The Zodiake of Life Written by the Godly and zealous Poet Marcellus Pallingenius stellatus, wherein are conteyned twelue Bookes disclosing the haynous Crymes & wicked vices of our corrupt nature: And plainlye declaring the pleasaunt and perfit pathway unto eternall lyfe, besides a numbre of digressions both pleasaunt & profitable, Newly translated into Englishe verse by Barnabae Googe |
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 | The Zodiake of Life |  |
Libra, The seauenth Booke.
My muse a loft, raise vp thy selfand vse a better flite:
Moūt vp a hie, & think it scorn
of base affayres to write.
More great renoune, and glory more,
in hautye matters lyes.
Uiew thou ye Gods, and take thy course
thorowout the starrye Skyes.
Where springtime lastes for euermore,
where peace doth neuer quayle,
Where Sunne doth shine continuallye,
where Light doth neuer fayle.
Clowde causer Southwinde none there is
nor boystrous Boreas blowes,
But mylder breaths ye Western windes
where sweete Ambrozia growes.
Take thou thys way, and yet somtimes
downe falling fast from hye,
Now vp, now downe, wyth sundry sort
of Gates aloft go flye.
And as some hawty place he seekes
that couets farre to see,
is nedefull nowe for thee.
There shalt thou from the towry top
of Crystall coloured skye,
The plot of all the world beholde,
with viewe of perfit eye.
Beginning first both chiefe and hye
from whom all things doe floe.
As from a spring, there is but one
They erre that think them moe.
For if more heds than one ther were,
then eyther not at all
They differ should, and so be one,
or much, and then we shall
Accompt, some one among the rest
more noble, great, and hye,
From whom the other seme to spring
and reast are ruled by.
For, if there many mouers be,
if power and rule to all
Be lyke, yet if their mindes
and wils contrary fall,
Then open warres among them dwels,
and cruell malice springs.
Then discorde strayght disturbance in
throughout all the motion brings.
a sort of wyndes should driue,
Tossed here, & there, with doubtful mind
the vessell sore doth striue:
And doth not knowe nor vnderstande
to runne the redyest way,
All ignoraunt which Lorde to serue
is forced still to stay.
But if lyke minde to all, and wyll
beginnings haue but one,
In vaine of more acount is made
for one shall serue alone.
For if that one can not suffise
but ayde of others call:
If not but iointly moue they can
they are vnperfect all.
Nor truely can we terme them chiefe
from whence all other springs,
For perfect needes must be preferde
before thunperfect things.
The symple than the compounde is
of value farre more hye,
And more than numbers one, & pure thā myxt,
no wyse man wyll denye.
But yet I thinke it here as best
by reason thys to proue.
the workman worke aboue.
The perfect thing, bicause it doth
eche parte in it containe,
And nothing lacks, is stronger farre
of greater force againe.
Therfore it makes, cōmaunds, & moues,
and so by chalenge due
The cause and Auctor eke of all
it may be tearmed true.
But otherwyse thunperfect thing
that maymde can not consist,
Is ouercome, and moue it must
euen as the perfyte list.
It doth obey and not commaunde,
and therfore must be named
The effect, and eke the framed worke,
and not the thing that framed.
So farre behinde it euer ought
the perfect thing to goe.
For if vnperfite were the spring
from whence all thing doe floe,
It were but vile and nothing wrought
therof should perfect be,
As alwayes of thunperfect Arte
vnperfect worke we se.
no reason forth can finde,
Bicause there is not to be knowne
but one of perfect kinde.
From which, the neuer fayling course
and order of all things
Doth come, as from the Union fyrst
eche other number springs.
Besydes it pure and syngle is,
that mixtures all hath made:
For nothing can compounded be
but symples fyrst is had.
For fyrst it nedefull is alone
the symples to be tryde,
And then in mixture all in one
compounded to abyde.
Therfore no principall there is
but one, as I haue taught:
Which symple in degree we iudge,
and purest must be thought.
Whom if we think not for to liue,
in error great wee fall:
If he liue not, how liues the reast,
synce by him lyue we all?
Doubtlesse he liues, and wisedome hath,
or else in order dewe,
except he all things knew?
Nor doubt we must, but needes cōfesse;
with mouth and eke with heart,
Him to be good: Can he be ill
of whom eche good is part?
Can bitter streames at any time
from sweetest fountaine runne?
Or can the riuers pleasant be
of bytter spring begunne?
For eyther nothing must be good,
or good must he be thought,
That is the spring of all the rest,
by whom the worlde was wrought.
Hym men doe call by diuers names,
but we that Latine wright
Doe call him God, and more we saye
that Iupiter he hight.
Who, synce he is the first that was,
and maker of eche one,
Liues of himself both good and wyse,
receiuing state of none.
But all by him their states enioy,
who may lose that they haue,
Whensoeuer he lyst for to restraine
the thing that fyrst he gaue.
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 stayes,
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 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 comprehende,
least so the worlde should ende.
Nor body none is voide of boundes,
but all are measurable.
The compast forme hath his precincts,
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 shalbe 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
but 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 sensles Corse, we must not doubte
but lyfe of hygher rate,
Than Carcasse 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 it can consyst
and seuered but remaine.
And why should God a body take
synce he at libertie
no such necessitie?
It is a thing superfluous 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.
all grosse and wayghty things,
How much the more of earthly drosse
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
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 iudgde 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 reste,
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.
more lesse and small to bee,
That saints might haue more plain prospect
that liste the world to see.
When that God had dect the world
wyth Starres in trym araye,
What drosse remaynde he bade ye winds
to clense and swepe awaye.
Then in with hasty course they rushe
their Lordes awarde to do,
The Northwinde blowes ye Southwind huffes,
the West, and East set to.
with striuing blasts they swepe ye fieldes
and rounde in heape they cast
Whatsoeuer they finde, constraining it:
the earth is framed at last.
Which, banished from the heauens hye,
straight downe to center fell,
No place more farre nor base appeares
where Myser 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,
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 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
(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 slight: 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,
downe torne the trees along
Doe lye, the Seas from chanell deepe
are tossed aboue the shoares,
The cloudes are caused, the lightnings flashe,
the dreadfull thunder roares.
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
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 great
the force of them decayes:
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 drunckard sees 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 Mone now bygge, now lesse.
Hereof doth also come to passe
when one aloud doth cry
Deceauing folish cares a voyce
doth seeme to aunswere nye.
By this and other meanes they erre,
but reason is more sure.
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 tread,
and toyle hir wayes about,
This reason may be calde the Sunne
that moues in order iust,
By which alone from brutish kinde
of beastes we differ must.
The dark and dim vncertayne Moone,
Opinion may be named,
But what doth reason byd me write?
that many creatures framed,
Aliue there are that we can not
by senses vnderstand:
For if that God should not haue made,
wyth hye and glorious hand,
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
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 slyde:
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 ye trouth
that secrete doth remaine?
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 syxt 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,
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 foresee
In giuing vs so slender wyt
for our commoditie.
For if that wysedome were in vs
what man coulde beare the stryfe,
The cares, and tedious troubling toiles
of thys our wretched lyfe.
For sadnesse ioyned with carke & care
thys wysedome in doth bring,
And nature seemes to Foster man
with hope of hopelesse thing:
Without 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.
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 shalbe 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 shalbe 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:
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
in 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.
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 grasse
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 skyes perchaunce the Occean sea
to name doth here retaine,
Bicause in colour lyke it seemes
and eke in mouing rounde,
why not? haue we not founde
That diuers houses are so calde
bicause that farre away
They seuered from their fellowes lye
who otherwyse doth say
He sayth not true, for if there were
such Ilandes in our seas
The Princes would not suffer them
to passe their lyfe in ease:
But weapon strayght should conquest make
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, & ayre
inhabitaunts enioyes.
Who thys denyes doth malice much
the blessed saintes on hye,
And eke the eternall state of God
doe blaspheme foolishlye
Is it not wicked blasphemie
presumpteously to saye?
That Heauen lackes inhabitants
and God doth beare no sway,
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 sūdry 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 showe.
But whyther shall these bodyes dye?
we must confesse it so
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,
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 estate is there,
true ioyes, and treasures dwell:
We only haue the shadowes here
and counterfaytes 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 outes.
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,
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 find
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 thā 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 & strāger things are there
then are perceiued here,
for nothing there doth dye,
No tyme, nor motion, there hath rule
all fixed continually,
As voide of place and safe from harme
they all doe seeme to be,
There are the causes of eache thing,
and springes of all we see.
The worlde that senses may perceiue
from thys same worlde doth spring,
And semeth here a figure sure,
and shaddowe of that thing:
All things more perfect there
and all things whole appere,
We haue but portions of the same
which are encreased here
By natures fault and great deffect.
so heartes a number be,
For vertue one aboue creates
the hearts that here we see
By hir the subtill Foxe is framde
by hir the Lyons liue,
And so of all the other beastes,
that thys our worlde doth giue,
Which seeme in number diuers sortes
but all are one in kinde
are euery one assinde.
None otherwyse than Carpenters
in Cities great of name,
Eche one applying well hys worke
doe diuers matters frame.
Wherfore this world doth stād of parts
the other doth consyst
Of al, and liuing by themselues
of distance as they list
But some haue thought yt euery Starre
a worlde we well may cal,
The earth they count a darkned starre
wheras the least of all
The God doth raine that vnderneath
the clowdes hath placed his chaire
That fosters all the creatures here
in seas, in earth and ayre
A Lorde of shadowes and the guide
of shapes that liuely bee
To whom is delt the charge of things
and rule of all to see.
Which for bicause they doe not last
but passe with tyme away
Doe scarse deserue the name of ought
but shadowes that decay.
of whome the Poets olde,
Do often syng, and say that he,
the Kingdome black doth holde.
For vnderneath the cloudes is night,
aboue are al things cleare,
Where light doth last for euermore,
and brigthnesse styll appeare.
To him as to the worst of all,
thalmighty Lord dyd giue
The vilest raigne, the rest more good,
in better starres to liue.
But yet is no man sure of this,
for who doth know so wel,
Gods mysteries? who hath bene there,
and turnde agayne to tell.
No state of man to such, our minde
doth faynt in things so hie:
The Owle cannot beholde the Sunne,
wyth pure and perfect eye.
Eche one presuming of his wyt,
inuenteth matters newe,
But Poets specially, to whome
most confidence is dewe:
For they may by autority
of any matters write:
and wyth Apolloes sprite.
Though nothing is that doth forbyd
the mad man truth to say,
Sibylla vsed to tell the trouth,
in madnesse as she lay.
Let this suffise (my promisse kept)
to proue that numbers be
Of creatures farre excelling vs,
which no mans eyes can see:
Yet do they liue and reason vse,
and as some wyse men say,
Such are our soules departed once,
that neuer shal decay.
So Plato, so Pythagoras,
and so Plotinus thought,
And so haue many Poets erst,
in pleasaunt verses wrought.
Therefore it semeth labour worth
(a thing most mete to tel)
Of this for to entreat at large,
for what doth more excel?
Than throughly man to know himselfe:
for children vnderstand
Whereof the Body doth consyst,
euen earth, of slyme, and sand.
the nature of the minde,
Wherfore presuming on my Muse
with all the force I finde
Bestowing all my wits thereon
I will attempt to knowe
The perfect nature of the same,
and plaine in verses showe.
That done forsaking Libra soone
Scorpius, thy crooked sygne
I entre wyll, and destenie
thy fatall force define
If destiny doe not depriue
our Port of hys wyll
And for bycause in doubtfull things
to bring the greater styll
The methode and the order best
is plainely to begin,
With such as are assured most
so wyll I doe herein,
For if the fyrst beginnings here
shall seeme obscure in syght,
The sequele shall vncertaine seeme
and in the worser plight
If slender the foundation be
in small tyme and space,
that we thereon doe place.
The effects more plaine and manifest
than causes seeme to be
At them therfore we wyll begin
and all things open see.
With mouing nowe (for euerything
that lyfe remayneth in
Doth moue alone, first sygne of lyfe)
therfore we will begin.
For of it selfe the bodyes restes
and members rottes away
The cause (perhaps) that moues is heate
or bloud that beares the sway.
But things aliue are often styll
when as they list to rest
Though heate & bloud in them abound,
therfore appereth best
That wyll is cause of mouing here
yet sometimes they desyre
To moue and cannot stirre therefore
doth mouing both require
The one commaunds, the other works,
for wyll can nothing doe
If power doe lack. But how commes it
that men moue to and froe?
and mouing straight doth turne
To that it sees, as Fyrre is drawn
by that which makes it burne.
Lyke as the yron from his place
the Lodestone vpwarde drawes,
And as the Aumber lyfteth vp
the lyttle slender strawes:
The worlde in such a wondrous sorte
the Almighty Lorde did frame,
That many things doe well agree
as ioyned in the same,
And many things doe disagree
and kepe continuall fight,
Wherby some men haue surely thought
that strife, and frendeship might
Be iustly calde beginnings chiefe,
by which are all things wrought,
Thus good first moued by which ye mind
to motion quickly brought,
Doth moue the partes & pricketh forth
the body here and there:
But yet we think suffiseth not
one good to all things here
Nor one desyre to all alyke:
so thys some that estemes
as best to nature seemes.
The Childe we see desyres the thyngs
that aged men forsake,
For as the bodyes seeme to be
so minde and wyll doe take:
Wherfore we sometime couet thys,
and sometime long for that,
And that which late we did esteme
we now doe seeme to hate.
Bicause our chaunging body is
disposed diuerslye,
And drawes the nature of the minde
the way that it doth wrye.
Hereof comes thyrst, and hunger sharp,
and lust to Ladyes lappes.
The body many things doe change
as age, or tyme, or happes,
As also meate, and drinke, sometymes
and ayre doth chaunge it quite,
And Starres doth alteration make
as learned men doe write.
Wherfore nothing in syght alone
but state of body here
Doth cause vs diuers thyngs to wyll
and moues, it doth appere.
doe walke as she doth shew,
And onely are by vertue drawne:
but such are very fewe.
For fleshly fonde affections here
the minde doe ouerrunne,
None otherwyse than mistes doe darke
the cleare and shining Sunne.
Lo this the cause why body moues.
the mouing force of minde,
Whom moued wil doth stil commaund
obayes as is assinde.
And in the partes that quyet are
if nothing them doe let
Is poured out and causeth them
now here now there to iet.
But why should labour weary them
whereof should this aryse?
As faynting feete in trauaile, and
the akyng arme oft tryes.
The cause hereof, is bloud resolued
by force of feruent heate,
(For to much mouing it inflames)
decayes in fuming sweate.
None otherwyse than Feuers fierce
the creature pale consumes.
thorowout all the members fumes
Doth lyfe support and body feedes,
which whylest it quickning makes,
The mouing force possessing all
the body quiuering shakes
The heate and heated bloud besyde
doth brede a liuely spright:
As waters warmde wt beames of Sūne
doe yelde a vapour light.
Thys spirite enclosed within the bowels
Thorowe all the vaines doth ronne,
And nere to hir doth serue the lyfe
in what she will haue donne.
But those in heauy sleepes that lye
how should they mouing make?
As some doe in theyr steepes aryse
and weapon vp doe take,
Some in the stable takes hys horse,
some wrytes as many say,
And some hath earst bene seene a sleape
vpon the Lute to play.
It must be knowne that of the thing
the Image doth remaine
In vs, of all that we doe see,
or senses can retaine.
that late we gased on,
And that we seeme to heare the wordes
were vtred long agone.
These formes within the secrete celles
inclosed in the brayne,
A vapour moues, which to ascende
the stomack doth constraine
And minde deluded so doth moue,
the body styrres thereby,
If the resemblance be of force
that in the head doth lye.
But tayle of Lysart, or of Snake
that cut in two doth sprawle,
Doth will it moue? Or force of minde?
that Greekes doe fansye call,
As they whom rage of madnesse moues,
or to much drinke arayes,
Or dreadfull dreames do cause to shake:
or happens other wayes.
Perchaunce amongst the knotty partes
of thys deuided tayle,
The liuely spirite enclosde doth searche
all meanes for to preuayle,
In breaking out and wynding partes
doth wrye as best it may,
doth get at length away.
Or that same part of minde that feeles
deuided doth remaine
In tayle cut of, and causeth it
to turne and turne againe.
Yet I suppose that euery thing
wherein no iudgement lyes
Can feele no griefe, nor nothing else
that we can here deuise.
