Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	good_a	see_v	word_n	1,813	5	4.0812	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A18093	The present state of England expressed in this paradox, our fathers were very rich with little, and wee poore with much. Written by Walter Cary.	Cary, Walter.	1626 (1626)	STC 4734; ESTC S118633	10,283	24

was so admired and so heartily loued of them as I thinke neuer King was before or since I could speake further of two citizens of London who fell out for the kicking of a dog and went so long to law vntill their bookes could not bee contained in two bufhell bagges This cause thus standing without shew of end our late gracious Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth caused to be arbitrated I could speak of many more like vain and trifling suits which as little springs first creepe out at the foot of an hill and by long running grow to be great riuers but these shall suffice Quia in infinitis instare infinitum I haue heard a very laudable order in Spaine There are appointed certain men called Iusticers which are dispersed ouer the whole kingdome euery one limited to certaine Parishes in which he hath authority to heare complaints of misdemeanours and trifling quarrels and to punish offenders eyther by fine whereof he hath part the King the rest or corporall punishment as hee seeth good and to end also causes for trifling debts and other matters being of no great moment whatsoeuer without suit Wheras in England there are an infinite number of suits tolerated for words for the least blow for cattell breaking into ground for trifling debts and such like so that if one haue but x.s. owing him nay v.s. or lesse he cannot haue it but by suit in law in some petty Court where it will cost 30. or 40. s. charge of suit But to end this Chapter I could wish that our Iustices by commission were authorised to sit in seuerall parts to which they dwell neerest and before any suit bee brought the plaintife should shew his cause of complaint and thereupon if it were for title of much land or matter of great moment he should be suffered to proceed in law but if otherwise they should determine it themselues or referre it to others as the persons and causes considered they thought good and likewise to punish misdemeanours which would breed great peace in this land and preuent the vtter vndoing of many A second inconuenience THis is the multiplicity of Atturnies at the common Law of Chancery vnder-clerks and many petty-foggers dwelling and dispersed ouer all this kingdome which may well be compared to such as stand with quaile-pipes euer calling the poore silly bird into the net I heard it credibly reported that few yeares since there were not aboue two or three Atturnies in the I le of Wight and not many more causes or suits in law but now there is said the reporter at the least 60. and many more suits in law The reason he added was this If any be angry with his neighbour he hath one of these ready and neer at hand to whom hee openeth his griefe who is also as ready presently to set him on for his owne gaine telling him his cause is cleere and he shall neuer wag his foote but hee will doe all for him and fetch his aduersary about well enough On the contrary the other hath one as ready to tell him how well hee will defend his cause So these two enter combat and when both are weary then neighbours end the cause and to that end for the most part come all suits of England How much better then were it at the first to commit causes to neighbours for no causes seldome haue so good end by law as by neighbours Iniquissima pax iustissimo bello anteferenda The third is motions made in the Courts especially in the Chancery THere are some Councellors who will in their motions report whatsoeuer their client telleth them be it true or false and these are well said to haue voces venales that is to bee such as that for mony you may haue them tell what tale you will These also abuse the Courts and cause diuers Orders to bee made by their false suggestions which make suits very tedious and more costly Insomuch that about Orders onely there is oftentimes more money and time spent than ought to bee about the whole substance of the cause The fourth THis is the great fees which Councellors take whereby the clients are much impouerished For they not looking into their consciences what they deserue or how hardly their client perhaps poore may spare it take all that comes and are like gulfes without bottome neuer full And further if you haue a day of triall or hearing and see your Councellor although he be absent and doe you no good yet he swalloweth your fee as good booty There is a remedy by law for excessiue fees as I haue heard but it taketh no good effect The fift THis is making long bills in the English Courts full of matter impertinent from the fulnesse of their malice to put the defendant to greater charge These men are often in like sort requited and beaten with their owne rods wherefore I compare them to one that will put