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
A15754	A display of dutie dect vvith sage sayings, pythie sentences, and proper similies: pleasant to reade, delightfull to heare, and profitable to practise, By. L. Wright.	Wright, Leonard, b. 1555 or 6.	1589 (1589)	STC 26025; ESTC S102227	30,145	48

friend will helpe at néed And make thy sorrowes lesse Oh precious Iem Oh iewell great Oh friendship pearle of price Thou surely doest each thing excell That man can well deuice The golden mines are soone decayde When Fortune turnes the wheele And force of armes are soone allayed If body sicknesse féele And cunning art soone ouerthrowne Experience teacheth plaine And all things else their course doth change When friendship doth remaine But since by proofe they haue beene taught A fained friend to know I will not trust such glosing tongues More then my open ●oe Where fairest face doth harbour foulest hart And sweetest tongue most treason doth impart Oh false deceat I'le trust to such no more But learne to kéepe a hatch before the doore A friendly aduertisement touching marriage THough wedlocke be a thing so doubtfull and daungerous to deale withall as to séeke roses amōgst thorns honny amongst hornets or Celes amongst adders Notwithstanding might my words craue pardon though more willing to wish well then able to perswade I would according to my simple skill shew my opinion touching the commoditie and discommoditie of mariage and the best meane to liue quiet in wedlock chaunsing vpō a shrew First considering the state of mariage in generall God himselfe hath ordayned it as holy nature hath established it as honest Reason doth counsell it as profitable And all nations haue allowed it as necessarie And therefore with the Apostle I commend it as honorable amongst all men Happy is that man sayth Iesus Syrach that hath a vertuous wife The number of his yeares shall be double A vertuous woman maketh her husband a ioyful man whether he be rich or poore he may alwayes haue a merry hart A woman that is silent of tongue shamfast in countinance sober in behauiour and honest in condition adorned with vertuous qualities correspondent is like a goodly pleasant s●ower dect with the colours of al other flowers in the field which shall be giuen for a good portion to such a one as seareth God But he that shall preferre the gifts of nature and fortune before grace and vertue Hauing more respect to a cleane hand with a faire smiling countenance thē a cleane hart with good conditions shall after find that he feareth and misse that he most desireth Wanting neyther time to repent nor matter to complaine vpon Fauour sayth the wise man is deceitfull and beautie but a vaine thing Without vertue it is compared to a swéete poyson in a boxe of Iuorie or a faire shooe y t wrings the foote or the beast called an Armin whose skinne is desired and his carkasse dispised A short pleasure full of paine and miserie much like Tantalus apples which are no sooner touched but turne vnto ashes And in the ende sayth the Preacher she is more bitter than death I heard once a learned man shew a pretie note concerning mariage which though it were a Iewish inuension yet hath it a diuine vnderstanding Ish and Isha in the Hebrew tongue signifieth vir vira the man and the woman which being ioyned together maketh Chaa signifiing God as Iehouah From which word take away these two Hebrewe letters Chod Hee that makes it God And that remaines is Ash which signifieth paine and miserie Meaning that in such a marriage where vertue is absent there God is not present and where God is not present there paine and miserie is neuer absent A quiet man that matcheth himselfe to a shrewe taketh vpon him a verie harde aduenture hee shall f●nde compackt in a little flesh a great number of bones too hard to disgest Yea such saintes are some men matched withall that if all their demaundes should be graunted and all that they are agréeued withall redressed Sampsons strength Iobs patience and Salomons wisedome were all too little And therefore some do thinke wedlocke to be that same purgatorie which learned Diuines haue so long contended about or a sharpe penance to bring sinnefull men to heauen A merry fellow hearing a Preacher say in his sermon that whosoeuer would be saued must take vp and beare his crosse ran straight to his wife cast her vpon his back Diogines being asked what age was most fitte for mariage for young men quoth he it is too soone and for old men too late One Paurimio sonne to a Senator in Rome béeing desirous to marry his father willed him tarry till he were wiser Nay sir quoth he if I once growe wise I shall neuer marry Arminius a great Ruler in Carthage beeing importunately perswaded to marry no quoth hee I dare not for if I chance vpon one that is wise she will be wilfull if wealthy then wanton if poore then peeuish if beautifull then proud if deformed then lothsome and the least of these is able to kill a thousande men Where married couples agrée together is a great happinesse and a thing very acceptable in the sight of God But as in