reason reason be Yet must it condiscend And yeeld to that against whose force It cannot vs defend And neuer me so sharply blame As actor of this ill T is not Antonius but the heauens Which do withstand thy will And what the heauens do force vs to We may not disobay When their decrees are once enrould O who may then say nay These mouing stars which we behould Our mindes do rule and guide And looke what course they set vs in Therein must we abide This sparke of reason is not ours But lent vs from aboue The Gods do giue and take the same They make vs loathe and loue Then deare why shouldst thou so vpbraid And sharply reprehend Thy Antony for such a fault As he may not amend If in my heart I did thee hate Then were I worthy blame But I haue euer lou'd thee well Who well deseruedst the same And though I cannot thee afford The dearest of my heart Yet needst thou not thus to complaine Who hast so large a part No day no night their posting course So speedily could frame But they beheld my thoughts returne Due homage to thy name When bloudy terror danger death Vpon me did lay houlde Thy memory reuiu'd my minde And made my courage bolde No not a thousand fierce assaults And perils many moe Could euer force my louing heart Octauia to forgoe But tyrant loue me from my selfe And from my Queene doth steale And pardon me though I perhaps Too great a fault reueale And pardon needs I must obtaine If this so much offend For heere my loue did first begin And heere my liâ—…e must end Heere will I shew I neither am Vnconstant nor vnkinde For Cleopatra whiles I liue Shall me most constant finde Why am I call'd an Emperour If I should subiect be And be compeld to leaue the thing VVhich most delighteth me No deare Octauia thy request Can neuer be fulfild Let Gods be Gods and Kings be Kings For none but cowards yeeld VVere she as Baucis when she lodg'd Hir vnknowne greatest guest VVere she a Lyon Lybert VVolfe Or some worse sauadge beast VVere she a furie or what else VVhose presence glads my heart And to my rauisht captiue soule Such sweetnesse doth impart I would exceede Ioues simple guiftes And giue the machine round And all the treasures wealth and store Which therein may be found I would from parents children friends My dearest thoughts remoue Surrender scepter kingdome crowne For to enioy my loue And by my bounty truth and zeale The erring world should see No base or seruile scorned thought Had euer place in me I would disdaine a monark should But equall my desire My constant faith should farre exceed The height of all aspire They do but blow the coales of hate Which my designes improue If euer fault may pardon get O pardon faulty loue I grant I were a monster vile Vnworthy of my life If I should hate or thee disdaine Who wast my spouse and wife But Cleopatraes dearest loue In me doth beare such sway That I enuy or mallice none So I may her enioy And say not t is a shamefull thing To loue a stranger so For loue I must and loue I will Though all the world say no. The gods I hope wil not be moou'd Such sharp reuenge to take On those which erâ—…e but in such faults As they themselues did make Were it dishonor to be kinde To those we best esteeme Great Ioue himselfe could not be free From such disgrace I deeme That monster quelling Hercules Should haue been called base When his victorious conquering arme Did Omphale imbrace No I disdaine the brauest minde That drawes this vitall breath Should thinke me base who haue contemn'd The very face of death T is rather base to be compel'd To that we fancy least O why am I a Prince if not To doe as likes me best Suppose within my setled minde There could be such a thought That to consent to thy request I haply mought be brought Would not the Princesse of my soule My Cleopatra pay The largest tribute of her life Her Antony to stay Are not her words her sighes her teares Most precious to my heart Doth not her face her tongue her wit My soules delight impart How then can I vnhappy man My selfe so well dispose As mought content and please you both Who both your selues oppose No Hercules can this performe No Sphynx this doubt exclude Yet thus I fully am resolu'd And thus I doe conclude The knot which cannot be vndone In sunder thus I strike Heere will I liue heere will I bide And loue you both alike Let Caesar fight Octauia frowne Let children waile and weep Thus I resolue and thus I vow Which vow I le firmely keep And if your mallice and perhaps My fortune doe procure That all my words and deeds the worst Construction must endure My constant truth and minde resolu'd That worst must needs abide For why from this well grounded loue My heart shall neuer slide Thou all things truely seest indeed But neuer spyest the wound By which my sweet affecting thoughts Their endlesse thraldome found By which my prayer-scorning heart Is brought to condiscend To which that this my chiefe desire Mought not too much offend Aske take assume all that you list