Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A18843
|
The familiar epistles of M.T. Cicero Englished and conferred with the: French Italian and other translations; Epistolae ad familiares. English
|
Cicero, Marcus Tullius.; Webbe, Joseph.
|
1620
(1620)
|
STC 5305; ESTC S107976
|
375,357
|
1,062
|
they herin offend me not being so desirous to write vnto you as I am True it is they should doe much more discreetly if they gaue mee a little more time But they euer come to me in their trauailing atyre making all hast to be gone because their companioÌ„s attend them at the gates So that you must pardon me if at this time I be also briefe But know you what I will shortly recompence the defect to which I haue by their hast beene enforced Though I know no reason why I should excuse my selfe considering yours come hither emptie and returne with letters We haue it here for currant somewhat I muâ—t write that Publius Sylla the Father is dead some say murdered by theeues others affirme by surfeit of meates The people take no great care now they vnderstand that his bodie was burned And no doubt but you also who are wise will take it patiently enough the euill is that we haue lost the forme of the Common-wealth The generall opinion was that Caesar would haue taken it verie heauily as he that feared least the sales which were made by publicke outery might haue beene abated Mindius Marcellus and Aâ—ius the complection-maker reioyced they had lost their aduersarie There 's no newes out of Spaiâ—e but a wonderfull expectation There are certaine reports rather bad then otherwise but they are not creditted by reason they come from no certaine places Our Pansa departed fâ—om Rome the thirtieth day of December with honourable employment so that euery one may mâ—nifestly discerne the power of vertue which as a loadstone Iron drawes oâ—hers to follow her seâ—king no other reward then the posseâ—sion of her selfe And though some other opinion hath within â—his little while be gloomed your vnderstanding yet if you will but looke with a direct eye shee euer honours and rewardes those spirits that obserue her as wee may see by Pansa who relieuing many out of miseries and leauing in these afflictions of the Citie an example of his wonderfull integritie and loue hath wonne the hearts of euery good man I am glad you continued hitherto in Brundusium and I thinke it was the beâ—t resolution and I assuredly beleeue you shall also doe verie wisely to keepe your selfe within your bounds without entangling your selfe in dangerous matters You may be well assured that we who loue you shall receiue therein greaâ— satisfaction And I pray you from this time forward when you haue anie occasion to write home to be mindfull of my busineâ—se Euery man that comes vnto you shall if I know thereof bring letters from me Farewell Cicero to Caius Cassius Epist. 18. THe letter should haue been longer but that the messenger required it of me at the very instant of his departure and yet longer if I had delighted in Fables for matters of moment cannot be written of without daunger You 'l say we may be pleasant amongst our selues and salute one another with letters of recreation In troth verie hardlie Why what shall we then doe do we what we wil ther 's no wandring for vs out of the path of miseries But you 'le aske me what 's become then of Philosophie Where is shee Yoâ—rs is amongst pleasures mine in perpetuall molestations out of shame to see my selfe hampered with the chaine of seruitude And therefore I seeme to doe something else not to infringe the precepts of Plato Ther 's nothing certaine reported out of Spaine neither is there any newes at all I am sorrie in mine owne behalfe you are so farre from vs I reioyce on yours But this Corrier is verie importunate Farewell therefore And as you haue lou'd me from your in fancie so euer loue me Farewell Cicero to Caius Cassius Epist. 19. I Protest I haue no greater comfort in this my absence then to write vnto you For me thinkes I talke and toy with you as if we were together And yet this proceeds not through the Spectra of Catius in whose fauour I will by my next produce you so manie rusticall Stoicks that I will driue you to affirme that Catius was borne in Athens I am much contented that our Pansa with the wonderfull satisfaction of all men hath obtain'd so honourable a charge And I vow to God I doe not reioyce for him alone but for all of vs. Hoping that it will be discerned how much euery man naturally shuns and abhorres tyrannieâ— and on the contrarie how chearefully they embrace and fauour the iust and merciâ—ull and that those honors which wicked men labor and desire to obtaine are distributed to honest and good men It 's a great matter that it should be so difficult to perswade men that vertue of her selfe is amiable and an excellent rewarder of her followers being truer then truth it selfe that vertue iustice and honestie are those seedes which produce the true repose and peace of minde as Epicurus himselfe from whom all the Catij and Amasinij his erronious interpreters are derived beareth wiâ—nesse saying That he cannot liue comfortablâ—e that liues not iustly honestly Wherefore Pansa puâ—suing the hoâ—est dâ—lectations of life posâ—esâ—eth veâ—tue and those whom we call louers â—f delights and pleasures are louers likewise of honestie and iustâ—ce and such as endeuouring themselues in all vertues doe possâ—sse them And therefore Sylla whose iudgemenâ— we must needs aâ—proue perceiuing the Phâ—losâ—pheâ—s to bee dissonant among â—hemâ—elues wiâ—hout seâ—king out which was the chiefe good purchaâ—'d in a moment all goods Whose death certainely I hâ—ue borne with a constant mind and so much the rather being asâ—ured that Caesar will not suffer vs long to looke after it hauing aboundance of condemned men whom hee mâ—y in his place restore vnto vs thoâ—â—h â—here is a â—onne of his remaining who is well able to discharge his Fathers office Now to come vnto the Common-wealth I looke for a relation of the warre of Spaine I would I were dead if I be not much perplexed and I had rather liue vnder our vsuall that 's a mercifull Lord then to vndergoe a new yoke of one that is full of crueltie You know how presumptuous Cnâ—ius is and arrogates euery great thing vnto himâ—elfe you know how he maintaines that crueltie is a kind of vertue you know how ridiculous hee thought himselfe vnto vs. And therefore I am affraid least in exchange he â—ay with his Sword basely laugh at vs. If you loue me write vnto me Oh! how glad I would be you did but asâ—ure me whither you read this letter with a troublâ—d mind or a diâ—burdened For aâ—â—he same insâ—ant I should come to know what resolution to vndertake in mine owne occurrents To auoyd prolixitie I will bid you farewell and as you loue me loue me If Caesar vanquish looke for me presently Farewell Cicero to Caius Trebonius Epist. 20. I Haue commended my Orator for so I stile him to your Sabinus whom I should euery way thinke well of for his nations sake had he not also vsurped their libertie which hunt