Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	body_n	part_n	soul_n	1,351	5	5.0190	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B08389	La stratonica, or, The unfortunate queen a new romance / written in Italian by Luke Assarino and now Englished by J.B.; Stratonica. English	Assarino, Luca, 1602-1672.; Burbury, John.; Cartolari, Giovanni Battista.	1651 (1651)	Wing A4016A; ESTC R218449	91,350	186

Stratonica knew very well that in the elaboratory of those distilled Labyrinths nothing would be gotten in the end but the colour of Coals on the Teeth and the wrinkles of burning on the Skin When the Chamber-Maids had done washing her Face they fell to ordering her Hair Its triming at that time was as stately as it was new On the Crown of her Head like a glorious Diadem was a circle of Tresses of Hair adorned with Diamonds in the middle of which looking towards the height of her forehead was placed a Jewel of an extravagant fashion the greatest Gem of which was a very large Carbuncle reduced into the Figure of a wounded Heart Two thick Locks of curled Hair hung on her Temples within which as it were in living Cages the soft Thoughts of Lovers played like little Birds She had for her Pendants two little clusters of Grapes which to agree with the Jewel had sparkling Stones Then from the top of the plaited Rowl hung loose a fine Vail inter-woven with Silver which swoln with the Air of Ambition that it had in serving for so Noble a use fell waving to hide the hinder part of her Head and came down to the back of the Queen Being adorned in this maner she from the Neck upwards resembled very well a Spring full of Flowers when in a clear Morning it is seen overcast with a little thin cloud When her Head was artificially dressed they brought her a Silk Gown from the Wardrobe in which the Weavers Shittle had most fortunately assembled all the Colours and Figures of the Wheel in which the stately Peacock turns about the pride of his Feathered Beauty The Gold mingled with the Jewels with which she was richly adorned fell short of the first Quality of its worth She perfumed with Amber and Musk had taken such deep scent that for a good space breathing fine fragrancies on the circuit about her she made every breath of air of incomparable value Moreover the fashion used then by the Queens was so proper to make them seem handsom that she could not desire more of Art whose end is to further dishonesty Stratonica being dressed and those Jewels distributed some to her Breast and others to her Neck to make all that saw her more dearly prize her sight she attentively stood to see what opinion of her dressing the Looking-glass would have What wouldst thou have else O Stratonica of Nature and Art See freely with all diligence if by chance this or that have been wanting in any thing that you can desire The miracle of Perfection which no where else is seen with what a miracle now may be seen in you alone What is this heap of Beauty like with which in an instant you affront so the weakness of a Chrystal It is comelier and more terrible then an Army shining all in Steel Poor Lovers why do ye not rather beleeve it then die So it seemed that in Stratonica's Breast a Thought said to her which she her self knew not if it was hers or of her Antiochus To be armed in that maner with Ornaments that her Beauty was about to be Cruel seemed to her a sin of Homicide She considered that the Bowels of a Lover were too weak to resist that invasion of Joy which a presence of that nature must occasion and that man used no less to die of Joy then of Sorrow To have so much Authority in her Face and so much grace in her Looks to offer violence to Affections seemed not fit Qualities for her who desired to be rather a Queen then a Tyrant She knew very well that the Soul of her Dear had sworn voluntary subjection to her and that to compel his Affection which was not behinde-hand of it self was to hazard him to a precipice or condemn him to die quickly These Considerations could not be debated in the minde of Stratonica without causing her to alter The Alteration dy'd her with a Blushing which was caused by pity She who in the Glass desires to be less Fair the less to afflict him that loves her when by her new colour she perceives her Desire is derided with an Alas full of Anger throws away the Chrystal far from her and turns her back on the Cabinet A Womans condition would be too disproportioned if she had not some natural gift to ballance the endowments of man Nature therefore gave her Beauty that it might be as useful to her as Strength is to a man But because to be Fair imported too much to the Nature of Man and to be strong to that of Woman she so tempered these two Qualities that changing the colour she made the Strong seem Fair and the Fair Strong Strength that is not Beautiful to allure and Beauty that is not strong to overcome neither truly can we say it is Beautiful nor with Reason affirm it is Strong Now the Ladies that were invited beginning to appear the Queen gloriously Adorned went out of her own into the Presence-chamber to receive them and being seated under a very rich Cloth of State with a Circle about her of her Noblest Maids of Honor caused all that were then come to enter in The Ladies from one to another were amazed to see that thinking to do their Duties to a Queen they were encountered with the Majesty of a Goddess there seated The fear and alteration in their Ceremonies made it very conspicuous that the Soul affrighted with the sight of so much Beauty abandoning onely all the parts of the Body was in the little Circle of the Apple of the Eye weakly fortified The usual signs of Reverence and Affection being made and received all of them sate down in order to their Condition and Quality They spake not at first for the Spirits which to manifest their joy for Demetrius his encrease of good Fortune should have run to the tongue were all employed in their eyes in gazing with delight on the wonders of Stratonica Silence too augmented the qualities of that Beauty whose first Quality was to infuse a Silence The Ladies beheld Stratonica and having beheld her beheld one another The amazement which every one shewed served to her Companion for a Testimony to assure her that she saw no illusion Every thing was admirable in the Queen but that was most admirable that her Beauty served not but commanded the Beauty of Art That rule failed in her of beautified Arts That the more they are Adorned the less they Delight The artificial Lights could not be so powerful as to darken the Rayes of natural Brightness In vain the Stars in a serene Night put themselves in order to dazle the Moon At last the Bridle of their Tongue being given them an Encomium with a very low humming began to sound among them which resembling an amorous Bee went about producing in the ears of this and that Lady an Affection of Honey They contended all gladly in exercising their Fancies on that Beauty whose Fancies by too Fatal a Decree

