His fall affrights and makes whole woods dismay The mountaine whereon Cedar firmely stands And woods when Cedars flourish clap their hands Some from their birth left in this maze forlorne As fruits abortiue and vntimely borne And he that lookes into Times glasse of steele Shall see all states in earth as on a wheele That turnes them all about inconstantly Aloft and lowe with much vncertaintie Glorie and Basenesse are the boundaries Of all estates all but two contraries Betweene them both there is a limit set And either meane doth her extreames beget And he that from the basest riseth hie In selfe-conceit hath most felicitie But he whom Fortune hath aduanced most And not true Vertue hath no cause to boast There 's no estate which Vertue founded not That hath a certaine or contented lot Fortune is constant in vnconstancie Most churlish in her seeming clemencie For what she giues to day too morrow takes She comes and goes she followes and forsakes As clouds and cleerenesse clipse and cleare the Sunne By Fortune so are men made and vndone The vulgar hearts eyes sences all In thought in â—ight in iudgement partiall They iudge vnequally of this earths lots The great earths ornaments the base her spots Earths highest portions seeme true pawnes of grace Gracefull allotments haue no seemings bace But in these misteries hid matter lies Which none can see with his owne natures eyes Therefore I leaue it â—o euent And smile At Enuies weaknes and her strong reuile Partiall she fawnes and flatters high estate And false suggesteth meane vnfortunate Fortune and Enuie are two secret foes And neither doth her purposes disclose For whom and when they seeke to smite they smile And still conceale the substance of their wyle Where Fortune fauours there doth Enuie hate Betweene them both there is no sure estate But where true vertues Heroickes doe stand Constant th' incounter these foes hand to hand But Fortune taken in diuiner sence Is not a foe but nurse of patience It is that power that swayeth all estates And loues them best that most she verberates Therefore the causes of mens want and weale This powre Diuine daignes not them to reueale But lets th' ambitious holds them onely blest That winne earths happines and loose the rest No art or eloquence no feare or loue Can from earths loue their blinded hearts remoue Opinion strong reiecteth Reasons skill Feedes foolish Fancie and peruerts the will A face most ougly may in selfe-conceit Seeme fayre welfauor'd amiable neyt But when he sees it in a perfect glasse He checkes conceit misdeeming what it was So they that think nought good but this earths might Liue yet in darke not hauing inward light Though this high power do freely it bestow Yet for what cause the wisest do not know For Fortune giues but thinges of outward vse She giues and takes for feare frames no excuse But he that sees and swaieth all euents Heaues somtimes vp some graceles malecontents And who foresees when he is lifted high What future perill may succeed thereby None see the issue of a thing begun Nor how successe of good or ill may run False fond and rash are humane arguments Of high or low conceyl'd are all euents Somtimes best seemings worse then baser hit Which none fore-sees not one preuenteth it The power diuine oft turnes an ill to best And best suppos'd of best oft dispossest High powers permit a wicked man to rise And by vsurped greatnes tyrranise But it 's obseru'd he hath not long to stand In his false greatnes but the selfe same hand That heau'd him vp so one hurles him downe againe That nought regardes faire fawnes or deepe disdaine And some that see such changes in Estates Hold al successes wrought by fained Fates No no a power superior sits and swaies This Labyrinths right race and her estraies Who doth ne suffers ought mong men in vaine And yet turnes oft mens wayes of loy to paine And paine to pleasure if it more befit None know thinges issues ere they see them hit Astrologers by Planetary skill Presume to tell successes good and ill If they indeed had deified wits They might preâ—age a thing before iâ— hits But he that by celestiall influence And starres aspects seekes truthes intelligence Fore-tels mans lot and how his end shal make May hit by chance more certainely mistake Gaine makes them gaze vaine-glory makes them speake They pawne their credits yet their promise breake So they that iudge by present weale or woe That future ioy or greefe must needs be so Though as the cause men deeme th' effect to be Their iudgement blind cause nor effect can see Blind then that iudge of things succeeding well By their well-weening when they cannot tell What is that well that men â—o much desire Wealth honor beauty credit wits aspire All which compar'd to wel indeed are found Base euil idle rotten and vnsound Vnlesse with these concurre hearts humblenesse Feare reuerence and faithfull thankefulnesse True thankfulnesse chiefe argument of grace Of grace diuine that leades in that right race That tendes indeed to truest happinesse To earths contentment and heauens blessednesse And to that peace that feedeth stil a guest That nought remooues but earths care from the brest And yet earths care the carnall hearts delight That breeds a peace that fosters selfe-despite Yet seemeth sweet that seeming yeelds content The heart mistaking falcifies consent As greatest pearles and gemmes of best respect By humane art are found oft counterfeite And he that wants true iudgement of the thing Esteemes that base fit lewell for a King The perfect pearle is precious permanent The counterfeit decayes incontinent In coulour weight and value which doth show The thing not currant which doth alter so So alter all this lifes felicities That fall to good and bad and miseries They alter oft and neuer stand secure One giues the checke and lies aloofe the lure Th' other â—toopes when men would haue her flye And both disdaine all humane policie Aâ—â— not the lowe set sometimes all-aloft Are not the loftie hurled downe as oft Prophane Diuine our owne Domesticals Are mirrors of Times true memorials Sometimes the great by bâ—fe are captiuate To show that none till death is fortunate The lowe and hye stand all in fickle stay Like changing actors in a tragick play In this lifes Labwinth men rise and fall As creekes and curuings leade they meet withall And nothing more leades passengers awry Nor breeds more danger then Securitie Securest oft things most vniust commit Not deeming powers Diuine consider it But when they are in their securest pride Not looking lowe where danger lyes they slide Earths comforts are like Phoebus splending rayes Her crosses like sad darke and gloomie dayes Prosperitie resembles Summer spring Aduersitie Autumne and wintering Alternately haue these their turnes to runne Shining or shadow'd as with clouds the Sunne Which way s'euer th' inconstant
lie Which they auoid that runne aduisedly Some may mistake and iudge of men amisse Not euery one aduanc'd ambitious is Whom Vertue rayseth honorable parts Will show desert good deeds bewray good hearts When earthly honor hath celestiall grace Th' inferiour by them are in gracefull case For as the Sun shines not but giues all heate So by true honor meanest comfort get A painted Sunne may seeme in show to shine So may th' ambitious to the outward eyne And he that seekes to warne him by that Sun Needs not complaine of too much warmth he wun A man that scales fayre Honors mount by might Though most vnlust presumes to seeme vpright Where vertue daignes not her preuailing hand To raise the rais'd is as a plant in sand Though water'd wythers with the frost of haâ—e The blossomes fall forg'd fayre and delicate As good men grow and rise to wished grace So grow the ill not iudged by their place But by the sword that in the place they sway Th' vse or abuse whereof their heatrs bewray None are aduanc'd by chance to gouerment Nor rise nor fall by Fortune discontent But all are set in places high or low And wither too or else more greater grow By powres Diuine The good he sets To succour those that haue wrong counterlets The ill he sets that good and ill may see How right and wrong how light and darke agree For as all creatures liue by contraries So Common weales in their societies If all were of one disposition Law needed not nor imposition But as the night and day are two in show And each giues other changing ouer throw So right and wrong are euer in debate The second seekes the first to violate Yet takes the habite of the thing she hates To faine it good the thing she perpetrates A wicked man that counterfects his deeds Couets to show them as true vertue 's seeds At length they show the soyle wherein they grew By bud or bloome by branch or stalke or hew It bootes men much aduanc'd to haue foresight Whom they accept and shelter by their might Yet wish I none to be suspitious Without good cause or too too credulous None can forsee th' euent of future dayes His harmes his helpes dispatch or his delayes Nought can succeed vnto the good or ill Wealth want or meane with or against their will As they do will or as they can foresee All thinges are done by him whose will is free And if men knew what prouidence diuine Workes by his will they would their willes incline To take it wel how so their wills were crost For oft it 's ill when seeming wisest boast If one aduanc'd be brought to meane estate Let him not murmur rather râ—â—inate Re-chaw the cudde of wilful wayes forgot Which who forgets the powers diuine do not From whose al-seeing eye nothing is hid Disclos'd shall be what so the closest did If Enuy hurt thee vertues dismall ghost Feare not nor faint think not thine honor lost Where Vertue liues there Enuy neuer dyes Where Enuy lurkes is nest of villanies True Honor maybe stung but cannot dye Though Enuy hisse she standes and scornes to flye True vertue fortefies true Honors seat The hart heroycall that still is great By inward grace If by his vice one fell Obraid him not nor wish him greater hell For sinne sufficeth for sinnes punishment Without inflict of death or banishment Men in this Maze haue sundry greefes and paines Yet none that liues all greefes at once sustaines But one with this with that another pines As hart corrupt or member grosse inclines Some crie as did the Shâ—naâ—ite his head Some as Antiochus his belly ill besteed With Asa some against the gout complaine With Aristarch against the dropsey paine Th'aflicting feauer shakes some's trembling bones The grating Stone inforceth helples groanes If theirs and other greefes combin'd in one And in one body did insist alone They all could not one euill equalize A troubled Conscience gulfe of maladies Which though men feele not in their pleasures fitsâ— In fine 't wil try the quintessence of wits As riuers run into the Ocean all So in the conscience greefes in generall To rack the heart that feeles no terror now And nought shall ease it deep'st protest or vow Though men of might may deeme them free from ill For that none dare to countercheck their will A guilty Conscience wil bring miseries No boot to plead high lawlesse dignities Though Tyrants seeme to haue no feare to fall In outward show within they feed on gall The outward lawlesse haue small inward rest Their seeming free is froth of fretting breast Foolish feeble faithlesse is vanity Yet feedes fond fancy with variety Oh flye her truthlesse faining flatteries That seekes to sooth men in impieties And yet betraies the worthiest wights that loue her Thrice happy he that can in time remooue her And most vnhappy who imbrace her most A Sainct in show in deed an owgly ghost Some great disguize their guile by smiling face And seeme in show to back the weak with grace A strong conceit of dreamed feast doth feed As doth a promise of a helples deed Resembling th apple Tantalus would taste That gapes and bytes but byteth still in waste A promis'd fauour not performed is Much like the Apples of Asphaltidis Which to the eye are goodly great and faire Within all ashes and corrupted ayre The fairest promises are farthest tost Oft striken faire as often nicely crost A ball that hath no stuffe to beare it out Lights alway short though he that strikes be stout Great care ought men of greatest place to haue In promise or denyall what men craue A quick deniall or a quick consent In all demands yeelds Reason best content Lingring performance of a promise made Makes Hope to wither in the ripening blade Experience teacheth how to take or shun As former good or ill successe hath runne Some men do find by others fortunes fall A stronger staffe to stay themselues withall He then is happy who can harmes forsake By shunning that some to their hurts did take Examples teach to take or to eschew And onely steede as helpes or harmes ensue The best examples may direct awry Though in the president no error lye As is opinion so is good or ill Mistaken oft by rash conceiuing will Who so pre-ponders how things may succeed Before attempts takes likeliest way to speed Somtimes doth Ignorance breed most content Not to foresee some dangers imminent It breedes but terror anguish greefe and feare A knowne ineuitable danger neere It profits nothing danger to fore-show To him that by no meanes can it foregoe Onely it may prepare the hearts consent To vndergoe what meanes cannot preuent Sometimes to lack what one desireth most Is best And when a thing held dear'st is lost Fond fancies best is often worst to haue What she affects oft makes a free-man slaue Fancy miscarried
by a doubtfull guide Is much deceiu'd by ignorance or pride Rash presumption and blind ignorance Are common actors of selfe hinderance The one is rash in selfe-conceit aspires The other sottish may rise yet retires The first conceiueth his deserts so great He scornes to seeke the great should first intreat The second knowes not to distinguish who Is fained friendly or professed foe Without the guidance of celestiall light It resteth not in power of mortall wight By it the giuer and the taker knowes For what desert the giuen guerdon growes This only resteth in true honors breast Where neuer Auarice or Enuy rest This Honor liues her vertue neuer dyes Her fame immortall by true loues Trophies Honors renowne Enuy cannot staine it Although she frowne and in despite disdaine it This earthly honor heauens benedice Her vertues life an earthly Paradice The garden of content where growes the seed That beares the fruit whereon the poorest feede In this fayre Eden are exalted most Who best deserue Not such as onely boast This Honor heares and iustly arbitrates Mens causes when the partiall vulnerates Sith counterfects cry out likewise for aide It doth obserue how ech mans cause is swaid And onl'endeuors truely to descry Who feele indeed and who forge misery That powre diuine that 's absolute and sees Both base and big disposing all degrees Sets vp high Cesar giues him sword and crowne He bowes or breakes and hurles the proudest downe To infinite Earths portions infinite He giues from Scepter to the meanest mite And whoso grudgeth at the lowest rate Vsurpes his portion and bewrayes his hate From lowest step and basest in degree Lots rise by rule vnto the largest fee. And none mong all can so