Selected quad for the lemma: country_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
country_n	city_n	mountain_n	river_n	1,763	5	6.9182	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B07157	The fift [sic] booke of the most pleasant and [d]electable historie of Amadis de Gaule. [Contai]ning the first part of the most strange vali[ant and] worthy actes of Esplandian sonne to Amadis [de Gaule] as his strange sailing in the great serpent, the winning of his sword, [co]nquest of the castle La montaigne defendu, his warres with Armato King of Turkie, his loue to Leonorine daughter to the Emperour of Constantinople, with diuers seruices done in her behalfe: the b[e]sieging of Constantinople by the Turks and pagans, with their ouerthrow by the Christian princes: his marriage with Leonorine, his investing in the Empire of Greece: and lastly his enchantment with diuers other princes in the pallace of [Apol]lidon deuised by Urganda..; Amadís de Gaula (Spanish romance). Book 5. English.		1598 (1598)	STC 542.5; ESTC S125824	217,125	280

prince By all my gods said he I had rather die a thousand deaths then you should indure the least iniury in the world we beléeue it wel said al the knights With that he caused them to enter into the lists at one end and the ten pagans at the other but before they entred into fight he called Norandel his companions said vnto them My friends I pray you let me shew you what the custome of my country is in such affairs thē if you think good you may obserue it if not my knights shal kéep your custome if it be indifferēt Shew vs thē said Norandel what it is if the same be reasonable we wil not refuse it You shal vnderstand said he that all knights iustle one against one to the end that all men may know the excellency of the victor And if any one be ouerthrown he that is on horseback shall not assaile the other before their companions haue run out their course Then he that is on horseback shall alight and shall fight it out by dint of sword with him that before was ouerthrown Because it chanceth oftentimes that the best knights that are fall into such inconuenience only by the fault and means of bad horses which cause them diuers times either to faile in striking of their enemy or els not to run their right course Which cannot bee excused in those that are on foot to whome it is permitted to succour each other if néed require Truly said Norandel that custome is wel ordained and I and my companions will obserue the same Wherwith the soudan went out of the lists causing his Heralds to proclaim the fight With that a Pagan stepped forth against Norandel that refused him not but couering himselfe with his shield they met so fiercely that their spears were brokē to their wrests méeting body to body with so great strength that the Pagan fell ouer his horse taile lying flat vpon the ground but Norandel had no hurt onely that his horses shoulder was thrust out of ioint so that he lighted of staying til the rest had runne their course as he had promised Then Garuate du Val Craintif ran against one of the other and they charged each other in such sort that their féet failing in their stirrops they were both cast out of their saddles Then Talanque ran against the third Pagan to whome fortune was more fauourable then to any of the rest for they ran so wel that neither of them once started aside or moued in their saddles and yet brake their speares in many péeces The like chanced to Manely and Ambor but not to Brauor the son of Balan for hee hit him that ran against him right in the breast and threw him from his horse And presently therewith Imosil of Burgundy had so great a stroke with a launce that his eies started in his head and was therewith so much astonished that his horse bare him to the side of the b●rriers where he fell downe flat Elian le delibere and hee that ran against him were constrained to holde by their horses maines Listoran of the siluer bridge missed his stroke and his enemy likewise the like happened to Trion and the last that ran with him That done all they that were on horsebacke lighted downe to fight with swords and there began betwéen them such a fight as the like had not béene séene of so few knights together maintaining themselues so brauely one against the other that the strongest of them was so wearie and out of breath that they were constrained to rest And as Norandel leaned vpō his sword which he rested on the ground the bracelet that Minoresse gaue him fell downward vpon his arme which put him in so good remembraunce of her that cleane forgetting all the trauaile hée he had taken before he spake so loud that euery man might hear and said By God sir Knight this rest doth not beséeme vs many men will from henceforth be in doubt of the great glory that now we meane to win Wherefore let euery man shewe forth what he can doe and let no man spare Wherewith taking the little péece of his shield that rested in his hand and lifting vp his arme he gaue so great a blow vnto his enemie that he made him réele therewith and doubling it strake him so surely on the helmet that with the blow the Turke was forced to knéele downe and let his sword fall out of his hand which Norandel seased vpon being readie to strike off his head if he had not cried him mercie which Talanque and Manely perceiuing employed their forces in such manner that it might easily be iudged they would soon obtaine the victorie As for Brauor he had alreadie stricken his knight downe wherefore he ranne to helpe the rest and Norandel likewise With the which helpe it soone appeared that they which rested yet to ouercome would not long resist for in short space they found themselues in such extremitie that vnlesse the Souldan of Liquie had desired the Christian knights to stay a while they had all died but calling Norandel vnto him he said I pray you said he procéed no further in this combat and content your selues that I account my knights for vanquished as in truth they are and so hardly handled that the force you shall from henceforth vse against them shall more be holden for a kinde of crueltie than any chiualrie Neuertheles if my request may take no place with you doe as you thinke good Souldan said Norandel if they acknowledge it at our hands and aske vs mercie they shall not faile to haue it for it was neuer our custome to vse force to such as could not stand against vs. Content your selues saide he that I that am their Lord yéeld you the victorie and I pray you therefore shew mercie vnto them swearing vnto you by my crowne if you doe them so much good that while I liue I will not be vnmindfull of the same With that the ten Christian knightes went out of the fielde and mounting on their horses tooke their way vnto the citie where the Emperour staied for them for he had séene the issue of the combat and how they returned victors but he heard not what words had past betwéene them till they being lighted off their horses told him what was done for the which hee praised God estéeming more of them for their courtesie they had shewen vnto the enemy CHAP. L. How Queene Calafre came to aide the Pagans and of the maruailous and perillous assault that shee gaue to the citie of Constantinople THe renowne of this warre vndertaken by the Kings Taborlans Souldans Califfes and Princes dwelling in Tartaria India Arabia and other countries in the East against the Emperour and his Empire of Constantinople was spread so far abroad that it was knowne to the puissant Quéene Calafre reigning in Califorine a most fertile and pleasant countrey confining on the head of the riuer Boristenes hard by

