Thou maist be made a god, (quoth satan than,) If on the fruite forbidden thou wilt feede: The senselesse wight, the feeble forcelesse man, Did taste thereof, supposing that with speede He shoulde in hast haue beene a god indeede: He not content, hoping for hygher place, Brought bitter bale to him and al his race. 3. And I the sonne of _Adam_ by descent, Dyd seeke to set my selfe in princely seate, With mine estate I could not be content, For which I felt the force of hatred’s heat: As at the first, my good successe was greate, So at the last, by fansie’s fond desires, I gropte for grapes amidst the bramble brires. 4. Let such as woulde by vertue them aduaunce, Marke by what menes I did my selfe addresse, To flye at first my poore alotted chaunce By honest meanes: let them from wickednesse Which fayne would flye, learne this by my distresse, That he who doth from right and reason stray, Destruction shall destroy him with decay. 5. For I by byrth borne next to beggers doore, Was stayde aloft with staffe of high estate: But whil’ste that I so hye a pitche did soore, I left the meanes which made me ryse of late, I vices lou’de, I did al vertues hate. For which, _Carassus_ ranne a race in vayne, And nothing got, but death and deepe disdayne. 6. When ciuile strife had _Bryttayne_ quite vndone, So that her strength was now of none auayle, The faythlesse _Scots_[1169] with ruth did ouerrunne That royall realme: the _Pictes_ did so preuayle,[1170] That sorrow did on euery side assayle My natiue soyle: and being thus dismayde, To _Rome_ we sent for succour, helpe, and ayde. 7. _Seuerus_ then by _Bassianus_ sent, To bring this realme vnto some quiet stay, The _Romans_ and the _Brittaynes_ both were bent, To bring the _Scottes_ and _Pictes_[1171] to their decay, Them to returne agayne to _Scithya_, And at the last by good _Seuerus_ ayde, We them destroyde when we were most afrayde. 8. Whose force though twice the _Romans_ felt to strong, Yet at the last we got a goodly day, Euen by my meanes, who thrust into the throng Of _Scots_ and _Pictes_,[1172] I desperate ther dyd play The part of hym, whom feare did neuer fray. And at the last to end this mortall strife, I did depriue King _Lodrike_ of his life. 9.