Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	good_a	great_a	will_n	4,822	5	5.8442	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04989	The resolued gentleman. Translated out of Spanishe into Englyshe, by Lewes Lewkenor Esquier; Chevalier délibéré. English	La Marche, Olivier de, ca. 1426-1502.; Lewkenor, Lewis, Sir, d. 1626.	1594 (1594)	STC 15139; ESTC S108201	70,399	158

the courser that he bestradde was called Payne his shielde resembled the Sunne in which were figured exercise and slouth drousie slumber and watchfull diligence His coatarmour was of Constant suffring and by his outwarde shew it seemed that he had been in many broyles and newly escaped out of a great battaill He thought I could haue stayed a great while to beholde him and his demeanoure but that the sharpenesse of his salutation gaue me no such leysure for without delay putting spurres to his enraged Courser he furiously made towardes me with his Lance enrested on the other side I was not behinde hand to requite his kindenesse but putting my Horse to the vtmost of his carrere met him with so rude an encounter that though he ouerthrew me to the grounde yet I made him totter in his saddle at which growing impatient he laide hande on his sworde and let driue at me with all his force wherewith he had then without doubt geuen me a mortall wounde had not I kept him off and defended my selfe with my Lance of Good gouernment Neuerthelesse he ceassed not to encroch still nearer and nearer in vpon me lending me so manie sturdie strokes with his sworde of Many yeeres that I waxed in a maner vnable to helpe my selfe any farther against the heauie neuer-ceassing blowes of his vnresistable arme and at length to make my miserie the greater my lance of Good gouernment flew in peeces wherewith and thorow the thumps which he had geuen me my head began to be giddie my legges to faint and my eyes to dazle wherewith vpon my entreatie he likewise being in a maner breathlesse we agreed to take a litle pause After I had a while refreshed my selfe and recouered breath casting mine eye vpon my aduersarie and in my secrete iudgement much commending the grauitie of his looke and the brauenesse of his behauiour I requested him in kindnesse to tell me his name and condition To which answering me in very courteous language like a man of good iudgement and setled sense My discent and linage quoth he is of great antiquitie my proper name is Age true register of euery mans time in which I do neuer deceiue any neither do I geue my consent to falsenesse None can passe through the plaine of Time without comming vnder my handes and whosoeuer otherwise doth thinke is farre deceiued and in errour For vnder this condition were borne all those that euer enioyed the faire light of this worlde or euer at any time shal of which if any escape my handes then can he not wander farre in this feelde of Time but must of necessitie die in the vnfortunate vnripenesse of his youth and to this necessitie are subiect as wel Princes as priuate men the faire rich noble and fortunate as those of contrarie condition Therefore seeing you are now so farre trauailed in this plaine that you are come within the compas of my power either without farther resistance yeelde your selfe quietly vnto me or you shall too late repent with manie a groning sigh that euer you striued with me But I not being yet so throughly quayled as to yeeld vnto his perswasion setled my selfe to resistance so that defying me a fresh he let driue at me a new with as great fiercenesse as euer he had done before laying with his sword which as I tolde you was of Many yeeres so heauie lode vppon me that all my limmes began to shake with a feint and trembling numnesse My trustie Lance of Gouernment was broken before now also comming to the cloze he forcibly pulled from me my shield of Hope finding my selfe in which miserable estate my weapons taken a way my forces declining and my bodie weake and decaied like a man forelorne I began to feint in my resistance which my aduersarie perceyuing with a noble magnanimitie also slacked his fight so that at length finding no other remedie though much against my will I was content to render my selfe vnto him giuing him my faith and promise to remaine his true prisoner and to pay him any reasonable raunsome that he should demaund who as a great Lord doth his humbled seruant so receyued he me with signes of loue taking from me my right gauntlet in token of his conquest telling me how behouefull and honorable a thing it was for a prisoner to manteine inuiolably his worde and faith especially being a gentleman as for his parte he would vse me well and graunt me my