Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	ability_n	enjoy_v	great_a	18	3	2.0729	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56585	Travels thro' Germany, Bohemia, Swisserland, Holland, and other parts of Europe describing the most considerable citys and the palaces of princes : together with historical relations and critical observations upon ancient medals and inscriptions / by Charles Patin ; made English and illustrated with copper cuts and a map.	Patin, Charles, 1633-1693.	1696 (1696)	Wing P721; ESTC R25578	112,677	496

who make a Collection of Ages and discover the most secret Recesses of Nature to get Satisfaction and for their more noble Employment who seek for Truth in its very Origine and are addicted to those sorts of Charms and Beauties which proceed from a more skilful Hand than that of Art who by their choice of the best Things that are in the World do as it were create a new one for themselves who know how to unite the Mind and the Senses in the harmonious Enjoyment of the same Pleasures and to bring 'em to a perfect Association by giving Eyes to the Understanding and Understanding to the Eyes This is the Nature of Curiosity which is neither that Inclination for Trifles and Things of very little moment and serve only to amuse our Minds nor that impetuous Torrent of Luxury that swallows up Riches It has a greater Elevation than the former and less vehemency than the other with a Perspicuity and discerning Faculty that belongs to neither Upon the whole this Passion is altogether Divine which has inspir'd the Arts and Sciences which has adorn'd the Earth which has open'd the Roads of the Ocean and lastly which has so conveniently lodg'd us in this sublunary World In Republicks and Empires Curiosity has been observ'd to encrease with Power as if the Ambition of Heroes had labour'd only for the Enjoyment of Her as the chief Prize Victory my Lord never had a greater share in Triumphs than Curiosity which was usually there set off to the best advantage as the sweetest Fruit of Glory Then the most renowned Personages after the Fatigues of War were wont to employ themselves during the leisure of Peace in the performance of Enterprizes to the undertaking of which they were excited by Curiosity Finally those Temples those Pyramids those Amphitheatres those Columns that will never fall to ruin but with the Universe those Triumphal Arches consecrated to Eternity those Aqueducts that Causey 300 Leagues long which makes the Road from the Alps to Calabria those Banks that force the Sea even at this day the firmness and prodigious Mass of which might appear to our sight as the Work of the Almighty Power were we not otherwise inform'd in History are all the magnificent Productions of Curiosity But if I ever had any Veneration for this Virtue it ought to be more especially conspicuous in this most happy Conjuncture in which she has set me before your Highness and supply'd me with Matter proper for the composing of a Letter to be presented to so noble and so judicious a Personage The very diversity of Judgments and Opinions has its usefulness among Men For it animates and stirs up the Mind to a search after Truth and clears it from heaviness by keeping it in action It introduces all those different manners of Living that appear so admirable in the World This pleasing Variety which is every where conspicuous in the Political Government Manners and Commerce of divers People is the most agreeable object of Meditation to a curious or inquisitive Person who without putting himself upon the Wrack as those unfortunate Philosophers were heretofore wont to do admires contemplates enjoys and makes use of Argumentations according to the measure of his own Strength and personal Abilities How pleasant it is my Lord to see two reputed Wise-men taking different Roads to arrive at at the same Goal ever contending for the Truth and yet always continuing in Error in short endeavouring during the whole course of their Life to get a right Understanding and nevertheless dying without having obtain'd it How great delight there is in observing that nothing is less like a Man than a Man and that if Almighty God had not drawn the Lineaments of his Face with his own Hand he wou'd have found means to disfigure himself and to pass into another Form but his fantastical Humour cannot proceed so far He may indeed put off his Humanity but cannot alter his Shape If I were permitted my Lord to take a flight where my Imagination leads me might it not be affirm'd that Man is born with a certain universal Disposition to all the Natures of Animals that Reason makes him a Man and that by his exorbitant Passions he becomes a brute Beast of one kind or other according to the inclination with which he is carry'd away Thus nothing else is to be seen but these sorts of Beasts in Masquerade viz. Lions Eagles Tigres Foxes Horses Asses Swine and even Insects under the mask of a Man Your Highness who is so perspicacious cannot but take cognizance of these Humaniz'd Animals and of these fashionable Monsters I am apt to believe that you may sometimes make proper Reflections on this Subject but I return to my first Notions which are to consider how