into their Mother Sea.
Nought so happie haplesse life
"In this worlde as freedome findes:
"Nought wherin more sparkes are rife
"To inflame couragious mindes.
"But if force must vs enforce
"Nedes a yoke to vndergoe,
"Vnder foraine yoke to goe
"Still it proues a bondage worse.
"And doubled subiection
"See we shall, and feele, and knowe
"Subiect to a stranger growne.
From hence forward for a King,
whose first being from this place
Should his brest by nature bring
Care of Countrie to embrace,
We at surly face must quake
Of some _Romaine_ madly bent:
Who, our terrour to augment,
His _Proconsuls_ axe will shake.
Driuing with our Kings from hence
Our establish'd gouerment,
Iustice sworde, and Lawes defence.
Nothing worldly of such might
But more mightie _Destinie_,
By swift _Times_ vnbridled flight,
Makes in ende his ende to see.
Euery thing _Time_ ouerthrowes,
Nought to ende doth stedfast staie:
His great sithe mowes all away
As the stalke of tender rose.
Onlie Immortalitie
Of the Heau'ns doth it oppose
Gainst his powerfull _Deitie_.
One daie there will come a daie
Which shall quaile thy fortunes flower,
And thee ruinde low shall laie
In some barbarous Princes power.
When the pittie-wanting fire
Shall, O _Rome_, thy beauties burne,
And to humble ashes turne
Thy proud wealth, and rich attire,
Those guilt roofes which turretwise,
Iustly making Enuie mourne,
Threaten now to pearce Skies.
As thy forces fill each land
Haruests making here and there,
Reaping all with rauening hand
They finde growing any where:
From each land so to thy fall
Multitudes repaire shall make,
From the common spoile to take
What to each mans share maie fall.
Fingred all thou shalt beholde:
No iote left for tokens sake
That thou wert so great of olde.
Like vnto the auncient _Troie_
Whence deriu'de thy founders be,
Conqu'ring foe shall thee enioie,
And a burning praie in thee.
For within this turning ball
This we see, and see each daie:
All things fixed ends do staie,
Ends to first beginnings fall.
And that nought, how strong or strange,
Chaungles doth endure alwaie,
But endureth fatall change.

_M. Antonius._ _Lucilius._

_M. Ant._

_Lucil_, sole comfort of my bitter