libertie but it behoued me on peine of periurie and dotage to promise him the accomplishment of some such things as for mine own honor and good he would enioyne me to To which when I had with all willingnesse agreed First quoth he you shall flie from the territorie of Loue whose Lorde is an abusing flatterer whose pleasure is a secret baite conteining vnder it nothing but gall and bitternesse and finallie whose sequell is nothing but sorow and repentance hauing nothing in it that is true but deceipt onely so that it becommeth not a man of honor beeing once receyued into my acqueintance to applie himself to any such follies of which he cannot expect any other fruict then griefe of time misspent burden of conscience vaine expence and derision of the worlde besides a thousande other inconueniences Besides there is a vallie called Mariage which take heede by any meanes you enter not into for there are perilles and troubles without number with which I woulde not haue him whom I haue taken in protection not so much as in thought incumbred I woulde haue you also leaue on the left hand seeing they are thinges to vs impertinent and yll beseeming al wanton conuersations dauncings singings and such like other amorous disportes as the schoole of idlenesse bringeth foorth But aboue all I admonish you that you keepe your selfe sequestred and free from the courtes of great Princes where the vncertaine good and honor ambitiously pursued though obteined which vnlesse you haue a better spokesman then Vertue seldome happeneth yet neuer lightly counteruaileth the certaine losses and assured dangers that folowe the ficklenesse of that subiected life Thither repaire many gallant floorishing youths pursuing Loue and Honor with sumptuous attire high lookes proude wordes and disdainefull thoughts but in the ende foyled and ouerthrowen with Ouer-riotous expence reape nothing in their fall and pouertie but laughter mockerie and contempt vnlesse it be that perchaunce against their will they learne to be humble But many there are of my acquaintance who hauing ouergon and spent the poasting yeeres of vnmistrustfull youth either in the vniuersities at home or in trauayles or the warres abrode and by long and paynefull diligence obteined such vertues and qualities as to the seruice of their Prince Countrey are fitting do come at length to make shew of themselues in this most fayre and magnificent market of the worlde the Court flattering themselues with great hope of rewarde honor and aduancement and

consisteth in fruitfully reading the sacred volume of the holy Scriptures the precious workes of those godly Doctors Fathers whose blessed pennes haue diuinely prescribed vnto vs the way of perfect repentance and vertuous perfection teaching vs nothing but that which still we ought to contemplate with the eyes of our mynde that is to lyue and die well For there is not any thing vnder heauen so happelesse heauie and miserable as for a soule sleeping carelesly in sinne to approch the dolorous passage of Death Of this desirable place I speake off the walles were all round about trimmed with Delight The Portal at which you entred figured foorth nothing but Pleasure The Dytches were secure deepe and well trenched curiously wrought in great conformitie by Good exercise The Chappel was of Zeale the Windowes of Charitable Loue the Gate wherein was the entrance and going foorth of Heedefulnesse and the Bridge of Industrious Trauaile The Vanes and Streamers of the house were of Pleasure which glystering aloft shewed all the passers by that there was the schoole and practise of Vertue and Learning No Idlenesse dared to approch this blessed Mansion for Diligence was the Porter Onely Emulation is suffered to enter who there serueth as a spurre to Vertuous operation In fine the time there bestowed is in the onely learning and exercise of that heauenly philosophie whereto whosoeuer arriueth may well be accounted happie and blessed That I was desirous to enter into this blisfull place no man needeth to doubt but in the end seeing the gates did not of themselues open vnto me I was bould to goe vnto the porter with earnest entreatie that I might by his fauour meanes be suffered to enter To which he answered this house said he which is the very Perfection of studie and enemy of ignorance is not to be dallied withall or to be entred with sportfulnesse and scorne For within it is enclosed the Treasure of life and the Riches of the Worldes wisedome it is kept and gouerned by a beautifull Princesse whom it hath pleased the highest to blesse with a Happy euer-during youth shee neuer changeth estate liuing free from deaths subiection her proper name is Memorie of all the worlde highly honored and esteemed From her are deriued all the chiefe pleasures wherewith Olde age is honored whom through wisedome and experience shee ennobleth with regard and worship Where shee is enterteined shee neuer breedeth weerinesse making him blessed with whom shee pleaseth to harbour Some there are whom shee flieth though they labour neuer so earnestly to be acquainted with her for in her operations is so great strange a secret of nature that neither Socrates nor Plato noral the deepe pearcing wits of the passed Philosophers haue bin able to define whence or how this corruptible body of ours is beautified with so pure and excellent an ornament as this of Memorie But for my part I do verily beleeue without any doubt or question that this being so singular a good procedeth onely from the miraculous working of God and not from any setled habite or ingrafted guift of nature for as the soule hath by God her habitation domicile appointed her in the body so hath Memorie hers in the soule it selfe whence she springeth vsing her qualities and operations And seeing the soule is an inuisible peculiar frame and workmanship of God as a sparke of his diuinitie It foloweth then also that my Ladie and Mistresse must needes be a seuered work of God alone without hauing any relation to Nature 〈…〉 Her excellence nobilitie and byrth considered and withall the notable comforts and sweete sauouring vertues that she in her selfe conteyneth she hath euer bin of all wise men honored in high degree as one of the chiefest beauties and ornaments of lyfe Since I first came acquainted with her seruice I haue bin in stead of her seruant as it were her gardian My name is Diligence and I continually accompanie her in respect of the vehement loue I beare vnto vertuous studie whose true perfection without her helpe is not to be obteyned The onely way to see her perfectly is through Vertuous industrie first by exercising our mindes to learne and know and then fastly to reteine that which we haue once learned and knowen But because I see you are arriued to this vncomfortable soyle of Olde Age taking compassion of your weakened forces I will accomplish your desire hoping somewhat therewith to refresh and comfort the languishing of your spirites Whereupon being by this industrious Porter brought to the presence of Memorie I was of her saluted with a most pleasing and gentle behauiour Her attire was sumptuous and rich embrodered in meruailous art by Cogitation rounde about strangely presenting vnto my view a large course and historie of Time both past and present And withall the more to subtilize my remembrance she made me smell to a Garlande of Knowledge which she ware whose excellent and delicious odour did so refresh the vigour of my senses that me thought I was not halfe so earthly as before After some few conferences I requested her to fauour me with the sight of her librarie which I imagined could not be but rare magnificent But she briefly answered me that whosoeuer determined to studie there may not vse any other bookes or lessons then such as Remembrance yeeldeth him for it were labour lost and meere vanitie for old men to begin first then to studie Their exercise ought rather to be in well keeping and reteyning that which before time they had seene and learned and therewith in shewing the fruites of their wysedome to recreate them selues and to counsell others But now tell me sayd she what is the thing that you do demaunde of me you shall finde me redy to yeelde you satisfaction Being comforted with her courteous and gentle language I did without delay acquaint her with the circumstances of my aduenturous enquest telling her how that my thought-fulnesse had instantly mooued me to visite the forest of Atropos which voyage I had now resolued and withall to enter in single combat with eyther of the two famous Champions Debilitie or Accident to whose garde the place is committed beseeching her earnestly to tell me if she had heard read or founde in any ancient bookes writinges or recordes hidden figures or long remembrance of times that any of these Champions had bin put to the foyle by any of those worthy men that at sundry ages haue liued so puissant and conquering in their times For yf any one had at any time or in any age vanquished them I woulde not doubt but by Gods assistance to goe as farre as he that had gon farthest But in fine howsoeuer the matter shoulde goe I tolde her that I was resolued to winne eyther glorie with my sworde or with my body death Memorie hauing with attention heard my speaches I will not sayd she smilingly enterteine you with long discourses but geuing