Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	body_n	good_a	virtue_n	3,593	5	6.2058	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51894	The fourth volume of letters writ by a Turkish spy who lived five and forty years undiscover'd at Paris : giving an impartial account to the Divan at Constantinople of the most remarkable transactions of Europe, and discovering several intrigues and secrets of the Christian courts (especially of that of France) continued from the year 1642 to the year 1682 / written originally in Arabick, translated into Italian, and from thence into English, by the translator of the first volume.	Marana, Giovanni Paolo, 1642-1693.; Bradshaw, William, fl. 1700.; Midgley, Robert, 1655?-1723.	1692 (1692)	Wing M565CH; ESTC R35021	169,206	386

from the Herd which was grazing hard by and eat of the Consecrated Herbage Upon which Diomus the Priest mov'd with Zeal at the Reputed Sacrilege and snatching a Sword from one of those that were present kill'd the Bull. But when his Passion was over and he consider'd what a heinous Crime he had committed fearing also the Rage of the People he persuaded them That a God had appear'd to him and commanded him to Offer that Bull in Sacrifice by Burning his Flesh with Fire on the Altar as an Atonement for his devouring the Consecrated Fruits The Devout Multitude acquiesc'd to the Words of their Priest as to an Oracle And the Bull being flea'd and Fire laid on the Altar they all assisted at the New Sacrifice From which Time the Custom was Yearly observ'd among the Athenians to Sacrifice a Bull. And by them this Method of Religious Cruelty was taught not only to all Greece but to the Rest of the World In Process of Time a certain Priest in the Midst of his Bloody Sacrifice taking up a Piece of the Broiled Flesh which had fall'n from the Altar on the Ground and burning his Fingers therewith suddainly clapt them to his Mouth to mitigate the Pain But when he had once tasted the Sweetness of the Fat not only long'd for more of it but gave a Piece to his Assistant and he to others Who all pleased with the new-found Dainties fell to Eating of Flesh greedily And hence this Species of Gluttony was taught to other Mortals Neither is it Material what the Hebrew Doctors object against these Testimonies when they introduce the Son of Adam Sacrificing Living Creatures in the Infancy of the World since thou knowest many Errors are Inserted in the Written Law from whence they take this Story They say also That the First Goat that fell by the Hands of Men was kill'd in Revenge for the Injuries it had done the Owner of a Vineyard in browsing on his Vines such an Impious Deed having never been heard of before This is certain That the Egyptians the Wisest and most Ancient People in the World having receiv'd from the First Inhabitants of the Earth a Tradition forbidding Men To Kill any Living Creature to give the greater Force to this Primitive Law of Nature they Form'd the Images of their Gods in the Similitude of Beasts That so the Vulgar struck with Reverence at the Sacred Symbols might learn to abstain from Killing or so much as Hurting the Dumb Animals under whose Forms they Represented whatsoever among them was esteem'd Adorable Yet lest any in his Life-Time should by Accident or otherwise have transgress'd the Law of Abstinence they used a kind of Expiation for the Dead after this Manner The Priests took the Bowels out of the Belly of the Deceased and putting them in an Earthen Vessel they held it toward the Sun and calling Witnesses they made the following Speech in Behalf of the Dead O thou Sun whose Empire is Vniversal and all ye Other Powers who give Life to Men receive me into the Society of the Immortal Gods For so long as I lived in this World I Religiously persevered in the Worship of those Deities which were made known to me by my Ancestors I always Honour'd my Parents who begat my Body I never Kill'd any Man or Beast nor have been Guilty of any Black Crime But if whilst I liv'd I have trespass'd in Tasting any of those Things which are Forbidden it was not my Sin but the Fault of these Entrails which are here separated from the rest of my Body And having said this they cast the Vessel into the River on the Banks of which the Ceremony was perform'd Embalming the Rest of the Body as Pure and free from Sin After the same Manner the Persian Magi or Wise Men practised Abstinence And to imprint in their Disciples a Tenderness and Friendship toward the Beasts they called them according to their different Stations either Lyons Hyaena's Crows Eagles Hawks c. And their Garments were Painted all over with the Various Figures of Animals thereby insinuating the Doctrine of the Soul's Transmigration and inculcating this Mystery That the Spirit of Man enters successively into all Sorts of Bodies Which thou knowest is not remote from the Faith of True Believers It would not be amiss as a Testimony of the Practice of the Ancients to insert a Memorable Address which the Reformed Priests of Crete were wont to make before the Altar of Jupiter O Divine Governor of the Hundred Cities we have led a Holy Life from the Time that we were Initiated in thy Mysteries and forsook the Nocturnal