Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	child_n	great_a	parent_n	1,520	5	8.2359	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26588	A discourse of wit by David Abercromby ...	Abercromby, David, d. 1701 or 2.	1686 (1686)	Wing A82; ESTC R32691	73,733	250

sun_n the_o debate_n between_o ajax_n and_o ulysses_n etc._n etc._n i_o admire_v nothing_o more_o in_o lucan_n than_o the_o unevenness_n of_o his_o style_n he_o fly_v high_a and_o on_o a_o sudden_a low_a again_o in_o the_o same_o page_n and_o sometime_o in_o the_o same_o verse_n you_o shall_v read_v none_o so_o elevate_v upon_o some_o occasion_n and_o none_o so_o flat_a on_o other_o rencounter_n claudian_n and_o he_o be_v near_o of_o a_o temper_n livy_n by_o his_o long_a and_o minute_n narrative_n wear_v out_o his_o own_o wit_n and_o the_o reader_n patience_n his_o best_a piece_n in_o my_o judgement_n be_v his_o harangue_n or_o those_o senseful_a speech_n he_o put_v in_o the_o mouth_n of_o statesman_n and_o great_a captain_n i_o have_v have_v also_o a_o great_a veneration_n for_o cicero_n yet_o i_o be_o very_o sensible_a that_o he_o be_v not_o himself_o upon_o all_o occasion_n i_o find_v few_o of_o his_o plea_n so_o well_o pen_v as_o that_o he_o make_v in_o defence_n of_o milo_n he_o know_v not_o what_o he_o will_v be_v at_o in_o his_o book_n de_fw-fr natura_fw-la deorum_fw-la and_o his_o best_a interpreter_n i_o fancy_n as_o es●al●pier_n etc._n etc._n and_o other_o do_v but_o guess_v at_o his_o meaning_n as_o to_o the_o accuracy_n and_o politeness_n of_o expression_n he_o be_v every_o where_o the_o same_o and_o the_o best_a master_n of_o the_o latin_a tongue_n aristotle_n be_v beyond_o envy_n itself_o though_o not_o every_o where_n beyond_o reach_n the_o new_a philosopher_n speak_v more_o distinct_o and_o give_v more_o sensible_a notion_n of_o most_o thing_n his_o best_a piece_n i_o take_v to_o be_v his_o artificial_a logic_n or_o art_n of_o argue_v conformable_o to_o certain_a infallible_a rule_n his_o politic_n his_o poetry_n his_o rhetoric_n and_o his_o moral_n he_o be_v a_o very_a obscure_a metaphysitian_n because_o he_o handle_v such_o matter_n as_o be_v beyond_o the_o reach_n of_o humane_a understanding_n and_o think_v it_o not_o enough_o to_o say_v that_o every_o thing_n be_v this_o or_o that_o by_o a_o various_a texture_n but_o will_v needs_o further_o inquire_v into_o the_o property_n of_o the_o compound_v part_n whether_o they_o be_v finite_a or_o infinite_a obnoxious_a to_o a_o endless_a division_n or_o not_o etc._n etc._n thus_o he_o propose_v to_o we_o palpable_a and_o intelligible_a difficulty_n but_o very_o obstruse_a mysterious_a and_o unsatisfactory_a solution_n what_o i_o have_v say_v of_o the_o ancient_n i_o may_v likewise_o say_v of_o our_o modern_a wit_n for_o there_o be_v but_o few_o of_o they_o eminent_a in_o every_o thing_n and_o most_o of_o they_o eminent_a in_o nothing_o but_o i_o must_v not_o end_v this_o section_n without_o give_v you_o some_o rational_a account_n of_o this_o unevenness_n observable_a in_o most_o may_v author_n first_o then_o we_o have_v recourse_n to_o that_o common_a answer_n to_o all_o such_o difficulty_n the_o limitation_n of_o humane_a capacity_n but_o because_o this_o be_v too_o general_a i_o shall_v say_v something_o no_o less_o to_o the_o purpose_n and_o more_o particular_a i_o may_v be_v allow_v then_o to_o say_v in_o second_o instance_n that_o our_o own_o indiscretion_n be_v common_o the_o cause_n of_o this_o disorder_n for_o as_o we_o never_o write_v witty_o but_o when_o our_o imagination_n be_v exalt_v to_o a_o certain_a degree_n of_o heat_n destructive_a to_o our_o cold_a dulness_n so_o when_o our_o spirit_n be_v spend_v by_o a_o long_a and_o serious_a application_n it_o will_v then_o prove_v a_o piece_n of_o prudence_n in_o we_o to_o lay_v aside_o our_o pen_n and_o meditate_v no_o more_o on_o the_o subject_a till_o we_o recover_v our_o lose_a spirit_n and_o first_o vigour_n i_o believe_v vigil_n keep_v this_o precept_n since_o he_o spend_v near_o thirty_o year_n in_o the_o composure_n of_o his_o poem_n but_o our_o folly_n be_v such_o that_o black_a paper_n we_o must_v though_o our_o soul_n be_v not_o able_a to_o act_v its_o part_n because_o of_o the_o suppose_a want_n of_o necessary_a instrument_n furnish_v we_o with_o as_o lively_a idea_n as_o before_o which_o fanciful_a humour_n i_o apprehend_v to_o be_v the_o true_a cause_n why_o we_o write_v not_o always_o so_o well_o as_o real_o we_o can_v have_v do_v if_o we_o have_v break_v off_o our_o work_n