the race of all their life in great prosperitye On the other syde we may beholde the iust opprest to be With spitefull chaunce a wretched lyfe and pyâ—ious prouertye Thus eyther God vnrighteous is that doth these things permit Or after death hath euery man as he deserueth it Or else he doth disoaine the deedes of mortall men to knowe Besides what gratious mind apperes in God what goodnesse doth he showe â–ª If this be all that he doth giue a lyfe so short and vaine That swyftly runneth to an ende and doth no time remaine The halfe wher of is spent in sleepe the rest in griefe and â—oyle And daungers great as fast doth fleete as riuers swyft in soyle Therfore go to O wretched men builde Gorgeous Churches hye And let with costly offrings great your altars pestred lye Set vp your ioyfull branche of bayes your sacred dores about with pompe of proude processyon passe let Hiâ—â—â—es be ratled out Spende frankconsenâ—e and let the nose of God be stretched wyde With pleasant smoke do this and addâ— more honour much besyde That he preserue your goodly lyfe wherin doth you torment Sometime great cold sometime heaâ— â—ow plague now famishement Now bloudy warres now sicknes great or chaunce to sorowe at Sometime the busye byting flye sometime the stynging â—nat The Chynâ—h and Flea Keioyce I saye that here you leade your lyfe With thousand painfull labours great in trauaile toyle and stryfe And after in a little space in paine you drop away And lompishe lye in lothsome vawlt to wormes a grateful praye O worthy lyfe O goodly gift of God man in this world is bredde Among the brutishe beastes and fooles and â—â—aues hys lyfe is ledde Wher stormes and flakey snowes yse and durt and dust and night And harmful ayre and cloudes mistes and windes wyth hellish syght And grief wailing raynes wher death besyde doth worke his feate Is this our goodly countrey here is this our happy seate For which we owe such seruice here vnto the Goddes aboue For which it seemeth mete wyth vowes the heauenly saynâ—ts to moue And if none other life we haue than this of body vayne So frayle and ful of fylthinesse when death hath carcasse stayne I see not why such prayses should of God resound in ayre Nor why we should such honour giue to hym in temples fayre That hath vs wretches framed here in this so wretched soyle That shall for euermore decay after so great a toyle Wherfore least God shall seeme vniust and ful of cruelnesse Shal well deseruing counted be we must of force confesse That death doth not destroy the soule but that it alwayes is None otherwise than sprite in ayre and sainct in heauen liues Both voyd of body sleepe and meate And more we must confesse That after death they liue in paynes or perfect blessednesse But let this reason thee suffise for if thou this do shewe Unto the wicked kinde they laugh no light the blinde doth knowe But thou beleue for euermore and know assuredly For ground of sauing health it is that soule doth neuer dye Exempted from the Sisters power and fatal destiny These things foretolde made euident let vs begin to tell The perfect life that makes vs like to saincts aboue that dwell By which the heauens we desyre But syth doth best appeare Contrary things when they be seene and ioyned something neere Wherfore it is conuenient first the bodies life to showe That drawes vs downe froÌ„ heauen hie to minde the earth below And makes vs like to brutish beastes contrary to the soule This life he liues though naught y t doth for stately honours prowle And seekes with al his force the fruicte of praise and glory vayne Desiring only men to please with fonde vayne glorious brayne And he that wholly doth apply himself a wealth to get By right or wrong and hath his heart vpon his riches set A two leggde Mole that alwayes doth in earth enâ—ombed lye Not casting once his eyes aloft vnto the heauens hye And be that drownde in lecherie and surfeâ—s euer lyes Regarding only fleshly ioyes doth shamefastnesse despise Runnes headlong into whoredome vile and fattes himselfe with meate A foolish man that so the wormes may haue more foode to eate Al these same vile and fylthy kindes that I haue reckned here May wel be called fleshly men for loue to flesh they beare Whose life doth differ smal froÌ„ beastes But now on the other side He that doth prayse of men depise and pomp of worldly pride Doth liue with chast and Godly minde is calde a spiritual man Bicause his sprite the body rulde and lust subdued than Doth freely guide and hath his place in hiest part of brayne Therefore the Godly life is fyrst with bridle to restrayne Fond pleasure Gluttony and lust to conquer flesh with sprite For to neglect al worldly things and only set delight On heauen heauen most to wysh and chieâ—ly to regard There is the soyle for soules and seate for vertuous men preparde There to the body layd in graue the righteous soules do clime Most glorious soules that brightly doe with glorious vertue shine And feele in euer lasting light an euerlasting ioy But chiefly let the vertuous man his time and toyle employ In learning vsing styll to reade such bokes as do entreate Of God of soule and wretched state of this our dwelling seate Of death or other honest things and let him night and day Of these both often reade and talke and wel in minde them way But wanton workes wanton words let him with head eschew Alas how sore do such affayres a vertuous minde subdew For reading is the foode of minde which if it vertuous be Doth profyt much if it be yll doth hurt excedinglye None otherwise than euyll meate doth hurt the man that chawes These thinges though they muste all be kept yet nothing more withdrawes A man from loue of filthy flesh nor leades to God more nye Than oftentimes to ponder well of life the misery Which since it is so short and full of such calamitie Seemes rather death than life to me yea worse than death to be For who is it that doth not see who doth not playne perceaue That yrksome gall and bytternesse to euery parte do cleaue If euery thing thou wel doest sift nought perfect shalt thou fynde For nature poysoned hath the partes of all and euery kind Most things haue double face ful black within and outward white And with their colour do deceyue the iudgement of the sighte If ought there be here in this life both fayre and good besyde Like smoke and mist it flyes away and doth no time abide Time suffers nothing long on earth death maketh al things vayne And turnes and tumbles vnder foote of man the proud disdayne Alas how al this worldly pompe doth quickly passe away How wauering is renoume of man how sone doth it decay Much like the bubble swelling great amyd the
might know O that from heauens hye shee would descend the earth belowe And me with pleasaunt words instruct as erst I did her heare A valley long there lay betwene two hils that bounded neare A narrow path there was that shewes the trauayling wight his way This path I toke and straight I saw two shepheardes there that lay In grasse full grene agaynst the banke who bagges and bottels downe with crab tre staues wher w t they walkd desirous of renowne Began to striue who best could sing but iudge they lacked than Whose sentence shuld the strife appease and prayse the siner man As sone as they me present spyde they both me calde vnto And wild me for to syt them by and iudge who best could do Then one of them when that he had wyth oten musicke played His staring eyes on heauen cast and on thys sort he sayd O floure fayre of Dardany of Joue beloued o childe That seruest the gods wyth frothing cup of pleasaunt Nectar milde Come downe from hie now froÌ„ y e Skies a fayrer far than thee In earth remayns that vnto Joue cupbearer now shall be Him Jupiter despising thee shall take from hence and place Among the starres from enuy burst O thou in wretched case Yeld vp for griefe thy wofull goste but rather not departe Thou shalt wyth wines the Gods salnte and I enioy my harte Philetus deare wythout whose sight no kinde of thing is swete To me no not my life to haue wythout his presence mete As oft as him on horsbacke swift the Gote or Hart to chace The Fayries spie wyth loue they burnt and wysh that louely face Wyth thousand kisses for to mete as many giftes wythall And floured garlands trim him giue contending best who shall And apples fayre in baskets bring and grapes of pleasannt tast O that neglecting to be pleasd in him were not so plast O that this liuelie Impe would shewe himself alwayes at hand To ease the wretched louers griefe then hapiest should I stand No man in all the world my mate but he doth cleane despise My plaints and faithful louers sutes and hates my dolefull cries And as the shaft from bowe departes so from me fast he flies But flye not from me thus nor hate me so Philetus deare I am no cruell Canniball wherby thou shouldest me feare But worthy to be loued I am perchaunce if thou me knowe For though vpon my body rough the hoary haires they growe And though from chin with locks vnkeÌ„pt my griesly beard doth fall I am not yet yll fauoured sure for beard and bristels all Be decent eke and mete they be for fyghting folkes and strong Let maydly men haue tender skinnes the sheapheardes all among In richesse none doth me excell of beast I lacke no store A thousand kine my pasture feedes of swine full fyfty score Amongst my groue of Okes they runne my kine wyth calues do sway My lusty gotes wyth kid they swell ne want I whigge nor whay Fresh cheese and olde inough I haue take what thou likest away All mine is thine and I thine owne though cruel thou denny If thou me louedst and wouldst thy selfe somtyme come sit me by I would thee pleasaunt apples get that hangs on braunches hie wyth golden sydes like yellow waxe and red as strawberies die I would thy lap wyth fylberts fyll and nuts of diuers kinde How oft how oft mine armes should I about thy myddle winde Two thousand kisses would I giue those rosey lippes of thine Dout not swete boy but walk with me by cleared spring so fine we both wyll rest and gratefull sleepe wyth hausing armes wyll take Alurde wyth shade of hushing trees and noyse that riuers make while Greshops in the heat do chirp alas and dost thou now Despise both me and all my giftes that here to thee I vow Do not my wofull teares thee moue nor all that I can say More fiercer far than Tiger stout whose whelp is tane away More deafe than pictures made of Parus Marble stone And harder eke than are agayne the mountaynes euery chone Of Alpes hie and Diamond strong what doth thy beauty good If all men so thou dost despise wyth fierce and cruell moode And slayest the soules of woful wightes whose heartes thine owne be tride Thus wise her selfe in floures fayre the dreadfull Snake doth hide And thus wyth poyson hony myxt lay downe dis 〈…〉 asyde A monster vile and vnto God is auncient e 〈…〉 y pryde Nor be not thou wyth grace begilde or forme of fading hewe For beauty lasts but little time like flower fresh and newe Full fayre at fyrst is gone in tyme while flouring age doth last while tender skinne in face doth shine let not in vayne be past Such happy tymes but vse the giftes now graunted vnto thee While tyme doth serue for euery thing by vse commended be The tyme shall come when this thy chin wyth bristled beard beset Shall vggly seeme and eke thy face shall riueled wrinkles fret And when thy golden lockes shal tourne to ghastly gresild heares To late then shalt thou fodle bewayle the losse of youthfull yeares And oft thy selfe shalt say where is my beauty olde now gone Where is my colour fresh become both red and white in one Uayne hope alas of this thy face then shalt thou sore lament Thy chaunged cheekes and face so foule thy selfe when represent Thou shalt thy glasse perceyue but why thus waste I winde in vayne What meane I thus in barren soyle to let my seedes remayne Unhappy wretch in vayne I toyle my destnies will me so O cruell destenies that now so sore agaynst me go And chiefly now when wretched loue hath pearst my wofull hart Of greater force is lucke in loue than all the swelling part Of richesse great or noble bloud to destnies vertue â—hrall By luck in loue the prince despisde and John obtaines the ball But though more fiercer thou remainst than fearfull raging drake Or doste my loue no more esteme than weedes in fenny lake Yet thee sweete hart I serue and thee for euer shall I loue And nothing shall thee from my minde Philetus deare remoue This sayd he held his peace and thus this other gan to say Mellina passing floure of wheat and whiter farre away Than frothing fome of raging seas or Allablastar stone And boyled milke more red than are the Cherries euery one When ripe they hang or Mulbry frute while yet no blacke they weare More fayre than trees in time of spring when braunches blossomes beare More sweete than are the withred figges or wines that new be made Such lippes such brest or eyes I thinke dame Uenus neuer had What should I here commend her thies or places there that lie Such partes in practise put than speake with better will would I. Not onely here of mortall men her prayse Mellina gaynes But Gods her loue I saw my selfe a Satire take the paynes To hunt her once and when he