friendship that he almost seemed to sue for her alliance But their ends being discovered to them both they began to hate mortally one another Now when Noon was past and that the Changes at Court had been settled as well as they could Stratonica came to visit Antiochus The fair Queen went in but before she went in what reflections made she not The sad Queen remembred her self that she went in to visit that sick man in whose Bosom her own Soul was Feaverish She cared not for repressing her Passions as she had done so many other times because she was not fearful of her husbands arrival who kept then his bed The Colours in her face the lights of the Tempests in the Minde appeared sometimes kindled sometimes gastly in order to the several affections with which she felt her self to be inwardly agitated Hope taught her to make use of the opportunity of time to discover once that Fire which at last had reduced into Ashes her Lifes most dear Delights Fear on the other side set before her the danger of the Action and the Obligations of Honor. What wilt thou do poor Stratonica since the consequences of a sudden opportunity have placed thee in a straight of this nature Shut the Eyes of thy Minde and go as it were into the Dark to run that hazard which Heaven hath decreed thee So reasoning with her self neither resolved nor yet wavering the unfortunate Queen at last urged her self to salute her adored Prince What appears to thy Eyes from the space of the door O Antiochus What Sun of Beauty comes O happy unfortunate Prince to clear up the darkness of thy Sorrows Thy weakness will never be able to endure the force of so many Lights The encounter of those first Looks caused a fainting to them both Antiochus congealed not for the heat of his Feaver did not yield to a contrary quality Yet his forehead was besprinkled with a cold sweat and the Pulse of his Hand grown stupid remained without Motion He blushed he became mute How do you Prince began the Queen Ah Madam do you couzen so the sick There 's no deceit at all be merry replyed Stratonica I have great things to tell you but alter not all hath gone well It s no longer in my power not to alter O Madam And when Antiochus haid said so fixing his Eyes languishingly on the Eyes of his Life he remained a little while without speaking Then taking a little breath I cannot deny he added but that since yesternight till this time I have been in a continual Agony for albeit by all which were sent to see your Majesty I was always informed you were better yet I overcharged with too much fear could not be induced to believe them entirely But now to my great consolation I perceive by your Countenance that they told me even less then the truth Pardon a Lye in your Servants O Prince since they said so to make you overcome a Disgust Not I but the King was troubled the last night with an Accident which still keeps him a Bed though without any danger by the Favor of Heaven Alas said the anxious sick Prince was my Father destempered I my Dear but alter not at it replyed Stratonica I perceiving the Accident ran quickly to help Seleucus and some Gentlemen seeing me stir stirred likewise among whom Antipater and Cimones taking him up between their Arms carried him unto the first Bed that they came to When the Physicians were come and found the King Pulseless one of them was not wanting to say softly He was dead This report being spread through the Pallace the tumults it caused are not easie to be told The Captain of the Guard reinforced himself with men They sent away the Guests from the Feast A President made haste to levy Soldiers in Damascus and every thing in fine was Deplorable and Dreadful His Swooning lasted almost an hour of which being recovered at last I comforted him with some Remedies and when every one was commanded away I asked him if he could not imagine the cause that had the power to distemper him so grievously He taking my hand between his after he had been a while silent answered me Sighing that being at the Feast and beholding how every one was merry and laughing and that onely among them all his beloved Antiochus extended on a Bed abounded with Sorrow in the Arms of a desperate Melancholly he had by that reflection so contracted his heart that unable to sway longer himself he ceased to live and fainted under his Sorrow Unadvised Stratonica If thou aimest at all Antiochus his Love why dost turn with that relation the stream of his Affections to the duty of his Father Knowest thou not that onely the Love of his Father opposes thy love With what pity was the Prince not wounded hearing of his Fathers so tender so humane an Affection He instantly pondered his Merits in the space of a moment So afterwards he said to himself For a Father like mine I rather should die rather be annihilated then come to have a Thought that might offend him And here being unable to contain his Tears he softly brake forth Ah most dear Father most Beloved Stratonica who though late yet knew that to mollifie the Rigors of her Dear with other pity but that which she of her self could awaken in his Heart was to prejudice her Pretences attended to draw away his Minde to other Thoughts and spinning out the Relation went on While I stood so discoursing with the King a Page came to tell us That Terpandius the Priest demanded Audience for some very earnest business He was brought in unto us and we easily read in his Countenance the Characters of ill News When he had done his accustomed Duty he began in this maner Sir my desire to save your Life urges me at this so unseasonable a time to trouble your repose Your Majesty is to know That Hermogenes died just now who was killed in going home Before he had breathed out his Soul I being his Neighbor and intrinsecal Friend he sent for me to him and sobing having wallowed up and down in his Blood said to me Terpandius go to the King and inform him That I seduced by Clitarcus have poysoned the Drink which his Majesty uses to take every morning and that Clitarcus seeing that the King did not die of his swooning being doubtful that I either deluded him or discovered it hath caused me to be slain Entreat him to beware of the Treacheries of others and to pardon my Treason I desired to ask him more Questions to discover something else but the Frost of Death beginning at that time to stiffen his Tongue he could not return me any Answer May O King this advice be as useful to you as my Affection presents it and be pleased not to mention who truly advertises you of it lest Clitarcus fall foul on me likewise When we had heard that so Tragical story we could not