Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	work_v	world_n	write_v	64	3	4.6951	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89527	Heptameron or the history of the fortunate lovers; written by the most excellent and most virtuous princess, Margaret de Valoys, Queen of Navarre; published in French by the privilege and immediate approbation of the King; now made English by Robert Codrington, Master of Arts.	Marguerite, Queen, consort of Henry II, King of Navarre, 1492-1549.; Codrington, Robert, 1601-1665.	1654 (1654)	Wing M593; Thomason E1468_2; ESTC R208683	403,927	599

doing wrong to either sex I may be allowed to speak the truth both of Men and women and to affirm that there is nothing good at all either in the one or the other But this Man said Parlament was marvellously deceitfull for on the one side he cousened his Maid and on the other side his Wife You do not well understand the story I perceive said Hircan for that saith that he did content them both on one morning and not deceive them which I look upon as a great Act of Virtue both of body and of mind as well by deeds as by words to give content unto two divers persons In that said Parlament he is doubly to be blamed in satisfying the simplicity of the one by Dissimulation and and the longings of the other by Lust but I understand well enough that such Sins as these being brought before such a Judge as you will find an easie pardon You may assure your self said Hircan to please two at once is no easie task and for my own part I will never undertake so great and difficult an enterprise I have given you my Account already and think herein I have not ill imployed my days work If a mutual Love said Parlament cannot content the heart I know no other thing in the world that can give content unto it To speak the truth said Simontault I do believe that there is not a greater punishment in the world than to love and not to be beloved again I do believe you said Oysilla and to that purpose I do remember a Story which indeed doth not deserve to be numbred on the file of good ones but because it is for the present purpose I am content to declare it to you Of a Frier whose Custom it was to bring his complaints to several Husbands which was the occasion that they did beat their Wives The sixth Novell IN the City of Angoulesm where Count Charls the Father of King Francis had oftentimes his residence there was a Frier called De Valles a very knowing Man and so great a Preacher that upon all Sundays in the Advents he preached in the City before the Count by means whereof his Reputation was much increased It so fell out that during the Advent a lusty young fellow of the City having married a handsom young Wench did not desist for all that to ramble up and down and to live as dissolutely if not more than those who were unmarried of which the young Woman being advertised could not hold her peace so that following him up and down and exclaiming on him she received such tokens from him as she would not willingly have and neverthelesse for all that she did not forbear to continue her exclamations and oftentimes would speak very high words and most passionately rail against him The young Man being much incited at it did begin to lay about him and to leave on her shoulders the marks of his displeasure whereat she began to cry out far louder than before and her Neighbours also that knew the occasion of it would inveigh against him and making a great noise in the streets would cry out Now fie on all such Husbands Let them go all to the Devil The Frier De Valles passing by that way and understanding the noise and the occasion of it did determine with himself to speak one word of it in his next dayes Sermon which accordingly he did for speaking of marriage and of the love which ought to be betwixt the Husband and the Wife he did highly praise it and blamed those that did go about to violate it and making a comparison betwixt conjugal and paternal Love he said amongst other things That it was a greater danger and a more grievous punishment for a Husband to beat his Wife than to beat his Father or his Mother for said he if you beat your Father or your Mother you are sent to Rome to do penance but if you beat your Wife both she and all her Neighbours will fall a cursing of you and send you immediately to the Devil that is to say to Hell You are to observe now said he what a difference there is betwixt these two penances for from Rome they do ordinarily come back again but from Hell-Oh There is no teturning Nulla est redemptio Not long after that Sermon he was advertised that Women made their boasts of that which he preached and that their Husbands could live in no quiet for them for which in his next Sermon he did resolve to prescribe an Order for the redresse of that inconvenience And in some part of it he compared Women unto Devils and said that they two were the greatest Enemies that Man had for they did always tempt Man without any intermission and he could never get rid of them especially of the Woman for the Devils he said will fly away if they be but shewed the Crosse but Women clean contrary to them will cleave the faster to them being the greatest cross themselves that can be to their Husbands And this doth make them so to run and to go and doth throw them into such an infinity of passions But good people be ruled by me and I will tell you what you shall do When you do find that your Wives do torment you in this manner without cease as I have said they are accustomed to do take off the handle from your crucisix and with that handle drive them as far from you as you can Do as I bid you and vigorously make experience of it three or four times and you shall find the good that will come of it you shall find that in the same manner that you doe chase away the Devil by the virtue of the Crosse you shall also chase away and make your Wives to hold their peace by the Virtue of the handle of the Crosse and they will no more presume to come too near unto you Loe here some part of the Preachments of that venerable de Valles of whose life I will make here no larger a recital but I can tell you whatsoever appearance he made to the contrary for I knew the man very well yet in his heart he took the Womens parts more than the Mens Madem said Parlament he did not shew it in that last Sermon in which he gave instructions unto Men to beat their Wives You do not understand his drift in it said Hircan had you been exercized in the discipline and the Stratagems of War you would have found that one of the greatest policies that is required is to make a Civil sedition in the Camp of the Enemy because it is then most easie to overcom● him In the like manner this Monk the Master of his Arts did understand well enough that the Anger and the Hatred betwixt the Husband and the Wife is the Cause oftentimes that makes the Wife to let loose the reigns of her honesty which being governed no more by virtue doth fall into the hands of

