Prison-pietie, or, Meditations divine and moral digested into poetical heads, on mixt and various subjects : whereunto is added a panegyrick to the right reverend, and most nobly descended, Henry Lord Bishop of London / by Samuel Speed ...

¶ On Ambition.

HOnour's insatiate, never satisfi'd; Nor is the Beggar innocent from Pride. The Labourer a Yeoman fain would be, The Yeoman would a Gentleman's degree. The Gentleman must worship'd be at Feast, And to that end must be a Squire at least. The swaggering Squire must needs be dub'd a Knight, Then aims at Baron, as his Title-right. The Baron must be Lord, to please his Girl; If that won't do, he must be made an Earl: That done, Ambition bids him still aspier; Marquess in Heraldry is one step higher. The Marquess then casts out his golden Hook With Cash and Crast, till he becomes a Duke.

The Duke no arguments can him convince, But that by merit he should be a Prince. When Prince, he elevates his foaring wing, Flies to the Throne of a terrestrial King: Yet there's no rest, so doth Ambition gull us, He must be Caesar, or he will be Nullus. Caesar won't make him yet the World's Commander, Wherefore he must be styl'd an Alexander. And Alexander, though the whole World's Rod, Must be ador'd and worshipt as a God. After his many wonders, even then He sound himself to be as other men. Base Pride eclipses those of high degree; But before Honour is Humility: Honour that Furnace which doth heat the blood, Making men act things but profusely good. Swelling Ambition makes a man its slave Till Death's sharp Dart doth post him to his grave. But how in play first came this cheating Sin? Adam would be a God, so it came in. Other sins fly from God, and shun the chace, This boldly flies in the Almighty's face. All that the erring Children have to say Is this; It was our Father led the way.