394 OBSERVATIONS ON A LIBEL. 



&quot; difficile est tacere, cum doleas.&quot; The humours of 

 these men being of themselves eager and fierce, have, 

 by the abort and blasting of their hopes, been 

 blinded and enraged. And surely this book is, of 

 all that sort that have been written, of the meanest 

 workmanship ; being fraughted with sundry base 

 scoffs, and cold amplifications, and other characters 

 of despite ; but void of all judgment or ornament. 



II. Of the present estate of this realm of England, 

 whether it may be truly avouched to be pros 

 perous or afflicted. 



The benefits of almighty God upon this land, 

 since the time that in his singular providence he led 

 as it were by the hand, and placed in the kingdom, 

 his servant our queen Elizabeth, are such, as not in 

 boasting, or in confidence of ourselves, but in praise 

 of his holy name, are worthy to be both considered 

 and confessed, yea, and registered in perpetual 

 memory : notwithstanding, I mean not after the 

 manner of a panegyric to extol the present time : it 

 shall suffice only that those men, that through the 

 gall and bitterness of their own heart have lost their 

 taste and judgment, and would deprive God of his 

 glory, and us of our senses, in affirming our condition 

 to be miserable, and full of tokens of the wrath and 

 indignation of God, be reproved. 



If then it be true, that &quot; nemo est miser, aut 

 felix, nisi comparatus ; whether we shall, keeping 

 ourselves within the compass of our own island, look 

 into the memories of times past, or at this present 