the foot of the Riffee mountains This countrey whereof I speake was sometimes peopled with good knights and men of all quarters but the women vpon malice deuised a meanes to kill them all establishing a law among themselues that from that time forwardes they would acknowledge for Ladie and Quéene one of their owne country women gouerning themselues as the Amazons vsed to doe Whereby it was not lawfull for any of them to vse the companie of men aboue once or twice a yéere vpon the daies and times by them appointed when they went out of their owne countrie and vsed their neighbours helpe with whom God knoweth if they found not meanes to make them pay the vsurie of the time lost in such sort that most of them returned home with child but the bringing vp of their children was far different for the maiden children were kept aliue burning their right paps but not the 〈◊〉 children for as soone as they were borne they put them to death hauing agréed not to suffer one aliue or els so few that they very easily might ouercome them For this cause often times they warred against the Tartarians bordering on their country putting them to great trouble by diuers and continuall inuasions as well by sea as by land In their lawes and customes they obserued so great rigour as that if any man by casualtie or otherwise fell into their hands he prooued for food vnto a great number of griffo●s nourished among them when they were young being so tame and gentle that neuer any hauke knewe better the Faulkoners lure then those gentle birds knew the voice of her that ordinarily fedde them To come vnto the point this quéene of Califorine being a woman of great spirit valiant hardie young faire and of good behauiour hearing of the warres vndertaken against the Christians was desirous to be there not for any ill shée wished them but onely for to know them and to sée their countrey that bare so great renowme And for that cause she assembled great numbers of the principall ladies of her countrey shewing them what honour they might obtaine in that voiage which may peraduenture be such said shée that by our force and great prowesse wée may greatly augment our Empire béeing feared and redoubted of each man and not continue alwaies buried among these mountaines as they in times past did of whome at this present wée now possesse and enioye the place The Quéene in this sort could so well persuade them that they being mooued with a marueilous desire to goe with her presently prepared their shippes and set saile for Thracia with so good and prosperous a winde that the tenth day after the assaults of Constantinople they arriued in the armie of Armato where they were honourably receiued after diuers spéeches vsed by the Souldan of Liquie and other princes of the campe vnto the quéene of Califorine specially touching their determination concerning that great enterprise shée being sorrie they had done so little against the towne desired them that she might once haue leaue to try her fortune against it by means that she would vse And the better to induce them thereunto she told them she had fiftie griffons that would not faile béeing let out of their cages to sease vpon the Christians without hurting of her women because they knewe them and had béen nourished with them And while they take their flight said she I will giue such an assault against the towne that without doubt wee will enforce the same for if the Emperors souldiers appeare but to defend the wals my Griffons shall be ready to carrie them clean away as the Merlin doth the larke But to the end said she your men receiue no hurt let them abide within their tentes till they be shut into their cages When king Armato and the Souldan of Liquie heard the great zeale and affection she shewed to employ her forces as also the inuention that she had they all agréed that the next day after she should doe what liked her Whereupō she sent presently to her that kept the griffons that shée should giue them nothing for to eate of all that day that when they meant to vse them at the assault they might be gréedier and further sent worde by sound of drumme that all her companies should be readie the next day early in the morning to giue assault vnto the citie Quéene Calafre hauing in this maner prouided for her enterprise at the time appointed all her women armed according to their manner the most part of them bearing bowes ranne with great furie vnto the walles and with their ladders began to mount vp with that the alarme went about the citie all men running to defend the same and as they were some vpon the walles and other places of defence the Quéene made signe to let the Griffons loose which being hungry and flying ouer the towne seazed vpon such as they could find abroad wherewith the Emperours souldiers were in so great feare that most part of them that fought forsooke the walles to hide themselues Alas what pitie was it to sée souldiers citizens knights and others yea women and little children and all whatsoeuer they could get into their clawes taken vp into the aire and somtimes hauing taken them vp they let them fall vpon the stones whereby they had a strange and cruell death surely if God had not kept the Cittie better than those that had the charge it is most sure it had béene taken at that time But there happened a strange case for as the Griffons helde their prey and that the Knights of great Brittaine with some small number of others resisted the assault made by the women the Turkes that had béen aduertised not to come out of their tents while they assailed the towne mooued with too gréedy a desire to sacke the Citte which they thought surely had béen taken ranne vnto the assault making such a noise that the Griffons féeding on their preyes left the bodies they had seazed vpon and flying vp againe seased on them that they sawe come running to the towne whereof in short space after they made so great a butcherie that more than foure hundred Turkes were presently slaine by them meane time those within the towne perceiuing that good fortune did so fiercely repulse the Californiens that their principall women lay dead within the ditches wherewith the Quéene was forced to retire knowing her enterprise would not take effect as shée desired it should not by reason of her souldiers but in that they kept not in as they had promised Wherewith she commanded to take the birdes againe but the Falconers could not by any meanes make them to come in before they had slaine and deuoured aboue a thousand Turkes and others whereof they onely suckt the blood Wherewith king Armato and the Souldan of Liquie were so grieued that from thenceforth they began to shew so hard a countenance to the Quéene that shée was in the minde