Rites and Bloody Feasts of Bacchus We are now Purified and Clothe our selves in White Vestments the Emblems of our Innocence We shun the Society of polluted Mortals neither approach we to the Sepulchres of the Dead nor Taste of the Flesh of any Thing which has been endued with Life Such also was of Old and to this Day is the Abstinence of the Indians among whom the Brachmans perform the Office of Priesthood These the Ancient Grecians called Gymnosophists They are all of one Race neither will they admit a Stranger into their Order They live for the most Part near to Ganges or some other River for the Sake of their frequent Purifications Their Diet consists of Milk Curdl'd with sowre Herbs They feed also on Apples Rice and other Fruits of the Earth esteeming it the Height of Impiety to taste of any Thing that has Life They live in little Hutts or Cottages every one by himself avoiding Company and Discourse employing all their Time in Contemplation and the Service of the Temple They esteem this Life but a Necessary Dispensation of Nature which they Voluntarily undergo as a Penance ardently thirsting after the Dissolution of their Bodies and firmly believing That the Soul by Death is released from its Prison and launches forth into Immense Liberty and Happiness Therefore they are always chearfully disposed to Die bewailing those that are Alive and Celebrating the Funerals of the Dead with joyful Solemnities and Triumphs Among their Good Works it is accounted an Act of great Reputation and Virtue to build Hospitals for Beasts as well as Men And in every City there are great Numbers of such as spend all their Life in tending on Sick and Wounded Animals or such as have no Sustenance elsewhere And this is no Novel Institution but deliver'd down to them by Tradition from Immemorable Ages The Precepts also of Triptolemus and Draco the most Ancient Lawgivers of the Athenians are a Testimony of the Innocence and Sincerity of the First Ages For they comprehended all the whole System of Piety and Virtue in Practising these few Rules Let it be an Eternal Sanction to the Athenians To Adore the Immortal Gods To Reverence the Departed Hero's to Celebrate their Praises with Songs and the First Fruits of the Earth To Honour their Parents And neither to Kill Man or Beast I could relate to

and to Nathan Ben Saddi to give them an Account of this Accident This goes along with the same Messenger for I durst not confide in the Posts during the Present Disorders of this Kingdom I receiv'd a Letter from thee wherein thou informest me of an Attempt that has been lately made to rob the Treasury of Venice Which according to thy Description is very Rich and Magnificent not to be match'd in Europe Perhaps if thou hadst seen the Wealth that is preserv'd in the Church of St. Denis a City not far from Paris thou wouldst be of another Mind But neither of us can make proper Comparisons having not seen both Places The French extol the Latter and say it far exceeds that of Venice But they may speak Partially it being the Humour of all People to magnify the Grandeur of their own Nation And the French come not short of the Rest of the World in Vain-Glory However it be it was a vast Attempt and full of Infinite Difficulties and Perils to Rob the Vaults of a Church in the Heart of that Great and Populous City where all the Riches of the Seigniory were Reposited It is an Argument of the Greatness of their Souls who durst undertake so hazardous an Enterprize But this is not the First Time the Venetians have been in Danger to lose that Prodigious Mass of Wealth A Poor Grecian once found a Way through Marble Barricado's under-Ground to enter those Golden Cells from whence he carried away to the Value of Twenty Hundred Thousand Zechins in Jewels But making one of his Countrymen acquainted with it the Villain betray'd him to the Doge who caused him to be Hang'd That Commonwealth has been all along very Happy in Discovery of Plots and other Mischiefs intended against Her I know not whether thou hast heard of the Famous Conspiracy of Tiepoli who not content with the Life and Estate of a Private Gentleman sought to render himself Sovereign of Venice And to this End insinuated into the Affections of many Thousands of the Citizens whom he kept in constant Pension for above Nine Years together under the Notion of assisting him to revenge certain Injuries he had receiv'd from a Roman Gentleman They were all to run with their Arms into the Streets when they should hear the Name Tiepoli utter'd aloud and often repeated But when the Day was come whereon he was to put his Designs in Execution and the Alarm was given in the Streets and Old Woman made such Haste to look out at her Chamber-Window to see what was the Occasion of the Tumult that she threw down an Earthen Vessel which falling directly on the Head of Tiepoli Kill'd him and so put an End to the Rebellion For which happy Accident the Senate setled a Yearly Pension of a Thousand Zechins on the Old Woman during her Life and the same to be paid to her Heirs and Posterity for ever Send me no Dispatches till thou hast receiv'd another Letter from me which will direct thee what to do Paris 27th of the 2d Moon of the Year 1649. LETTER V. To Mahummed Hadgia Dervise Eremit Inhabitant of the Prophetick Cave in Arabia the Happy THE Franks who are more ready to find Faults in others than to amend their own censure the Mussulmans for extending their Charity to Beasts Birds and Fishes They laugh at the Alms we bestow to feed Dogs Cats and other Living Creatures and ridicule the Tenderness of such as go into the Markets and buy the Birds that are there sold on Purpose to restore them to their Native Liberty They say 't is a sufficient Demonstration of Piety to relieve the Necessities of Men and that it is but a Fruitless Hypocrisy to shew Kindness to the Brutes who in their Opinion have neither Souls nor Reason and consequently are Insensible of our Good Offices toward them These are the Charges of Western Raillery the Scoffs of the Obdurate with which they load the Generous Orientals the Hearts transfix'd with Universal Love What would they say if they had heard of thy Heroick Piety who not only affordest Protection and Relief to those Creatures whereof we have no Need but even abstainest from the Flesh of all Animals though the Prophet himself has indulg'd us the Use of some for our Necessary Food and without which many plead that we cannot sustain Life Oh! excellent man born for the Reproof and Light of the Age how is the Soul of our Great Law-giver exhilarated when he beholds thy Innocent and Unblemish'd Life The Treasury of Heaven is enrich'd with thy Good Works the Fertile Harvest of Vertues the First-Fruits of the Purity of thy Nature From thy first Descent into that Holy Cave the Angels who Register the Words of Men Never heard thee utter a Syllable that could be reprehended Thy Thoughts ravish the Heart of God himself with Joy The Vniversal Spirit full of Eyes Watcher of the Vniverse would fall Asleep were it not Rowz'd by the strong Vibrations of thy sublime Soul Thy Contemplations are Themes for the College of Those who were Assistant in Forming of All Things Were it not for such as thee the Angel of the First Motion would cease to Whirl the Globes of Light through the Heavens The Orbs Above would grow Rusty and all the Wheels and Springs of Nature would stand still Oh Elect Idea before whose Purify'd Essence the Sun himself appears full of Blemishes Humane Wit cannot find thy Equal on Earth Thou art the Impress on the SEAL OF THE PROPHETS the Soul of the Soul of Mahomet In thus celebrating thy High Perfections if I have offended thy Modesty thou hast the Goodness to ascribe it to the Excess of my Affection which carries me beyond Human Regards I would fain be an Imitator of thy Incorrupt Life For let the Christians say what they please I will ever esteem Abstinence a Divine Vertue I have consulted the Sages of Old that I might learn what was the Practice of Former Times whilst Human Nature was yet in its Infancy before the Manners of Men were Debauch'd I have perused the Select Writings of the Ancients the Records of Truth and void of Fables And believing that such Memoirs will not be unwelcome to thee I presume to lay them at thy Feet as a Mark of that Profound Veneration I owe to the Tenant of the Darling of God These Historians say That the First Inhabitants of the Earth for above Two Thousand Years liv'd altogether on the Vegetable Products of which they Offer'd the First-Fruits to God It being esteem'd an Inexpiable Wickedness to shed the Blood of any Animal though it were in Sacrifice much more to Eat of their Flesh To this End they relate the First Slaughter of a Bull to have been made at Athens on this Occasion The Priest of the Town whose Name was Diomus as he was making the Accustomed Oblation of Fruits on an Altar in the Open Field for as yet they had no Temples a Bull came running

Malice against me At length he found it to be only the Practices of Ikingi who took Advantage of Solyman's Temper equally Loyal and Flexible insinuated into his Youthful Mind Monstrous Idea's of me and in fine set him a railing at me with a fierce kind of Liberty wherever he came The wise Bassa soon open'd my Kinsman's Eyes brought him to his Sense and the Issue of all was that Solyman writ me a Letter of Apology But since this the Master of the Pages has laid new Trains for me and drawn a great many more to his Party He has corrupted Mustapha Guir an Eunuch and Page to the Old Queen with whom I once held a Correspondence and as I thought had contracted a Familiarity and Friendship But it seems it was only an Appearance without Reality I could give thee a long List of those whom this Academick has taught to slander Mahmut But I will not appear so Revengeful Besides this is not the only Grievance of which I complain Shall I remonstrate to thee most Excellent and Serene Bassa the true Cause of my Uneasiness I am weary of living among Infidels Favour me with thy Assistance and Intercession that I may have leave to retire from this Place and vindicate my self before the Faces of my Enemies And having had that Honour rend'ring also a just Account of the Affairs wherewith I am entrusted I may visit my Native Country and spend the Residue of my Days in Arabia the Scene of all our Prophet's Great Actions the Place where I first drew my Breath I languish