Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	king_n	mercy_n	throne_n	1,927	5	9.8019	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B14170	The doctrinal of princes made by the noble oratour Isocrates, [and] translated out of Greke in to Englishe by syr Thomas Eliot knight; To Nicocles. English	Isocrates.; Elyot, Thomas, Sir, 1490?-1546.	1550 (1550)	STC 14279; ESTC S109091	11,018	40

immortall assaie to leue to thy soule an immortall remēbrance ¶ Vse thee to speake of honest affaires and studies that by suche custome thou maiest thinke on like thynges as thou spekest of ¶ Thynges that in counsailyng seme to be beste those execute thou in thy proper actes ¶ At whose good renowme thou hast most enuie his dedes do thou folow ¶ Looke what thou counsailest thy children or seruantes to doe thinke it conuenient that thy selfe do the same ¶ Either vse that whiche I haue aduised the to do or enquyre for better than that is ¶ Suppose not them to be wise men that sharpely can talke of small thinges and trifles but those that can substancially reason in matters of weighty importance ¶ Nor thinke not them wise that promisse to other men welthe and good fortune thei them selfe beyng in great necessitee but rather those that speakyng of them selfes moderately can with other men and in their affaires vse them selfe well and discretely and beyng not troubled with any change of their liuing knowe howe to beare honestly and temperately as well aduersitee as also prosperitee ¶ And meruaile thou not that I haue now rehersed many thynges that thou knewest before nor that forgatte I not but knewe well enough that beyng suche a multitude as well of princes as of priuate persons some of them haue spoken the same that I did and many haue hearde it and diuers haue seen other men done it and some there be that by them selfes haue experienced it Not withstanding in mater concernyng Instruction noueltie is not to be sought for for therin ought not to be founden either singuler opinion or thynge impossible or contrarie to mens coniecture but suppose that to be in heryng moste gracious or pleasant whiche beyng sowen in the mindes of other maie assemble moste matter to the purpose and the same declare beste and moste aptely For this knowe I well that the counsailes and wise sentences of poetes and other good authours are thought of all men to be very profitable yet will not thei very gladly geue eare vnto them but be therwith in the same case as thei be with those that doe geue them good counsaile for thei praise them all but thei care not howe seldome thei come in their compani desiryng to be rather with offendours than with them that of sinne be the rebukars Example we maie take of the poemes or workes of Hesiodus Theognes and phorillides For euery man affirmeth thē to be excellent counsailes concernyng mans lyfe but all though thei saie so yet had thei leuer vse that wherto their owne madnesse indureth them than folow that wherto the others preceptes doeth aduise them Moreouer if one shulde gader out of the saide authours that whiche men call centences wherin thei perchance haue ben studiouse in semblable wise toward them shuld thei be disposed for thei shuld with more pleasure here a liyng fable or a fātafie than the saide preceptes made by much connyng and diligence But what nedeth it to tarie longe vpon euery mater Generally if we will consider the natures of men we shall perceiue that many of them delite neither in meates that bene most holsome nor in studies that ben most honest nor in dedes that be moste conuenient nor yet in doctrine that is most commodious but imbracing plesant appetites which be repugnant to prolite wolde seme to be painfull and laboriouse although thei doo nothyng expedient or necessarie Howe maie any man content any suche persons either by prechyng or teaching or tellyng of any thynge that is profitable that for the wordes that be spoken do enuie and haue indignacion at them that speake truly and doe take them for plaine men or simple in whom lacketh wisedome so muche they abhorre trouthe in all thynges that thei knowe not what is theirs or do belonge to their office but consultyng or reasonyng of that whiche dothe perteine vnto them thei be sadde and vnpleasant whan thei talke of other mens affaires thei be merie and ioyouse Moreouer thei had leauer suffer some grefe in their bodies than in reuoluyng what shuld be moste necessarie trauaile any thynge in their mindes And if a man take good hede he shall fynde in theyr mutuall assembles and companies that either thei reproue other men or els that thei of other be in some thynge reproued And whan thei be by themselfes thei be euer wisshing and neuer consultyng I haue not spoken this againe all men but only againe them that be giltie in that whiche I haue rehersed Finally this is apparant and certaine who so euer wyll make or write any thynge pleasant and thankfull to the multitude he maie not seke for woordes or matters most profitable but for them that conteine most fables and leasynges For in bearyng suche thynges thei reioyce but whan thei perceiue to be labours and contencions in their affaires than be they pensife Wherfore Homere and they that founde firste tragedies mai bee well meruailed at who in their workes