Selected quad for the lemma: father_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
father_n	king_n	prince_n	son_n	18,335	5	5.4465	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59167	Lucius Annæus Seneca, his first book of clemency written to Nero Cæsar.; De clementia. English. 1653	Seneca, Lucius Annaeus, ca. 4 B.C.-65 A.D.	1653 (1653)	Wing S2510; ESTC R37363	21,694	48

just desirs t' advance So neither is he cruell to unjust But hath a speciall intrest in the trust Of all his subjects whom from inward sense They love defend and truly reverence Of whom the people speak the same at home They do abroad all seeking to become Fathers of children wishing barrennesse Caused in time of civill wars might cease And hoping they their children shall ingage The more because th' are born in such an age This Prince by his own benefit secur'd Needs not to be in Cittadells immur'd And though he have his guards yet they are meant Not for defence but for an ornament What is his dutie then the very same Of a good father who sometimes does blame His children with mild words somtimes with threats And them if they be stubborn sometimes beats Who having sense his sonne will disinherit For the first fault unlesse his lewd demerit By many enormities his patience moves Unlesse he feares beyond what he reproves His resolution is not easily bent To wipe his name out of his Testament He many tryalls makes to work upon The doubtfull disposition of his sonne Although he fears him gon so far past shame That he his nature hardly can reclame But when he finds him desperat he flies With resolution to extremities Hope makes him use all meanes that helpfull are Extremities accompany dispaire What Parents do a Prince should do the same Whom we the Father of his Country name Not with vaine flattery for we apply All other sirnames to his dignity We call him happy great and royall use All titles which proud majesty would choose But Father of his Country makes it known That he thereby a Fathers power must own Which is a mild authority confer'd For childrens sakes whose good should be preferr'd Before his own A father makes not hast To cut off his own limbs and if at last He does it he would them again restore And in the very action does deplore His losse so long delayd for when a fact Is quickly don t is near a willing act And too much punishing suspition drawes That the chastiser does it without cause Within our memory a Roman Knight Erixo was run through in open fight With writing-pins because he scourg'd his sonne To death with rods Nor could the rage begun By fathers and by children have been stayed But that Augustus power the fame alay'd When Titus Arius plainly had descri'd That his sonne meant to become paricide He punisht him with exile which decree Was much extold by all by reason he Was so indulgent as to be content In such a crime with only banishment And that an easie one for he confind Him to Marselles and with all assign'd The pension to him which he had enjoy'd Before his guilt This bounty did avoid Even in that City where no lewd offence Wants patronage all thought of innocence In him whom in so great and high debate His father could condemn and yet not hate We by this fit example will now gather How a good Prince agrees with a good Father Arius intending of this crime t' inquite The counsell of Augustus did desire VVho to his house at his request repair'd And with a private man in counsell shar'd Not saying let him come to me for so The Judgment which from that consult should grow VVould have been Caesars and not his The cause Being discuss'd according to the Lawes And th' allegations of both parties heard Caesar before his sentence he declar'd Caus'd every Judge his verdict to write down Least th' Emprors Vote might seem to be their own Then ere the bookes were opened he did swear That he had no intent to be the heire Of wealthy Arius Here some abject spirit VVill say he feard to shew a hope t' inherit The fathers goods by the sonnes condemnation But I think otherwise For in relation To a good conscience we should make defence Gainst ill opinions by firme confidence And Princes ought especially to looke Upon their fame a solemn oath he took That he would not inherit his cstate By which meanes Arius had that day the sate To lose an other heir But the decree Of Caesar was declared to be free Who after he had made it evident That he by his opinion never meant To make a benefit a care that ought To be establisht in a Princes thought He sentenced the son to be confind Only according to his fathers minde Not that he should into the sack be put Or thrown forth among serpents or be shut In some close Goale nor had he so much thought Of him he consur'd as of him that brought Him to his counsell It is fit said he That the most easie punishment should be Inflicted by a father on a sonne Young and seduced to a crime not done But which to innocence comes very neer Not entertain'd But with reluctant fear Yet that he ought to be remov'd of right Both from the City and his fathers sight O Prince whose counsell should be still implor'd By fathers in their need and be ador'd O Prince deserving for his tender care With all distressed sonnes to be co-heire This a Kings mercy justly may be stil'd That where he present is makes all things mild And no man should to him appear so vile But he should also be in trouble while He suffers who howere unfortunate Is yet a part and member of the State Great Empire may admit comparison With smaller powers for there are more than one Princes their subjects rule fathers beare sway Over their children Masters to obay Do teach their Schollers Captains to their bands Of soldiers daily send forth their commands Who would not blame that father which for light Offences does his children beat and fright Which of those tutors hath the worthier parts Or is most fit to teach the liberall arts He that his schollers fleas because they stick Upon some words their sight not being quick Because their memories do sometimes faile Or he that rather chooses to prevaile With admonitions and to reprehend With modesty thereby to make them mend A Captaine that too cruell is will make His soldiers out of hatred him forsake And justly too for why should we forbear To be to beasts yet not to men severe A skilful rider when he tames a horse Seekes not to do 't with frequent blowes and force But with soft stroking and a gentle hand Lest he grow restie and refuse command A hunter trayning up young dogs to hunt Makes use of older hounds which have been wont To trace wild beasts nor does he often rate The young ones lest their mettle should abate By a degenerate feare or make them run Quite from the rest their masters rage to shun Nay duller cattle that to toyle are bred When they are too much goard and threatned The yoake and burthen will decline No creature Is so untractable as man by nature And therefore he should alwayes be prepar'd VVith greater industry and be more spar'd For what 's