musicke are many discords before there can be framed a true dia●asan so in wedlocke are many iarres before there be established a perfect friendship In housholde matters are many occasions of variance in generall but where the parties want conformitie of manners and conditions most apt to fall at contention especiall For as the earth to the ayre and the water to the fire are in nature and propertie dissonant and contrarie So where the one is constant the other wauering The one prodigall the other a nigard Or the one young and the other olde They may well conioyne in law but neuer continue in loue Being prompt and ready vpon euerie light occasion to resolue into strife and dissention Agréeing like harpe and harrowe or rather two cats in a gutter And if the husband will liue in quiet then must he shew his wisedome eyther by dissembling the cause to turne it vnto sport or else goe his way and say nothing vsing his shrewde wife gently as a necessary instrument to exercise his pacience least she waxe worse For by other meanes he getteth no faithfulnesse of her This was the best remedie that Socrates could finde against his wife Zantippa The best helpe that Iob could haue against his wife in all his afflictions And the best counsell that Marcus Uarro could giue vnto married men Vitium vxoris si corrigi non possis ferendum esse let her say what shee will Better her tongue wagge then her heart breake It is sayde that an Asse a walnuttrée and a woman asketh much beating before they be good But I am verily resolued that a vertuous woman that is wise one word of her husband doth suffice But if she be such a one as neyther gentle admonition the feare of God the spéech of people nor the shame of her person can preuaile All the wise sayinges of Salomon with an hundred stripes to mends will not suffice to reforme or amend her A woman is aptly compared to a drinking glasse

fire against a wall without heate it small preuaileth the Iewes to boast themseluēs to be Abrahams children being degenerate from the fayth and maners of Abraham It is better sayth Chrysostome for the parents to boast of their vertuous sonne than the sonne to vaunt of his noble Parents and there●ore such as couet to excell in honor must labour to excéed in vertue or else the higher their calling is seated by fortune the déeper will their fall be ouerthrowen by their follie Finally whosoeuer is a gréedy couetous snudge in getting a hard pinching nigard in spending a craftie dissembling foxe in dealing sterne in countinance churlish in spéech and hoggish in behauiour though he were as personable in shape as Absolon as rich in possessions as Cressus and discended from the bloud of great Alexander he is but a miserable prowling carle vnworthy the name of a man much lesse of a Gentleman A caueat to the couetous COuetousnesse is the roote of all euill the ground of all vice and the originall cause of all mischiefe Which in paine of eternall damnation is straightly forbidden of God himself There is nothing worse saith Iesus Syrach then a couetous man who for his intollerable gréedinesse is aptly compared to a gryping cormorant a deuouring caterpiller a rauening wolfe a shamelesse dogge that is neuer satisfied and a noysome hogge that is neuer profitable till he dye Whose eares in respect of any goodnes are as deafe as a doore nayle his eyes as blinde as a béetle his hart as hard as a flint stone his pouch as gréedie as hell mouth And therefore in the common wealth of Israell they had a speciall regard to chuse such men for Captaines Officers and Gouernours as feared God and hated couetousnesse Yea it was not lawfull for the Prince himselfe much lesse for a subiect to gather too much siluer and gold But in this our miserable age there is such gréedy prowling for pelfe hurding of money racking of lands abusing of law preuie conueighing of corne beife bakon butter chéese and such other commodities to féede the gréedy appetites of churlish Naball vncharitable Diues and their vnsatiable companions as the common wealth is almost brought to common beggerye Againe such ioyning of house to house ground to ground farme to farme and liuing to liuing to maintaine their superfluity as the meaner sort can not haue to ayde necessity Yea if the Lorde himselfe should not come quickly and call them to account For bribing gryping wringing plucking off the skinne and grinding the very faces of his poore members whose liues are made euen a notamy of mysery and a sea of bitternes they would shortly looke to dwell vpon the earth alone These only do prosper flourish and deuour the fat of the lande Their barnes are filled with graine their coffers stuft with coyne their tables furnished with daintie dishes and their houses safe from feare of the rodde They ly vpon soft beds of Iuory grope their soules in rest and eate their bread alone Their children go foorth in flockes and lead the dance spending their time in riote and vanitie They sit in the chaire of wilfulnesse speake what they list whose conceites must stande for reason their might for right their liking for law