Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	action_n	false_a	great_a	136	3	2.0658	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A21131	Obseruations vpon the fiue first bookes of Cæsars commentaries setting fourth the practise of the art military in the time of the Roman Empire : wherein are handled all the chiefest point of their discipline, with the true reason of euery part, together with such instructions as may be drawn from their proceedings, for the better direction of our moderne warres / by Clement Edmunds.	Edmondes, Clement, Sir, 1566 or 7-1622.; Caesar, Julius. De bello Gallico. English. Abridgments.	1600 (1600)	STC 7488; ESTC S121459	200,986	215

knowledge of a Generall to enter into the consideration of this learning Wherein first I must laie for a maxime that which long experience hath made authenticall that the motions of the minde are either quicke or slow according as the complexion is tempered either with heat or cold for as the flegmaticall humor is of a moist cold and heauy nature begetting weake and grosse spirits and benumming the instruments with a liueles disability so is the motion of the internall faculties proceeding likewise after a slow maner according to the qualitie of the instruments whereby it moueth and therefore men of this watrish constitution are no way apt to receiue an impression nor to entertaine any sensible apprehension vnles it be beaten into them with often and strong repetitions and then also they proceede as slowlie in discoursing of the consequence and linger in the choise of their resolutions On the contrary part this flaua bilis being of a hote piercing nature and resembling the actiue vertue of the fire doth so purifie the instruments of sense and quicken the spirits with the viuacity of motion that they take the first impression as perfectly as if it had beene oftentimes presented vnto them with many strong circumstances And thence it happeneth that inasmuch as the Species is so readily receiued and possesseth the apprehending facultie with such facility of entrance that it moueth the other powers of the soule with as great efficacie at the first conception as if it had beene brought in with troupes of probabilities and strengthened with manifest arguments of vndoubted truth It followeth therefore by reason of the subtile and fit disposition of the instrumentes which proceedeth from heate the chiefest qualitie in choler that the obiect is at the first moment so strongly setteled in the first receiuing facultie that the other powers of the minde with as great speede manifest their offices concerning the apprehension and deliuer a sentence answerable to the strength of the first conception which maketh them so impatient of delaie and so sodainly to alter their former resolutions not suffering the discoursiue power to examine the substance thereof by conference of circumstances nor to giue iudgment according to the course of our intellectual court It behooueth therefore euery man in that vnsteady disposition especially in matter of moment to be suspicious of his owne credulity and not to giue place to resolution before his iudgement be informed by discourse of the strength or weakenes of the conceiued opinion But to leaue these speculatiue meditations to Philosophers of learned conceit for as much as the right vse of passions is either true wisdome or commeth neerest to the same I will onely touch in a worde what degree of choler best befitteth a soldier or howe it auaileth or disaduantageth in matter of warre And first it cannot bee denied that there is almost no passion that doth more eclips the light of reason or sooner corrupteth the sinceritie of a good iudgement then this of anger which we now speake of Neither is there any motion that more pleaseth it selfe in his owne actions or followeth them with greater heate in the execution And if the trueth chance to shewe it selfe and conuince a false pretended cause as the authour of that passion it oftentimes redoubleth the rage euen against truth and innocency Piso condemned a soldier for returning from forraging without his companion being persuaded that he had slaine him but at the instant of the execution the other that was missing returned and with great ioy of the whole army they were caried to the generall thinking to haue much gratified him with the manifestation of the truth but hee through shame and despight being yet in the torture of his wrath redoubled his anger and by a subtilty which his passion furnished him withall he made three culpable for that he found one innocent the first because the sentence of death was past against him and was not to bee recalled without the breach of law the second for that hee was the cause of the death of his companion and thirdly the executioner for not obeying his commandement Concerning matter of warre as it consisteth of differenced partes so hath choler diuers effectes In case of discourse and consultation when as the powers of the minde ought to bee cleere of all violent affections it greatly darkeneth the vnderstanding and troubleth the sincerity of a good iudgement as Caesar noted in his speech to the senate concerning Cateline and therefore a commander must by al meanes indeuor to auoid euen the least motions of so hurtfull a passion and season his affections with that grauity and constancy of spirit that no turbulent disposition may either hinder his vnderstanding or with-hold his will from following that course which reason appointeth as the best means to a fortunate successe alwaies remembring that al his actions are presented vpon a stage and passe the censure of many curious beholders which applaud graue and patient motions as the greatest proofe of true wisdom and disallow of passionate and headstrong affection as derogating from the sincere cariage of an action how iust soeuer otherwise it seemeth Concerning execution and furie of battaile I take anger to be a necessarie instrument to set valour on foote and to ouerwage the difficulties of terrour with a furious resolution for considering that the noblest actions of the minde stande in neede of the impulsions of passions I take anger to bee the fittest meanes to aduance the valiant carriage of a battaile for as feare is trecherous and vnsafe so anger is confident and of an vnquenchable heate and therefore a Commaunder ought by all meanes to suggest matter of anger against an enemie that his men may behold them with a wrathfull regard and thirst after the daie of battell to satisfie their furie with the bloud of their aduersaries If any vrge that it hath beene heretofore obserued of the Galles that in the beginning of a battel they were more then men and in the latter end they were lesse then women and therfore a cholerick disposition is not so fit for seruice as we seem to make it I answere that there is a difference between a disposition to choler such as was obserued in the Galles and the passion of anger wel kindled in the minde for the first is subiect to alteration and contrarietie of actions but the other is furious inuincible neuer satisfied but with reuenge And so that of Aristotle is proued true that anger serueth oftentimes as a weapon to vertue whereunto some answere very pleasantly saying it is a weapon of a strange nature for wee doe manage other weapons and this doeth manage vs our hande guideth not it but it guideth our hande it possesseth vs and not wee it as it happened in the raigne of Tyberius amongst the mutinous legions at Vetera and therefore a Commaunder ought to take greate heede whome he maketh the obiect of that anger which kindleth in

