Selected quad for the lemma: woman_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
woman_n	brother_n	daughter_n	sister_n	5,598	5	10.9500	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80696	French intrigues; or, The history of their delusory promises since the Pyrenæan treaty Printed in French at Cologne, and now made English.; Histoire des promesses illusoires depuis la paix des Pirénées. English	Courtilz de Sandras, Gatien, 1644-1712.	1685 (1685)	Wing C6597bA; ESTC R202287	62,067	182

Messina the Revolt thereof not only drew a new War on that side through the Protection which France gave that Town but also put a great deal of Disorder in the Affairs of the Spaniards who were obliged hastily to withdraw their Troops from Catalonia and send them into Italy By this means the French finding themselves Masters in Catalonia retook Bellegarde which they had lost pillaged all the Country from the Pyrenaean Mountains even beyond Gironne and had they had a design of making themselves Masters thereof as well as of many other Places there is a great appearance that nothing could have hindred them But not being willing to establish themselves beyond these high Mountains which Nature seems to have put for a Separation between the two Realms they contented themselves with the Prey they had got and let the People feather themselves every Winter to the end they might plume them every Spring Altho the War of Messina was of very great consequence yet should I not cross the Seas to seek a Subject for this Work were it not that I shall at the same time find a fair matter to prove the Unfaithfulness of the French They sent thither at first the Marquess de Vallavoir a Gentleman of Provence not in quality of a Viceroy but with a Command equal thereunto so that he wanted nothing but the Name He behaved himself in this Charge during the space of eighteen Months or thereabouts with great satisfaction to the People to whom he caused at his Arrival to be delivered gratis a quantity of Corn which had been brought from France and whereof the Messineses could never have more need for they had already a long time eaten Horses Rats Mice and other unclean Animals their best Repasts being only of these sorts of things with a few ill-tasted Herbs when they could get them But at the end of that time Vallavoir having had a Difference with the Intendant because they would both rob without sharing one with another was revoked and the Duke de Vivonne sent in his place who brought into that Country a greater Name but a less Sufficiency He came thither with the quality of a Viceroy which so much the more pleased the People as they believed that this would oblige France to do something more than she had hitherto done to disengage so considerable a Town which was still so closely block'd up that it received no other Succour to live upon but what came to it from France As soon as the Duke was in the Town he put all his Authority into the hands of his Secretary took care to make provision of all sorts of good Wines enquired where were the fairest Courtizans caused a Chair to be made wherein he might sleep commodiously as he was carried along and in fine forgot nothing whereby he might keep himself as portly as when he came thither At the beginning when he pass'd along the Streets every one extolled his Civility because they observed him from time to time to bow down and lift up his Head like a Man that would salute some-body but at last a Person having observed that it was because he slept and having shewn it to others there was no more such pressing to see him pass along the way which was very commodious for him because he was not very desirous that it should be always known whither he went Notwithstanding the Refreshments which Messina from time to time received from France it is impossible to say to what misery it was reduced There needed no more but to give Bread to have the richest Goods in the Town Husbands there prostituted their Wives Fathers their Daughters Brothers their Sisters and there was not so much as the Superiors of Nunneries but endeavoured to subsist by the Intrigue of some handsom religious Woman But the Hatred which the Inhabitants had conceived of the Spaniards was so strongly imprinted in their Mind that all languishing and dying as they were they chose rather their Miseries than to return under their Dominion They let themselves then be amused by the frivolous hope which the Viceroy from time to time gave them that he would soon go open the Passages but they were other Passages that he thought on which had in the mean time so ill treated him that they had brought him to his Litter The Officers according to the Example of their Chief led not a more glorious Life The Chevalier Duke General of the Horse made good provision of these sorts of Passages and tho he were above five and fifty years old yet must he have no less than four so much fear had he of wanting For the Commander of the Foot as he brought with him out of France not a Preservative against all sorts of Evil but an Evil worse than all the Evils of Italy he took of them where-ever he could find them well knowing that worse could not befall him The Sea-Officers followed the Example of the Land-ones and if they visited their Vessels it was only to bring aboard them lewd Women It was in the mean time impossible that France should not have knowledg of these sorts of Disorders but the Duke de Vivonne held her by such sweet Bonds that having committed the Fault to send him to Messina for a Viceroy she had rather Messina should perish than revoke this Sardanapalus In the mean time the War which every day grew hotter and hotter in Flanders and Germany had been so favourable to France that the English Parliament being now assembled they humbly addressed to their King who had at the end of the second Campaign made Peace with Holland That he would be pleased to recall the English Troops which were in the service of the French King whereunto they also added That he would declare War against the French unless they abandoned the Protection of Messina which was an Obstacle to the Peace that had been so long talkt of The King of England tho a Friend to France yet condescending to the Requests of his People sent to the French King to do both the one and the other if he would have him still continue his Friend This News was a Thunder-clap to France but since she must as we may say either obey or resolve upon War with England she began to shew the Choice she would make by already dismissing the English that were in her Service But it was here that her Insincerity appeared in its full extent whereof perhaps the King of England may yet one day testify his Resentment when his People when the Fanatical Party amongst them had of late Years almost frighted into a Rebellion with Dreams and Visions of Popery and Arbitrary Government shall which they begin apace to do have regained their former Loyalty and Zeal for his Service You shall know then that the English being dismiss'd instead of making them go to Dunkirk or Calais from thence to pass to Dover which was their right way they were sent through Burgundy through