Selected quad for the lemma: water_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
water_n	air_n	element_n	fire_n	13,062	5	7.1789	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07610	A mirrour for Christian states: or, A table of politick vertues considerable amongst Christians Divided, into three bookes. Reviewed, and augmented, by E. Molinier, of Tolose priest, and Doctor of Divinitie. And by him dedicated, ro [sic] the most illustrious lord, the Lord Cardinall of Valette, Archbishop of Tolose. Translated into English, by VVilliam Tyrvvhit, Sen. Esquire.; Politiques chrestiennes. English	Molinier, Étienne, d. 1650.; Tyrwhit, William.	1635 (1635)	STC 18003; ESTC S112798	133,530	388

as if the Pylote did not as well arme himselfe with courage as with the Helme at the Sterne and the Magistrate as well with Fortitude and courage as with Prudence The former with his Helme would yeild to the first Storme the latter with his Prudence to the first opposition The wicked never fayle to countercheck the just who seeke the common good and because they want reason audaciousnesse seconds them If courage surmount not impudence in vaine doth Iustice resist iniquitie If impudence encounter pusillanimity iniquitie will tryumph over Iustice All men yeild not to right and reason wherefore authority and fortitude is given to Magistrates but what would their authority serve them if courage did not strengthen it The hand makes the sword terrible and courage causeth authority to be respectable What use hath a cowardly slave of a sword having no valour It is sayd the Tortois hath no heart and that is the cause she marcheth so slowly seeming to have no vigor Those who are so slow and cold in execution as though they durst not touch vpon it make men suspect them to be hart lesse and therby afford subiect for the basest persons to crosse their designes CHAP. 11. That the effeminate and timorous are not proper for any matter of a high nature Noli quarere fieri Index nifi virtute vale as or rum pere iniquitates populi THe Holy Ghost in Scripture advertiseth the effeminate and timerous not to undertake publick Magistracies Seeke not saith hee by the mouth of the Wise to be made Iudge if by thy vertue thou beest notable to breake the iniquities of the people Soft Natures are not fit for any great imployments being therefore unable eyther to bring profit or to gaine glory in a State by the ranke of Authoritie they ought to content themselves with the honor proceeding from obedience But ambitious persons follow vanitie without regarding fortitude and as the swallowes the Windes carry them whither their wings could not convey them they resemble the Ivie which being of a clyming Nature yet creeping on earth seekes for Walles and Trees to rayse it selfe by these supports whither the strength of the roote could not cause it to mount and being crept up whither it aspireth it only produceth leaves and little Berries to perpetrate its sterilitie Such are the fruites of the Ambitious which not their proper merits but the prop of favour rayseth to dignities Being once mounted to the top of their pretensions supported by favour friends and money they tollerate all they connive with disorders they nourish abuses they let loose the raines to licentiousnesse favours tye them promises overcome them threats astonish them they onely seeke to maintaine their credits at the peoples cost and all the profit they yeeld to the Common-wealth is onely the leaves of pompe and pride and the seed of a like Ambition shooting forward and increasing with their honors even to posterity Olivier Chancellor of France spake properly to this purpose when hee compared the French who in their owne Natures are ambitious to Apes and Monkies who lighting on a Tree mount and climbe from branch to branch to the very top and when they can get no higher they sit downe and shew their tayles So sayth hee those of our Nation without staying till they be called to dignities and without endeavouring to make themselves capable or examining their owne sufficiencies aspire to the highest pitch whither favor can preferre them they climbe from branch to branch from honour to honour and at length being at the heighth and in the worlds eye they discover their weaknesse and want of abilities to all men Salust in conjur Catil Qui demissi in obscuro vitam agunt corum fama fortuna pares sunt Si quid deliquere panci sciunt Qui vero in excelso atatem agunt corum facta cunctimortales novere and the seate of honour is often no other then a Stage in this worlds Theater exposing them to laughter For as Iulius Caesar in Salust sayth those who live obscurely rest unknown and their renowne walkes even with their fortunes if they faile in any thing few take notice of their faults But those who live in great eminencie are exposed both they and their actions to the to the sight of all men CHAP. 12. What things are necessary to acquire and conserve the greatnesse of courage 1 A stoue and generous nature BVt divers things are to concurre toward the forming of this Fortitude and this greatnesse of courage a quality requisite for affording to the publike the fruits it expecteth from great Offices to cause their authority to be regarded and to support and maintaine honour in a stout and generous nature For neither doth nature imploy all materials for the forming of gold nor Phidias to make his Jupiter nor Apelles for the painting his Alexander And Plato said how the Gods have composed ordinary men of earth and mudde but those they have appointed for the government and administration of Kingdomes and Empires of Silver and Gold and other pretious mettals See wee not whatsoever holdeth the first ranke in all things is composed of the purest materials the Carbuncle among pretious stones Gold among mettals Fire among the elements the Empyreall heaven among celestiall bodies the Sunne among the Plants Man among living creatures Ayre and fire are predominant in the composition of mans body being the most perfect creature on earth water and mudde in the composition of wormes and other more imperfect creatures The naturall constitution is a great disposition toward morall vertues being of the order of naturall things and namely toward the height of courage fitting for those who hold the principall rankes among men Whereupon the Philosopher saith that other Sciences are taught Asta artes discuntur politica sorte contingit but the art Politicke happeneth by lot As though he would say that the naturall disposition a thing independent on our wil or industrie but proceeding from above doth greatly contribute thereto For nature is a great foundation for Politicke vertues and chiefly for magnanimity a vertue proper for high enterprises After the ground worke of a naturall disposition 2. Good education good education is of extraordinary efficacie and the Poets report Achilles to have beene so generous and couragious because he was bred up with the marrow of Lyons Plut. in Lycur Lycurgus his dog which so generously seazed upon his prey whilest the other of the same litter minded nothing but the Kitchen and scraps sufficiently shew the different effects of good and bad education either for the raysing or repressing of courage Good discipline made the Spartans magnanimous and evill education the Cretensians idle the Sybarites effeminate and the Ionians faint-hearted Semiramis educated in generositie knew how to lead armies Sardanapalus bred up in delights knew nothing but how to spin So as by good instructions women become men and by base education men turne

whether Politicke Oeconomicall or particular to be both honest and profitable to all men who have the faculty eyther to argue or discourse though the practicall part of the Politicke appertayneth onely to those who besides knowledge have authority practice and experience Policy affordeth not offices nor offices practice not practice experience but to a few onely But God hath bestowed reason upon all and study acquireth knowledge to divers and what the former put in execution upon casuall occurrents of particular affaires the latter contemplate in immutable principles in primitive causes and universall verities If therefore it be lawfull not onely for Pylots who have stood at the Helme amidst the Winds and tempests to treat of Navigation but for Geographers likewise who never saw Sea but shadowed in Mappes nor Tempests but painted If it be allowed those to speake of Musicke who never have eyther governed nor so much as sung in Quire or Consort And if divers dispute with much approbation both of Phisicke Geometrie Limming and Architecture who never toucht rule to square a stone pensil to suce a colour compasse to trace a line or sicke person to dyer why should any finde it strange for those who live remote from publike affaires in rest and peace to employ their spare time in considering the qualities requisite for the right ordering these severall vocations since of all arts and disciplines liberall and mechanicall though the Action belong but to a few yet may the Contemplation appertaine to all But to enter upon the matter and to use the grave saying of the Angelicall Doctor St. Thomas As man never performed any thing of greater consequence than the erecting of Communal●ies Republiques and Empires so could they not execute any thing of more eminency than rightly to governe the same Now if the establishment of Graces be the Master-peece of humane industry doubtlesse the right and just government thereof may well be accounted the most exact proofe of humane wisdome As Gods providence appearing in the perticular conduct even of least matters shineth yet most gloriously in the universall administration of the Vniverse so humane wisdome shewing it selfe in the right ordering of our private actions is yet more perspicuous in the government of a Family but of greatest luster in the exact direction of the generall body of Civill societie For good is alwayes by so much the more eminent by how much it is more capable to extend and diffuse it selfe Corporall things do sufficiently shew us this ground that the sight ablest to extend it selfe to most objects is the sharpest That hand to be the strongest which throweth the farthest That taste to be the best tempered which can distinctly discover the difference of most relishes That fire to be most active that is able not onely to consume wood and stone but water also though its contrary as it is sayd of the fire of Thunder And that light to be most lively and cleare which doth most communicate it selfe Briefly all corporeall things of greatest extent in their action are likewise of most vigour in their