should this aryse As faynting feete in trauaile and the akyng arme oft tryes The cause hereof is bloud resolued by force of feruent heate For to much mouing it inflames decayes in fuming sweate None otherwyse than Feuers fierce the creature pale consumes When bloud or other humor hote thorowout all the members fumes Doth lyfe support and body feedes which whylest it quickning makes The mouing force possessing all the body quiuering shakes The heate and heated bloud besyde doth brede a liuely spright As waters warmde w t beames of SuÌ„ne doe yelde a vapour light Thys spirite enclosed within the bowels Thorowe all the vaines doth ronne And nere to hir doth serue the lyfe in what she will haue donne But those in heauy sleepes that lye how should they mouing make As some doe in theyr steepes aryse and weapon vp doe take Some in the stable takes hys horse some wrytes as many say And some hath earst bene seene a sleâ—pe vpon the Lute to play It must be knowne that of the thing the Image doth remaine In vs of all that we doe see or senses can retaine Thys makes vs think we see the face that late we gased on And that we seeme to heare the wordes were vtred long agone These formes within the secrete celles inclosed in the brayne A vapour moues which to ascende the stomack doth constraine And minde deluded so doth moue the body styres thereby If the resemblance be of force that in the head doth lye But tayle of L ysart or of Snake that cut in two doth sprawle Doth will it moue Or force of minde that Greekes doe fansye call As they whom rage of madnesse moues or to much drinke arayes Or dreadfull dreames do cause to shake or happens other wayes Perchaunce amongst the knotty partes of thys deuided tayle The liuely spirite enclosde doth searche all meanes for to preuayle In breaking out and wynding partes doth wrye as best it may And striuing long through passage smal doth get at length away Or that same part of minde that feeles deuided doth remaine In tayle cut of and causeth it to turne and turne againe Yet I suppose that euery thing wherin no iudgement lyes Can feele no griefe nor nothing else that we can here deuise For chiefest force by which we feele from knowledge euer flowes who knowes iudgeth most feeles most and most reioysing knowes But fooles and doltes care lesse for all lesse harmde lesse fearing styll They feele not colde nor heate so much scarce know they good from ill Not for bicause it smartes therfore the tayle deuided shakes For nought it feeles bicause the streÌ„gth from which it knowledge takes Is not in it but in the head in better place did lye Wherfore the former cause I iudge the trouth to go more nye Lo thus therfore is mouing made by which all creatures go Yet in the reasons past before we put thys one thing to That sundry times the present good when it might be atchieued Doth nothing moue nor is desyred bicause t is not perceiued Thus knowledge semes of mouing cause or chiefest as we see For who desyres or sekes the thing he knowes not what to ber For will hâ—r selfe of proper force is altogither blinde And cannot any thing desyre without the light of minde By whom if she be not enformde she takes she vntowarde way And with the she we of good beguilde hir vertue doth decay Of mouing this shall here suffise nowe let vs seeke to knowe How liuing things doe waxe so great what causeth them to growe And why at certayne tyme they cease a fiery spirite doth raine Thou giuest lyfe to euery thing that carcasse doth contayne This heate doth liuely moisture feede as flame of Candell bright When soone withdraw himself froÌ„ vs the Oyle preserues in light Thys in the stomack boyles the meate wherof the finest spread Abrode the synowes bones and fleshe wyth pyth and bloud are bread And all the body doth encrease as plantes wyth showers of rayne And warmth of SuÌ„ne them comforting doth ryse and spring amaine If that this fyre be much of force and moysture equall here As much as heate shall seeme to nede the encrease shall great appere At length it makes an ende and stayes when spent is all the heate Which fading body fades as shewes in them whose yeares are great For wasted they lyke pyned Ehostes their aged lymmes doe crooke And stouping low wyth hollowed eye vpon the earth doe looke For fyre is gone and liuely heate and moysture doth decay Without the which no lyfe remaines as Lampes no longer may Giue out their light than oyle doth serue but leaues and darkenesse brings Then let vs now the mouing shewe of minde and whence it springs A thing both darke and harde to fynde but yet we will assay With all our force to touch the trouth as nere as well we may And fyrst of rage that boldneth men and daungers doth despyse Encreaseth strength and giueth force as much as shall suffise Which mouing all as desperate vpon our foes we flye And bloudy battaile to beginne with sworde in hast we hye The cause therof is bloud enflamde and heart that sendes out fyre And bitter galle abrode dispersd for Galle is house to yre And choller matter ministers to rage and fury blinde Hence comes that creatures lacking gal are not of wrathfull minde Embracing peace refuse to fight but they whose bloud doth burne And greater rage of heate retaine to anger sonest turne So youth and so such dronken mates whose heads hath brink diseased Upon a smallest cause doe snuffe the minde therfore displeased Doth bloud and choller myngle straight then hande for weapon calles And skirmishe comes thus cuts are carued and wounde wyde open falles For fyrst the minde offended is and vexed by miury Which troubled moues y e body straight by these it semes they lye That say the minde can neuer styre for if it neuer moue The body styll to stande and staye it alwayes doth behoue For diuers mouings doe declare a diuers mouer playne The Sunne doth ofteÌ„ change in course and shaddowes change againe What is the cause that Organs giue now one now other voice But hande y t shyftes from diuers kayes doth cause a diuers noyse The minde affection inwarde fyrst doth take and close concele And makes some part or other serue when she wyll it reucle Disclosing straight to it whatsoeuer within in secrete lyes To th ende that plame it may appere and open to the eyes None otherwyse than when the king vnto his faithfull frende Declares the secretes of hys minde and after doth it sende To be proclaimed in euery place that it may plaine appere Hence springeth loue for wheÌ„ the minde doth fansye pleasant gere She makes the heart a minister and so doth loue declare In heart loue wrath feare lust hope wyth ioye and also care As in a tower with minde doe dwell and these as there begonne By meanes
worthinesse before the rest as in a battayle mayne Lieuetenants are and Captaines stout the rest of common traine These causes chiefe aboue the rest in wondrous sort assignes Thalmighty Lord that guides aboue the Starres the starry sygnes Who lyues in euerlasting lyght aboue the Heauens hye That at hys beck doth cause to turne the motions of the skye To euery cause assigning force and whereto they shall tende With certaine boundes encloseth them the which may none transcende And synce he wysely all things made of force it followe must That euery thyng continuallye keepe course and order iust For things that once are rightly framed and fault doe none receaue Ought not in tract of any times their wonted course to leaue The order thus of euery thing can neuer altred be Bicause thalmighty Lorde hath made all things in iuste degre If then the sprite that guides the earth be naught or worke amisse It is bicause the basest cause and farthest of is this From causer fyrst and lyght remoued a large and ample space And therefore vnto darknesse blynde the nerer hath hys place And onely shadowe shewes of truth which God doth so permit Bicause the state of all the world and order asketh it For as the daye determinde is by darknesse of the night And things contrary ended are by force of others might So sort and course of causes good as reason doth require In vyle and wicked cause must ende and fynally expyre which wycked kingdomes gouerne shal and mischiefes vile shall guide Hence discorde euermore proceedes wyth brawles and minde to chide Strong battailes frayes false diseyt with fyres and slaughters great Theftes wyles with nede robberies and plagues with raging heate Great earthquakes stormes tempests great of sycknesses such store So great a sort of perilles vile and daungers euermore And finally what harmes to hap in any place we knowe From thys so wretched cause Prince of all the earth doth flowe Full truely earst alas did say the famous Hermes wyse This world a heape of harms doth seme where euery mischiefe lyes Bicause the diuell that on earth the chiefest stroke doth smite Is mischieuous and euermore in cruelty doth delight For as the first of causes is the spring of all good things So is the last the fountayne chiefe from whence all mischiefe springs Wherefore if lecherours on earth beare al the rule and sway If Asses sxt in seate as Kings in pompe of proud aray If charge of sheepe commytted is to wolues of rauening kinde If Harâ—ots in the Churches dwel and men of monstrous minde If that the holy rytes of Christ the hands vnpure doth fyle If Heauen and purging place Sir John doth sell wyth greedy guile More if vnpunnished such crimes are styll before our eyes The fault not in thalmighty Lord but in this Diuell lies Whome fortune commonly we name and Pluto oft we call But vnto him an apter name Sarcotheus fyt doth fall For vnto him the power of flesh and guiding is assinde Him serues all such as loue them selues â—o much wyth fleshly minde Of him the bodies are therefore in synne they alwayes driue And to the soules as enimies contrary styl do stryue For of the heauens commes the soule and from the starry Skyes But earthly are the bodies here and heauens do despyse This same Sarcotheus thoe that guydes the lowest partes of all Such holy men as do despise the â—oyes â—errestrâ—all To vertue bent and Godly life he hates and styl pursues And vexeth grieueth them molests as commonly doth vse The naughty Prince and cruel King alwayes for to oppresse The wysest men and such as do ercell in vertuousnesse For vertue of the wicked men is euermore enuied Al things their enimies hate and feare and shunne from them asyde Therefore the Diuel many harmes prouâ—deth for the meeke And them whose mindes do mouÌ„t aloft and hearts do heauen seke Ne would he haue his malice seene for if he should be knowne Al men would him detest as head from whom al ylles haue flowne And bloudy butcher of our kinde him al should iustly hate And cursing cal him cruel beast deceyuer of our state Therefore he craftely lies hydde and from the wyse man flies Least he be knowne ne feares he Moles but leapes from Linceus eyes So theues do vse and wicked men alwayes the light to flye And in the darkest tyme reioyce that none their mischiefe spye Hereof it commes as often as men feele aduersity Al ignorant wyth blindnesse and of minde oppressed be For ignorance is causer chiefe of errors al that fal Thinking with anger and complaynt the guyde of goodnesse al Doth vex theÌ„ so they straightway curse his hâ—e and holy name The wicked Diuel daunceth then and grinneth at the same And ioyes to see himself vnknowne and mischiefe close to lye And that he thus hath power to hurt and no man could it spye A foe vnto â—halmighty God he is and ennimy By whome from heauen tumbled down in chaynes he here doth lye Enclosde betwene the earth and Mone and there he holdes his rayne Wherfore O wretched mortal men at length apply your brayne To know the cause of al your griefes from whence such ylles do flowe And heauy harmful things do hay your butcher learne to know For this Sarcotheus this is he that plagues you in such sorte That of your harmes greuous grefes doth make his chiefest sport None otherwise than Mars his child great realmes in thraldome brought Wyth death of wretâ—hed men or beastes a pleaâ—ant pastyme sought The Noble men the Gentlemen the commons all syt styll In diuers roomes assigned them as Othaâ—s lawes doth wyll Then enters in before them all the cutters for to fyght Or else some other yeldes hys lymmes to beastes thereon to byte The Lion or the Tiger stout or else some fierâ—â—r kinde Should at this play present himselfe to please the peoples minde Wyth death mangled much w t wound from whence the bloud doth flow Oft vnto some of others smart a great delight doth grow Wherefore they do most wickedly that rayling thus do brawle And dare blaspheme thalmighty Lorde the cause of goodnesse all From whome as from himself no yll can any tyme proceede Except contingently as Sunne doth darcknesse euer breede As oft as vnder earth it slydes and absent fyre we see Encreaseth colde yet cloud in Sunne nor colde in Fyre can be Wherfore I maruel much that some whose Learning is not smal Do say that he offended is or wrathful him do cal And that he plagueth vs as oft as we do him offend That milde and Lord of mercies is that goodnesse al doth send And that from him doth warres begin wyth plague and famine sore If that our deedes could him offend what thing vnhappier more Than he in al the world were found â–ª for euery day and houre We crimes commit and blasphemies out of our mouthes we poure Then surely should he neuer ioy nor
thing doth vayner showe Or what may more be laughed at than honor to pursue All vndeserued and to despyse the cause of honor true We see yll men vnlearned and fonde in place aloft to stay And guide such as doe them excell whom they should rather obay For spitefull fortune stâ—ll doth sport 〈◊〉 mortall mans estate And out of order all confoundes as she doth lyke or hate Oft tymes exaiting to the starres the stouthfull seruile kinde Deseruing fetters for to weare or in the mille to grinde But if she were of good estate she would the world commit Of wyse men to be guided here as meete it is and fyt Then all things should in order passe and lawes in strength should stande And holy Sacraments be delt by Godly Prelates hande And God would then contented be to she we himselfe in syght But harebrainde Fortune alwaies doth in counter faites delight Yet thys thalmighty Lorde permittes Who could it well correct And why should not we suffer it For vnto what effect Is it the truth with reason strong to maintaine and defende Preuayling not but get thereby displeasure in the ende For wysedome is coÌ„temnde harmde with which no force doth raine Whom no authoritie supportes nor honour doth maintaine Therfore it is better not to speake despyse thou in thy minde The foolishe common peoples prayse and gyftes of Fortune blinde Applye thy selfe to please the Lorde wyth deedes of vertuous kynde And after death true honor thou and true renoume shalt finde That for the iust and Godly men prepared is in skyes Wheras the milde and lowly hearts doe ioy in ioyfull wyse But proude men wofully doe wayle in smothring fiery smokes Now last of all restraine thy wrath for anger rage prouokes And rage doth cause vnsemely wordes of naughty wordes doth spring Both brawles frayes of frayes comes wouÌ„ds wouÌ„ds do slaughter bring Anger doth so confounde the minde that dronke when bloud doth frye It knowes not what to doe and voide of iudgement runnes awrye Sraight griefe shame ensues y e deedes done vnaduisedly Shunne thys guide minde winne thy selfe with bearing manfully A goodly vertue pacience is which who so is without Must needes of force lacke honestie with cruell minde and stout Still vsyng for to braule and â—â—ght Frayes fittest are for beastes And quiet peace is farre more meete to dwell in mortall breastes The wyse vertuous man sekes peace all other things before And suffers things of smaller waight for feare of mischiefe more And well takes heede least that the cole that yet but kindling lyes Wyth fiery force of flashing flame aloft at length aryse Who naught can beare let him absent himselfe from company And leade hys lyfe alone in woods or else on mountaines hye And he that dwelles in company let him learne much to beare And to restrayne with brydle sharpe the wrath that him doe steare Dissembling closely wyth himselfe his anger that doth spring And neuer breake the bondes of peace for euery tristing thing Forgiuing stull the faultes of those that hym offended haue That he may so forgiuenesse get as he to others gaue Thus much of trayning of the minde I thought it good to touche Which doth suffyse to these I coulde haue added more by much But he that doth obserue these fewe shall neuer want the rest But easely all them obtaine that are not here exprest They all contayned priuily and closde in these doelye But yet it nedefull is the whyle the wysemens bookes to applye And causes for to searche of things and to adorne the minde With diuers arâ—es for voyde therof it is both dull and blinde And thus as hath bene sayde before those â—ooles and foxes well May vertuous be and frame theÌ„selues in seate of blysse to dwell These thigs while as my guide declarde in presens Mercury The poste of Gods and Atlas Sonne sent downe from Ioue stoode by And willde Tâ—malphes in hast the heauens to ascende For all the saints quoth he are willds on Ioue for to attende And Momus there appointed hath of wayghty affayres to treate If certaine Monks that placed are vpon the hauty seate That harde besyde the citie standes where passing by the walles To Venize goolfe the fyshie streames of Ariminum fall Oflyuing shall depriued be or else those partes forsake That contrey women vse to cut when they theyr Capons make Since that they are to coltishe waxt and beare their heddes to hye Despisyng men and filthy factes commit licenciously Example taking of their Prior fye fye to great a shame And can the Church abyde to see such Porkettes as these same That only liue to serue their paunch their lust and sleepy sense Which heard in hast Aretes sonne departing straight from thence Did me commyt to Mercury who going downe to Hell The speciall message of hys Lord vnto the fiende to tell Me fast embracing in his armes did through the cloudes conuay To ground what time as Clement Pope in campe with Caesar lay Within the walles of Bononye and Florenze City fayre With mighty force did long besiege Thus cutting swift the ayre With wyngs at length came Mercury to rockes that ragged lye Of S. Marinus hauty hylles that seeme to touch the Skye From thence in small descent he set me in thy fieldes so gay Verruculus and then to Hell in haste he takes his way Capricornus the tenth Booke AL haile to thee good Mercury from Stygian lake so soone things Art thou returnde declare what in Plutoes court are doone Great brawles raging mad vprodes what is the cause or why I wyll thee tell although in haffe I must to heauen flye So great a sort of Turkes and Jewes and Christians there remaine That place therein suffiseth not the number to contayne No empty rome there is but all ful thwact as they may he The Porches full and ful the Hall and full the courtes I see The Temples houses and the Streates the Walles and Market rowe And al the City fieldes and hylles and wooddy valleyes lowe So full that crowding thick they thrust and shoue wyth diuelish might With fyst and heele and tuske tooth in cruel sort they fight For of no weapon haue they skill nor sprites can euer dye Scarce could I passe the place vnto whereas the fiend doth lye But through y e mydst of swarming soules wyth force I make my way And wyth this rod to get me roome amongst them fast I lay At length the priuy chaumber of the black and vggly sprite I come vnto whom there I fynde in sad and doleful plight And when to him I had declarde my fathers full decree Commanding him that Antechrist should strayght vnlosed be From out the pyt and sent abrode to euery place and land That working wonders strange false and teaching that at hand The dreadful day of iudgement is and cude of all the rest May al thing out of order bring both Gods and man and beast As fixed
I go And leaue this fylthy world I wyll where thousand mischieues flowe Where fayth is none where godlinesse where iustice none doth dwell Where peace and quietnesse is fled where vices beare the bell Where brother sekes the brothers blud where sonne the father hates Where discorde euermore doth raigne and guile in maried mates No man there is at least but rare who if he can not steales Who robbeth not who doth not fayne and who not falsiy deales That well this world may now be calde of theeues a gaping den Loe Kings and Bishops proude besyde by name of Godly men The commons poore do powle and pyl and Citizens do shere And simple innocents destroy what should I recken here The horedomes great committed now all flowes with vice we see The naughty act do yong men vse and close misused be Who plants not hornes in neighbours heads the balde religious frye Who should be chast abrode with hores or close wyth boyes do lye To widdowes graue or tender maydes the holy priestes do crepe And some within their kinsfolkes bed haue great delight to slepe Some slaues w t bests themselues defile the fieldes and groue of tree And euery towne is now a stewes And harmes that instant be And daungers great that haps to men and labours great and sore And al the supersticious sorte of false religious lore What nede we subiectes now to be syth O the shameful state Unwytty and grosseheaded fooles and they that learning hate To whome the dice and Dogs to kepe with byrdes of rauening kinde And horses ryde with other toyes is all their chiledish minde Do Scepters holde and peoples guide and gouerne Cities strong Here of such errors vp do spring with folishnesse among Hereof so many vices breede if this thou callest to minde Thou shalt not feare this foolish worlde and nought to leaue behinde Yea thou wilt count it wel that once Calanus and his feares Did bring to passe who slewe theÌ„selues to scape these wretched yeares And staying death with hand did haste nor longer would preserue The dying Corps nor wretched flesh with labour long to serue And if religion sayd not nay and lawes of Plato hie And GOD himselfe I would persuade thee forthwith for to die And wicked chaunce and wretched earth to leaue as vayne and nought Not wine as wine desyred is but wine and good is sought So life as life is nothing worth if goodnesse lack we see If it be naught as wine corrupt let it despised be For life it selfe we nede not wysh nor fled it ought to be The worme the flye and euery stone and barke of euery tree And euery vile and little thing doth life in it possesse No kinde of thing desyred is where wanteth pleasauntnesse If it be not both life and good I see no cause whereby It should be wisht or may be loued Therefore who feares to dye Is but a foole since he desires such hurt and harme to byde Both of the body and the minde with labours long besyde Before he would al kinde of grieues with flesh from him expel And euer in tranquillity and perfect rest to dwell Or leauing members here behinde to liue for euermore Where he shal want no kinde of thing nor sorrow feele nor sore And with the saincts togither there about the world to flye More swift than al the windes that be beholding things on hye Except the dregs of vice him stay and force him styll to dwell Beneath in Corners deepe of earth amyd the raygne of Hell When thus this Lady fayre had sayd she rose and stode by me And on my head refusing I she put the Laurell tree And thence departing forth she flewe where shining starres we see ¶ Explicit media Pars. Libra The seauenth Booke MY muse a lofâ— raise vp thy self and vse a better flite MouÌ„t vp a hie think it scorn of base affayres to write More great renoune and glory more in hautye matters lyes Uiew thou y e Gods and take thy course thorowout the starrye Skyes Where spring time lastes for euermore where peace doth neuer quayle Where Sunne doth shine continuallye where Light doth neuer fayle Clowde causer Southwinde none there is nor boystrous Boreas blowes But mylder breaths y e Western windes where sweete Ambrozia growes Take thou thys way and yet somtimes downe falling fast from hye Now vp now downe wyth sundry sort of Gates aloft go flye And as some hawty place he seekes that couets farre to see The cause is fyrst before the effect the workman worke aboue The perfect thing bicause it doth eche parte in it containe And nothing lacks is stronger farre of greater force againe Therfore it makes coÌ„maunds moues and so by chalenge due The cause and Auctor eke of all it may be tearmed true But otherwyse thunperfect thing that maymde can not consist Is ouercome and moue it must euen as the perfyte list It doth obey and not commaunde and therfore must be named The effect and eke the framed worke and not the thing that framed So farre behinde it euer ought the perfect thing to goe For if vnperfite were the spring from whence all thing doe â—â—oe It were but vile and nothing wrought therof should perfect be As alwayes of thunperfect Arte vnperfect worke we se Wherfore beginnings more than one no reason forth can finde Bicause there is not to be knowne but one of perfect kinde From which the neuer fayling course and order of all things Doth come as from the Union fyrst eche other number springs Besydes it pure and syngle is that mixtures all hath made For nothing can compounded be but symples fyrst is had For fyrst it nedefull is alone the symples to be tryde And then in mixture all in one compounded to abyde Therfore no principall there is but one as I haue taught Which symple in degree we iudge and purest must be thought Whom if we think not for to liue in â—rror great wee fall If he liue not how liues the reasâ— synce by him lyue we all Doubtlesse he liâ—es and wisedome hath or else in order dewe How could he frame such goodly sightes except he all things knew Nor doubt we must but needes coÌ„fesse with mouth and eke with heart Him to be good Can he be ill of whom eche good is part Can bitter â—reames at any time from sweetest fountaine runne Or can the riuers pleasant be of bytter spring begunne For eyther nothing must be good or good must he be thought That is the spring of all the rest by whom the worlde was wrought Hym men doe call by diuers names but we that Latine wright Doe call him God and more we saye that Jupiter he hight Who fynce he is the first that was and maker of eche one Liues of himself both good and wyse receiuing state of none But all by him their states enioy who may lose that they haue Whensoeuer he lyst for to restraine the thing that fyrst
finished it Or could he alwayes it haue done but would not vtter more What is the cause why rather would he after than before Or else what reason alterd thus his minde to other trade If naught it were this world to make why was it euer made But if it meete and profitable were this world to frame What is the cause that God so late created hath the same Wherefore hath it so short an age For if we boldly may Deuines beleeue eyght thousand yeres are not full past away Since Adam olde created was Beside whence doth proceede The cause why God shuld make y e world for that he this did neede If so he should at first it made least he should greeued bee The lacke of such a goodly thing so long a time to see If not why made he it in vayne â–ª ought he for to deuise The thing that to no purpose is of fooles this is the guise Therof theÌ„ was some cause but what of troth assuredly His goodnesse great and mighty powre least that in vayne should lye These twoo shut vp in secrete close but rather open be To eury man for mighty and good in vayne is coumpted he By whome no great nor godly thing hath neuer yet bene wrought If God therefore was euer good and euer mighty thought Why would he not haue alwayes builte this goodly world we see Why let he such a thing till nowe of late deferred bee No reason truly can be found except some subtile brayne Make more accoÌ„pt of â—oyes than truthe and foolish fansies fayne Wherefore if we to reason sticke then must we surely say That this same world hath euer bene and neuer shall decay But if that GOD sayd otherwise long since and then did giue To Moyses knowledge of his workes we Moyses must belieue Let reason alway yelde to fayth and there as prisoner leaue For GOD can not deceaued be nor neuer doth deceaue If any time he do vouchsafe by words with men to deale If that appearing vnto man his secrets he reueale But they that first this Chaos and continuall matter taught Do trifle much For why should God leaue it so long vnwrought If he forthwith could make the world and at the fyrst create All kinde of things In vayne it is for to deliberate That presently may well be done But some haue surely thought Eternal state the world to haue of no man made or wrought But of it selfe as now it is before all ages past And of it selfe as now it is for euermore shall last Which sure is false for reason doth hir selfe this same deny For two most perfect things can not in order euer lye But would fal out betwene themselues and strife thereby maintayne Well graunt that in a faythful league they alwayes do â—emayne In vayne two heads allowed are for one shall wel suffise Bicause at least dame nature ought before the rest to rise And if before the rest she be then is she cause of all For formost cause doth alwayes frame the things that after fall Wherfore doubtlesse the almighty lord this world himself did make Of nothing and eternall to But how the reason take Eternal goodnesse hath the Lorde eternal powre hath he May not likewise his wyll to make the world eternall be Which if it were as reason shewes nought letê but world may be Continuall built by workeman hie in such a fayre degree As who soeuer grauntê the Sunne continuall to haue bene Must needes confesse the light thereof continually was seene Yet is â—he light the Sunnes effect and Sunne the cause we call But let vs search the Elaments and from the Heauens fall And not vnworthy things of them let vs now vâ—â—er playne Some men haue sayd that vnderneath the Skies a fire doth rayne Neere to the Moone but voyd of light and kindling hastily And wondrous hote which to be true doth perfect reason try For in the night we may beholde the fire in Skies to flie And fâ—ashing flames throughout y e aire and Starres to shoote from hie Which doth proceede of damps that in the ayre do rise more hye And burned is by force of fyre that there alâ—ft doth lye For of twoo sorâ—ê is vapoure one light drye and soone begoonne To fire whereby the flaming sighâ—ê in Skies are causde to runne The other more colde more waighty grosse engendred of this same Are showrs clouds snowes mystes and windes with flashing flame And thunder haylestones deaw rayn if fier were none aboue No vapour there could kindled be in eueningê darke to moue Moreouer since in lightnesse thus the fire doth ayre excell No remedy but needes it must haue hier place to dwell His seate therefore is vnder Skies and next to Moone doth lye Beneath this fire hath ayre his place which in his partes most hye A feruent heate of fire doth take The myddle partes most colde Doth thuÌ„der clouds lightnings bredâ— and tempestê sundry folde The lowest parte is warme and moyst for vapour that doth rise From floudê continually it moysâ—ê ascending towardê the Skies And warmd it is by beames of Sunne that back from earth rebound Here â—â—sts showrs and plesant deawâ— and snowes and frostê are found Which sundry sorts of winds do breede for no small powre is dealt Unto these windes and oftentimes their force in ayre is fealt These can in time of Sommer cause the nipping coldes to come And in the winter season sende abrode the warming Sunne These can both giue and take away from vs our corne and grayne These can both breede and beare away great sicknesses and payne From out the East doth Eurus blowe and from the Libian coast Doth Auster come and Zephyrus from westerne parts doth poste But Boreas blastes in Scythian hilles and Northerne partes doth rise More windes there are all rule the ayre that lower lies And with the ayre both land and sea Of windes the cloudes do breede And from the cloudes do flakes of snow and showers of rayne proceede Dewes lightning hayle early frosts but with diuersty of times And eke by sundry wayes and meanes and blastes of sundry windes Whereof such as from South do blow bréedes cloudes showers heaty But those that from the Scythian partes do come cause coldenesse great From these coms yse snowes frostes when winter dwelleth héere But in the Sommer time they serue to make the weather cléere The westerne winde bréedes flowers grosid with gréene doth new aray And giues the birds a cause to sing and filles the woods wyth May. Oft times the Easterne winde is good yet now and then doth rayse Such tempestes great that seas land by force thereof it frayes These windes the ayry sprites aboue or Starres abrode do send And oft when as the Coniurer for treasure doth intend In earth to delue or consecrate his booke in Magike wise Some sprite to binde then haue I heard that windes which then did rise And
nought Who so is free doth seeme to serue such is not to be sought It bringes the owner to much harme and not to can doe ill Is better sarre than haue such vice adherent to thy will How many men haue bene destroide by to much liberty How many men in safety liue with bridles dost thou se And if thy children sicknesse vexe why shouldst thou weepe or waile Go seeke in hast to make them whole if that will not preuaile And if that death will haue them needes then vse a pacient minde Thou art not in this case alone but fellowes shalt thou finde The griefe that we with many beare we better may sustaine We all are borne to this intent to render lyfe againe For of our fyrst beginning doth the fatall ende depende And certaine is the time decreed for all away to wende And either sone or latter doth eche man his graue descende To death which is of euils alt the last and finall ende Not of the valiaunt to be fearde what doth it ought auaile The deathes of them with teares y t here haue lost their lyfe to wayle Is it a thing so wretched here to leaue this foolishe life To ryd thereby our mortall corps from all vnquiet strife And for the hurly burly here eternall lyfe to win Perpetuall reast by death we gaine or eke the comming in To lyfe againe but weepe thy fill in time thy teares shall staye And all thy cares and griefe besyde from thee shall time conuaye But if thou wanton children keepe or of a greater shame O father fonde deseruing stripes then thou art most to blame And causer chiefe of all their hurt who taughtst not them to know Both maners good and vertuousneseâ— while tender yeares did grow Not yet with vices foule defaced neglecting thou the minde Diost only bring their bodies vp like beastes of brutishe kinde Hereof so many foolish geese and noughty men remaine With whom eche citie pestred is for all in age retaine The maners that they did receiue when yonger yeares were rife And eche man as he liued in youth so leadeth he his life The tender twigge at first may bowe according to thy minde But when the bowes get elder strength no more thou shalt them winde Nor from the place that yong it helde thou shalt it cause to flye So doth a childe in tender yeares eche way himselfe applye But when that elder age is come looke which way first he went That kepes he still and will not change his first conceiude intent Of custome long is nature bred and yeldes hir force alway To vse that long time hath bene kept yet ought we for to pray To God within the mothers wombe that he may giue good seede For so we shew our selues in lyfe as wee therin doe breede Whosoeuer doth come nought froÌ„ theÌ„ce will seldome vertuous proue Though manners good the schole hym teach and thousande masters moue Well maist thou nature rule sometime but neuer hir expell For she is still of greater force thau all thy guiding well Yet somthing will she altred be with vse and daily toyle So with continuall husbanding doth beare the barren soyle So Lions fierce of mighty force obey to man as king So by continuall exercise eche Arte in time doth spring Wherefore instruct thy children well while tender yeares doe grow And teach them honest wayes to walke and vertuous lyfe to know Permit them not to rampe abrode according to their will Than liberty no kinde of thing for children is more ill If thou be wyse holde fast thy raynes and warely well them guide For mortall things by naturra force are moude in vice to slide And willingly thereto they run if helpe no labour bring For without Arte is nature wone to giue no perfect thing For God himselfe will not permit that we with slouthfulnesse Should heauy ware but stirres vs vp with cares and busynesse And as with spurres the slothfull pricks a pleasaunt place ther lies That ryseth vp with craggey rocke amid the steamy skies Full of delight than which more bleft a place can not be founde To whom the sweete Elysius fields and Temp of Thessale grounde Doth place resigne here nigh the pole and night the starres that shine Dame vertue dwels and there enioyes a thousande pleasures fyne But vengeance crabbed is the pathes â—oth narrow and vnplaine And so be grown wyth thickes of thorne that neuer can attaine The vile and slouthfull minde to passe of earthly cares possest And few pure minde a loft doth bring whom God hath chose as blest Aboue to dwell amid the skyes full crabbed is the way To vertue sure but plaine to vice by which we sone doe stray To which we all runne easely who therefore doth intende To trade a childe in vertuousnesse must labour him to mende For without labour nothing good can well perfourmed bee The force of daily labour doth all things dispatch we see First ought you fathers to take heede aboue all other things Your children haunt no ill resort for custome alwayes brings Eche kinde of manners vnto men yea though they sainctes should be Ill company will them corrupt but chiefely let them flie From haunt of lustye youthfull brutes for youth is alwayes bent Lo vices all and filthy be all filthy talke innent For wholly is this age advicse to naughty ryots deede That they vse not the haunt therefore of yong men take good heede Thou that intendest for to kepe a childe in vertuousnesse Now vse to chide and now the rod and plaine the way expresse By which they may their feete direct in no wyse fauour showe And euer angry let them not the loue of Fathers know For nothing can more hurtful be than speake them faire vnto Then greater heart in vice they take then all things dare they doe When thou for truthe shalte take theyr wordes and makst of them to much Bewitched sore with doting loue to children fauour such Is hurtefull sure for feare alone doth make them vice to fly Not reason then and sone they synne if they be not put by With brydels harde and as they doe full oft in vices fall Done causyng them so seldome they returne if none doe call According as they bring them vp so all men children haue Besyde all this we must inuent our bodyes health to saue For health is far more worth than golde the healthy deluing loute In better state accounted is than crased kyng no doute First ought the cause be knoweÌ„ wherof such sicknesse vile are sowne In corps of men tormenting them for once the causes knowne More easely mayst thou shun theffects and causes pulde away The effectes of them that did ensue incontinent decay The causer first of each disease is chiefest nature sure As oft as vnder naughty starres the byrth she doth procure While as the childe doth inwarde take the motions of the saye Or else begot of naughty seede the cause doth eften lye Amyd the parentes of
is who can we good now fynde Of his owne selfe not one who not of yll and wicked minde Such one as feare of King or lawes prohibites to offend Or such as cannot wel perfourme the crime he doth entend It is not easy sure to winne and nature put to flight Nor for to stay the furies fell within the heart that fight Wherfore it needeful is to striue from yeres of youthful trayne With dayly flight and labours great the vices to restrayne For custome wonted is to break the force of nature sure If that by many yeares it hath bene vsed to endure Mannes life a warrefare ergo is eche fielde the enimy Possesseth ful al ful of theeues such gynnes who then can fly So many nets who can escape for when that fortune smyles Then creepes in fond laciuiousnesse and stings with thousand wiles Fast by encampeth swelling pride with slouth and gluttony And folish boldnesse strayght doth ryse wyth griefe and feare thereby And â—ayson fel of enuy and yre doth then possesse his minde When as he liues in great vnhap then seekes he for to finde Al meanes he can away to driue his wretched pouerty Then false he playes he robs steales his lack for to supply Oh Lord thus wise are mortal men betwene the cruel rockes Of Charibdis and Scilla tost of both receyue they knockes And while they seke these yls to shunne to other straight they fall If valeant they do seeke to be then daungers dire they shall And yrkesome labours also fele if vertue they do heede That guides the actes of mortal men then them commaundeth neede Al ioyes away to driue and put and eke wyth saged sawe A life vnpleasant for to leade If iust and righteous lawe Seeke any man for to obserue then profyt must away This iustice is of many praysde and fewe retayne it aye If prudence any man do please he must in any case Beware he put his trust in none for now in euery place Are great deceytes and perils rise and wyth simplicity In fine who that is good receaues most often harme we see He least in safety liues and feeles more hurt than al the rest For this same world a storehouse is where mischiefes al be prest All goodnesse here exiled is the simple Hares thereby The fearfull Hart the harmelesse gotes their bane come sonest by But rare the hunter hunts the Beare amyd the woods so hie The Lion reasts go now thy wayes and leade thou simply A gentle life wyth innocents that soner so thou may Unto the greedy gaping wolues become a grateful pray The world alas doth now abound with tirants ouer al The strong tread vnder fote the weake the mighty hurt the smal The Egles chase the fearful Swannes the Haukes doe Throstles kil And sary simple seely doues destroyes with croked byl The speckled Serpent kylls the Frogs and Lizartes vp doth eate And in the woods the greatest beastes of lesser make their meate Thou monsters also doest possesse O seas of mighty powre That wyth a gaping greedy throte the little fysh deuoure Not sea not earth not aire is safe the enmy euery where Is now at hand it profits smal to liue vnhurtful here Beholde how good is vertues parte that goodnesse here doth trayne For when ye haue it gotten once with labour and great payne Amid your enmies al she doth you thus vnarmed send But thou wilt say such vertuousnesse do lawes and Kings defend O would to God that this were so but now in euery place With money lawes corrupted arâ— and eke the Princes grace Is pleasde with precious gifts and sute the lawes set them on rack That eyther haue no pens to pay or frendship else do lack The other scape as innocents howsoeuer iudgement trye Lyke as the fly that smallest is in weaued Cobweb hye That Spyder makes remayneth wrapt where if a greater stray She breakes the nettes flyes abrode The lawes as wel doth say That Barbarous sage of Scythia the seely soule doth tye Where as the rich and mighty men burst through ful easily The other parte of vertue that doth search wyth studious payne And for to knowe the causes hyd of nature doth obtayne And froth to learne that scarce you can at any time come by How hard and ful of payne it is they knowe that it do try Fyrst vnder maisters rule wyth strypes they are constraynde to liue And there accoumpt of lessons hard with feare and teares to giue Shut vp as it in prison were whereby they may not goe Abrode wythout the tyrants leaue although them forceth thoe The office of the Campo Clubbe restraynt of Blathers might Though hunger pricke and lust to play wherein they most delight But when the yeares of youthful state approching present stand Then nede requires more diligence some one then sekes the land Wherein Anthenor last arriued with raging flouds to striue Of Venice gulâ—e to Naples else through Tuscan seas doth driue An other fast to Perouse sayles or gayneward Rome do fâ—eete There from his countrey farre exilde wyth many woes to meete With lack of meate and quiet sleepes and want of Venus play On bookes wyth study for to loke applying day by day For otherwyse can none be learnd except wyth vntrue fame For fewe are learned now in deede but many are in name Joyes hurt them much pleasures â—ke that seke for to attayne To top of learnings palace hie for this beates back agayne Their mindes from treading crabbed pathes by which the iourney bends To fayre Mineruaes holy house For he that thus intendes A name throughout the world to get must suffer dayly payne Great griefs hereby some men wyth yll digestion eft sustayne Of many whilste to much they reade both syght and eyes decay By study great their stomack rawe their colour falles away Then leannesse coÌ„mes w t wayward age nor maruel is it thoe Sith for to knowe the truth doth styll beyond mannes nature goe And proper is to God alone Like as the Owle of night Can not beholde the shining Sunne with clere and perfect sight So fares the minde of man as oft as it intends to flye Aloft to search the secret things falles headlong strayght from hye Now mortal men dare reache at things to Gods appropriate And foolisher they proue themselues the more they seke the state Of things whereof the knowledge doth pertaine to them no whit Except that God grauÌ„t them from hye both reason grace and wit But happy are the Aungels all for they the worlde doe know What thing it is how much how great whereof it fyrst did grow The Lorde and maker of the same all things that may be thought The Causes hid the priuie strengthes whereby all things are wrought This is the lyfe that they doe leade and this their pleasure all On meate or sleepe they neuer thinke to griefes they are not thrall No hope of gaine no feare of losse doth cause them for to fret But
in others harme delight The brother scarce may brother trust eche man his friende must feare The father of hys sonne in doubt doth liue sure Hell is here The furies and the stinking flouds that lye in Lumbo lake The gaping grenning Helhound wood and all that Hell doth take Sleepe only peace to man doth bring amid his fleering life Nothing than this if dreames fray not more sweete or voide of strife For cares and labour it extles and with his pleasant wings The wretched body resting brodes and sweere estate him brings Yet nature seemes thys rest to hate and ordainde hath hereby The stinging Gnat and byting Flea to vexe continually With twinging prick this pleasant ioy whereby both night and day Might mischiefes euer present be More better farre away Therefore is death than picture hys For who so once the seas of lyfe in ioyfull bote hath past And in the quiet hauen fayre his Anker safe hath cast With mery heart doth laugh to scorne the blastes of raging wyndes With tempests black and Leucoths hed which floury Garlandes byndes Doth honor much and Melicâ—rt with giftes he doth salute And safe amid the shore he ioyes with playes of sundry sute Death endes al pain al bonds doth lose death causes feare to flie And daungers all by death are forede to rest eternally And as no griefe nor paine thee vext before thy Syre thee got So shalt thou feele no griefe nor paine when death hir dart hath shot Who can conceiue the times as yll he felt hys byrth before Or iudge of dayes he neuer saw or shall see neuer more Or who will once dispraise the night as wretched nought or yll Wherein possest of deadly sleepe he senselesse lay ful still For what is death continuall sleepe what sleepe for small time death But many thinke soules neuer die but after losse of breath The dead they say doe liue againe and fleshe forsaking quite As cockels from the shell outdrawne to Pluto take their flight And downwarde hedlong fast they run in kingdome blacke to sayle There faine they woods of Mirtel trees where wofull louers wayle There riuers run wyth flaming flouds and dreadfull Monsters bee That poysoÌ„ fome with gaping throtes theyr places may you see Of diuers forme where Infants crye and where the gilty Ghostes The furies fierce of Hell doe burne and whip fast lynckd to postes And where the pleasant fieldes doe lye with goodly greene arayed As due to blessed men that here their pagents wel haue playde But other now say otherwise and soules they graunt remayne But those that wel in earth haue liude with starres aboue shall rayne And they againe that lyke to beastes haue serude licencious minde And God neglect in forme of beastes to liue are all assinde In brutishe shape to wander long by iudgement iust are made Til time that purged front their crime they come to hyghest grade Which things in deede if they wer true death fearefull might be thought Or at the least a better lyfe and voide of sinne be sought For to the iust hereby is got the ioyes and pleasures true Wheras the wicked shall receiue their paines and merits due But whether that the deade doe liue or that they nothing bee And soule with body hath hys ende pertaineth not to mee For I mee thinks haue sayd ynough enquire of Sister mine Whom Grecians wysedome euer call these thoughtes she doth defyne And alwayes searcheth secrete things and verity doth showe Hir teaching well thou maist attaine the state of soules to knowe Except it serue to tell thee that death is not to be dred At least vnto the iust that here a righteous life haue led For eyther quiet rest they haue in sleepe that still doth last Or happy else they shall receiue rewardes for vertue past wherfore go to liue Godly now put vice from minde away So death shall seme but light to thee and graue thee not shall fray But now in minde these words reuolue both speake and think this thing What hurt shall death to mee procure what losse shall graue mee bring No whit for trouth what will it haue of richesse mee depriue But richesse then I shall not neede for nothing then I striue But richest then I may be calde for welthyest is the wight Not that doth most possesse but he that lacketh least in syght Gold siluer precious stones and lands with sumptuous fyne aray With other lyke I will despise as things that I not way Nor pleasure past shall greue me then no more than greueth beastes Swete plesant sparkling wines to lack or Custards fyne in feastes The thinges that no man doth desyre what if they not be had But friends children sweete to leaue wil make thou sayest men sad why shuld this thing me greue so much were it not hurtful more If in my life my frends should dye and I lament therfore Continually as some do write how for Antilochus Syr Nestor wept as for his sonne whome slewe the King Turnus While he the Troians armies helpt Euandre liude in woe I go before and what for this they all shall after goe When God appoynted hath their time and me agayne shall see If soules be ought as we beleue as Christ declares they be Well whatsoeuer that it is death yll I may not call Bycause it riches takes away and pleasaunt ioyes wythall For vnto vs these are but lent the vse doth nature giue And not the thing it selfe she deales to mortal men that liue Sith nothing then to me belongs to death I wyl resigne Al other things that here I haue as nothing sure of mine What if I others goods do leaue wherfore should I lament If nature nowe do aske agayne the things that she me lent I naked came into this world and naked wil I out For this world is an Inne where hostes of men a wondrous roure Who for a time do vse the foode that layes before their face Their hoste and therewithal doth say syrs take and eate apace Not for desertes of you we giue these things but of good wyll These pleasant dishes here we set therewith your selues to fyll Untill such time as I thinke good to byd you hence departe And say from vp my table rise now ease with ioyfull harte But when the houre last shal come wherein I byd you go With willing minde obey me then and place resigne you thoe To other gests that here shal syt let them reioyce a while wyth dishes these who wyll repine except he be to vile Lack wyt or else vnthanckfull be hearing these wordes to go From others dores or else wyll syt while he commaundeth so But he shal cry come forth you Knaue and thrust him out by the eares And yll apayd he forwardes goes wyth woful weping teares Wherfore should I if he do call that all things here doth guide â—epine to go from hence or seeke in wretched life to byde As many do nor fyt it is nay willing hence
he gaue As Kyuers must leaue of theyr course when springs their stremes deny And yet it followes not therfore the spring it selfe be drye For of it selfe it yeldes the streame and hanges at no mans tayle So God doth of himselfe consyst and therfore cannot fayle If altogither perishe should yet fayles not he therfore For what consysteth of it selfe must last for euermore When onely of himselfe he sâ—ayes and nedes no helper by When as by force he cannot quayle and wyll not willingly He is all and whole the rest but part yet in no such degree That of those partes he purest shoulde himselfe compounded bee But by his vertue he is all bicause he fyrst did frame The worlde so wide and all things else conteyned in the same All things that liue and voide of lyfe all things that doe appere And hidden syghts he only made and doth preserue them here In this wyse therfore is he all as seede is all the tree Wherof springs vp the mighty boole whose braunches shadowers bee Some doubt if God a body haue and thus doe they beleue That nothing voide of body is that sense cannot perceue And therefore now we will attempt the trouth therof to see Of quantitie and qualitie all bodies needes must bee For by these two state sensible the body doth receiue Take these away what doth remaine that senses may perceiue All quantities and qualities compounded euer bee And God of nature syngle is as late I tolde to thee Adde more to thys that bodyes all of forme and matter bee Nor God can be of such a power as boundes may comprehends When he abides for euermore least so the worlde should ende Nor body none is voide of boundes but all are measurable The compast forme hath his precinets whose fashyon is most laudable So hath the Square and Triangle and all the shapes that bee This reason proues no body is but it may measurde bee And thus I proue this body here in equall partes deuide Whereof the halfe let A possesse and B the other syde I here demaunde if A as much as B can doe or if these twaine Be infinite so one shall serue and thother shal be vaine If both haue power determinate the whole must haue the same But who so seekes the vnbounded thing of bounded partes to frame Shall proue vnwyse and thus ensewes the maker chiefe of all No body hath But some there be perchaunce that aunswere shall God is a body infinite hut this doe I deny For so should he eche place fill vp and leaue none voide wherby The rest should neuer be containde so worlde there should be none Nor we remaine nor any thing saue he himselfe alone Besydes synce body here in life is of more noble state Than sensses Corse we must not doubte but lyfe of hygher rate Than Careasse is But here I aske if life a substance be If not then substance were more vile and of more base degree Than that which substance is without and if you bring in this In suffring such absurditie the scholemen all will hisse But if that lyfe a substance be then body is but vaine Since of it selfe is can consyst and seuered 〈◊〉 remaine And why should â—od a â—ody take synce he at libertie Doth best enioy his state and hath no such necessitie It is a thing super fluous eke by which the lyfe enclosed As prisoners like is barde the place wherto it is best disposed Therefore that chiefe Almighty Prince eternall good and wyse No body hath Now will I shewe why many doe despyse Thys reason and doe thinke it vaine the cause hereof doth spring That drounde in bodies grosse blinded sense they know no other thing But bodyes here as through a glasse wyth any colour stainde Whosoeuer lookes ech thing shal iudge of colour that is fained Yet must we know and doutlesse think that diuers things there be That eyther voyde of bodyes lyue or of such pure degre Their bodyes are that neyther eyes of ours can them beholde Nor sense discerne and so more worth than ours a thousand folde Which thus perchaunce may proued be all grosse and wayghty things How much the more of earthly drofse annexde to them forth brings So much more base and vyler be than that which seemes to flowe Of fyne and purer matter wrought all mettals this doth showe For looke when as by feruent heate of Fyrie flames they frye They straightwaies melt basest parts wherein most earth doth lye As nothing worth falles out to drosse the purest and most fine With better sounde and better shape before the eye doth shine So Bread is best of purest meale wherof the Masters eate Of grosser is the seruants foode the worst is Mastyues meate So Water Wyne and Oyle wyth like the worthyest of them bee Such as most cleare and subtill seeme and lyghtest in degree So meate the baser and grosest part by syege away doth fade The finest part remaines wherof Fleshe Bloud and strength is made What is the cause that common stones so rude and rusty lye Where marble the precious gemmes doe glyster in the eye Nought else but that in one of them lesse drosse of earth is founde In thother grosse and heauy moulde hath syght and value drounde Therfore more foule and baser farre such things are indgde to be Wherein most earth remaines wherby they are calde of lesse degree As drosse we take lesse golde to be or golde of baser myne We can not call so iustly Golde as that already fyne For of all Elaments the earth the vylest hath bene thought And as the rubbish of the reâ—â—e cast by when they were wrought Therfore the wysest workman fyrst dyd cause it lowe to lye That distant farre it should remaine remoued from the skye And thick in ball he cast it rounde more lesse and small to bee That saints might haue more plain prospect that liste the world to see For when God had dect the world wyth Starres in trym araye What drosse remaynde he bade y e winds to clense and swepe awaye Then in with hasty course they rushe their Lordes awarde to do The Northwinde blowes y e Southwind huffes the West and East set to With striuing blasts they swepe y e fieldes and rounde in heape they cast Whatsoeuer they finde constraining it the earth is framed and lefte Which banished from the heauens hye straight downe to center fell No place more farre nor base appeares where nygher shee might dwell Besyde of weaker force it is and eke of smaller power Than all the reast of Elaments are and feblest of the fower For if by feruent heate of Sunne it be constrained to gape Or pearced with Plow it cannot ioyne nor take his former shape The waters if they parted be doe straight returne in one And voide of all diuisyon semes as if there had bene none So doth the ayre and fier eke if these deuided be At fyrst they ioyne againe so that no signe
there hath rule all fixed continually As voide of place and safe from harme they all doe seeme to be There are the causes of eache thing and springes of all we see The worlde that senses may perceiue from thys same worlde doth spring And semeth here a figure sure and shaddowe of that thing All things more perfect there and all things whole appere We haue but portions of the same which are encreased here By natures fault and great deffect so heartes a number be For vertue one aboue creates the hearts that here we see By hir the subtill Foxe is framde by hir the Lyons liue And so of all the other beastes that thys our worlde doth giue Which seeme in number diuers sortes but all are one in kinde That from these powers at first to come are euery one assinde None otherwyse than Carpenters in Cities great of name Eche one applying well hys worke doe diuers matters frame Wherfore this world doth stād of parts the other doth consyst Of al and liuing by themselues of distance as they list But some haue thought y t euery Starre a worlde we well may cal The earth they count a darkned starre wheras the least of all The God doth raine that vnderneath the clowdes hath placed his chaire That fosters all the creatures here in seas in earth and ayre A Lorde of shadowes and the guide of shapes that liuely bee To whom is delt the charge of things and rule of all to see Which for bicause they doe not last but passe with tyme away Doe scarse deserue the name of ought but shadowes that decay The same is Pluto as I iudge of whome the Poets olde Do often syng and say that he the King dome black doth holde For vnderneath the cloudes is night aboue are al things cleare Where light doth last for euermore and brightnesse styll appeare To him as to the worst of all thalmighty Lord dyd giue The vtleft raigne the rest more good in better starres to liue But yet is no man sure of this for who doth know so wel Gods mysteries who hath bene there and turnde agayne to tell No state of man is such our minde doth faynt in things so hie The Owle cannot beholde the Sunne wyth pure and perfect eye Eche one presuming of his wyt inuenteth matters newe But Poets specially to whome most confidence is dewe For they may by autority of any matters write Wyth Bacchus rage they moued be and wyth Apolloes sprite Though nothing is that doth forbyd the mad man truth to say Sibylla vsed to tell the trouth in madnesse as she lay Let this suffise my promisse kept to proue that numbers be Of creatures farre excelling vs which no mans eyes can see Yet do they liue and reason vse and as some wyse men