very different one sort of People is from another or one Nation from another For we every where meet with new Customs new Religions new manners of Apparelling Eating Living and even Dying Thus without expatiating too far we may observe that the Sages and chief Judges among the Chineses are cloath'd as our Buffoons and their High-Priests as our Comaedians they consecrate to their Religion what we detest in ours for Example these lewd Debauches of both Sexes which excite horror in us are charming delights to those People and had in great veneration among ' em The Indians are accustom'd to burn their dead Bodies the Americans to devour 'em and we to interr 'em but the Egyptians expose 'em to the Air by a kind of Superstition that does not cease to comprehend a subtil Notion even under its Absurdity for they believ'd that it was a piece of Jnjustice to bury the Corps in the bosom of the Earth that Heaven and the other Elements had a share in these dead Bodies and that the restitution of it was due which cou●d not be better done than by depositing 'em in this great Vacuum which is common to 'em with all Neither did they erect those stately Pyramids but only to serve 'em as Tombs It is well known to your Highness how far the magnificence of these Works proceeded in which are still to be observ'd the boldness of Art and the first Beauties of Architecture as also the Mysteries of their Re●igion and the secrets of their History and Politicks nay they may be esteem'd as a Monument of the Country of Egypt as well as of the Aegyptians How wonderfully did this learned Nation find out Expedients against the accidents of Death they in a manner eterniz'd their dead Bodies lodging 'em in Edifices of an everlasting durableness and by a certain rare Secret unknown to the rest of the World they freed 'em from that mixture of Elements which tends to Corruption to leave 'em only the whole pure part of their Substance under a kind of first Matter We still see even at this day some of these natural Effigies or precious Phantoms in which are admir'd at the same time both the violent impression

Heron-Fowling The Emperor also very much diverts himself with Musick and is perfectly well skill'd in the Science as I have been told He maintains in his Court a great number of Musicians the most part of whom are Italians and the others are either Germans or Spaniards The former have by much the clearest Voices but the later are not willing to purchase that advantage at so dear a rate and I have observ d that the Successors of the ancient Graecians and Romans are only of the contrary opinion and willing to unman themselves so far as to become Musitians and to give away part of themselves to divert others neither do we hear that in the rest of Europe any Persons are gelt for that purpose as in Turkey and in Italy I saw the Comedy of Andromeda acted with Machines which his Imperial Majesty caus'd to be represented in Italian to celebrate the Birth-day of the Empress Some days after a very magnificent Ball was made by his order in the entrance of the Palace where one hundred and fifty Players on Violins gave attendance who were all dress'd in the habit of Comaedians and contributed much to the Divertisement The Empress takes very great delight in such kinds of Sports perhaps because they resemble those of Spain She is honour'd in all those Countries as much as the Emperor himself which is done both by Reflection and out of a due Consideration of her particular Endowments The highest Veneration is likewise paid to the Empress Dowager who usually resides in the Favourites which is a pleasant Seat about a quarter of an Hours Journey from Vienna and has nothing extraordinary with respect to the Regularity of its Architecture but is convenient and spacious its Gardens being every where adorn'd with Fountains and Statues This Princess does not often appear at Court though she is always most honourably entertain'd there neither does she almost at all intermeddle with any Affairs of State She delights in Painting and diverts her self with that Art I have seen the Picture of a Virgin drawn by her hand which is kept in one of the Emperor's Treasuries But her chief Employment is the Education of her two Princesses who are both very beautiful and have well proportion'd Bodies Facies habent dignas Imperio At the distance of two Hours Journey from Vienna is to be seen a Garden which was formerly a great Theatre of War where Solyman the Ottoman Emperor encamp'd when he besieged Vienna God preserve Christendom and more especially this Country from such furious Attacks The very remembrance of past Histories is sufficient to make those tremble that have the least concern in the present On the Top of the Steeple of the great Church is fixt a Star in the middle of a Crescent which are the Arms of old Constantinople as your Highness may observe in the ancient Medals of Augustus's Time It was set up in Memory of this famous Siege and to excite the People incessantly to pray to God to divert this Scourge that so often threatens their Destruction For indeed my Lord the Great Turk is a bad Neighbour whose Power and Impiety render him equally formidable to Christendom This