CHAP. XXX.
THis hatefull and damnable occasion is euery way to be detested and driuen farre from vs. Must thou needs haue the Gods dis∣pleased, to the end thou mayest be gratefull? And vnderstandest thou not, that hereby thou sinnest more, because he to whom thou art vngratefull hath the better fortune? Propose vnto thy minde imprisonment, chaines, stincke, seruitude, warre, pouertie; these are the occasions of thy vow: if any man hath couenanted with thee, by these he is dis∣missed. Why rather wouldest thou not haue him mightie and blessed, to whom thou art most indebted? For what (as I said) forbiddeth thee to be gratefull e∣uen vnto those that are endued with the happiest estate, whereas thou hast am∣ple and seuerall matter and occasion to expresse thy selfe? What that men pay debts euen vnto those that are the wealthiest? neither will I constraine thee a∣gainst thy will. Truely, although most powerfull felicitie hath excluded all things, yet will I shew thee what thing it is that greatest estates are poorest in, and what things are deficient to those that possesse all things. Truely such a one that will speake truth, that will vindicate a man astonished and amazed a∣mongst flatterers, and drawn from the knowledge of trut, h by the very custome of hearing rather pleasing then profitable counsailes, from the company and consent of deceitfull men. Seest thou not how extinguished libertie and faith transformed to seruile obsequiousnesse, driue them head-long to their ruine, where no man perswadeth or disswadeth him according to his conscience, but each man striueth who may flatter most, and the onely office and contention of all his friends is, who can deceiue him most pleasingly. They knew not their owne forces, and whilest they suppose themselues to be so great, as they heare they be, they brought vpon themselues vnnecessarie warres, and such as should hazard their whole estates, they breake the true and necessarie concord, and fee∣ding there own wrathful spleen, which no man reuoked, they drew many mens bloud, being at last like to lose their owne; whilest they seeke to get vncertain∣ties for certainties; and thinke it no lesse disgracefull to be perswaded, then to be ouercome, and suppose those things to be perpetuall, which being brought to the highest doe most of all stagger. They ouer-turned great kingdomes vpon themselues and theirs, neither vnderstood they in that stage glistering both with vaine and transitorie goods, from that time forward that they should expect verie great aduersities; since when they could heare nothing that was true.