thought themselves more wise than other men and by the light of Reason attained to some knowledge of the Creator yet attributing this glory to themselves and not to him from whence it was derived thinking that by their own labour they had gained this knowledge have becom not only more ignorant and unreasonable than other men but more se sual than beasts For erring in their minds they have attributed that unto themselves which belongeth unto God alone and have manifested their errors by the abuse of their bodies perverting the order of their Sin as St. Paul doth write unto the Romans There is none of us said Parlament but by that Epistle may confesse that all actual and outward sins are the fruits of the inward infidelity which the more covered it is with gifts and miracles it is so much the more dangerous to pluck away Of both Sexes said Hircan we men are more near unto Salvation than you Women for not dissembling our fruits you may easily know the root but you who dare not put forth your fruits to the open view and doe make so many gallant appearances cannot without much difficulty discover the root of your arrogance and presumption which doth grow up under your fair coverture I must confesse said Longaren if the word of God had not by the application of our faith shewed us the infidelity hidden in our hearts we should be all prone to fall into some visible offence And thrice happy are they whom Faith hath so humbled that they have no need to prove thei● natural corruptions by exterior effects But let us see said Simontault from whence we have digressed for in discoursing first of great follies we fell into Philosophy and from thence into Divinity Let us leave these Disputations to those who can better argue them and let us know to whom Nomerfide will give her place and voice I do give it said she to Hircan but I shall intreat him to be favourable to the honour of Ladies You could never intreat me said Hircan in a better time for the History which I have prepared is framed on purpose in obedience to your desires By this you shall confesse that the Nature of Men and women is of it self inclined to all Vice if it be not preserved by the bounty of him to whom the honour of all Victory is to be imputed And to abate the confidence you have when you do speak of your own Honours I will shew you an undoubted President The Endeavour and Success of a wise Husband to divert the Love which his Wife did bear unto a Preacher The fifth Novell IN the City of Pampelona there lived a Lady who was esteemed to be as virtuous as she was fair and to be the most chast and the most devout Woman in all that Country She intirely loved her Husband and was so obedient to him that he reposed all his confidence in her This Lady did incessantly follow the Divine Service and the Sermons She perswaded her Husband and her Children to hold that resolution as well as her self who was then about 30 years of age at which time women are accustomed to leave off the Name of fair to be reputed Grave On Ash-Wednesday which is the first day of Lent this Lady did repair to the Church to hear something for the tribulation of the Flesh where she heard a Sermon preached by a Frier who was esteemed by all the world to be an honest Man by reason of his great austerity and abstinence of life which did render him both pale and lean but not so altogether but for all that he was handsom enough and a good Companion This Lady in great Devotion did hearken to the Sermon having her eyes fastned in contemplation of this venerable person and her ear and all the faculties of her undestanding were taken up altogether in attention to him wherefore the sweetnesse of his words did enter into her ears and dived down into her heart and the beauty and grace of his countenance did so surprize her eyes and so depserately did invade her Spirit that she was like a transported Creature The Sermon being ended she diligently attended where he was to say Masse at which she assisted and took the ashes from his hand which was as slender as her own and white as the ashes themselves The devout Lady did more regard his hand than the ashes he did give her did most assuredly believe that such a spiritual love whatsoever pleasure she apprehended in it could never hurt her conscience she never failed a day to repair unto the Sermon did take her Husband along with her both the one the other did give so great a Commendation to the Preacher that both at bed and at board they had almost no other Discourse but of him only And thus the fire under the title of spiritual did become so carnal that being lodged and burning in her heart it did set all the body of this poor Lady into a flame And as she was but slow to perceive it so she was prone to be inflamed and first found the contentment she received in that passion before she knew that she was subjected to it And thus being in every part surprized by her grand Enemy Love she no longer resisted any one of his Commandements but the greatest trouble was that her Physician who was to cure her was ignorant of her disease wherfore having put away all fear which she ought to have enterrained to shew her folly before so wise a Man and her imperfections before so absolute and so virtuous a Preacher she undertook by writing to discover the love which she did bear unto him which at the first she did as gently as she could and delivered the Letter to a little page with Instructions how to behave himself in this service and above all she did give him a special commandement that he should be most carefull that her Husband did not see him as he did passe unto the Friers The Page going on directly in his way did passe through a street where his Master by chance was sitting in a shop The Gentleman seeing him did step forth out of the shop to see which way he did go and the Page perceiving him being amazed at it did hide himself in a house His Master being startled thereat did follow him and taking hold of him by his arm he demanded of him whither he was going and perceiving that the Excuses he did make were to no purpose and that he had an affrighted countenance he threatned to beat him foundly if he did not tell him whither he was going The poor Page said unto him Wo is me Sir If I shall tell you my Mistresse will kill me The Gentleman suspecting that his Wife had made a Market without his knowledge of it did assure the Page that he should receive no harm if he would confesse the truth but be well rewarded and with●●● that if he told him a ly

