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
suddayne storme hath layd y e corne and grapes did downeward fling The matter making windes is mistes that from the flouds do spring The cause that moueth them are sprites that in the ayre do dwell But this will not the common sorte allow nor credit well What theÌ„ cast not such precious pearls to Dogs or filthy swine Beleue it you that learned are whose mindes are more deuine That not alone in Skies but in the ayre there thousands be Of sprites that moue the raging winds and tempests that you see And thunder down w c lightning throw Yet do I not deny But other causes are that blastes of windes are moued by As Sunne and Moone and Starres but chief the seauen which they name The wandring stars that of these mists effects do diuers frame I saw while as at Rome P. Leo the tenth there raygning than I was a peece of potters worke and picture of a man That from his mouth of straightest sise a mighty winde did blowe For all his brest being hollow made with water full did flowe Which being with heate of fire resolud out of his mouth it went In mighty winde and farre from it the force thereof was sent This proues y t wind proceedes of flouds that thus resolued bee While vapour mounting vp is forede by meanes of heate to flie For contraries do euermore eche other driue away In this same lowest parte of ayre as we before did say The blasing starres do oft appeare that fall of Prince doth showe And there with diuers colours died appeares the stormy bowe This same y e beames of Sun doth cause that on the cloudes we see The other made by some one starre of them that mouers bee Which while the vapour vnderneath doth shape thereof receaue Appeares a tayle and in the clouds his flaming light doth leaue Like as the Circled myst that doth encompasse round the Moone The circled mist as men do say a signe of winde to come As wheÌ„ thrée suÌ„nes are thought to shine and yet they are not thrée But shaps of suÌ„ne that framd in clouds as in a glasse we sée But vnderneath this ayre so grosse and lowe the Seas haue place The Occean Seas that all the earth in circuite do embrace Which passing through y e narrow stratghts where Hercles pillars showes It spreds it selfe and thus abrode both farre and wyde it flowes And this is namde by sundry names Aegian flouds it makes Ionian Tuscan Adriatike Red Seas and Persean lakes This Sea doth search the secrete caues that lowe in earth doth lye And euermore doth ebbe and flowe and tasteth diuersly As diuers is the earth by which he doth his passage make And of the brimstone sulphured vaynes doth smell of brimstone take This is the cause that fluds their cours mayntayne continually For to their springs they ofte returne and oft to seas they flye And roll and passe from place to place and round in compasse driue And do preserue the earth as bloud preserues the corse aliue The selfe same fluds doth make y e lakes and fennes of filthy ayre And cleare and Cristall ruÌ„ning springs and wells for euer fayre In fine from Occean seas proceedes all course of waters heere That round about the world retaynes This made the waters cleare That parte beneath the earth do lye and parte aboue doe runne And such besides as from the cloudes of Hellish dye do come But wherefore is the Seas so salte doth it of nature spring I thinke not so For euery tast that seas with them do bring Doth fetch his cause from out the earth for in the earth are found Great hilles of salte that vnderneath the waters deepe are dround Seas sucks this salte and doth resolue it into water cleare Thus Salte not Sunne is cause that saltnesse doth in Seas appeare For why doth not the Sunne likewise of Ponds salt water make For all such partes of earth as were not meete for man to take Bycause they were to full of salt hath nature vnderlayde The Occean seas more frutefull partes to vs she hath displayed Wherein are mountaines hils cliues rocks fields and valleyes lowe Straights countreys woods and pondê lakes springs streames that flowe Small townes great cities broughes holdes with â—â—ones and metalls pure Such things wherby the life of man the better doth endure The rule of all this earth and goods to man the Lorde did giue And made him King of eury kinde in seas or land that liue And wit and reason to him dealt by which he might excell And guide the world and seruing God him loue and worship well Amyd this earth a Center lies whereby it is sustaynde For thither falles eche waighty thing as God at first ordaynde That neuer of their propre force can from this Center flye And therefore fixed stands the earth and in the mydst doth lye Sustayned with hir heauy waight that fast on eury side To Center runs and frames a ball both darke and thick and wyde About the which wyth Crimsin horse the Sunne is alwayes lead And on the parte contrary styll the darkesome night is spread For nothing else but shade it is of earth and waters great Which shadow if in night it chaunce vpon the Moone to beate Doth cause Eclipse and filles w t feare the wofull gazers hearte Supposing that opprest shee is with charme of Magike arte This shadow makes the longest nightê when farthest from vs burnes The flaming Sunne and shortest when to Northerne signes he turnes The cause thereof is swelling earth and stately mountaynes hie Which subtile nature hath deuised in place betweene to lie That with their tops in change of time the nights they alter may For looke when neerer vnto South the same doth keepe his way Then farther forth their shadowes dark these hilles abrode do fling Such shades as hide the light and cause the day more late to spring And force the day in shorter time and space his course to ende Then frosty winter vnto vs his quaking colde doth sende Then soÌ„mer makes the Indians blacke with raging heate to frye But when the Sunne returneth backe to toppe of Cancer hie Then shorter are the nightê with vs and heate beginnes agayne Then winter vexeth those with colde that vnder vs do rayne Thus doth the SuÌ„ne with diuers cours both alter times and tides And in foure equall partes the space of all the yeare deuides And rolling round about the earth both nations serueth well Both them that vnder vs do liue and them aloft that dwell For men liue also vnder earth not onely woods and streames Nor nature willde that Sunne and day in vayne should cast their beames And onely serue for brutish beastes and sortes of swimming kinde For all the earth is dwelt vpon no place therein we finde Nor any clime there is but that there mortall men may dwell And finde out places fitte for them and seates that serue them well Though colde extreme or to much hear rayne there
