 | Saint Peters complaint |  |
41
Fortunes falshood.
In worldly meriments lurketh much miserie,
Slie fortunes subtilties in baites of happinesse
Shrowde hookes, that swallowed, without recouerie
Murder the innocent with mortall heauinesse.
Slie fortunes subtilties in baites of happinesse
Shrowde hookes, that swallowed, without recouerie
Murder the innocent with mortall heauinesse.
She soweth appetites with pleasing vanities,
Till they be conquered with cloaked tyrannie,
Than, chaunging countenance, with open enmities,
She triumphes ouer them, scorning their slauerie.
Till they be conquered with cloaked tyrannie,
Than, chaunging countenance, with open enmities,
She triumphes ouer them, scorning their slauerie.
With fawning flatterie deaths doore she openeth,
Alluring passengers to bloodie destenie:
In offers bountifull, in proofe shee beggereth;
Mens ruines registring her false felicitie.
Alluring passengers to bloodie destenie:
In offers bountifull, in proofe shee beggereth;
Mens ruines registring her false felicitie.
Her hopes are fastened in blisse that vanisheth,
Her smart inherited with sure possession,
Constant in crueltie, shee neuer altereth,
But from one violence, to more oppression.
Her smart inherited with sure possession,
Constant in crueltie, shee neuer altereth,
But from one violence, to more oppression.
To those that follow her, fauours are measured
As easie premises to hard conclusions;
With bitter corrosiues her ioyes are seasoned,
Her highest benefits are but illusions.
As easie premises to hard conclusions;
With bitter corrosiues her ioyes are seasoned,
Her highest benefits are but illusions.
42
Her waies, a laberinth of wandring passages:
Fooles common pilgrimage, to cursed deieties:
VVhose fond deuotion and idle menages
Are wagde with wearinesse in fruitlesse drudgeries.
Fooles common pilgrimage, to cursed deieties:
VVhose fond deuotion and idle menages
Are wagde with wearinesse in fruitlesse drudgeries.
Blinde in her fauorites foolish election,
Chaunce is her arbiter in geuing dignities:
Her choyse of visions, shewes most discretion,
Sith welth the vertuous might wrest from pietie.
Chaunce is her arbiter in geuing dignities:
Her choyse of visions, shewes most discretion,
Sith welth the vertuous might wrest from pietie.
To humble suppliants tyrant most obstinate:
She suters aunswereth with contrarieties:
Proud with petition, vntaught to mitigate
Rigour with clemencie in hardest cruelties.
She suters aunswereth with contrarieties:
Proud with petition, vntaught to mitigate
Rigour with clemencie in hardest cruelties.
Like Tygre fugitiue from the ambitious,
Like weeping Crodocile to scornefull enemies
Suing for amitie where shee is odious,
But to her followers forswearing curtesies.
Like weeping Crodocile to scornefull enemies
Suing for amitie where shee is odious,
But to her followers forswearing curtesies.
No mind so changeable, no sea so wauering,
As giddie Fortune in reeling varieties;
Now mad, now mercifull, now fearce, now fauoring:
In all things mutable, but mutabilities.
As giddie Fortune in reeling varieties;
Now mad, now mercifull, now fearce, now fauoring:
In all things mutable, but mutabilities.
| Saint Peters complaint | |