Selected quad for the lemma: water_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
water_n	bright_a	fire_n	great_a	139	3	2.1420	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51900	The sixth volume of letters writ by a Turkish spy who lived five and forty years undiscover'd at Paris : giving an impartial account to the Divan at Constantinople of the most remarkable transactions of Europe, and discovering several intrigues and secrets of the Christian courts (especially of that of France) continued from the year 1659 to the year 1682 / written originally in Arabick, translated into Italian, and from thence into English by the translator of the first volume.	Marana, Giovanni Paolo, 1642-1693.; Bradshaw, William, fl. 1700.; Midgley, Robert, 1655?-1723.	1694 (1694)	Wing M565DA; ESTC R36909	159,714	389

committed to able and learned Tutors and as they grow in Years encreasing also in Knowledge Wisdom and Courage they are dispos'd of every one suitable to his Capacity Some being made Ministers of State others Generals of Armies or Governours of Provinces Whereby each is put in a Condition to make Parties for himself among the Grandees and those of Inferiour Degree and to fortify his Interest in Court and City Country and Camp Thus an open Field is left for all to try their Wit and Courage in for the Sake of Inheritance and 't is more equal to let them Nobly Skirmish for a Crown and make a Warlike Lottery for Life or Death then set up one with the Advantage and Character of a Butcher and turn the Seraill ' to a Shambles always polluted with Royal Innocent Blood But every State pursues its own Maxims and there are not wanting Men of the Law who justify this Inhumane Conduct of our Sultans as the only means to prevent Publick Distractions and Civil Wars which always happen where there are many Pretenders to the Imperial Dignity As it lately fell out in the Indies I need not acquaint thee with what particular Dignities and Commands the Great Mogul invested his Four Sons Thou could'st sufficiently inform thy self of these Things when thou wast at Dehli the Capital City of Indostan Neither need I say any Thing of Rauchenara Begum or her Sister Saheb the Two Daughters of Cha Iehan Thou that hast been there in Person know'st more of these Things than I who am oblig'd to the Merchants and Travellers for all my Intelligence of the Indian Affairs But I can certify thee of something which has been transacted there since thy Return to Constantinople the Fame whereof perhaps is not yet arriv'd to the Imperial City Know then that in the Year 1655 a Rumour being spread abroad through the Provinces of India that Cha Iehan was dead each of his Four Sons began to lay about him for the Crown They did all that is usual in such Cases for Ambitious Persons to do by courting the Omrahs and Rajas with large Presents and larger Promises by obliging the Souldiery with immense Largesses in a Word by rouzing up the Friendship and Integrity of their Adherents and by winning over Strangers to their different Parties with whatsoever else was thought necessary to carry on a prosperous War against one another For the Innate Desire of Reigning had equally possess'd them all But Destiny which appoints and consummates Humane Events had reserv'd the Crown for Aureng-zebe who surpass'd all the rest in Policy and Dissimulation With profound Craft this Prince over-reach'd his younger Brother Morad-Batche and put him in Chains in the midst of Morad's own Army pacifying the Officers with Bribes and the Common Souldiers with Encrease of their Pay whilst he sent their General away Prisoner to one of his strongest Castles This was the First considerable Stroke he gave toward the gaining a Crown For now he was not only rid of one Competitor and the most dangerous of all the rest but also became Master of his Army and all his Treasure which being joined to his own put him in a Condition to pursue his good Fortune with Success Yet the War lasted almost Six Years his Brother Sultan Sujah keeping him in Play on the Side of Bengale and Sultan Dara near the Capital Cities Agra and Dehli But at last they were both forc'd to yield to the Fortune of Aurengzebe In fine he was establish'd and now sits on the Throne of his Fathers whilst they fell Sacrifices to the Jealousy and Revenge of their Victorious Brother being as I 'm inform'd taken Prisoners and afterwards poyson'd or hurry'd out of the World some other Way Thus passes away Humane Glory like a Cloud driven before the Wind or like the Smoak of a Fire which looks bright and gay for a while crackles and gives Heat to all that are near it but is either suddenly quench'd with Water or evaporates into Air and is no more remember'd Dear Pestheli consider