Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)

Virgil saith, In hart where envies seed takes root, there grows a poisoned grain, Which dries & drinks from every lim the blood of every vain, And sucks & soaks the marrow bones until they feeble wax, (Such is th'envenomed poisons force) and yet no bone it cracks. And therefore saith Horace. The Sicily tyrants never found, a more tormenting hell, Than Envy was, &c. Silius Italicus crieth out. Ill-favoured Envy, ugly hag, and dogged end Of mortal men, that never couldst abide to lend One word to praise praiseworthy deeds, but sweltst to see Small things increase, & low things grow to high degree. Ovid speaking of Envy describeth it thus. Within did devilish Envy sit, and eat the flesh of snakes, To feed the humour of her vice, with such kind loathly cates: With face of tallowcaked hue, & body lean like death, With squint eyes turned nine sundry ways, with rusty stinking teeth. Her bitter breast was overspread, with gaide as green as grass, Her tongue that ceased not to say ill, with venom poisoned was: She never laughed, unless it were when grief made others weep, And fretting care within her heart, did keep her eyes from sleep. She sees and pines away to see the good success and state, Of men that prosper on the earth: and so her deadly hate Is to her self a deadly plague. Whereas she goes she mars the corn that grows upon the ground, She makes on trees that blossoms bare, there can no fruit be found, And with her breath she doth infect, whole houses realms & towns.

Virgil sayth, In hart wher enuies seed takes roote, there growes a poysoned graine, Which dries & drincks frō euery lim the bloud of euerie vaine, And sucks & sokes the marow bones vntill they feeble waxe, (Such is th'enuenomed poisons force) and yet no boane it crakes. And therefore saith Horace. The Sicil tyrants neuer found, a more tormenting hell, Than Enuie was, &c. Silius Italicus crieth out. Illfauoured Enuie, vgly hagge, and dogged end Of mortall men, that neuer couldst abide to lend One word to praise praisewoorthy deedes, but sweltst to see Small things increase, & lowe things growe to high degree. Ouid speaking of Enuie describeth it thus. Within did diuelish Enuie sit, and eate the flesh of snakes, To feede the humour of hir vice, with such kind loathly cates: With face of tallowcaked hewe, & bodie leane like death, With squinte eyes turnd nine sundry wayes, with rustie stincking teeth. Hir bitter brest was ouerspred, with gaide as greene as grasse, Hir tongue that ceast not to say ill, with venom poysoned was: She neuer laught, vnlesse it weare when griefe made others weepe, And fretting care within hir heart, did keepe hir eyes from sleepe. She sees and pynes away to see the good successe and state, Of men that prosper on the earth: and so hir deadly hate Is to hir selfe a deadly plague. Wheras she goes she marrs the corne that growes vppon the ground, She maks on trees that blossoms bare, there can no fruite be found, And with hir breath she doth infect, whole houses realmes & townes.