he would keep him in prison during his life The poor Page to receive good and to escape punishment did shew him the Letters which his Mistcesse had wrote unto the Preacher whereat her Husband was as much astonished and grieved as he was before assured of her loyalty having never before received the least discontent from her But he who was wise did dissemble his choler and to know the farther intentions of his Wife did return an answer by writing to her Letter as if the Preacher had thanked her for her good will and declared to her that he for his own part did bear as much true affection unto her The Page having sworn unto his Master to carry on this businesse with all silence and discretion did return unto his Mistresse to whom he delived that counterfeit Letter whereat she was surprized with so much joy that her Husband did easily perceive it by the change of her countenance for instead of contrition and making her self lean with abstinence she did look more fresh more fair and more lovely than before that Lent did begin It was now middle-lent yet this Lady neither for the holiness of the season nor the approach of the Passion did alter her accustomed manner but continued by Letters to declare unto the Preacher her furious fantasie and it seemed to her poor Lady that when he turned his eyes on that side where she sat it was only to look on her and as often as he did speak of the love of God she did apply it to herself and thought in her interpretation of it that it was spoken altogether for the love of her and as much as her eyes could shew what she thought she spared not to return in glances to him her Husband in his Letter failed not to send her like answers After Easter was passed he did write unto her in the name of the Preacher and did intreat her to instruct him what means he should use to come unto her She who thought every hour a year until she had returned an answer to that Letter did counsell her Husband to take a journey into the Country to survay some lands which he had there which he promised her to doe and concealed himself in the house of one of his friends The Lady failed not to write unto the Preacher on what hour he might have his opportunity to come and see her for her Husband was gone forth The Gentleman desiring to make trial of the love of his Wife even to the last did repair unto the Preacher and for the honour of God desired him that he would be pleased to lend him his habit The Preacher who was a very righteous man did assure him that it was against the Rules of their order and that he would not for any thing lend it to have it brought upon the Stage The Gentleman did protest unto him that he would only use it for his own pleasure and in a businesse that was necessary for the good both of Soul and Body The Frier knowing him to be an honest man and fearing God did lend it to him and with this habit which covered the greatest part of his face insomuch that she could not see his eyes he took a false beard and a false nose and near in resemblance to the Preachers and he did put a Rise into his shooes that he might be just of his height Thus habited he did come in the Evening into the Chamber of his Wife who did attend him with great devotion and poor Gentlewoman could not forbeat till he came to her but as a Woman out of her senses she did run to meet him and embraced him He who held his head down into his bosome for fear of being discovered did begin to make the sign of the crosse and to fly from her and to cry out aloud Temptation Temptation The Lady said unto him alas my dear Father you have reason for it for there is no more violent temptation than that which doth proceed from Love to which you have promised to give me a remedy beseeching you that now having time and leisure you will have pity on me and speaking those words she did enforce her self to embrace him but he running from her round about the Chamber and making many and great signs of the Crosse did continually cry out Temptation Temptation but perceiving that she came up close unto him and to examine some where about him too familiarly he took a good cudgel which he did carry under his mantle and did give her so many and such effectuall blowes that he made her to forsake and forget the Temptation and being not discovered by her he repaired immediately to the Preacher and restored him his habit assuring him that he had received an especial favour by it The next morning pretending that he had returned from a long Journey he came into his house where he found his Wife sick in bed and as if he was ignorant of what had passed he enquired of her the cause of her disease She made answer that it was a cold she had taken which was so violent upon her that she could not stir either hand or foot Her Husband who had a good desire to laugh did pretend to be extremely sorry and to administer some comfort to her did acquaint her that on that Evening he had invited the holy man the Preacher unto Supper She immediately made answer far be it from you Sweet-heart to invite any of that Tribe for they do bring ill luck with them into all the houses wheresoever they doe come How my dear Sweet-heart said her Husband have you so much praised this man unto me and doe you make no more reckoning of him As for my own part I doe verily believe that if there be a holy man in the world it is verily he His Wife made answer to him they are good in the Church and in their Pulpits but in our houses they are very Anti-christs I must beseech you Sir if he doth come that I may not see him for it will be enough with the sicknesse that already I have on me to kill me outright Her Husband said unto her because you have no mind unto it you shall not see him and therefore he shall sup with me in the Parlor She made answer to him doe what you please but I pray let not me see him for in my own house I doe hate such people as I hate the Devil Her Husband after he had supped with his Ghostly Father did say unto him My Father I doe esteem you to be so beloved of God that he will deny you no just Petition I do beseech you therefore to have pity on my poor Wife who for these eight days hath been possessed with an evil spirit insomuch that she biteth and scratcheth all the World there is neither crossing nor holy-water of which she maketh any reckoning at all I do believe that if you shall but put your hand upon her that the