Performe your hearts desire So that you neither hâ—…r from me Nor me from her require While I my Cleâ—…patra may Betweene these armes ensold I enuy not great Cresus wealth Nor Midas store of gold But if vneuitable fate Her presence should deny Though all the world were mine besides With penury I dye Nor let it seeme so passing strange That I cannot be moued By thy entreaty to forgoe The thing so much beloued Through thine owne heart do but behold And see how small auaile Perswations reasons words and wit Affections force to quaile If none of those can take effect To winne thy loue from me Why shouldst thou think that frome this Queene I can diuorced be Sith wisedome then can neuer shew It selfe more wisely sure Then to forgoe that thing with 〈◊〉 Which paine cannot procure Ah striue not thus against the streame But dry thy teares againe For to perswade me booteles is To force me is more vaine Though al the world should me withstand I will not be withheld A Prince dislikes to be gaine-said But scornes to be compel'd And it may be for who can tel What abscence may procure That â—…aire Octauia neuer could So long time chaste endure Ah can I thinke in such excesse Of liberty and store Of Ceres Bacchus and what els May be desired more Amongst so many tedious daies And nights of great disport Amongst such braue heroicke Lords As to that Court resort That thy vnmoued minde can be So tyed to Vestaes rightes But that sometimes it will consent To Venus sweet delights Can that faire face which in all hearts Doth high affection moue Resist so many strong attempts As will assault thy loue No no they are not alwaies true Which doe most truely speake If it were so how then am I More then a woman weake And yet my conscience doth discent And plainely this deny And yet suspition doth maintaine It cannot be a lye O how can he be euer brought To thinke another true Who through the guilt of his owne minde The others life doth view And should I then returne to Roome Mine honor thus to foile No rather let me finde a tombe In any forraigne soyle And since thou knowest O too too well Antonius high disgrace He must prouide of all the world Not to beholde thy face Thy face the lecture of his misse The mirrour of his shame The euer wounding rod and spur Of my eclipsed fame The disproportion of our thoughts Could neuer well agree Thou still shouldst hate my faithlesnesse I blush thy truth to see A fault doth neuer with remorse Our mindes so deeply moue As when anothers guiltlesse life Our errour doth reproue But be it that from all those doubtes I could my minde set free Yet whiles ambitious Caesar liues I may not come to thee Let all the world perswations vse And their best counsell giue For me I neuer will be drawne In dangers mouth to liue I cannot brooke another should Be mightier then I An equall in th' imperiall seate My heart doth much enuy And who so simple that will looke For faith or truth in those Whose faithlesnes may hap to gaine Whose truth a crowne must loose There is no truth in such whose hearts An Empire doe affect Competitors may talke of truth But doe all truth neclect And be it that we could agree Which hath been seldome knowne Yet still in time from priuate grudge Such quarrels great haue growne Such bloudy deeds such strife debate Such outrage murther death That words and oathes and al haue prou'd But vaine dissembling breath No nature reason counsell wit Ambition can constraine To hold vnuiolable truth Or conscience to detaine Pale feare mistrust vnlook'd for chance And fortunes dyreful frownes Most deep suspect and swift reuenge Attendant are on crownes Not that I dread or stand in feare What Caesar can procure But that this absence better mought My safety assecure And it may hap for none can tel In time what may be wrought Since vn expected chauce my loue To Cleopatra brought So happy time so good an howeâ—… For thee may hap to fall Which may my loue and fancy backe From her againe recall In hope whereof 〈◊〉 must Her sighes and teares suppresse Vntill Antonius finde the meanes These errours to redresse FINIS Errata Act. 2. pag. 3. line 8. for highest read highnes Act. 2. pag. 22. line 8. for frowardnes â—…ead forwardnes Act. 5. pag. 4. line 1. for ascribe read assigne Epist. 1. pag. 1. line 16. for Tough read Though THE EPILOGVE OUr Play is done now what your censures aâ—…e If with or against Arts iâ—…dustrie the care Tooke by the Author and our paines to pease We know not yet 'till judgement give us ease Why should we doâ—…bt this Theater do's appeare The Musicke Rome of concord you being here Let no harsh jarring â—…ound of discord then Echo dislike claps crowne the Tragicke Pen. FINIS
