He fed his cubs with fat of all the soyle, And with the sweete of others sweating toyle; He crammed them with crumbs of benefices, And fild their mouthes with meeds of malefices; [Malifices, evil deeds.]

The bay, quoth she, is of the victours born, Yielded them by the vanquisht as theyr meeds, And they therewith doe poetes heads adorne, To sing the glory of their famous deeds.

For diverse meeds for diverse works are sweet to men, to the shepherd and to the ploughman, to the fowler and to him whom the sea feedethhowbeit all those strive but to keep fierce famine from their bellies; but whoso in the games or in war hath won delightful fame, receiveth the highest of rewards in fair words of citizens and of strangers.

Pastwith all its mighty deeds, Nature claims its choicest meeds; Presentwith portentous calm, Nature claims its chiefest palm; Futureah!