till_o the_o return_n of_o our_o better_a temper_n and_o disposition_n whereof_o i_o find_v a_o not_o unfit_a analogy_n in_o a_o subject_a somewhat_o like_a to_o that_o we_o now_o treat_v of_o i_o see_v no_o other_o cause_n of_o the_o great_a difference_n as_o to_o wit_n among_o child_n of_o the_o same_o parent_n but_o because_o the_o latter_a observe_v not_o the_o fit_a time_n for_o the_o act_n of_o generation_n come_v together_o when_o their_o seed_n be_v either_o yet_o raw_a or_o not_o so_o elaborate_v and_o spirituous_a as_o be_v requisite_a so_o if_o marry_a people_n understand_v the_o critical_a and_o fit_a minute_n for_o this_o duty_n of_o marriage_n or_o will_v contain_v themselves_o so_o long_o as_o they_o be_v not_o fit_a for_o it_o they_o will_v undoubted_o be_v more_o satisfy_v with_o their_o child_n than_o some_o of_o they_o have_v reason_n to_o be_v because_o i_o fancy_v the_o former_a will_v not_o be_v so_o unlike_o one_o another_o as_o to_o the_o endowment_n of_o the_o mind_n we_o may_v proportionable_o discourse_v at_o the_o same_o rate_n of_o our_o spiritual_a child_n our_o write_n they_o may_v all_o resemble_v one_o another_o in_o not_o unlike_a stain_n of_o wit_n if_o we_o manage_v ourselves_o aright_o in_o conceive_v of_o they_o sect_n xiii_o the_o art_n of_o write_v witty_o 1._o why_o some_o do_v speak_v ill_a and_o write_v well_o and_o some_o do_v write_v ill_a and_o speak_v well_o 2._o that_o we_o ought_v first_o to_o consider_v before_o we_o undertake_v to_o write_v if_o the_o subject_n be_v not_o beyond_o our_o natural_a ability_n 3._o what_o use_v we_o be_v to_o make_v of_o author_n that_o we_o wrong_v ourselves_o by_o not_o peruse_v our_o own_o wit._n 4._o that_o some_o be_v profess_v robber_n of_o other_o man_n work_n as_o several_a german_n and_o other_o subtle_a thief_n as_o not_o a_o few_o french_a undoubted_o be_v 5._o that_o we_o must_v not_o be_v too_o positive_a in_o our_o assertion_n 6._o aristotle_n obscurity_n instanced_a in_o some_o few_o example_n 1._o it_o may_v be_v think_v not_o out_o of_o purpose_n to_o inquire_v in_o this_o place_n why_o some_o do_v speak_v ill_a and_o write_v well_o and_o on_o the_o contrary_a why_o other_o speak_v well_o and_o write_v ill_a the_o difficulty_n i_o confess_v be_v considerable_a and_o i_o be_o not_o full_o resolve_v in_o the_o case_n yet_o it_o may_v be_v say_v that_o this_o proceed_v from_o some_o of_o the_o different_a character_n of_o wit_n we_o have_v speak_v of_o elsewhere_o for_o some_o be_v slow_a in_o conceive_v because_o perhaps_o they_o have_v a_o too_o weak_a understanding_n and_o fear_v too_o much_o to_o be_v mistake_v so_o their_o utterance_n upon_o this_o account_n be_v very_o uneasy_a and_o such_o speak_v their_o thought_n so_o imperfect_o that_o one_o will_v think_v they_o have_v but_o a_o very_a superficial_a understanding_n nevertheless_o they_o be_v sometime_o excellent_a penman_n and_o the_o fit_a man_n in_o the_o world_n to_o appear_v in_o print_n because_o the_o uneasiness_n of_o their_o utterance_n come_v rather_o from_o a_o certain_a wariness_n and_o weakness_n perhaps_o too_o of_o the_o imagination_n than_o from_o any_o real_a defect_n of_o judgement_n but_o as_o for_o those_o that_o speak_v well_o and_o write_v ill_a if_o by_o this_o expression_n we_o mean_v that_o some_o do_v speak_v great_a sense_n who_o can_v write_v senseful_o i_o think_v i_o may_v be_v allow_v to_o say_v that_o there_o be_v no_o such_o thing_n possible_a for_o whosoever_o can_v speak_v sense_n i_o know_v not_o why_o he_o may_v not_o likewise_o couch_v it_o upon_o paper_n if_o he_o please_v but_o if_o perchance_o we_o understand_v by_o speak_v well_o and_o witty_o a_o certain_a facility_n easiness_n of_o expression_n the_o volubility_n of_o the_o tongue_n or_o a_o certain_a show_n of_o eloquence_n without_o either_o great_a sense_n or_o acuteness_n there_o be_v i_o confess_v many_o half-witted_a man_n and_o more_o yet_o of_o the_o weak_a sex_n that_o speak_v well_o though_o they_o write_v not_o witty_o because_o of_o the_o shallowness_n of_o their_o judgement_n which_o be_v rather_o a_o help_n than_o a_o hindrance_n to_o their_o talkative_a humour_n especial_o if_o they_o have_v as_o common_o they_o want_v it_o not_o any_o quickness_n of_o fancy_n for_o such_o people_n it_o be_v no_o less_o useless_a to_o prescribe_v rule_n of_o write_v witty_o than_o to_o teach_v fool_n how_o to_o speak_v to_o the_o purpose_n 2._o the_o first_o precept_n then_o of_o this_o art_n i_o conceive_v to_o be_v no_o other_o but_o the_o