend himselfe for want of friendes to speake for him Not the least but the greatest Schollers in the VVORLD haue not only but exceedingly fedde him fat in his humor of Braggadochio Glorioso Yea Spencer him hath often Homer tearmd And Mounsier Bodkin vowd as much as he Yet cares not Nashe for him a halfe peny Lamentable lamentable that an indifferent vntoward ciuill Lawyer who hath read Plutarch Devtilitate capienda ab inimicis can talke of Titius and Semprouius shou'd be no more set by but SET BY thrust aside while his betters carry the bredth of the street before them Misery will humble the haughtiest heart in the world Habemus reum confuenteÌ„ he confesseth himself a sinner in vnsufficiency yet for all that the adueâ—siâ—ie of vniuersall obloquy hath laide a heauie hande on him still he retaineth like conceald land some part of his proud mind in a beggers purse scorneth to say Fortune my foe or aske a good word for Gods sake of anie man In the plainnesse of his puft vp nature he will defie anie man that dare accuse him of that he is VVhy why infractissime PISTLEPRAGMOS though you were yong in yeares fresh in courage greene in experience and ouer-weaning in conceipt we will refuse nothing that you giue vs when you priuately wrote the letters that afterward by no other but your selfe were publiquely diuulged yet when the bladder is burst that held you vp swimming in selfe loue you must not be discontented though you sink I haue toucht the vlcer of your Oratourship in requiting the nick-name of The Deuils Oratour An Vlcer you may well christen it as an vlcer is a swelling for it was a swelling of ambition no modest petition of anie merit of yours that did craue it The olde Foxe Doctour Perne throughly discouered you for a yoong Foppe or else halfe a word of our high Chauncelors commendation had stood with him inuiolable as an Act of Parlament Great men in writing to those they are acquainted with haue priuie watch-words of denyal euen in the highest degree of praising they haue many followers whose dutifull seruice must not bee disgrac'd with a bitter repulse in anie suite though vnlawfull It may bee some of these long deseruers of his followers labourd him for thee hee like Argus hauing eyes that pierce into all estates saw thee when thou wert vnseene of thy selfe and knowing thee to bee vnworthy of any place of worth would not discountenance his men in so smal a matter but writ for thee very vehemently outwardly when the soule of his letter into which thy shallowe braine could not descend included thy vtter mislike Yong bloud is hot youth hastie ingenuitie open abuse impatient choller stomachous temptations busie In a word the Gentleman was vext and cutte his bridle for verie anger The tickling and stirring inuectiue vaine the puffing and swelling Satiricall spirit came