Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
enemy_n	army_n	day_n	force_n	1,326	5	6.0011	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61158	The history of the Royal-Society of London for the improving of natural knowledge by Tho. Sprat.	Sprat, Thomas, 1635-1713.; Cowley, Abraham, 1618-1667. To the Royal Society.	1667 (1667)	Wing S5032; ESTC R16577	253,666	459

Arms we first receiv'd the dawn of Civil Arts. The next instance of this kind is the mischance which befell the Christian Army in Egypt in the time of the Holy Wars Their strength was great and irresistible if they had only understood that which every Egyptian could have taught them the cours and the Time of the overflowing of the Nile For the want of that slender knowledge the bravest men of all Christendome were led up to the neck in the River and were forc'd to yield to their Enemies conditions without striking a stroke This was occasion'd by the stupidity of the Cardinal who commanded them if he had bin less skillful in the Scholemen and more in Nature that dreadful disaster had never happen'd My Third Example of this kind is to be found in the Roman History The Roman Army was just ready to join Battel with one of their Enemies the sign was given for their onset their force was equal a terrible combat had like to have insu'd when on the sudden the Sun was Eclyps'd of this the Romans were warn'd the day before But this surpriz'd the other with so great affright that they were immediately vanquish'd So that not the bravest Men nor the greatest Army nor the best provisions of War got the Victory but that Party which had the best Natural Philosopher on its side To this address which I have made to our Nobility and Gentry I will add as an appendix another benefit of Experiments which perhaps it will scarce become me to name amidst so many matters of greater weight and that is that their discoveries will be very serviceable to the Wits and Writers of this and all future Ages But this I am provok'd to mention by the consideration of the present Genius of the English Nation wherein the study of Wit and humor of Writing prevails so much that there are very few conditions or degrees or Ages of Men who are free from its infection I will therefore declare to all those whom this Spirit has possess'd that their is in the Works of Nature an inexhaustible Treasure of Fancy and Invention which will be reveal'd proportionably to the increas of their Knowledge To this purpose I must premise that it is requir'd in the best and most delightful Wit that it be founded on such images which are generally known and are able to bring a strong and a sensible impression on the mind The several subjects from which it has bin rays'd in all Times are the Fables and Religions of the Antients the Civil Histories of all Countries the Customs of Nations the Bible the Sciences and Manners of Men the several Arts of their hands and the works of Nature In all these where there may be a resemblance of one thing to another as there may be in all there is a sufficient Foundation for Wit This in all its kinds has its increases heigths and decays as well as all other human things Let us then examin what Parts of it are already exhausted and what remain new and untouch'd and are still likely to be farther advanc'd The Wit of the Fables and Religions of the Ancient World is well-nigh consum'd They have already serv'd the Poets long enough and it is now high time to dismiss them especially seing they have this peculiar imperfection that they were only Fictions at first whereas Truth is never so well express'd or amplify'd as by those Ornaments which are Tru and Real in themselves The Wit which is rais'd from Civil Histories and the Customs of Countries is solid and lasting The Similitudes it affords are substantial and equal to the minds of men being drawn from themselves and their own actions Of this the wittiest Nations have always made the greatest use their writings being adorn'd with a Wit that was free of their own Cities consisting of Examples and Apothegms and Proverbs derived from their Ancestors This I allege because this kind is scarce yet begun in the English Language though our own Civil History abounds as much as any other with great Examples and memorable Events which may serve for the ornament of Comparison The Manners and Tempers and Extravagances of men are a standing and eternal foundation of Wit This if it be gather'd from particular Observations is call'd Humor And the more particular they are they are still the pleasanter In this kind I may well affirm that our Nation excells all others as our Dramatic Poetry may witness The Wit that may be borrow'd from the Bible is magnificent and as all the other Treasures of Knowledge it contains inexhaustible This may be us'd and allow'd without any danger of prophaness The Ancient Hethens did the same They made their Divine Ceremonies the chief Subjects of their Fancies By that means their Religions had a more awful impression became more popular and lasted longer in force than else they would have done And why may not Christianity admit the same thing if it be practis'd with sobriety and reverence What irreligion can there be in applying some Scripture-expressions to Natural things Why are not the one rather exalted and purifi'd than the other defil'd by such applications The very Enthusiasts themselves who are wont to start at such Wit as Atheistical are more guilty of its excesses than any other sort of men For whatever they allege out of the Historical Prophetical or Evangelical Writings and apply it to themselves their Enemies or their Country though they call it the mind of God yet it is nothing else but Scripture-comparison and Similitude The Sciences of mens brains are none of the best Materials for this kind of Wit Very few have happily succeeded in Logical Metaphysical Grammatical nay even scarce in Mathematical Comparisons and the reason is because they are most of them conversant about things remov'd from the Senses and so cannot surprise the fancy with very obvious or quick or sensible delights The Wit that is founded on the Arts of mens hands is masculine and durable It consists of Images that are generally observ'd and such visible things which are familiar to mens minds This therefore I will reckon as the first sort which is still improvable by the advancement of Experiments And to this I will add the Works of Nature which are one of the best and most fruitful Soils for the growth of Wit It is apparent that the defect of the Antients in Natural Knowledge did also streighten their Fancies Those few things which they knew they us'd so much and appli'd so often that they even almost wore them away by their using The sweetness of Flowers and Fruits and Herbs they had quite devour'd They had tir'd out the Sun and Moon and Stars with their Similitudes more than they fancy them to be wearied by their daily journeys round the Hevens It is now therefore seasonable for Natural Knowledge to come forth and to give us the understanding of new Virtues and Qualities of things which may relieve their fellow-creatures that

