Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	degree_n	general_n	great_a	47	3	2.1572	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55355	Memoirs of the Sieur De Pontis who served in the army six and fifty years under King Henry IV, Lewis the XIII, and Lewis the XIV containing many remarkable passages relating to the war, the court, and the government of those princes / faithfully Englished by Charles Cotton.	Pontis, Louis, sieur de, 1583-1670.; Cotton, Charles, 1630-1687.	1694 (1694)	Wing P2807; ESTC R33977	425,463	306

return in all diligence to give notice of it to the Generals and to all the Corps de Guard About two hours after midnight they gave a Faulcon shot from the Town for the signal and the Enemy at the instant sallied out of the Town in so great numbers that instead of attacking the head of the Trench as men commonly do they assaulted it by the Flanks and the Tail and struck so great a terror into all the Guards though prepar'd that they overturn'd all our people one upon another The Regiment of Bourdeaux which lay a little on one side behind us having given way was beaten back upon my Corps de Guard and forc'd me to retire after the best manner I could with part of my men not being able no more than others to stand firm against so many victorious People I had a mind to have rallied with a Captain of our Regiment a very brave man called Bonneuil whose lodgment was advanc'd even to the Graffe of the Town and that had made a little pair of steps of Wood by which he might easily recover the top but being he had neglected to take the advice I had given him to keep a Centinel always there to watch the Souldiers from stealing away the steps to burn I found him dead together with most of his men that having befallen him which I had foretold he not having been able to retire when he wou'd by those steps which he found pull'd to pieces by reason that the Souldiers had carried away most of the Wood to make fires which by the way may make it appear that though it be commonly said that some men are more fortunate than others it may nevertheless often be attributed to the little foresight of the unfortunate sort that sometimes neglect means as easie as important to their preservation The Enemy after having thus clear'd the Trench with all the lodgments there posted themselves with a design to ruin it at which the Duke d' Elbeuf being enraged resolv'd to perish or to drive them thence and indeavouring to inspire the Regiments with the same resolution who had thus lost their Posts What Gentleman said he has the Enemy thus beaten us from our Posts and taken from us in one night what we have been so long in gaining and cannot we do in open day as much as they have done by night For my own part I am resolv'd to drive them out as quickly as they have driven us or to lose my life and will take no longer time than 't is to noon to do it in and I doubt not but every one will follow me since every one is engaged in honor as well as I and ought to be asham'd to outlive such an affront Therefore Gentlemen I have no other Order to give but this that noon being come every one make to his Post either to regain it or there to die This short Speech did so rouze their Spirits and animated every one to that degree that seeing themselves inevitably dishonour'd if they did not follow their General and bravely second his design they effectually did it with so extraordinary vigour and resolution that in spite of the Enemies resistance which was very great they recover'd all their Posts and before night restor'd the Trenches and Works into the same condition that they were before X. During these vigorous attacks and defences Mousieur de Parabelle with six hundred Gentlemen arriv'd in the Camp and Monsieur de la Force approach'd also within two or three Leagues of the Town with four thousand men A Souldier returning late from forrage discover'd the Enemy within half a league of the Camp He gave notice of it and immediately the body of the Army was commanded to that side part of the Guard of the Trench was drawn off and there was only left the old Regiments in which most confidence was repos'd The Enemy either advertiz'd of the thing or having foreseen it took this time to attack the guard of the Trench with so much more advantage as it was so much weaker and withal made the most furious Sally that ever had been made till then I was attackt at the post where I was by an Officer who commanded about fifty men all arm'd from head to foot he came directly up to me with a Tuck he had in his hand with which he gave me a thrust that he run me through and through and did it at the same moment that I fir'd a Pistol which taking the default of his Arms broke his Thigh and made him fall backwards without leaving his Sword nevertheless which he drew out of my body The Souldiers that accompany'd this Officer were so frighted to see him fall that victorious as they were they retir'd above fifty paces which gave me leisure not falling with the thrust as great as it was to crawl along as well as I could supported by a brave Souldier call'd Mutonis to try to get to the bank of the River which being of difficult access by reason of a very steep descent that I must go down to arrive at as it might secure me and save me from being taken creeping thus and leaning upon my poor Souldier a new misfortune befel us that had like to have put us both into despair which was a Musket shot that Mutonis receiv'd in his arm He had then almost as much need of help as I and really it was a very sad sight to see two men so cover'd over with their own blood and both maim'd to have no other help but that of one another For my own part sustaining my self with one hand upon that arm of this Souldier that was not broken I with the other stopt the fore part of my wound from whence issued a great deal of blood It will doubtless appear incredible how in the condition we then were we could attempt to recover the bank of the River to which I have described the access to be so difficult even to sound and vigorous persons But what will not the love of liberty and life make men do And why should it be a wonder that God who determin'd to do us both without comparison much greater graces should bring us off from this as well as several other dangers to guide us to the place he had predestin'd after long wandrings and very crooked ways For he at last withdrew this poor Fellow as well as my self from the Army and inspir'd him to embrace a private and altogether christian life where he meditated nothing but his Salvation in the prospect whereof he desired to become a Chartreux tho they would not admit him by reason of his arm that he remain'd lame of his Musquet shot Being then reduc'd to the inevitable necessity either to be knockt o' th' head by the Enemy or beaten to pieces by the fall we were to have in rowling from the top of the hill to the bottom because we could not go down upright in the condition we were after

