John Fletcher. "To The True Master In His Art, B. Jonson, On His Volpone" Dedicatory Poem.

John Fletcher

To The True Master In His Art, B. Jonson,

On His Volpone
Forgive thy friends; they would, but cannot praise
Enough the wit, art, language of thy plays.
Forgive thy foes; they will not praise thee: why?
Thy fate hath thought it best, they should envy.
Faith, for thy Fox's sake, forgive, then, those
Who are nor worthy to be friends nor foes;
Or, for their own brave sake, let them be still
Fools at thy mercy, and like what they will.

Source:
The Works of Beaumont and Fletcher.
George Darley, ed.
London: George Routledge and Sons, 1883. 712.