Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	die_v	fear_v	live_v	5,252	5	5.3138	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02122	Gvvydonius The carde of fancie wherein the folly of those carpet knights is decyphered, which guyding their course by the compasse of Cupid, either dash their ship against most daungerous rocks, or els attaine the hauen with paine and perill. Wherein also is described in the person of Gwydonius, a cruell combat betvveene nature and necessitie. By Robert Greene Master of Arte, in Cambridge.	Greene, Robert, 1558?-1592.; Labé, Louise, 1526?-1566. Debat de folie et d'amour.	1584 (1584)	STC 12262; ESTC S105817	96,964	176

and courage of the Captaines Thus continued they in fight euen almost vntill éeuen with meruaylous slaughter on both sides the victorie yet doubtfull till in the ende the Alexandrians began to faint and flye more oppressed with the excesse of the multitude than distressed for want of manhoode for there were two and fortie thousand slaine but not one taken prisoner and of Clerophontes companie eight and twentie thousand slain and sixe hundred mortally wounded This monstrous massacre and fearefull slaughter so amazed the mindes of these two Captaines that for the better burying of the dead and healing of them which were hurte they concluded a truce betwéene them for fiftéene dayes in which time Orlanio sent Ambassadors to parle of peace w t Clerophontes but in vaine for he was resolued either valiantly to die in the field with glorie or to inioye the Dukedome of Alexandria with renowme Yet as a worthie Prince preferring the securitie of his soldiers before the safetie of his owne person he offered them the combat which Orlanio to auoide the effusion of bloud most willingly accepted Nowe it was agréed and concluded betwéene thē that two champions might be chosen who by the dint of the swoord should stint the strife betwéene these two armies If he of Metelyne remained victor then Orlanio shuld not onely paie his former tribute but deliuer vp his Dukedome into the hands of Clerophontes But if y ● Alexandrians obtained y ● conquest y ● Duke of Metelyne should peaceably depart the countrie release the tribute and also resigne his state and become a subiect to Orlanio And for the better kéeping confirming of these conditions they presentlye dispatcht Embassadours to Fernandus the king of Bohemia to intreate his maiestie that he would vouchsafe to become iudge in the combat who for that he wished wel to both these dukes graunted to their requests and with as much spéede as might be came to Alexandria But in the meane time there was some difference aboute the champions For Clerophontes sayd that sith in loosing the field consisted the losse of liuing life and libertie and in getting y ● victorie the gaine of a Dukedome he would in proper person fight the combat and trie the chance of Fortune and therefore made a challenge to Orlanio But he finding himselfe farre vnfit to resist his furious force refused it Yet promising that none vnlesse he were descended of Nobilitie should enter the lists wherwith Clerophontes was verie well contented Nowe while this truce continued which was prolonged for thirtie dayes it was lawfull for them of Alexandria to come and viewe the campe of Metelyne and for the Metelynes to goe and sée the Citie Wherevpon Clerophontes desirous to sée Orlanio and his Court went onelye accompanied with his garde to Alexandria where he was most royally entertained and sumptuously feasted by Orlanio both of them remitting the rigour of their mallice till it shoulde bee shewed in effect by reason of their manhood But as soone as Thersandro and the other Lords saw Clerophontes y ● he was rather a monster then a man hauing each lim so strongly couched each part so proportioned so huge of stature so fierce of countenance they were so daūted with the sight of his persō as they almost feared to come in his presence saying that thereof the boldest blouds in Alexandria were not able to abide the force of Clerophontes Who now peaceably departing to his hoast lefte Orlanio as greatly perplexed for assēbling his nobilitie together amongst whom he appointed the champion shuld be chosen They not onely with one consent withstood his cōmaund but began to murmure and mutine against him condempning him of folly that he would so vnaduisedly commit his own state ther stay to the doubtful hazard of one mans hap Orlanio seeing y ● it was now no time to chastise this their presumption vnlesse he meant to raise ciuill dissention in the citie which were the next way to confirme the enimie bréed his owne confusion he dissēbled his cholar began to work a new way For first he fréed Castania out of prison thē made generall proclamation throughout his Dukedome y ● what Lord so euer w tin his land would try the combat with Clerophontes if he remained victor in the conquest he would not onely giue him his daughter Castania to wife let him possesse peaceably the Dukedome of Metelyne as her dowry but be content to acknowledge him as his liege paye him tribute as he was wont to Clerophontes While he lingered and listened how this proclamition would preuaile Castania hearing this seuere sentence dolefull doome pronounced séeing that shoulde