anger farre from thee away with pride that elfe Such kinde of men cannot be loued and alwayes shewe thy selfe Of gentyll minde and lowly eke so shalt thou all men please If any man thy hurt procure proue thou hym to appease Rather with wyt than furious mode to wit doth strength giue place She conqueresse doth all things tame the Tigres stout in pace And Lyons fierce by art are wonne and ships in seas doe swim And towers stronge by art doth beare the Oliphant on him By this the Bull doth beare the yoke and horse with spouting might By this constrained is to beare the bridle and the knight Wit all things rules with aide of force to threaten much wyth crackes Is cowardes guise womens strength to men belongeth factes The wyse man doth dissemble hurt the valeant prates no whitte But when he sees the time then dare he doe that shall seeme fytte First take good heede that none y u hurt and if by iniury Thou harmed art when thou seest time reuenge it rightfully If thou canst not let griefe a while within thy heart remaine Least that by foolishe bosting wordes thou maist more harme sustaine It is naughty playing with edged toles the wyse man will refraine And spie hys time and eke giue place his foe with wordes to traine That pleasant seme and fawnings eke till he him bring to snare So winnes the wilde vnrulye colte the witty horseman ware So on the Oxens necke the yokes the plowman putteth on So Lyons fierce the Charret drawes that Cibell syttes vpon So tigres wood you doe obey to Bachus bridell raines Great wit it is to conquer thus and hide the inwarde paines Tyll time conuenient come therefore this must be markt beside Whersoeuer thou remainest let not thy mouth be stretched to wide With laughings loude but wheÌ„ nede is then laugh thou moderately It doth declare a simple wit to laugh excessiuely And on the other side it is not fyt for any man Alwayes in dumpes to be therfore flie thou them both and than The middle kepe there vertue sits no gester would I thee And yet if that thou canst I would that pleasant thou shouldst bee Enough me thinkes I haue now said my message here doth ende For which to thee my mother mee from heauen hie did sende Now time coÌ„maundes to leaue y e earth and skies aboue to clime From whence I wonted am the earth to se full many a time Musing that it so little semes and rounde as any ball Amid the aire to see it hang hauing no stay at all Sustainde only with his poise the sea doth eke appere About the earth full serpent lyke to crangle heere and there And like a little brooke to runne here eke I doe beholde The Padus Tanais Ganges and that Histre waters colde As oft as showers do cause the dikes with wet to ouerflowe And when thy mouthes alofe I see O Nilus then I trowe They be though great in dede they are but seauen gutters small And hence I vewe the bloudy broyles with shining swordes that fall And fieldes be sprent with purple bloud And foolishe kings therby Who while they couet more to haue and neuer thinke to die With dire debate do battailes bring the giltlesse soules to kill And shew the Gods a gasing griefe repugnant to their will And there I se their places change both riuers springs and flouds Hils fall to dales and dales to hils and place where once grewe woods With coulter â—â—lde and wheras plowes before haue runne their race Theyr woodes to growe transformed cowns and al things changing place He blessed is that may the like prospect to this obtaine Where Asia and Affricke he may see and Europ eke againe That swels with wealth wepons eke and diuers nations strong That there do dwell whoÌ„ Cancer burns the Ethiops them among Cilicians fierce and Tartars turkes and men of Scithians grounde The shoting Parthes Arabians eke where franckinsence is founde The Thracians wylde and Arimaspes those valiant men in fight The french the Italian men of Spain the dreadfull Englishe wight As many people more beside on whom the sunne doth shine While he aboue or vnder goes the horisontall line Wouldes thou not hither wyll to come if it might lawfull bee For any mortall man to doe if body let not thee But this can hap to none but vs whose bodies framed were Of finest aire and not of earth a while therefore forbeare Till death thy soule shall lose froÌ„ bonds and tyll that time a dewe I go this said and aunswering I away from me he flewe In haste he flies wyth swifter course than windes themselues my thought And spreading winges abrode the skies wyth course againe he cought ¶ The fithe Booke entituled Leo. I Seeke not here Arabians wealth nor stones of value hie That redde seas breede ne golden sandes in Tagus streames that lie Nor people proude to gouerne here with sceptred hande and mace Such things my lucke hath me denyed nor once I waile the case That desteny hath not giuen me such so euen the nought as good May like obtaine to reape the golde of wealthy richesse floud Full oft we see rhunworthy heds of witlesse people crownde Whose bodies eke are trun bedeckt with robes of purple rownde Those things I woulde the Lorde of all on mee would here bestow Which neither fooles nor wicked men may euer hap to know That makes a perfect man in deede and nere to sainctes aboue O mighty Joue what is the cause or what should thee thus moue Wisedome to none or fewe to geue in euery place we see Both pleasant faire and lustye brutes and wealthy men to bee But vneth may the place be founde in all the worlde so wyde That bringeth forth such any one in whom doth wyt abide Dost thou perchaÌ„te more worthy think a guide of fooles to bee More noble is that power vnder the which more noble be For worthyer it is assertainly to rule by force of powers Both castels stronge and fortresses wyth large and ample towers Than Lorde of folde and flocke to be and droues of beastes to guide Perhaps thou dost it to that ende our doings to deride And makest man thy laughing stocke for nothing else to be The life of men on earth doth seme the staged comedie And as the Ape that counter feits to vs doth laughter moue So we like wyse doe cause and moue the sainctes to laugh aboue As oft as stately steps we treade with looke of proude disdaine As oft as richesse we to much doe crane or honors graine As oft as we like Saunder snuffe our selues doe bragge and boste What lesse is it what part is played when holding honors most With sceptred hande a crowned owle an Asse of stature faire Of them beholden is to syt a loft in stately chaire Despising euery other man though he be like in case Desiring yet to heare the sounde of God preserue your grace And to be
the which eche man himselfe would couet to destroy So hope and folly medicines be that nature doth employ For our behoue by sage aduise least we by chaunce should faint When many mischiefs swarming thick our wytlesse sense doth taint And if no creature else excell thys man in hye degre The chiefe Creator of the worlde what shall we thinke to be Of Misers Fooles and eke of them by whom doth mischiefe spring He shal be calde a Lorde a Prince a Father guide and King O noble powre O princely raigne companions fine and braue What wants ther now O God to thee what sekest thou more to haue Alone thou doste not now remaine it well became thy Grace To frame so fayre a worlde as thys to make such creatures place Let Heauen serue theyr only vse the Starres the Moone the Sunne The Ayre the Earth the surging Seas what else it shal be done But straight they shall consumed be and vanishe cleane away As Snowe doth fade in sommers heate or flowre in frosty day What state haue they that doe consyst of bodye weake and frayle What state baue they that in the space of so small tyme doe fayle May we beleue the seas and earth alone replenished bee Which are compared to the skyes as nothing in degree And if the mighty compast speare in minde thou well dost way thou shalt perceiue the smallest Starre more great as wysemen say Shall then so small and vile a place so many fishe contayne Such store of men of beasts and foules and thother voide remaine Shal skies and ayre their dwellers lack he dotes that thinke th so And seemes to haue a slender wit for there are thousandes mo That better state and better lyfe enioye and farre more blessed be Moreouer if we will confesse the vnfayned veritie This earth is place for man and beast beyonde the clowdes the ayre And sacred skye where peace doth raine and daye is alwayes fayre The Angels haue their dwellings there whom though we cannot see For pure and fyne theyr substance is yet numberlesse they be As thick as are the sandes in place where waters ebbe and flowe As thick as stand the flowers and grasâ—â— that in the meddowes growe For who so thinks the Heauens hye of dwellers voide to be And may vpon thys earth so vyle so many creatures se He dotes deceiued by ignorance and foolishnesse of minde And semes all drounde in earthly drosse as beastes of basest kinde Nor wonder I at thys a whit that happye Ilandes founde In Occean seas they say there be where all things good abounde Whereas no griefe the lyfe doth vexe where no misfortunes raygne The shyes perchaunce thâ— Occean sea to name doth here retaine Bicause in colour lyke it seemes and eke in mouing rounde Eche Starre an Ilande shall be thought why not haue we not founde That diuers houses are so calde bicause that farre away They seuered from their fellowes â—yâ— who otherwyse doth say He sayth not true for if there were such Ilandes in our seas The Princes would not suffer them make to passe their lyfe in ease But weapon strayght should conquest to enlarge theyr kingdomes hye If any passage were to them themselues therin to lye What doubteth Grece to fayne or lye the mother olde of toyes For doubtlesse Heauen Starres ayrâ— inhabitaunts enioyes Who thys denyes doth malice much the blessed saintes on hye And eke the eternall state of God doe blaspheme foolishlyé Is it not wicked blasphemie presumpteously to saye That Heauen lackes inhabitants and God doth beare no sway But here with vs and sauage beastes so fonde so full of shame Nay certainely God coulde and woulde more noble creatures frame That leade theyr lyfe in better place whereby hys prayse esteemde Should be the more and larger power and world more perfect deemde For making suÌ„dry sorts nobler things the beautie more doth shine Of this same worlde and more appeares his Maiesty diuine But if these shapes be pure and voide of body coms the dout Or whether they consist of partes as we doe rounde about Yes truely reason doth declare all creatures that doe dwell In fyre and ayre they bodyes haue if they had not aswell The ayre and fyre should desert be and places voyde should growe For none but bodyes place possesse as wyse mens wordes doe shows But whyther shall these bodyes dye we must confesse it so A long and ioyfull lyfe they leade at length with death they go For if that ayre and fyre in tyme corruption shall deface Why should not all such creatures dye as liue in such a place For placed things doe followe still the places nature playne But some perchaunce desyres to knowe what fashion they retayne We may be sure theyr beauty is such that they doe farre excell All creatures fleeting in the seas or all on earth that dwell Which neyther God permittes nor we coulde view with carnall eye But they that passe theyr life in starres and in the purest skye Doeneuer dye for age nor yeares cannot the strength abate Of those so gorgeous glistring starres or harme the heauens state And eke we must beleue that those which liue in skyes so bryght Theyr bodies are more fayre more fine of greater force and might Then all the reast that liue betweene the earth and Starres aboue Or in the elements dwell where time and age can them remoue But what doe they they doe reioyce with sense and reason right Now vsing one and now the other and liue in such delight As wit of man cannot deuise nor mortall tongue can tell True worlde and true est ate is there true ioyes and treasures dwell We only haue the shadowes here and counter faytes retayne Which lasting but a little space lyke waxe doe melt againe Our worlde is but a figure plaine of those so princely powres And as our worlde the painted Mappe so it surmounteth ouâ—es Aboue these Heauens that we name and creatures all beyonde A better worlde vncorporate that senses doth transcende And wyth the minde alone is seene there are that think to be And with thassured trouth it seemes not much to disagre If minde excelleth farre the sense why should the sense beholde A worlde alone wyth perfect things and creatures many folde And minde without his proper worlde a Cyphar should remayne And none but dreames and fansyes fine with shapes and shadowes vayne Thus eyther nothing is the minde or else hath nature wrought A worlde agreing to the same wherein containde are thought Unfained chiefe and purest things which better farre away May of themselues consyst thaÌ„ things that senses compasse may This same first framed world doth passe the world that senses see As much as minde excels the sense in perfecter degree In which the chiefest lyght is God where saints as Starres appere And therfore more straÌ„ger things are there then are perceiued here Syth it is perfecter by much for nothing there doth dye No tyme nor motion
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
