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	good_a	let_v	4,185	5	4.2812	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A06782	Romulus and Tarquin. First written in Italian by the Marques Virgilio Malvezzi: and now taught English, by HCL.; Romulo. English	Malvezzi, Virgilio, marchese, 1595-1653.; Marshall, William, fl. 1617-1650, engraver.; Monmouth, Henry Carey, Earl of, 1596-1661.	1637 (1637)	STC 17219; ESTC S111904	76,547	312

and buried his death not being knowne A like case from a differing cause and differing end because it was effected by different agents God because hee saw the Israelites addicted to idolatry that they might not adore Moses as God would not suffer them to see his bones buried Gods adversary out of a desire to keepe and continue the Romans Idolaters to the end that Romulus may bee adored as a God procures that his death bee not knowne nor his bones seene the one because hee is not found is not worshipped the other is worshipped because he is not found Romulus his morall faults were the rape of the Sabine women the death of his brother and of his collegue his politicall error was onely his indowing the Senate with so much power and then his bereaving them of it The government of a State is but a slippery path one onely bad action is sufficient to ruinate a Prince who hath beene raised up by a thousand good ones I doe not remember that ever any Ruler sped amisse for having left authority to the Senate but oft for having taken it from them If men commit errors men ought to bee punished and not the calling and if the calling be feared wherefore was it ordained but it is not feare which causeth such wickednesse it is the violent thirst after rule otherwise they would not leave the condition when they take away the authority being no lesse subject to their possibility of reuniting than of command the institution and permission of Senators in the original of commands is not only done that subjects may be content with their servitude but because Princes are really satisfied with what they ordaine It is the nature of beginnings not the art of ruling Who prepares for a great leap is content to arrive at the side of the ditch but afterwards stayes not there mans understanding because it hath not in this world any adequate end coveteth as an end any thing that seems desirable unto it and it hath no sooner compast that end but it makes use thereof as a medium to arrive at some other end which was first hidden from it by the former and continues to be the desired end till it be obtained a little master-hood seemes enough where there is none at all but where there is but a little enough seemes nothing if all be not had Romulus in his beginning was followed by the noblest sort because he won upon them by conferring on them authority in his end he was hated by them for that hee incensed them by bereaving them of it Hee cannot suffer the Senate which he himselfe did institute and because they would have him as a companion whom they accepted for their Prince hee would make them slaves whom he tooke for assistant Officers both exceed their bounds they in obeying he in commanding The Senate which is made to assist the Prince thinkes onely how they may lessen him the Prince who ought governe the Senate seekes to destroy it that Magistracy in States is of duration which is content to execute as a Minister not to command as a Lord. I have nothing of misfortune to recount of Romulus save what was the occasion of his death and yet therein he was fortunate because it was sudden If there bee nothing else of evill in death but the troublesome cogitations of the minde and the painfull torments of the body both which doe precede it that death which is sudden preventing torments that which happens soone preventing the troubles of the mind should be esteemed best There is nothing better in generall than what is worst in the individuall the foundation whereon the Colossus of the world doth erect it selfe to manifest its beauty is death it is the most solid part of consort on which all descants doe depend What would there be after the losse of originall righteousnesse if men did not die the feare thereof holds in fortunate men the hope thereof withholds unfortunate men from wickednesse Who should take away death should take away the Corner stone from the worlds Fabrique should take away all Harmony all order and should leave nothing but dissonance and confusion the order of the universall is contrary to that of individualls The heavens which of their owne particular nature doe turne from West to East are by the universall nature carried every day from East to West Death can neither bee bad nor painfull if to die be naturall for naturall things are good I am of opinion that to end ones dayes in decrepit age is to fall asleepe not to die and say to die were to bee accounted amongst the worst of things yet to bee dead were certainly to be numbred amongst the best One must live as considering he must live alwayes not that hee must once die the Soule which is that which understands ought not to thinke of death for shee never dies