Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	darkness_n	light_n	shine_v	1,307	5	9.6147	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09133	False complaints. Or The censure of an vnthankfull mind, the labour of Carolus Pascalius translated into English by W.C. A worke very learned and fit for all estates in this age of vnnecessarie discontentments, shewing how all complaine, but all without cause; Censura animi ingrati. English	Paschal, Carlo, 1547-1625.; Crashaw, William, 1572-1626, attributed name.; Covell, William, d. 1614?, attributed name.	1605 (1605)	STC 19446; ESTC S120925	107,403	264

present are set as it were before thine eyes things that are to come an vnfallible argument of thy Diuinitie thou collectest gatherest diuinest and representest as if they were present In one word that which is called the World is thy house built and euerie way richly furnished for thee there is no part of it but is passable knowne wide open to thee as to his owner Now it remaines for thee that thou know thy selfe what thou art If thou know thy selfe then thou shalt vnderstand that this great frame and curious building is bestowed vpon thee wherein thou maist gouerne wherein thou maist teach thy selfe to bee worthie of this dignitie where thou mayst reward him that is thy reward er with holinesse and a thankefull minde In this thy dignitie to represent the dignitie of God in humaine shape thou shalt then I say vnderstand that thou art placed ouer this houshold as a Lord I had almost said as a God These are thy birth-rights this is that excellencie whervnto thou art borne Whereunto if thou labourest to be equall in the height of thy minde then thou shalt plainely see all these things placed below thy greatnes Thou shalt see nothing without thee greater then thy selfe nothing shall distract thee puffe thee vp cast thee downe or make thee sad Then thou shalt deride so many foolish complaintes wherewith men doe vex themselues and their liues In the person of the base hee reckoneth his basenesse and from hence is angrie and complaineth against God for it CHAP. 3 I heare this man complaine that hee is low borne or rather basely alas saith he wheresoeuer I am there my basenesse offereth it selfe vnto mee not so much a perswader to make me desire to liue as an vpbrayder that I do liue that I am of obscure parents it maketh me blush and the Nobilitie to contemn me I liue obscurely as an vnknown part of the base multitude neither doth my health or strength so much helpe me nor any other thing that is bestowed vpon me as my base parentage doth cast me downe I am ashamed that I haue no honor frō the commendations of my Auncestors it is my reproach that I am borne amongst the multitude amongst those who are more safely troden vpon then the wormes Before we were and hee that is borne in high place in this we were both equall that wee neither were both of vs lay then hidde in that bottomles darkenes of those secrets that were to come but as soone as we began to be hee obtained a famous and honorable and I a base and vnworthy condition Alas with what desert either of him or mine surely none what vnequall and vniust power shall I call that which hath compassed him newe borne and vnknowing it with so great and glorious a light whilst I vndeseruedly do liue in darkenesse This is the first iniurie and not to be forgotten that I am vnfortunatly born that he hath auncestours ful of honor and I full of basenesse that from him all impediments are remoued that tend to honor and that I must creepe through obscure and vnknowne pathes and through so many lettes must indeuour to that which is doubtfull and most vncertaine Falsely he complayneth of his base parentage who by the helpe of vertue may obtaine honor and renowne CHAP. 4 YEa and is it so Darest thou call thy selfe base whose kindred is with the Heauens dost thou call that bloud obscure and vnworthie from whence Kings may proceede Hast thou no auncestours who mayst if thou tendest thither passe along in the steppe of euerie man that is excellent I demaunde of thee which is that ignoble and base multitude wherein thou art borne What of brute beasts Men are a Heauenly off-spring those are they say you which without controulement are troden downe you speake of men that are innocent and accepted of God with what strength soeuer they might haue chuse rather to suffer then to doe iniurie Oh these are they amongst whome are the auncient and vncorrupted manners His condition and minde you say where both alike before wee were What do you say there was a time when neither of you were yea rather if you esteeme your selfe by that part which truely is you are not now born Thou hast a soule deriued from that euerlastinge diuinitie which hath more truely beautified thee with this title to bee called man then these sinewes flesh and bones taken out of the earth which are truely earth All of vs are equally an off-spring of the Gods and therefore in respect of this originall ye are both equall Thou art nothing I say whosoeuer thou art lesse or inferiour to him whosoeuer he is If any thing make a difference betwixt you it is that earth wherewith you are both couered And is it this that troubleth thee Doe you esteeme this a thing of that worth that it should make you repent you of your condition or rather if there be any blemish in this earthly parentage why doe you not blotte it out with your vertuous arts If there be any darkenesse disperce it with a better light if any basenes aduance it with vertue Surely euerie excellent thing is lowe borne and those whome vertue first made eminent she brought out of darkenesse From hence they sent out most bright beames as the Sun out of a cloud or storme looke vppon those greate lights of Antiquitie those famous professours I meane of wisedome and eloquence and others excellent in all other Artes Sciences and learning few of these but were meanely borne and yet haue ingrafted their names to fame that fame which wee see is the inseperable companion of immortalitie To Aesop Athens did that monument erect And plac'd the seruant on eternall ground That vertue might to honor men direct And not that greatnes which in birth is found Let me not remember other great for deserts famous names I meane the great performers of warres and builders of large Empires who wrastling out of obscure births from lowe beginnings haue attained the height of things compelling all things and men to yeeld vnto them with vertue glorie and felicity These are they who were the famous Autors of that which afterward was called the aunciēt progeny which haue made men beleeue that they are not borne of man but of God who after they had made the newnesse of their birth great with vertue and admiration they made themselues to be Imitated of all and Imitable to few These I account greater then their posterities and in the opinion of wise men much more honorable in that the giuer is greater then the receiuer and the patterne then him that imitates vainely we deriue our sluggishnesse to our kindred But he is noble enough who hath that in him whereby he may make himselfe noble neyther is vertue from our stocke but contrarie Vertue onely dooth adorne men It is that onely which maketh the euerflowing and lasting streame of Nobility Honour and Glory VVho can therefore deny but