tempred them in such a sort that harme in them should cease And that the things contrary thus should styll remaine in peace So lastes the skye continually and neuer doth decay But for bicause the harder things last longer farre away And take lesse hurt therefore the skye of all the hardest seemes More than the Diamonde that forme and fyre it light estemes And euery force saue onely Gods of whom it fyrst toke grounde An other reason proues thys same for fyrst that moueth rounde The Spheres beneath him turns about and West ward them doth driue And rolles them dayly mouing round though they contrary striue Which could not be if that they were not hard assuredly Lake there withal that parte of Moone the likest is to skye Which Sun doth not behold nor tuchd wyth beames of brothers eyes So Starres at noone are thought to be in colour like to Skyes Which Moone Starres thē selues be harde and dark they also be The experience of the Eclipse doth this declare apparantly For Moone betwixt doth hide y e beames that from the Sunne do flowe And suffers not the shining light vpon the earth to showe Why shuld not this same hardnes here vnto the Skies agree For neuer should it else holde fast the Starres that fixed be But wander farre abroade they would nor one place them should holde Yet darke is not the firmament as of the Starres we tolde For placed here vpon the earth the hyest Starres we see And well our sight descernes the signes that farthest from vs be Syth hardest are celestiall shapes and purest eke are such Perchaunce they gyue a sound besides and syth they rolle and touch They make some he auenly melody as some that long agoe Both learnde and sobre written haue my Muse this doubt vndoe Though hard and many be the kindes of Heauenly bodies hie And though they subiect are to syght of earthly humaine eye Yet noyse for troth they none do make for nothing them doth beate Nor beaten would they more resound that are most thicke and greate And syth no ayre is there wythout the which no sound is made And therefore voyd of noyse runne they round in rolling trade Besyde the inferiour Circles eyght gaynward the mornings seate Are turnde about one selfe same way nor on themselues they beate Wyth meeting course but passe one way wyth easy rolling round As daunce in order compassing about do softely driue The Mouer first agaynst them all in course doth onely striue Yet noyse doth it neuer make ne soundeth it at all For aire there lackes and outward partes of Spheares are smoth alway Whereby they swiftly passe about no roughnesse them doth stay And easly thus with gentle touch their neyghbours next are kyst Wherfore there motion they do make all silently and whyst Therefore the Fathers olde did erle that earnestly beleued Spheares mouing to make Harmony but not to be perceiued Bycause it passde the eares of man as is not heard at all The rush of Nilus streames where from the mountaynes they doe fall But farther of the sound doth roare They trifle thus to teach And fond and vayne the reason is that herein they do preach For if such things were neuer heard why should they then deuise A sound amyd the Skies to be t is naught to enterprise Of things to talke that neuer can be shewde or proued playne That iustly may denied be no newe things must we fayne Except a troth in them be proued where reason is away No fayth nor credit must we giue to wordes that men do say But is the Heauen round my Muse as fame of olde hath spyde For compassed forme see mes perfecter than all the rest besyde Bycause it hath beginning none nor ende in it doth lye Bycause it aye contayneth moste more fine and fayre to th' eye And apter is it to be moued chiefly the myddest about As Heauen turnd about the earth that hath hir standing stout In mydst of all the worlde This forme so worthy doth agree To Heauen to the Sunne and Moone and all the Starres we see Though folly fonde of Paynters doth them other wyse desc◠ye But are the Starres as some do say the thicker parte of Skye Not so for euery one of them vnlike to Heauen be Among themselues they differ eke as Elme from Seruise tree As Peare from Cherry differeth in fashion and in fruite Their diuers vertue this declares and eke their sundry suite A power alone hath euery Starre and nature eke at hand The Heauen therefore is but seate and place where Starres do stand No substance thoe or matter of them What vertue hath the Skye All force and vertues in the Starres and glistering planets lye The starres do guide the cōpassd world and euery chaunge doth bring The Starres create all things on earth and gouerne euery thing Thus teach th'Astronomers and thus the common fame doth flye Ne must we think in thicke and thinne the substance of the Skye To differ from the Starres but eke their natures diuers be And sundry is their shape and force and fashion that we see The bygnesse of the Starres and if their turning neuer stay And in what place they fixed be as Plato once did say And if they voyd of dwellers be or any there doth dwell My Muse I would be glad to knowe wherefore I pray thee tell All starres are not of bygnesse like for many lesse there be And in such sort as comprehend no man may them we see Some are agayne of larger syse in number fewe and fyne That in cleare nightes amyd the skyes wyth gorgeous light do shine Of which th'Astronomers haue framde fayre shapes and fygures bright And pictured haue the Heauens braue with sygnes of sundry sight Thus of these greater sorte of Starres as learnd in Starres doe tel And as the Sunnes eclipse doth shewe wherein appeareth well How great the Moone in body is while vnder him she glydes And darkning all with shadowes black hir brothers beames she hydes Some do in compasse farre excede both seas and earth and all And bygger are their shining globes though they do seeme so small Bycause so farre from vs they be For euery thing besyde The farther it is from our eyes the lesse in syght is spyed And doth deceiue the lookers on The starres that fixed be As Plato greatest clarke doth say are eche in their degree About their Centers rolled round and turnde continually And by this reason are they thought to twinckle in the eye And not as certayne fayned haue bycause farre of they be Therefore they yelde a trembling light to such as them do see This reason surely is but vayne and childishe for to write For nothing seemes to twinckle tho bycause t is farre from syght But dimmer then and lesse it seemes nor twinckling can they be Without a motion sure Wherefore the Starres that fixt we see Do moue togither with the Sunne as we declared late But Saturne Iupiter and Mars
his deadly darte in pale and dreadfull handes How suddainely he strikes therewith how oft he doth destroy The lusty youth and takes away our fayre and flowring ioye O fading lyfe that subiect art to thousande casualtyes O to to shorte and doubtfull state that smoke lyke from vs flyes Now this now that man drops away and thou this present day To morrowe I thus at the last we all doe passe away None otherwise than simple shéepe that Butcher hath preparde In folde to kill now these now those with knife he striketh harde To morrowe other the next day moe thus all in time they dye Tyll that by this his slaughters great the folde doth emptye lye This fading lyfe therfore despise which first beginning takes with teares his middest is toyle griefe and death conclusion makes Who wyll delyght in such a lyfe except a foolishe braine Seeke you an other lyfe to haue an other lyfe to gaine Whereas no mourning griefe or paine whereas no death is founde Thus happy state you shall receaue when carcasse comes to grounde You that haue hated sinne and God haue worshipped holylie And haue not put your confidence in things that worldly be But chast vnhurtful milde and true haue liude in pure degree But some perchance y t think how gods doe dwell in Heauens clere wold also learne some wayes or meanes if any such there were By which they might w t them haue talk and see them face to face O what a goodly thing were this and what a wondrous grace Than which no greater thing on earth I think can man obtaine But fewe deserue so great a state and honor for to gaine For many I graunt with diuels talke which easely they entice By humble prayers made to them or meanes of sacrifice Since farre they be not from the earth but in the ayre doe lye And oftentimes beholde and kéepe the people companie Yea vnto many they appere and serue them willingly And with the beautie great of youth enamoured oft they be But Gods that in the heauen dwell the things that mortall be Disdaine to knowe and wicked factes of men abhorre to sée As they that well doe vnderstande how foolishe and how vile Mans nature is how false and bolde and eke how full of guile Despiser and blasphemer of the chiefest maiestie Wherefore to haue the speache of them and see them presentlie Is labour great and seldome had bicause their eares they close To voice of men and turne away their eyes from giftes of those Which after that they be enrichde with séedes that others sowe A portion small of others goodes vpon the Church bestowe Thinking that Heauen may be solde O two legged Asses blinde Thinke you that God is couetous and precious stones doth minde Or hath delight in glittering golde or needes your helpe to haue Doe you suppose that he is such as doth your fauour craue Think you that brybes can him corrupt as many men they doe No sure he is not got with golde nor giftes he looketh to When that he liues in happyest state and blessed on euery syde When his are all that earth contaynes or seas or heauens wyde How can you giue to God the things that his alreadye be Doth not he rather giue to you the things that here you sée Therfore since neither they with giftes nor vowes will moued be A matter very harde it is them presently to see Although the matter be so harde yet wyll we passe the way And what our force in this can doe by proofe we will assaye First needes we must the meanes finde out that God doth best content Who is not moude with noble bloud nor vnto riches bent No king nor Ceysar he respectts nor triumphes doth esteme Ne careth he for such as are most strong and fayrest seeme But these doth vtterly despise nor for the loue of them â—ouchsafes the prayers to beholde or present sight of men Thus must we seeke an other way by which we may obtaine Their speache and presence for to haue perchaunce my verses plaine This way meanes shall bring to light if that the Gods aboue So fayre attempts doe ayde and helpe and wyth their sprite approue The first thing is the clenlinesse of body and of minde By which man well esteemde of God doth loue and fauour finde For all vncleanesse doth he hate and doth abhorre to see So fayre and blessed is his state and of so hye degree Wherfore we must at first take heede that we be perfectly Well purged and pure from filthinee and all iniquitie Unclothed of our garments blacke and clad in comely whites Which colour best with God agrees and black with fiendishe sprites A harde thing is this same I graunt for who doth here remaine That leades his life without a fault and free from blot or staine To euery man hath nature delt some crime or vicious kinde And nothing is on earth so faire but fault therin we finde Yet are there certaine sinnes so small and to such trifling ende That in a manner nought at all the eyes of God offende Wherwith he is not greued much no sores are these nor staynes But as the little freckels that in body fayre remaines Which easely the Lorde forgiues since well perceâ—ueth â—ée How weake and frayle the nature is of such as mortall bee But great haynous crymes doe much offende the mighty state And wicked men he alwayes doth abhorre despyse and hate Nor wyll he once their prayers heare except they clense before And washe away their sinnes w t â—eares and whyte for black restore Requiring pardon for their faults with voice of mourning minde Obtaining once againe the pathes of vertue for to finde And casting of hys canckred skinne as in the pleasant spring The Serpent vseth all his skinne of olde away to â—â—ing who thus renewed departes leaues his slough in stones behinde And casting vp his head aloâ—t with proude and stately minde His breadfull hyssing doubleth oft with tong of triple kinde Thus Gods are pleased thus wheÌ„ as we rightly on them call They shewe themselues and thus to vs theyr prophecies let fall Yet must there one thing more be had vnto this perfect whight A Crymsin colour must be ioynde the beautie then is bright When as a purple redde with white well entermedled lyes What meanes this ruddy colour here sure loue it signifies For loue resembled is to fire which fyre hath reddishe flame And both a colour and an heate procéedeth from the same Therefore it néedefull is beside that we the Gods aboue Doe hartely loue for he that loues deserueth to haue loue For whosoeuer loues the Gods and liueth Christianly Can not be odious vnto them but shall rewarded bee And shall in happy state obtaine whatsoeuer he doth require But who is he that loues the Lorde the man that doth desire In filthy entisements of the fleshe and pleasures for to sleepe Or he that hath a great delight
should you all consume what maruell were it than Shew me the cause both night and day why do you take such payne Is it but only for your selues why then no prayse you gayne For he that only priuate wealth regardeth alwayes still And laughes to scorne an others harme whilste he enioyes his will A sauage beast by right desert deserueth calde to be And not a man for to be namde for so to write ought we That men may get some good thereby and not complaine to spend Their times in trifling trickes toyes that haue no certaine end And fyrst ought to be knowen that we do good in three deuide In pleasure and vtilitie and honesty chiefe beside Some one of these or greater parte may Poets alway vse So that the bondes of honesty to breake they shall refuse But O what titles and what crowne did he deserue to haue Which things not only vaine nought good fruite that neuer gaue But wrot such things as might corrupt the life of any man And make him worser ten to one than when he first began He left behinde him monuments of wanton wicked wayes And left such foolish doting things to men of latter dayes O Lord how much doth wanton words to wicked life entice And with a feruent poyson great doth draw men vnto vice From eares a wanton wicked voice dare pearce the secrete thought And vnto mischiefe moue thereby the members bent to nought A noble man such things delight some man perhaps wyll say Who in his house a lusty route doth kepe in rich aray Whome for to feare excessiue goods compels a man thereto With any parte of worthy wyt who neuer had to do What then may these be suffred thoe or praysd bycause they please The rich or else the noble men that alwayes liue in ease Not so for what a sorte there be of twolegd Asses clothed In Golde and Silke and Purple fayre to al men is not shewed There be there be ful many now whome Pearls haue puft with pride And whome the Asians haue beset with Silke on euery syde Whose fingers fayre with rings of gold be dasht and deckt about With precious stones pearles of price that India sendeth out Those men a man would almost swear that Plato they excell Or Socrates who Phaebus iudge of wisdome bare the bell And yet these Princely paynted walles do nought wythin contayne A blather ful implete with winde springs they may be termed playne Where Fortune fawnes there pleasure and pleasure bringeth folly And so the