not onely be forced to forsake Gwydonius but be constrained to match in marriage with one whome shée should neyther loue nor like burst forth into these bitter complaintes A Alasse quoth she how pinching a pain it is to be perplexed with diuers passions what a noisome care it is to be combred with sundrie cogitations what a woo it is to hang betwéene desire despaire what a hell it is to houer betwéene feare and hope For as to him which is assured to die death is no dolour in that he perfectlye knowes there is no salue can cure his sorrow so to him which feares to die yet hopes to liue death were thrice more welcome then to linger in such doubt In which cursed case alas my case consisteth for as out of the riuer Cea in Sicillia bursteth most feareful flames and yet the streame is passing colde neither is the water able to quench the fire nor the fire cause the water to bée hotte so the heate of hope flameth out of the chilling fountaine of feare yet the force of the one is not able to asswage the vehemencie of the other but still my heauie heart is diuersly assailed with them both If my Father Orlanio winne the conquest I doubt my desire shall neuer haue happie successe if Clerophontes triumphe as victour I greatly feare his crueltie is such as I shall not escape most haplesse death And yet againe I hope that then my own Gwydonius wil accept me for his and with triumphant armes imbrace me But alas will Clerophontes suffer him to match with his mortal so wil he not rather preuent it by my peril Yes no doubt if he returne with triumph my Father shal serue him as a subiect my brother shall become his vassall my friendes shall bée forlorne my Citie sackt and my natiue Countrie brought to vtter confusion And shall I for the loue of a straunger wishe these straunge stratagemmes Shall I to féede mine owne fancie and content my lustinge minde wish my Fathers death my Brothers bane my friends mishap my Countries confusion and perhappes my owne miserie For though Gwydonius loued mée when our parents were friendes he will not now lyke me béeing foes but to reuenge the iniuries my Father offered him will subtilly séeke to sacke my honour and honestie and so

such tumbling waues such fearefull surges such roaring stremes such hideous goulfs as it made the passage séeme a thousand times more perillous This terrible sight was such a cooling Card to my former conceits as hope was turned to feare blisse to bale supposed happinesse to assured heauinesse And yet my fancie was not quenched but rather far the more inflamed my desire was not diminished but augmented my liking no lesse but rather inlarged so that to liue in loue without hope was loathsome to séeke redresse was losse of life to want my wish was horror to inioy my will was hell to liue in care without comfort was calamitie to séeke for cure was more th● miserie not to possesse y e pray was hellish daunger to venture for the prize was haples death Thus crossed with cares daunted with such diuers doubts desperate hope so repulsed direfull feare y ● incouraged by ventrous desire I hadde either obtained my wish or wanted of my will if your Ladyshippe had not so sodainely wakened me out of my slumber Thus madame Castania you haue heard my dreame now the doubt is whether it had ben better to haue ventured vppon the brickle bridge and so either desperatly to haue ended cares with death or else valiantly to haue inioyed desire with renowme or still like a fearefull dastard to haue ended my dayes in lingering loue with myserie Castania hearing the surmised dreame of Gwydonius both smelled the fetch and smiled at the follie of this young youth knowing that these fantastical visions and presupposed passions would in time if he tooke not héed proue but too true to preuent therefore such imminent perills shée nipt her young nouice on the pate with this parle GWydonius quoth shée I haue listened to thy drousie dreame with déep deuotion by so much the more desirous attentiuely to heare it by howe much the more I finde it straunge and wonderfull yea so straunge as if I my selfe had not wakened thée out of thy slumber I would either haue thought it a fained vision or a fantasticall inuention but sith these Gentlemen héere present mine owne eyes are witnesses thine owne tongue a testimonie of thy talke suffice I beléeue it though I can not diuine it to giue a verdit where the euidence is not vnderstood is vanitie to yéeld a reason of an vnknowen case is méere folly and to interpret so straunge a dreame without great practise is but to skip beyond my skill and so lay fast in the mire Yet least I might séeme to promise much and performe nothing I will decide your doubt if you please to take my doome for a censure It is a saying Gwydonius not so common as true that the hastie man neuer wantes woe and that hée which is rash wythout reason seldome or neuer sléepeth without repentaunce To venture amiddest the Pikes when perills cannot bée ●schewed is not fortitude but folly to hazarde in daungers when death ensueth is not to bée worthely minded but wilfully mooued Uertue alwayes consisteth betwéene extremities that as too much fearefulnesse is the signe of a quaking coward so too much rashnesse betokeneth a desperate Ruffian Manhoode Gwydonius consisteth