Fortunes Tennis-ball:
A warning to all that are Nursers of Pride,
For Justice is knowne to be Eagle-ey'd;
Those that will climb must look to have a fall,
For Fortune will pat down her Tennis-ball:
Let no man frown, for ile have all know it,
This wicked age must have a biting Poet.
OR, A Proviso for all those that are elevated, to take heed of falling, for Fortune spights more the mightie then the poore: According to the Poet:
Qui cadit in terram non babet unde cadit.
Printed Anno Dom. 1640.
On the Frontispiece.
SEe for the Frontispiece here a Cedar tree,
Whereon sits Fortune in her Majestie.
Those that presume t'aspire unto its top,
She slilie gives the highest branch a lop,
And topsie turvie they come tumbling down,
As dazled with the brightnesse of her crown.
You that look on the root, pray look no higher
Then its true Motto, Cease too high t'aspire.
Pride will have a fall.
The downfall of Pride, and aspiring wits,
Painted at full in their ague fits.
PRide that aspiring girle, whose soaring minde
Flyes swifter then the ayre or Easterne wind,
Hath got a downfall, when she thought to fly,
Time held her tresses, pulld her back, her eye
Which still was fixt upon the highest spheere,
Is, taught now to look lower, and her eare
Set to a lower key, her loftie front
Must be new Christned in afflictions font.
Our Noblemen, me thinks, I now espie
Like splendent stars fixt on our azure skie:
Where each man studies to out-shine the rest,
And he most proud that can be counted best.
Yet know ye stars, who bespankle our skie,
Know that the Sun is still the worlds eye,
From him you shall receive your lustre, and
Must pay't again when he shall it demand;
Our King, I mean, who is this Ilands eye
Of Government by true Epitomie:
The moon oftimes doth strive t' eclipse the sun,
As overgiddie stars of late have done,
I read how
Phaeton Don
Phebus sonne,
That he might know from what race he was sprung,
Swelling with pride, desir'd his father graunt
[Page 2]This one boone to him, who thus himself did vaunt,
That he might guid his fathers horses and,
Have his bright charret at his owne command;
Which thing was granted caus'd the world burne,
And threw the child to his untimely urne,
'Tis no expedient for a vulgar eye,
To stare upon superiour Maiestie,
Nor can you great ones, though you're crept so high,
Say you can rule the bright translucent skie:
No god can thunder but the mightie
Iove,
Yet all are gods as well as he above;
Therefore be wise, and cease to high t' aspire
Least you do burne in Phaetontike fire,
Let Soll's bays alone, I mean the crowne,
Those that soare high are aptest to fall downe,
Have you not seen the loftie Cedar fall,
When shrubs fast rooted stand within the vale,
'Tis not your riches, nor your pomp of state,
Honours nor strength, nor can powers mitricate
Secure you here on earth, fate will overthrow,
When blastering stormes of fortune 'gin to blow
Cesar and
Pompey in their golden prime.
Whose armes did thunder terror in their time
Wear queld by fate, pride nought avail'd there then,
Their graves were digd on earth amongst other men,
Ye kinglike eagles which on this Cedar top
Do perch, pray look how soon mans life doth stop,
'Tis as soone here and yet 'tis sooner done,
Then the hot summers rain, or winters sun.
Set fast your footing lest you catch a fall
We hope to rise at honours trumpets call.
I've seen our Bishops on the wings of hope
Flying with swiftnesse to the reverend pope
Thinking to cloake all with their fallacies,
[Page 3]Which had no credence from our watchfull eyes;
First Metrapollitan, could not a Miter
Suffice your little pate would you be whiter
Then La
[...]vne can make you, you strive to pull downe
Religion here to gain the Triple crown:
and how you bend and bowe to th' altar plac't
In an old corner which is
[...]oward the east,
And how you cringe and creep when ye shall hear
The name of Iesus touch your reverend eare.