compare his lot As he may proue he hath what others not No none by iust comparison may say His lot is like anothers euery way For as mens faces infinite to see Are all vnlike though some resemblance be Yet all compar'd to one or one to all They differ all So states in generall And as they differ in their hye and low So their offence greater or lesse in show For persons time and place doe aggrauate Faults more or lesse or them extenuate For when a great man errs in publique view Th' examples drawes offendors to ensue Therefore behoues them to beware or shun Offence for powres Diuine see how they run Who doth reward in substance not in show If it stay long the heauier is the blow He doth discouer by al-seeing light Most cunning counterfects that seeme vpright Will future answere counterfect preuaile The Iudge is iust and will accept no baile But as the cause deserues the party findes Pardon or punishment his sentence bindes Affirmatiue Come Negatiue Depart Without respect of person but of heart The greatest in his sight vniust are base Vpright are great though in penurious case This Iudge of Iudges of true equitie Forgiues condemnes But neither partially It 's not the basest not the great'st in grace That can pretend or challenge greater place Nor by his place fore-showes his weale or woe But by his inward heart or outward show The one is secret and from man conceil'd The other ouert sundry waies reueil'd Yet neither truely doth appeare to men The heart is hid a deep and darksome den But powres Diuine well see the closest heart The worke and will the thought and hidden part This Prouidence Al-knowing worketh all He hurles downe some And some he saues from fall He feedes som fat And some he keepes but low He cuts downe some and some he leaues to grow He doth dispose the things he giues or takes Some ignominious some he glorious makes Some Rich as Craesus poore as Hecalen Some needie as was Irus Ithacen And none can counterm and his prouidence Policie nor power nor haute insolence Greife cures not greefe sad sorrow yeelds no meed Content releeues Conceit doth starue or feed Vaine hope that hungers for vncertainties Feedes fainting heart with helples vanities Who ties his hope on humane anker-line Carnal conceit holdes that vaine hope diuine On humane help yet hope may builded be Foundation layd first by diuine decree This hope I haue this anker-hold my rest The line of loue hath link't it to my brest This line is lent to lead me in the darke Of doubtful maze true duty is my marke THis Tragicall discourse of mans estate I heard attentiuely yet silent sate And as I sate in my sad sorrowes Cell My hart gaue Eccho as his speeches fell And as I mused what this proiect ment A Lady graue I saw herselfe present She 's Soueraigne gouernesse within this maze Her glory great made passionate to gaze Her lookes were louing beauty sun-like bright Her stature tall aboue the cloudes in height Her armes extended infinitely farre And on her brest a brazen shield for warre One hand a Scepter her other hand did hold A sword her head a Diadem of gold Insteed of pearle rich to adorne the same There stream'd from it a farre extending flame Ouer her head a rich pauilion set Azure-coulor'd which in a circle met Vnder her feet a Pauement strangely spred Layd and compact of ghastly bodies dead This strange aspect and vision misticall I could not thinke but meere celestiall Therefore without Diuine assistance I Durst not coniect the hidden misterie But searching inward truth by outward showe I did collect whence eche of these did growe Her lookes of loue imports the sweete delites Wherewith she feedes her constant fauorites Her Sun-like beautie showes she is Diuine Her stature tall showes she 's boue sight of eyne Her armes extention her great might imports And readinesse to strengthen her consorts Her shield vpon her brest showes her defence When Enuye rageth in great'st violence Her Scepter showes her power and loue to peace The Sword her valour and her mights increase Her golden Diademe her victories Her splending beames doe showe her dignities She set within a circkled azure Tent Shewes her true limites and her powers extent The pauement of the corpes of dead men showes She hath her foes and them she ouerthrowes She treads them downe that doe withstand her might None see her clearl ' her beautie shines so bright But they alone whose hearts conformed be Haue inward sight and with delight her see They frame the faculties of Sence and Will To apprehend the good and shun the ill Attendant on this Ladie graue I sawe A hidious hagge clad with rent leaues of Lawe For impious ones that only worke disdaine To seeme vpright seeke shrowde for outward staine This hagge was ougly colour'd pale and wan Her face puft vp she couer'd with a fan Her eyes were fiery teeth of gastfull 〈◊〉 A sword-like tongue seene when the hagge did gape Lyon-like her clawes in hands and feete were set And when she gryp'd her ougly tallandes met Her nosthrels wide her breath a stinking sent Her stature lowe her bodie corpâ—lent Her hands were