To see a man were his brains in his belly, his guts in is head, an hundred oaks on his back, to devour 100 oxen at a meal, nay more, to devour houses and towns, or as those Anthropophagi, to eat one another. To see a man roll himself up like a snow ball, from base beggery to right worshipfull and right honourable titles, injustly to screw himself into honours and offices; another to starve his genius, damn his soul to gather wealth which he shall not enjoy, which his prodigall son melts and consumes in an instant.

To see the κακοζηλίαν of our times, a man bend all his forces, means, time, fortunes, to be a favorites, favorites, favorite, &c. a parasites, parasites, parasite, that may scorn the servile world as having enough already.

To see an hirsute beggars brat, that lately fed on scraps, crept and whin’d, crying to all, and for an old jerkin ran of errands, now ruffle in silk and satten, bravely mounted, jovial and polite, now scorn his old friends and familiars, neglect his kindred, insult over his betters, domineer over all.

To see a scholar crouch and creep to an illiterate pesant for a meals meat; a scrivener better paid for an obligation; a faulkner receive greater wages then a student: a lawyer get more in a day then a philosopher in a year, better reward for an hour, then a scholar for a twelve moneths studie; him that can paint Thais, play on a fiddle, curl hair, &c. sooner get preferment then a philologer or a poet.

To see a fond mother like Æsops ape, hug her child to death, a wittal wink at his wives honesty, and too perspicuous in all other affairs; one stumble at a straw, and leap over a block; rob Peter, and pay Paul; scrape unjust sums with one hand, purchase great Mannors by corruption, fraud and cozenage, and liberally to distribute to the poor with the other, give a remnant to pious uses, &c. Peny wise, pound foolish; Blind men judge of colours; wise men silent, fools talk; finde fault with others, and do worse themselves; denounce that in publike which he doth in secret; and which Aurelius Victor gives out of Augustus, severely censure that in a third, of which he is most guilty himself.

To see a poor fellow, or an hired servant venture his life for his new Master that will scarce give him his wages at years end; A country colone toil and moil, till and drudg for a prodigal idle drone, that devours all the gain, or lasciviously consumes with phantastical expences; A noble man in a bravado to encounter death, and for a small flash of honor to cast away himself: A worldling tremble at an Executor, and yet not fear hel-fire; To wish and hope for immortality, desire to be happy, and yet by all means avoyd death, a necessary passage to bring him to it.

To see a fool-hardy fellow like those old Danes, qui decollari malunt quam verberari, die rather then be punished, in a sottish humor imbrace death with alacrity, yet scorn to lament his own sins and miseries, or his dearest friends departures.

To see wise men degraded, fools preferred, one govern Towns and Cities, and yet a silly woman over-rules him at home; Command a Province, and yet his own servants or children prescribe laws to him, as Themistocles son did in Greece; What I will (said he) my mother will, and what my mother will, my father doth.

To see horses ride in a Coach, men draw it; dogs devour their masters; towers build masons; children rule; old men go to school; women wear the breeches; sheep demolish towns, devour men, &c. And in a word, the world turned upside downward. O viveret Democritus. To insist in every particular were one of Hercules labors, there’s so many ridiculous instances, as motes in the Sun. Quantum est in rebus inane? And who can speak of all? Crimine ab uno disce omnes, take this for a taste.

But these are obvious to sense, trivial and well known, easie to be discerned. How would Democritus have been moved, had he seen the secrets of their hearts? If every man had a window in his brest, which Momus would have had in Vulcans man, or that which Tully so much wisht it were written in every mans forehead, Quid quisque de republicâ sentiret, what he thought; or that it could be effected in an instant, which Mercurie did by Charon in Lucian, by touching of his eyes, to make him discern semel & simul rumores & susurros. Spes hominum cæcas, morbos, votumque labores, Et passim toto volitantes æthere curas. Blinde hopes and wishes, their thoughts and affairs, Whispers and rumors, and those flying cares.

That he could cubiculorum obductas foras recludere, & secreta cordium penetrare, which Cyprian desired, open doors and locks, shoot bolts, as Lucians Gallus did with a feather of his tail: or Gyges invisible ring; or some rare perspective glasse, or Otacousticon, which would so multiply species, that a man might hear and see all at once (as Martianus Capellas Jupiter did in a spear, which he held in his hand, which did present unto him all that was daily done upon the face of the earth; observe cuckolds horns, forgeries of alcumists, the philosophers stone, new projectors, &c. and all those works of darknesse, foolish vows, hopes, fears and wishes, what a deal of laughter would it have afforded? He should have seen Wind-mils in one mans head, an Hornets nest in another.