Selected quad for the lemma: earth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
earth_n	fire_n	nature_n	water_n	5,977	5	6.4744	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A06862	The iudgment of humane actions a most learned, & excellent treatise of morrall philosophie, which fights agaynst vanytie, & conduceth to the fyndinge out of true and perfect felicytie. Written in French by Monsieur Leonard Marrande and Englished by Iohn Reynolds; Jugement des actions humaines. English	Marandé, Léonard de.; Cecil, Thomas, fl. 1630, engraver.; Reynolds, John, fl. 1621-1650.	1629 (1629)	STC 17298; ESTC S111998	129,155	340

is a bird of the same nest and that he ought to enforme himselfe of all before he giue vs demonstrations for Articles of faith which haue no other foundation but doubt and incertainty For we most say with Epicure that all things are compounded of points sith it is the beginning middle and end of a line But the line is to the Superficies that which the point is to the line and the superficies to the body that which the line is to the superficies wherefore this point being in all and through all to the line must likewise be in all and throw all to to the body For withdrawing by the power of the imagination because this is solely the work of imagination all the points which may meet or can be imagined in the line there will then remaine no more line or that which remaines will haue no more points But she cannot be diuided but by the points therefore either the line shall bee nothing more when the points shall be taken away or she shall be indiuisible in her length because she is not deuisible but by the points which shall be no more May I not then conclude of the absurdity of their Demonstrations and Principles For the same that we haue done to the line by withdrawing of the points we may doe to the superficies by the substraction of lines and to the body by the substraction of the superficies and there will nothing remaine to vs but the point which they themselues can neither expresse nor define but by negation But can there be found any thing in the body of Nature which is nothing and neuerthelesse is euery where and composeth all and that from thence we may inferre that the Mathematician is nothing nor yet his Art and Science why then will we borrowe of imagination the principle of so reall and true a Being as the body which falls vnder our senses sith there is no conformity nor resemblance of the measure to the thing measured The Astrologers haue more reason to forme Epicicles to the Sunne and Moone and because they cannot attaine thereto they are constrained to lend a body and a forme to their inuentions If they cannot approach the Sunne they will approach the Sunne neere to them to forme him materiall springs and lockes to the end that they may manage him according to their owne pleasures and fashion and that he may not escape from them and as well they shall not be beleeued But what doth it seeme to them or doe they thinke that the diuine prouidence who ruleth and limiteth the motions of all things could doe nothing without them and that Heauen if it were not hung fast by her Poles and the Sunne and Moone linked and nayled fast to their Heauen that they would fall on our heads That the Planets could not moue because euery moment without rule order they met and contended and troubled themselues in their course and reuolution As if I say this diuine prouidence had not established so much but a fairer order aboue among these celestiall bodies where in outward shew apparence he is more pleased because hee delights in cleannesse and purity then hee hath done belowe here among the elements which take not the hand and place one of the other but euery one keepes himselfe in his proper place and station ordained to him Earth mounts not vp to the Region of fire nor the ayre throwes her selfe not downe into that of water but according to their vsuall custome commerce and the harmony which Nature hath contracted betweene them as is seene in the mixture of compounds which of their discordant accords and agreements yeeld so sweet a Harmony and Diapazon But sith this wise Mother of the world is so carefull to conserue peace among beasts who deuoure not one the other yea likewise among corruptible bodies although age hauing destroyed them she can easily make propriate others of the same clay of the same matter which shee moulds and workes continually in her hands by a farre stronger consideration shee hath reason to entertaine and maintaine a perfect peace rule order and measure among those caelestiall bodies and that it were not in her power to establish if they were entermixed and confused in the order which was prescribed to them from their beginning by him who neuer had nor shall haue end or beginning They can and are well conseru'd without them and without their Epicicles and hee among them who can erect his eyes in the contemplation of this great body in comparison of the earth of that which wee possesse and enioy will assuredly iudge that Nature vseth vs as children because it giues vs nothing but trifles of small or no value yea which are not worth the losing in regard of those which we want and enioy no● I beleeue that the Epicicle which they giue to the Moone differs not much from that of their wit and I thinke I wrong them not in the comparison A heauenly body doth at least deserue as noble a scituation as a feeble and earthly imagination They conduct and gouerne themselues very well without vs and I would to God we could doe it so well without them and although their influence whereof man cannot know the cause and motion if he ascend not to the head spring and fountaine distribute vs Happinesse or Misfortune good or euill yet neuerthelesse we will giue them but a younger Childes portion and will make them trot retire and aduance according to our pleasures but our Vanitie cannot be concealed or kept from them they retaine recorde thereof so as whosoeuer can breake open and discouer those seales he shall presently and palpably behold things past present and to come and as the flood of all mortall matters runnes incessantly with one and the same impetuositie Our designes are faire and generous but their execution ridiculous our mountaines of Pride and Vanity produce and propagate vs nothing but Mice and are more to bee lamented and pittied in the weakenesse of our wits then those small Pigmees for the weakenesse of their bodies in their enterprise vpon Hercules If those Giants which would heretofore assault and scale Heauen yea the Throne of the Gods and pull the Thunder out of Iupiters hands had finished ●h●ir intended enterprise they would haue 〈◊〉 vs of what matter the Sunne was 〈◊〉 how he is captiue bound and tied to 〈◊〉 what is his Epicycle Apogee and other 〈◊〉 misteries functions if their presumption and rashnesse were not at the very instant 〈◊〉 vnder the very weight and burthen of 〈◊〉 ●●mour and weapons to shew that the 〈◊〉 Presumption and Vanitie of our Reasons brings vs nothing else but shame and confusion The principles of these Sciences are weake shaking and trembling it is a labour to support and affirme them but when they are avered and that their principles and demands are granted then they afterwards triumph in their demonstrations They approoue a thousand faire

