Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	excellent_a	find_v	great_a	421	4	2.1545	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58059	Judgment on Alexander and Cæsar and also on Seneca, Plutarch, and Petronius / translated out of the French.	Rapin, René, 1621-1687.; Dancer, John, fl. 1660-1675.	1672 (1672)	Wing R263; ESTC R21235	18,139	78

Licensed Sept. 17. 1672. Roger L' Estrange JUDGMENT ON Alexander AND Caesar And also on Seneca Plutarch and Petronius Translated out of the French LONDON Printed by A. Maxwell for Jonathan Edwin at the sign of the three Roses in Ludgate-street 1672. JUDGMENT UPON Alexander and Caesar 'T IS a consent almost universal That Alexander and Caesar have been the greatest men of the world and all those who have concerned themselves to judg of them have believed they obliged Conquerors that have come after them by finding some resemblance between their Reputation and their Glory Plutarch after having examined their Nature their Actions their Fortune leaves to us a liberty of deciding which he durst not take Montaigne more bold has declared himself for the first and since the versions of Vaugelas and of D' Ablancour have made these Hero's the Object of all our Converse Every one has taken part with the one or the other according to his inclination or his fancy For my part who have possibly examined their lives with as much curiosity as any one I will not give my self the authoty to judg absolutely But if you will dispense with me to tell you what I think you shall have some Observations I have made of the agreement and difference I find They both had the advantage of great birth Alexander the Son of a considerable King Caesar of one of the chief Families of that Republick whose Citizens esteemed themselves more than Kings It seems the Gods were willing to declare the future greatness of Alexander by Olympia's dream and several other presages his own haughty inclinations from his infancy his jealous tears for the glory of his Father and the judgment of Philip who believed him worthy of a greater Kingdom than his own seconded the advertisement of the Gods Many things of this Nature have been no less remarkable in Caesar Sylla saw in him young as he then was many Marius's He dream't that he lay with his Mother which the Augurs interpreted that the Earth the Common Mother of all men should be submitted to his power He was known to weep looking on the Statue of Alexander that he had yet done nothing in an age wherein that Conqueror had made himself Master of the Universe The Love of Learning was a passion common to both But Alexander every way ambitious was touched with a jealously of superiority in his studies and his chief design for knowledg was to be more knowing than others witness his complaint that Aristotle had published certain secrets which should have been known to him alone he declar'd that he aspired to raise himself above other men no less by Letters than Arms. Having a curious and passionate spirit he pleased himself closely with hidden mysteries and was particularly affected with Poesy There 's none but have heard of the passions he had for Homer and who is ignorant that in favour of Pindar the houses of his Descendants were saved in the ruin of Thebes and general desolation of his Country The spirit of Caesar somewhat less vast reduced Sciences to his use and he seem'd not to have loved learning but for its benefits In the Philosophy of Epicurus which he preferred before all others he principally applyed himself to what regarded man but it appears that Eloquence had his first endeavours as knowing it necessary in the Commonwealth to arrive at the greatest things he pleaded in the Rostra at the death of his Aunt Julia with great applause he accused Dolobella and in the end made that excellent and delicate Oration for saving the lives of those Prisoners taken in Catalines Conspiracy There is left to us nothing that we can assuredly say was Alexanders unless some divine sayings of an excellent and admirable composure which leave with us an impression equal to the greatness of his Soul and the vivacity of his Spirit But the greatest difference I find in their Sentiments is in the matter of Religion For Alexander was devout even to Superstition fering himself to be led away by Augurs and Oracles which besides his natural inclination may be attributed to his ordinary reading the Poets who begot in men a fear of the Gods and did indeed compose all the Theology of those times As for Caesar whether it were his temperament or his having followed the Opinions of Epicucurus he pass'd to the other extremity He expected nothing of the Gods in this life and took little care what might happen in the other Lucan represents him at the siege of Marseillia in a sacred Wood with an Axe in his hand where giving the first blow he muted the Soldiers seized with a secret horror of Religion by words sufficiently impious Salust makes him say That death is the end of all Evils and that beyond it there is neither care nor thought of Joy But men how great soever they be compared one with another are always feeble defective contrary to themselves subject to error or ignorance Caesar was troubled at a dream which presaged him the Empire and laugh'd at that of his Wife which advertised him of his death His life did very well correspond with his faith 't is true 't was moderated indifferently as to voluptuousness but yet he denied himself no pleasure that he affected which gave occasion to Catullus to make so many Epigrams of him and was in fine the cause of that saying That Caesar was the wife of all husbands and the husband of all wives In this case Alexander had great moderation yet he was not insensible Barsinoe and Roxana won his affection nor had he so much continence but that he made use of Bagoas whom Darius had used before The pleasure of feasting so dear to Alexander and wherein he sometimes suffered himself to be carried to excess was indifferent to Caesar Not but that in the time of labour and action Alexander was sober and free from delicacy but in time of repose ease was irksome to him unless he gave life to it by something spritely They were both the one and the other liberal in giving even to profuseness but Caesar with more design and interest his largesses to the people his excessive expences in his Aedilship his presents to Curio were rather corruptions than true liberalities Alexander gave to do good out of the pure greatness of his Soul When he went into Asia he distributed all his desmeans disfurnished himself of all things rereserving nothing but the hopes of conquest or resolution to perish When he beheld himself Master of the East and had no more need of any person he paid the debts of his whole Army Painters Engravers Musicians Poets Philosophers all indigent brave fellows had share in his Magnificence and part in his Glory Not that Caesar was not likewise naturally very liberal but in the design he had to raise himself he was obliged to gain persons necessary and scarce did he behold himself Master of the Empire but it was unfortunately snatcht from him with