Base envy withers at another's joy,
And hates that excellence it cannot reach.

Base envy withers at another's joy,
And hates that excellence it cannot reach.

I am Envy. I cannot read and therefore wish all books burned.

I am Envy. I cannot read and therefore wish all books burned.

My mind gave me,
In seeking tales and informations
Against this man, whose honesty the devil
read more

My mind gave me,
In seeking tales and informations
Against this man, whose honesty the devil
And his disciples only envy at,
Ye blew the fire that burns ye: now have at ye!

We make ourselves fools to disport ourselves
And spend our flatteries to drink those men
Upon whose read more

We make ourselves fools to disport ourselves
And spend our flatteries to drink those men
Upon whose age we void it up again
With poisonous spite and envy.

Such men as he be never at heart's ease
Whiles they behold a greater than themselves,
And read more

Such men as he be never at heart's ease
Whiles they behold a greater than themselves,
And therefore are they very dangerous.

But, oh! what mighty magician can assuage
A woman's envy?

But, oh! what mighty magician can assuage
A woman's envy?

Envy eats nothing but its own heart

Envy eats nothing but its own heart

The general's disdained
By him one step below, he by the next,
The next by him beneath; read more

The general's disdained
By him one step below, he by the next,
The next by him beneath; so every step,
Exampled by the first pace that is sick
Of his superior, grows to an envious fever
Of pale and bloodless emulation:
And 'tis this fever that keeps Troy on foot,
Not her own sinews.

Whenever a friend succeeds, a little something in me dies.

Whenever a friend succeeds, a little something in me dies.