Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	body_n	life_n	power_n	6,331	5	4.8831	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20436	A short introduction for to learne to swimme. Gathered out of Master Digbies Booke of the Art of Swimming. And translated into English for the better instruction of those who vnderstand not the Latine tongue. By Christofer Middleton; De arte natandi libri duo. Adaptation. English	Digby, Everard, Sir, 1578-1606.; Middleton, Christopher, 1560?-1628.	1595 (1595)	STC 6840; ESTC S111665	10,834	80

the webs of his feete swimmeth not so easily as a Duck which is more melancholy and heauy by nature according to the disposition of Saturne Man swimmeth by nature THe Fishes in the Sea whose continuall life is spent in the water in them dooth no man denie swimming to be the onely gift which Nature hath bestowed vpon them and shall wee thinke it then artificiall in a man which in it dooth by many degrees excell them as dyuing downe to the bottoms of the deepest waters and fetching from thence whatsoeuer is there sunck downe transporting things to and fro at his pleasure sitting tumbling leaping walking and at his ease perfourmeth many fine feates in the water which far exceeds the naturall gifts bestowed on Fishes nay so fit is the constitution of mans body that who so dooth but with himselfe throughly consider of it cannot but accord with mee in thys that a man of all creatures vnder the circumference of heauen naturally excelleth in swimming As for example a shaft shotte in the water when it riseth againe hangeth perpendicularly downeward with the head and the vpper parts and feathers swim aboue the water euen so is it with a man who although the lower parts of his body be earthly aud heauy yet aboue is the life of liues the vitall spyrits the externall internall scences to be short the life spirits of euery man exceedeth the liues of all Beasts for that they only retayne the vigitable and sensuall powers the one whereby they grow and increase and the other whereby they heare feele see smell and taste But in man is all these whose least part exceedeth the greatest quantity of the other in the highest degrée a reasonable soule so y t hee hath not onely in great measure the other helpes which Nature hath prouided for this purpose but he hath wisdome by Arte to perfect that in himselfe which by nature is left vnperfect and hauing plaine rules of Arte howe by motion to keepe vp the heauy parts of his body which by reason of theyr heauines are naturally carried downe it cannot otherwise be but that swimming must naturally come to a man and in swimming he must excell all creatures whatsoeuer But for some will obiect that if swimming were so naturall a thing to a man then should not so many perish in the water to these in a word I thus answere that men who haue not had some practise in it afore when by any sinister occasion they fall into the water the discreet vse of their sences is taken away by a suddaine feare and so vnorderly labouring in the water they by the indirect moouing of their bodyes pull downe themselues vnder the water and so are drowned which to auoyde I leaue it to euery seuerall mans consideration how necessarie a thing this Art of Swimming is Of the place and time to swimme OF all the circumstances which the Authour of this our Art hath in his first booke learnedly set down as necessarie antecedents before he enter into the practise it selfe I hold these two sufficient for the vnlearned sort to knowe time and place and leaue the rest to their wise cōsiderations which are able throughly to vnderstand the Latine tongue The time which the temperature of this our clymate affords as good to swimme in is comprehended in foure monethes May Iune Iuly and August for that in these monethes the Sunne drawing nearer vnto our Zenith his beames falling more directly downe vpon the superficies of this earth make a greater reflection and thence commeth a more vehement heate which dooth temperate the water and make wholsome the ayre The winde and weather ought also in these moneths to be regarded especially of those whose weake constitution is not so able to endure the cold as others of a stronger composition of bodie The windes that are most vnwholsome and daungerous to swimme in is the East and North for that blowing from cold and drie places they bring diuers and sundrie discommodities The weather that is to be eschewed is rayne for these considerations the droppes doe trouble the superficies of the water hurteth the bodie disturbeth the eyes and lastly drayning from the bancks into the Riuer bringeth also with it whatsoeuer dunge strawe leaues and what filth or vnwholsome things else doe lie neare adioyning vnto the place In the place is two things especially to be respected first that the bancks bee not ouergrowen with ranck thicke grasse where oft-times doe lie and lurke many stinging Serpents and poysoned Toades not full of thornes bryers stubbes or thistles which may offend the bare feete but that the grasse be short thinne and greene the bancke beset with shadie trees which may be a shelter from the winde and a shadowe from the parching heate of the Sunne Next that the water it selfe bee cleare not troubled with any kinde of slymie filth which is very infectious to the skinne that the breadth depth and length therof be sufficiently knowne that it be not muddie at the bottome least by much treading the filth rising vp frō the bottome thicken the water and so make it vnfitte for that purpose Also that there be not in the bottome of the Riuer any olde stakes or sharpe stones which may greatly indaunger the Swimmer but that it be a cleare running water not a standing corrupted poole the bottome faire sande where from the bancks may easily be perceaued whatsoeuer doth lye in the deepest place of the Riuer Which tyme and place according to these rules and directions when he hath fitly selected let him asociate himselfe with some one that is taller and stronger then himselfe which may both comfort him and helpe to sustaine him for that at the first enterance the chilnes of the water will greatly discomfort him as also he may thereby be better directed where the water is deepe and where it is shallowe But if so be that he for any extraordinarie occasion or other reason whatsoeuer rather delight to be alone then thus let him take a longe rod like vnto an angle and vpon the end thereof hange in a long small corde a plummet of lead wherewith hee may standing vpon the bancke sound euery place of the water and if he cannot reach the further side with his pole boldlie venturing so far into the water as by this direction he hath experienced he may reach further and further vntill he hath tried it all which if he finde correspondent in euery point to the rules before rehearsed and that there be not any suddaine or plum falling downe into any great holes which exceede his owne height nor any whirlpooles as we call them or kinde of swift or violent streames that may forcely carry him away let him there practise according to these rules following and venture not into any other vnknown place vntill hee be a perfect practisioner in this Art Thus much for the time place For the maner of his going into the Riuer it must not be sweating a thing