nature The like may be observed in spirituall matters since that Vnderstanding which pierceth the pith of most truthes is most solid That Memory strongest which conserveth most species That Iudgement of most capacity which is most universall That Wisedome greatest which apprehendeth most reasons And that Prudence most divine which can dexteriously manage greatest affaires The vertue therefore which employeth it selfe in the conduct of a private life onely is inferiour to that which reflects upon the Government of many but that which undertaketh publique rule ought to exceed all the rest and to have so much the more abilities as it ought the farther to extend it's actions But to handle this subject with more order and perspicuity before I proceed I intend to frame and lay for a Basis and foundation of all this discourse a generall division of Politicall vertue divided into three members or parts which as with three severall stages shall perfect this little fabrick Those three members are three rankes or orders of qualities requisite to perfectionate Politicall vertue The first affordeth sufficiency and capacity the second a good disposition and honesty the third vigour and gracefulnesse Those of the first ranke instruct the Vnderstanding to know what is convenient for the publike good Those of the second dispose the will to desire love and search the knowne good Those of the last adde force and efficacy to be able to execute and produce to the Worlds eye the good we know will and love To know to will and to effect good are the three perfections of God the worlds moover and governour so as among men who so hath the greatest share in these three perfections commeth nearest God and is most worthy as most capable to afford by his counsels motion to the authority which swayeth Empires Wisedome Prudence and the vertues thereon depending making a man sufficient and capable thereby acquireth to him the first of these three perfections Iustice and her assistant vertues making him good and upright affordeth him the second Authoritie successe fortitude courage and eloquence arming and adorning him both for perswading and executing good addeth the last These three sorts of qualities shall make up the three bookes of this Treatise Let us begin with those of the first ranke and first with Wisedome CHAP. 2. Of Politick Wisedome THe Antients have long disputed whether or no a wise man ought to intermeddle in publique affaires But I see not the ground of their doubt for necessarily either wise men must manage the same or fooles must misgovern all either must the eye conduct the body or the feet misguide it The Sunne must lighten the earth or darkenesse over cloud it What the Sunne is to the world and the eye to the body the like is the wise man in Civill Societies having received from God both more wisdome to govern Wisdome and Reason move govern all in this world in man the works of men in assistance and in art It is therefore a great confusion and against nature when ignorance rashnesse rule in Policies and more dexterity to conduct than other men since it appertayneth to knowledge to direct and to ignorance to follow prescripts See we not in Nature how God being the primary reason is likewise the principall Rule Law and Resort of the motions in all things which being in their order so well disposed in their course so regulated in their tranquillity so constant in their relation and connexion so admirable cause even the blindest to see and the most insensible to perceive that a soveraign wisdome guideth them See we not how under this primary increated Vnderstanding namely the First Mover the created Intelligencies move the Heavens and are as Soules not united but assisting directing giving as it were life to these great bodyes who regulate their revolutions who circle their courses and cause the braull of their

glory whereto all should have relation a zeale I say derived from his love and feare The meer Philosopher hath acknowledged this veritie by naturall illumination Arist lib 2. Rhet cap 5. Intrepids confidentes sunt qui pii in D●um sunt Arist codor● loco Qui bene so habent erga diuna audaciores sunt when hee uttered this approoved sentence Those who are pious and Religious towards God are generous and unremoveab●● And this other to the same effect Those who are best disposed towards divine things are the most magnanimous A word pronounced by Nature convincing those Libertines both of vanity and impiety who by over-farre searching into Nature and shutting their eyes against the light of Heaven choake in them elves by the just judgement of God not faith onely which they despise but Naturall reason also which they so much Idolatrize for they fall into so great an excesse both of impietie and stupiditie as to say that Pietie towards God causeth the courage of men to become base and pusillanimous in that they see it make men humble and modest As though one should say that Physicketakes away the seeming good estate of a Dropsie man because it bereaves him of the tumour But to make these wretches blush wee shall onely need this voyce of Nature pronounced by the Philosopher without alleadging that of the Holy Ghost speaking in Scripture Our Lord is the protectour of my life before whom shall I tremble Sayth the Prophet David If Armies rise up against me my