"This world is Fortune's ball wherewith she sports. Sometimes I strike it up into the air, And then create I emperors and kings; Sometimes I spurn it, at which spurn crawls out The wild beast multitude: curse on, you fools, 'Tis I that tumble princes from their thrones, And gild false brows with glittering diadems; 'T is I that tread on necks of conquerors, And when like semi-gods they have been drawn In ivory chariots to the Capitol, Circled about with wonder of all eyes, The shouts of every tongue, love of all hearts, Being swoln with their own greatness, I have pricked The bladder of their pride, and made them die As water-bubbles (without memory): Whilst the true-spirited soldier stands by Bareheaded, and all bare, whilst at his scars They scoff, that ne'er durst view the face of wars. I set an idiot's cap on virtue's head, Turn learning out of doors, clothe wit in rags, And paint ten thousand images of loam In gaudy silken colors: on the backs Of mules and asses I make asses ride. Only for sport to see the apish world Worship such beasts with sound idolatry. She sits and smiles to hear some curse her name, And some with adoration crown her fame." The boundless beneficence of Dekkar's heart is specially embodied in the character of the opulent lord, Jacomo Gentili, in his play of "The Wonder of a Kingdom." When Gentili's steward brings him the book in which the amount of his charities is recorded, he exclaims impatiently:-- "Thou vain vainglorious fool, go burn that book; No herald needs to blazon charity's arms. * * * * I launch not forth a ship, with drums and guns And trumpets, to proclaim my gallantry; He that will read the wasting of my gold Shall find it writ in ashes, which the wind Will scatter ere he spells it." He will have neither wife nor children. When, he says, "I shall have one hand in heaven, To write my happiness in leaves of stars, A wife would pluck me by the other down. This bark has thus long sailed about the world, My soul the pilot, and yet never listened To such a mermaid's song. * * * * My heirs shall be poor children fed on alms; Soldiers that want limbs; scholars poor and scorned; And these will be a sure inheritance Not to decay; manors and towns will fall, Lordships and parks, pastures and woods, be sold; But this land still continues to the lord: No tricks of law can me beguile of this. But of the beggar's dish, I shall drink healths To last forever; whilst I live, my roof Shall cover naked wretches; when I die, 'T is dedicated to St. Charity." We should not do justice to Dekkar's disposition, even after these quotations, did we omit that enumeration of positives and negatives which, in his view, make up the character of the happy man:--