For chiefest force by which we feele
from knowledge euer flowes.
who knowes & iudgeth most feeles most
and most reioysing knowes.
But fooles and doltes care lesse for all,
lesse harmde, lesse fearing styll,
They feele not colde, nor heate so much
scarce know they good from ill.
Not for bicause it smartes, therfore
the tayle deuided shakes,
For nought it feeles, bicause the strēgth
from which it knowledge takes
Is not in it, but in the head
in better place did lye.
Wherfore the former cause I iudge
the trouth to go more nye.
by which all creatures go.
Yet in the reasons past before
we put thys one thing to,
That sundry times the present good
when it might be atchieued
Doth nothing moue, nor is desyred
bicause tis not perceiued
Thus knowlege semes of mouing cause
or chiefest as we see:
For who desyres, or sekes the thing
he knowes not what to bee?
For will hir selfe of proper force,
is altogither blinde,
And cannot any thing desyre
without the light of minde:
By whom if she be not enformde
she takes the vntowarde way,
And with the shewe of good beguilde
hir vertue doth decay.
Of mouing this shall here suffise,
nowe let vs seeke to knowe
How liuing things doe waxe so great,
what causeth them to growe,
And why at certayne tyme they cease.
a fiery spirite doth raine
that carcasse doth contayne.
This heate doth liuely moisture feede,
as flame of Candell bright
(When soone withdraw himself frō vs)
the Oyle preserues in light.
Thys in the stomack boyles the meate
wherof the finest spread
Abrode, the synowes, bones, and fleshe,
wyth pyth, and bloud are bread.
And all the body doth encrease
as plantes wyth showers of rayne,
And warmth of Sūne them comforting
doth ryse and spring amaine.
If that this fyre be much of force
and moysture equall here
As much as heate shall seeme to nede
the encrease shall great appere.
At length it makes an ende and stayes
when spent is all the heate,
Which fading body fades, as shewes
in them whose yeares are great,
For wasted they lyke pyned Ghostes
their aged lymmes doe crooke
And stouping low wyth hollowed eye
vpon the earth doe looke.
and moysture doth decay,
Without the which no lyfe remaines:
as Lampes no longer may
Giue out their light than oyle doth serue
but leaues, and darkenesse brings.
Then let vs now the mouing shewe
of minde and whence it springs,
A thing both darke, and harde to fynde,
but yet we will assay
With all our force to touch the trouth
as nere as well we may.
And fyrst of rage, that boldneth men,
and daungers doth despyse,
Encreaseth strength and giueth force,
as much as shall suffise,
Which mouing all as desperate
vpon our foes we flye,
And bloudy battaile to beginne
with sworde in hast we hye.
The cause therof is bloud enflamde,
and heart that sendes out fyre,
And bitter galle abrode disperst
for Galle is house to yre,
And choller matter ministers
to rage and fury blinde,
are not of wrathfull minde,
Embracing peace, refuse to fight,
but they whose bloud doth burne,
And greater rage of heate retaine,
to anger sonest turne.
So youth, and so such dronken mates
whose heads hath drink diseased,
Upon a smallest cause doe snuffe,
the minde therfore displeased
Doth bloud and choller myngle straight
then hande for weapon calles,
And skirmishe comes, thus cuts are carued,
and wounde wyde open falles.
For fyrst the minde offended is,
and vexed by iniury,
Which troubled, moues ye body straight
by these it semes they lye
That say the minde can neuer styrre,
for if it neuer moue,
The body styll to stande and staye
it alwayes doth behoue:
For diuers mouings doe declare
a diuers mouer playne
The Sunne doth oftē change in course
and shaddowes change againe.
now one now other voice?
But hande yt shyftes from diuers kayes
doth cause a diuers noyse.
The minde affection inwarde fyrst
doth take and close concele,
And makes some part or other serue
when she wyll it reuele:
Disclosing straight to it whatsoeuer
within in secrete lyes,
To thende that plaine it may appere
and open to the eyes.
None otherwyse than when the king
vnto his faithfull frende
Declares the secretes of hys minde
and after doth it sende
To be proclaimed in euery place
that it may plaine appere.
Hence springeth loue for whē the minde
doth fansye pleasant gere.
She makes the heart a minister
and so doth loue declare,
In heart, loue, wrath, feare, lust, & hope,
wyth ioye, and also care
As in a tower with minde doe dwell
and these as there begonne
the body forth do runne.
But of this same in other place,
more playnly shal we write,
If God therein do fauour vs,
and Muses graunt vs sprite.
Suffiseth now affections fyrst
of al things else to be
Wythin the minde, the causes sprong,
of things wythout we see,
And after they by member, bloud,
or other humours might,
Are spread abrode in euery parte,
and so thrust out to light.
For seing minde and body are ioynde,
the mouing nedes must be
Common to both, the harmes al one,
and chaunge in like degree:
Whatsoeuer thing the one perceyues,
the other feeleth it,
They both in nature doe agree,
so strongly are they knitte.
But now bycause we seeme to touch,
the typ of Scorpions toe,
Let vs, my Muse, of senses speake,
here briefly as we goe:
as perfect creatures be,
But vnto some he delt not all,
which may be worthely
Unperfect namde, as Moles, & wormes
and Scallops of the baye,
And Wilks, & Irchin eke whom pricks
incompast rounde araye.
Among these senses al, the syght
is thought the best to bee,
Bicause it is the chiefest meanes
wherwith the minde doth see,
Declaring plaine the wondrous workes
that nature here doth frame
such floures, such fruits, such herbs, such beasts,
such plantes, such stones of name,
Such sundry sortes of mettalles fayre,
and shewing also plaine,
What Fyshes Proteus feedes in seas,
what Monsters there remaine,
And more than thys the stately roomes
wherein the Gods doe lye
The glistering globes of starres aboue
and Phœbus shining hye:
Besydes the things that men doe heare
that tongue can not displaye,
and fayrest farre away:
In which the seate and chiefest place
wherin the minde doth dwell
Is thought to be, for when we meete
or talke in presence tell,
Upon the others eyes we gase
as man, and minde, and all
Did there consyst, who so the eyes
the glasse of minde doth call
Shall say the truth, for pleasaunt loue
in them doth fyrst gyue lyght:
There hate and fiercenesse doth appere
with mylde and gentle sprite:
There sadnesse, ioy and mischief shewes
with zeale and wysedome great,
And follye, pride, and feare and rage,
with fault and wrathfull heat.
But wherof doth the syght proceede?
the mindes let other see
Of learned men, I briefely shewe
as I think best to be.
One lyfe there must be knowne to be
of substance eke so fine,
As syght can neuer comprehende
of force and power diuine.
thys feedes and makes to growe,
Doth breed, doth moue, doth heare, & tast
doth smell, see, feele, and knowe:
Which is the chiefe and greatest power
most nere to saints on hye.
These powres she through ye body spreds
in certaine partes to lye,
And by the eyes doth lyght let in,
and sundry coulers see,
And iudgeth playne of euery shape,
and all things else that be:
Receaueth also by the nose
the smelles of sundry sort,
And by the eares doth vnderstande
sounde noyse and great report.
By tongue descernes eche kinde of tast,
by feling knowledge brings
Of hote from colde, of harde from soft,
of rough from smothest things.
Companions fyue these are to lyfe,
and faithfull seruants sure,
That shewes hir all, without the which
she nothing coulde procure.
The eyes therfore as glassye made
and as the Christall clere,
that we doe looke on here,
By power wherof are things desernde
if that the eye be sounde.
These sorts of things vnto the minde
(for as in hyghest grounde
Hir stately seate in head she holdes)
the eye doth plainely showe,
Whose ymage truely shadowed there
she wyse doth straightwayes knowe,
So wondrously she doth perceiue
a sundry sort of soundes,
When in the helthy vnharmed eares
the ayre therof reboundes.
For ayre of slendrest substance is
and moueth by and by,
Which beaten with the noise doth shūne
and from the stroke doth flye,
And pearcyng breakes into the eares,
though close be kept the glasse,
And close the dore, so fine it is
that inwarde it will passe.
For euen the fyshe when fyshers harde
with poales the floudes doe plashe,
For feare of noyse flye fast from thence
and thick in nettes doe mashe.
vp mountes the waues thereby,
And tempests roares wt dreadfull noyse,
the shipman out doth crye,
And vowes to offer sacred giftes:
As oft therfore as wee
Doe finde two things togither knockte,
as oft as ayre we see
Moued vehemently, but chiefly then,
when through these hollowed things
By narrowe straightes it passeth out,
thence diuers voices springs:
As diuers are the sortes of them,
as place doth fashion take:
In which the ayre doth sundry soundes
and sundry voices make.
So soundes the Trumpet otherwyse
by farre than shalme doth blowe,
And well we may the Tymbrels tune
from sounde of sawtrey knowe.
For as by stroke of stone in streame
doe many cyrcles ryse
So moued, the ayre, wt whirling wheele
doth spread in largest guise.
And therfore into many eares
one voice doth easely passe
is seene in euery glasse.
But how the nose receiueth smell
let vs say something here.
A slender fume from euery thing
arisyng doth appere,
Which broade in ayre doth spred it selfe
as Frankconcense we see,
Or Myrrhe, if that vpon the coales
the powder poured bee.
By meanes of tongue is taste perceiude
and roufe of mouthe besyde,
For by these twaine the taste & smatche,
of euery thing is tryde,
Which pearcing straight doth touch the sense
therof is taste begonne.
But feeling, bloud and sprite procures
which through the bodye runne.
Thys sense doe creatures all possesse
and taste they all receiue:
But man doth better them enioye
and them more right perceiue.
Hereof to man more wysedome doth
than to the rest aryse:
Some thys denye and saye the things
foresayde are otherwyse,
in eyes, cause syght to be,
Or that the ayre we neede, as meane
to heare, or for to see.
For the almighty King doth giue
so many powers to minde
As in the world he framed things,
that varie in their kinde.
That she might al things comprehend,
she knowes wel what to be,
Hir proper kinde, and more perceyues.
Minde al things plaine doth see,
And al things ponders prudently
that senses to hir brings,
And wyth celestial trial wayes
the true and vertuous things.
To Lyfe therefore is minde the Sunne,
the senses Starres doe seeme:
So some affirme, but we make haste
and leaue these things to deeme,
To other men, for nye we come
to ende of Libra here,
Bycause the feete of Scorpion signe
do playnly now appere.
My sayings yet do plainly teach,
the soule Celestiall
and giueth lyfe to all,
Discerning also euery thing
as farre as God giues leaue,
For al things here, of him their force
determinde do receyue.
To him eternal power belongs,
al things doth he create,
And makes al things that here ar made
through his almighty state.
For if the soule perceaues and knowes,
and vnderstandeth al,
We may not thinke it substance such,
as we may body cal.
Syth bodies moue, not earth nor ayre,
not floud nor fyry flame,
Nor any thing that these haue made,
hath power as hath this same.
we neede not doubt but soule proceedes,
and doth from Ioue discend,
And neuer dyes whome he permits,
the world to comprehend.
What if so be the Atornyes
that sundry wise men fayne,
The soule is rather thought to be,
than body to maintayne,
and may deuided be,
But soule is vndiuidable
and of no grosse degree,
And as a Center doth she seeme,
where many lynes do mete,
Which senses do conuey to hir,
as floudes to seas do flete.
Wherefore I maruel much at such,
as thinke a like decay,
And iudge the soule no more to be
when body fades away.
For if so be it might be proued,
yet should it not be sayd,
Nor published to the common sort,
nor euery where displayed.
For many wicked men and yll
there are, which if they thought
Their soules as nothing shall remayne,
when corse to graue is brought,
Nor that it feeles, or suffers ought,
when it goeth hence away,
And that no punishment remaynes
for prancks that here they play,
A thousand mischiefs would they doe,
take feare from them among,
confounding right wyth wrong.
Besydes a number now that thinke
in blessed state to be,
When death hath them destroied, & hope
the face of God to see,
And euermore wyth him to ioy,
and therfore vertuously
Do seke to passe their present lyfe,
wyth Godly modesty:
If they shall see that after death,
do no rewardes remaine,
Amased al, their vertuous workes,
shall ceasse and perishe playne.
So many stately temples trimmed,
so many altares hie,
Wyth golde and marble garnished
and decked sumptuously,
Besyde Religion, Godly zeale,
honour, and worshipping
Of God, shal come to nought, if af-
ter death remayne nothing
That men hope for, if that the soule
as winde doth passe away.
Of wilde, and franticke common sorte
Religion must be stay,
and full of fraude theyr brayne
Is alwayes seene, nor of themselues
they well doe meane or plaine.
The common people vertue loath,
and euermore doe hate.
Religion is the comelinesse,
and glory of our state,
Which makes the Gods to fauour vs,
which we winne Heauen by.
No wyse nor good man therfore dare
attempt here openly,
To teache ye soule shall come to naught,
and so corrupt the mindes
Of rude vnskilfull common sort,
that wauer lyke the wyndes.
Now must we proue by reason good
that soule doth neuer dye,
And free from sting or darte of death
doth liue eternally:
As he that preacheth Christ declares,
and Greshop eater Iewe,
That for synnes vtterly despysed:
which God that all things knewe
Would not haue made if he had thought
it had bene nedelesse here:
account it to be clere.
And first the thing resembling most
the mightyest Lorde of al,
Of longer lasting tyme we graunt
and perfecter must call.
For that which doth not long endure
but shortly doth decay,
That it should be vnperfecter
who is that will say nay?
And therefore doe celestiall things
a greater whyle endure,
Bicause they are more perfecter,
and more diuine and pure:
But things that nerer are to earth
and farthest of from skyes,
Unperfect since they are, do fade
and sonest euer dyes:
Shall then our soule synce it in lyfe
and knowledge doth appere,
Most lyke vnto the state diuine,
be closed and shut vp here
With body for to ende? nor shall
it here haue longer place
Than fading fleshe? or shall it liue
more great nor larger space?
thys reason wytnesse shal,
Bycause it is of syngle state,
and voyd of matter al.
Adde this, that when the body fades,
the force of minde doth growe,
As weake and aged fathers olde,
do more of councell know
Than youthful blouds of yonger yeres,
and often lacks he wit
That doth excel in strength and force:
For rare doth God permit
To any one both strength and wyt.
Wherefore if force brought low,
By space, and course of many yeares,
the minde doth stronger grow,
Of Body doth it not depend,
but of it selfe consist
Another thing, and after graue
doth lyue and death resist.
Doth not besyde when fote doth ake
the minde iudge thereof playne?
It is no doubt. But how can griefe
to towre of minde attayne,
Doth it ascend from lowest partes
as smoke doth vpward flye?
(if so) should ake thereby,
Nor of the foote, but of the parte
that nerest is to minde
The ache shuld grieue: this shewes that soule
is not of bodies kinde:
And so is free from death since it
in distance needes no meane.
Adde this when wee would cal to minde
the thing forgotten cleane,
Or else deuise some worthy fetche,
from minde, the senses al
It then behoues to gather vp,
whereby doth often fal
That many better for to muse,
do shut and close their eyes,
Or else forsaking company,
some secret place deuise.
Or when the night with darksome cloud
the earth doth ouerspred,
And creatures all wyth heauy sleepes,
do take their rest in bed,
They styll do watch, and silent al,
vpon their beds do rest,
And light put out, in darknesse whet
their minde wyth body opprest.
affections it destroyes,
Amasing it wyth dulnesse great,
and blindnesse it anoyes:
None otherwyse than cloudes do hyde
the Sunne that clearly shynes.
If therfore, when it doth remayne
wythin his owne confines,
And flying farre from senses al,
and cares that body brings,
It wyser be, then shal it knowe
and vnderstand al things
In better sort, when it is free,
and from the flesh doth flye,
More perfect of it self it is,
and lyues continuallye.
Besyde when man as meane consystes,
the Saints and beastes betwixt,
Some parte wyth eche he cōmon holdes
wyth beastes his body mixt,
And wyth the saintes his minde agrees:
one of these partes doth dye,
Of the other Death can haue no power,
but liues continuallye.
Death therfore takes not al away,
for why? his deadly dartes,
when it from body partes.
And more than thys I haue to say,
if nothing doe remaine
Of vs, when carcasse lyes in tombe,
God shall be called plaine
Uniust, and one that fauour shewes
to such as naughtly lyue:
For such for terme of all their lyfe,
no sorrowes them doe grieue,
No riches lacke nor pleasures great,
but happily reioyce,
Exalted with promotions hye,
and wyth the Commons voice.
