Get out the microscope, because we’re going through this poem line-by-line.
Lines 129-134
What gave great Villiers to th' assassin's knife,
And fix'd disease on Harley's closing life?
What murder'd Wentworth, and what exil'd Hyde,
By kings protected, and to kings allied?
What but their wish indulg'd, in courts to shine,
And pow'r too great to keep, or to resign?
- In these lines the speaker refers to a whole host of historical figures who ended up badly.
- Villiers ended up killed by an assassin. Harley died of disease. Wentworth ended up murdered. Hyde was exiled.
- All of these political figures ended their lives in misfortune because their desire for great power was indulged, even though these men were protected by kings and allied to them. (To learn more about these poor sap historical figures referenced in this stanza, check out our "Shout-Outs" section.)