Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	law_n	power_n	time_n	3,535	5	3.5329	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60171	Theophania, or, Severall modern histories represented by way of romance and politickly discours'd upon / by an English person of quality.	Sales, W., Sir.	1655 (1655)	Wing S371; ESTC R16110	148,797	232

formidable Invader having neither charity amongst our selves one to another nor the compassion of friends from abroad being destitute of help and utterly deprived of all external support it will appear like a poor small weather-beaten Bark floting in the midst of the Ocean and miserably tossed with storms and tempests whilst the despairing passengers beholding her sails torn with the wind her tackling fail her masts shivered her anchors lost the rudder broken and their whole Vessel full of leaks terrified with the horror of their present danger both lose the use of reason to assist themselves and in vain implore the assistance of the heavens having neither Compass nor Mariner nor Pilot nor so much as the glimmering light of any favorable star to conduct them safe to a secure harbor I may therefore under favor suppose that though what you have designed is most congruent to the present condition of your affairs yet perchance the most certain means to establish your Empire for the future will be to let things rest as they are and to conclude a happy peace with the Emperor Valentinianus though purchased at any rate so he will relinquish Aurelia's and acknowledge your Title Otherwise I am ready to execute your just commands and this arm supported with your power shall either depopulate the vastest Regions of the habitable world or secure you from the apprehension of your Enemies Oh my better Genius replied the Queen it is no marvel thou hast such an attractive power over my affections since both our souls seem inspired with the same thoughts and governed by the same principles These reasons thou hast now put into the ballance have long strugled with my resolutions and if either by Treaties or the mediation of Allies or by incredible submissions or any other means whatsoever I could have contracted a peace with Valentinianus I should never have proceeded to such extremities and you may easily believe it is not choice but necessity that at length forces me to it For during the reign of Euphemia my elder sister when I was cruelly persecuted by the Fl●mens as suspected to have an aversion to their Gods did I not by oaths and protestations and a strict observance of all the usual rites and ceremonies assure my sister of my constancie in that belief wherein I had been bred And if you will imagine me so wicked to have dissembled then for my own security why since the power hath been in my self have I not freely declared my opinions You see I have not yet since my coming to the Throne either in my own private practice or in the publick solemnities altered any thing of the antient forms but to shew my zeal to that profession received my Crown and the holy Unction from the Roman Flamens aud have hitherto maintained Ambassadors at Rome by declaring my sincere intentions to continue still the same league and union with the Emperor to obtain his approbation of my Title But since he is so obstinate not to depart from Aurelia's interest and nothing can induce him to hearken to any terms of reconciliation We must if it be possible by rooting out his faction disenable him to offend us This is the most visible remedy for the present evil and future ages as we do now must suit their councels according to the different revolutions of their affairs Pursue therefore with an undaunted courage in my safety thy own greatness But let us no longer lose time in discoursing of what ought already to be put in execution And thereupon taking a Ring from her finger she brake it asunder and delivering the one half thereof to Heraclius I conjure thee said she to preserve this as I will do the other part in testimony of my promise that thou shalt hereafter enjoy with me an equal share in the Empire as likewise to remain a pledge of our mutual fidelity And if in thy absence during this present expedition or at at any other time thou shouldst by cross fate be plunged in any exigence of misfortune send me that as in remembrance of the vow I here make in the presence of heaven that though in the remotest part of the earth I will employ all the power of our dominions and even my own life to redeem thee from thy adversity Whereupon kneeling down he kissed her hand with such a zeal as expressed the gratitude of his heart and after reciprocal protestations of an inseparable amity and a constant perseverance in the prosecution of their designs they parted for that time Theodora to communicate her intentions to the Nobles and Heraclius with the promises of infinite booty to prepare the Souldiers to withstand any opposition that might happen The souldiers with little difficulty embraced the proposition but the Princes and Nobility or the greatest part of them as much as they durst sought to disswade her from such an attempt as they conceived no less perillous then impious But knowing the obstinacie of her disposition and that besides the fond affection of the people the Army was disposed to be at her devotion they were forced to submit or at least to suffer what was not in their power to remedy So that things being thus ordered and Theodora having in a general assembly of the States made a specious declaration of the abuses and superstitions introduced by the Flamens a severe Decree was published under grievous penalties prohibiting the use of any other rites or ceremonies except only those that appertained to the worship of Jupiter and to cover her malice with a greater shew of piety lest through corruption the same errors should agen creep in amongst them she assumed to herself and to her successors the sacred office of the High-Priesthood vainly supposing that all the inferior orders depending wholly upon the Prince He might the easilier upon any occasion impose upon mens consciences such Tenents or laws as should most conduce to the supporting of an unlimited Prerogative Whereas indeed the right of divine authority being denied them their ordinances have ever since been contemned and then their abject compliance with the Crown only to maintain the shadow of a borrowed power hath in these latter times been so scandalous that it hath given the chief if not the sole occasion to ruine both themselves and it whose sufferings it will be then too late to lament when their fall as inevitably it must hath crushed and dashed in peeces the whole frame of the civil government Nevertheless mischiefs not foreseen or if foreseen not regarded by Theodora in respect of the secure fruition of a Crown not at all de●erred her from the accomplishment of her designs but proceeding without controll every thing succeeded so according to her desire that it is almost incredible with what a precipitate rage the multitude ran in throngs to demolish those antient Reliques of Antiquity with which their Ancestors had adorned the Shrines and Altars of the Gods The Priests were expelled the Temples the Vestal fire