On the other syde the vertuous men
a thousande griefes molest,
Now sore diseased, now plagued wt nede
in fine alwayes opprest.
Therfore the soule liues after graue,
and feeles deserued paynes,
And if it haue done iustly here
a Crowne of glory gaines.
By these and many other wayes
I coulde declare no doubt,
That soule of man doth neuer dye,
and body liues without.
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 medcyne made
which force of healyng breedes:
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 ye 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,
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,
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 cōstraine? 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
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 demaūds
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 cōmende
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:
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 it 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 liue without,
As thick as in the woodes the leaues
doe cluster trees about:
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 vnderneath
the cyrcle of the Moone
We see to passe, if they by chaunce,
or fatall force be done.
And whylst while as the Sunne ye 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,
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 Aganippæs streames,
and syng on Cirphæs hyll.
Scorpius, the eyght Boke.
The cause why mortal state doth passuch croked cōtrary 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.
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 vnderserued goods adourned,
and most things plagued agayne
Uniustly vext wyth noysome ils,
and difference none to rayne:
The iust and vertuous men opprest,
and Rakehelles 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,
doth beare the chiefest sway.
But Fortune some to thee do giue
the gouernance ouer al,
And thee Lady chiefe of eue-
ry 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 impute
eche thing to destenye,
And iudge that force of fatall lawes,
the world is ordred by,
And that wyth one continual course
(as pageants shewes to minde)
Al things do moue, and euery man
hath here his parte assinde,
That he must play, tyl al be done:
a question to be sought
Right profitable fayre and hard,
not to be left vntaught.
that nothing here can be
Wythout a cause, and that the cause
must of necessity,
Much differ from the effect, synce that
nothing it self doth breede,
No thing can of it selfe be cause,
nor of it selfe proceede.
Then infinite shall causes growe?
not so: but yet there ought
Some fyrst to be, from which the rest
of causes must be brought,
Which from the hiest must descend,
vnto the basest state.
This order then of causes we
cal Destenie or Fate:
Which God as once predestining
that all things should be so,
Determinde hath by his decree
for euermore to go.
But as eche cause doth nerest come
vnto the causer fyrst,
So all the rest it doth excel,
and moues, and rules the worst.
The fyrst beginning is a cause
and no effect the same,
no cause we can it name:
The meanes that are betwene these two
may names of both retayne.
For if of causes were no knot,
nor order styll to rayne,
If thone of thother shoulde not hang,
(as if from heauens hye
A Chayne to deepest part of Hell
should hang and lincked lye:
Which is to vyle to be rehearsed)
beginnings more than one
Shall seeme to be: and causes fyrst
must many spring thereon.
Then shal they stryue amōgst theēselues
and often fiercely fyght,
So many heads, for one alone
doth rule require of right:
So neyther world should here be one,
nor beautifull should seeme:
For ordre is the beauty chiefe,
that we in things esteeme.
But some perchaunce wyl say from one
beginning fyrst of all,
Togyther many causes seue-
red downward often fall.
the Sunne doth from him sende,
With certaine difference seuered,
of which doth not depende
The one of the others force, but eache
from selfe same head doe fall:
So needes no strife, nor let, bycause
one way they walke not all.
Thys order is not very yll,
nor much mislyketh me,
This sentence may be fortune true:
but let vs thorowly see,
All blindenesse from our minde expelde,
for minde of man cannot
Attaine to lyght of trouth so sone,
nor in such easy sort,
But oftentimes doth vse to erre,
and hereof doth aryse
Such sectes, & such contrary sawes,
he proues, and he denies:
As reason proper is to Gods,
opinion is to vs,
No certaintie hath mortall man
the trouth for to discusse.
Therfore if many causes be
that from the fyrst doe flowe:
be like, I seke to know:
No order there shal then appeare,
for where no chiefe doth guide
No difference, nor diuersity seene,
no order can be spyde.
In euery thing thou mayst perceyue
a first, a mydst, and last,
No kind of thing is here that is
wythout an order cast.
But if they al do not alike
this perfectnesse auowe,
God hath some thing vnperfect made:
this can not I allowe.
Wherefore one perfect good effect
allowe the causer fyrst,
The rest haue more vnperfecter,
as they themselues are worst.
For commonly most store of fruite,
the naughtiest tree doth bring
But worst, as yll than good, and sowre
than sweete doth ryfer spring.
For as eche cause is more of power
and of estate more hye,
So more of lyfe and reason hath
this purest substance nye.
and of a baser kinde,
Lesse lyfe, and reason doth possesse,
and substance lesse doth fynde.
As well vpon the earth appears,
wher al things do endure
But little space, where reason is scarce,
where no estate is pure:
But all of many things consistes,
al things on earth that bene,
Compounded are, and myxt, so that
no substaunce can be sene:
Nor here she is esteemde a whit,
the honour doth remayne,
To such as hir do here enioy,
and such as hir retayne.
In darkesome caues she hidden lyes,
and hereby do we fynde,
That fortunes goods are more estemde
than vertues of the minde.
For substance vertue may be calde,
but in this worlde exilde
This substaunce liues, hir coūtrey fayre
hir seate and mansion milde,
The heauens are, where as she hath
hir faythfull frendes of trust,
the world is framed iust,
Of causes as before is sayde
preseruing euery thing
with during bond, this chaine (but God)
may none in peeces bring,
Nor force, nor space of tyme it breake.
Of causes such is sponne,
What is to come, what present is,
and what hath earst bene donne,
To al the which theyr force, and strēgth,
thalmighty king aboue
with certain boundes, & tune appointes
by certayne meanes to moue.
And needefull is it to be knowen
how, many causes runne
To gather oft when any thing
by force of them is donne.
Nor rashely is thys meeting made,
and causes mixed so,
But by appointed destenyes,
all things doe passe, and go
Thalmighty workeman of the worlde
hath all things vndercast
Assured lawes, and measure delt
to all the things he past.
affyrme, and dare defende,
That nothing certayne can be founde,
that chance doth all things sende:
And God regards not mortall state.
But they themselues deceaue,
And are beguiled much, to whom
thys sentence here doth cleaue.
For truely chance is nothing else
but vaine opinion blinde,
Not diffring much frō shapes, & syghtes
that in our sleepes we fynde.
Whatsoeuer Aristotel sayth,
or any of them all,
I passe not for, synce from the truth
they many times doe fall.
Oft prudent, graue, and famous men,
in errors chance to slyde,
And many wittes wyth them deceiue
when they themselues go wyde:
Examples only serue, so much
must errors folowed bee.
Let no man iudge me arrogant,
for reason ruleth mee,
She faithfull guide of wysemen is:
let him that seekes to fynde
with all hys might, and minde.
And that there is no chaunce at all
thys reason strong and stayde,
Makes me beleue: for if that all
(as earst before is sayde)
By causes fixed in certaine guise,
and certayne time doe moue
As God commaundes, for perfectnesse,
and for the worldes behoue,
Least hurtfull error should destroy
so fayre a worke as it,
what kind of place shall chaūce possesse,
or seate finde out to syt?
In doubtfulnesse, and altering state
surmounting farre away
Both Protheus, and Vertumnus to,
in changing theyr aray,
As voide, so nature chance denies.
Uncertaine nought doth lye
Within thys worlde, but certaine all:
as nature, God, and skye,
And elaments, and what of them
so euer framde we see,
Or hath in tyme before bene wrought,
or euermore shall be.
then should the minde diuine,
Not all things here knowe certainely,
but from the trouth decline:
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 yt 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,
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 fixt
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 chaūce to hap, doth synk
in common peoples minde.
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 Sūne doth yeld hys glittering 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 chaūce
wherof no cause we see,
As knowne alone vnto the Gods:
all things are certaine tho.
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 frostes
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 they wonders hyght,
Which nature willingly doth make,
who often doth delight
As paynter oft doth ioy
(Though he haue cunning great besyde)
to paint some iesting 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,
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 no 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.
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
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 thē
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.
to please them often tymes,
which may be done by seruing them,
by charmes, or by diuines
As many thinke, and likewyse 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 beleue but fewe obtayne
but iust men that despise
The fond and fading wanton ioies,
and foode of fleshly eyes:
That quietly do liue, and cares
do banish farre away,
And heauenly things alone do minde,
and neuer seeke to stray
From that, which right and vertuous is.
Although that some do say,
Ill sprites amongst these good there be,
constrayned to obay
To naughty men, by Coniuring,
whereby much ill is done:
the signe where as the sunne
Doth yelde his yearly compast course,
where sealed brethren shine
Shall tell the rest, where as I wyll
the state of Gods define,
If God himselfe doe me permit
who doth my verses gene.
Let vs therefore passe ouer this.
I scarely can beleue,
That any God can euyl be.
Wysdome byds neuer synne:
But contrary, by folly doth
fault, stray, and crime come in.
No man is euil wyllingly
as farre as I beleaue:
For euery wyl doth couet good,
if iudgement not deceaue.
But Diuel wysdome hath, (if that
this name to him agree.)
But whether Fortune gouerne al,
or howsoeuer it be,
Or Diuels guide the state of men:
yet wythout destenie
Doth nothing passe, But al things rulde
by minde of God on hie,
but of this saying here
A doubt doth ryse, and knot so hard
and sure doth eke appere,
Such one as Hercules, or else
the Macedonian King
Would scarce vndoe, which doubt & stay
to many mindes doth bring.
If destenie commaundeth al,
if al things so must moue,
Not wyl to vs remaineth free,
nor to the Goddes aboue,
Free wyll is taken cleane away,
and vertue no rewarde,
Nor vice doth punnishment deserue,
which is not to be heard.
No place is now of Gods to speake,
but of such things as be
In one estate, is subiect here,
which eyes of men may see.
I say therefore that in the things
that vnder fortune be,
No kinde of thing can here be founde,
exempt from destenie:
As riches, pleasures, ioyful minde,
wyth rule and honours hye,
is that we get them by.
For who would not such things enioy?
but wyll auayles not thoe,
It rather hurts if destenies
agaynst a man do go.
How many striue to ryse aloft
agaynst their destenie,
But faster more and more they fal
and downe they deeper lye.
On thother syde they vnto whome
the stars more gracious be,
Unlooked for doe often liue
in chiefe prosperity:
Whose nettes while they themselues do sleepe,
Rhamnusia ful doth fyll,
Wyth fish, and bringeth vnto them
al things that they can wyll.
Loe, some of great and noble house,
we see to come to light,
And to enioy from childehode fyrst
all things wyth ioyful spright,
And to attayne to honour hye,
though they vnworthy be,
And blinded oft their eyes to rule
that scarcely wel can see,
And some of kinred base
For to be borne, wyth griefe and teares
themselues for to deface,
wyth labour long and vayne, to toyle,
and yet cannot expel
The pricke of hunger that they feele
but styl in beggrye dwel.
who wyl denye these ylles to come,
through cruell destnies might?
A number fayre and actiue are
and of couragious sprite:
And many fowle, and syckly styl,
of courage faynt we see:
whereof cōmes thys? of our desertes?
or our infirmity?
Or shal we say, our wyl doth al?
By Fates assuredly
Eche thing doth chaunce to mortal men
the rule hath Destenie:
Of our affaires and our estate,
the houre and kinde of death
It only guides: a halter him,
him sword depriues of breath,
He drownde in floudes he kilde wt colde
him strangleth fyry smoke,
and some doth surfets choke,
By griefe or sycknesse many dye,
some, chaunce away doth send,
And many age bereues of life:
a certayne day of ende,
To al men is, and euery age,
nor longer can we go
Than threede of life permits, that rūnes
the spiteful spyndle fro.
So kylde a rysh the prayser of
Achilles lusty lore:
So Aeschilus, while as he walkde
abrode on Sicill shore,
With stroke of Tortoys lost his life:
Anacreon so did kill
A reasons seede. Alas what wayes,
what meanes hath death to spyl?
When fardest of thou thinkest him,
then nerest standeth be:
Nothing than death more certayne can
nor more vncertayne be.
Yet some that know the force of starres,
and secrets of the skye,
Soothsaying Prophets that can tel,
how things to come do lye:
are often wont to tell,
The kinde, and day, of death to come:
for of the things aswell
To come is nature sure, as of
the present things and past,
Sure in the fyrst and seconde cause
that from the fyrst to th' last
With largest lynke extended are.
But goodes or illes of minde,
Doe they proceede from desteny
or from the fatall kinde?
Learning and wit seeme thence to flow,
may any learning get
Except he wysedome doe obtaine
and nature force permit
If fortune let or sycknesse staye?
An Oratour some one,
An other a Philosopher,
some alwayes looke vpon
The sacred secretes of the Gods,
and seeke the starry skye,
And some there are yt drink the streames
in wretched pouertye
That from Castalian well doe flowe,
whom pleaseth pleasant fame
from whence comes all these same?
From desteny the chiefe of all,
eche Arte from hence doth flowe,
Thence offices deriued all
that mortall men doe knowe.
In sundry seruants nature ioyes,
that diuers things thence may
Procede, to deck the world, and letts
not all to passe one way,
But them commaūdeth seuerall course
and seuerall paines to take,
With sundry sort of workes the world
more beautyfull to make.
But whether our conditions here
are delt by desteny,
Or whether of our wyll they spring
it semeth good to trye:
Nor labour small it doth appere
the trouth herein to finde.
Of our free wyll what portion doth
remaine within our minde?
In wretched case we lyue if vs
byreft is libertye,
If that the chiefe and greatest force
of fatall desteny,
by force we in be brought
To wickednesse, and if to striue
therwith auaileth nought.
Wherfore it semeth labour worth
our wittes to thys to bende,
And for to syft the trouth as much
as God shall knowledge sende.
Fyrst it behoueth vs to tell
what thys free wyll should be,
An ample power receiued of God,
and largest liberty
Deliuered man, that as he lyst,
the right, or wayes vniust
He folowe should: not (vertue left)
that therby sinne he must:
But contrary the vices shunde
to applye the vertuous wayes:
For euill deedes doe harme the soule
and good deserueth prayse.
Besydes it further must be sought
if thys free will doth raine
In all a lyke or if it doth
in euery time remaine?
No sure it semeth not to be
in Children, nor in such
or body greueth much,
Or they whose eyes the heauy sleepes
haue shut and closed sure:
For slepe is counted plaine of death,
the liuely portrature.
Wherfore if thou shalt search the truthe
with well aduised minde,
Thou shalt a smallest sort among
so many thousande finde,
That with free wil do guide themselues
and libertie doe vse.
The fault of age I ouerpasse,
and childrens yeares excuse,
And vnto those that sleeping lye
I licence also giue,
Or them whom feuers rage doth rost
or sycknesse sharpe doth grieue.
Of which a number great there be,
but greater farre away,
And worser eke, whose fylthy minde
doth vices foule aray,
And fonde affections makes to faint,
wythdrawing it with strife
From reason farre, and from the path
of ryght, and vertuous lyfe.
free wyll and libertye?
A doubtfull thing it surely is,
and many it denye.
Wherfore thou well must vnderstande
that he alone is free
Whom reason rules, & that with payne
will neuer conquerd bee,
Nor when the stormy tempests rage
to rocks is euer thrall,
But stoutly sticking to the sterne
doth with the hauen fall.
So truely earst haue certaine sayde
but wisemen none we finde,
Whom reason ruling can correct
the affections of the minde.
The other sort can not doe so:
why? hath not God them delt
Free wyll? whych euer may be founde
where reason may be felt,
For these are alwayes coupled styll.
So beastes of nature wylde
Syth reason they are thought to lack
are iudgde from wyll exylde.
But all men reason doe receiue,
and therfore haue free wyll:
that choseth good from ill,
Descerning eke the naughty facts,
from such as honest be,
And called is the syght, and eye,
wherwith the minde doth se.
Such eye perhaps as Poliphæm
the Poets gaue to thee,
Wherwyth the lymmes of thy beloued
in seas thou oft didst see,
But naught (alas) and all to naught
(who, such, to shunne hath might)
Vlisses wyth a fiery post
hath it bereft of syght,
And face, the face that fyrst was fayre,
of beauty spoyled quite:
Or such an eye as Lynceus had,
that sawe in darkest night.
Thys eye therefore to euery man
Prometheus wysedome delt,
But fewe it vse, a very fewe
that grace of Ioue haue felt.
Hereof the spring of errours doth,
and wickednesse aryse.
For if the steps of reason, all
should treade in nerest wyse,
and Mars hys bloudy hande
Such slaughters nor such cryes shoulde cause,
& townes & walles shuld stand,
And weapons framed fyrst in hell
by fiendyshe furyes wrought,
Should tille ye field, with good exchange
to share and cultre brought.
Then Bees, and Cattel swarming thick
and riches of the fielde,
Unto the happy husbandman
a great increase should yelde.
The golden world should then returne,
and eke one place containe
Both man, & God, who would vouchsafe
before our eyes to raine.
The cause why fewe doe reason vse,
and wayes forbydden knowe,
And voide of freewill liue like beastes
I wyll assay to showe.
A certaine part diuine, in vs
that minde and reason hyght,
There is, which nature in the head
hath placed a loft in syght,
And seruants vnto it appoints
the senses, that there be,
and al things it may see.
An other fading force there is
wythin the breast enclosde,
By meanes wherof we moue, and grow
wyth helpe of heate disposde:
(Thus hath it pleased God) this straynes
molests and grieues the minde,
And to this part a number great
of seruaunts, is assinde,
As fond delight, wrath, griefe, and feare,
wyth great desire to gayne,
Ambition hauty harmfull thing,
wyth fumes that vex the brayne.
Wyth these his lusty souldiours he
giues battayle to the minde.
These mates attempted Ioue to vexe
of fiercest giants kinde,
As Giges strong, Iapetus, and
Tiphœus monstrous sprite
Enceladus yll worker, and
Briareus dredful wight.
Wyth worldly thoughtes hie heapt they vexe,
the part diuine aboue,
Except that grace from heauen hye
like lightning them remoue:
the Chariot headlong dryues,
And swiftly runnes, to stay the course
in vaine the Carter stryues.
The fyrst beginnings must be stopped,
whyle sparke but kindling lies,
When fyre hath rought the lofty partes
and flames approch the skies,
Especially when Boreas blastes
from Northerne Pole doth fall,
And rageth fierce, in vayne alas
for water then they call.
As when from top of hawty rocke,
some wayghty stone downe trowles,
What force can it of course restrayne?
al things wyth it, it rowles,
Asunder crackes the mighty trees
that on the mountayne springs
Which at the fyrst might well be stayed
wyth force of smallest things.
Euen so the affections of the minde
if that wyth all their sway
The minde opprest they do inuade,
them scarce, can reason stay,
And helme and al forsaken quite,
wyth streame dame Reason driues,
a captiue kept in gyues.
Therefore while vices yet be yong,
let them oppressed be,
And voyd the cause ere they waxe strong
then minde and wyl is free:
Then conquerour thou shalt be crownd
wyth Palme of Idumay.
But if the assault be now begonne,
and siege the foe doth lay,
And shakes wyth battrey great ye walles
except (beleue me well,)
Some God wyth better grace defend,
Reason doth byd farewell,
And cannot byde so sore a brunt.
May we not playnly see
What harmes the minde doth there sustayne
where Bacchus blessings be,
What madnesse ofte doth spring when wine
to much in stomack raynes?
Tell where free wyl kepes residence
when drinke doth vex the braynes?
The sober and the fasting man
of freewil is possest,
And doth what so euer Reason byds:
Againe the dronken gest,
he alwayes doth the same,
Which deedes he sobre doth repent,
and sorroweth eke wyth shame.
So wyth affections minde is dronke,
and in none otherwyse,
Than wine that topsey turnes the brayn
when it doth vpward ryse
It troubled is and darkd in mystes.
Thus he (and none besides)
Hath freedome, and his minde at wyl,
whome reason only guides:
Who all affections ouercommes,
and wholly doth restrayne,
He that from youth doth vertue vse,
may well to this attaine:
Such force hath vse, nothing more strōg.
The other sorte are wayde
In manner like to brutish beasts,
as true the Poet sayd,
Eche man his owne delight doth drawe,
Freewyll in many opprest
And hindred is, wherefore who list
Freewyl for to possesse,
Let hym resyst while yong they be,
thaffections of the minde,
and brydle vse in kinde:
For flesh agaynst the sprite rebels,
and wyth continuall warres,
Doth it molest: The soule most pure,
doth couet styll the starres:
But lumpish flesh doth shunne the skies,
and earthly things desyres,
For earth it onely is, and in-
to earth at length expyres.
Thus two so farre contrary things
hath God compact in one.
Admit thou art wyse, and onely rulde
by reasons force alone,
And freewyll perfectly enioyest,
shall destnie then beare sway?
Yea more to Fates thou subiect arte,
and more shalt it obey,
For destny is the wyl of God
wherewyth the prudent wight
Agrees, and doth as it commaundes.
The fond and naughty sprite
On the other part abhorres his lawes,
and shunnes the Lordes decrees.
But thou wylt say: then is he free,
not rulde by destenies.
and such as vilest be,
As wickednesse, and folishnesse
his syster in degree.
Though this the wyll of God doth cause
but that which doth permit,
And not the wil that doth commaunde,
for of two sortes is it.
whereby appeares that al thyngs are
subiect to desteny,
whether they be of good estate,
or of a vile degree:
For mischiefe desteny permits
and good by force doth send,
And God him self cōmaūds, frō whome,
doth desteny descend.
wyth reasons like persuaded some
to this effect do say:
O mortal men liue ioyfully
while that you haue a day,
And doleful cares from heart expel,
ne trouble once your thought
wyth things that present here you see,
or after shall be wrought:
By fyxed law shall all things fall,
and passe by order sure,
to sadnesse you procure?
Eche man hath here his lot assinde
which written secretely,
Wythin his breast he alwayes beares,
yet nothing knowes thereby,
But profe thereof doth come to light
vpon the fatall day:
When as experience doth reueale
that erst in secret lay.
what nedeth sobs or wayling teares?
for back can neuer runne
Celestial sawes, nor nothing chaunge
that God hath wrought or done.
For order best, and perfect course:
if it should altred be
It shuld be worse (which may not chāce)
or better in degree.
But nothing of more perfect state
than perfect can be found.
A doubt both great and maruellous
doth spring vpon this ground,
For if al things (as late I sayd)
are vnder Destenie,
why frowneth God on some, and lookes
on others graciously?
why seeth some happier dayes
Than other do? and nature why
seemes she to some alwayes
A stepdame sharpe, and vnto some
agayne a mother dere?
This knot it semeth good that we
should breake asunder here.
By fault and by desert of vs,
a number thinke that this
Doth chaunce, and by decree of God
such as haue done amysse
For to be plagued, and vertuous men
good Fortune to receue.
But this by no meanes can be true,
nor I do it beleue,
For what haue brutish beastes deserued,
what fault in trees can be?
Yet fortune vnto euery beast
doth shew diuersity:
The theefe doth some conuey, some dye
vpon the Butchars knyfe,
Some wolues, or sycknesse, frost or flud,
some age depriues of lyfe,
Some leade their life more pleasantly,
and some wyth greater payne.
hys fortune doth remaine,
The east wynde cracks a sonder thys
and rootes doth vpwarde turne,
Some sort are cut for diuers things,
and some in fiers burne,
And lyghtning spoyles an other sort.
To euery fishe, and beast,
A certaine fortune is assynde
by destenies beheast:
Yet neyther tree, nor beast can synne.
And oftentymes besyde
Misfortunes great the good man, doth
and vertuous man abyde:
On the other part to naughty men
doth fortune fauour showe,
And graunts them eke in worldly welth
and honors hye to flowe.
Thus destnye lookes not on desertes:
therfore some other way,
Or cause, we must attempt to finde.
Perhaps some man wyll say
The wyll of God is cause of all
and seekes none otherwhere:
Thys doth not yet suffise, we must
go syft the truth more nere:
will not the thing permit
That reason lackes, but chiefest things
commaunds as seemes most fyt.
Wherfore we must say otherwyse:
eche cause of causes all
As from the fyrst it farther is,
so more vnlyke doth fall.
Syth God therfore is alwayes pure,
and euer one shal be,
The last of causes that from him
is farthest in degre
Shall double be, and diuers seeme,
and worke shall alwayes frame
In sundry sortes, and altring state
and this is euen the same
That rules the earth, and euery thing
that earth doth here containe
Therfore nothing on earth is seene
that certaine is or plaine.
Syth fortune hir vnstedfast wheele
doth turne in sundry sort:
And mortall men wyth diuers chaunce
to guide, hath chiefest sport.
But yet why smyles she so on some,
and frownes on other sort?
and some a princely port?
The cause of this is harde to knowe
as if we would require,
To know the cause of raging heate
we feele in flaming fyre:
Or wherfore worwood bitter is,
why snowe doth shewe so white,
wherfore some herbs haue force to hurt,
and others healing might,
And why some trees beare sūdry branch
why in such shape they growe,
Or why some beasts haue subtile sense,
and some are dull and slowe,
Wherfore yt strawes doth Amber draw,
why Loadstone lyfteth hye
The yron peece, why it can not
doe so the Diamonde nye.
Such things hath God in secrete shut,
and vnto mortall braine.
Appointed boundes, the which to passe
mans wyt doth striue in vaine,
As if the potter doe deuide
in sundry partes his clay,
And it departed thus abrode,
to sundry purpose lay,
a pot or dishe doth bake:
Or bason broade? Of thys a Crock,
of that a pytcher make?
Doth reason moue him thus to doe?
or reason none at all
But only wyll? as he thinks best
so frames he great and small.
Tys harde to know ye workmans mind:
Euen so, who seekes to knowe
Why fortune some exalteth hye,
and bringeth others lowe:
A thing to hye he reacheth at,
for God hath giuen powre
Of earth to hir, and of the world
hath made hir gouernour,
That what she lyst shee may perfourme
the force of desteny
Excepted still, for euery thing
is gouerned therby.
why should not she doe what she lyst?
what law should hir restraine?
Ought seruants lawes for to appoint
their Lordes for to constraine?
we all hir seruants truely are
whyle we enioy this lyght,
the pleasure of the spright,
Yet of our soules she hath no powre
whose roote in heauen standes,
Thys onely God exempted hath
from out thys tyrants handes.
All other things in earth or seas,
as she shall best deuise
God suffers frely to be done,
both good and ill likewyse.
But some wyll say: God then is cause
of euery euill act,
And so vniust may well be calde,
for he that doth the fact,
And he that suffers it to passe,
doe both one fault commit,
And both lyke punnishement to haue
the law adiudgeth fit.
Wherefore if God such illes on earth
doth suffer for to raine,
And when he well may them forbydde,
yet doth not them restraine:
He shall be thought the cause of ill,
and mischiefe to embrace:
Thys part I also aunswere shall
if God doe graunt me grace.
it must be noted well,
That causes some be base, and small,
and some againe excell
In 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,
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:
and mischiefes vile shall guide,
Hence discorde euermore proceedes
wyth brawles, and minde to chide,
Strong battailes, frayes, & false disceyt
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,
from whence all mischiefe springs.
Wherefore if lecherours on earth
beare al the rule and sway,
If Asses syt in seate as Kings,
in pompe of proud aray,
If charge of sheepe commytted is
to wolues of rauening kinde,
If Harlots 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 Iohn
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,
so much wyth fleshly minde:
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 ioyes terrestriall,
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
excell 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
prouideth for the meeke,
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 at 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
his hie 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 thalmighty 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 hap,
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)
a pleasant pastyme sought.
The Noble men the Gentlemen,
the commons all syt styll,
In diuers roomes assigned them,
as Othæs 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 fiercer kinde,
Should at this play present himselfe
to please the peoples minde:
Wyth death & mangled much wt 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
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?
for euery day and houre
We crimes commit, and blasphemies
out of our mouthes we poure:
Then surely should he neuer ioy,
nor rest in quietnesse,
Nor God should happy be, if that
as oft as we transgresse
He should be wroth, & moued with dedes
of such as synfull be.
if we the truth wyl se:
For of such might and perfectnesse,
of God the nature is,
And distant euen so farre is it
from our iniquities,
That we from him do differ more
and farder are by much,
Than is from vs the Asse, the Flye,
the Flea, or worse than such.
How then can we such wretches vile
offend a Lord so great?
Or by what meanes may we him harm
and force him thus to freat?
Is not this God of passions voyd,
and free from griefe or payne:
And thereby liues in blessed state
and alwayes doth remayne?
Doth it becom a Prince to fume
when foles do fondly prate:
Or rather them for to contemne?
seemes it a giants state,
Wyth little children for to fight?
since he knowes al things wel
And doth the things to come foresee,
I thee besech to tel,
as should his pleasure spot,
Wherby he should be after grieued?
or rather ought he not
That helpes the world, to help himself?
or tel if thus diseased
He willes it so, if he wyll so
he is no whit dyspleased,
But rather ioyes. If he would not
why doth he it permit?
Or is he not omnipotent?
he is, we al graunt it.
Then ought he not to suffer it
but yet he doth we see,
Whereby no kinde of griefe he feeles,
as reason teacheth me:
But leades his life in quietnesse.
Here thou perchaunce wylt say
If that our synnes him not displease,
wyth al the force we may
Let vs runne headlong into vice
and neuer sinne forbeare,
Not so: but to these words of mine
giue thou attentiue eare,
And vnto thee of truth strayghtwayes
the gates I shall disclose.
away he flinging goes
From this same spring of good, & leaues
both right, and light and peace:
Wherby the synner euermore
hys harmes doth still encrease.
Such is the state of contraryes
that how much thou doest flye,
From one, vnto the other straight
thou doest approche more nye.
So he that synning flyes from God,
runnes to Sarcotheus next:
Whose yoke when he hath once put on
with griefes he sore is vext:
And as the tyraunt doth commaunde
is plagued in sundry wyse.
Thus no man synnes but punnishment
for hym prepared lyes,
Yet God is neuer cause of ill
as I haue sayde before
As of hymselfe and properly:
But he that synnes therfore,
doth with his owne consent,
Unto the hangman giue himselfe:
to haue his punnishment
for if that synne be cause
Of al our mischiefe and our ylles,
and our vnhappy sawes,
Why often doth the wicked man
his lyfe in pleasure trayne
And dyeth wel, the vertuous man
doth many griefes sustayne,
And endes at length in misery?
Besydes before is taught,
That by no fault nor our deserts,
things good do chaunce, or naught:
But rather seemes it from the power
of certayne sprite to flowe,
Who guides the Seas, and al the earth,
and ayre possesseth lowe.
How speake I thus in contraries?
my wordes do disagree,
But (reader) wel thou shalt discerne
the trouth and verify,
And darknesse from thy mynd thou shalt
behold farre of to flye,
If these my words thou wilt vouchsafe
to heare attentiuely.
Know therefore double good to be,
one as the Commons wil,
So of two sortes is ill,
The opinion of the common sort
is worser euermore:
For grosse, and doltishe is their braine
of iudgement lacking store:
wherfore the goods of body here
and such as fortune gaue
These onely they doe wonder at
and these they seeke to haue:
But now the goods that in the minde
are founde for to remaine
They either know not what they meane
or else they count them vaine.
The wyse man on the other syde
the onely goods of minde
Doth seeke to haue, and doth despyse
the rest and other kinde.
Thus followed we before the minde
of rude and common men,
And as such people vse to speake
so was my talke as then.
But from the rude and common sort,
my minde doth differ now:
As wyse men iudge of good and ill
at thys time I allowe.
vnto the wicked man
May chaunce, and to the vertuous sort
no euill happen can:
Which plainely will I now declare
and clerely shall appere.
Fyrst thys it nedefull is to knowe,
what vice or cryme is here,
Is of the minde a sicknesse sore:
nor men are onely syck
In body here, but minde aye feeles
hir wounde and greuous prick
No lesse in force, than body doth.
Thus euery euill wight
Is syck, bicause hys will is syck,
and iudgement is not right.
Whereby the wretch yt harmeful things
more worth than good esteemes,
And sweter aye the filthyest factes
to hym than honest semes,
Which if hys minde & wyll were sounde
coulde neuer wicked be:
But iust and vertuous should be found:
in thys they disagree.
And as the body all is ill
when any of these twayne
the heart, or else the braine:
So, so, alas the whole estate
of soule is euer ill,
Whē as these two with vice are harmde
the minde and eke the wyll.
As pleasaunt meate to stomack syck
doth seme vnpleasaunt aye
And profytes nothing vnto hym
that sycknesse doth assay:
So (sycke the soule) no good thing can
the wicked man come by,
Nor nothing profytes him at all,
which true I thus wyll trye.
Some men in lawes expert we see,
but full of subtiltie,
And couetous, vniust, and one
that wayes not honesty
What profites hym hys learning here?
what good gaines he therfore?