vsed bothe the saide fourmes in writynge for Homere expressed in his workes the contencions and batailes of them whiche for their vertues were named halfe goddes the other brought those fables into actuall apparaunce In so muche as we not onely maie here them but also maie presently beholde them by suche example is it declared to them that bee studiouse to please their herers that thei must abstaine from exhortyng and counsailyng them and that thei apply them to write and speake that onely wherin thei perceiue the mnl titnde to haue moste delectacion This before written haue I declared thinkyng that it besemeth not the that art not one of the people to be of lyke opinion with the multtitude or to iudge thynges to be honest or men to be plesant according to thy sensuall appetite but to trie and esteme them by their good and profitable actes Moreouer for as muche as they that labour in the studie of Ppilosophy concernyng the exercise of the myndes be of sondrie opinions some saiyng that men become wiser by muche disputyng and reasonyng other affirme that it hapneth by exercise in polityke gouernance or ciuill causes diuers suppose it to come of other doctrines but finally thei all doe confesse that he whiche is well brought vp may by euery of the saide studies gather mater sufficient to geue good counsaile Therfore he that wyll leaue the doubtfull opinions and wyll applie to that whiche is certaine he muste examine the reasons therof and sperially they that be counsailours ought to haue consideration of the occasion time and oportunitee if thei can not bringe that to passe than to reiecte and put awaie as well them whiche speke in all matters generally as also those that perceiue nothyng that is expedient or necessarie for it is aparant and certaine that he whiche can not be to him selfe profitable he shall in other mens businesse do nothynge wisely Make muche of them that be wise and do perceiue more than other men and haue good regarde towarde them remembryng that a good counsailour A good counsailour is of all other treasure the most roiall and profitable and thinke verily that they whiche can most aide and profite to thy witte or reason shall make thy kyngedome moste ample and honorable Wherfore for my parte as muche as I ran I haue exhorted the and honored the with suche presentes as be in my power to geue the. And desyre thou not that other men shulde bringe vnto the as I saide at the beginnyng their accustomed presentes which ye shuld bie muche derer of the giuers than of the sellers but couaite thou suche presentes whiche if thou do vse well and diligenly omittyng no tyme thou not onely shalt not consume them but thou shalte also encrease them and make them of more estimacion and value Finis Addicion to fill vp vacant pages FUl truely writeth Salomon The herte of the kynge is in the hande of god and whiche wai so euer he willeth he shal incline it but the very laude of a good kynge is if he againe incline his herte to god the kynge of all kynges alwaie bendyng to his will without whose fauourable aide mans indeuour can nothynge dooe and so frameth all his actes as knowlageyng and myndyng that what so euer he dooeth he dooeth it before his eies who is no lesse iudge ouer kynges then ouer common people Nothyng is truely prosperous nothynge can be called welthy that the authour of all felicitee wyll not vouchesafe to make fortunate Most luckely moste happily it is doone what so euer is doone accordynge to his wyll who saieth By me kynges do reigne and the lawe makers decerne iuste thinges by me princes rule and mighty men iudge iust thynges This saide the eternall wisedome whiche is the sonne of God What prescribeth Sapience to kynges Mercy saieth she and Trouthe doe kepe the kynge and his Throne is made stronge with clemencie He sheweth Mercie in succouryng the oppressed Trouthe in iudgeyng truely Clemencie in temperyng the seueritee of the lawes with lenitee The speciall duetie and whervnto kynges were wonte to bee sworne whan thei beganne their reigne was this to helpe widowes to succour the fatherlesse and to deliuer and defende all that are oppressed frō iniurie Trouthe hath two companions Sapience and Constance Sapience geueth light vnto the eies wherby is perceiued what is right and what not what is profitable for the weale publyke and what is contrarie to it Constancie causeth that the mynde ouercomyng all couetouse desires neither with ire nor with loue nor with hatred is moued from honestie Clemencie tempereth with lenitee necessarie Seueritee Clemenrie is not foorthwith to goe in hande with warre whan cause of warre is geuen but to leaue no reasonable meane vnassaied to see whether the matter maie bee determined without warre And otherwhile it is better to dissemble the iniurie than to reuenge it by force of armes It is Clemencie if by no meanes it maie be eschewed so to make warre that as littell humaine bloudde be spilte as can be and that the warres be ended as shortely as maie be For this wisedome that bringeth all good thynges with it Salomon praied for that she shulde alwaie bee assistent to his Throne as a moste faithfull and trusty counsailour Finis JMPRINTED AT London in Flete strete in the house of Thomas Berthelet Cumpriuilegio ad imprimendum solum