life safe and secure but wandring and full of scarcity Therefore God hath prouidently ingrafted in men this desire of performing hard things and so of obtaining praise the worker of those things which in this mortalitie are greatest I doe not thinke in this there is an enuie that dooth trouble thee for so thou enuiest thy selfe so thou shouldest looke asquint at thy owne good there is nothing with thee seuered from thy husband No not thy beeing nor any of these things which belong vnto thee or wherein thy safety and welfare consisteth Beeing thus admitted to bee his companion of his goods thou art admitted into fellowship of his good nesse and of his praise and art honoured with that glory which thy husband doth cast vpon thee neither is it strange if both your wishes be contained in either If thou pertakest with his prosperity and aduersity For thou canst not if thou wouldest putte off this minde nor abrogate this lawe of Nature nay nor breake this same league these same tauntes and disdainefull gaulings of the mind which so much trouble thee account them no more to be the effects of true gentility then mushroomes burres thistels and such like are to be tearmed fruites Take heed that thou dost not forget that modesty which is more gratious then any fauour and fairer then any beautie Thou canst not ascribe too much to thy selfe but with all thou must despise thy husband and how farre thou departest from feare shame and respect so farre thou departest from those vertues which may truly be called iewels of that sex pretious without cost and so pretious that they ought to be esteemed as life and ransomed with death Therefore this violence of minde vnprofitable and vnseemely containe within the bovndes and limits of modesty bee not ouer wittie to abuse those good-gifts that nature hath lent thee make not vnto thy selfe a needelesse businesse but wholly addict thy self to his loue and obedience to whome this sex of thine hath tyed thee especially to that diuine will wherein it is fit all humane desires be extinguisht if thy care be any let it bee this to cut off all womanish complaint and foolish wrangling neuer bee puft vp with inconsiderate violence neuer trouble thy selfe with an needelesse labour whatsoeuer liketh thy husband let it please thee wherin he placeth thy name dignity honor in that rest To conclude so resolue that as he is born to the common-wealth so thou art borne to him For God will haue our whole life contained in these limittes Commandement and Obedience These are those two firme bondes wherewith all humane societie is tyed God commandeth and man obeieth But that due obedience may be giuen to that wise Creator of all things hee hath giuen and disposed to euery man his speciall chardge to men to be Gods vicegerents to women to be mens helpers thou canst not inuert this order but thou must bee equall to thy husband For when thou ceasest to obey thou beginnest to be his equal if equal to be his superiour if his superior surely to bee his worse because thou wilt bee wise otherwise then GOD hath appointed who would haue both you to liue in obedience to him and betwixt your selues in that order which hee hath set downe and to those that do this hee hath submitted all this how great soeuer frame of his creatures and hath alotted to you wisedome vnderstanding fit for it to him what is fit for commanding to thee what is for obeying hence it is that thou oughtest to permit vnto thy husband all the gouernment of thy minde and the strength of it neither think that thy husband doth ad more to your common good by this knowledge and power of commanding but thou dost as much by thy diligence of obeying and in that thou art not hazarded in publique dangers know that this is for thy honor who as a more pretious vessel art kept safer To what end then are so many complaints what meane this foolish quarreling with God How art thou becom so talkeatiue so ingenious so subtill in reproach and dishonour of that sacred power Dost thou diligently obserue those vertues which are the ornaments of thy sex Doost thou thinke those small which are reckoned amongst the greatest honours because the greatest cannot bee without them Doe not herein shine those neuer enough esteemed ornaments which haue aduanced some women to the highest honour amongst these I must account those Women who excell in this that they respect the bringing vppe of their children whereof that thou art made an ouerseer belieue mee the greatest businesse of all is committed to thee for Education is nothing else but the information of the whole life which way this leaneth doubtlesse that way doth a man bende A diligent and innocent education vsually maketh men good but a negligent and wicked maketh them euill Education is contained in the motherly affection diligence looking to admonitions chastenings all these things in the tendernesse of age doe drawe the first lines of vertue or vice those staines or honours that after rest vpon our liues here do first take roote Now consider how much is cōmitted to thee to whom the whole man is committed Doost thou then complaine that thou art euill dealt with all and that thy vertues are shutte vppe in a narrow roome Doubtlesse this is a place large and conspitious where thou maist shew them as thou doost vse thy care this is no seruile office all things in this are not only ingenious but ful of honour surely man of both kindes when he considereth his birth riseth to thee dooth reuerence and doth worship thee as his parent and a parent in a two fold respect both by the office of nature and the dignity of bringing vp For it were little that hope committed to thee in thy wombe by thy husband with a happy successe to bring into the World if this latter care also were not added which formeth and frameth the minde to all humanitie Oh honorable name of a parent O excellent prerogatiue of that mother of the family with whose vertues the whole house dooth shine Oh happy family wherein the sayings of a choyce and wise Woman are so many instructions and her deeds so many vertuous examples of religion chastitie and holinesse to this may bee added the care of looking to the house which thou maist performe with frugalitie and sparing These are those vertues whereunto if thou apply thy whole minde thou shalt gaine vnto thy selfe nobility and honour these are those thinges which nature manners lawes impose vpon women these businesses cares oftentimes exclude those vices which are vsually incident to that sex wilfull leuity motions variable and inconstant pratling preposterous ambition by themselues by their husbands by their children in their power much weakenesse impatiency of delay sickenesse of hope wantonnes ready anger ryot boldnesse confidence an immoderate mind and all those other monsters that doe rise from these wherewith too