Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	justice_n	prudence_n	temperance_n	1,847	5	10.3903	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67614	Effigies amoris in English, or, The picture of love unveil'd; Amoris effigies. English. 1682	Waring, Robert, 1614-1658.; Phil-icon-erus.	1682 (1682)	Wing W865; ESTC R38066	55,822	148

his gifts yet afterwards it values the gifts for the Authour whose parental indulgence extended it self beyond the partition-wall of his own family and adopted a stranger with the same domestick affection as an Allie into his Hospitable bosom Here overloaded gratitude faints and finding it self uncapable of returning any thing besides the man repays its Patron as a Deity with the bare Votary And truly in my opinion he betraies no such generous ardour of mind who returns benefits as Debts and pays gifts that he may quit scores and that accounts may be kept even on both sides as if they were dealing only in a more liberal way of usury 'T is not affection but pride which makes a man so impatient of lying under an obligation This is not to receive but retort kindnesses This is with more disdain than gratitude to boast riches in a contention of munificence But since true benefits aim at nothing but a kind reception he only knows how to be a liberal receiver who candidly interprets and retaliates nothing but a grateful mind Neither does he think this any valuable return of his own liberality but only the pledge of anothers But lest any one should think I insinuate this as an Apology for my incapacity or ingratitude let him know that I have perswaded my self that friends give with that Candor as if they paid only that they might owe and return gifts with such freedom as those that give of their own accord These are benefits these are those Arrows of Cupid which with a Benefits are the arrows of Cupid arm'd with gold Golden point give a Splendid but faithful wound More powerful truly is the Courtship of Jupiter under gold than under feathers or the Rays of his Divinity For gifts are the universal Character whereas 't is the Talent only of some few to understand the Idiom of Majesty and the soothing flourish of a Rhetorical Pen. Shall I now say that from this gentle From liberality arises commiseration which softens he breast and then signs it with an Image humanity of mind proceeds a good natur'd Commiseration which softens the breast like Wax and then seals it with any Image Or that from this ampleness of mind flows that proud benignity which while it seeks occasion to exercise munificence Loves the miserable even to Passion and scorns the happy Or shall I think that from hence arises a generous Stateliness which is more ambitious of bow'd knees and heads than Embraces and Loves only on this Magnificent condition that it be not Lov'd again Or rather shall I term this a soft modesty like to theirs who can endure to eye another till he look back upon them And now we confess with thee Beauty is rank'd among the Vertues which holds forth an animated system of Ethicks and expresses in the body ●Il the Vertues prudence fortitude justice and temperance Plato the divinest of all Prophets a wonderful scene of Love display'd throughout the whole body where Vertue exposes herself to view where the Candor of the mind tempers the blood with a milky whiteness and modesty dies the Cheek with a sweet Vermilion where the liberal forehead hospitably entertains the beholders and the glances of the eye are gather'd up like scatter'd gems where you may perceive the discipline of a composed countenance gravely checking and allaying those sparks which it kindled in you by its Beauty Where you may observe the dictates of a quick apprehending aspect and imbibe tacit lessons of prudence where you may see regularly disposed by a certain ballance of justice the even measures as of manners so of the limbs and peruse a living system of Ethicks with your Hence 't is call'd a Corporeal Vertue eyes where when you shall behold the lucid members joynted to one another like gems both for Ornament and service wondring a while at the compacted strength of solid Beauty you will cry out Hither Vulcan with thy nets behold we have taken again Mars accompanying Venus This is a Beauty worth the Empire of more than one world Thanks be to Jupiter and his Eagle that the earth is not envy'd the possession of so great Beauty Hence the Divine Plato may with rapture and ecstasie deduce Theorems of Philosophy and contemplate a fairer Idea with his eyes than ever he did with his mind Socrates may send his delicate youth to trim themselves at the superlative lustre of this face as at a looking-glass And here Eudoxus fall'n from his admiration of the Sun may affirm mankind was made on purpose to view this light and to feast on bright pleasures though to the loss of their eyes There are more powerful Charms in the aspect of this form than in Orpheus his lyre to tame wild beasts and Philosophers This Splendor more delightsome than day-light is fitter than the Sun to try and educate the off-spring not of Eagles only but of mankind too I would almost swear that our souls descended from the Skie as falling Stars they are so inamour'd with all Brightness These are the Arrows of Cupid pointed with the light of eyes and sparkling out flames which shine burn and wound Thus whatsoever is excellent All Love is comprehended in likeness whatsoever we would be like to attracts us to it self with the same ardour as we do those things which we seem Where fore we all Love either whom we would be like to or whom we are From the former arise those spurs of a tasted Love from the latter first similitude it self already to resemble We mutually crave and give Pardon to this madness of ours which makes us do the same when men as when children viz. to reach out to kiss our Pictures in Looking-glasses 'T is the Fate of all mankind as well as of Narcissus to be Passionately in Love with their own representations And 't is but just that we more zealously affect our other self than our Parents or Children who are but pieces of our selves or than an Artificer does his own work which is only the product and Image of his art 'T is an excusable greediness which prompts us to feed upon our like since 't is the nature of our souls as well as bodies to require consimilar aliment Wherefore I don't wonder at the Then Custom bewitching power of Custom which recommends to our affections not only faces but places themselves and inanimate trifles as if they were our Companions Whence the same delay which insensibly preys upon Beauty adds also grace to deformity For the eye and mind tinctured with a familiar species see no longer but through painted glass which takes off from the horror of the object So also familiarity without Then familiarity which we are remote even when present adds this force to custom that it may form Twin manners by a reciprocal generation beget a Consanguinity of dispositions and adapt mind to mind till anothers conversation is more sweet and free to us than our own