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
weare For who is free lawes kings crimes haue al thing subiect here And eche man serues for hope of gayne or else wyth force constraynd Al beastes as sone as they are bred with lymmes are straight sustaynd And walke abrode immediatly where man is nothing so But long his mouth and minde he lacks and strength of limmes to go Much like a sounding picture made with crying neuer styll Disturbing al men night and day with voyce and waylings shrill And when on limmes he stiffer stands and words can wel pronounce Then bound he is and suffers threates then maisters on him bounce With lashing strypes and ofte his syre oft mother on him layes Sometime his brothers buffets flye sometime his stepdames frayes with blowes not few that stepsyre giues and when this age is past Then lusty youth approching coÌ„mes and strength increaseth fair Now from his mouth he shakes the bit now councel none he heares He rageth now with furious mode and burnes in youthful yeares With rage and riot runnes he mad and rash without aduise No counsell will he take therein but wytty sawes despise No daungers now he doth esteme so he the thing obtayne Whereto lasciuious lust him moues and force of wilful brayne Neglecting lawes he brawles fyghtes and braynsicke runnes astray The greatest parte of youth are now with surfets led away A fewe whome feare or shamefastnesse or wysdome doth restrayne Their youthfull dayes vprightly leade and voyd of vicious stayne Now grauer age and wiser coÌ„mes and cares with hir she brings And labours hard then toyles the man about a hundred things And al the meanes he can he sekes his liuing to prouide At home he neuer ydle stands but here or there must ride In towne or else at fielde he works with labour great and payne His wife his children and his men wherby he may sustayne Alone for al he careth then he tastes no daynty meate Nor quier sleepes but forward nows him driues ambition great And giues him rule in common wealth where while for honours hie The foole doth gape he malice doth and mischienes great come by Then wrinkled age wyth hoary hayres encrocheth in apace The body fades the strength abates the beauty of his face And colour goes his senses fayle his eares and eyes decay His taste is gone some sicknesse sore frequenteth him alway Scarce chawes his meate his tothlesse chaps scarce walks w t staffe in hand His croked olde vnweldy limmes whereon he scarce may stand The minde like wise doth â—eele decay now dotes he like a childe And through his weake and aged yeres is wisdome quite exilde Eche age therefore his mischiefe hath but mischiefes more there be That doth belong to euery age to al of eche degree Sometime doth colde to much them vex and Snowes that flakey flye And Northern Boreas winde so brym when Ise doth hang full hie On house and when the waters depe congealed styll do stay Now raging heate of Sommer burnes while Sunne doth kepe his way Through blasing breath of Lion fierce the fields depriude of greene The grouÌ„d by drythe doth gape for rain and moysture none is seene The hearbs grasse their lines resigne the Pooles and Fennes be dry Nowe hunger pricks nowe thirste doth greue and dearth doth make theÌ„ cry Who can in verse declare to men the sicknesses that raynes In mortal life the Agues hote the griefe and raging paynes That ouer al the body runnes eche member poyson feeles The hand the syde the syght is vexe and al from head to heeles Doth griefe and sicknesse sore sustayne Why do I them resight Why seke I here the Cranes to tell in Strimon flouds that light Or number great of Swans that swim in streames of Troian land Oft times the minde doth lose his state by hearbs or Witches hand Or when at sacred Ceres feast some fiende in brest doth lye Or when possest wyth Bacchus force abrode with rage they fiye Though griefe w t yre and couetousnesse ambition and delight As much the senses do confound as doth of wine the might Procuring darknesse to the minde If truth we therfore say Al dronke with beastly affects of minde are most men at this day But fewe alas there can be found that reele not here and there That can discerne what they should do wyth beames of eyesight clere And guide them selues by reasons rule Here of aduisedly One sayd the number endlesse was of fooles abrode that flye For who nedes not Helleborus that giues the purging stooles But seuen wise the Grekes could finde among ten thousand fooles The nurse and dam of mortal kinde dame Folly sure is thought Wythout whose grace all thing woulde fade and men wold here do nought She Captayne chief are wars begunnè and al that thereto long As armour bright and Targets fayre with Ancents eke among Where colours faire abrode doe blase wyth sundry sort of beastes Of hir comes playes and daunces fyne and dronken Bacchus feastes All nice delightes and wanton gestes wyth sutes of fonde aray From hir doth come w t heapes of bokes compyled day by daye The floudes of trifles fonde doe flowe by hir and euery thing Most part at least that man here doth proceede from such a spring But now the wofull hurts and harmes and dolefull destenye That man sustaines can none declare though eloquent he be Now drownde in fluds here sinks theron and vnto fyshes great The symple wretche of soule depriude becomes a dainty meate An other downe from house doth fall and shewes a tumbling point And through hys hast receiues a clap that crackes hys chiefest ioint Or batters sore his tender limmes and some the lightnings smite Or tempest kils on some againe the falling house doth light And doth vnlode him of his braines some fier fries to death Wyth hurtfull herbs or Mushroms vile some yelde their vitall breath And some when as to fast he eates while gredy guts doe gripe Doth ouercharge his peece with lumps that stops hys drinking pipe How many teares the raging beast with teeth something to keene With Iron shoes of Horses flame how many hath bene seene And many goarde w t wilde Bulls horne that roring mad doth bring What shuld I shew the daungers great that man to man doth bring No beast he needeth more to feare than fellowes of his owne So many knaues and theeues hereby and persons vile are knowne So many witnesse false that beare so many vicious slaues So many liuing on the spoyle and cut throte swearing knaues Disturbing reast of mortall men and in none other plight Than doth the merry beastes disturbe the Lionesse in syght He with hys tongue procureth harme he with hys sworde doth fray The greatest sort with craft doth hurt one robbes in open way An other filcheth priuily some sort there also be That vnder cloke of frendship strong or of Hypocrisye Such men deceiue as they doe knowe to be of credite light All men almost O wicked kinde