As the ruler will so sayth the Iudge y t he may do him the like pleasure againe Thus haue they deuoured Iacob taken away his portion by violence and laid waste his dwelling place They gape vpon him with disdainefull countenance as it were a ramping and roaring Lyon whose lamentable complaints are come vp vnto the eares of y e Lord of hosts yea the ve●y stones in the wall cryeth out against it And therefore t● the conuersion or confusion of all such pitilesse worldlings thus sayth the Lord Wo be vnto them that couetously gather together euill gotten goods that they may set vp their nests on high to scape from misfortune they haue deuised the very shame cōfusion of their own house I saw the Lord stand vpon the altar saith the Prophet and he sayde smite y e doore chéeke that the posts may shake withall for their couetousnes shall fall vpon their owne heades Go to now you rich worldings and Rams of the flocke that liue in pleasure and wantonnesse sayth the Apostle wéepe and howle for the myseries that shall come vpon you Gehefie for couetousnesse was plagued with leprosie Naball striken to death and Diues tormented in hell where without spéedy repentance and restitution all gréedy prowlers shall shortly perish and come to a fearefull ende The dutie of subiects to their Prince THe ciuill Magistrate is a minister armed with lawes sword appointed of God as a nurse to his Church and a father to the common-wealth To order rule and gouerne the people committed to his charge execute iustice and kéepe outward discipline as well in causes Ecclesiasticall as temporall Whose hart is in the hands of the Lord to turne it for the benefite of the good and punishment of the euill which way as pleaseth him Unto whose authoritie power and gouernement euery Christian subiect is bound in dutie and conscience humbly to submit himselfe Reuerently to feare him as the roaring of a Lyon thankfully to honor and pray for him as Gods Leuetenant vpon earth willingly to yéeld all tributes taxes and duties vnto him and obediently to obserue and kéepe his lawes statutes ordinances and procéedings in al things In matters contrarie to faith saluation expresly cōmanded in the sacred word only excepted Yea though he were as gréeuous a persecutor as Saul king of Israel as wicked an oppressor as Pharao king of Egypt or as cruell a tyrant as Nabugodonozer king of Babylon much more being so mercifull vertuous and godly a Prince as good Elizabeth Quéene of England So God by the prophet doth straightly command Our Sauiour both by his doctrine and example doth plainely teach And the holy Ghost by the Apostle doth vehemently exhort Submit your selues vnto all the ordinance of man for the Lordes sake sayth he whether it be vnto the king as chiefe and supreme head next vnder God or those that be appointed in office to gouerne vnder him Whosoeuer therefore resisteth the authoritie of the ciuil Magistrate resisteth not man but the ordinance of God himselfe to his owne damnation He that prouoketh his soueraigne vnto anger sayth Salomon offendeth against his owne soule Yea he that shall but euen thinke euill against the Lords annoynted sayth he the very bird of the ayre with the fluttering of her wings will bewray his secret thoughts The rebellious Israelites for resisting against Moses the ciuill Magistrate Aron the high Priest were some of them plagued with pestilence some stoong with fiery serpents some consumed with fire from heauen and some

swallowed vp in the bowels of the earth And rather then the obstinate stubborne and disobedient should scape vnpunished euen Satan himselfe the master and captaine of all traytorous rebels would mooue him to be his owne hangman as Achetophell and Iudas the very hayre of his head for want of other would yéeld it selfe for a haltar to strangle him as Absolon and his partakers and the trées of the field offer their stretched out armes as fit Iebbets to confound him as a member vnworthy to liue in a common wealth And here by the way a question might arise touching 3. sorts of people in this land The first are certaine seditious preachers possessed with proud erronious spirits euery one hauing a Church plot or common wealth in his head who vnder an hipocriticall shew of holinesse turning vp the white of the eye with déepe groning sighes in their long pharisaicall prayers to blind the multitude presume to walke at libertie according to their owne lustes speaking peruerse thinges to drawe disciples after them beating dayly in the peoples heads what possible they can to conceiue a loathing and misliking of her Maiesties gouernment and order of religion established The second are certaine of the inferiour Magistrates put in trust as the rest to execute the office of Iustice. keepe the people in due obedience to her Maiesties proceedings punish contemners of her laws Who notwithstāding vpō a greedy couetous desire to pray vpon the spoyle of church-liuings do preuily vnder a colour of zeale both fauour further incourage maintaine the faid seditious Scismatikes as fit instruments to serue their purpose to y e