the adulterers slay But with a safe-conduct sent them away This is the height of pard'ning when t is known That there are many would thy anger own And to please thee be willing not to spare The blood of those whom thou shalt once declare To be offenders and yet thou to give Both pardon and protection to live These things Augustus in his age I finde Did do or when he towards age inclin'd Who in his youth was hot with anger boyl'd Whose thoughts from many things he did recoyl'd Tween thee and gentle Augustus none dares make Comparison for mercy though he take Th' advantage of his age more than mature It cannot with thy youth the test indure His mercie and meekness often times were try'd Yet after he the Achan sea had die'd With Roman blood yet after he had lost His own and other navies on the coast Of Sicilie yet after so much guilt Of blood on the Perusian altars spilt And by proscriptions This do not I Call mercy but a weary'd cruelty Thine is true mercy Caesar which began Not from repented cruelty nor can Be taxed with the staine of civil blood In so great height of power thou hast made-good Thy temprance and unspeakable good will To man and art not taynted with the ill Of avarice or rashness or th' example Of former Kings who on mens necks did trample And their great power with rigour did dilate But thou the edge of Empire dost abate Thou Caesar hast thy Rome unbloody made And as thou hast with noble boasting sayd No part of the whole world one drop hath lost Of humane blood by me and which is most To be admir'd none ever had command Or had the sword put sooner in his hand And therefore mercy as well safety brings As great esteem and is no lesse to Kings Secure than glorious When they aged die Their Kingdomes come to their posteritie The government of Tyrants is both short And detestable Say then in what sort Do Kings and Tyrants differ for we know Their power is equall and the same in show A tyrant cruell is out of meer will A King but through necessitie both kill The one as oft as publique good requires Th' other of himselfe mens deaths desires A tyrant differs from a King in deeds And not in name He that the story reads Of the elder Dionysius will finde That he in merrit did not come behind Most Kings And wherefore should he doubt to call Sylla a Tyrant who his rage let fall When there were no foes left with him to strive Whom he of life and fortune might deprive And though he the Dictatorship lay'd down And like a private man resum'd the gown Yet what fierce tyrant ever was so curst Or ere drank humane blood with so much thirst At whose command which nothing could restrain Seaven thousand Roman Cittizens were slain And when the Senate being together met And in the Temple of Bellona set Within the hearing of those men that groan'd Under the sword their misery bemoan'd Fathers conscript sayd he let us proceed These are a few seditious men that bleed By my appointment What he said was true For they to Sylla seemed but a few But we hereafter shall from Sylla know What anger we to enemies should show Especially to those that have forsaken Their fellow Cittizens and on them taken The name of foes In the mean time t is cleer That mercy makes the difference appear Between a King and tyrant though both have Their guards yet in one is guarded but to save Peace from disturbance th' other to restrain Great hatred with great fear and is in pain And jealousie while he beholds those bands Though he commit himself into their hands Thus contraries ' gainst contraries are rear'd For as he hated is because he 's feard So ' cause he 's hated hee 'll be feard and then That wicked saying whereby many men Have been destroyd he uses Let them hate So that they fear not minding with what weight Rage falls on him when hatred swells too high For temp'rate fear bold thoughts does qualifie But when it is continuall and growes Into extremity it moves even those That lie upon the ground to rise and try With daring boldness th' utmost remedy Though savage beasts be compast with a net Yet if the hunters then upon them set They will attempt to flie through what they fled And furiously upon their fear will tred That resolution is not to be shaken Which from extream necessity is taken Fear must hold forth some safety and suggest More hope then harme they that would quiet rest If they be still in danger will forbear No hazard but will rush on them they fear A constant guard a peacefull King secures By which the common safety he assures A gallant souldier being still prepar'd To defend peace stands as his fathers guard But he that guards a bloody tyrant stands As if he carryed danger in his hands We cannot in those ministers confide Whom we imploy but only to provide Gibbets and racks and instruments to slay To whom as to wild beasts men are a prey A tyrant lives in more anxietie Then any of those who he condemnes to dy For his own conscience threatens him with rods Of direfull vengeance both from men and gods And is reduc'd to that condition He cannot mend but must in ill goe on Great cruelty hath this which is the worst Of villainy that to proceed t is forc't And finds no way left open of regresse For wickedness must strengthen wickednesse And what can be a greater misery Then to be wicked through necessitie O wretched hee but to himselfe bove all And they into an odious guilt must fall That pitie him who uses his great power With rapines and with slaughters to devour That every where lookes with suspicious eyes And fearing weapons to dire weapons flies That doubts the faith of nearest friends is shie Of his own childrens tender piety And when both what he hath and will effect He so considers that he does reflect Upon his conscience full of crimes and frights He often fears and oftner death invites And is t' himselfe more odious then to those Who by their service are at his dispose But he on th' other side whose care is bent To the whole State though it be more intent To one part then an other yet ther 's none Wheron he does not look as on his own Ever inclines to mercy And when need Requires his stricter Justice to proceed He shews with what unwillingness he 's brought To sharper remedies whose gentle thought No rancour entertains nor hostile rage But does his power with mild commands aswage Who to his subjects labours to approve His government with gentleness and love And thinks himselfe happy enough if hee Communicates his own felicity Courteous in speach and easie of accesse And that which peoples hearts does most possesse Retains a clear and loving countenance And as he seekes all