Cleopatra sent A messenger Fonteius was his name Whose swiftnes did euen hast it selfe preuent More then we knew not but within short space Came Cleopatra royally attended And met directly at th' appointed place Which for their stay they had before pretended There did they sporte a time in great excesse Of all delights which any eye hath seene And there Antonius his great loue t' expresse Did frankely giue to this Aegyptian queene Phoenicia Cyprus and Cylicia Part of Arabia where those people dwell Cald Nabatheians part of Syria And finding that she could preuaile so well With Antony she further 〈◊〉 proceed And begd part of that land we Iewry call From whence mought be transported at hir neede True balme for to preserue hir grace withall This donâ—… my Lord to'ards Parthia tooke his way Which we with fier and sworde did waste and burne But in those confines did not long time stay But backe againe to Blanckbourge we returne From whence a poste was speedily addrest For to conduct this Cleopatra thither She kindly condiscends to his request Thus there they met and there they liue togither Octa. O what hart-piercing greefe doth theÌ„ tormeÌ„â—… That are thus countercheckt with riualles loue What worlds of horror do themselues present Vnto their mindes that do like passions proue O Ielousâ—…e when truthe once takes thy part What mercy-wanting tyrant so seuere What Sylâ—…a what Charibdiâ—… can impart But halfe those horrors which in thee appeare Poore Pluto why do we thy rigour dread All torments are containde within my brest Alecto doth whole troupes of furieâ—… leade Within my soule with endlesse greefe opprest O deserts now you deserts are indeed Your common-wealths are coucht within my hart Within my hart all rauening beasts do feede And with mad furie still encrease my smart O greefe I feele the worst that thou canst doe I taste the powerfull force of mischieses pride I proue the worst that chance can put me to The deepest wound of fortune I abide But staye Octauia if this be a lye If thy deare Lord do constant yet remaine Whom doost thou wrong is it not Antony O fault too great recall it back againe Canst thou be so vnkinde nay so vniust To censure iudge condemne without a cause Shall flying tales make thee so much mistrust Him bound to thee by Gods and natures lawes O traytor passion if thou couldst subdue Thy soueraigne reason what ill tragedies Wouldst thou soone acte but Ielousie adieu My Lord is constant and these are but lyes Did not he sweare on that our nuptiall day By all the sacred rights we holy deeme By those immortall powers which we obaye By all things els which dearly we esteeme By his right hand by this our wedding ring By all that mought a perfect truthe entend One time one day one houre should surely bring His life and loue vnto a finall end Did not he say the starres from heauen should fall The fishes should vpon the mountaines range And Tyber should his flowing streames recall Before his loue should euer thinke on change But what of this these are but onely words And so are those which do his faith impeache O poore Octauta how thy state affordes Nought but despaire to stand within thy reache The seate of truthe is in our secret harts Not in the tongue which falsehood oft imparts Hast back then Tyber to thy fountaines head Descend ye starres and this base earth adorne Let Neptunes people on these hilles be fed For Antony is fled false and forsworne But t is not so my Antony is true His honor will not let him basely fall Octauies name will faithfull loue renew His Inâ—…ate vertue will his minde recall As feare of torment houlds the wicked in So vertues loue makes good men loath their sinne Byl. Madam I cannot force you to beleeue That which I speake but that I speake is true I knew too well it would your highnesse greeue And would be lothe your sorrowes to tenew But would to God that all my words were lyes So my disgrace mought worke your sweete content Would this my soule mought be the sacrifice To reconcile his loue thus fondly bent O vertue thou that didst my good assure Arme now my soule against proude fortunes might Without thy succour I may not endure But this strong tempest will destroy me quite O sacred lampe pure vertues liuing flame That neuer failes sweet comfort to impart I feele thy power and glory in the same I heare thee say in closset of my heart Octauta liue and shew thy selfe a Queene Tread thou my path make constancy thy guide Let no base feare within thy minde be seene Let thine owne foote into no errour slide Make thine owne thoughts no witnes of thy misse Let thine owne conscience know no cause of blame A bulwarke stronge a brazen wall this is That will resist both sorrow griefe and shame Antonius fall his owne disgrace procures His is the fault and on his head shall fall The storme of mischiefes deep-reuenging showers When thine own worth in heauen shal thee enstall His is the fault but what mine is the wronge The errour his but I endure the smart O vertue if thou be so passing stronge Yet once againe remooue this from my heart Why vertue grieues but at his owne disgrace And mindes distrest with patience doth relieue With wisedomes light it stil directs his pace And cannot fall and