Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A04810
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[William Kethe his seeing glasse] [sent to the nobles and gentlemen of England, whereunto is added the praier of Daniell in meeter.]
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Kethe, William, d. 1608?
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1555
(1555)
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STC 14944; ESTC S106327
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8,213
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28
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Unto the ryghte honorable the nobilitie and ientlemen of Englande Willyam Rethe wissheth peace with constancye of mynde THe man that is borne of a woman as sayeth holye Iob â–ª hathe but a very shorte tyme to lyue his dayes beinge reâ—lete mith manye miseries whiche thinge certayn Heathen men belyke well considered as Seneca who very pretelye compareth this worlde to a waye ful furnished with hid thistles wherethorow a man hadde nede to be well ware how he waÌ„dre least he pricke him self also that deathe is the fynisher of all heuines and sorowe And in lyke maner Pithagoras Death sayeth he is rather to be desired then despised for it chaungeth vs frome this worlde of vncleÌ„nes shame to the worlde of worshippe from this transitorie lyfe too the lyfe euerlastinge from the worlde of follye and vanities to the worlde of wisedom reason and trueth from this world of payn trauell and miserie to the world of rest consolacion c. But if aswell holye write as all prophane histories had with sileÌ„ce passed ouer this knowen and assured truethâ— I thinke that these dreadful days and miserable coÌ„flictes whiche we fele presently mighte be allowed for a sufficient testimonye And yet to beholde the course of thinges both past and presentlye a workinge it moueth me oft tymes to muse when I se the straÌ„ge diuersitie of estates howe that in sundry respectes the one maye be accompted very pleasante easye in comparison of the other As if we consider the vnquiet restles slydinge estate of those in high auctoritie who yet semeth to haue most felicitie and then the happy quiete peaceable estate of them who for the basse estimacion they bee in semeth of all men to be moste vnfortunate And euen thys is thesame whiche soo oft tymes maketh me to thyncke sadly sittinge some tyme alone Howe well at ease they be which haue drawen too them selfes the luckye lot of contentatioÌ„ of mynd in the myddest of their porest pouertie and how vnhappely y e residue runne who beinge in lowe degree will trauell to be in hygh auctoritie in seking wherof they rather procure their ill hap by obtayning their desire then waÌ„ting their welthes by remayninge as they were But now at the laste when I saw no ende of climming vp and in suche number also y t they daily fall doune by ruthfull heapes taking vnrecouerable fals to their vtter vndowing And besides all this to the farther increase of my admiracion that other by seinge their present harme can not auoid their slippery steppes to prolong their owne prosperitie but wilfully as it were to tumble doun the tree after theym And yet I speake nothing of that how by secret shuldring ech pussheth other I wot not howe from his place but so daungerously as I mai sai in secrete it passeth playinge in pastyme but now to make rehersed me and not that I thoughte y e dowinge therof to be so exquisite but because suche profit thereby vnto me insuede that me semeth I must nedes confesse it But now callinge to remembraunce what trauell and studye some of your honoures and worshippes haue taken in the wayghtie affayers of the realme of Englande when you were thoughte mete too beare rule howe so euer thinges happened now and then to succede I thinke thesame of euery faythfull subiecte thus yet to be considered as lamentynge the yll with hope of redresse so for those good thinges by youre trauels then enioyed our humble thankes still to remayne though thorow the tyrannye of tyrantes the benefit be withdrawen For as frendship beinge commendable in men of equalitie is yet more laudable in the honorable or worshipful that can be contented to extende thesame too the simple poore man Euen so he vpon whome suche frendship is bestowed not to expresse by such ways as he is able his faithful thankefull harte thesame man if my iudgemente fayle not dealeth not onely vnnaturally but deserueth as he is well worthy too be sharpely reprehended In consideracioÌ„ wherof it mai please your honors and worships to vnderstand y t I haue thought it a parte of my duetye too offre vnto you this simple seyng glasse folowinge in the which I wene maye be discerned both the estate of the mightie and meane man what a hudge heappe of endles troubles alwayes accompanieth the one and the great quietnes y t is lost by leauing the other Of y e whiche albeit youre honoures worshippes can not be ignorant that haue ben dayely trauelers as well in other mens matters as in youre owne yet in my minde the effectes therof be not neither can be so apparante alwayes too memorie but that in as dymme and course a glasse as here is exhibited ther may be somwhat espied â–ª whiche otherwyse mighte haue bene buryed in the depe doungeoÌ„ pit of extreame obliuion But as touching the premisses it woulde here bee noted that I haue not spoken it to the derogacion of common auctoritie neyther would I thereby discourage if my wordes were of power to perswade anye man that were ordinarely called to beare rule seynge I must nedes confesse thesame too bee of suche force by thee infallyble prouydence of God as the publike weale mai in no wise wante onely then my meaninge is of suche as seeke more their owne glorie profit and commoditie then too be faithfull ministers and godly gouernours in that hygh dignitie whereunto they aspire It is written that Pompeius was wonte to saye of hym selfe y t he neuer came to office bearing in Rome but that he obtayned it sooner then for hys own parte he loked for and that he euer gaue vp thesame agayne before other men wisshed it A report without all doubte worthye great prayse Oh that oure rulers and officers of England coulde iustly boast so muche of them selfâ— it is to be feared a very fewe are they whiche dare attempte that enterprice as well for that their gredie coueteousnes and vaine glorious ambicion as also the multitudes murmuring for their cruell oppression woulde testefie agaynst them But many thinges were here to be spoken more mete to auÌ„swer the requeste of so lamentable a tyme then thys whiche doeth but aggrauate our sorow to wete that as God plaged the people of the olde tyme with pestilence famin sworde captiuitie and bondage takinge awaye their godly kinges and magistrates placinge wicked vngodly tyrantes and straungers in their romes as oft as they either resisted hys truethe or hauinge it liued not accordinglye Euen so how as soone as they repented vnfaynedly coÌ„fessed their synnes earnestly prayed purely and amended their lyues effectually God vnladed them and deliuered them of suche greuous punishmentes as they deseruinglye susteyned and to this might haue ben added how hotely the Lorde in like maner hath begonne to kendell his wrath and bent his bow nay let me meÌ„de it hath already shote doune his persinge sharpe poynted dartes vpon oure couÌ„try of England