in measure and worthynesse in fearing to hazard without hope But to giue a verdite by thine owne voyce I perceiue thou art guiltie of the same crime for when the bricklenesse of the Bridge portended death and the surging Seas inferred losse of lyfe yet desire draue thée to aduenture so desperate a daunger Better it is Gwydonius to liue in griefe then to die desperatelye without grace better to choose a lingering lyfe in miserie then a spéedie death without mercie better to bée tormented wyth haplesse fancie then with hellish fiends for in lyfe it is possible to represse calamity but after death neuer to redresse miserie Tully Gwydonius in his Tusculans questions discoursing of the happinesse of life and heauinesse of death sayth that to lyue we obtaine it of the louing Gods but to die of the vnluckie destinies meaning heereby that lyfe though neuer so loathsome is better then death though neuer so welcome whereby I conclude Gwydonius that to liue carfully is better then to die desperatly Gwydonius perceiuing that Castanias parle was nothing to the purpose and that shée toucht not that point whereof hée desired most to bée absolued but meant to shake him off wyth a flée●elesse aunswere beganne to drawe her to the Trappe wyth this traine MAdame Castania quoth he I confesse that rashnesse neuer raigneth without repentaunce nor hastie hazarding without haplesse harmes that he which aduentureth desperate daungers is a foole he that passeth ineuitable perills is worse then an Asse Yet from these so generall rules Madame I exempt these perticular exceptions namely Loue Necessitie which two are tied w tin no bonds nor limitted within no law for whom y e diuel driues he must néedes run be the passage neuer so perillous and whom Loue or Necessitie forceth he must venture be the daunger neuer so desperate for as there is no enterprise so easie which to an vnwilling man séemeth not verie hard to bée atchieued so there is no incounter so combersome where will wisheth that séemeth not passing easie to bée perfourmed nowe this will is with nothing sooner pricked forwarde then either with the force of Loue or sting of necessitie So that whosoeuer aduentureth in a daunger though neuer so desperate is not to be blamed if inforced by fancie or incouraged by affection and especially where the perill is in possibilytie to bee passed without death and in the performaunce thereof the possession of such a prise as the passionate person more estéemeth then lands limmes or lyfe it selfe bée it neuer so swéete In which case madame my cause consisteth For the Ladie who was an heauenly obiect to my glasing eies was so beautified with the giftes of nature and so perfectly pollished with more then naturall perfection that with the only view of such diuine beutie my sences were so besotted my wit will so inueigled my affection so inflamed any fréedome so fettered yea Loue alreadie had made so greate a breach into the bulwarke of my breast that to obtaine so gorgeous a Goddesse I thought death no daunger though neuer so direfull nor losse of lyfe no torment though neuer so terrible In déed Gwydonius quoth Thersandro I agrée with thée in this poynt that there is no carpet Knight so cowardly that wold not passe most perillous pikes to possesse so liuely a Dame as thou doost decypher nor no dastard so daunted with dread which would not greatlye indanger himselfe to inioy so louely a damsell in y ● fruition of whom consisteth nothing but ioy blisse rest contentation of minde delight happinesse yea all earthlye felicitie And yet Sir quoth Gwydonius your sister Castania condemnes me of follye in ventring for so precious a price when as hope perswaded me that no hazarde could be haples and assured me that Loue

calme consent and her contemptuous protestations to most constant promises For if the carefull captiue who by the doome of the Iudge expecteth each hower to die reioyceth when he heareth his pardon pronoūced no doubt Gwydonius ioye could be no losse sith deniall was his death and consent the conserue to heale his wounds the greater care the greater ioye the more paine the greater pleasure the more hellish miserie the more heauenly felicitie Yea Gwydonius was driuen into such an extasie for ioy that he was in doubt whether this letter was preferred to him in déede or presented to him in a Uision whether hée were wrapte into a Traunce or rauished with some drowsie slumber but at last perceiuing it to be no fained fantasie such a déep desire inforced his affection as he thought euery moment a month euery houre a yeare euerye daye a thousande vntill hée might fréely enioy the presence and sight of his loue and Ladie Castania Fortune meaning to aduaunce him to the toppe of her inconstant whéele brought it so to passe that before the wéeke was ended he spied Castania walking alone in the garden which sodaine sight so reuiued his sences y e without anye dread or doubt he manfully marcht on towards her and was as hastely hartely incountred by Castania who embracing Gwydonius in her armes welcommed him with this salutation AS the Whale Gwydonius maketh alwayes signe of great ioye at the sight of the fish called Talpa Marina as the Hynde greatlye delyghteth to sée the Leoparde as the Lion fawneth at the viewe