therefore cannot grieue Well griefe I feele that thou art griefe indeed But patience is a prince and must not yeeld O sacred vertue help me at my need Repulse my foes with thy all mastering shield But what I must not heere stand and lament Thy deeds Octauta must approoue thy worth T is wisedome must these iniuries preuent I will no more excuse thy wrongs hencefoorth I le seeke by all meanes thee to reconcile And in my thoughts reuenge shall finde no place But if thou needes wilt worke a thing so vile To seeke my ruine and thine owne disgrace If nothing can preuaile I le make it seene Thou wrongst an Empresse and a Romaine queene Iulia. Camilla Syluia O deare Camilla what a wofull sight Ti 's to beholde the Empresse dolefull state Though others burthens in our eyes seeme light Death in my heart her griefe doth intimate O what exceeding pitty t' is to see Such noble vertues nurst in wisedomes brest Snar'd in the trap of humaine misery By others basenes thus to be distrest Cam. Madame the case is pittifull indeed And such as may relent a flinty heart A patient minde must stand her grace insteed Till time and wisedome may his loue conuert Iul. But who dares tell a Prince he goes aside Cam. His conscience best if wisdome were his guide Iul. But they are great and may do what they will Cam. Great if much good not great if they do ill Iul. But we must yeeld to what the Prince will haue Cam. He is no Prince that is affections slaue Iul. Be
beside Make me the obiect of their wondring eyes Thus I that was more happy then the rest And did excell in glory and renoune With more then most disgrace shall be supprest No fall like his that falleth from a crowne And that which nature grantes the meanest wight They cannot loose which haue the conquest wonne Yet with this strange Dylemma workes my spight Who s'euer winne Octauia is vndone Great Empresse this bright sunne can witnes well So can these heauens before whose powers I stand That gainst our mindes Caesar doth vs compell This enterprize you see to take in hand But for my selfe and if the case be such That but report is auctor of this iarre If Caesars honor may be free from touch Of any staine relinquishing the warre I le doe my best and what I may perswade To lay downe armes wherein if I preuaile A perfect league of friendship shall be made That may the fury of this tempest quaile And pardon me deare soueraigne though my speech Include exceptions in this doubtfull wise I may not Caesar mooue nor him beseech What may his maiestie disroyallize This said behold my hand my sword my soule Heere humbly prostrate at your princely feete What you commaund let none dare to controule This Caesar will and this we thinke most meete Arg. Madam your speech I thinke doth not extend To the disparagement of your owne bloud And sooner shall my life haue finall end Then I refuse to doe your highnes good Though last my speech yet second vnto none Is my desire t'effectuate your will But loe where Caesar comes himselfe alone Arme we our tongues with words our words with skil Caes. Fayer issue of renoun'd Octauius race My second selfe Roomes glorious Empresse Behold vs all assembled heere in place To worke your safety and your wrongs redresse Your Lord Antonius as we heare doth threate To power sharpe stormes of deep reuenging Ire Vpon our heads and make th' imperiall seate His sole possession ere he hence retyre But let him know though finely he pretend To guilde iniustice with a Princes name Though he triumph in words yet ere I end What he begins he may repent the same Oct My gracious Lord high words doe but encrease The flame of vallour in incensed mindes Leaue armes my Lord and let vs treate of peace Who best doth speed in war smal safety findes Ful wel the world your noble worth hath knowne Let not new dangers needlesse tropheies raise Let not th' effect of hateful deeds be showne Against my Lord who may deserue your praise Caes. Shal he be prais'd that is become our foe Staine of our name foile of the Romaine state A seruile man contriuer of our woe And from all honor doth degenerate Nay what is more t is said he doth pretend To worke our ruine and our fatal end Octa. Can foule suspition then and false report In wisedomes confines holde so large a place That it can foyle our reason in such sort To fly the good and worke his owne disgrace The auncient Romaines wont to draw their swordes To purchase honor of their stoutest foes But you whose groundes are vaine surmized words By seeking honor shall your honors loose Fame hath two wings the one of false report The other hath some plumes of veritie Why then should doubtful rumour raise a forte Of mortall hate against my Lord and me Suppose he rais'd as you haue done a power He to defend not to offend his friend The heauens forbid that any fatall hower Should your proceedings turne t'vnhappy end Vnhappy no he neuer falles amisse That foiles his foe before his final ende High honor not long life