out one of his owne eies to doe his enemy the like harme I wish that such a man may pay well for his folly to his enemy The sixt THis is especially in the English Courts also where the vnder-clerkes with their large margents with their great distance betweene their lines with protraction of words and with their many dashes and slashes put in places of words lay their greedinesse open to the whole world and I haue heard many say that they are as men voide of all conscience not caring how they get mony so they haue it and that with as good a conscience they may take a purse by the high way but not with so little danger and that is all the difference I did see an answer to a bill of 40. of their sheetes which coppied out was brought to 6. sheetes in which coppy there was very sufficient margent left and good difference between the lines Hereby euery man may see how infinitely by the abuse of petty-clerks the Court of Chancery swelling ready to burst with causes the Star-chamber and the rest the whole kingdome is robbed as it were For that coppy which should haue cost but 4. s. cost 4. nobles There was one presented our late worthy Lady and Queen Elizabeth with a peece of paper no bigger than a penny whereon was written the Pater noster the Creed and a praier for her Now I wish that all such Clerkes should be apprentices awhile to such a Scribe for so falling from one extreame to another they may bee brought to a meane But as for the higher Clerkes and officers they would faine haue this foule and vnconscionable fault amended because it maketh nothing for their profit The seuenth THis last that I will speake of but not the last yet least by many is touching Interrogatories and examinations of witnesses There are many that set downe vaine and friuolous Interrogatories nothing at all to the matter in question and thereupon cause many to bee examined whose testimony maketh nothing to any purpose neither is euer read or heard but onely causeth long tedious needlesse and costly books to the grieuance excessiue charge of the subiect Thus haue I as it were onely nominated seuen inconueniences to perswade men to peace and to end at home such quarrells as arise without great vexation of mind without great trouble of bodie in riding and running and without excessiue expences All which together with neglect of all businesse doe necessarily follow suits and controuersies in Law Ictus piscator dixit As for many others which are greater and whereof the last Parliament began to speak with intent to reform the same I will say nothing But these seuen motes I desire to bee picked out of their long gownes So haue I briefly without our new borne inke-pot termes deliuered to the view of the world my Paradox and exposition thereof with hope to perswade some of the wiser sort to auoid drunkennesse excesse in apparrell and controuersies in law with matters subsequent which are three of the most common costly and offensiue euils now raigning That by their example others may learne to liue a ciuill plaine quiet and contented life whereby seeming poore they shall be rich whereas others bestowing much in feasting and drunkennesse brauing it out with a glorious outside only and painted apparell liuing in controuersie and sparing no large fees or great bribes to ouercome their aduersaries seeme only to be rich but are indeed very beggarly Wherefore I conclude as I begun Our Fathers were rich with little and we beggars with much For wee vse our much ill and they vsed their little well FINIS

beggar and a besotted foole It is written that one comming into a place where many were drunke one of them offered him a full cup to whom hee said there was poison in it or worse than poison for it hath bereft you all of your wits and vnderstanding I will none I thanke you One seeing a man extreamely drunk and still drinking excessiuely said Alasse let him drinke no more To whom another answered Let him drinke still for he is good for nothing else and it is not fit for a man to liue that is good for nothing They that force others to drunkennes●● are like stinking sinkes which receiue all filthy and loathsome things and therewith infect others One being asked what hee thought of a man often drunke said He is a peece of ground good for nothing which bringeth forth nothing but weedes A drunken man sleeping soundly one said It is pitty he should euer wake for now hee doth no harme but when he is awake he is euer speaking or doing something that is naught I haue heard that in Spaine if one be drunke his oath in neuer after to be taken before a Iudge A Philosopher hearing one brag of his great drinking as many do in these daies said my Mule doth farre excell thee in that vertue It were very fit that drunkards hauing lands should bee made wards of what age soeuer for they are not able to gouern themselues nor their liuings more than children Sentences of wise men touching Drunkennesse and Drunkards COmes ebrietatis paupertas Beggarie is the companion of drunkennesse Qui fiunt crebrò ebrij cit ò