item: #1 of 11
          id: A07373
      author: Ford, John, 1586-ca. 1640, attributed author. aut
       title: The golden meane Lately written, as occasion serued, to a great lord. Discoursing the noblenesse of perfect virtue in extreames.
        date: 1613.0
       words: 12011
      flesch: 52
     summary: Such referre all accidents of infelicitie , to the incidence of their frailtie ; measuring that being Men , they are but the miseries of men that befall them . Of other miseries ( which are so reputed amongst men ) that may happen to 〈◊〉 Noble 〈◊〉 , Neglect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another , that 〈◊〉 , when his seruice for his 〈◊〉 , or aduise for the 〈◊〉 , or indeuours to 〈◊〉 his Soueraigne , are 〈◊〉 not commended , or 〈◊〉 least not rewarded ; here is required indeede much vertue to conquer that part of man vvhich is meerely man , and to stand resolute vpon the gard of his owne worthynesse .
    keywords: bee; death; doe; doth; euen; good; hath; haue; hee; life; man; men; minde; misery; owne; reason; resolution; selfe; time; vertue
       cache: A07373.xml
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        item: #2 of 11
          id: A28888
      author: Bourignon, Antoinette, 1616-1680.
       title: An admirable treatise of solid virtue ... by Antonia Bourignon ; written in 24 letters to a young man, who sought after the perfection of his soul ... ; translated from the original French.
        date: None
       words: 91791
      flesch: 61
     summary: When every one hath its particular ones , beside the disordered motions of th● passions ; as of Fear , Terror , Sadness , Melancholy , Anger , Jealousie , and such other sorts of evils , to which man is subject during this miserable life ! where he hath no subject of glorying and esteeming himself ; but great reason to abase himself in the view of so many miseries to which his sin hath reduced him : which gives him good cause of submission and humility before God and Men ; feeling himself miserable and infirm both in soul and body : for the Spirit hath its diseases as well as the body ; for do but take heed to yourself , and you shall find your spirit agitated by various superfluous desires , and useless thoughts which carry it away often against its intention , as the Apostle testifies , that it is not in the power of man to order his thoughts : which every one may feel . For when God created man , he was well ordered , temperate and regular in all his natural functions : and he might enjoy the pleasure of all his senses without doing evil ; because all that God made was good ; and he created beautiful things to please his sight , and all the melodies of Beasts , Men , and all melodious things to afford pleasure to the hearing ; and all Flowers and pleasant smells for his smelling ; and all smooth and agreeable things for his feeling ; and all good and savory things to afford pleasure to his Taste : so that he could allowably enjoy the Pleasures of all his five natural senses ; because all the other Creatures were created for the pleasure and recreation of Man ; who was so perfect , that he used all these things only for his recreation , with just order , weight and measure ; in praising his and their God : and in that state he could not be disagreeable to him .
    keywords: body; christ; corruption; desire; devil; diligence; follow; glory; god; good; hath; heart; holy; jesus; know; life; light; love; man; means; men; nature; persons; pleasure; power; salvation; seeing; self; selves; sin; sins; sorts; soul; speak; spirit; things; time; truth; virtue; works; world
       cache: A28888.xml
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        item: #3 of 11
          id: A37289
      author: Day, Robert.
       title: Free thoughts in defence of a future state, as discoverable by natural reason, and stript of all superstitious appendages ... with occasional remarks on a book intituled, An inquiry concerning virtue, and a refutation of the reviv'd Hylozoicism of Democritus and Leucippus.
        date: 1700.0
       words: 35204
      flesch: 48
     summary: But I must confess I am perswaded that several of the most speciously said things which are behind , are so unhappily worded and dispos'd , that they tempt , or at least leave room for Opinions inconsistent with the universal necessity of Virtue ; I therefore think it meet not to pass them over altogether without animadversion : it looks well what he says , P. 106. Plato , by means of a quick and piercing Genius , seeing thro the nature and reason of things , perceiv'd that all his Discourse concerning Government was to no purpose , unless the Minds of Men were possess'd with a love of Virtue ; without which , not only a great Commonwealth , but every lesser Society , and indeed every private House is obnoxious to the most destructive Disorders .
    keywords: actions; advantage; affections; argument; author; belief; bin; cause; chief; country; end; fear; future; god; good; hope; interest; life; love; man; matter; men; mind; nature; notion; pleasure; present; private; publick; reason; self; sense; soul; state; thing; tully; virtue; words
       cache: A37289.xml
  plain text: A37289.txt