the treasure is Which noble mindes without respect defend Oct. The prize of honor is not alwaies bloud Cae. T is honor all whose end imports our good Oct. O wretched state where men make haste to dye Cae. True valour feeles nor griefe nor misery Oct. He is your brother be not then vnkinde Cae. Iustice not pitty fits a Princes minde Oct. He hath done nothing spare an innocent Cae. He doth too much that beares a false entent Oct. You both are stronge and both will buy it deare Cae. I arm'd with iustice know not how to feare Oct. O Caesar shall my heart be made a stage For you to play a bloudie tragedie Shall fearce misfortune breathing spitefull rage Make me vicegerent of all misery If both of you misled in â—…rrours maze Doe seeke reuenge of misconceiued wrongs For your owne sakes out of your fancies raze The spots of mallice grafted with your tongues But if mischance haue offered disgrace To eyther party O let me entreate That for my sake kinde pardon may deface A fault so small with breath of words made great Caes Bright lamp of vertue honors liuing flame Whosoeuer winne you can no losse sustaine Whom partiall fortune list to crowne with fame His be the day the triumph and the gaine The victor must be eyther your owne Lord Or els your brother who will both consent To trie their fortunes with the dinte of sword But shield you as the worlds chiefe ornament If both we fall which hap the heauens forbid All that suruiue are subiect to your will Your birth your state your vertues are not hid But knowne and loâ—…'d and will be honored still no ear so deaf which hath not heard your name Whose eares haue heard their mindes your worth admire Whose minds admire their harts loue doth enflame And winnes them subiect to your owne desire No perils threaten you you need not feare Octa. But many you and I their burthen beare Caes. T is reason I none els my griefes sustaine Octa. Where nature forceth reason is but vaine And therefore Caesar heere I thee beseech By these same scepter-bearing hands of mine By these same teares true witnes of my speech By that same princely port and grace of thine By all the loue thou bearest to Acciaes ghost By all the rightes that louing mindes hold deare Lay armes aside dismisse this puisant hoast Let friendly truce release my minde of feare If not I le drowne my life in these same teares And tyre with plaints the Pandionian birdes Tyre th' Halciones with griefe that beares To high a straine for highest clyming words I le make the sunne for pitty cloath his steedes In sorrows liuery and disdaine your sight Force niggard Pluto with my wofull deeds To entertaine my soules disgraced flight Else will I flie and shrowde my face from shame Where Pyndus hides his head amongst the starres Or where ambitious Othris wanting flame Of heauenly lamps the cloudes swift motion barres Ought will I doe before these eies behold Death's vissage painted in that princelie face Before I le see captiuitie lay holde On those faire lims which merit highest grace Before I le see their bloudie weapons drinke The nectar of thy life or Iuorie stain'd With vgly gore O let me neuer thinke Or hope till then to haue this
life maintain'd Before that time death is a welcōme guest To my liues lodging and O sisters deare If euer pitty dwelt in dyrefull brest Draw not my threed till that newes peirce mine eare How oft when sleep inuites my drowsie eye With natures curtaine to repell the light And hide my minde from sorrows tyranny Vnder the darknes of the silent night Shal thy pale ghost defil'd with deaths foule hand Stand in my sight as in the cleerest day And fury-like arm'd with blacke fiery brand Affright my minde and chase dead sleep away Which being gone fierce sorrows cruell clawes Seaze on my waking thoughts like tygers fell And gripe my heart with sharpe tormenting pawes That thousand times deaths rygour doth excell Caes. O perfect vertue gracing woman kinde Inuincible Octauia cease to plaine O had Antonius halfe so good a minde No discord could betwixt vs two remaine My Lords what thinke you how may we proceed High honor cries reuenge vpon our foes And yet Octauia crossing this our deed Cannot resolue which of vs she would loose Agr. I thinke it is a braue and Princely thing With fire and sword to ruinate our foes But greater glory is it for a King To saue his subiects from wars common woes T is wisedome noble Caesar must aduance Our state beyond the reach of fortunes arme Not fierce reuenge which workes effectes by chance And glories most when most it worketh harme And valour such as doth contemne all feare And guild our actes with honor and renowne With gentle clemencie our deeds endeare And mount with vertue where chance throwes vs downe Mecoe. The rarest thing a Princes fame to raise Is to excell those that are excellent All other to surmount in vertues praise And be his kingdomes chiefest ornament Make quiet peace within his coastes remaine And succour those