he gaue As Kyuers must leaue of theyr course when springs their stremes deny And yet it followes not therfore the spring it selfe be drye For of it selfe it yeldes the streame and hanges at no mans tayle So God doth of himselfe consyst and therfore cannot fayle If altogither perishe should yet fayles not he therfore For what consysteth of it selfe must last for euermore When onely of himselfe he sâ—ayes and nedes no helper by When as by force he cannot quayle and wyll not willingly He is all and whole the rest but part yet in no such degree That of those partes he purest shoulde himselfe compounded bee But by his vertue he is all bicause he fyrst did frame The worlde so wide and all things else conteyned in the same All things that liue and voide of lyfe all things that doe appere And hidden syghts he only made and doth preserue them here In this wyse therfore is he all as seede is all the tree Wherof springs vp the mighty boole whose braunches shadowers bee Some doubt if God a body haue and thus doe they beleue That nothing voide of body is that sense cannot perceue And therefore now we will attempt the trouth therof to see Of quantitie and qualitie all bodies needes must bee For by these two state sensible the body doth receiue Take these away what doth remaine that senses may perceiue All quantities and qualities compounded euer bee And God of nature syngle is as late I tolde to thee Adde more to thys that bodyes all of forme and matter bee Nor God can be of such a power as boundes may comprehends When he abides for euermore least so the worlde should ende Nor body none is voide of boundes but all are measurable The compast forme hath his precinets whose fashyon is most laudable So hath the Square and Triangle and all the shapes that bee This reason proues no body is but it may measurde bee And thus I proue this body here in equall partes deuide Whereof the halfe let A possesse and B the other syde I here demaunde if A as much as B can doe or if these twaine Be infinite so one shall serue and thother shal be vaine If both haue power determinate the whole must haue the same But who so seekes the vnbounded thing of bounded partes to frame Shall proue vnwyse and thus ensewes the maker chiefe of all No body hath But some there be perchaunce that aunswere shall God is a body infinite hut this doe I deny For so should he eche place fill vp and leaue none voide wherby The rest should neuer be containde so worlde there should be none Nor we remaine nor any thing saue he himselfe alone Besydes synce body here in life is of more noble state Than sensses Corse we must not doubte but lyfe of hygher rate Than Careasse is But here I aske if life a substance be If not then substance were more vile and of more base degree Than that which substance is without and if you bring in this In suffring such absurditie the scholemen all will hisse But if that lyfe a substance be then body is but vaine Since of it selfe is can consyst and seuered 〈◊〉 remaine And why should â—od a â—ody take synce he at libertie Doth best enioy his state and hath no such necessitie It is a thing super fluous eke by which the lyfe enclosed As prisoners like is barde the place wherto it is best disposed Therefore that chiefe Almighty Prince eternall good and wyse No body hath Now will I shewe why many doe despyse Thys reason and doe thinke it vaine the cause hereof doth spring That drounde in bodies grosse blinded sense they know no other thing But bodyes here as through a glasse wyth any colour stainde Whosoeuer lookes ech thing shal iudge of colour that is fained Yet must we know and doutlesse think that diuers things there be That eyther voyde of bodyes lyue or of such pure degre Their bodyes are that neyther eyes of ours can them beholde Nor sense discerne and so more worth than ours a thousand folde Which thus perchaunce may proued be all grosse and wayghty things How much the more of earthly drofse annexde to them forth brings So much more base and vyler be than that which seemes to flowe Of fyne and purer matter wrought all mettals this doth showe For looke when as by feruent heate of Fyrie flames they frye They straightwaies melt basest parts wherein most earth doth lye As nothing worth falles out to drosse the purest and most fine With better sounde and better shape before the eye doth shine So Bread is best of purest meale wherof the Masters eate Of grosser is the seruants foode the worst is Mastyues meate So Water Wyne and Oyle wyth like the worthyest of them bee Such as most cleare and subtill seeme and lyghtest in degree So meate the baser and grosest part by syege away doth fade The finest part remaines wherof Fleshe Bloud and strength is made What is the cause that common stones so rude and rusty lye Where marble the precious gemmes doe glyster in the eye Nought else but that in one of them lesse drosse of earth is founde In thother grosse and heauy moulde hath syght and value drounde Therfore more foule and baser farre such things are indgde to be Wherein most earth remaines wherby they are calde of lesse degree As drosse we take lesse golde to be or golde of baser myne We can not call so iustly Golde as that already fyne For of all Elaments the earth the vylest hath bene thought And as the rubbish of the reâ—â—e cast by when they were wrought Therfore the wysest workman fyrst dyd cause it lowe to lye That distant farre it should remaine remoued from the skye And thick in ball he cast it rounde more lesse and small to bee That saints might haue more plain prospect that liste the world to see For when God had dect the world wyth Starres in trym araye What drosse remaynde he bade y e winds to clense and swepe awaye Then in with hasty course they rushe their Lordes awarde to do The Northwinde blowes y e Southwind huffes the West and East set to With striuing blasts they swepe y e fieldes and rounde in heape they cast Whatsoeuer they finde constraining it the earth is framed and lefte Which banished from the heauens hye straight downe to center fell No place more farre nor base appeares where nygher shee might dwell Besyde of weaker force it is and eke of smaller power Than all the reast of Elaments are and feblest of the fower For if by feruent heate of Sunne it be constrained to gape Or pearced with Plow it cannot ioyne nor take his former shape The waters if they parted be doe straight returne in one And voide of all diuisyon semes as if there had bene none So doth the ayre and fier eke if these deuided be At fyrst they ioyne againe so that no signe