light of reasons rule is darkned vtterly Whereby it happes that seldome wyse these children chaunce to be To suffer payne for vertues sake who wil if so be he Haue no rewarde rewarde who sekes but he whome nede constraynes The rich man followes ioyful things and liueth void of paynes He hates the prycking thorny wayes the clyffes both sharp and sowre By which we do assay to clime to Lady learnings towre I can not stay my selfe as now when anger coÌ„mes vpon But needes I must defye both verse and Poets al as one When boyes we see decline to nought whome maisters do embewe With verses filthy to be namde which most they should eschew Their first possessed shame fastnesse to see them cleane forsake And eke how apt and prone they be a noughty way to take And foster mischiefe so in youth that he may alwayes dwell In them whereby they may prepare in age a way to hell But yet it doth me good to see how hoping al for praise They get themselues immortall shame that neuer more decayes For who wil iudge them voyd of vice or that they liude not so As they themselues did giue precepts to others for to go The talke it selfe doth wel declare the nature of the minde And euery man doth moste frequent things propre to his kinde Of Oxen rake and culter sharpe the plowmans â—ong doth walke Of Sayle and Cable Mast and Ore is all the Seamans talke Of Horses harnesse Speare Shielde the Captayne styl wil boste So bawdy mates of bawdy things their tongs do clatter moste I warne you syrs aboue the rest of youth that takes the cure Whose parte it is the tender mindes of boyes for to allure To bertue and to Godlinesse like waxe do them prepare Hate you the wicked workes of those for greater matters care Reade not such things as are but vayne vnworthy to be tolde But teach the worthy histories of auncient fathers olde Herein let children nouseled be let these be borne away Here of may spring a Godly fruite direct their life that may They shew what things we folow shuld and what we should reiect And fables al among the rest we may not wel neglect For oftentimes a Comody may holesome doctrine bring And monish men by pleasant wordes to leaue some noughty thing There be I graunt some Poets workes not altogither vayne Which with a plesaunt sugred style procede from sobre brayne These things do helpe and voyd of vic these workes do profit much In youth bring vp your scholers wyth none other foode but such And when their yong and tender age they once haue passed out Then may they safely voyd of harm go range the fieldes about And gather floures where they list for daunger is away But now a while for to discusse I thinke it best assay Of which of these is nedefull most or moste to be estemed The man that good and honest is or he that well is learned The good or else the learned man of two which is the best Learning is hie becoÌ„mes the meke and doth the proude infest It doth refuse the belly gods and such as sleepe hath trainde Without long time and labour great it wyll not be obtainde This Citie rules and moueth Mars and this can warres refell It sheweth the earth and goodly starres and sicknesse doth expell Thys teacheth figures faire to frame of sundry sorce and kinde This teacheth vs to number well and musicke calles to minde This doth ascende the heauens and bring hidden things to light No perfit man without this same may called be of right Unlike to beastes and like to gods this causeth vs to be Sometime and yet of little price his vertue lost we see As oft as with the dregges of vice defylde he doth put on Deformed hewe amid the durte as doth the Jasper stone Or as the Sunne behinde the cloude or shadowe of the Moone Ne is it onely vile in sight but hurtfull very soone For if a wicked man it haue then may it be comparde Unto a frentyke foole that hath a sworde wythout regarde Whereby hee many doth destroy and runneth more astray But he that voide of harme and hurte to liue doth well assay Obseruing well the law of God and of the hygher powre And synne doth flye as open throte of dragon to deuoure The shepe the moyle or horses kept whose office is to see Though he be one if learning lacke estemde he ought
Wyth treasons brawlings and disceits and losse of shamefastnesse Contempt of God with periuries and chydings fell with fight With many more which in my verse I cannot well resyght From this therfore â—â—ye thou thy way nothing doth more infest Nor nothing more than this declares a vile vnworthy brest So women aged men and boyes doe couet most alwayes Because they lack both strength force in minde and haue no stayes An other vice contrary now to this doth yet remaine This same from the to banishe quite thy senses looke thou straine If thou dost spende without respect in vame thou shalt beholde An hungred eft anothers spitte with deinties manifolde When all thy liuing quite is spent by ryote cleane destroyde Betwene them both the vertue lyes the vite therefore auoide As reason doth require so giue and euermore take heede Be not to bolde to vse excesse within thy tether feede This ende hath riches we are bounde all men to profite thoe But first our owne dame nature sure hath vs â—reated so That not alone to vs and ours we should commodious be But also if that powre wyll serne to all of eche degree What thing more famous is than thys what more deserues the place Of gods aboue then for to helpe the poores afflicted case So shall the people honor vs so get we fame thereby And by such actes to gods full oft we see doe many flye Nothing doth more a man become nothing for him more meete As sayth the olde and auncient schoole of Philosophers sweete Than man to aide and succour soone hys fellowe falne to grounde But now alas O dolefull times and fashions nothing sounde All godlinesse is clean extinct to no man geues doubtlesse The welthy wretche although he hath wherwith to giue excesse Of no man thoe he pâ—â—ie hath all heartes doe yron seeme Who geueth the begger nowe a myte their teares they nought esteeme If ought they giue to seoffers now or else to rake hell knaues They do it deale to Colmon birds and eke to baudy slaues No man doth giue the learned ought the muses be despised In euery place some one we see so much hath exercised The dyse and tables tyll his purse at length the gorge doth cast So oft an other vies at Cardes tyll all his goods be past And is not this a greater shame thus money for to spend Wherby no honour is obtaynde nor thank is got at th ende O minde forgetting God and eke wyth vices vile defilde And is it lawfull this to doe didst thou not once a childe Come naked from thy mothers womb and shalt retourne agayne Resolued vnto durty earth from whence thou camste certayne O foole these goods be none of thine but vnderneath the hande Of God aboue and thou but here a straunger in the lande And bursser for a while of them ne be the goods at all But onely now the vse of them to our subiection thrall For when the Gresilde Charon olde shall be are thee past the lake By which the gods aboue to sweare do tremble eft and quake Then here y u wretch to other heyres the goods thou shalt forsake Wherefore we ought to vse them wel while line of lyfe doth last In occupying about our selues and helping others fast Now haue I well declarde I thinke if riches ought to bee Accompted for the chiefest goodes all men may playnly see My bote draw backe we haue assayde the seas sufficiently Lo causing cloudes the southerne winde beginneth fast to flye Upsuckt the floudes from out the seas the whirle windes vp do beare Which doth declare a ssorme to come not best we tary heere Beleue me now for sore I feare to shippes vntrusty Orion Whilst time we haue let vs dispatche to port and get vs gon When as the banisht cloudes aboue shall make the day be fayre Then Triton shall vs call from hye and we to seas repayre ¶ The third Booke entituled Gemini VPrising was the dauning day and fading starres did shuÌ„ne The heauens hie of Tiâ—aÌ„ thoe and half to apeare begunne To them that vnder vs do dwell and halfe discernde our eyes I meruayld much to see as then the sier vppe to ryse Amyd the floudes vnquenched thus these contraries no doubt Ech other now do quite destroy but is the sunne put out With flouds it is not fiery then or else to touch the brinke Of Occean sea the common sort do lye thus did I thinke While as by shore I walked alone beholde there gan me meete An aged man with staffe in hand in clothur neare and sweete His hoary beard with syluer heares his middle fully rought His skin was white and ioyfull face of diuers colours wrought A flowry garland gay he ware about his seemely heare When as we met and made vnto ech other frendly cheare FroÌ„ whence I came what place I seke my name he doth desyre I aunswered him and did the like wyth shame fast voyce requyre But after that he had declared his proper name certayne For Epicure this man he height I was astonished playne Like as the poore and labouring soule in deluing of the grounde A hydden chest amyd the earth by lucky chaunce hath found And thus I sayd good father olde such fauour mayst thou finde Amongst the gods that al things wel may satisfy thy minde Syth wisdom great and wondrous eke within thy breste doth dwel If falsly men do not affirme as eft they doe Now tell Unto me here I thee beseche of grace the good preceptes With witty sawes and eke instruce my youth if nothing lets More wayghty affayres quod he againe no wayghty affayres me let But for that cares and worke I shanne oft tymes my selfe to get Unto this place I wonted am and floures vp to take Of diuers hewes amid the meades head garlandes for to make Willing therfore wyth all my heart to aunswere thy request I am for olde men all to chat it doth delight vs bess But least by some that passe the way we here disturbed be Let vs go hence and vnderneath the shaded holmey tree That by the waters syde thou seest our selues we wyll repose We went and thus with pleasant voyce his minde he gan disclose Some god young man thee hither now assuredly hath sent Wherby this day thou might perceaue by wisdome what is ment For O the gods in what a mist and darknesse of the minde Is drent as now the whole estate of mortall humaine kinde Of them that beare the face of men two thousand thou mayst see But one that shewes himselfe a man is scarcely found to bee A den of doltes that now the world may termed be ful well And place wyth errors stuft therfore giue eare what I thee tell If wretched darknesse froÌ„ thy minde thou seekest to erpell And first of all thou ought to knowe the true felicity Which wych a reason firme and good ought searched forth to be Hereof doth wisdome flow w t streamee hereof
there their courses runne and moystes the hearâ—es so grene No Dragon there nor greedy wolfe might euer yet be seene No Bore no Beare nor Tigre fierce nor Serpent foule there dwels To harme with triple hissing toung with poyson fierce that swels In fine no kinde of beast there is but such as peace hath â—worne The longeard wat the Hart the Buck the Goate with harmelesse horne The middle heauens then almost the flaming Phebus helde When first we saw the gorgeous place whereas thys Lady dwelde Amid the woods an aumple space full of grene herbes we see No tree there grewe but tables rounde in order placed be With deâ—â—ties such as Capna did the oneyde duke prepare Such deinties as they once did eate the sacred shieldes that bare The time is come quod Gresill nowe let vs go drinke and fill Our bellies Strength for to repayre it is the goddesse wyll That none shall passe wyth sober head nor yet with hungred mawe For scotfree here may all men feede thys is the Ladies lawe WheÌ„ meate doth faile her maides do fil the table full againe A pace wee feede and scarce can rise so wetes the wine our braine With doubtfull steps our feete do trede with stackryng stumpes we go More earnestly we then desyre the Queene to come vnto Whom in the fielde we walking finde with mighty mirthfull traine Young lusty guts wyth boyes maides and doting age againe On her right hande a woman goes with pleasant shining face And in her hande a boye she leades from downe whose shoulders place A dreadful quyuer hanges with shafâ—es both cruell sharpe and kene And in his handes a bowe he bare and drewe the string so tene Though blinde he was yet straight hee threwâ— at euery man his darte And fierâ—â—ye to without regarde he perced to the heart The shaft returneth straight againe when wyde the wounde is left The people all incontinent he had of lyfe berefte But that a certaine woman there that pityed much the sore Of Godly zeale vnto these men gan helpe and helth restore For when the wounded brestes she saw whereas the darte went in Of any man and bloud so warme that gushing out did spin Then strayte she runnes her cure vnto and healthfull drinkes him giues Wherby though cruell wound remain the pacient yet he lyues An other woman yet besydes in left hande leades the Queene Whose chaps do alwaies chaw y e cudde her golles they gresy beene Wyth musty dusty lothsome clothes whose stynke doth all anoye And onely to shee doth delight in beastly belly ioye Great tanckards depe she turneth quite the bottoms vpsey downe And in her hande a boy she leades wyth drousy droupyng crowne And winking eies he scarce could wake nor woulde his dame permit With meate drink thus ouerchargâ—e to haue a waking fyt A moyster straunge on her he flyngs heerâ— soundes with wheasing noyse The boxen shalme with stroke y e harpe is forcde to shewe his voice Here Orphens doth bewayle hys wife with tooth of serpent torne The dire decrees of darksome den and labours past and worne And after him both beast and stone by musyck swâ—â—e he drawes To Delphins eke Arion here â—oth swetely syng his sawes With harpe the noble Amphion here doth Thebes walles renewe Declaring here his cruel case by shipmen eke vntâ—ewe And after these with frâ—skyng lâ—gges comes Dauncing all the rest Whose eyes a certaine dymnes darcke had fully then opprest About the heades of euery one their