Alas he wretches doth beguile,
and spoyles hys Clyents poore,
And many other doth he hurt.
Learning vnto the naught
Is lyke a sworde vnto the man
that mad hath it vp caught.
abuse, and make vnpure,
To others harme, shame to himselfe,
and hatred doth procure,
And in his feete the thornes he set
with anguishe often goes
Or else he feareth them, wyth hurt
whom he hath made hys foes.
Shall then hys learning good be calde
which doth so many blame,
And hurt like stinging snake, ne spares
the owner of the same?
And so of other faculties
that yll men occupie.
Estemed them to be as good
lyke reason doth denie.
But now the wycked man is riche
wyth Golde and Iewels store,
Are not these riches good? not so,
tell me the cause wherefore.
Lo here I tell, bicause he doth
abuse them filthily,
He kepeth hores, and surfetteth,
and baudes therewith doth by,
With money gredy boyes corrupts,
and wyth great gyftes assayes
that happen in hys wayes,
And so that he may bring to passe
what lust doth hym persuade
Regardes no whit what lawes of men
or Gods precepts doe trade:
Who if he once be couetous
what crime dare he not doe?
Thys wolfe wt bloudy mouth doth rage
eche folde to come vnto,
And runneth headlong into vice
hys mischiefe to contriue,
And euery where he followeth harde
as vyle desyre doth driue.
Nothing may worse be suffered
than fooles in welthy state,
Than riche men to be couetous
than ill men fortunate.
Thus eyther lyke to beastes he doth
with fleshely pleasures go,
Unto himselfe an ennimye
and to hys purse a foe:
Or else all other Tantalus
hys goods to much doth spare,
And heapes vp all, ne knowes for whom
these heapes he doth prepare.
himselfe he doth not feede
But many mo, who fruites of toyle
doe snatche away with speede.
Wherby appeares no goods to be
the riches of the yl,
But if he stoute and sturdy be
and stomacke haue as wyll
What doth he thē? he straight wil braul,
and with hys mighty powre
Now one, now others shall he harme,
and mischiefe euery howre:
Most commonly a warfare goes,
or else becomes a chiefe,
That Tygarlyke by others bloud
he may receiue reliefe:
Both warres & weapons fierce he loues
for mischiefe not for prayse,
whereby he to his countrey gettes
both losse and shame alwayes.
Stout personage void of vertuous mind
puts many men to paine,
Lastes lyttle time, and seldome doth
to aged yeares attaine.
But what nedes many wordes herein
syth these examples may
and clerely to display.
Now meete it is wyth good aduise
to searche if ought can be
That harmes the iust and holy men,
as many iudge we se:
Sure harde it is, yet boldely will
I thereto trudge apace
Presuming of Apolloes helpe,
and of my Muses grace.
Fyrst euery good man nedes must be
of soule and minde both sounde,
Though sycknesse in hys body rage
or ache in limmes be founde:
Least will, and iudgement ryght in him
doe lacke or not agre,
For voide of iudgement, right, & wyll,
no vertuous man may be:
These two are the foundations
wheron doth vertue syt.
Such men whatsoeuer they possesse
doe iustly order it:
And therfore is their learning good,
their substance and their strength,
And finally whatsoeuer they
possesse, and haue at length.
the vse of them we se
Is it that chiefly causeth them
both good, and ill to be.
And if so be thimmortall Gods
of men haue any care,
They chiefely ought such to defende
as iust and vertuous are:
Which if they should not doe they semde
all voide of reason cleare,
Unworthy eke of odour sweete,
of Church or seruice here.
Wherfore I doe not se what thing
can harme the vertuous man,
Ne yet what ill in body, or
in minde, he suffer can:
Syth God him kepes and norisheth,
and with his mighty arme
Doth for him fight, and sets him safe
from euery kinde of harme.
For who helpes not, or who doth not
defende his frende at neede,
whensoeuer he can, if that he doe
beare him good wyl in deede?
But yet sometimes the good man semes
to liue in misery,
and great aduersity:
When as in deede he is not good,
but playes the Hipocrite:
Wherof a number shalt thou finde
that vnder simple plight,
Do secret hide their poysoned heartes
and woluish natures playne,
And foolish men do oft beguile,
while they do vertue fayne:
And therfore god who knowes ye hearts
and secrets of the minde,
Preserues him not, nor loueth him.
But we wyth iudgement blinde,
And doltish head, deceyued wyth sygne
and shaddow of the right,
Think then the iust man suffers hurte,
and liues in woful plight.
Alas how often false and fond,
are founde the iudgements blynde
Of men, and eke how ignorant
of truth is mortal minde:
Al please themselues, and euery man
in his conceyt seemes wise:
By this we cause the Goddes to laugh,
hence errors most do rise,
both griefe and sicknesses,
And leades his life in pouerty,
and aye in great distresse,
Exiled from his countrey farre,
or pent in pryson vile,
Or vext wyth other casualties,
doth he take harme this while?
No: for in suffring of such things
more clerely shine he shall:
Al to the best to Godly men
as God commaundes doth fall.
And as Physitians vse to giue
the byttrest medcines oft
Unto the sicke to bring them health,
and rayse them vp aloft:
So oftentymes God tries the iust,
to stirre them vp thereby,
That so he may them more compel
their vertue to apply.
As pleasure makes men foles, & naught
so payne doth cal to minde,
And chaseth vice, a bytte to synne,
a spurre to vertues kinde.
Seest thou not golde in fyry flame
more precious to be made?
by edge of churlish spade?
And standing waters to corrupt?
On yron cast thine eye
Is fayrer made by occupyings,
and rusts if it do lye.
Thus diuers things there are that vext,
receyue a clearer state,
As chiefly vertue, that when as
hir blackest mischiefes mate
Appeares most bright, as in the darke
the fyre more fayrer shewes.
wherfore no kinde of griefe at al,
the good man euer knowes:
Or if he suffers ought his pa-
cience gets him greater gayne,
And medcine though it bitter be,
doth cause release of payne:
And least some man should think that I
do tryfles fayne in minde:
The thing that holesome others feele
is poyson to some kinde.
So vnto some, wines hurtful are,
and flesh a harmfull meate,
So wormwood vnto many health
doth gyue, and pleasure greate.
consume and melt away:
which heat doth harder make agayne
the earth or potters clay.
So many such in sundry states,
do worke in diuers kinde.
How eft the same wordes some delight
that vex anothers minde?
Al things to al sortes are not lyke:
the wines that best we deeme,
If they in musty caske be kept
both tart and naught do seeme.
Unto the sound are al things sound,
but such as sycknesse haue,
Them holesome meates doe sometyme harme,
and almost bring to graue.
So (to my matter to returne)
the ylles of body than,
Or stings of fortune hurtful be
vnto the euylman:
But good and also necessary
for such as vertuous be,
By which although they hurtful seeme,
they gayne more hye degree.
These words for this tyme shal suffise,
for now this booke to ende
vpon my Pen attende,
Who coueteth of state of man
to write, and fashions rife,
And open to disclose abrode
the vestry here of lyfe.
Now therfore nedeful is for me
my Muses tunes to ceasse,
And silent in the sacred woods
to rest my selfe in peace,
And on the roofe of learnings lodge
on hye to hange my harpe:
Tyll that these tymes be ouerpast
and doleful seasons sharpe,
Tymes much to be bewaylde: wherein
the discorde that doth broyle
Among the states, all Italy
wyth warres doth seke to spoyle,
Whereby doth Rome lament hir case,
hir housholdes layd on ground,
Ticinum, Narniæ, Melphis eke
this fall haue felt and found.
And Naples that wyth Mermaydes tomb
so famous lately ioyed
Beholding now hir orchards fayre
wyth French mens hands destroied.
of Sebethes so cleare.
What should I tel the wōdrous flames
that in the skyes appeare,
More bright than dayes & locusts grim,
like cloudes the Sunne to hide,
And tender corne with gredy iawes,
to spoyle on euery syde?
How many cities woful plague,
and piteous famine sore,
Hath quite depriued of Citizens?
how many places more,
Wyth flouds are almost perished?
Alas how iustly now doth God
plague vs in sundry case?
What mischief do we not commyt,
what iustice is in place,
What loue or seruice here of God?
Religion now is made
An occupation for the purse,
a Marchandise and trade.
The sacred rytes are aye defyled,
wyth hands of baudy mates.
Yet loke theron and let it passe,
the Kings and Princely states,
they not esteeme nor way.
Thus ouer vs pore misers here,
such blockes do beare the sway,
Therefore I wyl go hence a while,
and in Parnasus hyll
Until my Muse doth cal me forth,
lye close and secrete styll.
Sagittarius, the ninth Booke.
It waxeth light now Muse enoughwythin Castalian lake,
We rested haue, the wrest therfore
and Harp in hand go take:
Set strings in tune, and with thy grace
accustomed to thy kinde,
Sing Goddesse auncient melody:
good verses fyl thy minde
That erst Apollo wonted was
in Bay tree woods to tel:
While he by riuer stoode that runnes
from out Permessus Wel.
Us calles behold another toyle
wherein some prayse doth lye,
of Parnas hylles so hye
Beholde the sundry mindes of men,
and eke their liuing marke.
Nowe past the middest of surging seas
had runne my sayling barke,
And now the toppes of lofty trees
wyth frosty ryndes were white:
When as a certaine God vnknowne
by me stoode vp in syght,
And shining wyth his beames deuine
expellde the blackishe night.
A certaine rock I then behelde
whose top did reache so hye,
That passing cloudes aboue it might
discouer plaine the skye:
Harde semed it first to enter vp,
for ragged stones there was
Placed round about, which made ye way
both straight, and ill to passe,
The bottom all beset wyth bryers:
the mydst more mylde againe,
And nerer as it comes to skyes
the path appeares more playne,
And easyer to be trauailed,
Theorea eke it hyght
my Ghost and guiding spright.
To top wherof when as we came
I myght beholde and see,
Eche place with wōdrous syghts fulfild
and furnished to bee,
Which if my tong would here declare
the Sunne should soner slyde
To lowest partes, and night the earth
with misty cloke should hyde.
Whyle as I stay, and gase vpon
the large and ioyfull syghtes:
Lo fallyng from the skyes aloft
a voice these wordes recytes:
Stellatus bowe thy knees, and here
thy humble prayers make
Unto the Almighty king, without
whose grace thou canst not take
The pleasant pleasures of this mount.
Therefore in humble wyse
Kneele thou to God, for fauour all
doth fall to earth from skyes:
For nothing is wherof to man
can greater profyte flowe,
Than heauenly helpe with holy prayers
to get, and God to knowe.
my face, and hande vpright,
I bowed my knees, and poured out
these words in harty plight.
O Father great of saints, chiefe powre
that in the worlde may be,
Than whom may neuer thing be found,
nor thought of more degree,
Remoued farre from body here,
yet framing fashyons all,
Both such as neuer fade, and such
as times at length lettes fall:
The first, and of beginning voide,
the fountaine whence doth spring
All kinde of good, of nature eke
the auctor, guide, and king:
That all things here dost comprehende,
comprended thou of none,
The hye Almighty Maiesty,
and chiefest good alone,
Lyfe, wysedome, order, praise, and ende,
minde, truth, way, lyght, and grace,
No where thy selfe inhabiting,
and dwelling in eche place,
Unmoueable, and mouing giuest
to all and euery thing,
all kynde of things do spring:
In one estate remaining styll,
and changing in no time,
The chiefest cause that rowling aye
the Globe where starres doe shine,
Doest guide by fixed law thappoin-
ted force of destenye:
Of Lordes the greatest Lorde of all,
and King of Kings most hye,
Before whose face a thousande boastes
of Angels glystering bright,
Doe minister with ioyfull hymnes
in presence of thy syght,
Amidst the ample fieldes of lyght
aboue the worlde so hye
Where aptest place and seate there is
for things of certaintye.
I worship thee, I honor thee,
and prostrate here on face
I lyft mine eyes desyring thee
wyth mylde and cherefull grace,
Upon me synfull man to looke,
and heare my earnest crye,
Poure downe into my earthly brest
thy beames of lyght from hye,
alas in dolefull wyse,
Whyle in consuming carcasse here
and fading fleshe it lyes.
Graunt me the perfect path to finde
least harmefull errors sting
wyth fansy fonde, and iudgement blind,
in synne me headlong fling.
For without thee, the wit of man,
and force of mortall kinde,
while it intendes to mount a loft
receiues a greater fall:
As Icarus whose wyngs him faylde
when he flewe hyest of all.
Graunt therfore O most mighty king
to mee thy creature lowe,
Thy will to learne, and thee to please,
and then that I may knowe
Mine own estate, from whence I came,
and wherto I was made,
And whether I at length shall passe
when that from hence I fade:
what here in lyfe I should perfourme,
and what I should not doe:
That when dame Lachesis my threde
of lyfe hath snapt in two,
that long with priuie stelth
Procurde my graue death bring my rest
and part of sauing helth.
These words thus sayde, an other voice
againe did pearce my eares,
Thalmighty Lorde thou pleased hast
thy prayer full well he heares:
Pluck vp Stellatus now thy heart
to thee for to remaine
Here on this mount it graunted is
and sacred fruites to gaine.
Thys said forthwith the voice did ceasse,
nor worde it vttered more:
Then in my minde a greater force
I felt, than earst afore,
And sharper syght: then looked I forth
all things descerning well
And for my eyes, they myght presume
olde Linceus to excell.
With that I felt a subtill wynde
to lyft me vp on hye,
which softly causde me to ascende
to toppe of starry skye:
Much lyke the byrde that beares ye darts
that Vulcans forge dyd frame,
doe fling and flashe oft flame.
And nowe approcht I nere the Moone
whose gates I had in syght,
Wherof, part glistred all with golde,
and part with syluer white.
I entre in beholding al,
when straight with me doth meete
Timalphes yong, of vertues great,
and eke of fauoure sweete:
(Whom of Arete Ioue begat
in auncient tymes of olde.)
He knewe me straight, for oft he had
hys mothers hestes me tolde,
And when eche other greted was
he much things asked of me:
And after brought me to a towne
of hugest quantitie,
The loftye walles of Diamonde strong
were raysed hye and framde,
The bulwarks built of Carbuncle,
that all as fiery flamde.
O Lorde what gorgeous houses there,
and goodly syghtes I saw,
As Temples fayre, and Theaters,
and streetes, and seates of lawe:
and more of goodly kinde
I there beheld, but cannot now
beare al away in minde:
And though I could remembre al
yet God doth not allowe,
That cōmon peoples heads shuld know
the state of all, and how.
I wondred at the number great
that through the city so
Al clad in white by thousands thick
amyd the streates to go,
Their heads beset wyth garlands fayre
in hand the Lillies white,
They ioyful beare Menarchus guyde
of Cynthyus kingdome bright:
Remembring oft wt Himnes they syng,
and swete agreing layes,
Menarchus name they oft rehearse,
Menarch wyth Psalme they prayse:
Menarchus name did Eccho lowde
resounding oft send out,
He vanquished in happy fielde
th' Arcadian giants stout:
As then Timalphes tolde to me
wyth wordes that were not vayne.
of hylles, and al lay playne,
There dreadful giants Kingdome held,
as Mænalos the hye,
And Pholoe, and Lyceus great
that ioyed in woods to lye:
And Erymanth whose shoulders bare
the backes of sauage swine,
Cyllenes eke that boylde wyth spyte,
agaynst the powers diuine:
Who fyrst before the rest presu-
ming al of force and might,
Durst giue ill language to the Moone
wyth wordes of canckred spite,
That they before hir long were borne,
and of more noble race,
And so that they deserue the names
of Gods, and higher place.
Besydes in rage a towre they built
amyd the skies to looke:
O Nemroth larger farre than thine,
and wyth an yron hooke,
Attempted thrice from place to pluck
this Goddesse where she standes,
Bloud red for feare to see hir selfe
so nere to wretches hands:
wyth valeant force and might,
And thrice the iuice out prest from gras
of olde Saturnus spright:
Among them cast the poyson runnes
straightwayes through al their bones
Wyth chylling colde, consumed wt payn
they leaue their liues at once:
And vggly soules they cleane forsake,
which hel below receaues,
Wher as with paynes they plagued are
that neuer after leaues.
But now their bodies quite destroyde
by force of venome late,
Their carcasse turnde to lofty hilles
kepes name wyth chaunged state.