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
Which were to great absurditie for he doth all things spye That eche thing makes nor ought from him can hyd in secret lye Though some doe say that if so be that heauenly minde shoulde knowe The base estate of mortall kinde it should lesse worthy growe But they are much deceiued for none is ill bycause that hee Doth ill things know nor vile y t knowes the things that vilest bee Nor any man is changed white that white can well define Nor worser is the Sunne as oft as it on knaues doth shine Nor if with beames it hap to blase in place be durtyed much It foule doth seeme nor light defylde that filthy things doth touche So if the minde perceiue the thing that vylest may be thought It is not worse to knowe ill than good but ill to doe is naught Thus God of nothing ignorant all things that are doth knowe What hath bene done in alder tymes and what shall after growe Which if they be not surely â—ixt confesse we must them needes Not to be knowne for knowledge styll of things assurde proceedes The Prophetes also when they speake of things that happen shall The certaine dayes do playnly appoint and proper names of all Which would not be but that al thyngs are fyxed certaine so That are to come or present be or passed long ago Yet many things doe seeme by chaunce amongst vs for to lyght As when a tyle by tempest torne from house a man doth smyte Or when a man in deluing deepe doth store of treasure finde Such things by chauÌ„ce to hap doth synk in common peoples minde But thys my minde doth not alowe for though vnlooked for Such things doe hap shall we therein admit a chaunce therfore Our knowledge nor our ignorance to alter things hath might For fyre hath not his flaming heate nor Snow therfore is whyte Nor SuÌ„ne doth yeld hys glistering beames bicause we knowe the thing For of the matters that consyst our knowledge here doth spring Therfore we knowe it thus to be bicause the thing is so And minde may often seeme to erre the thing can not so do Now of the thing I speake and aske if chaunce therein doe lye For whether we doe knowe thereof or no regarde not I. The chaunce therefore in vs doth lye not in the things that be Such things we thinke to fall by chauÌ„câ— wherof no cause we see As knowne alone vnto the Gods all things are certaine tho For with one sort of mouing rounde the heauens alwayes go Lyke seede like fruite and elaments in auncient order rayne And keepe their kinde wonted course the yeare doth styll retaine For after spring the somer hoat himselfe hath strayghtwayes placde And after him with Apples thyck and Grapes doth haruest hast Next after that his nipping frosres the wynter bringeth in And wyth his Isye northern blastes all things to droupe begin No herbe doth euer change hys force all creatures doe retaine Their olde accustomed shape and in theyr wonted guise remaine Ne must we thinke that monsters here of chaunce or errors growe When cause of them assertaynde is ill tydings to foreshowe And therof fyrst did take theyr name wherfore their wonders hyght Which nature willingly doth make who often doth delight To brede some â—ond ylfauoâ—red things As paynter oft doth ioy Though he haue cunning great besyde to paint some testing toy As pycture crooked or saddelbackd wyth nose of largest syse And blabber lypt a worthy syght and fit for clownishe eyes Synce all things thus in order good and measure lyke doe fall Unstable chaunce within the world shall beare no swynge at all whom chiefest prouidence of God and wysedome great doth draw That he may easely vnderstande with what a wondrous lawe The worlde with euerlasting course is framed here and gracde How euery creature hath his lymmes and members aptly placde well seruing to their vses all agreing fayre the same How God or nature neuer thyng in vaine did make or frame who ponders this shal think not chance but reason beares the sway And al things done as God commauÌ„ds wyll deeme and playnely say But whether fortune guideth all as many doe persuade A thing both meete and worthy is in knowledge to be had Let vs bende all our wyts to thys but fyrst we must well knowe What kinde of thing thys fortune is and whence hir grace doth growe In auncient tyme they worshipt hir and Goddesse hir did call And thought she bare no little sway in Heauen and earth and all And alters vnto hir they built and offred sacrifyce But I thinke hir not God to be nor any sainct in skyes Is eyther male or female sure in kinde they not delight No byrth they haue nor dying day as some of olde doe wryte Who thinke the Gods lyke vs to be O fonde and foolishe mindes O heads for to be healed with iuice of greatest purging kindes Judge you the Gods of our estate that wyth theyr Ladies fayre Embracing many times they lye theyr kinde for to repayre Let rather vs therfore account a certaine God to be Whose nature differs farre from Gods a Ghost of lowe degre And therfore guides the kingdomes vile of earth and waters rounde Wheras so many haynous factes such griefes and plagues are founde Where as no kinde of thing is safe where no estate is free where craftes and wyles doe swarme so thick where such deceiuings be The Prince of all the worlde thys God is named of Christ and Paule Whom Pluto and syr Dites black the Poets vse to call who fauours fooles and wicked men and vertuous men molest This house thys seate this courte doth seme for such a tyrant best whom commonly we fortune call for eche ill thing doth raine Beneath the Mone as darksome night and stormes and tempest mayne Wyth colde and heate and teasty age dame neede of beggars hall And labour griefe and wretchednesse and death that endeth all Aboue the Mone continual light wyth peace and ioy remayne No tyme nor error death nor age nor any thing is vayne O blest and double blest agayne that in so pleasaunt place So fayre so beautifull to liue of God obtayneth grace Some thinke the world to be fulfylde wyth other Gods besyde Whereof the most do leade their lyfe in ayry places wyde whom Greekes cal sprytes more to theÌ„ the chiefest rule they giue Of creatures al that on the earth or on the sea do liue Affirming that both good and euyl as most their mindes doth please They send as honours ioyes wealth and contraries to these wherefore it very needeful is to please them often tymes which may be done by seruing them by charmes or by diuines As many thinke and like wyse say that they will straight appere To vs if they be ryghtly calde and helpe vs praying here And that no better thing can be here in this life to man Than for to haue their company and see them now and than which I