of goods and riches seemes to goe firme and so to enioy the rest and tranquillitie of the minde we must not admire thereat and so build vpon this foundation For sometimes it falls out that the Rocke which hath split our ship serues vs for refuge and sanctuary and serues vs for shelter against stormes and tempests Fortune is often met in the company of Reason so many haue found life in the conflicts of Death and danger yea extreame folly hath produced the like effects as perfect Wisedome I approoue not the aduise of the Philosopher Crates who to make sure worke threw his Riches into the Sea and dispoiled himselfe of this dangerous Roabe as beleeuing that they and Vertue could neuer Sympathise There is as much folly and weakenesse not to endure riches as there is courage to support them To corrupt our selues by their familiarity or to depart with them so easily simply argues the likeweaknes of mind If we contemne them it must be yet more for their small vallew then for their superfluousnesse Vertue prohibites vs not the enioying but rather commands the vse therof otherwise how canst thou esteeme that to be in the number of thy Wealth which thou enioyest not and why doest thou so reigiously oblige thy care and labour to conserue and increase it Couetousnesse commands a strict accompt euery day to be giuen of thy actions and most rigourously condemnes thee which grieuest to take from thy purse to giue to thy expenses Thou willingly stealest thy selfe from thy Riches to commit thy selfe into the custody of Pouertie and Indigence Neither Honour nor Pietie can open the lockes of thy coffers thou art not Maister thereof and therefore it sufficeth thee to be the keeper A true Scythian Griffon which keepes great heapes of Gold and Siluer in Caues and yet enioyes it not But tell me the Porter of an Arsenall who with his key shuts in farre more treasure then thou canst with thine cannot he compare and dispute of Riches with t●ee in this he is yet more happie then thy selfe For when he sees Gold and Siluer goe in and out he ioyfully opens and shuts his doore with an equall affection His countenance changeth no● he neither shakes nor lookes pale troublesome cares interrupt not his sleepes and dreames as perpetuall f●are euery moment assailes and disturbes thee Th●● thinke●t that some Theeuish hand steales away the one halfe of thy profit that th● for●ress● of ●hy house is too weake against the Eng●●s and designes of thy enuiers Mountaines Waters Drawbridges which begirt and shut vp thy Cittadell cannot secure thee from this apprehension and feare Thou doest distrust thy selfe in hauing thy hands too often in thy bagges for it seemes thy eyes still discouer a want of some pieces nay shall I say more for all that which belongs to others and which thou canst not make thine thou placest it in the catalogue of thy losses So that which thou hast thus purchased is not thine because thou enioyest it not and that Nature will one day condemne thee to abandon them because she condemnes thee to die if thou wilt not doe as Hermocrates in Lucian who in dying instituted himselfe to be heire to himselfe for feare to lose that which he had purchased with so great labour and conserued with infinite care and which his death despight his testament made him leaue behinde him with a world of sighes and teares Vnfortunate yea wretched Vice which hast so blinded vs that wee cannot perceiue his imperfection which makes vs miserable in our chiefest height and heate of purchasing and againe more miserable in the possession of that which we haue purchased SECTION V. Fortune hath not a more charming bayte or lure then our owne hope ALL the world liues now and entertaines themselues by the hope of the time future No man at hometasts the present good he will still be beyond it There is not a personage whom euery one represents and acts not worse then his owne His desire transports him in all places and hee himselfe is therefore neuer in any It is the greatest aduantage which Fortune hath of vs for she still makes vse serues her selfe of our hope as of a golden hooke the more easily to deceiue vs. If any disaster or misfortune befall vs whiles our hope hath transported vs other wheres Shee takes possession of the place and fortifieth her selfe with our owne proper weapons and at our returne makes vs suffer a thousand sorts of tyrannies in this new slauery Hee who is at home when some accident o● fire hath cast a sparkle thereof in our own● firebrands hee very easily quencheth it and by this meanes saues his house from the fury of flames and burning And if when Fortune darts a sparke of some voluptuousnesse in our soule that we were carefull to runne speedily to extinguish it before it had burnt our hopes which by little and little goe to enkindle them with the bellowes of good successe we may then saue our selues from this fire so preuent the burning of our passions The Spring time produceth not so many flowers on the wide bosome of the Earth as hopes engender thornes in the hearts of men The Louer who languisheth in the flames of his desire blowes the fire thereof and so enflames himselfe the more by the winde of some foolish promise The hope of Glory animates the courage of the ambitious man and he whom couetousnesse controules and commands making him to passe so many Seas for the obtaining thereof he findes no more fauourable and pleasing windes then that of his hope So Ambition Loue Couetousnesse are three riuers which issue from this Spring the which we must stop if we resolue to dry vp all the displeasures and discontents which wee receiue Hope is a motion and passion of the soule which very easily procures vs the possession of a future good whereof we haue already receiued the impression She enflames vs in the difficultest actions Impossibility hath no barres so strong which shee cannot breake in sunder all things are inferiour to her and nothing equalizeth her but her desire Shee holdes our thoughts hanging in the ayre and our felicity yet more in ballance and suspence Shee lifts vs vp so high that reason it selfe findes no surer foundation or reason to secure vs from the ruine of our enterprizes which commonly bring vs more shame by their imperfection then glory by their euent The blinde desire of the ambitious should not bee guilty of his fall without the pernitious councell of his deceitfull hope Icarus had not lost himselfe by his rash folly if hee had not beleeued that the winges of his hope were stronger then those which hee had receiued from his Father The disobedience of this Sonne prefigureth the ignorance of the common people as the Fathers command is the picture of wisedome which contents it selfe to haue escaped slauery We must surcease to hope thereby more easily to obtaine the place