Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	break_a	heart_n	sacrifice_n	5,353	5	8.6130	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A82335	The prodigal returned to Scotland, or, A letter, written by a gentleman, to his friend at Montrose wherein he represents, the lover's warfare, the vanity of reposing confidence in rich friends, a short historie of his own misfortunes, the desireableness of conversation, and lastly, the true character of magnanimity, and a noble ambition, and the uncertainty and contempt of riches.	Dempster, George, of Kirktounhill.	1700 (1700)	Wing D984; ESTC R212963	16,422	24

stored with great Plenty of Earthly Blessings and a Number of Opulent Friends and cannot purchase the Object of your desires neither by Moyon Civility nor Love let the Flame of your Fancy decay Moderatly as at first it took Vivacity and let nothing here below be able to Crush or dampt your Spirit Proverbs 17 Ch. 22 Verse A merry Heart doth good like a Medecine but a broaken Spirit dryeth the Bones But other means and Methods might be Exerced which probably might take effect and influence the Heart of a Generous Lady to be Reciprocally Loving such as Fluent Oratory whereby Vlisses was preferred to Ajax or by paying continual sacrifices for her at the Altar in our Devotions For who knoweth but GOD would hear our Prayers Th● Romans were al 's Famous for their Eloquence as for their Conduct in W●r and Arms and overcame their Enemies al 's freq●ently by their Tongues as with their Swords Their Generals Orations were so perswasive and had so great influence upon them very frequently That they enflamed their Armies with a desire and hope of Victory and made them attack their Enemies with greatest Rosolution But ah now in our Degenerate Age when Literature and common principles of Magnanimity and Vertue are like to be quite rooted out by-supine negligence or ignorance I know not how an aspiring Spirit can raise himself to preferment when cloged with the want of a Competent Patrimony whereby he might Cultivate his genius and aim at good things For as the Poet Juvenal Expresses it Virtutibus obstat Res angusta Domi So many good Spirits are either lost for want of Education Or if they have the Fortune to attain to some smatter of Learning they must stop there either because Providence layes it not in their way to come by better by reason of the obscurity of their Birth which is commonly attended with Poverty or that if they have Friends or Bretheren al 's capable to serve them as Joseph was to serve and relieve his Bretheren yet such a Veneration or rather Adoration they have to the perishing Riches of this World that they cannot get their hearts which are glewed thereto separate from them or perswade them to part with any thing though it would both preserve the duration and grandure of their own Names and probably raise their necessitous Friend both to Honour and Preferment Dearest Familiar I could make an apposite Application of this to my own Friends and Relations who if they had smiled upon me as Joseph did upon his Bretheren or as the Father of the Prodigal Child I would not have had ground to be emulous of or envy any Man's happiness in your City But Blessed be GOD I have been wonderfully provided for from my Birth by the wise hand of Providence and particularly from the beginning of the late Revolution in the year 1689 at which time my dearest Parent was neceffi●at to give over his Charge of the Ministry b●ing then misfortunatly trvsted to Preach and live in the West where the Clergy were first Thurst out and met with the first burnt of Persecution In the year 1690 I applyed my self to my Studies and entered the Colledge of Edinburgh where I continued with al 's much Approbation I may say it without vanity as any one of my Rank or Character could expect untill February 1696 And I wanted not good occasions for improving my self it being my good Fortune to have my converse and private Application of my Studies with two Learned Men who were my Regents Viz. Mr. L. D. and Mr. Alexander C. to whom I ow all the Learning I have nay Life it self For when my Relations at Montrose would not be at the pains to breed me a Merchant for which I ow them very many thanks who like Joseph's Bretheren designing my hurt have done me good Mr. L D took me by the hand and keept me at the Colledge may the Heavens reward him for it But as a Ship at Sea when all her Sails are aloft in a great storm despises to be managed either by the Prudence of of her Mariners or their Prayers unless almighty prividence order it So I by the unexpected death of my Parent who dyed at Edinburgh in January 1694 being left to the Propensity of my own inclinations and my nearest Relations upon several Addresses made to them for their Counsel and Advice and not for their means not having honoured me with any return Yea and when I came North to visite them they not having any due and Christian regaird to my then present Circumstances I did upon the 22d of January 1696 when I wanted but two Moneths to compleat my Course at the Colledge take my Voyage for Flanders where I continued only for 9 Months the Country Air not suiting my Nature and Disposition This I confess was the greatest piece of folly That my Relations can upbraid me with and although my inclinations did not lead me to have followed this present Government if I had prosecuted my Studies and that all the Prodigality I had committed was but the mispending of these 9 Moneths and not any Patrimony Yet such was the displeasur● they had conceived against me for it or at least they made this pretext perhaps of purpose to keep in their pious affection and Kindness which I as their Relation might have expected or which might have prevailed with and influenced them to be generous That my two Patrui were pleased to say and Express themselves thus Charitably to others who were imployed by me to interceed for me My Uncle Mr. J●hn ●he Divine who should have had a greater R●spect ●o Acts of Charity and been zealous and forward for my further Adv●ncem●nt in Lit●●ature was pleased to signifi● his kindness some two three years before I went from the Colle●ge by the following words Viz That he wo●ld not Contribute the 19 part of a farthing for my Prosecution of my Studies although the p●ecedent year both he and his B●other Alexander at Montrose desired me to inform Commissar Wiseheart my Mother Brother that they were content yearly to bestow a Guinie for that effect What encouragment then had I to follow them if the consideration of my Circumstances had not induced me to it And at my return from Flanders meer necessity rather than choice ob●iged me to come to them to see what they would bestow or if they w uld smile upon me the Prodigal But I found them of another T●m●er and of a quite different Disposition with that of Joseph's or the Prodigal's Father for having but stayed but one night in my Uncle Mr. John's House at Monufuith although he knew perfectly well I wanted whereupon to subsist He upon the Morrow al 's earnestly as a Prince would expell an Hostile Enemy out of his Dominions sent me a pa●king without so much as a kiss of his hand But any indifferent Person reading this may be will be apt to say in his Defence That he did this not