and if the Soule doe not the Body cannot feare it because it knowes it not as that which by meanes of contemplation is a dead carkas before it be dead Wherefore should the Soule rather feare than desire the death of the Body which is burthensome unto her and why should not the body also be desirous to bee bereft of its imperfections it leaveth frailty to put on immortality it dyes base and may rise glorious death is alwayes good but appeares sometimes to bee bad because they are sometimes bad who dye let a man live innocent for he shall bee joyd at the remembrance of death not terrified and were not natures frailty subject to lapse I should be sory shee should bee provoked to do good out of the feare of death or allured by the love of reward the very foule ill favorednesse of doing ill ought to be a sufficient feare and the comelinesse of having done well a sufficicent reward and if a man would consider that rewards are received he might consider what reward he hath already received when of nothing hee was created to immortality nor am I any whit the more satisfied with well doing out of gratitude but much when good is done out of love due to the infinitely lovely Nature of GOD. Let us then say I doe not only love thee Lord because thou hast created me but I will returne againe to nothing for thee I doe not love thee because thou hast promised mee the beatificall vision of thy divine Essence but I will goe even into hell for thee I doe not love thee my God for feare of evill for if it bee thy Will I covet it as the greatest good I love thee because thou art altogether lovely because thou art all Love it selfe Lord if I love thee not as I instruct others to love thee assist the weaknesse of my nature with the efficacy of thy helps Stir up my understanding direct my will whilest to the Glory and Honour of thy great Name in the which I desire to end my life I put an end to this my Booke Where the

shortly have enough to command it Formes are not changed in an instant accidents which have no bodies are those which cause change in bodies Doe you beleeve that hee who is not content to be Prince amongst his owne people will content himselfe to bee a private man amongst the Latines doe you beleeve he will abase himselfe to the brother-hood of a City who leaves no wickednesse unattempted to raise himselfe to Monarchies You have for example before your eyes the Romans examples are no more beleeved they admit of interpretation such as had wont to serve for instruction before a deed be done finde no beleefe till after it be done They are become pernicious in humane actions they are not considered as they are every one fits them according to his owne desire either to beleeve too much in them or not beleeve in them at all What will you have to doe with him from whom you can expect no helpe unlesse it be to rule you nor expect counsell unlesse it bee how to grow cruell And say his customes hurt not you because they are in him they will endammage you because they will passe into you mischiefe of its owne nature is taking and 't is likely that Tyranny hath somewhat of sweetnesse in it since that many laying aside the securitie of Principality betake thems●…lves to Tyranny not without danger Wee have too much forgot our selves in suffering his allyance matches with Princes become not a Common-wealth strangers have got one foot in to take possessiot citizens have a leaning stocke without whereby to make themselves Masters thereof Tyrants ought to be hated not reverenced by the people it is not safe to mention him much lesse to introduce him into a Common-wealth hee who speakes of him should make him be beleeved to be a Tygre a Sphinx not a man I cannot beleeve you have a desire of Lords to become servants I know not whether yee suffer your selves to perish through ignorance or weaknesse or through both for my part my vote shall cease together with my life and not before in this Common-wealth whilst Turnus lives silence shall not be the overthrow thereof hee who will follow my steps shall not be commanded by Tarquin Here Turnus made an end when each one turned about to salute Tarquin who arrived at that very instant and being admonished to make his excuse said that the occasion of his so long stay was his having stickled in a difference betweene a father and a sonne Turnus who by fiercenesse and freedome of speech had wonne reputation amongst the Latins following his accustomed wont answered Such differences require not much time to end them the sonne is bound to obey his father if he be good if he be bad to beare with him howsoever to reverence him and he hath then least reason on his side when he pretends to have most IT would be a great good fortune to be borne in times fitted to ones proper Genius if those times were permanent or if one were to die therein but since that alterations happen almost alwaies and death but seldome it is a great misfortune to live in a happie time and dye in an unhappie one it is not without wonder to bee considered that wee who with times change our externall habits will not beleeve with time our internall habits