no counsell the body can afford no motion but standeth frozen through the extremitie of the perturbation benummed in sense and forsaken of the spirits So we read that Theophilus the Emperour in an ouerthrow which hee had giuen him by the Hagerans was stroken with such an excessiue feare that he could not betake himselfe to flight Adeo pauor etiam auxilia formidat vntill one of his chiefe commanders shaking him by the shoulder as though he were to awake him out of a deepe sleepe threatned him with present death if he would not preuent the ruine of the Empire by vsing that meanes which was only left for his safetie Againe if in that turbulent consistorie the spirits chance distinctly to receiue any apprehension proceeding from the forging facultie of the soule they carie it presently to execution before it be examined by reason and follow the action with such vehemencie that they leaue no place for better aduice and reknowledgment And this is the cause that oftentimes through extremitie of feare to auoide one euill we run headlong into a worse and finde a greater danger in the meanes we vse to auoide a lesse because reason did not first trie the apprehension before it was deliuered to externall agents And so we finde in the battel betweene Germanicus and the Almains that two grosse troupes of souldiers were driuen into such an extasie of feare that taking contrarie courses to auoide one and the same danger they eihther of them fled to that place which the other had quitted neither could they bee aduised by each others flight that the places which they sought after afforded them no remedie And albeit reason be called to counsell when a parlee is summoned of composition yet it beareth so small a sway in the consultation that the will of it selfe concludeth to betraie vertue to dishonour and so to purchase peace with the losse of the soules chiefest treasure which ought euer to be estimated at a higher rate then any other happinesse which can betide the minde For among all the sensible thinges of this world there is no creature that hath such a confused feare or is more amazed therewith then man is neither is there anie miserie greater or any bondage more shamefull seruile or vile then this which maketh men very abiects of all other creatures to redeeme the euill which the danger threatneth and then doth shame follow after so base a part and aggrauatethe burthen of the sinne with loathsome disgrace and penitent discontentment adding oftentimes aloes to wormewood and making the end grieuouser then the beginning And thus doth danger breed feare and feare yeeldeth to dishonour and dishonour bringeth shame and shame being alwaies mingled with wrath and anger reuengeth it selfe vpon it selfe and bringeth more perill then the first danger could threaten Wherby it appeareth that as the affections of the mind are bred one of another so on the contrarie part some are bridled and restrained by others for as enuie hatred and anger rise oftentimes of loue so is ioie lessened with griefe enuie with mercie and feare with shame But for as much as all such perturbations proceede of ignorance and inconsideratenesse whereby we thinke that the euill is greater then indeede it is let vs consider what disposition of our iudgment best moderateth the violent heate of these affections And first touching the passages whereby the soule receiueth her aduertisements as they are of diuers natures the chiefest whereof are the eie and the eare so are their auisos different in qualitie and require a seuerall consideration to bee rightly discerned The intelligence by the eie is more certaine then that which commeth by the way of hearing forasmuch as the eie is a witnes it selfe of euery action whereof it taketh notice neither is it deceiued in her proper obiect and therfore the iudgment is not much troubled to determine definitiuely how great or how small the danger is when the relations carie alwaies that certainty And albeit the eare in like manner be not deceiued in her proper obiect for it faithfully giueth vp that sense which sound hath deliuered vnto it yet for as much as the fantasie hath greater scope to coine her vaine conceptions in regard of the absence of the action it is necessarie that the discoursing facultie be called for an assistant before the iudgment can truly determine and then it will appeare that the truth doth not alwaies answere the report which is made thereof in as much as diseased spirits will not sticke to dilate or qualifie relations according to the key wherein they themselues are tuned And therefore this first commeth to bee considered of in all such violent commotions by which of these two senses the first intelligence was receiued But concerning the iudgment it selfe this is most certaine that the more it is infected with the corruptions of the flesh the more violent are the affections of the soule And againe the purer the iudgment is and the higher it is lifted vppe from earthly natures being no further interessed therein then to holde a resolution of well doing the fewer and lighter are the affections which trouble and molest it for then it better discerneth the truth and falsehood good or euil that is in thinges To redresse this inconuenience Caesar betooke himselfe to the fittest most proper remedie which was by the authoritie of his speech to restore reason to her former dignitie by discourse which feare had interrupted in them to put downe a vsurping passion which had so troubled the gouernment of the soule recalling it to the meane of true resolution which was to moderat audacity with warines but not to choake valour with beastly cowardice for these Oratorie inducing perswasions were not the least point of their discipline considering how they framed the inward habite of the minde being the fountaine and beginning of all motion to giue life and force to those actions which the seuerity of outward discipline commanded For as lawes and constitutions of men inforce obedience of the bodie so reason and perswasions must winne the soules consent according to that saying homines duci volunt non cogi CAP. XVI Caesar his speech to the Armie concerning this feare CAESAR calling a Councell of war wherein the Legates Tribunes and Centurions of all the orders and degrees were assembled he greatly blamed them First that any man should bee so inquisitiue as to imagine to himselfe whither and vpon what seruice they were carried Concerning Ariouistus he had in the time of Caesars Consulshippe most earnestly sued for the friendship of the people of Rome and why then should any man misdeeme that he should so vnaduisedly goe backe from his duety For his owne part he was verelie perswaded that if Ariouistus once knew his demandes and vnderstood the reasonable offers that he would make him that he would not easily reiect his friendship nor the fauour of the people of Rome But if he were so madde as