Thus thou, great Rome, here first wast ouerthrowne Thy future harmes that blindly couldst not se, And in this worke they only were thine owne, Whose knowledge lent that deadly wound to thee, Which to the world before had they not showne, Nere had those secrets been descri’d by mee, Nor by thy wealth so many from the plow Worne those hie types wherein they florish now. 49. After when as the cardinall againe Into hie fauour[2044] with the king mee brought, With[2045] whom my selfe so well I did demeane, As that I seem’d to exercise his thought, And his great liking strongly did retaine With what before my master me had[2046] taught, From whose example, by those cels were small, Sprang the subuersion lastly of them all. 50. Yet many a let was cast into the way, Wherein I ran so steddily and right, And many a snare my aduersaries lay, Much wrought they with their power, much with their slight, Wisely perceiuing that my smallest stay Fully requir’d the vtmost of their might, To my ascendant hasting me[2047] to clime, There as the first predomining the time. 51. Knowing what wealth me earnestly did wooe, Which I through _Wolsey_ hapned had to finde, And could the path most perfectly vntoo, The king thereafter earnestly inclin’d, Seeing besides what after I might doe If so great power mee fully were assign’d, By all their meanes against me strongly wrought, Lab’ring as fast to bring their church to nought. 52. Whil’st to the king continually I sue, And in this businesse faithfully did stirre Strongly t’approue[2048] my iudgement to be true Gainst those who most supposed me to erre, Nor the least meanes which any way I knew Might grace me, or my purposes preferre Did I omit, till wonne I had[2049] his eare, Most that me mark’d, when least he seem’d to heare. 53. This wound to them thus violently giuen, Enuie at me her sharpest darts doth[2050] roue, Affecting the supremacie of heauen, As the first giants warring against Ioue, Heap’d hils on hils, the gods till they had driuen The meanest shapes of earthly things to proue: So must I shift from them against me rose, Mortall their hate, as mightie were my foes. 54. But their great force against me wholly bent Preuail’d vpon my purposes so farre, That I my ruine scarsely could preuent, So momentarie worldly fauours are, That till the vtmost of their spight was spent, Had not my spirit maintain’d a manly warre, Risen they had when laid I had been low,[2051] Vpon whose ruine after I did grow. 55.