Displace the Levite who shall
[...]eed his flocke
Twice on a sabbath from the common stock.
Beware, repent, for now the Scottish club,
Hath drove the into Englands powdering tube:
Scholiers are bound to curse thy aspiring minde,
Nor here, nor there they can no comfort finde,
But they are mercifull, and still will pray
That great Iove would be pleasd to send a day
That they might hear you preach on tower hill,
Which thing they hope will rid thee from all ill.
If the low keele of a great ship shall fayle,
What 'ist the better for a brave top sayle,
Or if the roote of a fayre tree doth rot,
How can we well believe the tree doth not,
The root of this our kingdome rotten found:
But yet I hope the kingdom is still sound,
The Land the root which was made rotten quite
For some there were through weaknesse of their sight.
Can't view its splendor, the kingdomes still sicke
Being troubled with the subtile politick,
Better some members perish then the whole
Body should languish in continuall thrall;
Our Judges are corrupt, they should dispence
The Law according to each mans offence
Which they wrest other wayes, pride bids them rise
And mount above the bright bespangled skies,
[Page 4]But judgement pulls them down and they shall finde
What dangers hap to the aspiring minde,
Hear this proud courtier, whose aspiring braines
Are never fed but with strong Ela straines,
Refraine to soare aloft, lest that you fall
With prides projecters to eternall thrall;
Seek not to stop petitioners who sue
To right old wrongs, for 'tis your scarlet crew
That's Banisht, which for bribes, or hope of gaine
You'l gain the devill, and stop justice raigne.
Next leave your swearing, you strive to invent
New oathes, and make them but a complement,
Gods name is bare of honour in our hearing
And quite worn out by our blasphemous swearing,
It's taken in vain by iesters every day,
Vnlesse that actors sweare, it is no play:
An execrable vice when you shall die
Your selves in sinnes vault, and crucifie
Our Saviour, hourlie make his wounds bleed fresh,
And thrust sharpe pricking speares into his flesh.
Leave off for shame lest judgement over take you,
For when that comes your pride must needs forsake (you)
O how you'l cringe and prate if a great Pear
Shall daigne to lend the audience of his care,
Or how officious will you seeme to be
If you shall but espy his Majesty,
Superiors you adore, like Persians
You'l worship the bright sun, not country
Pans.
Inferiours shall not gaine that curtesey
As once to wag your hat, or bend your knee,
But near me Squashers, let me tell you plaine,
If you use those things my pen shall complaine,
Let pride perswade what she can I know,
If Fortune once shall kicke you downe below
[Page 5]We shall espie you, your supposed skie
Will prove at length but a meer timpany:
Your moon will waine, your hour's of pride will waste
Then what will come to those who're
Ianus fac'd.
Gentiles refraine the sharking cards and dice,
Hearken to counsell and hear sound advice,
What pride doth bid you spend, give to the poore,
Let hospitallitie fatten at your dore,
So shall you rise when prides associates fall,
Who yeeld themselves as Fortunes Tennis-ball.
Expect a while, and you shall quicklie see
The derivation of their pedigree.
If any one of this proud troupe should die
Then who should write their epitaphs but I.
An epitaph on a noble man.
Here lies the Cedar who aspired so tall,
That Joue took notice of, and caus'd him fall.
On a gentleman.
Here lies the verie timpanie of pride,
Which made him breake at length, and so he died.
On our great Bishop. W. L. A. B. C.
If anie stranger shall ask who lies here,
Let this new toomb this for inscription beare.
Paint Pope and divell, make the stranger laugh;
Mix his own shame, and ther's his epitaph.
On a Iudge.
He that iudged many is condemned now,
Because 'twas prov'd by law he broke his vow;
Pride was his Goddesse, he thought still t'aspire,
But sure his grave is nere a whit the higher.
On a Courtier.
He that took many bribes thought to bribe death,
But death dealt cunningly, took bribe, and breath.
FINIS.