Classic Poem

Malicious Envy rode
Upon a ravenous wolf, and still did chaw
Between his cankered teeth a venemous toad,
That all the poison ran about his chaw;
But inwardly he chawèd his own maw
At neighbours' wealth, that made him ever sad;
For death it was, when any good he saw,
And wept, that cause of weeping none he had,
But when he heard of harm, he wexèd wondrous glad.
All in a kirtle of discoloured say
He clothèd was, ypainted full of eyes;
And in his bosom secretly there lay
An hateful snake, the which his tail upties
In many folds, and moral sting implies.
Still as he rode, he gnashed his teeth to see
Those heaps of gold with griple covetise,
And grudgèd at the great felicity
Of proud Lucifera, and his own company.
He hated all good works and virtuous deeds,
And him no less, that any like did use,
And who with gracious bread the hungry feeds,
His alms for want of faith he doth accuse;
So every good to bad he doth abuse:
And eke the verse of famous poets' wit
He does backbite, and spiteful poison spews
From leprous mouth on all that ever writ:
Such one vile envy was, that fifte in row did sit.