you I protest I do not know what you mean pray unfold the mystery and make me understand you Here is Monsieur F. replied I who is present in the room hath commenc'd a Suit against me and maliciously trifles off the Duke of St. Simon and my self about a Donation the King hath been pleas'd to bestow upon us I have obtain'd several Decrees against him both in Parliament and Council but he is an Ecl that always slips through my hands when I think to grasp him If you undertake to defend him Sir as it appears you do by the sollicitations the Marquis your Son has lately made in his behalf against me I know too well that it is in vain for a poor Officer as I am to stand it out and think to carry his point against a Superintendent and if the case be so I had better give up my cause to my Adversay and be quiet I protest to you reply'd Monsieur Deffiat that I did not know it was you that was at Law with Monsieur F. he has surpriz'd me but I will make him know that there is nothing to be got by surprizing men of honour At the same time he call'd him and made but few words but in short took my Gentleman down you have abus'd me said he and surpriz'd me in making me ignorantly sollicit against Monsieur Pontis You owe me Five hundred thousand Livres I declare if you do not pay me within a week I will lay you by the heels He was offering to justify himself but the Gentleman commanded him to withdraw and think of what he had said to him All the Company were extremely pleas'd to see an Excise-man so humbled At the same time he order'd his Son the Marquis to go along with me and undeceive the Judges and to tell them he was sorry he had suffer'd himself to be so surpriz'd and that he had sollicited against a man he lov'd Several of them had receiv'd great Presents and some whole Cart-loads of Orange-trees which when I saw in their Gardens I could not forbear saying in jest to these Gentlemen Oh! what corruption Oh how do I suspect my Cause For God's sake Sir when my concern comes before you do not look upon these Trees for they will be very ominous to me if you do I was advis'd by my Friends to except against one of these Judges because having been my Adversary's Advocate in this very Suit against me he had since by his means obtain'd to be Master of Requests and so all on the sudden from his Council was preferr'd to be his Judge The thing appear'd odio●s enough of it self and a man of any equity at all would never have staid to be excepted against for such a reason But two thousand Crowns pension which he receiv'd from this Commissioner made him proceed against the ordinary Rules of Justice Before I would except against him I had a mind to try what civility would do and accordingly went to see him where I complemented him to this effect I am come Sir said I upon a business that is very just and I think you a man of more equity than not to grant it You know you have formerly pleaded for Mons●eur F. with whom I have a Suit now depending and I do not wonder you have s●●v'd him the best you could for it is the business of an Advocate so to do Nay I have several times commended the Wit Learning and Wisdom that you have shewn upon this occasion You are since made a Master of Requests which Sir is the Reward of your Merit and we must believe that having been so good an Advocate you will prove as good a Judge but pray Sir give me leave to tell you that I conceive the first testimony of your Justice ought to be the refusing to sit as Judge in a Cause where you have been Councel For though I do not doubt your probity yet it would reflect upon your honour to judge him as a Master of Requests whom you have already so severely condemn'd as a Pleader To which he reply'd that if he should wave all the Causes he had been concern'd in he might even as well throw up his place for most of the business had gone through his hands After a long debate finding him resolute and that he would not decline sitting upon this Cause I took my leave And going immediately to the King I told his Majesty the whole story Just as I had done in came Monsieur Sequier Chancellor of France and the King taking him by the Arm said Hark you my Lord Chancellor I have a Question to ask you May an Advocate who hath pleaded against a man and afterwards bought a Judges place be Judge in a Cause of his own pleading The Chancellor look'd a little surpriz'd and answer'd that he did not believe any body would say he might that it was a thing contrary to all Law and all Reason But yet said the King it is what ... pretends to do in Pontis's case here This was enough to engage the Chancellor to promise me Justice and next day he was as good as his word in granting me a Decree forbidding Monsieur De la ... to be present at the Judgment not only of this but of any other Suit that I might hereafter have with the Commissioner aforesaid I deliver'd this Decree to an Usher of the Court to signifie it to this Master of Requests but he had notice of it and being at his wits end to see his design publickly condemn'd by King and Council he immediately apply'd to my best friends to interpose with me that this business might go no farther I gave them a true account of my behaviour in it which they approv'd and told them it was meer necessity made me proceed after that manner so that upon any other account I should be ready to serve him But this business having made a noise and Monsieur De la ... fearing that my access to the King might give me opportunity to do him ill offices as it had been no hard matter to have done indeed had I been of so mean a Spirit he came to me himself not long after and after a great deal of talk which is not necessary to be repeated here he desir'd me at last to go with him to the King and speak in his behalf I went with him in his Coach to St. Germains at the Kings rising and presenting my Judge said Sir Monsieur De la ... upon consideration that I belong to your Majesty will needs be formally reconcil'd to me tho indeed we have never been Enemies but he knowing that your Majesty is pleas'd to do me the honour to allow me about your person will out of an extraordinary generosity use my mediation to beseech your Majesty to forget what has past between us seeing I have forgot it with all my heart Had I known him for the generous person he is I should have proceeded in another way as I

He did me the honour to talk after this free manner and we lookt as if there had been a sort of friendly contest between us he still upon the attack and I upon the defensive part At last finding his questions were so often repeated to no purpose and that I stood my ground he said Since I would not satisfy his questions he would not satisfy me why he sent for me But bids me go from him to Monsieur Noyers and he should tell me commanding one of the Pages of his Chamber whose name was la Grise to go with me to Monsieur Noyers lodgings XX. This mighty earnestness of the Cardinal 's to know what kept me behind at Paris cost me a great many reflections I had no intimation yet of my Letter that I wrote upon this account being got into his hands and I fancied all his uneasiness might proceed from an accident some time before which made him very jealous of me Being one day with the King his Majesty beckned me after him into the Wardrobe It was a place where I never had been and so did not presume to follow him But he ordered the Gentleman Usher to call me in Then sitting down very thoughtful upon a Chest he began to ask me What was the meaning that all the Captains to whom he had given Commissions had quite forsaken him and that scarce any of them gave any attendance about his person I made the best excuse I could for them telling the King in general that the old Officers were quite wo●n out with hardships and wars and no longer capable of doing the business of their places several had lost their limbs and were maimed in the service and some perhaps might be weary with the fatigue of the Army The King replyed and asked me more particularly What should be the reason that such a man naming him left his service and was gone off to the Cardinal 's I said to him freely and without any hesitation He could be no great gainer by the change that left the Master and put himself under the Servant These were my own words and such as I am sure the King was well●pleased to hear This poor Prince then began to reckon upon his fingers the persons that had deserted him lamenting in some measure his own misfortune And I must needs say tho I tryed to excuse them as well as I could yet I was much affected to see so great a Monarch abandoned by the greatest part of his own Servants and could not but be amazed considering the honour and affection I bore him how any body could betray so poor a spirit as to prefer the service of a Subject before his though that Subject were never so great He seem'd to me to be extremely pensive and uneasy all the time we were together turning the discourse perpetually from one subject to another sometimes sitting quite mute and sometimes asking some foreign questions so that knowing that he did not use to talk at this loose rembling rate I concluded something lay heavy upon his mind which he was loth to declare though he would have been glad if I could by degrees have stumbled upon it For the King having at that time a great design in agitation against Cardinal Richelieu there was reason to imagine he had a mind to intrust me with some secret relating to that matter But it happened that our discourse was interrupted all on a sudden by Count Nogent who peep'd either through a crack in the door or the Key-hole which the King perceiving asked if any body were there Then Count Nogent scratching at the door the King in a surprize rose up so hastily that he had almost beat me backward discove●ing by his behaviour that he was concern'd at our being found together in that place As soon as Monsieur Nogent was come in he told the King the Cardinal had sent him to know whither his Majesty intended to stay within because his Eminence would wait on him The King said the Cardinal should be very welcome Afterwards this Count asked me privately what the King was talking of with so much vehemence and gesture giving me to understand that he suspected something from our discourse I confess I had a great mind to check his curiosity and tell him he meddled with what did not concern him But fearing a man of that interest with the Cardinal I only answered That the King as he used to do talked several things about the Armies the Souldiers and the Officers He suspected this to be no better than a put off and replyed That there was something else in the wind And when he came back to the Cardinal he raised some jealousies of me telling him he found me alone with the King in the Wardrobe and that his Majesty had committed some secret of consequence to me XXI This private and familiar conference with the King it was that I imagined the Cardinal had a mind by degrees to get out of me when I waited him upon the occasion before mentioned When the Cardinal's Page had brought me to Monsieur Noyers his lodging his Eminences Livery made me way through all the crowd that waited to be admitted Every one made me room in respect to the Page that introduced me And going with him directly up to Monsieur Noyers his Chamber after our first compliments when he understood the Cardinal had sent me to him he took me with him into his Closet There he began to put the same questions the Cardinal had done before asking me over and over again Why I did not go with the King to Perpignan I found presently that this was a thing agreed between the Cardinal and Monsieur Noyers and that I had reason to think they had some private intelligence of the business I thought it the idlest thing in nature to ask me so many times the reason of a thing which they knew better than I and if I durst have been so bold could almost have found in my heart to be downright angry But I considered who I spoke to and kept within bounds for fear of the Cardinal and stuck close to the answer I had made his Eminence That having been served with an order from the King signed by Monsieur Noyers himself not to stir out of Paris he must have been the first that would have condemned me if I had gone Still he turn'd and wound me about a hundred several ways in hopes to make some discovery from me But when he saw me proof against all his cross questions after a great deal of this discourse he reacht a File of papers that lay upon his Table and drew off that fatal Letter written to Mr. Vitremont concerning the King's Journey and full of reflections upon the Cardinal and giving it into my hand said Look upon that Letter a little see if you know your hand and seal again No tongue can express the confusion I was in when this Letter was produc'd against me which I could