        item: #4 of 11
          id: A45166
      author: Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656. Characters of vertues and vices.
       title: Characters of vertue and vice described in the persons of the wise-man, the valiant man ... attempted in verse from a treatise of the reverend Joseph Hall, late lord bishop of Exeter / by N. Tate.
        date: 1691.0
       words: 6046
      flesch: 80
     summary: In Conquest does beyond the Warriour go , The surest Friend , the latest easiest Foe : Than others so much Happier does appear , As He can more and worse Mis-fortunes bear . For his Friend's sake with Honours he complies , Yields to be Great to help his Friend to Rise .
    keywords: characters; english; friend; god; good; heart; life; man; ne'er; tcp; text; vertue; vice; wou'd
       cache: A45166.xml
  plain text: A45166.txt

        item: #5 of 11
          id: A50012
      author: Cooke, Edward, fl. 1678.
       title: The divine Epicurus, or, The empire of pleasure over the vertues compos'd by A. LeGrand ; and rendred into English by Edward Cooke.
        date: 1676.0
       words: 30102
      flesch: 59
     summary: Persons of your Quality , Sir , can very seldome fix their vertue , and make it regular ; the impetuous tumults of a giddy world are so violent upon their sences , that they are quickly Hurrican'd out of course by them : but the Debauches of an Impious and degenerate Age have no in●luence upon your steddy mind ; You injoy an undisturbed composure , notwithstanding all the Attacques of others to divert the Channel , and are not like those bodies , whose Complexions follow the nature of their Climates ; for you live in the continual exercise of vertuous Actions , amidst those who make it the chiefest of their practise to stifle and oppress them . PEace , when considered as the Reward of Warr , which returns with U●ury the pains and toyl of Conquerors , is the desire of all Soverains : even the most Barbarous as well as Civilized people give honour to her , and none will refuse her Entertainment in their Kingdomes , but who are reputed Salvage , yea the very Antipodes and opposites of Nature .
    keywords: actions; bodies; body; death; discourse; earth; enemies; enemy; glory; god; good; happiness; heaven; justice; life; love; makes; making; man; men; mind; miseries; nature; passions; person; pleasure; power; prudence; reason; satisfaction; self; soul; things; time; vertue; world; ● ●
       cache: A50012.xml
  plain text: A50012.txt

        item: #6 of 11
          id: A50634
      author: Mackenzie, George, Sir, 1636-1691.
       title: Moral gallantry a discourse, wherein the author endeavours to prove, that point of honour (abstracting from all other tyes) obliges men to be vertuous and that there is nothing so mean (or unworthy of a gentleman) as vice / by Sir George Mackenzie.
        date: 1667.0
       words: 21476
      flesch: 46
     summary: Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. Since then holy Altars have not disdain'd to offer up Pigeons , and such like value-lesse things , which nothing but the sincerity of the offerer could render considerable , refuse not to accept and revise these , though unfiinsht Discourses : And if a mans last words may be believ'd , I ( who am to make these my last words in print , and confine my thoughts for the future to my ordinary employment ) do assure you , that they are presented with all imaginable respect and zeal , by Your Graces most humble Servant , George M ckenzie .
    keywords: courage; envy; esteem; fame; fear; friends; gallant; hath; honour; interest; ladies; love; man; mean; men; persons; roman; seing; self; souls; subject; thing; time; vertue; vice; world
       cache: A50634.xml
  plain text: A50634.txt

        item: #7 of 11
          id: A50672
      author: Mackenzie, George, Sir, 1636-1691.
       title: A moral paradox maintaining, that it is much easier to be vertuous then vitious / by Sir George Mackeinzie.
        date: 1667.0
       words: 13482
      flesch: 39
     summary: But , Sir , I have chose you to be the Patron of this Book , because your practice is the strongest Argument , whereby I can evince what is undertaken in it , which is to prove , That there is more ease in Vertue then in Vice. And seing to undertake the proof of this , were the next crime to the doubting of it : And since your Worthiness , and my esteem of it , are much rais'd above the frail helps of Complement , or a wearying Dedication , let me assure you , and the World of both , by the innocent vanity I take in the title of Your sincere friend , and humble Servant , Geo. That then wherewith I shall task my self in this discourse , shall be to prove , that Vertue is more easie then Vice.
    keywords: design; easie; hath; inclinations; law; man; men; nature; pains; persons; pleasure; present; reason; self; tcp; text; thing; time; uneasie; vertue; vice
       cache: A50672.xml
  plain text: A50672.txt

