LOoking lately into the customes of this Age, and coniecturing the in­ward affections of men, I gather that the world is the house of confusion, and the inhabitants thereof set vpon mischiefe: for the seauen Capital Sinnes are growne to such a custome, that our eyes want no allurements to bewitch, our eares no per­swasions to seduce, nor our senses no subtlety to af­fect: Which seizing on the hearts of men, haue brought forth many pernicious children, to the hurt of Nature; some like Centaures, begotten of clouds, as Ambition; some like Serpents nourished in dung­hils, as Sensuality; some like Vapors, raysed vp to bee consumed, as Flattery, and such like: generally all dan­gerous and full of trouble: therefore (is it in the sense of man) most fitting to haue the painting taken off from these foule faces, the couers pulled off from these cups of Poyson, and the couert of this bed of Serpents ripped vp, that wee may discerne what hath long time beene hidden cunningly.

[Page]The first that presents himselfe vpon our Stage, If we call Ambition, catching at nothing but Stars, [...] onely for Greatnesse: this is hee, that cun­ningly can inuent stratagems to his own ouerthrow, giuing Pens occasion to write Tragedies: if hee rise from obscurity, (as many haue done) hee laboureth to be skilfull in those things, which are most pleasing to the greater sort, and tollerable among the Com­mons: His study is for prayse, and not for Vertue: His lookes like Mausolus Tombe, faire and comely without, but within nothing but rotten bones, and [...]orrupt practises: his apparrell increaseth with his [...]ortune, and as worldly affaires direct him, so su­ [...]eth he both fashions and affections: in his study he [...]ffecteth singularity, and is proud in beeing Author of a new Stratagem: if hee chance to come into the [...]ye of the World, he then creepes into the fauour of some great Personage, in feeding whose humors (to relieue his wants) he makes intrusion into som he­ritage, and matcheth not according to his birth, but to the increase of his fortune; and by that meanes, by hooke or crooke, hee attaineth to some place in the Court. Then begins he with guifts to win hearts; by fained humility to auoyd hatred; by offices of friendship, to bind his equals; by cunning insinua­tions to worke his Superiors; by which meanes he is held to be worthily a Statesman. Being growne to this step higher, the authority likes him not without the stile, wherein if any crosse him, looke for poy­son in his cup, or conspiracy in his walkes: yea so [Page] pestilent is his nature, that (like fire raked vp in em­bers) he neuer sheweth but to consume both him­selfe and others: if he perceiue any that by ripe iudge­ment conceiteth his courses, with him he ioyneth, as if he sought his onely protection vnder the wing of his Glory, but the very truth is, he hath no other in­tent but this, to clip the wings of his renowne for feare he flye beyond him: if the nature of the No­bleman whom he enuieth be gentle, hee bringeth him in feare, either of his own seruants in his house­hold, or his familiars that loue his honour, or else some mislike betwixt his Prince and him, sworne and confirmed by flatteries and intelligences, till the no­ble-man looseth either his land, authority, or place; and hee attaine both his stile and promotion: yet play he neuer so cunningly, such vncertaine ho­nors beget daily dangers, & make him careles of his soules prosperity: for then there entreth intohis mind a delightfull sin called curiosity, by which, to make him more able in other mischiefs, he giues entertain­ment to witches and charmers, and consorts him­selfe with nouell-mongers, and strange inuenters of banquets, to set lust on fire, and that can deuise con­fections to besot youth with luxury, that for an ireful man can worke strange reuenges, for a fearefull, a strong tower to keepe him in: to be excellent at poy­sons, to kill lingringly, like the Italian. But again to our purpose. To the Ambitious man ther is cōmonly belonging a rusticke troupe of Flatterers, Bauds, Adulterers Soothers, and such like, that hating [...] vertue makes sin seeme pleasing, which [...] in the [Page] flexible heart such a sweet desire of forbidden plea­sures, that it euen surfets and growes sicke with ex­cesse; Lust and Adultery I meane; which I describe in this maner. It is the most insolent of all things, it troubles the mind, and taketh away the Empire of liberty, it confounds Memory, kils Prouidence, and treads downe good Counsell. Offends not hee the Law that takes possession of another mans free-hold, and makes a Common of his Neighbours Inclo­sure? Adulterers, I say, haue no Spirit to good­nesse, nor will they bee by any Councell moued to godlinesse: for their felicity is in the surfets of the flesh, and the pleasures thereof bring nothing but too deare repentance: the Adulterer spights him most that examines his proceedings; and plots his ouerthrow that doth but touch his infirmities. Oh! what an enemy is it to vertue, the onely wrack of wealth, and plaine high way to pouerty? The Adul­terer is so blinded in heart, and so hardened withall, that he can hardly look vp toward Heauen to behold Gods iust Iudgements: yet so iust and sure they are that in all ages this vile sin hath been seuerely puni­shed, as by the example of Iudas, iustice on Thamar, Dauids adultery with Vrias wife punished in his son Absolon, thousands of men dyed in the fields of Moab for this fault, threescore thousand of the children of Israell were put to the sword for the rauishing onely of a Leuites Wife: of all sins it is in nature the most odious, and brings with it the greatest shame vnto [...]: it is a sin that hath made the earth drunke [Page] with blood, to the confusion of many Townes and Cities. Sodome and Gomorah were consumed with fire for Incest and Adultery: Troy a proud City made a plow-land for the same sin. It was the onely adulte­ries of the French, that caused a Massaker of foure-score thousand, by the ringing of one bell. Let not the Strumpets eye, saies one of the Sages of Greece, shine vpon the countenance of young men, least with the Basaliske it pearce vnto the death: for her malice is as lightening, and more raging then the shee Beare: vpon her attends malicious hatred, whose fe­licity is onely to reioyce at the harmes of others, gi­uing more affliction to them that are most troubled with affliction, where if any offend her, she admits no reconciliation, but liues as a partiall iudge in her own cause: if she heares the aduancement of ver­tue then growes she pensiue, and if she want credit a­mongst the mighty, then falls shee working with the meaner sort: she smiles not vpon any man but to be­tray him, nor giues him countenance but to vndoe him, nor contriues any Stratagems without Murder, nor dwels by any neighbour but to hutt him; and if she be but crossed in her will, she euer frets her selfe away in anger, and after in hate and malice becomes infamous: for her loue is a minute, but her spight o­uerlasting. Her hand beeing once dipt in mischiefe, she neuer walkes abroad but in suspition, fearing to be accused by vertue, and still liues in dread of her good Fortune: yet by nature is she such, that shee hath courage enough to aduenture on any sinne. An [Page] ambitious woman shewes her selfe to be a trouble­some disturber of the world, powerfull to make small things great, and great, monstrous: Enuy by na­ture is greeued at the Prosperity of others: hee enuieth the Great in that he cannot Equall them, he enuieth the weake, dreading they should compare themselues with him: he enuieth his Equalls because they should not become his Companions: in King­domes, Common-Wealths, Princes Courts and Ambitious mens Houses, he is still working: no Man hunteth after Honor but he affronts him, onely the miserable man hee enuies not, because (being kept in Prison) hee feares not his risings, yet hath hee a scorne ouer him. Machiuell knowing the venome of this vice, gaue his sonne this last and not least in­struction: that he should not be enuious, but to doe (saith hee) such deeds that others may enuy thee: for to be enuied is the token of good desert, but to be enuious the signe of a foolish nature, which verifies the saying of Marcus Tullius the Orator, that the most florishing fortune is most enuied at. But now to be more familiar in my discourse: wher Ambition, Adul­tery, Pride, Enuy, Malice, and such like Capitall Sins haue set in foote, there cannot chuse but follow Murder and confusion, and where the foundation is layd with bloud, there can be a building but of small continuance, but where Honors haue a true begin­ning, a ground of vertue springing vp by noble de­serts, continued by Wisedome and maintayned with Care, there cannot choose but follow a fruitfull [Page] haruest, and a plentifull Winter: contrariwise to ob­taine sodaine Honors begets Pride and Vaineglory: Pride and Vainglory are the cherishers of Enuy and Mallice: Enuy and Mallice the Nurses of Bloudshed & Murder, in which whosoeuer dippeth but the tip of his finger, giues to his Soule a scarlet staine, which neuer can be cleare vntill the dissolution of the body, and then well are they that can wash it away with the true teares of repentance.