for the Aromatick Air of Admoim the Crystal Fountains and Cooler Shades of that Happy Province I long to see the Groves which encompass the Village of my Nativity the Turrets of thy Father's House and the Mosque of Hasen the Prophet For tho' I took no Notice of these Things in my Infancy yet having once seen 'em in my Riper Years when I were able to make more lasting Reflections I shall never forget these delightful Objects so long as I live If this be an Infirmity pardon it Illustrious Arab since it is Natural to all Men. Thou thy self hast enjoy'd the Pleasure of revisiting that sweet Region Pity Mahmut who burns with Desire to taste the same Or if this shall be thought too great an Indulgence to the poor Exil'd Mahmut yet it will be easy for thee who art a Favourite to obtain of the Grand Signior that I may at least be recall'd from this Employment and some body else substituted in my Place There are those among my Enemies who are Ambitious of the Fatigue and Ikingi my Old Friend would exchange all the Honours he is possess'd of in the Seraglio for this Obscure yet Hazardous Post 'T is Pity but such a Man's Thirst of Perils should be gratify'd But if after all that I have said my Superiours shall think it expedient to continue me here I am resign'd Only desiring that from henceforth my Slanderers may be suspected as Men ill affected to the Sublime Port for traducing a Man that has waded through a Thousand Difficulties Temptations and Perils and serv'd the Ottoman Empire in this Station fourteen Years without making a false Step or Transgressing the least Point of his Instructions I hear that Chusaein Bassa is made Vizir Azem The French have a very great Opinion of his Valour They are generally Impartial Criticks in Martial Affairs scorning to deny a Brave Enemy his Due Character We are at present barren of other News save a New Arrest of Parliament against Cardinal Mazarini and all his Kindred and Creatures whereby they are declared Enemies to the State and charg'd with a long Catalogue of Crimes whereof perhaps they were never Guilty Here are also some flying Reports of the Cardinal's Death who they say has poyson'd himself for Grief of his ill Success in this Court But I esteem this only as the Froth of his Enemies Malice who really wish him Dead and to discourage his Friends give it out that he is so Serene Bassa I commit my Affairs to thy Protection beseeching thee to do the Office of a Countryman and a Friend to the betray'd for God Paris 26th of the 5th Moon of the Year 1651. LETTER XVI To Chusaein Bassa the Magnanimous Vizir Azem and Invincible General of the Ottoman Forces in Candia I Am not much above Forty Three Years Old yet have seen Great Changes in the World mighty Revolutions in Kingdoms and States and the Death of many Sovereign Monarchs Illustrious Generals and Wise Statesmen Doubtless all Sublunary Things are subject to Vicissitude There appears Nothing Constant and Settled but the Heavens and Stars They indeed persevere in their Immutable Courses never change their Orbs nor start from their Eternal Posts The Sun rises and sets at his accustom'd Hours and the Moon exactly observes the determin'd Periods of her Encrease and Wane These vary only as the Seasons of the Year with Exquisite Regularity and Constant Returns But here below there is an Universal Transmigration and Metempsychosis of States and Forms of Things A Perpetual Flux and Reflux of Human Events Men die hourly and others are hourly born to supply their Places One Age treads close upon the Heels of another And we who live at present as we walk in the Steps of our Fathers so shall we follow them down to the Grave where our Flesh by a new Metamorphosis shall be turn'd into the Bodies of Worms Insects and Serpents And what shall become of our Souls is Uncertain I was born in the Reign of Sultan Achmet from whom our present Sovereign is the Sixth Emperour that has ascended the Glorious Throne of the Ottomans May God grant him a Long Life and a Series of Years bless'd with Continual Health and Victory over his Enemies I pray Heaven also to perpetuate thy New Office to the last Period of the Sultan's Life and in wishing this I say all that can be expected But when I reflect on the frequent and bloody Tragedies that have been acted in the Seraglio since I can remember and the many Sacrifices that have been made of Sultan's Vizir's Bassa's and Principal Ministers of State besides the Massacres and Butcheries of Meaner Persons It makes me melancholy amidst the Joys I conceive for thy late Exaltation and fills me with Fears lest my good Wishes to the Grand Signior and Thee who art his Right Hand shou'd by some sinister Decree of Fate be almost as soon disannull'd as pronounc'd I pray Heaven avert my melancholy Presages The Death of the Old Queen the News of which is lately arriv'd at this Court does but revive and encrease my Apprehension of Greater Tragedies to come Because one Act of Cruelty still propagates another Revenge is Prolifick and Mischief is never at a Stand. 'T is true indeed as it is not decent to insult o'er the Ashes of Illustrious Persons so neither has a Loyal Mussulman any great Reason to mourn for the Fall of a Woman by whose