ought also to bee changed the ignorant as well as the learned are subject to this weaknesse either for that they ●…ow not how to change that nature whereunto they are accustomed or that they beleeve they ought not to change that which hath beene successefull to them but Fortune often varies with man because shee changeth the times and they change not their manners That Lion-like fiercenesse which was was serviceable to Turnus in private factions amongst his equals ought to have beene dissembled with his superiours winning behaviour advisednesse and fiercenesse mingled together season any affaire excellently well when the winning behaviour appeares sufficiently the advisednesse not at all and the fiercenesse but a little As it is weaknesse to dissemble with ones equall so not to dissemble with ones superiour is rashnes it is not at all times good to say all what the heart thinketh though all what the heart thinketh bee good freedome of speech ought sometimes to bee forborne when freedome of life is corrupted who useth it not in a befitting time hinders not but hastens power Tarquin who wrought himselfe in by little and little ought by little and little to be wrought out to oblige him to doe some great act by which he may either become or learne how to become Prince it is not good to passe by the least errors in an entire Common-wealth and it is worse to withstand all in a Common-wealth corrupted at such times to appear too much a good Common-wealths man is the next way to produce a Tyrant the weight which preserves in safetie an upright pillar causethit fall if the pillar leane to one side Difficulties ought not alwayes to be thrust at in desperate cases it is better to commit them into the hands of Fortune than to seeke to remedy them where wee cannot helpe our selves to be busie can worke no other effect than hinder the effects of a cause superiour to our selves and whilst that comes by by unknowne wayes impatiencie in seeking of it out may easily not afford it leasure to come or disturbe it by causing it take some other way How many hath Nature helpt whom Art hath abandoned and how many hath Art slaine whom Nature would have restored to health Tarquin sayes no more he is not wont to defend himselfe with words who is used to heare nothing but flattery these speeches take him unprovided because they are free to answer all pertaines to private men to punish all to Tyrants Princes ought not contend in words left they the more incense others or become themselves too passionate and bring their Majestie in question more place is reserved for craft when lesse is afforded to choler A Tyrant sometimes is well pleased when he heares himselfe provoked by great men hee seekes out offences that hee might commit them he is glad to receive them out of a desire to revenge them if he meet with none he faines them either for his better excuse or that he may be the more incenst Tarquin that hee might plot the death of Turnus hath recourse to some of the contrary faction by whose meanes a servant of his is suborned to receive great store of armes and weapons into his house STrangers have fitting meanes for revenge in a factious Citie if there be none there obliged to doe ill there are alwayes enough contented to see ill done if there be none that have the act of anger there bee enough that have the habit of hatred a stranger in such places meets seldome with any provocations to bloud save hatred and malice because offences are for the most part either old and alreadie forgotten or new and

daughters in law feasting and rioting but amidst her women dividing out their work they grant her the victory and here being by her husband invited a base lust ariseth in Sextus Tarquin occasioned as well by the chastity as by the beauty of Lucretia the looke of a lascivious man is like the looke of a Basiliske it kils Chastitie by beholding it MEN lustfully given cause all their senses yea the understanding it selfe to minister provocations for the satisfying of that sense beauty birth sweet odours harmony all which have nothing to doe with feeling and which is worse Vertue her selfe and amongst vertues very Chastitie the very opposite to Lust doe more incite thereunto Vertue is so lovely that she makes her selfe be beloved yea even by Vice those who have written that dishonest women desire that their lovers should bee endowed with all good things except the understanding understood it not well or else I am deceived they desire their understandings should also be good in generall only defective in one particular A small matter would satisfie the necessitie of Nature if men made it not necessary to satisfie what is not necessary what imports it to be clad in rich array to live in stately Palaces to feed on dainty cates if all cloathes cover us all houses shelter and all meats satisfie us we make necessitie become lust to delight our selves yea in the imperfections of Nature We thinke not the desire of one sense satisfied if the other senses stand i●…le wee cannot taste any one pleasure if therein likewise our ambi●…ion be not delighted no vice is bounded within