Whereby this deede and triumph great
in minde the Moone men beare,
And celebrate wyth solemne pompe
this feast from yeare to yeare,
And to their king they worship make
with great and ioyful cheare.
Thus passing forth, we found a tower
that all of Gold did shine,
Al wrought, & set wyth precious stones
of sundry colours fine:
may euer set his feete:
We stayde therfore, and by the space
of large and ample streete,
On euery syde we might beholde
approching soules at hand,
And there before the seate and place
of iudgement for to stand:
Which placed was agaynst the towre,
and wrought right cunningly,
Three sonnes of Ioue and fayth begot
syt there in seates ful hye,
To iudge the soules, regarding wel
of al their sinnes the store,
And vertuous deedes that euery man
hath done in earth before.
Telescopus and Dorophon
Philorthus frend alway
To iustice, these, desertes and faultes
in perfect balance way:
And by their iudgements very fewe
to heauen did ascend:
But thousands of the same agayne
to earth did downe descend,
And many also in the Moome
they did commaund to stay.
at length I gan to say:
Declare to me good guyde quoth I,
if Hell beneath doth lye
In deepest dongeon of the earth,
and to the Center nye,
And soules thereto conueyde they say
the corse clapt vnder hearce,
Olde Aeacus and Minos there
and Radamanthus fearce
Do euer iudge, and giue rewardes
or else deserued payne,
How chaunceth it I here beholde
the like thing done agayne?
Mannes mind (quoth he) in pryson dark
of carcasse shut doth lye:
And forced by fault and ignorance,
is led by wayes awry.
By this is man to dreames and toyes
of nature prone and bent,
And from the truth he wanders farre,
if grace do not preuent.
No maruel thoe, if many things
your Poets false haue song:
Bycause to treade the steppes of truth
lies not in euery tong.
these mysteries I tell:
All things are good and neuer fade
aboue the Moone that dwell,
Nor griefe can vexe those sacred states:
But all that nature framed beneath
the Moone, is nought, and ill,
And lawe seuere of death doth feele,
and force of time to spyll.
These places doth the middle spheare
of Moone in twaine deuide,
Placde equally betwixt the worlde
doth boundes to heauen bide.
Thus when that lyfe is fledde, all soules
are brought vnto thys place,
And here pleade gilty or vngilty
before the iudges face:
By whose awarde, to certaine roomes,
according to their deedes
They straight are sent, receiuing there
for their desertes their meedes.
And euery one the heuyer they
with heapes of vice are made,
The deeper they descende the pyt
of darke infernall shade.
and farther of from crime,
So much they higher mounting vp,
more nye the heauens clime.
But they whose ylles do counterpease
the vertues of their minde,
For to remaine about the Moone,
are many yeares assinde:
Tyl eyther falling fresh to vice,
when many yeares are spent,
They turne to earth, or purged wel,
are into heauen sent.
Loe thus he sayd. But then agayne
what is the cause quoth I,
That soules so fewe the starres approch
and gayne the heauens hie?
Why runne they hedlong so to vice,
and (Misers) vertue flye,
Why more esteme they dark than light
and rather synne to apply
Than vertue pure? where of to them
doth so great madnesse rise?
What will so fond doth them beguile,
what fansy bleares their eyes?
Then aunswered thus Aretes sonne:
both I do it desire,
the things thou dost require,
And many other things besyde,
which thou thy selfe shalt say,
Are worthy to be learned here
and to be borne away,
Since here wythout the power of God
I know thou canst not come,
Who list such things to thee to shewe:
before the gates of whome
No man aliue may once approch,
except by him assinde,
Then now giue eare, and what I say,
beare wel away in minde.
But nedeful fyrst it is for vs
a little hence to walke.
We went, and in a lofty tower
we both syt downe to talke,
From whence both seas & land ful plain
we might beholde and see.
Then thus from sacred brest, this voice
he vttred out to me:
As of them selues the soules can not
be yll, nor bent to synne,
Since yt their kinde doth come frō skyes
and spring from God begynne:
their natures can be nought,
Since God them made who neuer thing
of euill state hath wrought.
But many other causes be
that into dongeon vile
Of hel do downwards thrust these souls
and them with vice defile.
And chiefe of them the body is,
wherein the soule lyes bounde
As in a pryson strong, whose bondes
doth iudgement quite confounde:
No otherwyse than fyre is hydde
wythin an earthen pot,
And misty cloudes doe darke the syght
of flaming Phebus hot.
Then all things doth the soule forget,
And Lethes streames doth taste,
And lyke apperes to papers blankt,
wherein no worde is placde.
Thus captiue closed in fading fleshe,
a thousande mischiefes ill,
A thousande Monsters hir assault,
and alwayes seeke to spill,
Lyke as the Goldefinch whyle in cage,
hir dolefull desteny
doth seeke to pacify:
To whom all close and couertly
the crafty Cat comes neare,
And driues molesting sore the wretche
on euery syde to feare.
The Cat a bane to symple byrdes,
of Myce the finder out,
She fearing sore the spoylers pawe,
doth flutter rounde about
The Cage, and saues hir selfe by flight:
when present doth appeare
An other foe with furye lyke
the selly wretche to feare,
Who thrusting in hir Tallons sharpe,
doth take hir cleane away,
And feedes thereon with wonted noyse
as on accustomed pray.
So here and there with diuers foes
th' vnhappy soule is tost,
And flying farre the ginnes of some
is in the others lost;
While inclosde in carcasse here it liues
It knowes not what to do,
What daunger here for to beware,
or what to cleaue vnto.
much like the dronken wyght
It stackring standes. Whereby, if that
by some that teache aryght,
Or by their ayde that warning giue,
it be not ledde or brought
From darkenes blinde vnto the lyght,
it runneth styll to nought,
And better things doth aye refuse.
of soule the chiefest staye:
Contagion fyrst, and chiefest ill,
that through the fleshe doth rayne,
Is ignoraunce of truth and good,
from whence out springeth than,
False iudgement as the greatest plague
that happens vnto man.
Wherof two monsters are begot,
folly, and wickednesse,
From these two euery ill proceedes
that man can here expresse.
For all men sinne, eyther bicause
the goodes here counterfeat
They most esteeme as folly leades,
or else that mischiefe great
Doth prick them forth to wicked deedes.
Wherfore, we iustly may
that doth from reason stray.
But in that part of soule that lustes,
there syttes dame follyes grace,
And there she pytched hath hir tents,
and chose hir dwelling place:
In the other part all bent to wrathe,
there mischiefe hath his holde,
With force, and Craft, & poyson strong
most dreadfull to be tolde.
These two (for truth) are mighty kings,
and armyes great behinde
They leade, and both destroy
the state of mortall kinde.
They both are ygnorant of truth,
and framed false iudgement by,
(As earst was tolde) the soules that in
the carcasse buryed lye
Unmindefull of their owne estate,
and voide of light withall,
Into three lakes of Hell, and death,
they leade, and downe let fall.
Of which the first Limosum hight,
therein doth pleasure rayne,
Spinosum is the other calde,
where vile desyre to gaine,
Fulmosum hath to name,
where pride beares sway, yt thristeth still
for honours hye and fame.
In these three lakes the greatest part
doe perishe euery daye:
Of all the soules within the worlde
this is the chiefe decay.
For such as slyde into these pooles.
them euermore distroyes
The lust of fleshe, and gredy minde,
of fonde and fading ioyes.
Ne of themselues they knowledge haue,
nor of the heauens bright,
Nor other lyfe they thinke to be
than this in present syght.
O fylthy, fonde, and doltishe mindes
from heauen turned quite,
Not minding hye or worthy things
but still in brutishe plite,
Respecting only here the earth.
Besydes are causes mo,
Wherby the soules infected are,
and often plaged so.
For where the clouds are thronged thick
and showres of raine proceede,
doe flashe of lightnings breede,
There is the place of vglye sprites,
by whom doe plagues aryse,
With battailes fierce & raging stormes,
through seas, and lande that flyes.
By craft and by the tempting force
of them, and their deceit,
The symple sort of men doe fall
to euery mischiefe great:
Hereby both right and honesty,
they quite cast from their minde.
But now, bicause these temptours here,
and fiendes of deuilishe kinde,
Fewe can obtaine wyth eyes to se,
therfore but fewe beleue
That any such things doe remaine,
nor credit wyll they geue:
Nay rather many doe account
it but an ydle fame,
And as at dreames of folkes diseased,
so laugh they at the same.
But thou driue from thy minde away
thys foolishe heresy,
And giue good credite to my wordes
of greatest certainty.
I teache not trifles vaine,
I wyll procure that thou shalt see
all thyngs before thee plaine.
But fyrst it needefull is wyth prayers
Dame Rainebowe for to trye,
Who wonted was to beare the hestes
of Iuno through the skye:
That she with winde disperse ye cloudes,
and make the skyes looke fayre,
Least that thy syght be hyndered,
by dymnesse of the ayre.
Then humbly in thys wyse I praide:
O thou Thaumatis hye,
Of sundry colour to beholde
a beauty to the skye,
That stretchest forth in misty cloudes,
thy great and myghty bowe,
And Phebus shining bright his beames
in thee doest beare and showe,
And flouds vp suckt vnto the cloudes
dost bring and carry farre,
O Rainebowe wondrous syght to men
and Iunoes Messanger:
And truely got of Thaumas olde,
the daughter passyng fayre,
a cleare and Crystall ayre.
Shut vp in caues of Eolus,
the southwindes cause of rayne,
And sende abrode the northerne blastes,
to make fayre dayes againe.
Immediately vpon these wordes,
from out the northerne syde
Did Boreas blowe, and with hys blast
clearde all both rounde and wyde,
Then sprinkling in mine eyes a iuyce,
my guide, beholde quoth he,
Now shall the secrets of the worlde,
reueled be to thee.
Now open wyde your springs, & playne
your caues abrode displaye,
You Systers of Parnasus hyll,
beset about wyth baye,
And vnto me (for neede it is)
a hundred tongues in verse
Sende out, that I these ayrie kings
and people may rehearse,
Deceiuers great of men and guides
of vice, which all that liue
Doe styll molest: and by their craft
mans soule to hell doe giue.
Aurora fayre doth ryse,
And bright from out the Occean seas,
appeares to mortal eyes,
And chaseth hence the Hellish night,
wyth blushing beauty fayre,
A mighty King I might discerne,
placde hie in lofty chayre,
Hys haire wyth fyry garland deckt,
puft vp in fiendish 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 Flindermice
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
wyth lothsome shagged haire,
A number great about him stoode,
a wondrous sorte of men,
A greater company I think
than Xerxes trayned, when
By force of armes (vnhappy man)
the Greekes 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 bellowes 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.
amyd the westerne streames:
From whence among the Spaniards low
he throwes his latest beames,
I cast mine eyes, and like the fyrst
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 forthwyth lose their witte,
And heauenly things do cleane despise:
and wyth such thirst they broyle,
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:
Bloud 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,
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 yt raigns
in partes of Boreas colde
Of Lechery, and Glotonye,
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
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 ye 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 wt wings full black
that swiftly flying bee.
Amongst them all a mighty king
there stoode with Crowne of pride
wyth lowring browes, and dogged looke
and in hys mouth full wyde
A monstrous tongue he hissyng shooke,
and lyke the lothsome Snake
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 wel doth 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 rocks
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,
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 tolde me there,
And that Miastor was his name,
by whose awarde seuere,
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 ne suffer may
To see their fellowes lyue in wealth,
but thereat pyne away.
At last they thrust thē through wt dartes
and soules ful sicke expell,
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 as
the beames from Phœbus fal.
I then beheld this vggly fiend,
placde vnder cloth of state,
That in his hand the scepter held,
of mischiefe pride and hate.
From him doth spring ful bloudy cōbs,
and seauen hornes in hight,
The number like of lofty towers
in shewe resembling right.
all fyerie filthy glowe,
And from his dampishe throte he doth
the smoky flames out throwe,
Alas, how farre the number great
of hys companions spreade,
What armyes armed all wyth dartes
and gunnes, thys fiende doth leade:
As if he would the heauens burst,
and saincts from thence expell.
Then quoth my guide: thys diuell once
in beautie did excell,
And most with God in fauour stoode:
but minde disposed ill,
And pryde to prosprous state alied,
thys Miser quite did spyll.
For lyke to God he nedes would be,
and honours equall haue,
And thus from thence was banished
the proude presumptuous slaue.
Whom Michaell as he was assynde,
in grisley cloude hath tyde,
And there apointed him hys place
where he should styll abyde.
But often, of hys olde estate,
and ioyes of passed ryme
and thinkes the skyes to clime.
Hereof doth come the thunder crackes,
and fearefull flames of lyght,
And gastly syghtes of fyre doe flashe,
from cloudes as darke as night:
The beastes for feare amased stande,
and heartes of men doe quake.
But vext in vaine, and to no ende
hys trauayles doth he take,
Nor nerer can he come to skyes.
And he that guide of lyght
was once, and called Lucifer,
loues now to walke by night,
And darkenesse best of all estemes,
and leades with him hys sprightes,
And bugges, and goblins grimme of hel
and such deformed syghtes:
Sometimes by day when as he ioynes
a troupe of armed knaues,
And strawes wt bloudy Corses ye fieldes,
or drowneth shippes in waues,
Or when such mischief great he works:
Then comes he forth by lyght
But close, and sendes abrode hys men
in secret priuie plight,
and them with fury filles,
And secretely with sylent voice
persuades theyr minde to ylles.
But then quoth I: I thee beseeche my guide
let vs now leaue
These monstrous Diuels to beholde,
and state of man perceaue:
For from thys mount we easely may
both lande and seas discrye,
Nor profite small I thee assure
in thys prospect doth lye.
Then gased we both vpon the earth:
and fyrst I wondred most,
To see such diuers colours strange
in men of sundry cost.
For those that nerest leade theyr lyfe
vnto the middle lyne,
Are black, with blaberlips, and haire
both curlde and crisped fyne,
And naked cleane, or couerde else
with skynne of Kiddes full yll.
But such as dwell about the North,
where Golde is quaking styll,
In whytenesse seeme to passe the snow,
and scarce they can expell
the colde that there doth dwell.
Betweene these people all that be,
wyth black and whyte are died,
But more and lesse as farre and nere
they from the Sunne abyde.
Whyle thus I fondly wondred at
the things that there I see,
Why doest yu (quoth my guide) regarde
the things that vaynest be?
why viewest thou thus the colours vaine
in fleshe of mortall man:
Farre better shall it be for thee
theyr manners well to scan,
And diuers fashyons of theyr mindes,
and works of them to see,
wherby thou shalt beholde the lyfe
of man, I shewing thee,
And what confusyon is therein.
Fyrst, fayne thou here a hande,
whose thombe directly vpwarde ryse
and fingers open stande:
And on the thombe place thou the men
of best disposed minde,
That worldly things doe here despyse,
and things of heauenly hinde
dame wysedomes sacred grace,
Delyghting nature to beholde,
and hye Celestyall place,
Unharmefull, gentle, louing best
the vertuous things and right,
Whom neither riches can corrupt,
nor fleshely fonde delight,
Nor glasse of pompous state alure:
men of a heauenly kinde,
And Gods incarnate here on earth,
but rare and scant to finde.
For all such things that perfect are
are scarse and selde to see,
O that the mighty Lorde would cause
thee such a one to bee.
Next standes to thys the forefinger,
whereto thou shalt assyne
Discretest men, the seconde sort,
and good we them defyne,
Yet leane they some thing to the world,
as fyt to beare the sway
In cities and in common wealthes,
and banners to display,
And fayth and iustice eke they loue,
and vertuous seeke to be:
they are not fully free.
To whom if God at any time
the rule and empire giue,
Then comes the golden tymes againe,
and vertue here to liue,
And iustice to the earth returnes,
and peace doth beare the sway,
And vice with punnishement seuere
is forced for to stay.
The middle finger followes then,
of estimation small,
Whereon thou must apoint a place
vnto those Minions all,
Whose mindes are ready to conceiue,
and wittes for to inuent,
Whose tongs doe flowe with eloquēce,
to vtter theyr intent:
But wycked, and vniust they are
and full of vyllanyes,
And bending alwayes to the earth
doe not beholde the skyes,
A suttle sort, that foxes heartes
within theyr guilfull brest,
Doe alwayes beare, and symple soules
with fraude doe styll molest.
yet lyst they for to seeme,
Both good, and Godly men, and such,
as vertue most esteeme,
And otherwise than they do meane
theyr tong doth talke alwayes:
And all they doe is done for gaine,
or else for hope of prayse,
Nor lyfe but thys they none esteeme
nor looke for to enioy.
And these are they that euermore
doe wise men most anoy,
And armde wt fraude, on fauour staide
(which eyther they obtaine,
Wyth slauishe seruice done to them,
or else with giftes doe gaine)
The Godly purposes they let,
and truth with craft they hyde:
And if their cunning there doe fayle
then force in tyme is tryde,
Then vse they swords, or flames of fyre,
or strength of poyson trye:
And if they cannot closely hurt
then worke they openly.
With these such iolye seruitours
in euery time, and place,
and eke hys owne good grace.
This staffe he chiefly leaneth on,
wyth this great helpe and stay,
He conquest makes vpon the earth,
and brings them to obay.
More crafty Knaues than wisemē liue,
and stronger aye they be,
That wyn the Palme, and triumph stil,
wyth spoyle of honesty.
Which when they scepter hold in hand,
or rule in cyties beare,
Then cōmes the yron world agayne,
and Mars approcheth neare,
Then fury conquers lawes and right,
then lawful is it found
For vice to lyue vnpunnished,
then vertue lies a groūd.
No men more mischieuous than these
among the mortal state
Do liue, nor none there are that more
the Gods aboue do hate.
Now next in place the Fooles do syt,
who presently must stand
Upon the fynger fourth in place,
of this thy fayned hand.
who doth not playnly know?
Dame nature ioyes in making Fooles,
as she doth oft to sowe
Both Nettles, Docks, & filthy Weedes
dul wyt, and doltysh brayne
These Idiotes haue, they seeke not for
the ioyes of soule to gayne:
And only of their lyfe, and panch,
lyke beastes their God they make.
These doltysh Fooles by thousād wyles
the crafty sort do take,
And many false and wicked things
to do, they them persuade,
And wyth their language as they lyst
do trayne them to their trade.
For Fooles do quickly credit giue,
as children also wyll,
But sonest so vice: opinions worst
in them appeareth styll,
To whome is also worser minde:
hereof it doth aryse
That Foles beleue these crafty Knaues
before the Godly wyse:
For councel naught these Foxes gyue,
and teach from truth to slyde,
the fylthy vice they hyde.
But though by many meanes they do
these foresayd doltes beguyle,
Of superstition yet there is
a playne and easy wyle,
Wel knowen to al the worlds of olde:
the which this subtile kinde
Doth chiefly vse, for to the church
of God themselues they binde,
And holy rytes they minister.
Then cause they sore to feare
The blockish heartes of Idiotes,
and them they threaten there,
Except wyth giftes they please ye saincts
except they do appease
Wyth Golde the wrath of God for syn,
and purchase their release,
Which strayght these Prelats chast receiue,
wherwith they fat and feede
The Harlots and their Curtisans,
and Mules to serue at neede.
For who doth not the lyfe of Priestes
both note and well beholde?
And how they do poore Fooles deceiue:
yet scape they vncontrolde:
that onely do apply
Their mindes to pastyme, belly cheare,
and filthy lechery.
These things the Gods do aye permitte
that little seeme to wey
What hands do deale their sacraments
what hearts do them obey,
What honours here on earth they haue
or else what blasphemy.
But now to Fooles I come agayne,
whome when in seate on hie
Hath Fortune placde for hir delight,
O lord what number great
Of Follies shalt thou then beholde?
to long it were to treate.
Then vertue made a iesting stock,
and placde aloft is vice,
Then daunces fonde, and bankettings,
and playes are had in price:
Then flock of Parasites and whores,
in euery place are seene:
Then filthy fond delight alone
doth guide the soyle as Queene,
For as the Prince is commonly
so do the subiects lyue,
themselues they alwayes gyue.
Not onely pleasure vnto Fooles
of kindred we do fynde,
But anger oftentymes doth match
hir self wyth Folish mynde:
For Fooles are easely moued to wrath,
and desprate enterprise,
As oft as fury flames wythin
and choller vp doth rise:
Then wicked loue of weapon springs,
and bloudy broyles thereby,
That many corses gyue to death
ful colde in graue to lye:
A naughty kinde of men are these
and much to be auoyded.
The last the lyttle fynger is
wherwyth the eares are scratched,
And therfore calde the earefynger
where mad men placed syt,
That lack the vse of reason right,
and that haue lost their wyt:
Whose fury if it neuer ceasse,
more fyt for them to dye
It were, and from so great disease
by meanes of death to flye.
there are, and neuer more:
The rest are alwayes naught and yll,
auoyd them wel therefore,
Or if thou canst not them auoyd,
beware yet at the least
Thou mouest them not, ye cōmon sorte,
a fierce and cruel beast
Do alwayes rage, and hurtful be.
When thus Timalph had taught,
May not (quoth I) these Foles & wolues
to good estate be brought?
May vice by no meanes be expeld?
or if there be a way
Disclose to me. Then on thys sorte
Timalphes gan to say:
As nature in mannes body doth
diseases diuers breede,
So many Sicknesses to the mynde
from hir do like proceede:
And trauayle lyke to both hath dealt.
Loe, how she man doth loue:
Yet many succours hath she set
for mortall mannes behoue,
Which if she had not done, to sore
and cruell had she bene.
and as to harme she is seene,
So had she skyl to heale agayne:
that iustly you may doubt
A naturall Mother hir to cal,
or else a stepdame stout.
But now let vs the bodies griefes,
and medcins for the same
Passe ouer quite, in many bookes
declarde of auncient fame:
And of the minde as much as neede
shal presently require,
Let vs here speake to teach more plaine
the thing thou didst desire.
And first, as nature so disposing it
the rude and countrey fielde,
Uile Nettels, weedes & brembels sharp
continually doth yelde,
Except it oftentimes be tilde,
and eke wyth labour sore,
The hurtful wedes with plough & rakes
be causde to grow no more,
Nor this enough, it needeful is
good seedes therein to cast,
And dayly for to husbande it
till daunger all be past.
wythin the body here,
As ouergrowen wyth Bryars sharp,
and wylde it doth appere:
Except it ayded be wyth helpe
of one that tilleth well,
And aptly vertues therein plantes,
and vices doth expell.
But what is husbandry of minde
perhaps thou sekest to know:
Its wysedome, wisdome that I meane,
that manners good doth showe,
That makes men vertuous for to be,
and playne doth teach the way
To mortal men, of liuing right,
and leauing for to stray,
Persuading them to leade their liues
in perfect Godly state,
And righteousnesse to exercise,
and sinnes to shunne and hate.
This only is the wisdome true,
and not that other kinde,
Wherto Physitians and vayne clerkes
do still apply their minde:
Attempting causes hydde of things
to bring abrode to light,
of nature, day and night:
Materiam primam, and Vacuum,
and thousande monsters more
with blustring countnāce belching out,
that they might seeme therfore
Well learnde, and stuffed full
theyr purse with coyne may strayne.
O goodly wisedōe, whose learned youth
doe eyther gape for gaine,
Or smell with vaine ambition:
but none amongst them thoe
Doth vertuouser, from thence
or better manerde goe,
No teacher of the minde is thys,
nor wysedome hir we call:
But rather knowledge hath to name,
if that she doe not fall,
From doubtful pathes of men deceiude.
who thys hath learned than
No witt but knowledge gaines by it,
and of a cunning man
Perchance he beares the name, but not
of wyse and prudent wyght.
These two doe differ farre in state,
and workes in diuers plight,
from knowledge the floure doth ryse,
The one doth profite, ayde, and helpe,
the other beautifies:
The one respectes the inwarde things,
the other outwarde shine,
The one makes vertuous men, & good,
the other learned, and fyne.
Thus wysedome onely decks the minde
which manners God doth showe
As I haue sayde, destroyeth vice,
and vertue there doth sowe,
And waters it with heauenly showers.
O light of mankinde here,
O perfite way of sauing helth,
defence, and comfort clere,
Both entry dore, and guide of lyfe
O peace, and salue of minde,
O blessed worthy sanctuary,
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 porches lowe,
now no man doth thee knowe:
But Poets dreames and tryfles fonde
for thee in place doe raine.
what learnes ye scholler now in scholes,
what knowledge doth he gaine?
But fansyes vaine, or baudy tales:
beholde in seate full bye
The Master syttes, with 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 loues of auncient time,
or else to light doth bring
Some monstrous, or some cruell fact,
or lamentable thing.
O brayne deseruing to be purged,
doest thou these wayes instruct?
The tender mindes and ignorant
bring vp with such a fruict?
so yong is made to say?
Is it not shame wyth tryfles 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,
Eternall, best, omnipotent,
and of most hye degre,
Who heauen, and the golden Starres
that shine throughout al the skye,
or not be seene wyth eye,
Of nothing, with hys beck alone
before all tymes hath made,
And framde thē kepes, & gouernes here
with euerlasting trade.
Hym worship, honor, feare and prayse,
and often to hym praye,
Both nights, & dayes, when Sūne 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 vertuous canst thou finde:
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 sayncts 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
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 iudge 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 ye Starres are eyther Gods,
Or Temples where they lye.
These grounde workes layde, wt 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
but alwayes doe to them
As thou wouldst they should do to 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 euermore
from doing well and right:
and death to come in minde,
Then flye 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 nūber 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.
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 right horne forth doth stretch,
Though that the way be strayt, & steepe
the top thereof 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,
the fading corse in graue.
But me vnhappy wretch alas
did pleasure swete deceaue,
And fled away doth me in briars
and many mischieues leaue:
For whilst that I in youthful yeares
the stewes do oft frequent,
And while to feeding, slepe, and play,
my doltish 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 oft
the slouthfull sluggish man,
When age the neighbor nexte to death,
doth count to late as than
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 fast 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 flyes,
and fled can not retourne,
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 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 headlong runne amysse.
wyth wisedome wel prouide,
For afterwyttes are euermore
to folly next alied:
And out of tyme it bringeth griefe
bewayling 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,
Ungodlinesse, 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
he doth acknowledge here,
But purse and pens his chiefe delight:
nor sees the vnhappy best
Now 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 he
To blinded chaunce, nor let no care
of such things trouble thee:
For proper vnto no man are
the things, which as the lykes
Doth fortune giue, and takes away
when she vnconstant strykes:
to diuers men descend.
Nay, other riches shalt thou seke
that neuer shal haue ende,
On which no chaūce 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 yu wyn thee praise
and health for euermore,
And for this earthly baggage here
the Skies aboue shalt gayne.
No man is he, but sure a wolfe
that doth not mercy showe,
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 euerlasting 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.
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 clere 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 ye proude, & suffers not
to dwell with him in skyes.
wherfore you proude disdainful swarme
what doth your pryde you gaine?
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 bee,
Tell, what discretion 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.
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 thā 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 styll doth sport
in mortall mans estate,
And out of order all confoundes,
as she doth lyke, or hate:
Oft tymes exalting to the starres
the slouthfull seruile kinde,
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 shewe himselfe in syght.
But harebrainde Fortune alwaies doth
in counterfaites 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 cōtemnde, & harmde,
with which no force doth raine,
Whom no authoritie supportes,
nor honour doth maintaine.
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 woūds,
& woūds 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 ye deedes
done vnaduisedly.
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 fight.
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,
his anger that doth spring,
And neuer breake the bondes of peace
for euery tristing thing,
Forgiuing still 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 doe lye.
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 artes: for voyde therof
it is both dull, and blinde.
And thus, as hath bene sayde before,
those fooles, and foxes, well
in seate of blysse to dwell.
These thīgs while as my guide declarde
in presens Mercury,
The poste of Gods, and Atlas Sonne,
sent downe from Ioue stoode by:
And willde Timalphes in hast
the heauens to ascende,
For all the saints (quoth he) are willde
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)
Of lyuing 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.
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 Cæsar 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
in haste he takes his way.
Capricornus, the tenth Booke.
Al haile to thee good Mercury,from Stygian lake so soone
Art thou returnde? declare what things
in Plutoes court are doone:
Great brawles, & raging mad vprores,
what is the cause or why?
I wyll thee tell, although in haste
I must to heauen flye.
So great a sort of Turkes and Iewes,
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 be,
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,
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 ye 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 ende of all the rest,
both Gods, and man, and beast,
As fixed state of destiny
commaundeth to be had:
God Pluto then tell me quoth I
why sytste thou here so sad?
So sad quoth he: doest thou not thinke,
to great a wrong I byde,
When you possesse so great a space
of heauen large and wyde?
When as but fewe you are, and when
scarce three (when all is done,)
Or little more, in greatest space
and tract of tyme do come:
And I to be enclosde within
a kingdome here so small,
Where out of number mortal men
continually do fall:
The Iewes and al the Turkish broode,
not all the Christian bend
(I graunt) but sure the greatest parte,
do here, do here descend,
And hither to my parkes they runne:
why come they more to me?
Or why doth not my brother there
that Skies doth ouersee
take vp to heauen hye,
And them in blessed place wyth him
preserue continually?
Is is not shame, these men that in
the Church so swetely sing,
And day by day, in sacred towers
the restlesse bells do ring,
That spend such store of Franconcense,
and many Hores relieue,
That pardon others, and can not
their owne mysdeedes forgiue,
That play the parts of paryshe Clerke,
the Corse to bring to graue,
And beautify the Church of God,
with Tombs and Pictures braue,
Is it not shame these men to sende
to Hell, with paynes therfore,
As thirsty Appulia neuer bred
of Flyes a greater store?
Nor once the chiefest Bishops he
doth dread, or more forbeare,
But rather wylls that they do feele
extreamest torments heere:
Thus in the deepest pyt of Hel
enclosde they lye in chaynes
with grieuous kinde of paynes.
Wherfore Cyllenius when thou comste
the Starres aboue vnto,
I pray thee shew my brother there
that al things I wyl do
With willing minde as he cōmaundes;
But yet in any wise
Let him respect my poore estate,
and kingdome not despise,
And either take some soules from hence
or else make Hel more wyde:
This sayd, I wyll (quoth I) and then
from thence in haste I hied.
And now to Heauen I retourne
nor longer can I stay:
Forget not me thy client poore
go blessed sainct away.
Thou Muse remembre well to shewe
to me thy verses fine,
For paper lowe at hand, and pen,
and leysure good and tyme:
Beginne and teache me in what sorte
a wyse man should be wrought.
Fyrst vnderneath a happy starre
he must to light be brought,
for greatly matter makes
Under what signe or what aspect,
a man his byrthday takes:
As they affirme that know the names,
and force, and motions hye
Of Starres, and cast natiuities,
and tell the destiny.
O Lord how great and wonderous
doth heauens force appeare,
Wythout whose help the earth nor seas,
could euer creature beare.
The Skye the Occean representes
the father here of all,
And stars the syster Nimphs by name
full aptly may we call,
Frō whence procedes al good on earth,
therfore can no man liue
As wise and blest, whō starres in byrth,
an yll aspect do giue.
Beside of great effect doth seeme
their parents state, and kinde,
Of whome the infant nourced is,
and who doth guide the minde.
For as the childe in tender yeares
himself at fyrst doth trayne,
within his heart remayne:
Long time that nature doth endure,
and long in minde doth lye,
That in our childish age at fyrst,
our senses did apply.
Therefore the master needes must be
both wyse and learned well,
That guides the childe, and also must
to vertue him compell.
And like the horsman good, now here,
now there must winde and wreste
The vntamed head, and now with bytte
and now wyth spurre molest:
Nor only him with words persuade,
but with examples teache:
For what if life be contrary
auayleth it to preach?
And fyrst be dilligent to kepe
him from the vicious kinde,
Ill company doth oft corrupt
a good and vertuous minde:
This poyson many hath destroyed,
wouldst thou be glad to tell
The nature iust of any man,
then marke his fellowes well,
and alwayes shalt thou finde
That conuersant are such as be
of one disposed minde.
wherfore let both the schoolemaster,
and parents well beware,
Least him whom they doe thus instruct
the naughty youth doe snare,
And them with filthy crimes infect:
alas full sone we all
Enclyned are vnto the worse,
and sone to vice we fall.
Besydes thys childe that here we fayne
a wyse man for to make,
Let him in Greeke, and latine bookes,
his daily trauaile take,
And giue good wyll and diligence
in learning to procede,
Refusyng al vnhonest bookes
let hym good aucthors reade:
For seldome is the vnlearned good,
for ignorance doth blinde,
And darkes with errours commonly
the rude vnskilful minde.
