Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	robert_n	sir_n	thomas_n	3,309	5	8.5089	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10702	Roome for a gentleman, or The second part of faultes collected and gathered for the true meridian of Dublin in Ireland, and may serue fitly else where about London, and in many other partes of England. By Barnabe Rych souldier.	Rich, Barnabe, 1540?-1617.	1609 (1609)	STC 20985; ESTC S115899	39,214	69

we shall sooner meet with sir Dinnaden or sir Dagonet at a dinner then sir Lancelot du Lake or sir Trustrum de Liones in the field Some doe hold that amongst Knights he is to haue the first place that had his first creation and this is it that I haue laboured all this while to impugne for what a disparagement were this that a man that were first by birth a Gentleman discended of worthy parents trayned and fostered vp from his very infancy in knowledge and vnderstanding that is of able reuenew to keepe hospitality and to relieue the poorer sort that are inhabiting about him whose wisedom and experience hath beene both tried and well approued in his loue and seruice showne aswell to his Prince as to his country and such a one being worthily dignified to the order of knighthood for his vertue and well deseruing another that is but base by birth compassed perhaps with some measur of welth but not with an inch of wit some of them not greatlie pestered neyther with wealth nor wit his best complements a litle pride and a great deale of ignorance yet one of these little worthy creatures creeping into a knighthood whether by fauour whether by fortune perhaps by fraud but I am sure neither by merite nor by desert should yet shoulder the other from the wal because he had his creation an howre or two before him I could here find in my heart to chide and that extreamely but especially in the behalfe of Ladies I meane of those Ladies that may bee said to bee truely legitimate for there bee of Ladies as there bee of knightes some in substance and some in show but for those that bee Ladies aswell in nature as by name I reuerence those nay I honor them although I know their vertuous inclination to be more ready to pardon then willing to reuenge yet what gentle spirite would not be grieued in their behalfes to see a base borne Madam whose mother would haue beene glad to haue beene a good Ladies Landres and yet she will pranke and pearch yea and sometimes contend with her for place and superiority that hath had her betters to attend her in her chamber I did once know one of these femall kind that the best bringing vp she had whilst she dwelt with her owne mother I thinke was to study the Arte of Nauigation shee had dayly frequent amongst Saylers and Seafaring men and in continuance of time shee fell to practise the Iacobs staffe and I durst bee sworne she neuer so much as dreamte of a Ladiship but fortune they say is blinde and she alwaies fauours fooles The Prouerbe may be true for we haue some knights in this age that are not accounted the wisest men and amongst them shee was Ladyfied and very shortly after that she was numbred in this societie to become a fellow Lady she began to scorne this excrement of wormes this satten silke and veluet were to meane for my Ladies wearing vnles it were decked garded and garnished with the minerall of golde siluer and other ornaments of more pure and precious nature Martial maketh mention of one of these base born brats called Poppeia that after shee became a concubine to Nero had her horses shod with pure gold I woulde be ashamed of it but I would match Poppeias pride with as base borne as her selfe if I listed to picke out presidents though not in shooing of horses with gold yet in other superfluous vanities no lesse nice and foolish then that but let them passe and thus I will conclude that as there is no ambition so violent as that of the Beggers so there is no pride to be compared to the pride of one of these abiect creatures that is exalted lifted vp from a base estate to a litle prosperity But now to speake of knights I say that the dignitie was at the beginning giuen for seruice in the field and was proper onely to martiall men for there was the first institution but since it hath growne by custome that euery absolute Prince hath power to bestow that dignity aswell in the time of peace as in the time of warre but yet knights are of the more or lesse reputation according to the quality of the Prince or partie that giueth the creation for this is the opinion of the Heraldes the Venetian estate and the state of Genoa doe take vpon them to make Knights and so doth the Pope but with these wee will not meddle In the time of the first institution the creation was performed with many ceremonies and as many ceremonies again were vsed in the degradatiō of a knight There are three or foure sundry orders of knightes in England but I will onely speake of those that haue neither garment badge signe nor show whereby to be knowne from other ordinary Gentlemen but by the addition of sir Iohn sir Thomas sir Richard or sir Robert by which notes they are better known amongst our selues then they are to straungers and these knightes are called by the Heraldes knightes Batchelers These knights are made either by the king himselfe or by his commission and royall authority to his liuetenant especially in the time of warre who hath his royal and absolute power for the instant This order is giuen vpon diuerse considerations whereof the principall is for seruice in the field and to these especially belongeth the greatest honour and ought to take the first place for I haue knowne and I haue somtimes seen both Earles Barons that haue receiued the order of knighthood in the field haue thought themselues therby to be dignified for as the beuty of euery common wealth consisteth in the vertue of their Nobility so the wings of true Nobility wherwith to make her to flie hie are the deeds of chiualry for being inlightened with martial skil it maketh him to shine more cleare and bright In the time of Peace the dignity of knighthood is bestowed of many worthy Gentlemen who for their wisedome and ability euery way are fit to sway gouerne in the common wealth and these knightes are worthily honored are so to be reputed regarded After these in the thirde ranke let them march in Gods name whom the prince himselfe doth aduance perhaps in hope of their future seruice or for any other respect or consideration whatsoeuer for it wel beseemeth a king to make a knight thogh it be but for his pleasur because a prince may giue him maintenāce to hold his estate as he gaue him Knighthood at his pleasure whither any substitute may doe the like I will not dispute for if hee makes a Knight for his pleasure that is vnable eyther he makes a Begger that must bee still crauing of the Prince or such a burthen that of necessity must be a pester to the common wealth for those knights that are but poore bare and needy are like cyphers that do make figures rich but are themselues worth nothing I am sorry