Abuses Stripped and Whipped, Book · Satire 9
OF AMBITION.
SATYR. 9.
HEres yet another cal'd Ambition,
Little with men of low condition,
But 'tis a humor which doth euer search,
The stout-high-minded, and doth alway perch
In men of spirit. This doth farre surmount,
The force of LoueLove; It maketh no account
Of Nature, nor Religion; 'tis not Law,
Nor Conscience, that can keep such men in awe;
Ther's no estate contents them; peace and strife
Are both alike to them; yea death and life:
Wiues, children, friends, nor none but such as may▪
Be vntounto their Ambitious plots a stay,
Shall be respected; and so they may reape,
What they desire, the'il not stick to heape
Murther on Murthers; yea and think't no sinne,
Be it of strangers, or their nearest kin:
They hauehave such flinty breasts they can out-beard,
Danger it selfe, and be no whit afeard;
Proud daring Spirits; yet we see, confusion,
Of such high minds doth prooue the sad couclusion:
And he that first was ruin'd by this euill,
Was our grand foe which wee doe call the Diuell:
For he aspir'd so high, that higher powers,
Wrought his iust fall, and now he seeketh ours;
He first infus'd this ill into our brest,
For to disquiet and disturbe our rest.
This most vnreasonable, strong desire;
This too excessiue longing to aspire
To honour and promotion; which indeed
Doth from a sottish ignorance proceed;
It is the wild'st and most disorderd'st passion,
And a great enemy to contentation,
For whatsoeuer state man hath attain'd
Tis e' ne as if that he had nothing gain'd;
For he hath hereby still a farther I cope,
And neuer reaches to the end of's hope;
That which he doth possesse he neere respecteth,
But altogether things vnknowne affecteth,
And counts them best; which whatsoe're they
Being once gotten too, are not esteem'd:
But what's the reason that they doe abhor, sseem'd,
The things possest that they hauehave labor'd for?
What is the cause I say they doe contemne,
(Or cannot vse) things hauing gained them?
Sure hence it doth proceed; they doe not know
VVhat the things are that they doe long for so.
And they obtaine them oft, e're they hauehave might,
And Reason fit to gouerne them aright:
Had many of our reaching Yeomanry,
That hauehave growne wealthy through good husbandry,
And some of our proud Gentry, that hauehave sought
Titles, and vndeserued Honors bought;
Had they, I say, before-hand knowne the shame,
And beggery that followed on the same,
For want to knowing where to they aspir'd
They would not hauehave those Dignities desir'd,
And so indeed they might hauehave walk't the street,
And not hauehave feard the Counters nor the Fleet:
Yea and with Good-man hauehave contented bin,
Where now there's scarce a good man of the kin.
Ambitious men wil euer enuious be;
Regarding neither louelove nor amity,
And though that they may make a goodly shew,
With reason it can neuer stand I know,
They should be faithfull, or with Iustice deale,
Either for Princes or for Common-weale:
For why this humor makes them to attend,
And all their labours and best counsels spend,
In their owne plots; And so they hauehave no losse,
They care not whose proceedings they do crosse;
Vertuous endeauors this doth also let,
Yea makes men many a good thing to forget:
And though I'me loath to speake it I protest
I thinke it raignes not in the Clergy least,
For they at first shew great humility,
While that they are of meane ability:
Thei'l be industrious and take paine to teach,
For twise a week shal be the least thei'le preach:
Or in their pouerty they wil not stick
For Catechizing, viziting the sick,
And such like dutious workes of Piety,
As do belong to their society:
But if that they can reach a Vicarage,
Or be inducted to some Parsouage:
Men must content the mselues and thinke it well,
If once a yeare they heare the Sermon bell:
Now if it be a Deanery or so,
If not in twelue months it is oft enough,
And why? Alas consider that Deuotion,
Is but a busie thing that lets Promotion,
And if that they should giuegive their minds too't all
Who should hauehave their great places when they fall?
No, no, twere fitter they their ease did take,
And se what friendes and Patrons they can make
For the next Hierarchy; or learne how
To humor and to please the Great-ones now;
But, if that they in that aduenture speed,
Thei'le be more paineful; yes, tis like indeed:
If they get into their formalibus,
And Reuerent Pontificalibus;
'Tis very like I say that we shall heare,
They vse the Pulpit once in twise a yeare:
Nay and tis wel if it be done so oft,
For this Ambition beares men so aloft,
They soone forget their duties: and this pride
I in the Clergy worst of all abide,
In them I hold it the most odious,
And no Ambition so pernitious,
Eeither for prince, or Church, or common good,
VVitnesse the beast of Rome and his fou'e broo…
Of clyming Cardinals, who from base states,
Are gotten to be Kings and Princes mates,
Yea their superiors. This the diuel makes,
His cheefest engine where withall he shakes
Religions soundnesse; And rends in it chinks,
Which he dawbes vp againe with what he think…
Shall ruin't all in time; was it not hence,
He had his meanes to mar the innocence
Of Romes first Bishops? yes, the Church grew strong
And flourish't while it was supprest with wrong,
But when the worthy Emperors embrac't
The Sacred Truth; and with their fauors grac't
Their good proceedings; They then gan to leaue
Their humble Nature off: and closely weaue,
VnderUnder a Religious shew (not a bare Miter
It fits not the successors of Saint Peter)
A triple Diadem; and such a state,
That neuer any earthly Potentate
Enioy'd the like (yet all with humble preaching)
A long degree I tak't, beyond the reaching
Of temporall Ambition. But I pray
Er'e the first Beast his time be done away,
There rise not vp another monster heere
'Mongst our Ambitious Churchmen; I should feare
A second Antichrist, but that I hope
They either shall be kept within their scope,
Or the last iudgement, whose nigh times vnknowne,
Shall cut him off e're he be wholly growne:
But more of these I here omit to speake,
Because, I thinke there's no mans sight so weake,
But see's their doings; yet let none suppose,
… heare meane to defend, or maintaine those
That doe our Bishops Callings disalow.
