He who ne're thing yet worthy man durst doe, Neuer durst looke vpon his countrey's foe, Nor durst attempt that action which might get Him fame with men: or higher might him set Then the base begger (rightly if compar'd;) This Drone yet neuer braue attempt that dar'd, Yet dares be knighted, and from thence dares grow To any title Empire can bestow; For this beleeue, that Impudence is now 60 A Cardinall vertue, and men it allow Reuerence, nay more, men study and inuent New wayes, nay, glory to be impudent. Into the clouds the Deuill lately got, And by the moisture doubting much the rot, A medicine tooke to make him purge and cast; Which in short time began to worke so fast, That he fell too 't, and from his backeside flew, A rout of rascall a rude ribauld crew Of base Plebeians, which no sooner light, 70 Vpon the earth, but with a suddaine flight, They spread this Ile, and as _Deucalion_ once Ouer his shoulder backe, by throwing stones They became men, euen so these beasts became, Owners of titles from an obscure name. He that by riot, of a mighty rent, Hath his late goodly Patrimony spent, And into base and wilfull beggery run This man as he some glorious acte had done, With some great pension, or rich guift releeu'd, 80 When he that hath by industry atchieu'd Some noble thing, contemned and disgrac'd, In the forlorne hope of the times is plac'd, As though that God had carelessely left all That being hath on this terrestriall ball, To fortunes guiding, nor would haue to doe With man, nor aught that doth belong him to, Or at the least God hauing giuen more Power to the Deuill, then he did of yore, Ouer this world: the feind as he doth hate 90 The vertuous man; maligning his estate, All noble things, and would haue by his will, To be damn'd with him, vsing all his skill, By his blacke hellish ministers to vexe All worthy men, and strangely to perplexe Their constancie, there by them so to fright, That they should yeeld them wholely to his might. But of these things I vainely doe but tell, Where hell is heauen, and heau'n is now turn'd hell; Where that which lately blasphemy hath bin, 100 Now godlinesse, much lesse accounted sin; And a long while I greatly meruail'd why Buffoons and Bawdes should hourely multiply,