On flesh and blood: where honor, power, renown,
Are only gay afflictions, golden toil;
Where greatness stands upon as feeble feet
As frailty doth; and only great doth seem
To little minds who do it so esteem.
He looks upon the mightiest monarchs wars
But only as an stately robberies;
Where evermore the fortune that prevails
Must be the right: the ill-succeeding mars20
The fairest and the best-faced enterprize.
Great Pirate Pompey lesser pirates quails:
Justice, he sees (as if seduced) still
Conspires with power whose cause must not be ill.
He sees the face of Right to appear as manifold
As are the passions of uncertain man;
Who puts it in all colours all attires.
To serve his ends, and make his courses hold.
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