Selected quad for the lemma: fire_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
fire_n	air_n	earth_n	water_n	33,259	5	7.3420	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

sigh and mourne so is there a time to laugh sing and be merry When Salomon by his great wisedome experience and iudgement had prooued all things vnder the sunne to be nothing but vanitie miserie and vexation of minde He concludeth that the best thing for a man in this world all the dayes of his life is to eate drinke and be merry in his labour Behold sayth the Lord by the Prophet my seruants shall eat drinke reioyce and be merry He giueth bread and wine to strengthen and make glad the heart of man oyle to make him a chearefull countenance and swéet oyntment and incense to make his heart merry Reioyce in the Lord alwayes sayth the Apostle and againe I say reioyce S. Iames exhorteth Gods children to sing and be merry A light heart sayth the wiseman maketh a chearefull countenance and a flourishing age but sorrow and heauinesse dryeth vp the bones and shortneth the daies Heauinesse is called the graue of mans life and mother of foure daughters Idlenesse pouertie sicknesse and miserie It is the propertie of the distressed to complaine of the desperate to sigh of children to wéepe and of weake cowardly crauens to yéeld and shrinke downe in trouble and aduersity but of the valiant mind to plucke vp a good hart cast off solome pensiue dumps put on a chearefull countenance to the world and beare it out merrely with a good courage Knowing that though mischiefe and misery do come by pounds and go away by ounces yet a pound of sorrow will not pay an ounce of debt And as those euil humors which surfet the body are expelled by medicine so are such heauy pensiue dumps as infect the braine auoyded by mirth and merry company No better meane to preserue health therefore then morning and euening to receaue an ounce of merry conceits pounded with the pestle of pacience in the morter of quiet content applying oftentimes a plaster of hearts-ease to the left side These will purge the patient from coller melancholike and all gréeuous paines of the stomacke make him féede heartely sléepe soundly and walke chearefully To a merry heart sayth Iesus Syrach euery thing hath a pleasant aste Of exercises profitable for health and recreation THough all such gaming as depende vppon idlenesse chance and desire of money be vtterly condemned as a thing intollerable amongst Christians Notwithstanding such honest exercis● as being eyther marshall for seruice in the field phisicall for health of the body or morall for the recreation of the minde Moderately vsed in time and place conuenient is no lesse profitable and necessarie especially for gentlemen studients then meat drinke and sleepe Mindes that are wearied with serious affayres must sometimes be refreshed of necessity For as continuall bending doth weaken the stiffest bowe so long studie without recreation doth weaken the finest brayne Yet some more curious then wise hauing as it were a pride to be péeuish séeme rather to hate dispise and detest all mirth pastime and humaine societie as vnfit for such as professe Christianitie Whereas if any exercise be euill it is not of it selfe but through abuse of the wicked which is no sufficient condemnation to a thing ordeyned to be well vsed Though some haue béene burned with fire some drowned with water and some surf●cted with meate and drinke yet must we neither cast away the vse of fire and water nor cease from eating and drinking So though some dumpish natures can brooke nothing that is contrary to their owne stoicall disposition Yet no reason that therfore the better sort more pleasant sociable and familiar of condition should forgo their honest recreation to féede the humors of such To the cleane all things are cleane and if any offence be it is not giuen but rather taken without cause Iohn Baptist and the Pharisies liued a straight life and our Sauiour Christ vsing his libertie was more familiar like the common people yet Iohn Baptist and the Pharesies were not holier then Christ himselfe Wise Salomon maketh mention of times as well for pastime and sport to recreate and make merry as for serious affaires to fatigate and make wearie The Israelites in obseruing the feast of Tabernacles were commanded to gather boughes branches of palmes willowes and fruitfull trées reioysing and making merry before the Lord the space of 7. dayes When Dauid was returned from the slaughter of the Philistians the women came out of all Cities with instruments of Musicke playing singing and dauncing with great ioy When God sent the Prophet to comfort his people of Ierusalem amongst others his mercies he promised them this securitie that their boyes and damsels shoulde sport and play in the stréetes The taking away of mirth and melodie from the people was alwayes a token of Gods curse Take thy pastime at home and doe what thou will sayth Iesus Syrach so as thou do none euill The Apostle exhorteth men to loue and delight in brotherly fellowship Dauid Chytreus affirmeth playing and sporting amongst friends to be very good and necessary to auoyde wicked thoughts and dumpish fantasies Master Caluin sayth that God doth not only bestowe vpon men things sufficient for their necessarie vses but also procéedeth further in helping forwardes their pleasures and delights Cato calleth honest pastime a whetstone for the memorie Gallen preferreth tennisse play as an exercise most profitable for health because it mooueth euery part of the bodie and hath written a whole booke in cōmendation therof Shooting in the long bowe is greatly liked of many being a pastime of great antiquitie Marcillius Phicinus hath written in prayse of it M. Latimer doth greatly commend it And M. Ascam in his Toxophilus doth teach it as most profitable and commodious to preserue health It incourageth the minde strengthneth the synewes clenfeth the poures cleareth the senses maketh good disgestion and wrastleth against a number of diseases in the body Plato incourageth young men to practise the weapon commending it amongst the best exercises and not without good reason for if it be lawefull for a man to defend himselfe from violence it is both lawfull and conuenient not only to weare a weapon but also to learne how to vse it if néede shall require He that desireth peace sayth Ireneus let him prepare for warre For recreation of the mind Chesse play is much cōmended as a delectable pastime and pleasant study a princely exercise hauing in it a certaine Maiestie wherein is shewed a warlike order and politike gouernement It was first inuented by a wiseman called Xerxes to declare vnto a tyrannous Prince howe necessary his subiectes were to the safegarde of his person Plato séeming to commend table play compareth it vnto the life of man that like as an euill chance may bee holpen by cunning play So may a crooked nature bee made better by