especially above all others they have no reason to despise Trade as below them when it has so great an Influence on the very Government of the World In former ages indeed this was not so remarkeable The Seats of Empire and Trade were seldom or never the same Tyre and Sydon and Cades and Marseiles had more Trafic but less command than Rome or Athens or Sparta or Macedon But now it is quite otherwise It is now most certain that in those Coasts whither the greatest Trade shall constantly flow the greatest Riches and Power will be establish'd The caus of this difference between the antient times and our own is hard to be discover'd perhaps it is this that formerly the greatest part of the World liv'd rudely on their own Natural Productions but now so many Nations being Civiliz'd and living splendidly there is a far greater consumption of all forein Commodities and so the gain of Trade is become great enough to overbalance all other strength Whether this be the reason or no it matters not But the observation is true And this we see is sufficiently known to all our Neighbors who are earnestly bent upon the advancing of Commerce as the best means not only to inrich particular Merchants but to enlarge their Empire The next thing to be recommended to the Gentlemen of England has a neer kindred with the other and that is the Philosophy of Nature and Arts. For the want of such an easy cours of studies so many of them have miscarried in their first years and have ever after abhorr'd all manner of sober Works What else do signify the universal complaints of those who direct the Education of great mens Children Why do they find them so hard to be fix'd to any manner of Knowledge Their Teachers indeed are wont to impute it to the delicacy of their breeding and to their Mothers fondness But the chief caus of the mischief lyes deeper They fill their heads with difficult and unintelligible Notions which neither afford them pleasure in learning nor profit in remembring them they chiefly instruct them in such Arts which are made for the beaten tracks of professions and not for Gentlemen Whereas their minds should be charm'd by the allurements of sweeter and more plausible Studies And for this purpose Experiments are the fittest Their Objects they may feel and behold Their productions are most popular Their Method is intelligible and equal to their capacities so that in them they may soon become their own Teachers Nor are they to contemn them for their plainess and the homely matters about which they are often employ'd If they shall think scorn to foul their fingers about them on this account let them cast their eies back on the Original Nobility of all Countries And if that be true that every thing is preserv'd and restor'd by the same means which did beget it at first they may then be taught that their present Honor cannot be maintain'd by intemperate pleasures or the gawdy shews of pomp but by true Labors and Industrious Virtu Let them reflect on those great men who first made the name of Nobility venerable And they shall find that amidst the Government of Nations the dispatch of Armies and nois of Victories some of them disdain'd not to work with a Spade to dig the Earth and to cultivate with Triumphing hands the Vine and the Olive These indeed were times of which it were well if we had more footsteps than in antient Authors Then the minds of men were innocent and strong and bountiful as the Earth in which they labor'd Then the vices of human Nature were not their Pride but their Scorn Then Virtu was itself neither adulterated by the false Idols of Goodness nor puff'd up by the empty forms of Greatness as since it has bin in some Countries of Europe which are arriv'd at that corruption of manners that perhaps some severe Moralists will think it had bin more needful for me to persuade the men of this Age to continue Men than to turn Philosophers But in this History I will forbear all farther complaints which are scarce acceptable to the humor of this time even in our Divine and Moral works in which they are necessary I therefore return to that which I undertook to the agreeableness of this design to all conditions and degrees of our Nobility If they require such Studies as are proportionable to the greatness of their Titles they have here those things to consider from whence even they themselves fetch the distinctions of their Gentility The Minerals the Plants the Stones the Planets the Animals they bear in their Arms are the chief Instruments of Heraldry by which those Houses are exalted above those of the vulgar And it is a shame for them to boast of the bearing of those Creatures they do not understand If they value the Antiquity of Families and long race of Pedigrees What can be more worthy their consideration than all the divers lineages of Nature These have more proof of their antient descent that any of them can shew For they have all continued down in a right line from Cause to Effect from the Creation to this day If they shall confine themselves to the Country they have this for there cheap diversion If they return to the City this will afford them in every Shop occasions to inform their judgments and not to devour their Estates If they go forth to public service to the leading of Armies or Navies they have this for their perpetual Counsailor and very often for their preserver There are so many Natural and Mechanical things to be accurately observ'd by the greatest Captains as the advantages of different Arms and ammunitions the passages of Rivers the streights of Mountains the cours of Tydes the signs of Weather the Air the Sun the Wind and the like that though I will not determin the Knowledge of Nature to be absolutely necessary to the great office of a General yet I may venture to affirm that it will often prove a wonderful assistance and ornament to the cours of Glory which he pursues All Histories are full of Examples of the great accidents which have happen'd by the ignorance of chief Commanders in Natural Motions and effects of these I will only instance in Three The First is of Caesar himself who had Conquer'd more Countries than most Travailers have seen and gain'd more Battels than others have read of yet he had like to have put a period to all his Victories by the want of an exact skill in one of the commonest Works of Nature This he himself relates in his second passage into Britain when his Army was so dismay'd at the ebbing of the Sea from their Fleet believing it to be a Stratagem of their Enemies that scarce the courage and conduct of Caesar could hinder them from being terrify'd to their own overthrow which had bin a fatal misfortune to the Britains as well as Romans becaus from his victorious