continually Where nature mischiefes doth permit there plants she pleasure by And wise she mixeth sowre with sweete and where diseases raynes There hath she poynted remedies that can release the paynes Therefore wheresoeuer to much heate anoyes the inhabitant No mountaynes colde nor cooling blastê no shaddowing trees do want Nor pleasant streams w t store of springê whose coldenesse may defeate The harmes that happen vnto man by force of raging heate Besides the night hath equall length there all times with the day Which with an euen cooling force doth heate of Sunne alay wherby we iudge the myddle Zone not voyd nor empty â—â—es But peopled well by nature safe and meanes that they deuise So th'vtter Zones where as they say no kinde of people dwell with snowes and yse all couerde styll men may inhabite well As reason good doth vs persuade for there great store of wood Doth alwayes grow garments there are made both great and good wyth furres of sundry sortes of beastes and stoues are many there where w t men well may warm theÌ„selues and winter nothing feare And bytter colde by many meanes they well may driue away Nor foode conuenient do they want but Cates at home they may Or brought froÌ„ other countreyes haue and daynty kinde of fare wherefore it is not true that some brought vp in Greece declare That nature onely hath assignde one Zone of smallest sise For man to dwell and all the rest that voyd and desert lies Alone to serue for beast and fish this world vnworthy seeme That nature graunting greater place to beasts them best esteeme Wherfore if he may be beleeued that troth doth playnly tell No place there is vpon the earth but men may safely dwell Dame natures ayde in nothing doth sustayne or feele decay And witte of man the hardest things doth breake and beare away Now last bicause vnto the ende with haste apace we hie And time doth wyll vs to attempt the fishes of the Skie Therefore I briefly will declare the cause why earth doth quake What force doth driue it for to moue what might doth make it shake And thus we may be bolde to thinke that in the earth belowe Are many caues and mighty vawtes where boystrous winds do blowe Which whilst with force they rage and striue vpon the earth they beate And in this rage do ouerturne the walles and Cities greate Tyll breaking out at some one place wyth force abrode they flye And blowe about in puffing ayre not long in rest they lye These windes are bred within the earth of damps which firy heate Doth draw from moysture neere about for many fiers great The earth within doth nourish styll a wondrous thing I tell But yet no fayned thing I shewe he can beare witnesse well Who so hath Aetna euer seene or bathes of waters hote Or who so knowes the wonders of Veseuus viney plotte These winds the wicked sprits do moue that in the lowest Hell Possesse their place and in the depth of dongeons darke do dwell For trifies surely are they not nor words of vanitie That of the Stygian lakes and of Auernus spoken be No place doth voyd or emptyly but dwelt in euery wheare Both vnder earth and on the earth in ayre and firy spheare In Skies and eke aboue the Skies where Heauen shineth bright where as the glistring pallayce standes of Prince of greatest might That owner is of all the world My Muse adieu farewell And finally prepare thy selfe thy ending tale to tell Pisces the tvvelueth Booke MOst glorious GOD almighty King thou Parent chiefe of name Whose wisdom gret this woÌ„drous world of nothing first did frame And gouerns it and euermore preserueê it day by day The spring and end of all that be to whome all things obay Than whome more great more good or fayre is nothing nor more hie That blessed liuest for euermore aboue the starry Skye My minde desiring now to thee to clime doth nothing neede Apollo Muse Parnasus hill or springs that wont to feede The pratling Poets fansies vayne when as they list to write Disguised tales that frantike heads of countrey Clownes delite For other ayde and other grace it needefull is to haue And streames of other fountayns swete I thyrsty now do craue I thee beseech and humbly pray on thee alone I call That this my worke of late begoonne and labour last of all Thou fauour wilt and grauÌ„t me grace to touch the appoynted ende O Lorde thy holy sprite vouchsafe into my heart to sende wherewith inspirde I may beholde the secrets of thy rayne And others teache and with my verse immortall honour gayne A sorte there are that do suppose the ends of euery thing Aboue the heauens to consist and farther not to spring So that beyond them nothing is and that aboue the Skies Hath nature neuer powre to clime but there amazed lies Which vnto me appeareth false as reason doth me teach For if the ende of all be there where Skies no farther reach Why hath not God created more bicause he had not skill How more to make his cunning stayed and broken of his will Or was it bicause he had not powre but troth both these denies For powre of God hath neuer ende nor bounds his knowledge ties No kinde of thing may God conclude nor limits him assigne Nor propre force doth once restrayne the Maiestie deuine Great things I tell and reason greate shall also this defende If any thing the powre of God may ende or comprehende Then is y t thing more strong than God For what thing can be found That if it haue not greater force another thing can bound But nothing passeth God in powre nor stronger is than he Therefore he neyther can nor wyll with limits compast be For who wold haue his force restraynd when that he may be free And walke abrode where as he list with powre at libertie No man there is that doth desire himselfe for to abase But rather all men arrogate to them a higher place And alwayes seeke for to enhaunce the state that here they leade And though their wings be large wide yet farther them to spreade will GOD then while he may be greatest of powre omnipotent His propre force himselfe restrayne and liue in limits pent This surely doth not well agrée nor ought to be beleeued That God hath bounds if that of none he euer them receiued Nor hath assigned to himselfe as we before did proue These things foretold we thus coÌ„clude the works of God aboue Unbounded for to be least that his powre and maiestie And knowlege should be counted vayn For if aboue the Skie He could and might haue framed more and goodlier things by much But would not then in vayne is all his power and knowledge such For if that any man haue skyll and cunning in an arte And neuer will in practise put the knowledge of his harte In vayne he should vnto himselfe procure a workmans name In vayne with
