Resp. Yes, Misericordia!
Miser. Now please it you to declare, sister Verity!
How she may recover her old prosperity;
Her honour, her wealth, her riches, her substance,
Her commons, her people, her strength, and her puissance.
Ver. All this will be recovered incontinent;
And, to better state also, by good government.
Resp. No lady of my name upon earth, I esteem,
Hath had better administers than mine have been:
Policy, Reformation, and Authority.
Miser. These three be very good.
Resp. And the four[th], Honesty.
Ver. But what if these, which have had you and yours to keep,
Have been ravening wolves in the clothing of sheep?
Resp. If I heard not you, Verity, such sentence give,
By no man's persuasion I could it believe.
Ver. Ah, good Respublica! thou hast been abused;
Whom thou chosest are vices to be refused.
Whom thou callst Honesty, is Adulation;
And he that in pretence was Reformation,
Is indeed Oppression and huge violence;
Whom thou callst Authority, is proud Insolence;
Then he that was Policy, the chief man of price,
Indeed is most stinking and filthy Avarice.
He first inveigled thee, and his purpose to frame,
Cloaked each of these vices with a virtuous name.
Resp. Benedicite! is this a possible case?