as the [860]lake Erne in Ireland? [861]_Nihilque praeter arcium cadavera patenti cernimus freto._ In the fens of Friesland 1230, by reason of tempests, [862]the sea drowned multa hominum millia, et jumenta sine numero, all the country almost, men and cattle in it.  How doth the fire rage, that merciless element, consuming in an instant whole cities?  What town of any antiquity or note hath not been once, again and again, by the fury of this merciless element, defaced, ruinated, and left desolate?  In a word,

[863] “Ignis pepercit, unda mergit, aeris
        Vis pestilentis aequori ereptum necat,
        Bello superstes, tabidus morbo perit.”

       “Whom fire spares, sea doth drown; whom sea,
        Pestilent air doth send to clay;
        Whom war ’scapes, sickness takes away.”

To descend to more particulars, how many creatures are at deadly feud with men?  Lions, wolves, bears, &c.  Some with hoofs, horns, tusks, teeth, nails:  How many noxious serpents and venomous creatures, ready to offend us with stings, breath, sight, or quite kill us?  How many pernicious fishes, plants, gums, fruits, seeds, flowers, &c. could I reckon up on a sudden, which by their very smell many of them, touch, taste, cause some grievous malady, if not death itself?  Some make mention of a thousand several poisons:  but these are but trifles in respect.  The greatest enemy to man, is man, who by the devil’s instigation is still ready to do mischief, his own executioner, a wolf, a devil to himself, and others. [864]We are all brethren in Christ, or at least should be, members of one body, servants of one lord, and yet no fiend can so torment, insult over, tyrannise, vex, as one man doth another.  Let me not fall therefore (saith David, when wars, plague, famine were offered) into the hands of men, merciless and wicked men: 

[865]   ------“Vix sunt homines hoc nomine digni,
Quamque lupi, saevae plus feritatis habent.”

We can most part foresee these epidemical diseases, and likely avoid them; Dearths, tempests, plagues, our astrologers foretell us; Earthquakes, inundations, ruins of houses, consuming fires, come by little and little, or make some noise beforehand; but the knaveries, impostures, injuries and villainies of men no art can avoid.  We can keep our professed enemies from our cities, by gates, walls and towers, defend ourselves from thieves and robbers by watchfulness and weapons; but this malice of men, and their pernicious endeavours, no caution can divert, no vigilancy foresee, we have so many secret plots and devices to mischief one another.