Let them that can… for sure I know not how:
Nor would I hauehave the world to vnderstand,
That I tax all the Clergy in the land:
Or the whole Hierarchy: Think not so;
For why; this present age doth yeeld, I know,
Men that are truely worthy; I hope many,
Yea I am sure few times, since Christ, had any
More knowing or more painefull then some few,
And whatsoe're men thinke, yet for to show,
Though I Satyrically carp at those
That follow Vice and are true Vertues foes,
I hauehave not such a spightfull cankred spirit,
As to conceale and smother Worth and Merit:
For Ile for Canterburies Grace be bold,
Out of mine owne experience to vphold,
That Sea was neuer gouerned as yet,
By any one more Reuerent or more fit:
For ouer and aboue his Country cares,
Wherein he neither time nor counsell spares,
Besides Church busines whereto he applies
His mind to further it, what in him lies;
I say beside this publick care at large,
Few Ministers hauehave, in their priuate charge,
Showne greater paine: that here the truth I tell,
London and Lambeth both can witnes well,
And thou wert vnhappy London then,
When thou didst loose this rare One among men;
Yet thou wert blest againe, thy fate did bring,
In place of such a FATHER such a KING,
A maine Chruch-piller, and of so great worth,
Europe can hardly bring his equall forth:
And for them both my Muse will this put downe,
(Who scornes to sooth a King to get a Crowne)
Had she not thought them to be what she saies,
She would hauehave heere disdain'd to sing their praise:
But to go foreword, I do wonder why,
Men should be subiect to this Vanity
For I hauehave seene those that had ritches store,
Great offices, and fauours, no men more,
Honor and credit, yea and wisedome to,
Yet see what an ambitious head wil doe:
Clyming to high they got so low a fall,
They forfeited their honors, liues and all.
Me thinkes ere they in such an act should stur,
Twere no't amisse to thinke on Aesops Cur,
Who catching but to get a shadow more,
Did loose the substance that he had before:
I might a while vponupon example stand,
Of former times; but that within this land,
The present Age, the which I onelyonly view,
Can yeeld enough to prooue my saying true:
And of so many in this Kingdome showne,
I meane at this time to produce but one:
And that shal be the late Ambitious plot,
The like whereof the world sure yeeldeth not,
I meane the pouder treason, and intention,
Brought (had not God assisted) past preuention:
Yet see ere they could clime to their desire,
When they were for to mount but one step-higher
(Let God be honor'd for't) downe tumbled all,
And gaue these hel-hounds a deserued fall:
As often as I call to memory,
That horrid and detested villany,
It makes me sorry such a hellish plot,
Should scape vnblas'd to be so soone forgot;
But some good wit ere long I do not doubt,
VVil vndertake to paint that action out;
And in it owne true sable colour show it,
That children that are yet vnborne may know it:
And to make plaine that ruine and perdition,
Are the last Periods to conclude Ambition:
But to that purpose they may labour spend,
And per aduenture all to little end:
They wil not thinke thereon, for we may see,
How lofty-minded stil there's many be,
VVith what desires of titles they hauehave sought them
And at how deare a reckoning they hauehave bought them:
But that with other flowes from Vanity,
A part essentiall in humanity,
VVhichWhich (if God grant me leaue) I meane to chase,
But must referre it to another place:
Some hauehave ambitious heads, but cannot rise,
Because the want of meanes and friends denies
What they aspire vntounto: but such are vext,
Their mind I know is troubled and perplext
Beyond all reason; Oh strange humor'd men,
Your folly you wil leaue I thinke, but when?
Be with your states Content, for do you know
VVether you wish be for your good or no?
Oyes thinkes one; if I could once attaine,
Such offices; or so much wealth to gaine
As this or that man hath; my wish were ended,
And such or such a fault should be amended:
But this I say, though they may thinke it strange,
VVith the estate the mind doth also change,
And when in one thing thou hast thy desire,
Thou canst not stay there but must mount vp higher
And higher stil, vntil thou dost attaine,
VntoUnto the top or tumble downe againe:
Be warned then you that Ambitious are,
And for to curbe your passion hauehave a care:
Else at the length, 'twil certainely deceiue you,
But you wil hauehave your wils to which I leaue you.