say Such are our soules departed once that neuer shal decay So Plato so Pythagoras and so Plotinus thought And so haue many Poets erst in pleasaunt verses wrought Therefore it semeth labour worth a thing most mete to tel Of this for to entreat at large for what doth more excel Than throughly man to know himselfe for children vnderstand Where of the Body doth consyst euen earth of flyme and sand But harde it is so plaine to knowe the nature of the minde Wherfore presuming on my Muse with all the force I finde Bestowing all my wits thereon I will attempt to knowe The perfect nature of the same and plaine in verses shewe That done forsaking Libra soone Scorpius thy crooked sygne I entre wyll and destenie thy fatall force define If destiny doe not depriue our Port of hys wyll And for bycause in doubtfull things to bring the greater styll The methode and the order best is plainely to begin With such as are assured most so wyll I doe herein For if the fyrst beginnings here shall seeme obscure in syght The sequele shall vncertaine seeme and in the worser plight If slender the foundation be in small tyme and space We shall beholde the buildings fayle that we thereon doe place The effects more plaine and manifest than causes seeme to be At them therfore we wyll begin and all things open see With mouing nowe for euery thing that lyfe remayneth in Doth moue alone first sygne of lyfe therfore we will begin For of it selfe the bodyes restes and members rottes away The cause perhaps that moues is heate or bloud that beares the sway But things aliue are often styll when as they list to rest Though heate bloud in them abound therfore appereth best That wyll is cause of mouing here yet sometimes they desyre To moue and cannot stirre therefore doth mouing both require The one commaunds the other works for wyll can nothing doe If power doe lack But how commes it that men moue to and froe Bicause minde teaching wil seeth good and mouing straight doth turne To that it sees as Fyrre is drawn by that which makes it burne Lyke as the yron from his place the Lodestone vpwarde drawes And as the Aumber lyfteth vp the lyttle slender strawes The worlde in such a wondrous sorte the Almighty Lorde did frame That many things doe well agree as ioyned in the same And many things doe disagree and kepe continuall fight Wherby some men haue surely thought that strife and frendeship might Be iustly calde beginnings chiefe by which are all things wrought Thus good first moued by which y e mind to motion quickly brought Doth moue the partes pricketh forth the body here and there But yet ws think suffiseth not one good to all things here Nor one desyre to all alyke so thys some that estemes And euery one retaines hys ioy as best to nature seemes The Childe we see desyres the thyngs that aged men forsake For as the bodyes seeme to be so minde and wyll doe take Wherfore we sometime couet thys and sometime long for that And that which late we did esteme we now doe seeme to hate Bicause our chaunging body is disposed diuerslye And drawes the nature of the minde the way that it doth wrye Hereof comes thyrst and hunger sharp and lust to Ladyes lappes The body many things doe change as age or tyme or happes As also meate and drinke sometymes and ayre doth chaunge it quite And Starres doth alteration make as learned men doe write Wherfore nothing in syght alone but state of body here Doth cause vs diuers thyngs to wyll and moues it doth appere But some by reason rather ledde doe walke as she doth shew And onely are by vertue drawne but such are very fewe For fleshly fonde affections here the minde doe ouer runne None otherwyse than mistes doe darke the cleare and shining Sunne Lo this the cause why body moues the mouing force of minde Whom moued wil doth stil commaund obayes as is assinde And in the partes that quyet are if nothing them doe let Is poured out and causeth them now here now there to iet But why should labour weary them whereof
of other partes through al the body forth do runne But of this same in other place more playnly shal we write If God therein do fauour vs and Muses graunt vs sprite Suffiâ—eth now affections fyrst of al things else to be Wythin the minde the causes sprong of things wythout we see And after they by member bloud or other humours might Are spread abrode in euery parte and so thrust out to light For seing minde and body are ioynde the mouing nedes must be Common to both the harmes al one and chaunge in like degree Whatsoeuer thing the one perceyues the other feeleth it They both in nature doe agree so strongly are they knitte But now bycause we seeme to touch the typ of Scorpions toe Let vs my Muse of senses speake here briefly as we goe Fyue senses nature gaue to sucâ— as perfect creatures be But vnto some he delt not all which may be worthely Unperfect namde as Moles wormes and Scallops of the baye And Wilks Irchin ekâ— whom pricks incompast rounde araye Aniong these senses al the syght is thought the best to bee Bicause it is the chiefest meanes wherwith the minde doth see Declaring plaine the wondrous workes beasts that nature here doth frame such floures such fruits such her vs such such plantes such stones of name Such sundry sortes of mettalles fayre and shewing also plaine What Fyshes Proteus feedes in seas what Monsters there remaine And more than thys the stately roomes wherein the Gods doe lye The glistering globes of starres aboue and Phaebus shining hye Besydes the things that men doe heare that tongue can not displaye Thys sense therfore doth all excell and fayrest farre away In which the seate and chiefest place wherin the minde doth dwell Is thought to be for when we meetâ— or talke in presence tell Upon the others eyes we gase as man and minde and all Did there consyst who so the eyes the glasse of minde doth call Shall say the truth for pleasaunt loue in them doth fyrst gyue lyght There hate and â—iercenesse doth appere with mylde and gentle sprite There sadnesse ioy and mischief shewes with zeale and wysedome great And follye pride and feare and rage with fault and wrathfull heat But wherof doth the syght proceede the mindes let other see Of learned men I briefely shewe as I think best to be One lyfe there must be knowne to be of substance eke so fine As syght can neuer comprehende of force and power dâ—uine Which nature deales God doth giue thys feedes and makes to growe Doth breed doth moue doth heare tast doth smell see feele and knowe Which is the chiefe and greatest power most nere to saints on hye These powres she through y e body spreds in certaine partes to lye And by the eyes doth lyght let in and sundry coulers see And iudgeth playne of euery shape and all things else that be Receaueth also by the nose the smelles of sundry sort And by the eares doth vnderstande sounde noyse and great report By tongue descernes eche kinde of tast by feling knowledge brings Of hote from colde of harde from soft of rough from smothest things Companions fyue these are to lyfe and faithfull seruants sure That shewes hir all without the which she nothing coulde procure The eyes therfore as glassye made and as the Christall clâ—re Lyke as a glasse receyue the shapes that we doe looke on here By power wherof are things desernde if that the eye be sounde These sorts of things vnto the minde for as in hyghest grounde Hir stately seate in head the holdes the eye doth plainely showe Whose ymage truely shadowed there she wyse doth straight wayes knowe So wondrously she doth perceiue a sundry sort of soundes When in the helthy vnharmed eares the ayre therof reboundes For ayre of slendrest substance is and moueth by and by Which beaten with the noise doth shuÌ„ne and from the stroke doth flye And pearcyng breakes into the eares though close be kept the glasse And close the dore so fine it is that inwarde it will passe For euen the fyshe when fyâ—hers harde with poales the floudes â—â—e plashe For feare of noyse flye fast from thence and thick in nettes doe mashe For ayre to depth of seas doth pearce vp mountes the waues thereby And tempests roares w t dreadfull noyse the shipman out doth crye And vowes to offer sacred giftes As oft therfore as wee Doe finde two things togither knockte as oft as ayre we see Moued vehemently but chiefly then when through these hollowed things By narrowe straightes it passeth out thence diuers voices springs As diuers are the sortes of them as place doth fashion take In which the ayre doth sundry soundes and sundry voices make So soundes the Trumpet otherwyse by farre than shalme doth blowe And well we may the Tymbrels tune from sounde of sawtrey knowe For as by stroke of stone in streame doe many cyrcles ryse So moued the ayre w t whirling wheele doth spread in largest guise And therfore into many eares one voice doth easely passe As where a number be one syght is seene in euery glaue But how the nose receiueth smell let vs say something here A slender fume from euery thing arisyng doth appere Which broade in ayre doth spred it selfe as Frankconcense we see Or Myrrhe if that vpon the coales the powder poured bee By meanes of tongue is taste perceiude and roufe of mouthe besyde For by these twaine the taste smatche of euery thing is tryde Which pearcing straight doth touch the sense therof is taste begonne But feeling bloud and sprite procures which through the bodye runne Thys sense doe creatures all possesse and taste they all receiue But man doth better them enioye and them more right perceiue Hereof to man more wysedome doth than to the rest aryse Some thys denye and saye the things foresayde are otherwyse Alowing not that formes receyued in eyes cause syght to be Or that the ayre we neede as meane to heare or for to see For the almighty King doth giue so many powers to minde As in the world he framed things that varie in their kinde That she might al things comprehend she knowes wel what to be Hir proper kinde and more perceyues Minde al things plaine doth see And al things ponders prudently that senses to hir brings And wyth celestial trial wayes the true and vertuous things To Lyfe therefore is minde the Sunne the senses Starres doe seeme So some affirme but we make haste and leaue these things to deeme To other men for nye we come to ende of Libra here Bycause the feete of Scorpion signe do playnly now appere My sayings yet do plainly teach the soule Celestiall To be which voyd of body liues and giueth lyfe to all Discerning also euery thing as farre as God giues leaue For al things here of him their force determinde do receyue To him eternal power belongs al things doth he create And makes al things that