        item: #8 of 11
          id: A53057
      author: Newcastle, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of, 1624?-1674.
       title: Philosophicall fancies. Written by the Right Honourable, the Lady Newcastle.
        date: 1653.0
       words: 16209
      flesch: 74
     summary: But as an equall motion makes light , and a perturb'd motion makes colour , which is between Light , & Darknesse : So Darknesse is an Opposite Motion to those Motions that make light ; for though Light is an equall Motion , yet it is such a kind , or sort of Motion . What makes a Naturall Aversion from some Creatures to others , and what causes an unnaturalnsse to their owne kind and Breed ? What Motion makes Thunder , Lightning , VVinde , Earthquakes , Cold , Ice , Snow , Haile , Rain , what Motions makes drought , Heat .
    keywords: animall; body; degrees; figure; hath; infinite; knowledge; light; matter; minde; motion; nature; power; reason; run; sense; sensitive; spirits; thoughts
       cache: A53057.xml
  plain text: A53057.txt

        item: #9 of 11
          id: A59472
      author: Shaftesbury, Anthony Ashley Cooper, Earl of, 1671-1713.
       title: An inquiry concerning virtue in two discourses, viz., I. of virtue and the belief of a deity, II. of the obligations to virtue.
        date: 1699.0
       words: 43911
      flesch: 33
     summary: Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so.
    keywords: affection; bin; contrary; creature; degree; good; having; ill; kind; life; love; man; manner; mind; nature; passions; pleasure; privat; right; self; sense; sort; species; system; temper; thing; tho; virtue; wrong
       cache: A59472.xml
  plain text: A59472.txt

        item: #10 of 11
          id: A68130
      author: Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656.
       title: Characters of vertues and vices in two bookes: by Ios. Hall.
        date: 1608.0
       words: 15818
      flesch: 69
     summary: Hee hates constancie as an ear-then dulnesse , vnfit for men of spirit : and loues to change his worke and his place ; neither yet can hee bee so soone wearie of any place , as euerie place is wearie of him ; for as hee sets himselfe on worke , so others pay him with hatred ; and looke how manie maisters hee hath , so manie enemies : neither is it possible that anie should not hate him , but who know him not . Hauing once cleaued ( like a burre ) to some great mans coat , he resolues not to be shaken off with any small indignities , and finding his holde thorowly fast , casts how to insinuate yet neerer ; and therefore , hee is busie and seruile in his indeuours to please , and all his officious respects turn home to himselfe .
    keywords: cares; doth; euer; feare; friend; giue; god; good; hand; hath; haue; heart; hee; himselfe; knowes; lesse; loue; man; ouer; owne; secret; tcp; text; thing; time; tongue; vertue; vpon; worke; world
       cache: A68130.xml
  plain text: A68130.txt

        item: #11 of 11
          id: A96073
      author: Waterhouse, Edward, 1619-1670.
       title: A modest discourse, of the piety, charity & policy of elder times and Christians. Together with those their vertues paralleled by Christian members of the Church of England. / By Edward Waterhouse Esq;
        date: 1655.0
       words: 57292
      flesch: 63
     summary: Lord what baits has he to beguile us with , an Apple for Eve , a look-back for Lots wife , a Bathsheba for David , a witch of Endor for Saul , self-love for Jo●as , and fear for Peter's temptation . Thirdly , Antiquity and Elder times have been Zealous for Government and Order in the Church , as the Church of Christ hath no custom for contention , so not for co●fusion : God is order , and good discipline is one way to make men conform to God as orders Law-giver .
    keywords: advantage; antiquity; apostles; bishop; books; brethren; care; cause; charity; children; christianity; christians; christs; church; churches; command; day; death; dei; divine; doctrine; elder; emperour; end; england; error; esse; est; evil; faith; father; fear; fit; france; glory; god; gods; good; government; governours; hand; hath; heart; heaven; hist; holy; honour; hope; jerom; jesus; john; king; laws; learning; leave; lib; life; lives; lord; love; man; men; mens; ministers; ministry; nation; nature; nay; new; noble; non; old; order; parts; peace; people; persons; piety; policy; pope; power; princes; quam; qui; quod; reason; religion; rest; right; rome; rule; s t; scripture; second; sed; self; set; souls; spirit; state; subjects; sunt; things; thought; times; truth; use; vel; way; words; work; world; yea; zeal; ● ●
       cache: A96073.xml
  plain text: A96073.txt