Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	word_n	world_n	write_v	1,079	4	5.2206	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B12220	Essayes or rather, Encomions prayses of sadnesse: and of the emperour Iulian the Apostata. By Sir William Cornewallis, the younger knight.	Cornwallis, William, Sir, d. 1631?	1616 (1616)	STC 5778; ESTC S105079	38,445	91

the Caesars I Desire to haue the picture of famous men by mine eare not mine eye I preferre the Historian before the Painter I get nothing by the fashion of his face but by the knowledge of his life the pen is the best pensell which drawes the mind the other that tells you the stature and proportion of the body may delight not profit giue me therfore their works if writers if not their liues written by others thus thinke I of bookes the issue of our minds all which are not without some profit for there is no soule altogether barren but especially those that are able and doe write in earnest those binde the whole world to them for they dissolue their spirits to make theirs more precious and by the helpe of time haue made that excellent cordiall that the soule disgesting may recouer and bee preserued against our naturall disease ignorance I sucked not long enough of my Schoole-master to proue a Commentor The Authors digression of himselfe I cannot fetch words from their swadling bands nor make them interpret the quality of the things knowne by them I tract them not nor set a brand of them when I meete them nor compare the words of one Author with another if I can make ioyning worke of the matter I goe contented for I worke not for words and thus nature hath framed me I will not goe to surgery for an alteration for me thinkes it becomes a gentle spirit well to leaue the drosse and fly to the matter he writes not vnder the hard restraint of feare or gaine but gallantly giues the World the trauels of his minde and it is gallantly for a Mercinary liberallist is in little better state then a Renegado let him then that courts his censurers with sweet titles for feare of bitternesse or him that sends his booke of a voyage in hope of gaine tend this cutting vp words and such stuffe but he that writes so purely as to want these let him run into things of worth and fetch secrets out of the entrals of actions I haue read History but they seldome doe any more then make the times confesse some vpon History most simple some better others dangerous but this Dialogue hath of the vertue of both and little of their idlenes full of excellent obseruation and withal quick so wel did the stomak of mine vnderstanding like it that she boyled longer then ordinary here is the digestion It is not my maner to be busie about the maner of the feast the place nor other circumstances let it suffice the Author makes Romulus inuite his successours to a feast at whose entrance Sylenus Iupiters buffone hits them where they were left vnarmed by Vertue I promise neither method nor antiquitie but after my fashion thus Iulius Caesars entrance First Iulius Caesar enters of whom Sylenus bids Iupiter beware lest he plots his deposing for hee is sayth hee great and fayre thus dangerous is the neighbour-hood of Ambition Caesars ambition for all other affections that are wont to maintaine amity are not here for Ambition loues nothing but it selfe nor pitties nor regards so both commending his reason and passion to bee slaues to this humour is good onely for that to all other dangerous Besides the humour he had two instruments belonging to it he was great and faire alas what account should we make of our reason since she suffereth the vainest occasions to beget the seriousest purposes Is it not pitifull that Valour should be beholding to the Drumme and Trumpet and flying of the colours and the glittering of Armour Yet is it and I thinke few spirits but amongst the rest haue found these the inflamer of courage no lesse absurd is the election of a Magistrate by his beautie Not good to elect a Magistrate for his beauty yet is it common for that Whorish affection to preuaile the which rank'd with this greatnesse ouercomming sufficiency when men whose euidence lyeth in their titles shall possesse places where wisedome is behoueful patrias laudes sentiat esse suas Of al which there is to be noted the basenesse of our choyce the sluggishnesse of our reason for not forbidding the banes And lastly how they throw themselues into the hands of Fortune with managing these high things so basely In the description of Octauius entrance Octauius entrance I note Poetries power he makes him appeare in diuers colours which me thinks His Poetry and Policie doth here more handsomely then the plaine truth for it had not bin so fit to haue sayd Policy sutes his forme like the occasion and alters as it alters of him Sylenus Papae quam varium hoc animal such must be policy for his trade is with the diuers dispositions of man and according to them must be diuers Then Tiberius with a graue cruel countenance Tiberius entrance who he after paints full of scarres and scabbes as testimonies of his tyranny and intemperance to whom Sylenus Longe alius mihi nunc quam ante videres His tyranny and intemperance But me thinkes his Verse is not rightly applyed for Tyrants are euer deformed mary feare in their liues makes it inward after their deaths apparant thus pretily doth time mock mortality first tying one partie and suffering the other to beate them then the losed tyed and the tyed losed thus tyranny and subiection tyranny as long as it lasts buffets his vnderlings but death at last giues the loser a time of reuenge when he woundeth their memories without feare or danger After Silenus assaults his abominable life in the Iland Caprea in no life doe the blemishes of life appeare so visibly as in Princes whose height and power as it may do much so is it most obserued I wonder hee lets him scape for Seianus his doting vpon whom was much more impardonable then the simple Claudius because the former professed craft the other alwaies gouerned by smocks and slaues At Claudius entrance Claudius entrance he repeats a Comedy and after complaines of Romulus for suffering him to come without Nacissus His committing his affaires to others Palantus and his wife Messalina thus it happens with them that beare the names of great places and lay their execution vpon others thus with them that are so tender hearted as to bee led by others thus haue I often obserued seruile conditions to vndermine their masters there being great losse in granting to the will of intercessors for the gift is theirs the thanks anothers wherefore it is the duty of discretiō to reserue to themselues the occasion of importance and he that giueth to be vnknown himselfe to him that he giues Now comes Nero and his harpe Neroes entrance delighting with playing on the harpe nothing is so fast tyed to vs as our faults we are neuer mentioned without them they hackney our names to death and neuer leaue spurring them till they haue killed them This man saith Silenus imitates Apollo