If wofull experience may mooue you (Gentlemen)
to beware, or vnheard of wretchednes intreate you
to take heed, I doubt not but you will looke
backe with sorrow on your time past, and endeuour
with repentance to spend that which is to come.
Wonder not (for with thee wil I first begin), thou
famous gracer of Tragedians, that _Greene_, who hath
said with thee like the foole / in his heart, There is
no God, should now giue glorie vnto his greatnesse:
for penitrating is his power, his hand lies heauie
vpon me, he hath spoken vnto me with a voice of
thunder, and I haue felt he is a God that can punish
enimies. Why should thy excellent wit, his gift, be
so blinded, that thou shouldst giue no glory to the
giuer? Is it pestilent Machiuilian pollicie that thou
hast studied? O punish follie! What are his rules
but meere confused mockeries, able to extirpate in
small time the generation of mankinde. For if _Sic
volo, sic iubeo_, hold in those that are able to command:
and if it be lawfull _Fas & nefas_ to doe any
thing that is beneficiall, onely Tyrants should possesse
the earth, and they striuing to exceede in tyranny,
should each to other bee a slaughter man; till the
mightiest outliuing all, one stroke were left for Death,
that in one age man's life should ende. The brother
of this Diabolicall Atheisme is dead, and in his life
had neuer the felicitie he aimed at: but as he began
in craft, liued in feare and ended in despaire.
_Quam inscrutabilia sunt Dei iudicia?_ This murderer
of many brethren had his conscience seared like
_Caine_: this betrayer of him that gaue his life for
him, inherited the portion of _Iudas_: this Apostata
perished as ill as _Iulian_: and wilt thou my friend
be his Disciple? Looke vnto me, by him perswaded
to that libertie, and thou shalt finde it an infernall
bondage. I knowe the least of my demerits merit
this miserable death, but wilfull striuing against
knowne truth, exceedeth al the terrors of my soule.
Defer not (with me) till this last point of extremitie;
for little knowest thou how in the end thou shalt be
visited.
With thee I ioyne young _Iuuenall_, that byting
Satyrist, that lastlie with mee together writ a
Comedie. Sweete / boy, might I aduise thee, be
aduised, and get not many enemies by bitter words:
inueigh against vaine men, for thou canst do it, no
man better, no man so wel: thou hast a libertie to
reprooue all, and none more; for one being spoken
to, all are offended, none being blamed no man is
iniured. Stop shallow water still running, it will
rage, tread on a worme and it will turne: then blame
not schollers vexed with sharpe lines, if they reproue
thy too much libertie of reproofe.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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