that liue in great distresse From bloudy slaughter euer to refraine With time and wisedome passions rage suppresse These are the wings directing vertues flight This is the fuell feeding honors flame This is the path that leades to heauen aright and sun-bright beames that guild braue Caesars name Caes. Pitty my Lords is often like a maske That hides our eyes from seeing what is iust Inuiting any t' vndertake the taske To worke our woes and execute their lust For to neclect the course we haue begun Were to betray our selues vnto our foes Where keeping stronge though no exploite be done Yet gaining nothing nothing shall we loose Why you' are ill inform'd of Antony And his attempts exceed your knowledge farre I feare me when you know as much as I You 'll pleade as fast to prosecute the warre But see a stranger hasts into our sight With further newes and if I iudge a right Byl. Thrice noble Caesar hither am I sent Hauing in charge from great Mark Antony Th'ambassage of his pleasure to present Before Octauia and thy maiesty First he commaunds Octauia to depart Out of his house and leaue all that is his The reason why he list not to impart It must suffice that such his pleasure is He likewise will thy highnesse knowledge take How much he scornes thou shouldst his wil withstā◅ And thereof meanes with fire and sword to make A perfect demonstration out of hand Caes. Will Antony our confines then inuade With Ciuill warres contriuer of our woe Great reason preparation should be made For to withstand so puisant a foe Byl. Fiue hundreth saile of warlike ships he brings Wherewith the froathing Ocean he scoures And in his army are eight forraigne Kings Eight Kings in person with their mighty powers A hundred thousand well arm'd foote are led Vnder Canidius their chiefe generall Twelue thousand horse most strongly furnished All these are knowne and knowne these are not all Caes. How now my Lords is this thinke you a time To talke of clemencie or of delay Is not this mischiefe in his chiefest prime Before we could the speedie spring bewray What saith Octauia to these tidings strange Are our coniectures vpon falshood grounded Can this suffice your setled thoughts to change Are not our liues with mischiefes Ocean bounded Octa. Had I so many tongues to paint my woes As euer silent night had shining eyes Yet could not all their eloquence disclose The throwes of greefe which do my minde surprize But would to God this world of misery Mought presently be trebled vnto me So that from imminent calamitie My deerest brother Caesar mought be free For me long since I wel discern'd the storme And sought by all meanes how I mought preuent it But sith no wit can Antony reforme O 't is not I but he that wil repent it I fear'd the stroke before I felt the wound But now resolu'd the worst of chance to bide True fortitude doth in my soule abound My honor scornes the height of fortunes pride The worst that can befall me is but death And O how sweete is his liues sacrifize On vertues altar that expires his breath And in the armes of innocencie dyes They onely feare and onely wretched are From whose bad liues staind with impietie Their dying fame doth to the world declare Most shamefull stories of foule infamie But those that know not let them learne in me That vertuous minds can neuer wretched be Caes. My Lords I wil yee presently proclaime Marke Antony a foe vnto our state That all his soueraignties yee straight reclaime And all his dignities annihillate We will not see the Romaine Empires shine By any seruile minde to be defamed To manage steele our nature dooth encline Of womens wanton toyes we are ashamed And therefore with such hast as may be-fit A matter that imports our dearest bloud Wee le meet Antonius if the heauens permit And what we say there will we make it good Adiew Octauia and your selfe prepare To runne what course of fortune I approue I◅ happie starres to vs alotted are I le neuer be forgetfull of your loue Oct. Honour attend thy steps and till I see The period of my worlds declining state I le neuer to my selfe a traytor bee But seeke the meanes to stay your mortall hate Chorus EArth-ruling heauenly powers Great Ioues immortall mates That from your Chrystall bowers Dyrect all mortall states And vs like Actors do dispose To play what parts you list t' impose Must we poore we consent To call you euer iust Though you our harts torment Euen after your owne lust And for each drop of hoped ioy Powre downe whole tempests of annoy And that which is much more Looke what we best do deeme Doth vex our mindes more sore Then that wee least esteeme And that which nature saith is best By tryall yeelds vs smallest rest Who dooth not wish to weare The terrour breeding crowne And direfull scepter beare As badge of high renoune Yet who more iustly do complaine That they the brunt of woes sustaine Stand who so list for me In highest slipperie place Though great their glorie be Yet greater their