The trade of men is such too late th’are wise; Too late they knowe which way mischaunces fell; At first the _Phrygians_ counsayle did despise, At last they knewe the way t’haue holpe it well, When _Græcians_ did their noble Princes quell, Had fierde and sackt their Towne of worthie fame, When they too late knewe howe t’haue sau’de the same. 6. Our _Cæsar_ sawe too late his cause of fall, And _Drusus_ poisned had as fortune ill; _Domitius Nero_ hated most of all, Eke _Galba_, which his master sought to kill, So _Siluius Otho_ whose bloud I did spill, And I _Vitellius_ may affirme with these, _Illud verum, Serio sapiunt Phryges_. 7. We all assaylde and gate the throne by sworde, So each we sawe how they before vs spead; The onely fruite which treason hath t’afforde, Is losse of pleasures, goods, lands, life or head; The gayne we get, stands vs small time in stead, The Fame we craue, becomes defame and shame, And rusts for aye deuouring our good name. 8. Of slaughters mine what neede I here discry, Or how the _Romaynes_ reft away my life, When I seuen monthes had raygned wickedly, Which entred in by bloud and ciuill strife; But this I finde too late a sequell rife, Who takes by sworde from Prince the scepter’s guide, By sworde from him the scepter so shall slide, [He cannot long himselfe from _Iouae’s_ Justice hide, When loyall loue thy Prince, let treason trudge beside.] Londricvs the Picte slayne by King Marius of Britayne, about the 80. yeere of Christ, giues his verdit of Fortune. 1. Fortune erst was wont to lift aloft her children high,[1040] And giue them kingdoms great and conquests at her will, And place them, as they thought, aboue the gods welnigh, She blindly leades them forth as is her custome still, With pleasures all a while she doth their fancies fill, And at the last doth let them fall in foule despite againe.[1041] Shee sets aloft and pulles them downe with might and maine; [Such is of Fortune blind the use to plague her impes with pinching paine.] 2. When wee the glory see of those that come to great renowne,[1042] We are enflamed straight the like attempts to make; But when we see mischaunce againe to driue them downe, We are not able yet example there to take; The stormes of enuie blacke the hawtiest housen shake, The basest sort contend with all their force t’aspire; The meaner persons eke the loftie roomes require, [And equalles heartes doe burne with hatefull brands of burning ire.] 3.