ZELMANE First shall fertile grounds not yield increase of a good seed, First the rivers shall cease to repay their floods to the ocean: First may a trusty greyhound transform himself to a tiger. First shall virtue be vice, and beauty be counted a blemish, Ere that I leave with song of praise her praise to solemnize, Her praise, whence to the world all praise hath his only beginning: But yet well I do find each man most wise in his own case. None can speak of a wound with skill, if he have not a wound felt. Great to thee my state seems, thy state is bless’d by my judgment: And yet neither of us great or blest deemeth his own self. For yet (weigh this alas!) great is not great to the greater. What judge you doth a hillock show, by the lofty Olympus? Such my minute greatness, doth seem compar’d to the greatest. When cedars to the ground fall down by the weight of an emmot, Or when a rich ruby’s price be the worth of a walnut, Or to the sun for wonders seem small sparks of a candle: Then by my high cedar, rich ruby, and only shining sun, Virtue, riches, beauties of mine shall great be reputed. Oh, no, no, worthy shepherd, worth can never enter a title, Where proofs justly do teach, thus match’d, such worth to be nought worth: Let not a puppet abuse thy sprite, kings’ crowns do not help them From the cruel headache, nor shoes of gold do the gout heal: And precious couches full oft are shak’d with a fever. If then a bodily ill in a bodily gloze be not hidden, Shall such morning dews be an ease to the heat of a love’s fire?