that this Earth is not our Native Country we are Foreigners here below let us improve our selves by every Thing we encounter in Knowledge and Vertue without Learning the Vanity and Vices of Mortals Paris 4th of the 6th Moon of the Year 1663. LETTER III. To Useph Bassa HEre is great Rejoycing for the Conversion of a certain Protestant Prince to the Faith of the Roman Church They call him the Duke of Meklebourgh He is said to spring from an Ancient Race of Kings among the Vandals This Court caresses him in an extraordinary Manner as they usually do all Proselytes of his High Quality as for poor and vulgar Converts they serve only to become the Priests Slaves and Asses The King who is Styl'd the Eldest Son of the Church and therefore ought to appear a living Demonstration of her boasted Vertues has been very Liberal of his Favours to the New Devotee creating him Knight of the Holy Spirit which is the most Sublime Degree of Honour in this Kingdom next to that of being made Peer of the Realm Couriers arrive one at the Heels of another from the Duke of Beaufort who is Cruising about on the Mediterranean But I cannot get a Sight of any of them nor learn what their Expresses contain The Courtiers and Statesmen here are the very Whirl-Pools of Intelligence Whatever News is communicated to them is swallow'd up and lost for ever in profound Silence They receive all but return none again However People take the Liberty to guess every Man according to his Reason or Fancy Some say the Duke of Beaufort has engaged with a Fleet of Algerines and driven 'em into their Harbour with great Loss on their Side and Triumph on his Others laugh at this as only a Court-Romance who strive to prepossess the Nation with prosperous Stories of the King's Arms both by Sea and Land Whilst a Third Sort affirm That those Dispatches come not from the Duke of Beaufort who they say is dead being kill'd by a Cannon-Bullet in an Encounter with the Corsairs of Barbary But that they are sent from the next Chief Officers in the Thoulon Fleet to give the King an Account of his Death and receive New Orders In the mean while we are wholly taken up here at present with the Reception of the Swiss-Embassadours They made their Publick Entry into Paris yesterday after they had been magnificently entertain'd at the Castle of the Wood. A Thousand Chariots accompanied them through the Streets of Paris They are brave Jolly Persons Sons of Bacchus and Hirelings to Mars Stout in a Wine-Cellar and no Cowards in the Field Courteous Bassa Thou seest I do not forget my Friends but send to all by Turns the Advices that come to my Hands I wish thou would'st favour me with a short Sketch of thy Pleasure with the Grand Signior in the Neighbouring Plains of Adrianople Paris 10th of the 11th Moon of the Year 1663. LETTER

any Place of Strength were built on it which they had Occasion to besiege And as they hew'd away that Part of the Rock which supported the Walls they underprop'd the Foundation with Wooden Pillars And when they had finish'd their Mine they set Fire to certain Combustible Matter which consuming these Supports the Walls and Gates that rested on them sunk down and left the Fortress naked and open to the Besiegers It had been well for the Inhabitants of Rezan if their City had been only thus gently dismantl'd by some Enemy against whom they might have afterwards employ'd their Courage to defend themselves or make Composition But poor Unfortunate People they have felt a ruder Shock an unmerciful Blow of Fate their City being in a Minute's time without the least warning stormed plunder'd and laid in Heaps by an Enemy which gives no Quarter This Accident happen'd on the 15th of the last Moon about the Hour of Vlanamisi There were Five Hundred Barrels of Powder in the Magazine and the Force of the Blow was so violent that besides the Destruction of that City or at least the best Part of it all the Neighbouring Villages round about it felt its Fatal Effect some of their Houses shaking as in an Earthquake others falling to Pieces Assuredly Heaven is angry with these Infidels and turns the very Instruments of their Defence and Safety into Scourges for their Chastisement I formerly sent Saleh the Superintendent an Account of the like Misfortune that befel the City of Gravelines in Flanders and of other terrible Effects of the Wrath of Heaven in the Low-Countries One Disaster follows close on the back of another yet the Infidels are insensible and stupid as they were in the Days of Noah when the Flood came and surpris'd all the Inhabitants of the Country That Prophet gave 'em warning of the approaching Danger He was Three whole Years in cutting down Indian Plane-Trees and preparing Planks Beams Pins and other Necessaries and Seven Year more in Building that Wonderful Ship The Infidels went by daily and saw him at Work but they derided the Patient Apostle and taught their Children to mock him saying Where is the Water this Ship is to sail in After the Ark was finish'd it lay on the Ground Seven Moons till they had Thrice sacrific'd some of Noah's Followers to their Idols It was perfected in the Moon of Rajeb and in the Moon of Saphar was the Decree of the Chastisement sign'd which was to be executed on all of Mortal Race save Noah and the Fourscore that were with him with the Two Pairs of every Species which the Four Winds by God's Appointment collected together and drove into the Ark and the Body of Adam which was enshrin'd and brought to Noah by Angels out of the Region of Mecca There was also Philemon the Good Priest of Egypt with his whole Family Just as the determined Day and Hour of the Flood was come the Prince of the Country stimulated by his Evil Destiny mounted his Horse with some of his Retinue and having sacrific'd to their Idols rode toward the Place where Noah and his Company were shut up in the Ark with a Design to burn it to Ashes He call'd out aloud to the Prophet with Scoffs saying O Noah where is the Water in which this Ship is to sail It will be with you incontinently replied the Holy Man before you can remove your Station Come down thou Dotard said the proud Infidel otherwise I will burn thee and thy Companions with Fire O miserable Man said Noah Turn to God for his Judgments are ready to burst forth on you The Prince Incens'd at this commanded his Slaves to put Fire to the Ark. But while he was yet speaking he manifestly saw the Water gushing out on all Hands round about him and under his Feet Then his Heart was troubl'd and full of Anguish and Fear He hasted to secure himself with his Family and Goods in the Castles which he had built on the highest Mountains But alas the Earth open'd and broke like a Spiders Web so violent was the Force of the Waters which boyled up every where The Clouds pour'd down vast Chataracts of Rain mix'd with Dreadful and Insupportable Thunder and Lightning The Miserable Infidels throng'd upon one another cursing and blaspheming their Gods who had deluded ' em Great was the Confusion and Cry every where for such a Calamity had never been known since the Moon gave her Light If any were so nimble as to reach the Foot of a Mountain yet he could not ascend by Reason of Stones which fell on his Head and Torrents of boyling Water that ran down upon him as if it had come out of a Cauldron And suppose he had reach'd the top it had been but a short Delay of his Fate for in a word the Waters swell'd Forty Cubits above the Highest Mountains and all the Living Generations perish'd Son of my Mother when thou readest this Memoir for it is a Fragment of an Ancient Arabick Writing think on the Day of Judgment which shall surprize the World even as the Deluge did At that Hour the greatest Part of Men will not dream of any such thing till they see Flames and Rivers of Fire bursting forth from the Springs and Fountains which before yielded Water and showers of Fire descending from Heaven instead of Rain For the Elements will change their Courses to accomplish the Decrees of him who made them and to consummate the Revenge of the Omnipotent against Vnbelievers Paris 2d of the 11th Moon of the Year 1666 LETTER XV. To Useph Bassa SUrely the Gods of the English are angry with that People and the Guardian Spirits of the Isle have forsook their Charge I sent a Dispatch at the beginning of this Year to Murat Bassa wherein I inform'd him of a Destructive Plague raging at London and in other Parts of the Nation That Pestilence continues still but under different Forms to assault the Living and augment the Number of the Dead God only knows the Origin of these Epidemical Contagions whether they derive their Pedigree from Heaven or Hell from the Earth or any other Element Perhaps some latent Poysons in the Air mix with the Breath of Mortals and by their subtile Energy soon dissipate the vital Flame of Humane Bodies like the Infectious Blasts of the Wind El-Samiel in Arabia which in a Moment's time commit a Rape upon the Lives of Travellers scorching their Spirits up and leaving on the Sands a black stiff Carcass of Jelli'd Flesh as tho' they had been Thunder-struck Or perhaps some Venomous Exhalations from the Minerals below transpire through Chinks and Crannies in the Earth to plunder Mortals of their Breath like to the Fatal Vapours in the Cave of Death not far from Virgil's Grot ' in Italy Or who can tell but that some hidden Meteors above or some Malignant Stars may send down whole Battalions of empoyson'd Atomes to invade this Region of Mortality and in