Garden has chang'd its form and is at present only a Place of Divertisements His Imperial Majesty causes wild Beasts and extraordinary Animals to be bred and nourish'd there among these are Lions Lionesses and young Lion-whelps that are engender'd in this place and sufficiently prove the Heat and Fruitfulness of the Climate I was about to buy two young Eagles on the Graben which is the finest Market-place of the City and was heretofore the Ditch and design'd to present 'em to your Highness but the want of the convenience of Carriage depriv'd me of this Honour They were taken out of their Nests in the Rocks of the Danube where they are often found being very common in Germany These sorts of Birds have been always admitted into the Coat Armour of the Empire as the most illustrious Symbol of strength and that which Constantine added a new was only to shew the Dominion which he had establish'd in the East and that he had united it to that of the West Will your Highness suffer me to make a diversion with reference to Constantine or rather are you willing that it shou'd be continu'd For this Letter seems to me to have no particular Subject nor any matter peculiar to it I have been often told that the Labarum was an invention of the Christans who were wont to make use thereof in their Armies as the Pagans of Sooth-sayings and Divinations to re-animate the courage of the Soldiers and to elevate their drooping Spirits and that the Monks enhanc'd the Reputation of this Story Do not give credit to such Reports my Lord for the Christian Religion which is truth it self does not stand in need of falsehood to maintain it I have in my possession the ancient Medal of Constantius the Son of Constantine the Great on the Reverse of which a Victory Crowns the Emperor who holds a Standard or Military Ensign on which the Word Christ is abbreviated and round about are read these words IN HOC SIGNO VICTOR ERIS AVSTRIA Upon the whole is so fertile that it has no occasion to envy the plenty of the Neighbouring Provinces The Fruits and particularly the Melons are almost as good there as in Italy and the Wines as agreeable to the Palate but a great deal stronger The heat of the Climate and the richness of the Soil are undoubtedly the cause of this quality Altho' the heat of the Sun is not more intense there than in the Parallel Regions yet the Air is quite otherwise heated for the Sulphur which is predominant in all those Countries augments their Heat and Fruitfulness nay I have reason to fear the excess of this Sulphureous heat which is apparently accompany'd with Nitre and some other Minerals that might cause a corrosive quality in their Wines tho' it were in never so small a quantity Their Cattle are large and fat insomuch that the Oxen of Austria and Hungary are talkt of every where throughout the World As for this last Country I hope your Highness will give me leave to entertain you for a while with its Description HVNGARY Is an admirable Country where perhaps there is greater store of Grain and Fruit than in any other part of the World there are Wines that have the strength and delicious taste of those of Spain and that even excell 'em in both as that of Tokay there are also some others as strong as Brandy I have heard this saying given out long ago Mirabilis Deus in Aquis Hungariae i. e. The wonderful effects of the Divine Omnipotence are apparent in the Waters of Hungary And indeed there are various kinds of all sorts of tast's and qualities but a Scoffer might reply except those that are good to drink for it is certain that all the Waters in Hungary are somewhat Mineral neither are

the Romans For there are to be seen Altars Urns Fragments of Sepulchres Inscriptions Rings and every thing that the Magnificence of their Religion had introduc'd But the Medals constitute the finest part of this Repository I have caus'd Draughts to be made of the most Curious and I owe to my good Fortune the opportunity I had of procuring some of ' em The Castle of Nimeguen is a very stately Pile of Building but that which renders it most Famous is that 't was built by Caesar and that Tradition has preserv'd its name even to this very day The neighbouring Plains heretofore serv'd as the usual Theatre of War to the Romans so that they who are well vers'd in History may call to mind that Civilis was there defeated and that he cou'd not have avoided falling into the Hands of his Enemies if he had not provided for his safety in the above-mention'd Island in which the place where he made his escape is still to be observ'd However the Liberty of the Country wou'd have been ruin'd if the Roman Fleet had appear'd timely enough to gain and cover the Passages where the scatter'd Forces were posted in order to rally Debellatum eo die foret si Romana Classis sequi mâturasset As to what relates to this Liberty 't is an Advantage which these People have alwaies entirely preserv'd insomuch that the Power of the Romans cou'd never prevail so far as to force 'em to submit to that Yoke of Servitude which they had laid upon the other Nations nay their very Victories were not sufficient to constrain 'em to admit any Conditions that were never so little derogatory from that Right which so is natural to ' em Thus in the Treaties of Peace we alwaies find their Liberty secur'd with these honourable Titles of Friends Allies and Neighbours and if they were oblig'd to enter into any Engagements 't was never done but under a shew of Friendship and Respect This is the very Expression of Tacitus mansit honos antiquae Societatis insigne and this is that Society mention'd by Titus Livius which leaves an entire Equality between the Parties Societas aequalis juris est Thus they have incessantly secur'd themselves by the Concessions and Privileges which the Emperors have thought fit to grant 'em from time to time and the last Attempts that Spain made against this Liberty serv'd only to establish it with greater Honour and Reputation It must also be acknowledg'd that they have set no bad Example to their Neighbours who do not enjoy such Privileges The Roman Catholick Religion which their Civil Government cannot tolerate is there prohibited yet the Professors are not prosecuted upon that account and notwithstanding all these precautions the Exercise of it cannot be altogether restrain'd Afterward I continu'd for some daies at VTRECHT There is nothing wanting to the Beauty of this City and it may be affirm'd that it is the Residence of the Nobility because a greater number of Noble-men is to be seen there than in any other part of the Seventeen United Provinces The Situation of the Town is very delightful and it stands upon a higher Ground than the rest of the Low Countries upon which account the Waters are admirable insomuch that they are often transported to very remote Parts Here are two notable Canals one of which still bears the name of the great Drusus but in both the Magnificence and Wealth of the Inhabitants may be discover'd as well by the vast multitude of Barks with which these Canals are incessantly cover'd as by that double Row of Houses that stands on each side one of which serves as a Parapet and Platform to the other Thus all manner of Commodities are brought up to their very Doors and that which is esteem'd extreamly rare in all cold Countries is here very common and sold at a very cheap rate neither does it appear that the Oranges Lemons and other delicious Fruits come from Parts so far distant by reason of their Freshness and Plenty Among the Persons of Quality one M. Christian Vtembogart is more especially conspicious He is My Lord an illustrious Personage for whom I have the highest Veneration He is endu'd with much Learning Generosity Affability and somewhat more that is to say a kind of Courteous Demeanour which is predominant in his Temper and wins the Heart of those that converse with him without any Reservation There is also the most ingenious Doctor Kerckringius who is much more than a very Learned Physitian and has brought the Art of Anatomy to its highest pitch of perfection In his House I clearly discern'd every thing that is transacted in those Obscure Recesses in which the Foetus is form'd for he has some of all sorts of ages and sizes if the expression may be tolerated and one may there observe with the Order and Proportion the Progress which is daily made from the Ovum or Egg to the compleat formation that is to say from that minute Matter which is at first gather'd together by the Hand of Nature to the absolute perfection of an organical and animated Body One cannot sufficiently admire those little Skeletons of Flesh those almost liquid Bones and those first Draughts of a Humane Body They are so many Mysteries unvail'd which leave great light in the Mind and so many subjects for the finest Reflection's in the World He caus'd me to observe three Ventricles in one Heart and a Stone in another as also the Vena Cava and Vena Portae with their several Branches separated from the other Parts with exquisite neatness and an unconceivable Curiosity of Work-manship besides an infinite number of Rarities of the like nature which may be term'd small Originals that copy themselves or lively Demonstrations that charm instruct and persuade the Beholders at the same time The Possessor of these Treasures by his polite and most obliging Conversation compleats the Delight that a curious Inquirer takes in seeing himself amidst so many surprizing Objects But that which this Learned Doctor brought for his part at a Conference which we held concerning Superfoetation was a kind of Curiosity that affected me more than all the others That admirable Treatise which he has publish'd under the Title of SPICILEGIUM ANATOMICUM shall be my Voucher for the truth of every thing I have even now declar'd concerning his extraordinary Abilities The Country round about Vtrecht is full of these inchanted Places and delicate Solitudes where Wisdom has made so great a Progress There are to be found those happy Retirements that afford a Shelter to satiated Ambition and where great Heroes surfeited with Glory and tir'd with the weight of the Government of the World are wont to resort to enjoy the sweet fruits of Repose and Tranquillity D· M· VALENTI BITITRALI VET· EX· N· ALAEI ACHV· M· H· F· C· p. 198. AMSTERDAM So great Idea's of this City have been every where form'd that whatever can be said of it is alwaies