flyes a stincking mist And one amongst them all I knewe that helde this writte in fyst Saâ—danapalus here am I that rulde with princely powre Tâ—assyrians Realme loe thys haue I for that I did deuoure O foolishe wretches whylest you lyue let neuer Joyes so go For after death alas there are no Joyes to come vnto Learne you by mee O mortall men the trewest way to knowe Now last of all two Monsters came amyd the vtterst rowe Wherof the one with diuers tonges these fellowes fowle arayde The other vexed them sore with pricks that griefe their Joye alayde So much the heauens vs do hate reioysing at our yll So farre the Gods aboue doe seme contrary to our wyll And though wyth these aduersities we passe our dayes in payne Yet haue we not one houre to ioy in quiet to remaine If ought we haue it is but short and ioy vnperfect framed O lyfe that doste of ryght deserue erilement to be named Why doth the harmes of mortall men the Goddes aboue delight Why had they rather sad we were than liue in ioyfull plight Whereof did fyrst spring out to vs such mortall hatred fell Wynne thou the gods w t pacient mind in bearing euils well No space we were of any length from this vnrulye game When from the right side of the woode came forth a comely Dame With body fyne and virgins face and sober semely gate Such one as Joue his wife is thought amyd her great estate with haire and bosom torne she runnes to vs in dolefull plight And not to be despysde she was though clothes were base to syght And from her ruddy rosye lyppes these witty wordes did spryng O caytifes whereto pace you thus whereto shall phrensy bring You now stay here set down your fete and leape nor to the snare And hearken to my wordes a whyle that I shall heere declare Fyrst this quod she no goddesse is nor her no goddesse bare As you perchaunce beloue she is to whom as now you goe To tentes of whom you couet now to Joyne your selues vnto But is a dredefull drery sprite deceiuing all that liues Unwares of her deceitfully and gall for honey giues Let not the face deceiue you now that semeth sayre without That glisters aye with shining golde beset with gemmes aboute You know not yet how foule she is within those garments gaye A thousande spots within she hath and castes her men away Deceiude with false defrauding toye as â—ishe their bane come by Whom crafty fysher doth hegyle with reede deceitfully When from the rockes into the floudes he casteth downe his lyne With harmefull baite the hooke so hyd with hastye course they hine And snatche with gredye iawes y e bayte and fast they hang thereby And following fast the twyrling threde theyr daunce full dolefully The quiuering sandes of Libiaes lande we nede not for to flye Ne fearefull Atiphates house ne Scillaes rocke so hye Nor dreadefull drenching Charibdis nor other monster fell So much as ought we pleasure shunne what harmes hereby do dwell In mortall men what townes what realmes what men of worthy fame Hath it destroide I wil be short and one example name Who euer yet Alcides past who durst such deedes assay That slew two serpeÌ„ts foule sometimes in cradle as he lay He tore the tushes from them both and thrust his handes so small In midst their throtes He caused hath Molorchus beast to fall He cut the foule Echydnaes head destroyde the dreadfull drake
is painde Nor can the minde be alwayes yet to seuere things addict For frayle it is and ioy it must when endes the sad afflict And downe the highest hilles descende to valleyes depe and lowe No otherwise than when on earth doth Joue his lightning throwe Hating the crimes that here be done the Egle bearing fast Wyth byll or feete the three edgde tole in Cicil fornace cast Ascends the toppes of heauens hie and maruayles much to see The Princely walles wyth precious stones that there adourned bee Astonished is to see the place of glistering gold confect That shines wyth starres she doth beholde with Diamond pillers deckt The costly roufes she loked vpon of Indian teeth compacte She meruayles at the ample fielde and light that neuer lackt The great delightes that gods are in that rong cannot expresse Nor neuer heart of man could thinke the worthy pleasauntnesse She flying fast both here and there desireth much to play By skies so cleare and pleasaunt ayres begins hir wings to spray The earth and quite she doth forget her nest is out of minde In princely rayne of thundring God such pleasure doth she finde But after that by hungers prick with fasting strength decayes And he ate lackes foode to worke vppon that now she gan to prayse The heauens hie she doth despise and downe her selfe she speedes â–ª To ground that late she did contemne and there apace she feedes Then I which held my peace so long such silence for to breake Addrest my selfe and not affrayd her tale to stoppe gan speake Bycause quod I the sunne as now gan westward first descend And night doth hast his course to vse before this light do wende Away from vs and darknesse coÌ„mes a few things shew to me O goddesse milde no matrone thou but seemes a ghost to be What name the woman had of late that I saw yonder stand Besydes the Quene what the boyes be that she led in hand Then in this sorte shee aunswered me doubt not thou shalt discerne By me if time do nothing let all that thou seekes to learne Unworthy things thou hast not askt I will therfore resight Her now that on the left hand goes and greedy but shee hight Her great delight is for to eate and night and day to drinke The greatest sorte do worship her and for a god her thinke With ioyfull hearts the flaming wines in gilded holes they mash And costly cates on bourdened bourdes the gredy guts they grash The chiefest good they think to be this belly god to serue But out of doubt I thee assure they from the truth do swerue For nothing is more vile than this nor harmeth more the state Of man The beastes for onely lyfe did Joue aboue create But man for life and reason to and that he should excell And so be like vnto the sainctes which in the heauens dwell He ordaynde hath to rule the earth but they that loue the yoke Of gredinesse and belly ioyes are dull and with the smoke Of fuming meates their wit is darckt like as the cloudes the sunne Ne may they yet the truth discerne but chiefly when begunne Hath boyling wines within the brest to blinde and dull the witte And when the paunch is stuffed ful for bookes they be vnfitte Wherby it often coÌ„mes to passe their witte but small to bee The end that nature plaste them for they cleane for sake we see Nor more they knowe than doth y e herd of Shepe or Oxen dull Yea lesse sometyme when as with wine their beastly braynes be full When as for one two lightes they see with borde and wall to daunce O dronkennesse the death of minde the broode of all mischaunce What thing dost thou not force y e mind of man to take in hande What dare not he attempt thorow thee both strife wyth brawling and Most cruell frayes thou mouest him to thou ioyest when bloud is shead By thee are secretes eft reuealde wyth minde and tong made dead Both feare and shame fastnesse also full farre they flye from thee Shunne you this plague O wretches now that makes you mad to be And euen as as mad as once Drestes was with mothers might What filthier thing what beaste more vile than is the dronken wight The meate that he not long before hath fast deuoured vp He perbrakes out he trembles eke and stinketh of the cup. Ful oft he falles and breaks his browes his eyes and legs withall His stutting wordes he stamereth out no man perceiue him shall Much things he sayth much he doth that when the night is gone And sunne is present here agayne he sorrowes sore vppon The Mace donian King the sonne of Phillip graund le Roy In dronken mode at table once his frends did all destroy But when the cups their fumes had left and wit returnde agayne He found the fault w t tears he mournd and wisht himself as slayne Why boast you with your Orgies vain in woodes of Citheron Your Thias dauÌ„ce why brag you now your foolyshe druÌ„ms vpon No God your Bacchus is Iwis that comes of Cadmus line Nor Joue him got of Semels wombe as Poetes doe define But hell hath him engendred lo Begera is his dame No God he is but doth despise the gods and hates their name For godlinesse they nought estreme that haunt the pots of wyne Nor well can vse the dronken priest the Sacraments deuine What neede I here for to resite what sicknesse and what paines Excesse of meate and to much drinke doth brede within the vaines From hence doe flow euen as it were from euerlasting spring The axesse and the botche the byle wyth scaule and scurfe itching The goute oppressing hands and fete wyth bleared dropping eyes Wyth wine the quiuering ioyntes they quake froÌ„ iawes the teeth out flies With sodayne death stomacks paine and fulsome stinking breath A greater sory than sworde hath slayne excesse hath done to death Besydes the goods be straight coÌ„sumde and downe the guttes do sâ—ing The fielde the house the houshold stuffe and euery other thing And now both poore and base he is whose riches late were greate Eate thou wher by thy lyfe may last but liue not thou to eate I haue thee here declared now the woman what she hight And now the boy with nodding noule I wyll thee here resight The boy is hers and of her borne and labour him begat His name is slepe his nourse is leth his fode is poppey fat He brother germaine is to death but not as she doth last He doth refresh the weried limmes wyth dayly labour past He doth expell the cares of men and calleth strength agayne Without the ayde of him no man his life may well sustayne Yet hurtes he much and doth the minde in certayne wise oppresse Diseases breedes and ouls the corps oft vsed with excesse If foode be small he small will be for when the meate is spent The corps doth wake or else doth rest wyth little
the childe when they perfour me the acte Disposed ill with naughty bloud or sore diseases racte More causes are there yet beside as labour toyle and rest Both colde heat with slepe and meat and ioyes of Uenus nest Eache one of these doth strength abate and hurt the liuely sprite As oft as we vse them to much or vse them else to lyght Excesse of both doth sicknesse bring of measure health proceedes The perturbations of the minde diseases often breedes And to much sadnesse feare and griefe and to much myrâ—h as well Doth kyll if we will credit such as hystories doe tell The ayre doth hurt the water harmes when they be both infected Hereof doth come the plaguie sore whereby the guttes are vered The common rot doth many kyll and diuers sicknesse sore Doth brawling fight and fawle procure with thousande perryls more These springs grouÌ„ds of mischiefes all if thou thy health set by By all the meanes thou canst inuent seeke thou from them to flye If thou be syck as nedes thou must sometyme what wilt thou doe Desyre not then the medcine long but loke thou sone thereto While as thy sore is yet but grene nor yet thy mortall fo Possessed hath his fired place amyd thy corps to goe A little water doth suffice to quench the breeding fyre But when that it is fully growne and flames begin to spyre Wyth vaunting course agayn y e starres scarce riuer spring or lake Will then suffice to quench it out shift therefore timely make To know the cause of thy disease and sone to put them out Use contraryes contrary things eche one expell no doubt If cold haue thus procurde thy harme vse things to heate agayne If trauayle toyle or meate thee hurt from them likewyse refrayne If nede require then seeke the aide of some Phisitians hand Or Surgians helpe in Surgians Arte more knowledge sure doth stand For playne and sure appeares the work that in his hand he takes But Leache whom we Phisitian name while he the water shakes Wherby he doth his iudgement giue and feeles the beating vayne And rakes the dung he is deceaude and doth deceaue agayne But wyth vnlike estate of harme the simple soule doth die And giues the balde religious men a cause to sing and crie The other hauing gotten golde accuseth God on hie And sayth that be was onely cause wherby the man did die And fast wyth siluer stuffes his purse wyth sweete reioicing hart All men alas are healed now by chaunce and not by Arte. For he that any Arte knowes well in practising of it But seldome he doth chaunce to erâ—e or doth offend no whitte But these among whereof we talke amongst a hundred yll There scarce is one whom they can saue or whome they do not kyll How chaunceth this But for bycause that fewe of them doth knowe What thing they do what Phisicke is but while they seeke to flowe Wyth wytty words and Logiks Arte the vulearned sort to binde Of Phisiks cure the principles they scarcely seke to finde Instructed thus wyth nedelesse Artes themselues they home wards hie And fast wyth Ergo there they prate and bygge they looke therby Hereby they stipendes do require and thinke inough the same Nor are they here deceyude for this that wyth an honest name They may be murderers of men O lawes of wretched kinde That can permit such mischtefs great O Kings and rulers bâ—inde That spye not thys deformed thing O you that guide and rayne Permit not such a wickednesse chase hence this plague agayne And succour bring to mortall kinde by these same murdring knaues How many men both night and day haue found their fatall graues Let them haue perfectly their Arte or let them not professe For other artes if they do erre the harme of them is lesse But this except it perfect be is full of perilles greate And priuily doth rage as doth at home the plaguy heate It is not good therfore to truste such men whose learning stands In precious habite to be seene and to adourne their hands Wyth rings and hoopes and precious stones but this that I shall tell Wherby thou mayst thy selfe retayne in minde reserue thou well See that thy diet holsome be and eate not thou to much For mischiefe great hath come to men by ouer feeding such Here of do most diseases breede beware especially As of a poyson strong that doth