In Flaccum. 18.
The false knave Flaccus once a bribe I gaue:
The more foole I to bribe so false a knaue:
But he gaue back my bribe; the more foole he,
That for my folly did not cousen me.
In Cineam. 19.
Thou doggèd Cineas, hated like a dogge,
For still thou grumblest like a masty[45] dogge,
Compar'st thyself to nothing but a dogge;
Thou saith[46] thou art as weary as a dogge,
As angry, sicke, and hungry as a dogge,
As dull and melancholly as a dogge,
As lazy, sleepy,[47] idle as a dogge:
But why dost thou compare thee to a dogge
In that, for which all men despise a dogge?
I will compare thee better to a dogge:
Thou art as faire and comely as a dogge,
Thou art as true and honest as a dogge,
Thou art as kind and liberall as a dogge,
Thou art as wise and valiant as a dogge.
But Cineas, I have [often][48] heard thee tell,
Thou art as like thy father as may be;
'Tis like enough; and faith I like it well;
But I am glad thou art not like to me.
In Gerontem. 20.
Geron's[49] mouldy memory corrects
Old Holinshed, our famous Chronicler,
With morall rules; and policy collects
Out of all actions done these fourscore yeare;[50]
Accounts the times of euery old[51] event,
Not from Christ's birth, nor from the Prince's raigne,
But from some other famous accident,
Which in mens generall notice doth remaine,—
The siege of Bulloigne and the Plaguy Sweat,
The going to St. Quintin's and New-haven,
The rising in the North, the Frost so great
That cart-wheeles' prints on Thamis face were graven,[52]
The fall of money, and burning of Paul's steeple;
The blazing starre, and Spaniard's ouerthrow:
By these events, notorious to the people,
He measures times, and things forepast doth show:
But most of all, he chiefly reckons by
A priuate chance,—the death of his curst[53] wife;
This is to him the dearest memory,
And the happiest accident of all his life.
In Marcum. 21.
When Marcus comes from Minnes,[54] hee still doth sweare,
By "come on[55] seauen," that all is lost and gone;
But that's not true; for he hath lost his haire,—
Onely for that he came too much at one.