The Historie of Ester: Section 12

Good Mordecai's unreverence
Great Hamans haughty pride offends:
H'acquaints his wife with the offence;
The counsell of his wife and friends.

THat day went Haman forth; for his swolne brest
Was fill'd with joyes, and heart was full possest
Of all the height Ambition could require,
To satisfie her prodigall Desire.
But when he passed through the Palace Gate,
(His eye-sore) aged Mardocheus sate,
With head unbar'd, and stubborne knee unben,
Vnapt to fawne, with slavish blandishment:
Which when great Haman saw, his boyling brest
(So great disdaine unable to digest)
Ran o're; his blood grew hot, and new desires
Incenst, and kindled his avenging fires:
Surcharg'd with griefe and sick with male-content
Through his distemper'd passion, home he went;
Where (to asswage the swelling of his sorrow
With words, the poorest helps distress can borrow)
His wife, and friends he summon'd to partake
His cause of discontent, and thus be spake:
See, see, how Fortune with a lib'rall hand,
Hath with the best, and sweetest of the Land,
Crown'd my desiers, and hath timely blowne
My budded hopes, whose ripenesse hath out-growne
The limits, and the height of expectation,
Scarce to be had, but in a Contemplation:
See, see, how Fortune (to inlarge his breath,
And make me living in despight of Death)
Hath multiply'd my loynes, that after-Fame
May in my flocke preserve my blood, my Name.
To make my honour with my fortunes even,
ehold, my gracious Lord the King hath given
And trusted to my hand the sword of Pow'r;
Or life, or death lies where I laugh or lowre:
Who stands more gracious in my Princes eye?
How frownes the King, if Haman be not by?
Ester the Queene hath made the King her Guest,
And (wisely weighing how to grace the Feast
With most advantage) hath (in policy)
Invited me: And no man else but I
(Onely a fit Companion for a King)
May taste the secrets of the banquetting.
Yet what availes my wealth, my place, my might
How can I relish them? with what delight?
What pleasure it in dainties, if the taste
Be in it selfe distemper'd? Better fast:
In many sweets, one sowre offends the pallate,
One loasome weed annoyes the choycest Sallat:
What are my riches, what my honourd Place?
What are my Children? or my Princes Grace,
So long as cursed Mordecai survives?
Whose very breath inects, whose life deprives
My life of blisse, and visage sternely strikes
Worse venome to mine eyes then Basiliskes.
When Haman then had launc'd his ripned griefe
In bloody termes, they thus apply'd reliefe:
Erect a Gibbet, fifty Cubits hie,
Then urge the King (what will the King deny
When Haman sues?) that slavish Mordecai
Be hang'd thereon; his blood will soone allay
The heat of thine; his cursed death shall fame
The highnsse of thy power, and his shame;
So when thy suit shall find a faire event,
Goe banquet with the King, and live content.
The Councell pleas'd: The Gibber fairly stands
Soone done, as said: Revenge finds nimble hands.