How hast thou been by evil men beguiled!”

“How! wicked, say you? You can little guess

The gain of that which you call wickedness;

Why, sins you think it sinful but to name

Have gain’d both wives and widows wealth and fame;

And this because such people never dread

Those threaten’d pains; hell comes not in their head:

Love is our nature, wealth we all desire,

And what we wish ’tis lawful to acquire;

So say my books - and what beside they show