to remaine Is hope of minde with thee so great we trauaile but in vaine In trusting dreames for vertues sake and fayning fansies strange That be but fooles that things assured for vnassurde will chaunge Forsakyng thus assertainde here with doubtfull things to meete But yet of olde and auncient fame rewardes remaineth sweete Of little force this nothing is when death hath had his right Thou nothing art for what is fame if it doe nought delight The corps in graue what doth y e sâ—one or stocke reioice in prayes If here thou hast not them thou shalâ— haue neuer happy dayes Therefore while this our brittle lyfe vncertaine eke doth last The wyse man to his power will ioy nor straite wyll downe be cast As oft as fortune on him frownes wyll seeke the pleasaunt life If any thing to him shall hap of bitter eygre strife Wherefore bicause I will not now thee frustrate here retaine O yong man ioy while time permits and banishe dolefull paine When these his wordes my berded sire had moued me to beleue Good father then quod I for these thy paines I cannot geue Thee worthy thanks but whilst I line I shall to thee be bounde Within my heart and eke I shall reserue thy sayings sounde One doubt within my brest doth yet assuredly remaine For not the deedes we onely must but learne them to obtaine Therefore I doe require you now to teache me here the way That wyll me leade to pleasures place â–ª whereby it haue I may The way is short and plaine withall then grayherde to me tels Nor farre from hence voluptnousnesse that lusty Lady dwels Whom if thou doest desire to see come after me a pace Wherby thou mayst by me reioice in finding out hir grace One parte of three the starry orbes had scarce past ouer than When stackring vp himself did rayse thunweldy aged man Who leading foorth I followed on and hand in hand we went By straunge vnhaunted wayes we goe and space a little spent Beholde appeares a sumptuous house and strayght I aske my guide What honour kepes that precious gem and princely palace wide Plutus quod he possesseth this and eke an armed knight The way to kepe and men to passe forbiddeth by his might Except they come him first vnto and please him wyth some gift But he himself doth holde his hall amid you towry clift Three daughters eke he only hath within his bowre to dwell Whose names if thou desire to knowe I shall thee briefly tell The first of them is filthy excesse the second puffed pride The third is foolish ignoraunce with countnaunce bolde besyde Who then quod I shal leade vs now vnto this famous kyng Three maydes he hath quod gresil thoe that there to wyll thee bring Chance fraud and vsury by these haue all men easy way I haue no gifts then aunswered I that giue these maydes I may Nor safe it is such girles to trust some other way declare There is quod he another way there is a way to spare which if thou sayst the word we go leade me there to quod I Togither both we went therwyth where depe a vale did lie with stones the way was all beset by which our iourney lay And so be growne wyth craâ—â—ed shorns that searce we see the way Hereby we found the ragged house of seely pouerty With top vntylde we past it thoe and streight a wood we spye Beholde then sayth my guide to me beholde you trees so hie Which w t their tops do seme to touch the steamed starry skie There dwels y e worthy quene quod he by whom we shall be blest But first thou must wash hand and face and get thee neatly drest The Goddesse loues no nastinesse nor sâ—ouens can abide A riuer small I then perceiude by grauayle ground to glide Which wyth a pleasannt hushing souÌ„d prouoked the ioyes of bed Here washt I fayre my face and hands and combde my rugged hed I trimde my clothes in order fine and lightnesse hath expelde All graue and earnest things so that wyth mirth my way I helde No further of than once a man a stone may from him sting The wood was then whereas we heare the birdes full swetely syng And floures swete and fayre we smell of which inowe ther growes Such woods tharabian neuer saw though franconcense there flowes Nor yet the Easterne Indian thoe nor Scith the like doth see Though round about he is beset wyth bowes of lawrell tree Nor Atlas that the rowling skies with shoulders doth â—nstayne Though Satirs in the place doth dauÌ„ce whom Fayries loue doth payne A riuer milde about it runnes wyth comely water cleare The bankes so farre asonder stode as leapes the chased Deare And in the depth a doughty droue of scaley beastes they play And for a wall it compasde is with lofty pines so gay With pines that in their crabbed barks doth Cibels loue contayne And Phebus Cipresse standes them by of equall heigth agayne There lackes no mastes Esculus no Mapple Holme nor Oke Nor plaintree Corke nor yet the nutte that colour doth prouoke The Arbute and the Alder tree the Chestnut and the Ashe The Filbert Pechtree and the Palme the Byrch with spriggy lashe The Firretre and the mirtle eke and brode leaude Beechy wood When Saturn ruled the golden world which was our fathers foode The Uine the Figge and Apple eke and Lotos Pryaps frend The Juey and the Laurell tree that Poets heads doth shend The Mulberry and the Poplartree that Hercule once estemde The Peartree willow and the Prime with Bore that whitley semde The Medlar and the Oliue tree the Elme and Cherrey red The Codtree and the Almon eke whose floures first do spred What should I here the Cedre tree or Hebron call to minde Or Cytre fitte for Tables fine whom golde his place resynde Or other more whose names if thou dost take in hand to tell Thou soner mayst in number bring the Egiptian lands as well Thus in we go whereas the bridge doth ioyne the bankes in one Of ample space and semely syght their alleyes long they gone Wyth Purple Roles red and white and Paunseys paynted hewe White Daffodils and violets swete wyth flagrant Lillies blewe Swete Amaranthe that long doth liue wyth leaues of crimson die The Cloue wyth Balme and Cassia to Mynt Time and Sauerie With SaffroÌ„ Myrhe and Maioram the Gardens onely gem Of sauoure sweete in I dale woodes ynow there growes of them Both here and there in euery place swete sauours vp they sume A thousand kindes of Birdes do fill the woodes with euery tune With diuers notes the cleared ayre they caused to resounde There Progne wayles the gret vnâ—rotâ— that in her loue was found And Philomela doth bewayle her owne and Itis case In humaine voice and painfull throte the â—araâ— prâ—tes apase Their varying softly notes so fine the Goldfiâ—ch fast doth sing And waters flowes the flowers vpon from cleare continuall spring And here and
