a fair morning turns to a lowring afternoon. Brutus and Cassius, once renowned, both eminently happy, yet you shall scarce finde two (saith Paterculus) quos fortuna maturius destituit, whom fortune sooner forsook. Hannibal a conquerer all his life, met with his match, and was subdued at last,

Occurrit forti, qui magè fortis erit.

One is brought in triumph, as Cæsar into Rome, Alcibiades into Athens, coronis aureis donatus, crowned, honored, admired; by-and-by his statutes demolished, he hissed out, massacred, &c. Magnus Gonsalva that famous Spaniard, was of the Prince and people at first honored, approved; forthwith confined and banished. Admirandas actiones graves plerunque sequuntur invidiæ, & acres calumniæ: ’tis Polybius his observation, grievous enmities, and bitter calumnies, commonly follow renowned actions.

One is born rich, dies a beggar: sound to day, sick to morrow: now in most flourishing estate, fortunate and happy, by-and-by deprived of his goods by forragin enemies, robbed by theeves, spoiled, captivated, impoverished, as they of Rabbah put under iron sawes, and under iron harrowes, and under axes of iron, and cast into the tile kiln,

Quid me felicem toties jactâstis amici, Qui cecidit, stabili non erat ille gradu.

He that erst marched like Xerxes with innumerable armies, as rich as Cræsus, now shifts for himself in a poor cock-boat, is bound in iron chains, with Bajazet the Turk, and a foot-stool with Aurelian, for a tyrannizing Conqueror to trample on.

So many casualties there are, that as Seneca said of a City consumed with fire, Una dies interest inter maximam civitatem & nullam, one day betwixt a great city, and none: so many grievances from outward accidents, and from our selves, our own indiscretion, inordinate appetite, one day betwixt a man and no man.

And which is worse, as if discontents and miseries would not come fast enough upon us; homo homini dæmon, we maul, persecute, and study how to sting, gaul, and vex one another with mutual hatred, abuses, injuries; preying upon, and devouring as so many ravenous birds; and as juglers, panders, bawds, cousening one another; or raging as wolves, tigers, and devils, we take a delight to torment one another;

men are evil, wicked, malicious, trecherous, and naught, not loving one another, or loving themselves, not hospitable, charitable, nor sociable as they ought to be, but counterfeit, dissemblers, ambodexters, all for their own ends, hard-hearted, merciless, pitiless, and to benefit themselves, they care not what mischief they procure to others.

Praxinoe and Gorgo in the Poet, when they had got in to see those costly sights, they then cryed benè est, and would thrust out all the rest: when they are rich themselves, in honor, preferred, full, and have even that they would, they debar others of those pleasures which youth requires, and they formerly have enjoyed.

He sits at table in a soft chair at ease, but he doth not remember in the mean time, that a tired waiter stands behind him, an hungry fellow ministers to him full, he is athirst that gives him drink (saith Epictetus) and is silent whiles he speaks his pleasure: pensive, sad, when he laughs.

Pleno se proluit auro; He feasts, revels, and profusely spends, hath variety of robes, sweet musick, ease, and all the pleasure the world can afford, whilst many an hunger-starved poor creature pines in the street, wants clothes to cover him, labours hard all day long, runs, rides for a trifle, fights peradventure from Sun to Sun, sick and ill, weary, full of pain and grief, is in great distress and sorrow of heart.

He loathes and scornes his inferior, hates or emulates his equal, envies his superior, insults over all such as are under him, as if he were of another Species, a demi-god, not subject to any fall, or humane infirmities.

Generally they love not, are not beloved again: they tire out others bodies with continual labour, they themselves living at ease, caring for none else, sibi nati; and are so far many times from putting to their helping hand, that they seek all meanes to depress, even most worthy and well deserving, better than themselves, those whom they are by the lawes of nature, bound to relieve and help, as much as in them lies, they will let them cater-waul, starve, beg, and hang, before they will any wayes (though it be in their power) assist, or ease: so unnatural are they for the most part, so unregardful: so hard-hearted, so churlish, proud, insolent, so dogged, of so bad a disposition. And being so brutish, so devillishly bent one towards another, how is it possible, but that we should be discontent of all sides, full of cares, woes, and miseries?

If this be not a sufficient proof of their discontent and misery, examine every condition and calling apart. Kings, Princes, Monarchs, and Magistrates seem to be most happy, but look into their estate, you shall find them to be most encumbred with cares, in perpetual fear, agony, suspition, jealousie; that as he said of a Crown, if they knew but the discontents that accompany it, they would not stoop to take it up.

Quem mihi regem dabis (saith Chrysostome) non curis plenum? What King canst thou shew me, not full of cares? Look not on his crown, but consider his afflictions: attend not his number of servants, but multitude of crosses. Nihil aliud potestas culminis, quam tempestas mentis, as Gregory seconds him; Soveraignty is a tempest of the Soul: Sylla like they have brave titles, but terrible fits: splendorem titulo, cruciatum animo: