GREENE'S FAREWELL TO FOLLY 1 Modern spelling tran

GREENE’S FAREWELL TO FOLLY 18
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inquired of him if he knew any good and honest house where she might be entertained
into service. The young man, who all this while had stared her in the face, told her that
she came in pudding-time, for his mother wanted a maid, and if she could take any pains,
no doubt she should find a house fit for her purpose.
And, quoth he, I have such good hope that you will prove well, that although this day I
should have been foreman in a May-game, yet I will rather mar the play than your
market, and so will turn back to lead you the way to our house.
Maesia gave him thanks, and together they went to his father’s, where after the young
springal had talked awhile with his mother, for he was his father’s eldest son, the
goodwife had such liking of the maid that she gave her an earnest-penny to serve her for
a year, and so hired her before the constable. Maesia being thus honestly placed, by her
good behaviour grew into such favour with all the house that the old fools began to think
her a fit match for their eldest son, and in this hope used her marvellous well.
But leaving her to her country content, at last to Vadislaus, who having now glutted envy
with revenge in banishing the good earl, perked so high with Danidas’ [sic for
‘Demades’?] parrot that at last he fell to the ground, for pride had taught him this
principle, that princes’ wills ware [sic for ‘were’] laws, and that the thoughts of kings
could not err. Disdain and contempt, two monsters of nature, had so sotted his mind with
self-love that as his actions grew to be insolent, so his government began to be tyrannous,
commanding as fancy willed him to affect, not as justice wished him to afford. He
sought not with Augustus to be called Clemens, but with Tarquin to glory in the title of
Superbus, alluding the distich which Virgil wrote in the praise of Caesar to himself:
Diuisum imperium cum Ioue Caesar habet [=Caesar divides the empire with Jove]. He
would not with Philip be called martial, but with Alexander be honoured as the son of
Ammon. He sought not to sit in his throne with a branch of palm, to govern with peace,
but used a sword as a sceptre to rule with constraint. Long he did not continue in this life
but that he grew in mortal hate with his subjects. The poor commons grudged and
groaned under the burden of his cruelty. The nobility began to consider with themselves
that more did the state of Rome ruinate in one year under the government of the Emperor
Caligula than it prospered in many under the virtuous regiment of Trajan, that more
blossoms die the first nip in a morning than the heat of the sun can revive in a whole day,
and more harm doth the pride of a king in a moment than good policy can restore in a
month, whereupon they determined to forewarn him of his follies, and to persuade him
from that course of life which would in time bring the commonwealth to mischief and
himself to misfortune. Finding fit time and opportunity, with a general consent they
began to dissuade him from his presumption, but Vadislaus, who brooked not to be
countermanded by any of his nobles, returned them this scornful answer:
My Lords, as the sun is set in the heavens, so kings are seated upon earth, the one too
glorious an object for every eye to gaze at, the other too full of majesty for any man to
control. The wolf had his skin pulled over his ears for prying into the lion’s den. The
actions of princes are like the pearls of Arabia, the one too costly for every merchant to
prize, the other too honourable for every base person to censure of. Dare the proudest
Modern spelling transcript copyright 2007 Nina Green All Rights Reserved