Mr. Bolton's last and learned work of the four last things death, judgement, hell,…Mr. Boltons last and learned worke of the foure last things death, iudgement, hell,…

4. If it fall in love with revenge, it begets a base, a cruel and wolvish disposition, and an unnatural thirst of blood: of all the sinful passions of the soul, desire of revenge is the most base and cowardly: it ever breeds in the most hateful and weakest minds. And of all kind of revenge, that ⟨p. 236⟩is most execrable and deadly, which (like a serpent in the green grass) lies lurking in the flatteries and fawnings of a s•iring face; which kisses with Judas, and kills with Joab; entertains a man with outward forms, and complement, and courtesy, but would (if it durst or might) strike about the third rib, that he should never rise again: When a mans words are to his neighbour as soft as oil and butter, but his thoughts towards him composed all of blood and bitterness, of gall and gun-powder: for we commonly see, that the basest and most worthless men are most malicious and revengeful: seldom doth it find harbour in a well-bred and generous spirit: but as thunder, and tempests, and other fearful motions in the air do trouble only and disquiet those weaker frail bodies below, but never disturb or dismay those glorious heavenly ones above: so wrongs, disgraces, and wrongful usages do vex and distemper men of baser temper and conditions: but the causeless spite and profane indiscretions and childish brawls of fools, wound not great and high minds. Above all others, the true Christian which is only of a true noble spirit, contemns, scorns, and disdains to be revenged upon any, though his undeservedly basest and greatest enemy: For,

4. If it fall in love with revenge, it begets a base, a cruell and wolvish disposition, and an unnaturall thirst of bloud: of all the sinfull passions of the soule, desire of revenge is the most base and cowardly: it ever breeds in the most hatefull and weakest minds. And of all kind of revenge, that ⟨p. 236⟩is most execrable and deadly, which (like a serpent in the greene grasse) lies lurking in the flatteries and fawnings of a s•iring face; which kisses with Iudas, and kils with Ioab; entertaines a man with outward formes, and complement, and curtesie, but would (if it durst or might) strike about the third rib, that he should never rise againe: When a mans words are to his neighbour as soft as oyle and butter, but his thoughts towards him composed all of bloud and bitternesse, of gall and gun-powder: for we commonly see, that the basest and most worthlesse men are most malicious and revengefull: seldome doth it find harbour in a well-bred and generous spirit: but as thunder, and tempests, and other fearefull motions in the aire do trouble onely and disquiet those weaker fraile bodies below, but never disturbe or dismay those glorious heavenly ones above: so wrongs, disgraces, and wrongfull usages doe vexe and distemper men of baser temper and conditions: but the causelesse spite and prophane indiscretions and childish brawles of fooles, wound not great and high minds. Above all others, the true Christian which is onely of a true noble spirit, contemnes, scornes, and disdaines to be revenged upon any, though his undeservedly basest and greatest enemy: For,