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
of hurt you se And why bicause they are more pure and perfect in degree And of their proper force alone they alwayes moued bee But now the earth vnweldy thing of nature euer stayes And more is cause that sundry things can moue no kinde of wayes For where most earth habounds moste waight is found such things apere Lesse apt to moue the light more quick and vnto life more nere For lyfe in euery thing is cause whereby they moue alone It nedes no profe the senselesse Corse doth stirre as doth a stone Since things in lyfe haue chief estate for life excelleth all Doubtlesse the light and mouing things the chiefest we may call They erre therfore that doe beleue no other things to be But such as senses grosse perceiue and eyes apparant see For what more subtyle is than ayre what lesse is felt or seene By which haue many thought it voide as no thing to haue beene It is but sâ—ight what tho yet hath it here a substance sure And body is of foure chiefe one than earth or streame more pure And therfore placed in hyer seate for things approching nere To skyes and blessed starres aboue of chiefest state appere Besydes are not the wyndes so pure that no man can them see Yet nothwithstanding none there is but knowes that windes there bee Which when they haue a sunder burst the barres of Eolus strong The monstrous Hills by force do shake downe torne the trees along Doe lye the Seas from chanell deepe are tossed aboue the shoares The cloudes are caused the lightninge flashe the dreadfull thunder reares Synce thus their force doth rage thinkst thou that substance they doe lacke Bicause thou canst not them beholde or in thy handes them take To iudge as senses leade is fonde for oftentimes the eyes In taking one thing for an other â–ª thys error plainely tryes As if into the clerest spring a staffe most straight be thrust The eye shall iudge it to be Croked though it be neuer so iust As if a boate rowe nere the shore the shore shall seeme to flye And styll the boateis thought to stay the senses therfore lye Which many times deceiued be and changed sundry wayes By age sometime or sycknesse â–ª great the force of them decayes Nor euery man hath them alike some thinkes it fayre and meete The thing another sayth is fowle and some do count it sweete That others iudge of bitter taste the ayre is colde sayth he Another sayth the wether is hote thus senses diuers be In diuers bodies diuers seemes deceaued sometyme by chaunce As when the drunckardsees two lights for one and stooles to daunce The wine in troubling of his eyes doth much disease his sight The ayre besydes deludes the sense sometymes it semeth bright Now darke now thick now moyst now dry wherby we often gesse The Sunne as red as bloud to be the Moâ—e now bygge now lesse Hereos doth also come to passe when one aloud doth cry Deceauing folish cares a doyce doth seeme to aunswere nye By this and other meanes they erre but reason is more sure Who findes amongst a thousand toyes the certayne truth and pure This reason is most deare to him that wisdome doth retayne Whose minde is of a liuely force and sprite of heauenly vayne The blunt and doltish common sorte wyth blinde and bleared eyes Doth not hir see hereof doth fault vayne hope and fansy rise This reason guides the wysest men Opinion leades the lowte Let vs the steppes of reason â—read and ioyle hir wayes about This reason may be calde the Sunne that moues in order iust By which alone from brutsh kinde of beastes we differ must The dark and dim vncertayne Moone Opinion may be named But what doth reason byd me write â–ª that many creatures framed Aliue there are that we can not by senses vnderstand For if that God should not haue made wych hye and glorious hand More noble creatures than the state of fading mortall kinde He had not then deserued such prayse as is to hym assinde Unperfect eke had bene hys raine for vnderneth the kinde Of man the wilde and saluage beastes consyst of brutishe minde To sleepe and feede addicted all and if he had not framed No better things than here we see the worlde might well be named A folde of filthy feeding flocks with thornes and donge set out What should we then this God account a mighty heardman stoute But he created man besydes now sure a goodly thing Was this hys best is thys the power of that Almighty king But let vs trye if thys be true if we may credite giue It is not good nor reason wyll that we shall thys beleue For what is man a foolishe beast a creature full of spight And wretched farre aboue the reast if we shall iudge vpright Who is not of hys nature nought the way to vice is wyde Wherin the feete of mortall men continually doth siyde No warning lawe no payne nor feare can cause them for to staye Againe the path of vertue is a straight and painefull way Wherin but fewe doe vse to walke and them you must constraine Who is wyse the woman or the childe or all the Coblers trayne The most alas are foolish doltes in darkenes blinde we tread And fonde affection beares the sway by which we all are lead For none at all or fewe there be whom he that guides the skye Hath chosen to himselfe alone thys reason ruled by For who can now beholde or how may leysure we obtaine Wherby we might searche out y e trouth that secrete doth remaine Cares pulles vs back the greatest part of lyfe in slepe doth wast The rest doth payne or sycknesse let or pouertie doth taste And stouthfulnesse sometime doth hurt and pleasure oft annoy Hereof springs fooles wysedome eke by this we not enioy For she with great continuall toyle and study long is got And doth require a quiet minde that troubles hinder not The troubles of the state of man if I remember well Among my bookes the syrt I think before doth plainely tell Of mischiefe griefe and foolishenesse alas this is the place And darksome denne of Hell wherein all liue in wretched case But yet the grosse and common sorte doe neuer waye this thing But in the middest of all their toyle the foolyshe knaues doe sing And gaping laffe doe not perceiue their owne calamitie But are when paine doth plague them sore as ioconde as a Pye And sodainely doth all forget so that some sweetenesse fall Hereby doth come forgetfulnesse that ryds them cleane from all For nature wyse and prouident our state did well fore see In giuing vs so slender wyâ— for our commoditie For if that wysedome were in vs what man coulde beare the stryfe The cares and tedious troubling toâ—â—es of thys our wretched lyfe For sadnesse ioyned with carke carâ— thys wysedome in doth bring And nature seemes to Foster man with hope of hopelesse thing Without
