137Peri. Great King,

138Few loue to heare the sinnes they loue to act,

139T'would brayde your selfe too neare for me to tell it:

140Who has a booke of all that Monarches doe,

141Hee's more secure to keepe it shut, then showne.

142For Vice repeated, is like the wandring Wind,

143Blowes dust in others eyes to spread it selfe;

144And yet the end of all is bought thus deare,

145The breath is gone, and the sore eyes see cleare:

146To stop the Ayre would hurt them, the blind Mole castes

147Copt hilles towards heauen, to tell the earth is throng'd

148By mans oppression, and the poore Worme doth die for't:

149Kinges are earths Gods; in vice, their law's their will:

150And if Ioue stray, who dares say, Ioue doth ill:

151It is enough you know, and it is fit;

152What being more knowne, growes worse, to smother it.

153All loue the Wombe that their first beeing bred,

154Then giue my tongue like leaue, to loue my head.

155Ant. Heauen, that I had thy head; he ha's found the mea-(ning:

156But I will gloze with him. Young Prince of Tyre,

157Though by the tenour of your strict edict,

158Your exposition misinterpreting,

159We might proceed to counsell of your dayes;

160Yet hope, succeeding from so faire a tree

161As your faire selfe, doth tune vs otherwise;

162Fourtie dayes longer we doe respite you,

163If by which time, our secret be vndone,

164This mercy shewes, wee'le ioy in such a Sonne:

165And vntill then, your entertaine shall bee

166As doth befit our honour and your worth.

168Peri. How courtesie would seeme to couer sinne,

169When what is done, is like an hipocrite,

170The which is good in nothing but in sight.

171If it be true that I interpret false,

172Then were it certaine you were not so bad,

173As with foule Incest to abuse your soule: