And the king late obedient to her lawes, Against the clerke of Germany had writ, As he that first stirr’d in the churche’s cause, Against him greatliest that oppugned it, And wan from her so gratefull an applause, Then in her fauour chiefly that did sit, That as the prop, whereon she only stai’th, Him she instil’d _Defender of the faith_. 84. But not their power, whose wisdomes them did place In the first ranke, the oracles of state, Who that opinion strongly did embrace, Which through the land receiued was of late, Then ought at all preuailed in this case, O powerfull doome of vnauoided fate, Whose depth not weake mortalitie can know, Who can vphold what heauen will ouerthrow? 85. When time now vniuersally did show The power to her peculiarly annex’d, With most abundance then when she did flow, Yet euery hower still prosp’rously she wex’d, But the world poore did by loose riots grow, Which serued as an excellent pretext, And colour gaue to plucke her from her pride, Whose only greatnesse suffred none beside. 86. Likewise to that posteritie did doubt, Those at the first not rightly did[2077] adore, Their fathers that too credulous deuout Vnto the church[2078] contributed their store, And to recouer only went about What their great zeale had lauished before, On her a strong hand violently lai’d, Preying on that they gaue for to be prai’d. 87. And now the[2079] king set in a course so right, Which I for him laboriously had tract, (Who, till I learn’d him, did not know[2080] his might) I still to prompt his power with me to act, Into those secrets got so deepe a sight, That nothing lastly to his furtherance lackt, And by example plainly to him showne, How all might now be easly ouerthrowne.[2081] 88. In taking downe yet of this goodly frame He suddenly not brake off euery band, But tooke the power first from the papall name, After, a while let the religion stand, When limbe by limbe he daily did it lame, First tooke a leg, and after tooke a hand, Till the poore semblance of a bodie left, But all should stay it, vtterly bereft. 89. For if some abbey hapned void to fall By death of him that the superiour was, Gaine, that did first church libertie enthrall, Only supreame, promoted to the place, ’Mongst many bad, the worst most times of all, Vnder the colour of some other’s grace, That by the slander, from his life should[2082] spring, Into contempt it more and more might bring. 90.