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
waters cleere Is sone destroyed and with a puffe of winde doth not appere For in a moment al the ioyes of man are fetcht away Then only doth the talk remaine wherein they thus do say Loe here he was loe this did he he fought and triumph wan He loued he raigned he conquerd realmes subdued many a man A goodly sorâ—e of bookes he wrote but now where shall we finde These things no where Himself where now both out of sight and minde What is he now Nothing Or whether did he himself conuay Loe fled from hence with windes he is and vanisht quite away Alas alas but trifles fond and fansies meere they be Whatsoeuer goodly thing on earth or wonderful we see What tell you me of Was or Did one Is more worth coumpt I Than Was a thousand times But fast this Is away doth flye And al our pompe with him he beares These things who wel doth way And vseth to consider oft shall quickly cast away This worldly loue and hating earth shal seeke the Skies to finde Especially if therewithal he vse to beare in minde How fylthy and how miserable mans body doth appere Of fading flesh and brittle bones with skinne encompast here Al flowing ful with dregges vncleane and bloud corrupt and vile Still durty soule and filthy lookes except it euery while Be washt and kept with daily care and so made fayre and white O dolefull hospitall of minde and vessell of the sprite By which such sycknesse great we feele by which such neede we haue O heauie garment pryson strong O quick and liuely graue That chokest here both minde sense and them in darkenesse hyde Wherby so great an ignorance in brest of man doth byde O earth to earth returning soone that in a smallest while In tombe shalt freshly feede y e wormes with foode of carcasse vile In what a wretched case liues he that ledde away with loue Of thee doth leaue the perfect lyfe and gift of God aboue While more than meate esteming thee thy pleasures here preparde He onely seekes and good and ryght 〈◊〉 smally doth regarde And thinkes there is no other lyfe than this that here we holde A foolishe Asse forgetfull of himselfe and countrey olde From whence into thys darksome dale and dolefull place he went That so a wretche he should become in wretched carcasse pent For euery soule that is enclosde with fleshe and members here Hath wretched lyfe tyll losed froÌ„ thence it flye to heauens clere Except the heauy waight of synne doe barre him of hys way And cause it in the lowest ayre or on the earth to stay For purest heauen neuer can a thing vncleane abyde Nor wicked men nor doltishe fooles may come where God doth guide These wordes while as the holy man in teaching mee had spent The Sunne almost had ended daye with Waine that weary went And night was nere at hande that thoe began abrode to cast Hir dreadfull darksome shade vpon the worlde approching fast I thence depart and towards Rome my way in hast I take And whyle with speede I passe the pathe that iorney new doth make Lo Cynthia shining compasse full did call the lightlesse night With syluer beames that dewe she cast to appere both fayre and bright Thus went I all alone and wyth my selfe in minde I wayde The Godly wordes that late to me the auncient Father sayde But lo thre men in company therwith I might beholde whom meeting thus by chauÌ„ce I askde which way they trauaile would To Rome they sayde and one of them lookde full vyon mee thoe And naming mee from wheÌ„ce quoth he what countrey comste thou froe I aunswerde him from that wyse man which in the part most hye Of fayre Apolloes stately hyll in lofty place doth lye Wherewith he smylde sayde O foole synkes it into thy minde That possyble on earth it is a wyse man here to finde He semeth wyse that is least foole the other sort among Although a dolt for wysedome doth to Gods alone belong Of number which we here are three for I am calde by name Sarracilus and Sathiell he Iaxa is thys same which though we walk in humain shape thus seeming men in face Yet Gods we be and nere the Moone we haue our dwelling place Whereas a number great of Gods of meanest sort doe lye That haue the guiding of the earth and Seas that ryse so hye This when I heard amasde I was and sore to dread began Yet seming bolde and voide of feare full lyke a pretye man â–ª I askde wherfore they went to Rome then aunswerde me the same A fellowe there of oures we haue that Ammon hath to name whom bounde to serue by Magike Arte a yong man there kepes straight Of Narni soyle that doth in court of Vrsin prelate wayght O what great power is graunted man the sprites he guides by line By this you well may vnderstande your soules to be diuine And voide of death For if no part of you should after raine If that your soule should dye as bodye here by death is slaine What power shoulde haue such foolishe beastes and trifling pyctures vaine Upon the sprites aboue And if no sacred thing remaine In you how should such Ghostes as we the force of man so waye Or vnto man of fading state in such a sort obaye Yea I my selfe was once Constrainde to serue a German wight Enclosde within a compast stone of Christall clere and height â–ª But at the length a bearded syre vnlosde me of these bandes And prison broken thence I fledde in hast from out his handes To Rome therefore we go with minde if that we may t'vntye From seruice straight a mate of oures that there doth captiue lye And so that downe to Hell we may conuaye this present night A sort of Romishe prelates proude that liue in great delight These words whyle as he spake a winde forthwith dyd pittling blowe Quoth Sathiell then O frendes froÌ„ Rome Remisses comes I knowe This winde that comes before declares nor herein did he lye For therwithall a fayre yong man Remisses stoode them bye They at hys comming all reioist and byd hym welcome there And aske what great affayres in Rome what newes doe there appere There all quoth he are bent to lust and Glotony doe minde With theft and guile all ours they be both man and womankinde But Clement there the Pope prepares an armye great in hast And seekes to haue the present state of Luther cleane defacde And Spanishe ensynes therfore kepes nor wyll he nowe dispute And him wyth scriptures ouerthrowe but with the sworde confute Away with counsaile now and hence with Luthers workes againe For Byshops now are battailes meete all other wayes are vaine Ne care they what the Apostles taught ne for the wordes of Christ But boast themselues as Lordes of all that may doe what they list They that haue power do feare no law law is with force opprest But we my mates doe