heart shall be without feare And to terrifie these upstart Giants who strive to finde this heigth of of Courage not in God but themselves there needs no Army but a word only A promise a threat a favour a worldly interest presently casts all their goodly magnanimitie to ground shewing to their confusion that to be puffed up and yet truly magnanimous to be arrogant and withall generous are two things like in apparance but opposite in effect The one proceeds from men and the other is derived from God from whom all good floweth to us The Magistrate who hath the feare of God Piety and zeale engraven in his heart who considers how among men he represents Gods person holds his place and administreth Iustice in his Name will upon this reflection be enflamed with a sanctified generositie to conquer injustice Exciting and awaking himselfe by this spur as the Lyon preparing himselfe for the Combate Hee crusheth as Iob sayd the chaps of the wicked and snatcheth the prey they would not leave from between their Teeth he opposeth himselfe as a strong Banke against the Inundation of iniquity he respecteth neyther power greatnesse credit nor riches but only right and reason he resembles the River Euphrates which stops not its course in the encounter of never so high Mountaines He preferreth his duty before his honours his estate and his life and if therefore he endure Persecution from men hee expects the crowne of his constancy at Gods hands This it is which cherisheth true magnanimitie Nor is there any thing as Saint Basile right divinely sayth can cause the Soule to become more stout and generous Bas hom de Invidia than an affection unbound from the world and fastened to God The fleighting of perishable goods and honours and the object of eternall Treasures Sen Ep 68. Sapientis animus coelo impositus cum sollam aut tribunal ascenderit intelligit quam humili loco sederi● The spirit of a Wise man saith Seneca elevated towards Heaven by Contemplation when hee shall after bee seated upon the Tribunal or upon the Curiall Chayre acknowledgeth how low and despicable that seat is This knowledge causeth him to sleight it and this sleighting gives him greatnesse of courage and as he is not ascended thither but in performance of his dutie so is hee at all times ready to come downe for justice sake It is the true ascending to come down in this kinde But it is reported that the Gallican Hercules did not so much captivate people by the force of his armes as by the golden chayne of his tongue And Homer continually ranks the valorous Achilles with the eloquent Vlisses to shew that courage and eloquence a generous soule and a gracefull speech make an happy conjunction causing that politician of whom we speake to be like to Pericles couragious and copious generous and eloquent a man on whom Minerva on the one side had bestowed her wisdome and Fortitude and on the other side Pytho the Goddesse of perswasion had upon his lips builded her Temple to enable his Prudence his Iustice and his magnanimous courage by the forces of cloquence Eloquence therefore as the ornament and embellishment of Politick vertues ought to be the last touch in this Table CHAP. 14. Of Eloquence being as the Ornament of Politicke vertues giving vigor and gracefulnesse to make them estimable GOD was not only pleased to have so richly built and so elegantly designed the parts of this great Vniverse but would further to this structure and distinction adde an admirable ornament beautifying the Heavens with so many stars embellishing the ayre with such a variety of Birds adorning the Ocean and other waters with so excellent a variety of Fishes the Earth with so agreeable a diversity of Animals Trees Fruits and Flowers and the very Earthes entrayles with so many rich Minerals to the end that this Beauty shining and sparkling out of all this ornament might adde both perfection and fame to this great Fabrick Nor hath hee adorned and beautified the world in grosse but each particular member thereof likewise affording to the Starres light to flowers their tinctures to trees their verdure to mettals their glosse to pretious stones their lustre to living Creatures eyther Feathers haires or scales serving them not onely for defence but comelinesse to man the beauty of visage the ornament of hayre the gracefulnesse arising out of the uprightnesse of his body and out of the harmonious proportion of all the parts whereof he is composed Art Natures Ape strives likewise to rayse all she produceth by some kinde of embellishment The Art of painting by shadowes and lively colours The Architect his Pillars by Freeses and Artificiall Formes The Goldsmith his Iewels by enamell Briefly all Arts adde Ornament to their Actions to make them appeare perfect The same which Ornament is in all the works of Nature and Art it seemes to me that Eloquence is in a man of excellent parts adding to his vertues as lustre doth to a Diamond or lively colours to a picture both state grace and light And truely if reason be the Ornament of man speech the Interpreter of reason and Eloquence the Grace of discourse who seeth not that Eloquence is mansornament and if speech raise man above all other Creatures what richer ornament can a man desire sayd the Roman Orator Cic. l. 1. de Invēt Praecla rum quiddā videtu● adeptus is qui qua re homines best●is