“And doubled subiection “See we shall, and feele, and knowe “Subiect to a stranger growne. From hence forward for a King, whose first being from this place Should his brest by nature bring Care of Countrie to embrace, We at surly face must quake Of some _Romaine_ madly bent: Who, our terrour to augment, His _Proconsuls_ axe will shake. Driuing with our Kings from hence Our establish’d gouerment, Iustice sworde, and Lawes defence. Nothing worldly of such might But more mightie _Destinie_, By swift _Times_ vnbridled flight, Makes in ende his ende to see. Euery thing _Time_ ouerthrowes, Nought to ende doth stedfast staie: His great sithe mowes all away As the stalke of tender rose. Onlie Immortalitie Of the Heau’ns doth it oppose Gainst his powerfull _Deitie_. One daie there will come a daie Which shall quaile thy fortunes flower, And thee ruinde low shall laie In some barbarous Princes power. When the pittie-wanting fire Shall, O _Rome_, thy beauties burne, And to humble ashes turne Thy proud wealth, and rich attire, Those guilt roofes which turretwise, Iustly making Enuie mourne, Threaten now to pearce Skies. As thy forces fill each land Haruests making here and there, Reaping all with rauening hand They finde growing any where: From each land so to thy fall Multitudes repaire shall make, From the common spoile to take What to each mans share maie fall. Fingred all thou shalt beholde: No iote left for tokens sake That thou wert so great of olde. Like vnto the auncient _Troie_ Whence deriu’de thy founders be, Conqu’ring foe shall thee enioie, And a burning praie in thee. For within this turning ball This we see, and see each daie: All things fixed ends do staie, Ends to first beginnings fall. And that nought, how strong or strange, Chaungles doth endure alwaie, But endureth fatall change. _M. Antonius._ _Lucilius._ _M. Ant._ _Lucil_, sole comfort of my bitter case, The only trust, the only hope I haue, In last despaire: Ah! is not this the daie That death should me of life and loue bereaue? What waite I for that haue no refuge left, But am sole remnant of my fortune left? All leaue me, flie me: none, no not of them Which of my greatnes greatest good receiu’d, Stands with my fall: they seeme as now asham’de That heretofore they did me ought regarde: They draw them back, shewing they folow’d me, Not to partake my harm’s, but coozen me. _Lu._ In this our world nothing is stedfast found, In vaine he hopes, who here his hopes doth groũd. _Ant._ Yet nought afflicts me, nothing killes me so, As that I so my _Cleopatra_ see Practize with _Cæsar_, and to him transport My flame, her loue, more deare then life to me.