senescunt They that are often drunke are quickly old Nulla fides ebrio danda nec huic negotium committendum There is no trust to bee giuen to a drunkard neither any businesse to be committed to him Ebrietas contentiosa Drunkennesse is full of quarrells Ebrietas somes libidinis Drunkennesse is fuell for filthy lust Ebriost Psittacorum more modo loquuntur Drunkards speake but like Parrets Vino repletus vinum habet seipsum non habet He that is full of wine hath wine himselfe hee hath not Ebrietas dulce venenum Drunkennesse is a pleasant poison Nescit ebrietas vel imperare vel parere Drunkennesse knoweth neither to gouerne nor to bee gouerned Vbiebrietas ibi sola fortuna vbi sola fortuna ibi nulla sapientia dominatur Where drunkennesse is there onely fortune where onely fortune is there no wisedome doth beare rule Ebriosus semper in praecipiti stat A drunkard standeth alwaies as it were in a place ready to breake his necke Ebrium noliconsulere Neuer aske counsell of a drunkard Ebrietas non minor quàm insania sed breuior Drunkennesse is no lesse than madnesse but shorter So haue you heard what the wisest men long since haue said of this filthy vice and the vicious followers of the same To conclude I wish all drunkards to read this euery morning as soone as they rise that thereby they may be perswaded to reformation that day and to remember how greatly that beast-like and loathsome sinne hurteth the soule the body the purse and the name or reputation It is in it selfe so odious detestable before God and all ciuill men that as one saying Loe yonder is a cruell Lyon which words cause a man presently to flie and shift away so if I had but named drunkennesse that onely word should bee a sufficient perswasion for wise men to auoide the same For the Lyon is not so dangerous who killeth onely the body as drunkennesse which killeth body and soule Of the excessiue abuse in apparrell THere are professors of a rare and strange art or science who are named Proportionaries but seldome set to worke If you deliuer one of these a bone of your Grand-fathers little finger hee will by that finde the proportion of all his bones and tell you to an inch how tall a man your Grand-father was So I herein mind to vse some of their skill for seeing it is an infinite matter sigillatim to write of all the peeuish childish and more than foolish costly ornaments now vsed especially being obiect to euery mans sight I will onely take the head with the neck and by these tell you what proportion all the rest of the body holdeth downe to the lowest part of the foote I saw a complete Gentleman of late whose Beuer-hat cost xxxvii s a feather xx s the hatband iij. li and his ten double Ruffe iiij li thus the head and necke onely were furnished and that but of one suite for ix li.xvii.s Now taking the proportion of the brauery for the rest of the body the cloak lined with veluet daubed ouer with gold lace two fingers broad the sattin doublet and hose in like sort decked the silke stockings with costly garters hanging downe to the small of the legge the Spanish shooes with glittering roses the girdell and Steletto I leaue it to those that herein know more than I and can speake of greater brauery than this to cast vp the totall summe wherein also as an appurtenant they may remember his Mistris suted at his charge and cast vp both summes in one But on the contrary I obserued but 60. yeares since generally a man full as good or better in ability than this complete lusty looking lad whose hat and band cost but v.s. and his ruffe but xii d. at the most So you see the difference of these summes the one ix li.xvii.s the other vi s Then after this proportion the whole attire of the one cost aboue 30. times as much as the attire of the other forget not also that the one lasteth three times as long as the other subiect to change as fashions change There is another appurtenant to this guilded folly for if his Mistris say it doth not become him or if the fashion change that suit is presently left off and another bought I will not forget but touch a little the foolish and costly fashion of changing fashions noted especially and obiected against our English nation and in one onely thing I meane the hat I will expresse our prodigious folly in all the rest Of late the broad brimmd hat came suddainely in fashion and put all other out of countenance and request and happy were they that could get them soonest and be first seene in that fashion so that a computation being made there is at the least 300000. li. or much more in England onely bestowed in broad brimmd hats within one yeare and an halfe As for others either Beuer or Felts they were on the suddaine of no reckoning at all in so much that my selfe still continuing one fashion I bought a Beuer hat for v.s. which the yeare before could not bee had vnder 30. s. The like or more may be said of the change from plain to double ruffes But if you wil see the effect of these follies what lamentable estate it bringeth many vnto go to the Kings bench-prison to the