enforce the corps to dye That thou no meate agayne do take till that receiued last Be well consumed and perfectly his full digestion past And euery day vse exercise by pace or other feate Wherby thy ioynts thus moued may procure a warming heate For mouing is the cause of warmth and aydes the stomack well Encreaseth strength humors nought from out the flesh expell Breake not beside thy quiet rest for sleepe the body feedes And helps the mind wher harme to both excessiue watching breedes Expell thou sorrow farre from thee and heauinesse exile For it dries vp the sinowes all and makes the body vile And grested haires vntimely plants the ioyfull heart agayne Doth make thy limmes meÌ„bers stroÌ„g and youthfull yeares retayne The other things beholde thy selfe that erst I tolde to thee A thing more precious farre there is by which we happy bee And like to Gods and heauens haunt in earth remayning here Although his grace to fewe is giuen fewe worthy do appere Such honour hie for to possesse and if to know the same Thy minde desyres I wyll thee tell dame wisdome is her name This is the greatest good of all than this of greater grace The Gods can giue nothing to man to this resigneth place All that that breedes in red sea sandes or all the golden goodes That Lagus keepes that Hermus hath or in Pactolus flouds Whatsoeuer growes if truth be sayd to her no Princely raygne May be comparde she is the Mother of all Godly trayne And greatest vertue is O blesf yea blest and blest agayne As much as mortall man can be is he that doth obtayne Of God this goodly gyft to get but some perchaunce wyll seeke What wysdome is to knowe and sure the troth hereof to speake Nought else but knowledge chefe shee is by which the pured minde Whom neither mortal waight doth pres nor earthly thought can blinde Doth scale and clime the skies aboue and there in ayry place Wyth God doth dwel despising here all things in mortall case As vayne ascending alwayes vp much like the flames of fyre Regarding light these earthly things doth things aboue desire And doth discerne the good from yll and truth from falsehode nought And things of blind and mortall men that chiefest here are thought As pleasures realmes and riches great wyth hie triumphing geare For which both night and day they toyle esteming not a heare Bewayls the vayn and fading thoughts declaring here the way Of liuing well in order iust and eke the dying day The rest among the wiseman shines
soule of man doth neuer dye and body liues without But thys ynough time biddes me ende nor ignoraunt am I That soule of many although vnapt is termde a melodye And as of sundry voices moued an harmony proceedes Of sundry compoundes medeyne made which force of healyng brcedes So of the ioyned elaments by certayne meane and way Created of the heauens eke the soule to be some say A part wherof in body dwels and part abrode doth lye As syght doth spring of outwarde lyght and vertue of the eye For Heauen is the chiefest cause from which all things doe spring wythout whose ayde y e earth coulde not nor seas breede any thing But thys opinion is not true for if it should be so The soule with flesh should neuer striue nor once against it go But euermore in one agree As euery powre doth showe That wonted are of myâ—ed things by sprite diuine to growe As in the kinde of hearbs apperes and in the precious stone Some think the soule doth not remaine when fleshe is from it gone Bicause that heauy sluggishe sleepe the nerest thing that may Resemble death doth seeme to take both sense and minde away Or for bycause they see the minde wyth sycknesse diuersly So vext and harmde that it can not the place it hath supply And with the body to encrease wyth which it eke decayes As well apperes in children yong and men of elder dayes Fonde is the childe the man discrete the olde man doteth styll For weake vnweldy wythered age doth minde and body spyll And more say they if that the soule of substance be diuine And seured from these fleshly lyms may leade a lyfe more fine Then why should it in wretched fleshe so seeke it selfe to place By whose defect so many yls and mischiefe it deface But fonde she is therfore if that she doe this willingly And if perforce she be compelde in carcasse caued to lye who doth coÌ„straine Doth God himself then hir he naught esteemes Nay which in prison vile he puts to hate he rather seemes More of it selfe except it learne synce it doth nothing knowe And oftentimes forgetfulnesse the minde doth ouerthrowe Therefore they iudge it nothing is when body here doth dye For learne it cannot senses deade which it knowes all things by Some other say that soule there is in all the worlde but one Which giueth lyfe to euery thing as Sunne but one alone There is that makes all eyes to see eternall think they this Though bodyes dye as eyes put out the Sunne eternall is These trifles fonde it is not harde wyth reason to disproue But here I longer am I feare than it doth me behoue There shal not want that such demauÌ„de shall aunswere once at full And all the doubtes therin assoyle and knots asunder pull O man of sharpe and pregnant wyt thy prayse shall liue with mine Our labours doubt not shall coÌ„mende the men of later time They famous worke attempt seedes of Heauen on earth go sowe This one thing will I more put to that euery man may knowe The soule immortall for to be and sprong of heauenly grace If senses and affections all he will restraine a space If that dispisyng worldly ioyes and earthly thoughtes resynde wyth dayly labour he attempt to God to lyfte hys minde Then perfect wisedome shall he haue and things to come foretell Awake or else in heuye sleepes perceiue the same as well In thys sort did the Prophetes olde the things to come declare The sober minde therefore doth come more nere to heauenly fare The farther from the fleshe it flyes and from the earthly care But lyke to beastes the greatest sort doe liue as sense doth wyll And thinke none other good to be but fleshe to haue hys fill Hereof 〈◊〉 comes that many think the soule with body dyes Bicause they see not things diuine with weake and fleshly eyes But of the soule thys shall suffise let vs returne againe To him that made the world whom we conclude for to remaine Of body voide and thousandes more that body line without As thick as in the woodes the leaues doe cluster trees about And if they bodyes haue at all so purely are they finde That sense of ours cannot perceiue but onely seene of mynde But thou my Muse be silent here and when hys wyll shall be And pleasure eke who moues my lips then shalt thou searche with me The cause of things that vnderueath the cyrcle of the Moone We see to passe if they by chaunce or fatall force be done And whylst while as the Sunne y e backe of Lyon flaming fryes And doubling oft hir creaking voyce the Greshop chyrping cryes Encompast with the shadowing grasse let vs finde out in shade Of Lawrell or sweete Mirtle tree where hushing noyse is made Of streames that flowes from Parnas springs a quiet resting place For rest doth well refreshe the minde and calles againe the grace And straight when as wyth quietnesse our strength is come againe I wyll if thou wilt fauour me and me wyth grace mayntayne Attempt to touch the stately tunes and if the almighty King with countenance sweete do graunt me ayde my labour long pitying And pouerty driue farre from me and bytter cares expel Al wholly wyl I liue wyth thee and alwayes wyth thee dwel This onely shal be my delight my selfe then shal I fyll Wyth pleasant Aganippaes streames and syng on Cirphâ—s hyll Scorpius the eyght Boke THe cause why mortal state doth pas such croked coÌ„trary wayes Some sort in honour happily do spend their ioyfull dayes And other some in myserie oppressed continually Wyth dayly moyling vexed sore in fame obscure do lye Fayre Muse declare for vnto thee it lawful is to knowe The councels of the Goddes aboue and secrets for to showe Some men by blinde disordred chaunce thinke all things done to be Nor world by reason to be ruled bycause they most things see Wyth vndeserued goods adourned and most things plagued agayne Uniustly vext wyth noysome ils and difference none to rayne The iust and vertuous men opprest and Rake helles hiely placed And vice than vertue more esteemed and Churches al defaced Wyth fyry flame of thunder cracks and most men for to gayne By synfull vsage of themselues and craft of subtyle brayne Such when they see to come to passe the greatest parte surmyse Eyther no Gods at al to be or else that they dispise The base affayres of mortal men And only heauens minde therfore they rash and blindely say Uncertayne chaunce in euery thing doth beare the chiefest sway But Fortune some to thee do giue the gouernance ouer al And thee Lady chiefe of euery thing on earth do cal And that thou holdst the scepters here wyth browes that sowrely frowne And wyth thy false vnstable wheele turnst al things vpsyde downe To thee the olde deceyued age dyd buyld their altares hye And often tymes before thy face their sacrifice dyd lye Some are besides that do
wise Wyth browes full broade threatning loke and fyry flaming eyes Two monstrous hornes large he had and nostrils wide in sight Al black himself for bodies black to euery euyll spright And vggly shape hath nature dealt yet white his teeth did showe And white his grenning tuskes stode large wings on him did growe Framde like the wings of Flindermics his feete of largest sise In fashion as the wilde Duck beares or Goose that creaking cries His tayle such one as Lions haue Al naked sate he there But bodies couered round about wyth lothsome shagged haire A number great about him stoode a wondrous forte of men A greater company I think than Xerxes trayned when By force of armes vnhappy man the Greckes he did inuade And scarce in safety could returne wyth al the flight they made Eche one of them in hand a hooke did holde and Belbowes beare Wyth bellowes for to fyll their heades with winde whom Fortune here Had eyther lent great store of golde or whome they saw ful well In learning beauty state or strength their fellowes to excell Wyth hooke such as wyth wantō wind were puft sufficiently Amyd the smoky lakes to cast wyth Snakes and Toades to lye And other monsters there that dwelt This lusty foresayd King Tiphurgus had to name as sayd my guide that tolde eche thing Then where the Sūne doth downward fall amyd the westerne streames From whence among the Spaniards he throwes his latest beames I cast mine eyes and like the fyrst low another King in syght I had that sate in seat aloft his name Aplesto hight A number great of sprites he rulde such as amyd the west Are bred and such as in those partes do dwel and haue their rest Eche one of them a Serpent holdes a flesh hooke also hath Then spake Timalphes in this sorte seest thou quoth he to wrath How euery man their Serpents moue and pinching oft do touch That sharper may they set their teeth and poyson more by much Destil in hearts of earthly men for they on whome doth hitte The force of those such poisoned teeth do forth wyth lose their witte And he auenly things do cleane despise and wyth such thirst they broyle That licoure none can them suffise wyth drink in vayne they toyle And while thus euermore in vayne they drink and styll are drye Unmindful of their death theyr lot themselues and heauens hye Then strayght at hād these diuels come wyth hookes as here you see And catcheth them strykes the throtes that yet ful thirsty be To fling in flouds of thorney lake where as wyth wondrous paynes They punnisht are wyth Monsters vile that secret there remaynes Blond specially wyth bloudsuckers that thick about them lies And hyting styll both day and night them plages in piteous wyse At length they yeld agayne the bloud that whilst they here did liue They suckt from men nor ease of smart no space of yeares can giue This King both makes and plages such men as couetous he made Thys sayd I turnde my eyes to starres that glide in coldest glade Wheras our Pole doth plaine beholde and viewe the double beare And where Bootes driues hys waine in euer rowling spheare And there an other king I see and thousande spirites ill That dwel about those northerne partes whose handes great hookes doe fill Then sayd my guide this king y t raigns in partes of Boreas colde Of Lechery and Gloconye doth Crowne and Scepter holde Philocreus eke to name he hath in fraude full lyke the rest O Lord with how great harmes doth he poore mortall men molest For on these hookes that here thou seest the baytes that tast full well He tyeth fast where poyson lurkes of filthy flouds of hell And wyth these baytes he doth cōmaūde the doltishe fooles to take And catcht in puddles to be cast of muddy miery lake Who straight transformed into shape of vgglye beastes appeares Both Swine and Asses Bulles Foxe and wolues and lothsome Beares And others Monsters voide of minde Nor this doth yet suffyse with Harnets waspes Betels blinde that rounde about there flyes Continually they vexed are Lo thus Philocreus men are plagued in piteous painefull wyse That couet onely carnall ioyes and vertue here despyse Thus sayth my guide but I my eyes about the southerne pole Do cast frō whence y e clouds are causde in euery place to rolle with stedfast syght I note what sort of sprites I there can see And flocks of fendes w t wings full black that swiftly flying bee Amongst them all a mighty king there stoode with Crowne of pride wyth lowring browes and dogged loo 〈…〉 and in hys mouth full wyde A monstrous tongue he hissyng shocke and lyke the lothsome Snake He castes abroade from out hys throte a fylthy poyson black Such as the adder while he burnes wyth loue of Lamprey long Much fearing for to harme his ioy wyth deadly venome strong Casts vp among the ragged rocks and hydes it secretly And springing straight with lusty leape into the seas doth flye And calling oft wyth hyssing sound doth seeke his louers deare Who runnes to meete hir mate in hast whose voyce she weldoth heare And both wyth much embracing ioyne But when their pleasaunt play Is fully past and finished the Snake wyth ioy away Doth swimme to land and on the rocke whereas his poyson lay He searcheth for his owne defence which if he finde away Or spylt or troden vnder foote such griefe he then sustaynes That mourning weary of his life he dasheth oft his braynes Agaynst the sharp and ragged stones tyl that his breath at last Wyth al his wretched paynes griefe by death be ouerpast Such was this King and such did seme his subiectes for to be Oft tymes the Prince a paterne is vnto the commontie with Fawchon great in right hand held eche one of them he goeth Al black both face and teeth and lippes al ful of fylthy froth This King was Lord of enuy great Timalphes colde me there And that Miastor was his name by whose awarde seucre His seruants fyll the heartes of men wyth froth of canckred spyte Then runnes the plague through euery veine and euery where doth light But most of al doth vexe the eyes that they 〈◊〉 suffer may To see their fellowes lyue in wealth but thereat pyne away At last they thrust thē through w t dartes and soules ful sicke expell Whereon wyth triple throte doth chaw the fiendish hound of Hel And chawed to poisō strong doth turn and of their bodies spring Fowl Scorpions which although they fawne wyth tayle do deadly sting But now behold the middle partes that in the ayre doth lye And there Sarcotheus see aboue the rest a King most hie And of them al most mischieuous The other Kings that be Do feare and also worship hym the power and rule hath he Of al the diuels in the world from whome the mischiefs al Do flowe as from a poynt and