it selfe in such things Nature is not to be blamed because they are not seene in those who worke onely according to Nature Many dayes past not ere Sextus Tarquin returned to Collatia with one only companion not making any mention thereof to the rest he was fairely welcomed by her who apprehended no deceit he supt withdrew himselfe to his lodging and when he thought that all were fast asleep he came with a naked dagger in his hand to where Lucretia lay hee laid his hand upon her brest hee hath recourse to the instruments of hatred for his assistance in love and hee who was wont by sword to vent his angrie passions knowes not how to lay it aside in tendrest affections he threatens her he speakes her faire and seeing her ready rather to imbrace death than him ready rather to lose her life than honour he sayes hee will kill some servant close by her to make her bee beleeved a foule adulteresse See how this wicked one threatens to bereave her of her honour that he may bereave her of it Lucretia thus assaulted with the same weapons wherewith shee defended her Chastitie yeelded to Tarquins prevailing lust I For my part beleeve that Lucretia yeelded for fear of death which certainly is much more fearfull when expected from another than when acted by ones selfe and if this my opinion were not true I should have much more cause to marvell at those who under the rule of Tyrants either despairing of life or weary of that kinde of life have slaine themselves If th●…se could not or would not live wherefore did they not endevour to kill the Tyrant The danger they should have run would have beene the same they could not shun or desired to meet withall the reward which profered it selfe unto them was hope of living honourably or assurednesse not to die without glory to say they were with-held by feare of torments is idle there is no torment more terrible than death who feares not death ought not beleeve any thing of feare to be in the world and when he finds such a thing to be he may alwayes have recourse to the other Nature hath not bin so niggardly towards us as not permitting us to live as long as we would shee hath not at least allowed us a power of dying when we please if hee lives not who breathes not and if not to breathe bee in our choice who will may die Let it then be lawfull for men to say that death is more horrid in the hands of an incensed man than in our owne and moreover that it requires more courage though there bee lesse danger to kill another than to kill ones selfe the one proceeds from animosity the other oft-times either from the weaknesse of the braine or poorenesse of courage for a generous heart seldome findes the way so shut as that hee cannot make his death glorious It is a yeelding to Fortune against which the couragious till their last gaspe fight undauntedly How many silly women are there who have slain themselves when they durst not have looked upon much lesse have abided the lookes of an incensed man And how many are there who to shun the enemies sword have throwne themselves downe from rockes buried themselves in bogs and drowned themselves in water without any hope of life Tarquin overjoyd departs triumphant saddest Lucretia remaines overwhelmed with griefe shee sends for her father and her husband Spurius Lucretius comes and brings with him Publius Valerius Lutius Junius Brutus accompanieth Collatine shee acquainteth them with what is past which said sorrowfull as shee was I perswade my selfe shee added these like words AND what could unfortunate Lucretia doe if shee had died that shee might have lived chaste you would have thought her slaine for having been unchaste O most cruell Law of Honour which savest not the innocent A law never descended from Heaven but come from the deepest Abysse of Hell I who would have mine honestie knowne to all have more studied glory than chastity and whilst I sought after the name of Chaste I am with infamie become unchaste I thought death the worst of all evils I thought it the cure of all misfortunes I feared nothing since I feared not to die yet now I was inforst to chuse life so not to lose mine honour and by my living have lost it I am resolved to die if not for what hath alreadie befalne mee at least for what may hereafter happen unto mee But what then If I dye I shall seeme to acknowledge I have done amisse they will say my guilty conscience kild me If I live you will beleeve I have done amisse you will say I consented out of too much desire of life O of all others most unfortunate Lucretia whose innocencie neither life nor death can justifie This Soule O Collatine whose delight was chastity abhors now that body which is polluted and as being wholly thine cannot endure that that part of mee should have any longer being which can no more be only thine The wicked wretch did never prostrate mee it was not Lucretia it was a Carkasse for the Soule is not where it consents not sinne is the off-spring of the will not of the body where consent is not there is no sin but I should think my selfe worthie of death if he had only desired mee and blame my selfe though without fault