of the Unicorne and as he which drinketh of the Fountaine Hypenis in Scithia féeleth his mind so drowned in delight that no greefe though neuer so great is able to asswage it so Gwydonius I conceiue such surpassing pleasure in thy presence and such heauenlye felicitie in the sight of thy perfection that no miserie though neuer so monstrous is able to amaze me no dolour though neuer so direfull is able to daunt me nor no mishap though neuer so perillous is able to make me sinke in sorrow as long as I inioy thy presence which I count a soueraine preseruatiue against all carefull calamities That as he which tasteth of the hearbe Hyacynthus is neuer combred with care and as he that weareth the stone Agathes about him is surely defenced against all insuing sorrrowes so inioying the sight of thy séemely selfe and féeding mine eyes with the forme of thy feature I think my selfe sufficiently shrowded against all the tempestuous showers of sinister fortune And to proue these my promises to be no fained vanities but faithfull veritie I commit my selfe my stay and state into thy hands to dispose of me at thy plesure wishing rather to liue with thée in most distressed penurie than to linger héere in most fortunate prosperitie GWydonius listening attentiuely to this sugred harmonie was so rauished with the sight of her sweete face and so rapt into a traunce with the contemplation of her beautie that as the Lyon tasting of the gumme Arabicke becommeth senselesse as the Bul by browsing on the barke of a Iuniper trée falleth a sléepe as the Camill standeth astonished at the sight of a Rat so Gwydonius séeing in his armes the Saint whom in heart hée did honour and imbracing the Goddesse whome with most déepe deuotion hée did adore was so amazed that he was not able to vtter one worde as witnesse of his happinesse vntill at last gathering his wits together he beganne thus to reply CAstania quoth hée it is an axiome in Philosophie that the colour ioyned hard to the sight hindereth the sence the flower put into the nosethrill stoppeth the smelling the Wine vessell béeing full lets passe no wine though neuer so well vented the water-pot béeing filled to the brimme yeeldes forth no licour though hauing a thousand holes so where the minde is surcharged with ouermuch ioy or too much pleasure there the tongue is both tied and the sences so restrained that the heart is neither able to conceiue the ioye nor the tongue able to expresse the pleasure Which Castania I nowe speake by proofe and knowe by experience for I am so drowned in delight by inioying that princely Iemme which I estéeme the rarest and richest Iewell not onely in Alexandria but in all the worlde and so puffed vp in pleasure by thy diuine presence Yea thy faithfull and vnfained affection the promise of thy constancie and the hope of thy loyaltie the report of thy chastitie the renowme of thy modestie the force of thy beautie the fame of thy vertue But aboue all thy prodigall bountie in bestowing these heauenlye perfections on thy poore Gwydonius béeing by person and parentage most vnworthy to possesse them so surcharg●th my silly heart with excessiue ioye that my tongue not being able in part to expresse the extreame pleasure of my minde I am with Phili●tion the Comicall Poet constrayned by silence to vnfolde that affection which in words the filed phrase of Demosthenes were not able to decypher But this assure thy selfe Castania that if Iuno wold aduance me to be Monarch of the world if Pallas would preferre me to excéede hautie Hercules in valour if Venus wold present me with some princely péece of heuenly perfection yet would I not so gladly receiue their proffers as I doo gratefully accept the promise of thy loue and loyaltie No I accompt the treasure of Croesus but trash in respect of the guerdon of thy good will I accompt the fortune of Caesar but folly respecting the fruites of thy fauour I estéeme the dignities of Priamus as dregs in respect of thy diuine perfection Yea Castania I am so snared with thy beautie and so intangled in the trap of thy bountie as I shall neuer leaue to loue thée nor euer beginne to like any other IT is easie Gwydonius quoth Castania to purchase credite where the partie is alreadie perswaded and to infer beléefe where euery word is counted an Oracle Therefore omitting these friuolous protestations thus much I say touching the purpose Cecillius Metellus was wont to say that as it was necessary that old men shuld be graue in counsaile so it was expedient young men should be secret in loue and therefore when the contract was made betwéene Fuluius and his daughter he sealed vp their lippes with his signet meaning that to violate the secret conference of louers was to commit a second sacriledge I speake this Gwydonius as one carefull of thy staye and my state for if Orlanio my father should but once heare of our loue or suspect our liking it wold bréede thy mishap and my miserie yea no doubt hée would spéedely preuent our pretence which woulde bée thy care and my calamitie Dispose our affaires at thy pleasure but discouer not our purpose if thou hast won the castell vaunt not of the conquest if thou hast made a good market bragge not of thy gaines lest by boasting of thy bootie thou loose thy pray and