The Peacoke when hee spreadeth his tayle, is glorious of his beautie, but stooping downe to his feete, his feathers fall with the selfe sight immediately. Woulde you but abase your eyes vnto the lower part of your rising, you might then recognize your original, and seeing the simple obiect whereout your prosperity hath beene deriued, confesse that tenne such glorious plumes as you studie to haue aduanced, without they were better qualified coulde scarse make a shewe beseeming the lowest part of all that belongeth to a Gentleman.
For my part it is not the shew you beare, but the pride wherewith you are caried that despiteth me, the qualities you haue, and not the malice you vtter, that discontenteth me: whether your opinion stand good or bad to me, it is not that I accompt of, as beeing such a one whose censure to my knowledge, neuer stoode in that degree to bee reckoned of. Onely doubting least ouerswolne with your humours, you should consume in your follies I haue written that I haue done, leauing the rest to your own correction, if at least you haue any wit at al whereby to amend them.
_An example of an other Epistle inuectiue, written in cause of great desert against two seueral parties._
I am sorie it falleth vnto my lot among matters more serious, that I must at this present incomber my pen, and enforce my labours, about so needlesse a purpose, as to decipher a knaue whome the worlde knoweth alreadie by his colours, and a companion of his that will shortly giue proofe of his facultie by his far spreading titles. And yet the time hath bin when by their shadowes I could set them both to viewe, and hauing cunningly deciphered them, could laugh at the portraiture, imagining that there were more heades to carpe at their villanies then honest meaning to excuse their treacheries.
It was not amisse said amongst the wise, that there cā be no friendship but amongst the good, and yet is society so common amongst men, that there is not the arrantest varlet in the world but he will find a companion, & why? because therein is a likelihood, which although it cannot turne to friendship, yet growing _ex similitudine morum_, I find no reason but that a coniunction may be of knaues as well as a separation of honest men sometimes.