impute eche thing to destenye And iudge that force of fatall lawes the world is ordred by And that wyth one continual course as pageants shewes to minde Al things do moue and euery man hath here his parte assinde That he must play tyl al be done a question to be sought Right profitable fayre and hard not to be left vntaught Now fyrst therefore let vs declare that nothing here can be Wythout a cause and that the cause must of necessity Much differ from the effect synce that nothing it self doth breede No thing can of it selfe be cause nor of it selfe proceede Then infinite shall causes growe not so but yet there ought Some fyrst to be from which the rest of causes must be brought Which from the hiest must descend vnto the basest state This order then of causes we cal Destenie or Fate Which God as once predestining that all things should be so Determinde hath by his decree for euermore to go But as eche cause doth nerest come vnto the causer fyrst So all the rest it doth excel and moues and rules the worst The fyrst beginning is a cause and no effect the same The lowest state is but effect no cause we can it name The meanes that are betwene these two may names of both retayne For if of causes were no knot nor order styll to rayne If th one of thother shoulde not hang as if from heauens hye A Chayne to deepest part of Hell should hang and lincked lye Which is to vyle to be rehearsed beginnings more than one Shall seeme to be and causes fyrst must many spring thereon Then shal they stryue amōgst thēselues and often fiercely fyght So many heads for one alone doth rule require of right So neyther world should here be one nor beautifull should seeme For ordre is the beauty chiefe that we in things esteeme But some perchaunce wyl say from one beginning fyrst of all Togyther many causes seue ▪ red downward often fall As sundry sort of glistering beames the Sunne doth from him sende With certaine difference seuered of which doth not depende The one of the others force but eache from selfe same head doe fall So needes no strife nor let bycause one way they walke not all Thys order is not very yll nor much mislyketh me This sentence may be fortune true but let vs thorowly see All blindenesse from our minde expelde for minde of man cannot Attaine to lyght of trouth so sone nor in such easy sort But oftentimes doth vse to erre and hereof doth aryse Such sectes such contrary sawes he proues and he denies As reason proper is to Gods opinion is to vs No certaintie hath mortall man the trouth for to discusse Therfore if many causes be that from the fyrst doe flowe If eche of them in perfectnesse be like I seke to know No order there shal then appeare for where no chiefe doth guide No difference nor diuersity seene no order can be spyde In euery thing thou mayst perceyue a first a mydst and last No kind of thing is here that is wythout an order cast But if they al do not alike this perfectnesse auowe God hath some thing vnperfect made this can not I allowe Wherefore one perfect good effect allowe the causer fyrst The rest haue more vnperfecter as they themselues are worst For commonly most store of fruite the naughtiest tree doth bring But worst as yll than good and sowre than sweete doth ryfer spring For as eche cause is more of power and of estate more hye So more of lyfe and reason hath this purest substance nye The cause agayne of weaker force and of a baser kinde Lesse lyfe and reason doth possesse and substance lesse doth fynde As well vpon the earth appears wher al things do endure But little space where reason is scarce where no estate is pure But all of many things consistes al things on earth that bene Compounded are and myxt so that no substaunce can be sene Nor here she is esteemde a whit the honour doth remayne To such as hir do here enioy and such as hir retayne In darke some caues she hidden lyes and hereby do we fynde That fortunes goods are more estemde than vertues of the minde For substance vertue may be calde but in this worlde exilde This substaunce liues hir coūtrey fayre hir seate and mansion milde The heauens are where as she hath hir faythfull frendes of trust Goodnesse truth By this meanes tho the world is framed iust Of causes as before is sayde preieruing euery thing with during bond this chaine but God may none in peeces bring Nor force nor space of tyme it breake Of causes such is sponne What is to come what present is and what hath earst bene donne To al the which theyr force and strēgth thalmighty king aboue with certain boundes time appointes by certayne meanes to moue And needefull is it to be knowen how many causes runne To gather oft when any thing by force of them is donne Nor rashely is thys meeting made and causes mixed so But by appointed destenyes all things doe passe and go Thalmighty worke man of the worlde hath all things vndercast Assured lawes and measure delt to all the things he past Therefore it is not true that some affyrme and dare defende That nothing certayne can be founde that chance doth all things sende And God regards not mortall state But they themselues deceaue And are beguiled much to whom thys sentence here doth cleaue For truely chance is nothing else but vaine opinion blinde Not diffring much frō shapes syghtes that in our sleepes we fynde Whatsoeuer Aristotel sayth or any of them all I passe not for synce from the truth they many times doe fall Oft prudent graue and famous men in errors chance to slyde And many wittes wyth them deceiue when they themselues go wyde Examples only serue so much must errors folowed bee Let no man iudge me arrogant for reason ruleth mee She faithfull guide of wysemen is let him that seekes to fynde The trouth loue hir and followe hir with all hys might and minde And that there is no chaunce at all thys reason strong and stayde Makes me beleue for if that all as earst before is sayde By causes fixed in certaine guise and certayne time doe moue As God commaundes for perfectnesse and for the worldes behoue Least hurtfull error should destroy so fayre a worke as it what kind of place shall chaūce possesse or seate finde out to syt In doubtfulnesse and altering state surmounting farre away Both Protheus and Vertumnus to in changing theyr aray As voide so nature chance denies Uncertaine nought doth lye Within thys worlde but certaine all as nature God and skye And elaments and what of them so euer framde we see Or hath in tyme before bene wrought or euermore shall be But if that ought vncertaine were then should the minde diuine Not all things here knowe certainely but from the trouth decline
is counted plaine of death the liuely portrature Wherfore if thou shalt search the truthe with well aduised minde Thou shalt a smallest sort among so many thousande finde That with free wil do guide themselues and libertie doe vse The fault of age I ouerpasse and childrens yeares excuse And vnto those that sleeping lye I licence also giue Or them whom feuers rage doth rost or sycknesse sharpe doth grieue Of which a number great there be but greater farre away And worser eke whose fylthy minde doth vices foule aray And fonde affections makes to faint wythdrawing it with strife From reason farre and from the path of ryght and vertuous lyfe May these be counted for to haue free wyll and libertye A doubtfull thing it surely is and many it denye Wherfore thou well must vnderstande that he alone is free Whom reason rules that with payne will neuer conquerd bee Nor when the stormy tempests rage to rocks is euer thrall But stoutly sticking to the sterne doth with the hauen fall So truely earst haue certaine sayde but wisemen none we finde Whom reason ruling can correct the affections of the minde The other sort can not doe so why hath not God them delt Free wyll whych euer may be founde where reason may be felt For these are alwayes coupled styll So beastes of nature wylde Syth reason they are thought to lack are iudgde from wyll exylde But all men reason doe receiue and therfore haue free wyll For reason is the guide of minde that choseth good from ill Descerning eke the naughty facts from such as honest be And called is the syght and eye wherwith the minde doth se Such eye perhaps as Poliphaem the Poets gaue to thee Wherwyth the lymmes of thy beloued in seas thou oft didst see But naught alas and all to naught who such to shunne hath might Vlisses wyth a fiery post hath it bereft of syght And face the face that fyrst was fayre of beauty spoyled quite Or such an eye as Lynceus had that sawe in darkest night Thys eye therefore to euery man Prometheus wysedome delt But fewe it vse a very fewe that grace of loue haue felt Hereof the spring of errours doth and wickednesse aryse For if the steps of reason all should treade in nerest wyse Then peace on earthe shoulde alwayes dwell and Mars hys bloudy hande Such slaughters nor such cryes shoulde cause townes walles shuld stand And weapons framed fyrst in hell by fiendyshe furyes wrought Should tille y e field with good exchange to share and cultre brought Then Bees and Cattel swarming thick and riches of the fielde Unto the happy husbandman a great increase should yelde The golden world should then returne and eke one place containe Both man God who would vouchsafe before our eyes to raine The cause why fewe doe reason vse and wayes forbydden knowe And voide of freewill liue like beastes I wyll assay to showe A certaine part diuine in vs that minde and reason hyght There is which nature in the head hath placed a loft in syght And seruants vnto it appoints the senses that there be By meanes whereof the Skies Earth and al things it may see An other fading force there is wythin the breast enclosde By meanes wherof we moue and grow wyth helpe of heate disposde Thus hath it pleased God this straynes molests and grieues the minde And to this part a number great of seruaunts is assinde As fond delight wrath griefe and feare wyth great desire to gayne Ambition hauty harmfull thing wyth fumes that vex the brayne Wyth these his lusty souldiours he giues battayle to the minde These mates attempted Joue to vexe of fiercest giants kinde As Giges strong Iapetus and Tiphoeus monstrous sprite Enceladus yll worker and Briareus dredful wight Wyth worldly thoughtes hie heapt they vexe the part diuine aboue Except that grace from heauen hye like lightning them remoue As when the raynes are once let lose the Chariot headlong dryues And swiftly runnes to stay the course in vaine the Carter stryues The fyrst beginnings must be stopped whyle sparke but kindling lies When fyre hath rought the lofty partes and flames approch the skies Especially when Boreas blastes from Northerne Pole doth fall And rageth fierce in vayne alas for water then they call As when from top of hawty rocke some wayghty stone downe trowles What force can it of course restrayne al things wyth it it rowles Asunder crackes the mighty trees that on the mountayne springs Which at the fyrst might well be stayed wyth force of smallest things Euen so the affections of the minde if that wyth all their sway The minde opprest they do inuade them scarce can reason stay And helme and al forsaken quite wyth streame dame Reason driues In raging windes and yeldes to foe a captiue kept in gyues Therefore while vices yet be yong let them oppressed be And voyd the cause ere they waxe strong then minde and wyl is free Then conquerour thou shalt be crownd wyth Palme of Idumay But if the assault be now begonne and siege the foe doth lay And shakes wyth battrey great y e walles except beleue me well Some God wyth better grace defend Reason doth byd farewell And cannot byde so sore a brunt May we not playnly see What harmes the minde doth there sustayne where Bacchus blessings be What madnesse ofte doth spring when wine to much in stomack raynes Tell where freewyl kepes residence when drinke doth vex the braynes The sober and the fasting man of freewil is possest And doth what so euer Reason byds Againe the dronken gest The thing that he ne would ne knowes he alwayes doth the same Which deedes he sobre doth repent and sorroweth eke wyth shame So wyth affections minde is dronke and in none otherwyse Than wine that topsey turnes the brayn when it doth vpward ryse It troubled is and darkd in mystes Thus he and none besides Hath freedome and his minde at wyl whome reason only guides Who all affections ouercommes and wholly doth restrayne He that from youth doth vertue vse may well to this attaine Such force hath vse nothing more strōg The other sorte are wayde In manner like to brutish beasts as true the Poet sayd Eche man his owne delight doth drawe Freewyll in many opprest And hindred is wherefore who list Freewyl for to possesse Let hym resyst while yong they be thaffections of the minde And them to reason subiect make and brydie vse in kinde For flesh agaynst the sprite rebels and wyth continuall warres Doth it molest The soule most pure doth couet styll thestarres But lumpish flesh doth shunne the skies and earthly things desyres For earth it onely is and into earth at length expyres Thus two so farre contrary things hath God compact in one Admit thou art wyse and onely rulde by reasons force alone And freewyll perfectly enioyest shall destnie then beare sway Yea more to Fates thou subiect arte and more shalt it
haue felt and found And Naples that wyth Mermaydes tomb so famous lately ioyed Beholding now hir orchards fayre wyth French mens hands destroied Alas doth heauy mourne by streames of Sebethes so cleare What should I tel the woÌ„drous flames that in the skyes appeare More bright than dayes locusts grim like cloudes the Sunne to hide And tender corue with gredy iawes to spoyle on euery syde How many cities woful plague and piteous famine sore Hath quite depriued of Citizens how many places more Wyth flouds are almost perished Alas now instly now doth God plague vs in sundry case What mischief do we not commyt what iustice is in place What loue or seruice here of God Religion now is made An occupation for the purse a Marchandise and trade The sacred rytes are aye defyled wyth hands of bandy mates Yet loke theron and let it passe the Kings and Princely states And honour due to Christ aboue they not esteeme nor way Thus ouer vs pore misers here such blockes do beare the sway Therefore I wyl go hence a while and in Parnasus hyll Until my Muse doth cal me forth lye close and secrete styll Sagittarius the ninth Booke IT waxeth light now Muse enough wythin Castalian lake We rested haue the wrest therfore and Harp in hand go take Set strings in tune and with thy grace accustomed to thy kinde Sing Goddesse auncient melody good verses fyl thy minde That erst Apollo wonted was in Bay tree woods to tel While he by riuer stoode that runnes from out Permessus Wel. Us calles behold another ioyle wherein some prayse ooth lye Let vs from hautye place and top of Parnas hylles so bye Beholde the sundry mindes of men and eke their liuing marke Nowe past the middest of surging seas had runne my sayling barke And now the toppes of lofty trees wyth frosty ryndes were white When as a certaine God vnknowne by me stoode vp in syght And shining wyth his beames deuine expellde the blackishe night A certaine rock I then behelde whose top did reache so hye That passing cloudes aboue it might discouer plaine the skye Harde semed it first to enter vp for ragged stones there was Placed round about which made y e way both straight and ill to passe The bottom all beset wyth bryers the mydst more mylde againe And nerer as it comes to skyes the path appeares more playne And easyer to be trauailed Theorea eke it hyght Hereto me straightwayes did conduct my Ghost and guiding spright To top wherof when as we came I myght beholde and see Eche place with woÌ„drous syghts fulfild and furnished to bee Which if my tong would here declare the Sunne should soner slyde To lowest partes and night the earth with misty cloke should hyde Whyle as I stay and gase vpon the large and ioyfull syghtes Lo fallyng from the skyes aloft a voice these wordes recytes Stellatus bowe thy knees and here thy humble prayers make Unto the Almighty king without whose grace thou canst not take The pleasant pleasures of this meunt Therefore in humble wyse Kneele thou to God for fauour all doth fall to earth from skyes For nothing is wherof to man can greater profyte flowe Than heauenly helpe with holy prayers to get and God to knowe When thys I hearde vpon the earth my face and hande vpright I bowed my knees and poured out these words in harty plight O Father great of saints chiefe powre that in the worlde may be Than whom may neuer thing be found nor thought of more degree Remoued farre from body here yet framing fashyons all Both such as neuer fade and such as times at length lett es fall The first and of beginning voide the fountaine whence doth spring All kinde of good of nature eke the auctor â–ª guide and king That all things here dost comprehende comprended thou of none The hye Almighty Maiesty and chiefest good alone Lyfe wysedome order praise and ende minde truth way lyght and grace No where thy selfe inhabiting and dwelling in eche place Unmoueable and mouing giuest to all and euery thing From whom in whom eke by whome all kynde of things do spring In one estate remaining styll and changing in no time The chiefest cause that rowling aye the Globe where starres doe shine Doest guide by fixed law th appointed force of destenye Of Lordes the greatest Lorde of all and King of Kings most hye Before whose face a thousande beastes of Angels glystering bright Doe minister with ioyfull hymnes in presence of thy syght Amidst the ample fieldes of lyght aboue the worlde so hye Where aptest place and seate there is for things of certaintye I worship thee I honor thee and prostrate here on face I lyft mine eyes desyring thee wyth mylde and cherefull grace Upon me synfull man to looke and heare my earnest crye Poure downe into my earthly brest thy beames of lyght from hye Driue darkenesse froÌ„ my minde opprest alas in dolefull wyse Whyle in consuming carcasse here and fading fleshe it lyes Graunt me the perfect path to finde least harmefull errors sting wyth fansy fonde and iudgement blind in synne me headlong fling For without thee the wit of man and force of mortall kinde while it intendes to mount a loft receiues a greater fall As Icarus whose wyngs him faylde when he flewe hyest of all Graunt therfore O most mighty king to mee thy creature lowe Thy will to learne and thee to please and then that I may knowe Mine own estate from whence I came and wherto I was made And whether I at length shall passe when that from hence I fade what here in lyfe I should perfourme and what I should not doe That when dame Lachesis my threde of lyfe hath snapt in two And that the farthest day is come that long with priuie stelth Procurde my graue death bring my rest and part of sauing helth These words thus sayde an other voice againe did pearce my eares Thalmighty Lorde thou pleased hast thy prayer full well he heares Pluck vp Stellatus now thy heart to thee for to remaine Here on this mount it graunted is and sacred fruites to gaine Thys said forthwith the voice did ceasse nor worde it vttered more Then in my minde a greater force I felt than earst afore And sharper syght then looked I forth all things descerning well And for my eyes they myght presume olde Linceus to excell With that I felt a subtill wynde to lyft me vp on hye which softly causde me to ascende to toppe of starry skye Much lyke the byrde that beares y e darts that â—ulcans forge dyd frame That when we synne y e thunder thomps doe fling and flashe oft â—â—ame And nowe approcht I nere the Moone whose gaâ—es I had in iyght Wherof part glistred all with golde and part with syluer white I entre in beholding al when straight with me doth meete Timalphes yong of vertues great and eke of fauoure sweete Whom of Arete Ioue begaâ— in auncient
suddayne storme hath layd y e corne and grapes did downeward fling The matter making windes is mistes that from the flouds do spring The cause that moueth them are sprites that in the ayre do dwell But this will not the common sorte allow nor credit well What theÌ„ cast not such precious pearls to Dogs or filthy swine Beleue it you that learned are whose mindes are more deuine That not alone in Skies but in the ayre there thousands be Of sprites that moue the raging winds and tempests that you see And thunder down w c lightning throw Yet do I not deny But other causes are that blastes of windes are moued by As Sunne and Moone and Starres but chief the seauen which they name The wandring stars that of these mists effects do diuers frame I saw while as at Rome P. Leo the tenth there raygning than I was a peece of potters worke and picture of a man That from his mouth of straightest sise a mighty winde did blowe For all his brest being hollow made with water full did flowe Which being with heate of fire resolud out of his mouth it went In mighty winde and farre from it the force thereof was sent This proues y t wind proceedes of flouds that thus resolued bee While vapour mounting vp is forede by meanes of heate to flie For contraries do euermore eche other driue away In this same lowest parte of ayre as we before did say The blasing starres do oft appeare that fall of Prince doth showe And there with diuers colours died appeares the stormy bowe This same y e beames of Sun doth cause that on the cloudes we see The other made by some one starre of them that mouers bee Which while the vapour vnderneath doth shape thereof receaue Appeares a tayle and in the clouds his flaming light doth leaue Like as the Circled myst that doth encompasse round the Moone The circled mist as men do say a signe of winde to come As wheÌ„ thrée suÌ„nes are thought to shine and yet they are not thrée But shaps of suÌ„ne that framd in clouds as in a glasse we sée But vnderneath this ayre so grosse and lowe the Seas haue place The Occean Seas that all the earth in circuite do embrace Which passing through y e narrow stratghts where Hercles pillars showes It spreds it selfe and thus abrode both farre and wyde it flowes And this is namde by sundry names Aegian flouds it makes Ionian Tuscan Adriatike Red Seas and Persean lakes This Sea doth search the secrete caues that lowe in earth doth lye And euermore doth ebbe and flowe and tasteth diuersly As diuers is the earth by which he doth his passage make And of the brimstone sulphured vaynes doth smell of brimstone take This is the cause that fluds their cours mayntayne continually For to their springs they ofte returne and oft to seas they flye And roll and passe from place to place and round in compasse driue And do preserue the earth as bloud preserues the corse aliue The selfe same fluds doth make y e lakes and fennes of filthy ayre And cleare and Cristall ruÌ„ning springs and wells for euer fayre In fine from Occean seas proceedes all course of waters heere That round about the world retaynes This made the waters cleare That parte beneath the earth do lye and parte aboue doe runne And such besides as from the cloudes of Hellish dye do come But wherefore is the Seas so salte doth it of nature spring I thinke not so For euery tast that seas with them do bring Doth fetch his cause from out the earth for in the earth are found Great hilles of salte that vnderneath the waters deepe are dround Seas sucks this salte and doth resolue it into water cleare Thus Salte not Sunne is cause that saltnesse doth in Seas appeare For why doth not the Sunne likewise of Ponds salt water make For all such partes of earth as were not meete for man to take Bycause they were to full of salt hath nature vnderlayde The Occean seas more frutefull partes to vs she hath displayed Wherein are mountaines hils cliues rocks fields and valleyes lowe Straights countreys woods and pondê lakes springs streames that flowe Small townes great cities broughes holdes with â—â—ones and metalls pure Such things wherby the life of man the better doth endure The rule of all this earth and goods to man the Lorde did giue And made him King of eury kinde in seas or land that liue And wit and reason to him dealt by which he might excell And guide the world and seruing God him loue and worship well Amyd this earth a Center lies whereby it is sustaynde For thither falles eche waighty thing as God at first ordaynde That neuer of their propre force can from this Center flye And therefore fixed stands the earth and in the mydst doth lye Sustayned with hir heauy waight that fast on eury side To Center runs and frames a ball both darke and thick and wyde About the which wyth Crimsin horse the Sunne is alwayes lead And on the parte contrary styll the darkesome night is spread For nothing else but shade it is of earth and waters great Which shadow if in night it chaunce vpon the Moone to beate Doth cause Eclipse and filles w t feare the wofull gazers hearte Supposing that opprest shee is with charme of Magike arte This shadow makes the longest nightê when farthest from vs burnes The flaming Sunne and shortest when to Northerne signes he turnes The cause thereof is swelling earth and stately mountaynes hie Which subtile nature hath deuised in place betweene to lie That with their tops in change of time the nights they alter may For looke when neerer vnto South the same doth keepe his way Then farther forth their shadowes dark these hilles abrode do fling Such shades as hide the light and cause the day more late to spring And force the day in shorter time and space his course to ende Then frosty winter vnto vs his quaking colde doth sende Then soÌ„mer makes the Indians blacke with raging heate to frye But when the Sunne returneth backe to toppe of Cancer hie Then shorter are the nightê with vs and heate beginnes agayne Then winter vexeth those with colde that vnder vs do rayne Thus doth the SuÌ„ne with diuers cours both alter times and tides And in foure equall partes the space of all the yeare deuides And rolling round about the earth both nations serueth well Both them that vnder vs do liue and them aloft that dwell For men liue also vnder earth not onely woods and streames Nor nature willde that Sunne and day in vayne should cast their beames And onely serue for brutish beastes and sortes of swimming kinde For all the earth is dwelt vpon no place therein we finde Nor any clime there is but that there mortall men may dwell And finde out places fitte for them and seates that serue them well Though colde extreme or to much hear rayne there