with heauenly showers O light of mankinde here O perâ—ite way of sauing helth defence and comfort clere Both entry dore and guide of lyfe O peace and salue of minde O blessed worthy sanâ—tuary O wysedome swetest kynde That Nectar doest excell in tast to whom art thou now dere who followes thee what place hast thou on earth what honours there In Temples wast thou wont to raine in schooles and proches lowe In Councelles and in courts of kings now no man doth thee knowe But Poets dreames and tryfles fonde for thee in place doe raine what â—earnes 〈◊〉 scholler now in scholes what knowledge doth he gaine But â—ansyes vaine or baudy tales be holde in seate full hye The Master syâ—tes wich booke before that open wyde doth lye And spitting oft he well doth viewe hys great assembled crowde And when hee sees them bent to heare wyth lofty voice and lowde He then expoundes some dreadful ghost of dolefull tragedie Or else some harlots trickes declares in wanton Comedie Or doting lones of auncient time or else to light doth bring Some monstrous or some cruell fact or lamentable thing O brayne deseruing to be pâ—rged doest thou these wayes instruct The tender mindes and ignorant bring vp with such a fruiâ—t Is this the salt wher of the age so yong is made to say Is it not shame wyth â—ryfles such to passe the time away By thys so many naughty knaues and villaines doe appere By thys the groue of vices thick vp springeth euery where When as no vertuous bringing vp of Children can be founde O you that youth do not correct but rather them confounde Learne fyrst your selues to liue vpright and then to others showe A vertuous trade least lyke to beastes you liue and nothing knowe But thou Stellatus harken well to thee I will expresse which way thou shalt apply thy minde to perfecte vertuousnesse Fyrst oft in minde remember well one God alone to be Eâ—ernall best omnipotent and of most hye degre Who heauen and the golden Starres that shine throughout al the skye The rest of things that may be seene or not be seene wyth eye Of nothing with hys beck alone before all tymes hath made And framde theÌ„ kepes gouernes here with euerlasting trade Hym worship honor feare and prayse and often to hym praye Both nights dayes when SuÌ„ne doth ryse and Sunne doth fall away And when from both in equall space his Globe doth distant glowe For vertue chiefe and wysedome chiefe it is the king to knowe Of sainctes aboue and father of men to loue with heart entire To prayse him alwayes and to dread and humbly him desire Without thys same all vertues else think nothing worth to be For almost thys and nothing else sufficient is for thee Therfore haue alwayes God in heart and often in thy minde And call to him nothing than thys more vertnous canst thou finde Thys is to all the vertues else the open doore and plaine For without grace and ayde of God no man can them obtaine Nor able be to flye from vice Besydes the saynâ—ts aboue that dwell and hostes of messangers And seruants of the chiefest Lorde and holy Ministers Fulfilling the commaundement of hys Maiestie deuine That alwayes stand before hys face in skyes full cleare that shine With holy minde remember oft in humble sort to praye That they may helpe thee in thy neede and daungers dryue awaye And thee vnto the Lorde commende for truely Aungels can And often vse to profite much the earnest praying man Nor be not thou beware therof amongst such sort a mate That think that nature neuer made a thing of hygher state Than man mad men y t when they see so plaine before their eye Both seas and lande of Creatures full doe thinke that in the skye And in the Starres no dwellers be and indge the ample space Of blessed heauen for to be a voide and desert place O crabde and crookde vntoward soules O mindes in darkenesse drounde Mans sense can not all things perceiue for many things are founde That often tymes deceiue the eyes which yet the minde doth see Therfore what reason moues in minde must rather followed bee Which teacheth that there is a God and dwellers in the skye Wherfore y e Starres are eyther Gods Or Temples where they lye These grounde workes layde w t all thy heart embrace thou righteousnesse And let no iniury of thine be any mans distresse By wordes or deedes no man can hurt nor deale thou so wyth men As thou wouldst not be delt withall but alwayes doe to them As thou wouldst they should do ro thee thus nature doth decree Which if thou straightly dost not keeps giue credit vnto mee Thou neuer canst be fauoured of that maiestie deuine Nor after death vnhappy man thou shalt the heauens clime An others honor fame or state harme not in any case When vile desyre doth moue or wrathe or enuye comes in place But rather helpe such as thou knowest to be of vertuous minde With all thy force and pleasure doe to men of wycked kinde Sometimes that so they hurt thee not or seldomer thee harme And let not brybes nor loue nor hate thy minde from iustice charme For these are three especiall things that dasell sore the syght Of minde and driue men euer more from doing well and right But styll haue God in memory and death to come in minde Then fâ—ye the enticements of the flesh and byts of sharpest kinde On pleasure put For nothing doth to man more mischiefe bring Than yll delight to vertue sure a most contrary thing For vertue laboures euermore the heauens hye to clyme But pleasure ennimy to the skies doth downeward styll decline And groueling gaseth on the earth as beastes do commonly Destroying strength of body here and force of minde wherby It breedes a dull and slouthful sense and sharp dyseases makes This is that Circes that Syren and hooke of Stygian lakes With this same snare a nuÌ„ber great of soules the Diuell takes And suffers not them after death their countrey Skyes to see But wyly wrappeth them in mystes of Hel his mates to be These bayts therfore thys poison swete of fylthy fiendish foe Wyth al thy might auoyd them well and warely from them go Lest that when greater yeres do come in vayne thou dost repent Thy selfe thy substance fame and wit so lost and fondly spent Then shalt thou say as many do O goodly tymes in minde How vilely haue I you abused where now should I you finde Unhappy man If God would graunt agayne my former tyme And once againe the Samian branch I might assay to clyme Thereto I would where as the earth his horne forth doth stretch Though that the way be strayt steepe the top there of to retch No kinde of thing doth vertue passe which alwayes doth remayne Which honor giues and hie estate and glory great doth gayne Preserues the life and doth augment the goods that here you
haue And doth remaine when death hath cast the fading corse in graue But me vnhappy wretch alas did pleasure swete deâ—eaue And fled away doth me in briars and many mischienes leaue For whilst that I in youthful yeares the â—â—ewes do oft frequent And while to feeding slepe and play my dolâ—â—sh minde was bent Nought would I lerne hating bokes did study much despise And learning scorne but now alas I see before my eyes My selfe vnlearnde of yll report in beggarly aray My strength decayde my minde appald my senses worne away Al this tyme haue I liued as he that lyes a sleepe in dreames Doth think him self awake to be deceyued by such meanes Like wordes to these doth vtter ofâ— the sâ—outhfull sâ—uggish man When age the neighbor nexte to death doth count to late as than His life led yll in youthfull yeares The greatest sort do shut the dore when Steede is stollen away And wyse they are when as to late their wittes they do assay And for Physitians faâ—â— they seeke when hope of health is gone O wretches whilst you here haue tyme looke wel thys tyme vpon For fast away the houre â—â—yes and fled can not reâ—ouâ—ne No teares can help the corse in graue nor sobbes for him to mourne That medcine only is of force which is in time applyed Therfore must vertue be embracde when youth is fyrst in pryde And then it nedeful is to to treade the perfect path of lyfe And vertuous workes to take in hand then reason must be ryfe And minde wyth councel must be rulde while yet but yong it is Least that with fonde delight deceyude it he adlong runne amysse Who so is wyse let hym in tyme wyth wisedome wel prouide For after wyttes are euermore to folly next alied And out of tyme it bringeth griefe be wayling al in vayne A hurt or losse that neuer can be brought or got agayne Besyde the wicked thirst of wealth and vile desyre of golde Must thou eschew for where a place this couetousnesse doth holde There rayne almost eche other vice as shameful periuries Ungoolinesse theft and disceyt wyth open robberies Guyles treasons and conspyracies wyth frayes and murders vile What needes it for to shew them all nothing besyde more vile Nor worse than is the couetous man that drownde in earth belowe Doth like the Mole no kinde of thing desyre loue or know Saue only riches of the earth for which he doth not feare Eche yll to work nor other God he doth acknowledge here But purse and pens his chiefe delight nor sees the vnhappy best How short the lyfe of man is here how frayle how sone deceast And how that from his bending bow death euermore doth cast His deadly shaftes that pearceth hearts of mortall men so fast And neyther spares the yong nor lernd nor yet the wealthy wyght But euery man wythout respect wyth bloudy blow doth smyte And oftentimes is neerest then when furthest of he showes And sodaine tumults then doth cause when no man of hym knowes But thou regarde not ryches here nor goods that subiect be To blinded chaunce nor let no care of such things tro 〈…〉 thee For proper vnto no man are the things which as she lykes Doth fortune giue and takes away when she vnconstant strykes Or passing doth wyth lyfe away to diuers men descend Nay other riches shalt thou seke that neuer shal haue ende On which no chauÌ„ce nor kinde of death shall euer powre obtayne These riches labour thou to get both dayes and nightes with payne For that thou shalt be truely rich and truely blest by that The others that the common sorte like fooles do wonder at And wish to haue if thou enioyest as money house and land Them vse and occupy at wyll who doth agaynst it stand But iustly yet and modestly and when thou maist or can Haue pity on the pouerty despise no needy man By this meanes shalt y e wyn thee praise and health for euer more And for this earthly baggage here the Skies aboue shalt gayne No man is he but sure a wolfe that doth not mercy showe That is not moued to see the state of others ouerthrowe But if of poore estate thou arte then beare it paciently And in good part sustayne the lotte of this thy pouerty For greater ouerthrowes hath he and greater griefe and care Whome Fortune most enriched hath and giuen the greater share And so much ouerlayd he is wyth wayght of substance great That by no meanes he can beholde the hie celestial seate For light and voyde of earthly dregges it him behoues to be That wil with minde ascend the place where as the heauens be For more a man seekes earthly state more falles he from the Skye And from the euer lasting light he farther of doth flye And eke in place where as a man his treasure vp doth hyde There lies his heart and there his mind doth euermore abyde Thus prouertie helpes many men vnburdning them therby That so wyth swifter wyngs they may vnto the heauens flye In lyke sort pride thou must auoyde the spring of stryfe and hate That with discention many times destroyes a common state wyth thys disease in auncient time was Rome nere ouerthrowne Opprest wyth rage of fury fierce that ciuill warres had blowne Flye thou thys fiende of hell if thou desyrest for to bee A friende of Gods and after death the Heauens elere to see No proude man loues the Gods aboue nor is beloued of them For God estemes the humble sort and lowly minded men And well he lykes the gentle mindes where no ambition lyes Thrustes downe y e proude suffers not to dwell with him in skyes wherfore you proude disdainful swarme what doth your pryde you gaine What helpes your great renoumed names and princely titles vaine which death in shortest time doth spoile and in the streame hath dronde Of Lethes flouds where synking lowe they neuer can be founde You seeke to please the common sort and of them praysde to hee Tell what distretion hath that state the truth of things to see They count you here as Gods to be and what doth follow then When Asses here in deede you are with outwarde signe of men Th vnskilfull sort you doe deceiue but not the Gods aboue But rather them to laughter oft and oft to wrath you moue For all your prety prankes they marke and priuie deedes they see But you O blinded Asses thinke no Gods at all to bee Nor yet beleue the Corse in graue the soule shall ryse to dome And therfore seke these present ioyes and scorne the lyfe to come A number great of beastes aliue in shape of men doe straye Hence springeth vp your errour great and cause of your decaye That with your grosse capacitie no other thing you see but bodyes grosse nor true things know but such as shaddowes bee The greatest sort delight in smoke and full with smoke they flowe O fooles what lighter thing thaÌ„ smoke what