Brittle is that greatnesse that fadeth in a moment, and vaine the ioy that is vnwisely lost. He that hath a sodaine rise and can wisely stand, is a most happy worldling, but he that forgets himselfe on the Pina­cle of prosperity, is besotted with arrogancy: there­fore let him that hunts for honors in Princes Courts, wander in an euen passage, for dangerous are the pro­ceedings and busines of a Statesman. Take this for an example: suppose that a young man from the lowest ebbe of worldly chance haue the aduancement of Greatnesse laid vpon his shoulders, will it not for a time seeme a heauy burthen, and a great trouble to his new transformed fortunes? Will not the pride of his heart swell to a full Sea; euen ready to burst ouer the bankes of his Honour-giuer? Then rightly may the Picture of ingratitude be imprinted in his fore-front, playing the Viper to his high forunes first beginner.

Being thus intituled with State-Offices, hath hee not many soothers in sin, personages of base conditi­on attending him, hemming him round with perswa­sions of selfe conceit, which for a need will venture [Page] their liues to gaine him the commands of his will: what becomes of such follies but a sorrowfull repen­tance, and no recouery? All you that haue your harts pierced with sad considerations, take this for a re­membrance of greefe, that is, that when a Woman of noble Parentage, placed on the mountaine of smi­ling chance, hauing the dignity of Greatnesse shi­ning on her fore-head, should humble her selfe to base conditions, giuing her whole mind to malici­ous hatred, secret consents of iniquity, selfewill and wicked proceedings, neuer pacified till the end of damned performances. Oh! was not this woman cre­ated for a deep sorrow to her Alliance, a great greefe vnto her Country, and a foule staine vnto her owne reputation? Is it not also a lamentable example for a Gentleman of good birth and calling, placed in dignity in high office and charge for his Country, to giue way by consent to a bloudy stratagem, and for feare of the displeasures of Groatnes intangle himselfe in the snares of reproch? Will not this also be a continuall remembrance to his posterity, and a barre of disgrace branding the coat-Armes of his house, to haue the common course of Iustice passe vpon him in the eye of the multitude? Is it not also great pitty that for want of grace some of a seruile (yet an obseruing condition) should from the golden meane of low estate wait at the elbow of Greatnes, and bring fuel to their fire of iniquity, wherein at the length they themselues are likewise consumed? Oh! wherefore should simplicity thus blind vp their eyes [Page] of vnderstanding, to be thus the instruments of such dangerous drifts, that ayme at nothing but grudge and mallice? If with Solons saying they had sealed vp their hearts, Remember the end, this had neuer been: then how are they led away with amisse, that hauing the guifts of art and experience, the secrets of the simples of Physick, ordained by God for mans good vse, should by the Diuell & them be conuerted thus to malignant purposes? if the feare of God had shi­ned in their hearts, it would haue beene a light to haue led them fro [...] all those darke practises, which haue now spotted the foreheads of their reputations with the markes of blacke infamy. Shame cannot choose but be the reward of such enterprisers, that for the fauor of Greatnes will dip their hands in the blood of Innocents, and euen as it were worke a­gainst nature: Oh more then sauage minded Crea­tures! in the very deepnesse of your blacke and bloody imaginations (imboldened by whomso­euer) this might haue beene your Memento, in which I conclude, that strange and wonderfull are Gods iudgements, that in these fore-passed stratagems haue shined in great glory: say you then that bloud inno­cently shed is layd vp in Heauens Treasury, not one drop of it can be lost, but lent out to Vsury: water pou­red forth, sincks downe quietly into the earth, but bloud spilt on the ground, sprinkles vp to the Firma­ment. Murder is wide-mouthed, and will not let God rest till he grant reuenge, not onely the bloud of the slaughtered, but the soule of the innocent ascending [Page] to his throne, crying out and exclaiming for Iustice, which (the Lord be praised) hath beene, and will be carefully followed by the learned and worthy Magi­strates of this Kingdome, whom the Lord God pros­per and protect in all their proceedings, to which let all true hearts say Amen.