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a scorpion, Wormwood , an herb of Mars , ; either linen or woolen draper) yet as brave asgives you a present cure; then Mars , cho- > they looked, my opinion was that the mothsleric as he is, hath learned that patience, to } might consume them; moths are under thepass by your evil speeches of him, and tells j dominion of Mars ; this herb Wormwood be-you by my pen, That he gives you no af- ling laid among cloaths, will make a mothdiction, bathe gives you a cure; you need j scorn to meddle with the cloaths, as muchnot run to Apollo, nor fEsculapius; and if' as a lion scorns to meddle with a mouse, orhe was so choleric as you make him to be, [ an eagle with a fly, You say Mars is an-he would have drawn his sword for anger, \ gry, and it is true enough he is angry withto see the ill conditions of these people \ many countrymen, for being such fools tothat can spy his vices, and not his virtues. \ be led by the noses by the college of phy-The eternal God , when he made Mars , ; sicians, as they lead bears to Paris garden,made him for public good, and the sons of j Melancholy men cannot endure to bemen shall know it in the latter end of the j wronged in point of good fame, and thatworld. Et ccelum Mars solus babel. You \ doth sorely trouble old Saturn , because theysay Mars is a destroyer ; mix a little Worm- : call him the greatest infortunate; in thewood, an herb of Mars , with your ink, : body of man he rules the spleen, (and thatneither rats nor mice touch the paper writ- j makes covetous men so splenetic) the poorten with it, and then Mars is a preserver. * old man lies crying out of his left side.Astrologers think Mars causes scabs and \ Father Saturn ’s angry, Mars comes to him ;itch, and the virgins are angry with him, j Come, brother, I confess thou art evil spokenbecause wanton Venus told them he de- f of, and so am I; thou knowest I have myforms their skins; but, quoth Mars , my i exaltation in thy house, I give him an herbonly desire is, they should know themselves; i of mine, Wormwood to cure the old man :my herb Wormwood will restore them to ; Saturn consented, but spoke little, and sothe beauty they formerly had, and in that j Mars cured him by sympathy. WhenI will not come an inch behind my opposite, : Mars was free from war, (for he loves to beVenus: for which doth the greatest evil, he j fighting, and is the best friend a soldierthat takes away an innate beauty, and when i hath) I say, when Mars was free from war,Ire has done, knows howto restore it again? j he called a council of war in his own brain,or she that teaches a company of wanton { to know how he should do poor sinful manlasses to paint their faces ? If Mars be in j good, desiring to forget his abuses in beinga Virgin , in the nativity, they say he causes ) called an infortunate. He muster up histhe cholic (it is well God hath set some ; own forces, and places them in battalia,body to pull down the pride of man.) He j Oh ! quoth he, why do I hurt a poorin the Virgin troubles none with the cholic, | silly man or woman? His angel answershut them that know not themselves (for who j him, It is because they have offeneed theirknows himself, may easily know all the ? God , (Look back to Adam:) Well, saysworld.) Wormwood , an herb of Mars , is a \ Mars , though they speak evil of me, I willpresent cure for it; and whether it be most 1 do good to them ; Death’s cold, my herblike a Christian to love him for his good, or j shall heat them : they are full of ill humourshate him for his evil, judge ye. I had al- t (else they would never have spoken ill ofmost forgotten, that charity thinks no evil, j me;) my herb shall cleanse them, and dryI was once in the Tower and viewed the ward-! them; they are poor weak creatures, myrobe,and there was a great many fine clothes: ; herb shall strengthen them; they are dull(I can give them no other title, fori was never j witted, my herb shall fortify their apprer