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
With. xix flames the Syrian Dog the lyttle Dog hath three The sydes of Arcos brauely deckt with three and twenty be One starre doth Chiron more relay the sacrifice in hands He holdes eleuen hath deckt with iiij the goodly Altare stands With six and twenty Hydra shynes three signes that lies in length And mates the Crab the Virgin fayre and Lion great of strength The Rauen shynes wyth seauen starres the Cup hath eyght in sight The Southerne Fish with xij doth cast abrode his starry light The rising and the setting of the Signes let vs display Three sorts of wayes y e starres do ryse three sortes they fall away That rising called Cosmike is the setting termde likewise When early in the Easte the signe wyth Sunne is knowen to ryse But when soeuer any sygne doth ryse or downeward fall And Sunne in setting lets them shine this terme we Cronicall And Heliake is the rising namde when as the Sunne full nere The signe lyes hyd and passing thence forth with doth bright appere The Heliake setting that we cal when as in any signe The Sunne doth walke and w t his light permit it not to shine But now the rising of the Signes and how they downe descend I wyll declare if Muses ayde and Phaebus be my frend When Ram doth rise then mounteth vp left part of Andromaed Unto the halfe and ioynde therewith Sir Perseus flaming head Then backward commes the Bull aloft who while he vpward hyes Al Perseus springs and greatest part of Carter then doth rise And Thurlpoles tayle and fading quite the altare downe doth fall Then hydes himself in flashing floudes the Berward first of all With Twinnes doth all the Whale aryse and former partes of Po And with this same Orion great all armed vp doth go Then he that holdes the Snake with both his feete the water tries The Crab arising vp takes halfe the Crowne away from eyes The tayle of Whale the Southerne Fyshe and head of Kneeler lowe And half his Hanch frō knees to backe of him that Snake doth showe And all his Snake except the neck the Bearward almost quite But now agayne from girdle vp Orion commes to sight Wyth al the course of Nilus great These Signes besyde do ryse Wyth Lion fierce the Egle Hare and Dog of lesser syse The former legges of greater Dog and head of Hydra springs But these agaynst the Bearward hote and he that Serpent wrings With head and necke of Snake in hand and part that did remayne Of glistring Crowne and Kneeler eke excepted yet agayne His left foote and his knee besyde in Westerne waues do fall With Virgin riseth whole the Dog and Serpent vp doth crall Unto the Cups and then appeares the Ship of Thessaly As much as Mast and sayle may showe Contrary hid do lye These starres the Dolphin al the Swan his tayle except the Darte The Scorpions cley and of the floude of Nile the former parte But Pegasus hides head and necke the rest appeareth bright Al Argo with the Scales doth ryse and Bearward clere in sight Saue tippe of tayle al Hydra seene the right knee and the shinne Of Kneeler downe and Centaures tayle to shine doth then beginne Then mayst y t halfe the Crowne perceyue the rest of Horse that flies And partes that hindermost do stand of Swanne then hidden lies And al saue head the Whale doth set hir head in Seas doth hyde Andromaeda then shalt thou see olde Cepheus downe to slyde The Father of Andromeda and downe in flouds to fall With hands his shoulders his head These shapes and fygures all With Scorpion rise the Dragons tayle and Chirons horse appeare And rest of Crowne and Sacrifice that he in hands doth beare Also the Serpents head doth ryse and eke hir holders head Then syts the part that doth remayne of corse of Andromed And Cepheus syts from head to waste and double winding way Of Padus streames and downward then doth fal dame Cassiepey Then first the Dog himselfe doth hyde and downe Orion flings When as the Shooter vp doth ryse the Serpent holder springs With Serpent whole the left hand and the head of Kneeler downe And al the Harp the breast and head of him that ware the Crowne Of Aethyops land King Cepheus cald Then hidden quite doth lye Orion Hare and greater Dog and Carter of the Skye Excepting only Head and Feete then Perseus downe doth fall His right foote and his thigh except the Ship saue sterne syts al. When as the Gote ascendeth vp the Swanne and Shaft thereby The Altare and the Egle fayre begin to appeare in skye But sterne of Argo then descendes and lesser Dog doth hyde His starres in Sea and vnder grounde therewyth doth Perseus slyde When as of Ganimedes fayre the goodly starres do ryse Then first the limmes of Pegasus do clime into the Skies Contrarywyse the neck and head of Dragon downe doth slyde And Chiron doth his hinder parte beneath the waters hyde When as the Fyshes twayne are brought to rise aloft in Skye The right syde of Andromeda appeareth to the eye And he that Southerne Fish is calde then both the bodies quite Of Dragon and of Centaure great are taken from our sight Thus much of rising of the Signes and setting shal suffise Now let vs touch the rest that doth remaine in speedy wise But fyrst we must Vrania call my verses here vnto That she may ayde and succour sende such secrets to vndo Vrania thou that knowest the things aloft that hydden lye That walkest oft by seates of Gods and starry temples hye Vrania beautiful draw nere and open vnto me The secrete seates of Gods aboue and things that hidden be And helpe thy Poet that in song thy Scepters seekes to shewe And graunt the whirling Skies aboue in minde that I may knowe And first good Lady shewe to me if that the Skies aboue Consist of matter hard and thicke or soft and apt to moue None otherwise than is the ayre which well we may deuide This tolde thou shalt declare to me straunge matters more beside Two springs of nature chiefe there be Materia and Forma namde Of these same twaine al kinde of things that here we see are framde Of these the earth the Seas the ayre and flaming fyre springs Wherefore they lye that matter none admit in Heauenly things For contraries should then in them be found thus they do say And by this meanes corrupted quite they should in time decay But as me seemes this reason here doth from the truth decline For neyther matter is in fault if that in tract of tyme The bodies fade nor contraries themselues wil thus vndo If that their forces equall be and stronger none of two For when the strength power is lyke then equall is the fyght And victory on neither part and neither syde doth lyght Therfore God seking in hys minde the heauens hye to make The chiefe and purest fyned partes of matters fyrst dyd take And
wordes hee should coÌ„mit his facultie to fame Which should be rather folly calde and not a facultie But in the state diuine of God and glorious maiestie We must beleeue is nothing vayne since Godliest is the same Thus God what so euer he could doe assurely did frame Least that his vertue were in vayne and euer should lye hyd But since he could make endlesse things it must be thought he dyd And all his power there in employed so that there did remaine In him no kinde of power or force that ydle were or vayne But learned Aristotle sayth there can no body be But that it must of boundes consist to this do I agree Bicause aboue the Skies no kinde of body we do place But light most pure of body voyd such light as doth deface And farre excel our shining Sunne such light as comprehend Our eyes can not and endlesse light that God doth from him send Wherein togither with their King the sprites that are more hie Do dwell the meaner sorte beneath in Skies do alwayes lie Therfore the raygne and portion of the world consists in three Celestiall Subcelestiall which with limits compast be The rest no bounds may comprehend which bright aboue the Skie Doth shine with light most wonderfull But here will some replie That without body is no light and so by this denie That light can neuer thoe be found aboue the heauens hie But at vs vaynly doth he barke in vaine he doth contend For reason doth my words approue and veritie defend I pray thee shew what is the cause that here the Sunne doth shine Bicause his matter giues him light or rather forme deuine That doth so great a globe contayne for forme and fashion gay To all things state of being giues as Naturesearchers say With whome we also do agree this same doth playnly showe That Forme not Matter makes y e suâ— to shine From Forme doth flowe All kinde of force and comelinesse And if so greate a light Assigned be to bodyly Formes why should we in this plight Deny that incorporeall states may any light contayne Since that more pure and fine they are and fayrer farre agayne Wherefore the sprites and ghosts aboue do shine with wondrous light Although it can not be discernde of our corrupted sight So that among these Saincts the more their state and powre is hie With brighter beauty much they shew and greater maiestie No golde no pearls nor precious stones nor pompe of purple gowne Doth them as it doth vs set out but light is their renowne And as the Sunne amongst the starres doth shine with goodliest light So shines among the Saincts aboue the LORD of greatest might And neuer darkneth them a whit but makes them all to shine Such is the goodnesse of his grace and maiestie deuine But here perchaunce he wyll obiect that in the ayre doth lye No ground of light and since no ayre there is aboue the Skye He wyll deny that there is light But now he lies agayne For ayre is not the ground of light nor as some fondly fayne Is light in ayre but contrary the ayre in light doth dwell If reason what not Aristotle doth say he marketh well For if without the dores fast shut a candle burneth bright Or by some clift the fier shine in house all voyde of light And some there with the ayre about the beame with striking shakes The ayre is forced to passe the light but light no mouing makes And if the ayre were ground of light then with one motion so Both ayre and light should moued be and both togither goe Beside if that in time of night a man with Torch in hand Should passe y t light doth places chauÌ„ge but ayre doth quiet stand Which if to light it subiect were it should continually Go wander place by place with light and styll keepe company But now this same is nothing so but doth contrary proue For light doth passe when aire doth stay and styll with torch doth moue Wherby it appeares that light doth not the ayre as subiect neede But well may stand and well wy 〈…〉 the vse of ayre procéede Especially the light of God whereof a parte doth passe Into our sunne and there is kepâ— contaynde as in a Glasse For as within his propre spheare that vnder Moone doth lye No fier can discerned be by force of any eye But if that any matter chaunce to kindle with the same Then Starres do fall and firy streams in Sommer nights do flame And other sights that feare the mindes of men in dreadfull wise So as it is the light of God can not be seene with eyes But fixed in the Sunne it shines bycause the matter cleare Whereof the Sunne is made is fitte and apt for light t' appeare For God hath framde it in such sorte as there his light may byde And shine creating day and life and goodly things beside That light doth also shine in shapes of sundry sacred sprites Though not alike to all as Starres shine not with equall lights But some more bright than others be as they are set before And as a candle can giue light to many candels more And yet doth neyther lose nor lesse his beauty burning bright So light of God decreasing not to other Saincts giues light But some perchauÌ„ce will here demauÌ„de and doubtfull question finde If that besides this light that I declarde of endlesse kinde Doth any other thing consist without the world so great Though this be neyther meete nor fitte for mortall men t' entreat Yet wyll I proue to passe the path wherein no Poet yet That hath bene hither to before might euer set his feete And wyll attempt to bring to light the treasures hie in place Of God if he be pleasde and helpe with his accustomed grace First must we grauÌ„t that God is spring and Father â—ke of all Who made all things and best chiefe him may we truly call Therefore where so euer GOD abides his glory there is found And euery good and gorgeous sight doth in that place abound And thus what so euer good the earth the seas or ayre contaynes All this is séene in place whereas the LORD almighty raygnes And though no matter be in such yet iudge not thou therfore They being lacke for perfecter and fayrer they be more than things that are of matter made For forme that can it selfe sustayne wythout this matters hand Is perfecter than that which voyd of matter cannot stand Therefore all voyd of matter there things perfect are and pure And in despite of fretting age and force of fate endure And store of goodly things are there that in this worldly light GOD hath not made from which procéedes great ioyes Saincts delight Such ioyes as tong of mortall man can neuer full define Such ioyes as neuer can decay with space of any time These incorporeal formes were known to minde of Plato hie Although the enuious sorte do scorne his bookes full bytterly But