great disturbance of the church disquiet of the common wealth The third are a sort of fickle headed people who hauing their eares itching for nouelties are apt and readie vpon euery light occasion to cast off the yoke of obedience and giue héede to those spirits of error getting them heaps of teacher● after their owne fantisies without regarde of dutie eyther to Prince or lawes Now the question is this Whether these thrée sorts of priuie whispering murmurers their conditions and manners rightly considered may iustly be taken in the number of faithfull true and loyall subiectes or rather more dangerous enemies to y e state then open professed Papists Certaine morall rules and profitable aduertisements touching ciuill behauiour and gouernement of life THe rules of ciuill gouernement requireth a man to frame his manners apt and méete for all honest company and societie of men as discréete amongest the wise merry with those that be merry and mourne with those that mourne to yéeld sound reasons in graue matters and pleasant conceits in light trifles Sobrietie without sullomnesse is commendable and mirth with modesty a vertue delectable A merry mind doth commonly shewe a gentle nature where a sower grimme countenance is a manifest signe of a curious teastie churle and disdainfull hypocrite Humilitie and lowlinesse of minde winneth the fauour of God and gentle speech and courteous behauiour the hearts of men To be silent of tongue and se●ret of heart Nature hath giuen vnto man two eares and but one tongue sayth the Philosopher to teach him to heare much and speake litle Pithagoras being asked the best way for a rich foole to get estimation let him weare costly attyre quoth he speake litle for a foole holding his peace séemeth to be wise The trée of the field is knowen by the fruits the thoughts of mans heart by his wordes Honor and worship is in a mans wise talking sayth Iesus Syrach but the tongue of the vndiscréet is his owne destruction Life and death are in the instruments of the tongue sayth Salomon he that can temper his words with discretion kéepeth his soule frō troubles Words spoken in due season are compared vnto apples of gold in a siluer dish But better he speake not when wisedome prouoketh not Then wiseman he séeme not when silence he kéepeth not To auoyd the company of the wicked For as bodies infected with contagious diseases are lothsome and odious so mindes corrupt with false doctrine rude manners and vicious liuing are most irkesome and dangerous He that toucheth pitch sayth Iesus Syrach shall be defiled therewith and he that kéepeth company with the wicked shall hardly escape without blemish either in life or credite And therefore it was not lawfull for the Israelites to associate themselues with the Cananites least they should be infected with their manners Abraham was commanded to depart from Caldea Lot and his daughters from Sodom and the congregation of God from the tents of Corah Dathan and Abiram What fellowship hath light with darknesse Christ with Baliall or the faithfull with an Infidell The Israelites dwelling in Sytim committed whordome with the daughters of Moab And the heart of Salomon for all his wisedom by kéeping company with heathen Idoloters was turned away from the Lord. Let common societie be vsed in equalitie Like with like do alwayes best agrée for as the kettle with the pot the Lambe with the Wolfe and the Asse with the Lion Such is the fellowship betwéene the poore and the rich Requitall amongst equals is of common courtesie but recompenee in vnequals inforced of necessitie Shew a child an apple and he will cry for it but make thy superiors priuie to thy pleasures and he will haue it or else make thee cry for it Not dainty in dyet nor ryotous in expenses but moderately to liue within his bounds To cut his coat according to his cloth not with the prodigall to spend all nor with the couetous to kéepe all but with the discréet to vse all He that hath litle and spendeth much is called a prodigall foole he that hath much and spendeth little a miserable carle but he that can moderate his expences according to abilitie is wise Measure is called a merry meane liberalite is a vertue consisting to spend not as a man would but as he may A thinne spare dyet is most holesome for health profitable for wealth I like M. Tussers alowāce Two dishes well dressed and welcome withall Both pleaseth thy friend and becommeth thy hall Much spice is a théefe so is candle and fire Swéet sawse is as crafty as euer was Fryer And as varietie and excesse in dyet do surfet the bodie and consumeth the wealth so change of gorgious apparell sheweth pride without profit and commonly couereth a threed bare purse Attyre most commendable is neither curious nor clownish sumptuous nor costly but sober and decent as best beséemeth his estate and calling Mistresse Fortune is sayde to be handmaide to Ladie Uertue who esteeming more of simplicity with securitie then pride without profit is cōpared to a poore simple woman in ragged attyre as one dispised of the world bearing a bridle in the one hand