Moon in a cleer sky encouraged the Sea-men to a prompt obedience though otherwise observant enough of their Lords commands who was not more reverenced amongst them for his authority then beloved and honour'd for his hospitality As soon as they had doubled the Point they presently saw the Ship which still lay hulking in the same manner and at that time again with beat of drum and sound of trumpet made all the noise that was possible which caused the Mariners the more vigorously to pursue their course But before they had advanced far they perceived a good distance from them two things floating upon the water which at first they supposed to be either by chance or on purpose cast out of the vessel but by the disturbance of the Sea in so great a Calm they soon found their mistake yet could not imagine what they should be for their motions yielded sometimes such a resplendent brightness and such a sparkling light as if against nature the Ocean had cast up flakes of fire or else Stars shot from the firmament had remained floating upon the surface thereof Some conjectured one thing some another and the wisest amongst them would needs have the rest imagine that it was nothing else but the reflection of the Moon upon the breaking of the water caused by Porpices or some other great fishes and began to wish their business dispatched apprehending as it is commonly believed among Sea-men that the appearing of those creatures presaged a storm or at least a great alteration of the weather Whilst they were thus reasoning amongst themselves they approached so neer the object of their wonder that the dispute ceased though not their admiration For they plainly discerned two young men of an excellent beauty swiming towards them one whereof carried in his hand a naked Sword of a rarely polished mettle and the other had about his neck a Tablet mervailously enriched with diamonds The former seeing an unexpected assistance so neer launched himself forward with a wonderfull force and catching hold of one of the Oars with the help thereof leaped aboard then waving his sword above his head immediately with both his hands laid the hilt thereof which was curiously enchased with rubies to his heart and casting up his eyes to heaven smiled a little as if by that he had overcome the present and meant to vanquish all future danger But at the same instant the other his strength failing him began to sink and he had undoubtedly perished if the mariners notwithstanding their surprisal by so strange an accident had not been very speedy in giving him assistance and as he rise agen above the water taken hold of his Tassata breeches which were all the garment he had on and by them lifted him into their Fallocque At the first though he were not altogether without life yet he was in a manner past sense but by bending his body forward and other usual remedies that Sea-men in such cases practice having voided a great quantity of water which overcharged his stomack he soon came to himself again and immediately feeling for the Tablet that was about his neck with great reverence kissed it holding up his hands to heaven as in token of thankfulness that since his life was preserved that Jewel was so likewise which he seemed to value not inferior to the other Then kissing it agen and fixing his eyes upon the Characters artificially formed with Diamonds of an inestimable value after a deep sigh cryed out Ah Mariana and having pronounced that name so sacred to his memory presently stoped as if in that one word he had said all that could be spoken But at length calling to mind his condition he looked earnestly about him to consider into what hands he was fallen when perceiving his companion that had run the like hazard with himself and in the same manner as he thought preserved they presently embraced with infinite testimonies of joy congratulating each others safety and had continued longer in those expressions if the mariners desiring to finish their work had not interrupted them with signs that they made for they perceived they were strangers and spake another language to know whether they should return back or else go on to the ship of which they supposed they were but understanding they desired rather they should return having accommodated them the best they could with garments of which two of the Sea-men willingly stript themselves they instantly tackt about and a fresh gale then rising from the sea almost in a moment arrived upon the shore The Country-people partly in curiosity to hear news for by reason of the war some novelty or other happened almost every day but the better sort to wait upon Synesius attended the return of the Fallocque which no sooner touched upon the Beach but they all flocked to the Sea-side and when they were ready to land He with his Gentlemen being come to the head of the Boat when they saw the strangers were seised with a kind of admiration in beholding two such goodly persons in a habit so unsuitable to their demeanure and presently step'd to give them their hands which civility as soon as they were on shore they returned with great demonstrations of gratitude and by their deportment gave testimony of a birth and education far above their present condition They were both of equal perfections though somthing differing in years the eldest being about two and twenty the other not above nineteen the one of a most deli●●te complexion the other of a more manly vigorous composition the one the people were ready to adore as the God of war the other emblemed that Youth for whom the Goddess of Love herself suffered such an ardent passion and both had impressed such characters of manhood and beauty as promised an assured victory in the contentions either of Love or War The elder was of a stature more then the ordinary size of men his hair which was brown hung in great ●ings dangling upon his shoulders his beard appeared only like young doun his eyes were gray yet full of a majestick gravity and his face though something enclined to leanness was the index of a most daring mind and more generous spirit in brief nature had framed his body as if to shew the perfection of the ●ex both in comelines of proportion and address in all manner of exercises The other was about half the head lower and of a complexion that made all others neer him seem to have none his hair flaxen with such a glistering brightness as that alone was ornament enough for any one man but all the rest of the fabrick was answerable large gray eyes a wide forehead a mild cheerfull countenance and a shape so compleat as drew the eyes of all the beholders into admiration The worthy Synesius took so strict a survey of these rare endowments that he assured himself they were persons to be treated with more then a common civility On the other side