But yet from to much study and toyle
let him hys minde refraine,
thys wysedome to attaine:
Or fall into some great disease
and so himselfe destroy:
To much of euery thing doth harme
and long doth not enioye.
His sprites sometime to recreate,
and to refreshe his minde,
Let him absent him selfe and playe:
for rest in euery kinde
Doth quicknesse bring, and play in time
doth former force repaire.
But though eche kindes of learning is
both nedefull good and faire.
Yet chiefe among the rest are those,
and hyghest place obtaine,
That teacheth well ye Starres to know,
and nature opens plaine,
Let these our wyse men well apply
with all hys force and might,
In grauer age, and in these artes
let him spende hys delight:
And therwithall (as hath bene sayde)
the nurture of the minde
Well put in vre, both iust and good
shalbe and so shall winde
How goodly a thing is it
A man both learned and good to bee,
to knowe, and to haue wit?
A learned foole is to be fearde,
lyke as the furious braine.
With sworde in hande, so is the learnde
in whom doth vice remaine.
But yet suffyseth not alone:
the minde for to regarde,
And wyth good manners, & good artes
to haue it thus preparde:
When as the state of body here
we must not lightly way,
For if the body be diseased
it neuer can obay
The hestes of minde, yt doth commaund
both worthy things and great.
Wherfore we must our selues apply
to feede on holesome meate,
That may engender purest bloud:
for hurtfull humour springs
Of euill meates most commonly,
and such vnholsome things.
All dronkennesse must be eschewed,
and surfets must be fled,
and much anoye the head,
And rounde wyth fumes beset the brain,
by thys doth alwayes come
The dull appalled sense and spryte,
and sleepes of afternoone.
To exercise the body well
in due conuenient time,
Is great commodity to health,
and makes the force more fyne:
By to much slouth doth strength decay,
and by to long a rest.
The synowes faynt, and all the lymmes
by thys are quite opprest.
Besyde must colde extreme be shunde,
and heate that raging broyles,
And all corrupt and filthy ayres,
and fennishe moory soyles:
Especially in sommer tyme,
when dogge with fyerie teene
Doth cleaue the fieldes, & Grashoppers
syng vnder braunches greene.
In fine our selues we must apply
with all our force and might,
To bodyes health, that so it may
obey the minde aright,
if pouertye denye:
Needes must we money haue by chaūce
or gift of some that dye,
Or else by trade of occupying
in any facultye,
For euermore the nedy man
doth suffer miserye:
Nor without riches, possible
a happy lyfe to leade,
Alas how often vertue poore
doth mourne with heauy heade?
How much despysed she styll doth lye
if money be away?
Him truely and in proper kinde
a ryche man call we may
That flowes with wit, and eloquence,
with wysedome and with art,
And wheresoeuer he becomes
can gaine an honest part,
And portion for himselfe to liue,
and though he iorney makes
To diuers places farre from home,
hys substance with him takes,
And neuer wanteth needefull things
a ioyfull lyfe to leade,
or cruell robbers dreade,
And quickly doth hymselfe repaire
though he be spoyled quite:
For vertue true giues neuer place
to Fortunes frowning spite.
For euery dwelling in the worlde
doth natiue soyle appere
Unto the vertuous man, and well
he liueth euery where.
But he that vertue lackes, although
he great possessions holde,
And purses stuffed full wyth coyne,
and Coffers full of golde,
Yet can he not go where he lyst,
nor trauaile euery place,
To see the countreys straunge abrode,
and men of sundry grace,
And euery were to liue: for house,
and grounde, and Castels strong,
He can not beare about wyth hym
in all hys iorneys long,
Least yt perchaunce wt theeues he meete,
or perishe on the shore,
And then for Gods sake aske hys meate
at euery other dore.
and in hys countrey lyues
Where as hys ground a great increase
of Corne and wyne hym giues,
And as a banisht man he feares
beyonde the boundes to go,
That slouthfulnesse of minde, & chaunce
to him assigned so:
Wherby the goodly syghtes abrode
he can not viewe nor marke,
Whyle still at home he hidden lyes
as pent in dongeon darke.
Therfore the olde Philosophers
by fine inuention founde,
A certaine stone, that where they went
or trauailed any grounde,
Prouided them of needeful things,
and neuer would decay,
By ayde wherof, full many landes
and countreys farre away
They might hehold, and alwaies learne
of many sundry artes.
And thus of olde the Gods aboue
besought with humble heartes,
The sacrifyce on altare slaine
before as was the trade
Lo thus their prayers made.
O Titan, beauty of the worlde,
O fayrest God in syght,
O thou Latonia dryuing hence
the shadowes of the nyght,
O swyftly fleeting restlesse Impe
of Ioue and Maia borne,
That able arte to chaunge thy selfe
to shapes of sundry forme:
Be present here, and bowe your eares
to our complaints and crye,
Beholde a fewe, whose mindes & wittes
are in degree full hye,
That wisedome most of all esteme,
whyle cause of euery thing,
And secrete state of nature hyd
to lyght we seeke to bring,
And meat with minde the mighty skye:
vs neede doth ouertread,
And many great missehappes we feele,
of hunger almost dead:
Whyle as the doltishe common sort
doe all things rake and snatche,
And all the money heaping vp
into their coffers catche,
and if we aske a myte,
Then poynting at vs straight they iest,
and make of vs but light:
Wherby we are constraynde to delue,
or else attendance gyue
On toyling beastes, or cary doung,
scarce know we how to lyue:
And Idiotes are we made to serue.
Wherfore you Goddes aboue
Haue pyty yet at length of vs,
if good mennes stare you moue,
And shew an easy way by which
we may liue honestly,
And for to search the secrete dennes
where truth doth hydden lye.
These prayers hearde, the Gods anone
thus calde came forth in place,
And fyrst did Phebus aunswere make:
O noble worthy race
Of halfe Goddes, Skies deseruing wel
and fauour eke from hye,
Now hearken wel, and in your mindes
let these my sayings lye
Take here this yong Archadian bloud,
and swyft vntrusty swayne
let him forthwyth be slayne:
In bosome thrust of Hyales
him let the Gods receaue,
Whome Lemnian countrey worshippeth
and hye aloft him heaue:
Then bury him in warmed wombe,
and corrupted him vndoe,
Whose dropping ioyntes a sprite shall pearce
that falles our bodies fro,
And wondrously shal call agayne,
deceasde and quenched quite
Him from the darke new clad in cloke,
of golde, and shining bright
Wyth syluer shew, then him agayne
amyd the fyer cast:
An other strayght shall spring thereof,
as Phœnix chaunging fast,
And perfect leaue the bodies all
that it shall feale or touch,
The bondes and lawes of nature here,
surmounting aye by much,
Shal chaunge the kindes & driue away,
this needy pouerty.
Here Phebus ceasde, and Mercury,
and Dian did agree
forthwith away they flye,
Ascending to the lofty place
and compasde heauens hye.
Then men of hauty sense they blinde,
and aunswere all to darke,
Long pondring in their doubtful minds
do muse theron and marke,
And scarce in longest race of tyme
wyth proues of sundry kinde,
And not wyth little charges did
this arte at fyrst out finde,
Than which no arte more worthy is,
the heauenly stone to frame,
Which wicked people neuer knowe,
nor can obtayne the same.
And this whosoeuer doth enioy
may dwell in any land,
Both free frō feare of fortunes wheele,
and force of robbers hand:
But vnto fewe the Gods vouchsaue
so great a gift to giue.
Some wil demaund if it be meete
for wyse men here that liue,
To linck themselues in wedlocks bond,
and so the time to spend
Though some do this commend,
Yet this in mine opinion is
for holly men not meete,
For care of wife doth often let,
and loue of children sweete,
The wyttes deuine of wysest men,
that do their mindes apply
About such hye and hauty things,
as secretes of the Skye.
Let him that only seekes the worlde
reioyce in wyfe and childe,
And often to himselfe procure
the Gods of Mariage milde:
But let the wiseman alwayes ioye
in chaste and single plight,
And euermore liue vndefilde
in body and in spright.
For he that doth wyth slender fare
and small himselfe content,
And doth abstayne from carnal vse,
and prayer styll frequent,
And lifting minde aboue the starres
beholdes the chiefe degree,
Shal oft enioy the speach of God,
and oftentimes him see,
the things that after spring.
A sacred Gemme is chastitie,
to God most thankfull thing,
Unto the chaste he oft appeares,
and secretes oft doth tell:
Againe the filthy lecherye
and pastimes meete for hell,
He hates & shunnes and alwayes doth
such wanton mates detest.
But no man can a Uirgin be
but he whom God hath blest,
And doth assyst: Thys gratious gyft
doth from the skye descende,
Of higher state than man can get,
or man can comprehende:
No perfite wyseman can be had
except in thys degree.
It semeth also good to knowe
if it conuenient be
For wysemen dreadfull weapons fierce
of raging Mars to trye,
And for to bathe their hands in bloud,
of mortall enimie,
And to themselues by fight to get
an euerlasting name:
tue, glory, prayse, or fame
Can be, than gotten is by warres.
O wretched beastes, O blinde,
Why think you wars more worth than peace,
or of a better kinde?
For nothing is more vile than thys,
nor nothing can be found,
That farther from mans reasō seemes,
to differ or to sound:
For if that lawes and reason shoulde
in euery place beare sway,
Then peace shuld rayne in proper force
and warres shuld quite away:
In tyme of battayle lawes do ceasse,
and ouerthrowen do lye,
Then fury raynes, and vice doth rage,
abrode at liberty,
Then wicked men holde vp the head,
and shake their weapons than,
And scotfree thence they kyl and stryke,
and take from euery man,
And fearing no decree of iudge,
defile eche thing they finde
More mete is peace for mortal man,
and warres for brutish kinde.
and he desires to fyght,
That pore and lazy labour hates,
and hath a great delight
To liue a lusty vicious state,
though purse do not agree:
And therfore sells his lyfe for gayne,
and runnes in ieopardie,
Then conquerour he triumph may
with that that others got.
And carry thence the spoyle and pray
vnto his natiue plot.
But he that substance hath at home,
and can sufficiently
Him self and his defend and keepe
wyth any faculty,
Doth peace aboue the rest esteeme,
and from the sword abstayne:
Except he be of franticke minde,
and fond disposed brayne.
But thou wylt say great Kings & dukes
in deedes of armes delight,
And trayne themselues to follow Mars,
wyth al their force and might:
What then, are not gret Kings & dukes
oft times in dotage brought,
great cities come to nought.
And though they great reuenewe haue,
and Kingdomes many one,
Yet more they alwayes seeke to haue,
and more they heape thereon.
The couetous man though he possesse,
as much of golden Myne
As Tagus hath, yet pore he is
and liues in neede and pyne.
And thus therfore with this mad minde
are Dukes and Princes great
Compelde to ioyne the bloudy campes,
wyth rage of Martial heate,
Enlarging their dominions much
with heapes of Misers slayne.
But though that wars be nought, & vile
to be abhorred playne,
Yet bring they some commodity,
for false and crafty men,
Expert in fraud and vsury,
do heape vp al thing then
When peace doth rain, but whē ye wars
do rage, the Souldiour strong,
The euil gotten goods doth spoyle
that he hath raked long.
on Foxes vengeance take,
And due rewardes the mighty sort
vnto the subtile make.
And lyke for lyke they shew. Thus time
doth all things alter so,
Besydes, the kings wt thousande crafts,
and thousande powlings mo,
In time of peace their subiectes fleese,
and coyne in Coffers poure,
Wherby both Golde and Siluer all
the Checker would deuoure,
If battaile should not bring abrode
that hydden lay in peace
Distributing to many men
one priuate mans encrease.
Now last of all, in number not
a fewe, there is a kinde
Both voide of learning, welth, & Arte,
of lasey slouthfull minde,
To mischiefe giuen, prone to vice,
and stoute, and full of cryme:
Such men, or rather shadowes vaine
at one appointed tyme
Doth God a warfare sende, wyth death
of cruell kinde to dye.
whereby liue merily
Long time the rest that doe remaine,
thys mischiefe ouerthrowne,
Tyll that againe such wicked weedes
anewe be sprong and growne,
That must be rooted out with warres,
and cut with weapon grimme.
Then Iupiter beginnes againe
hys pottes vncleane to skimme,
And sending forth the furyes vile,
doth sweepe the filth away,
This is the order of the worlde
that neuer shall decay:
Thys course the destinies themselues
decreede long tyme agone,
When as Promotheus stale the fyre
the hawtie heauens from,
And when Deucalion with hys wife
dame Pyrrha, made to spring
So many thousande persons with
the stones that they did fling.
Wherfore a wyseman it becomes
to follow reasons grace,
And chiefly peace to loue, and peace
with all hys minde to embrace.
he for his countrey fyght,
And for defence of him and his,
then is the quarrel right:
Then fights he voyd of any blame,
for lawes of euery state
Do suffer force with force to dawnt,
and guile with guile to mate,
As due desertes to recompence
conuenient is and meete.
Now farther must we search if that
it be for wisemen feete
To exercise some faculty,
wherwith al times he may
Relieue himself if that missehappes
do bring him to decay,
If froward Fortune any time
send needy pouerty,
Depriuing him of all his goodes
and substance violently,
Least that he begge and suffer oft
both colde, and hunger to.
There are for truth some kinde of thing,
that wisemen wel may do,
Wherby himself he succour may
if pouerty constrayne,
this gets sufficient gayne,
And driues away diseases quite.
Olde Phebus vsed this same,
And Phebus sonne, by this they both
deserude a famous name.
And this Sir Chirons pupil learnde
though of the stock he was
Of auncient Aeacus and Thetis sprong,
by this did Pæon pas,
Machæon and Hippocrates
by this gat honour great.
What should I call to memory
at such as by this feate,
Got long agoe both pens and prayse,
and fame when they were dead.
A good expert Physitian
shal neuer begge his bread,
Adde more to this, it ful besides
of priuy knowledge flowes,
And both of floure, hearb, and stone,
doth secretes playne disclose:
And whatsoeuer earth doth here
within hir bowels hide,
Doth well perceiue, and natures force
to open doth prouide:
it doth consyder well,
And turnes againe a number that
were almost gone to hell.
What thing than this more requisite.
for wyse men can we finde?
That not alone the wiseman may
with counsell heale the minde,
But also get the body helth,
and so both partes redresse:
Thus may a wyseman all preserue
in perfect quietnesse.
But now when as dame Lachesis
the latest yeare doth spinne,
And hoary whitenesse doth defyle
both head and bearded chinne,
Then meete it is for him to rest,
and then himselfe to stay,
And longer not to roue about
in countreys farre away:
But finde some certaine dwelling place,
and searche for hys auaile
Such things as nedefull are for lyfe,
least foode in age doe fayle:
And in the meane whyle to depart,
and shunne the common sort,
and wyth a slender port,
And solitary oftentimes:
to God both night and daye,
The mind wel purgde of naughty thoughtes,
in feruent sprite to praye:
And wholly to addict himselfe
the heauenly state to finde,
And all the cares that fleshe doth giue,
to banishe from his minde.
Then shall the Gods appere, though he
in valley lowe doe lye,
Or on the hylles, or shadowy woodes,
or on the mountaines hye,
In cottage small do place himselfe.
it is not safe nor well
With many for to liue, or in the
townes of fooles to dwell,
And in the company of theeues,
of slaues, and couetous
And cuthrote brawling swering mates,
or men ambitious.
But let the wyseman flye the croude
or rude and common sort,
For of the common people is
enuied the wysemans port,
contraries euermore
Do one the other striue agaynst
and let, and hinder sore.
Hereof haue many wisemen dyed,
bycause they would not spare
When any naughty thing they saw,
the truth for to declare,
And to rebuke the mindes of Fooles,
which sith it could not beare,
Nor suffer such abuse of Fooles,
they slayne and punnisht were.
Wherefore, least that the wiseman see
such store of synful syght,
And least he fall in daunger by
defending truth and right,
Let him wythdraw himselfe forthwith
from common company:
And secret liue with two or three
that good and learned be,
Though seldome shal he be without
the Gods that guide the sky,
For Gods do often pleasure take
in wisemens company:
Oft doth the wiseman heare them speak
and seeth them oft with eyes,
in wondrous sorte and wise:
The wiseman blessed is on earth,
and blest aboue in Skies:
Go then O blinded mortal men,
go heape vp money than,
And fyll your caskets full of Golde
by al the meanes you can,
Beset with rings your fyngers thick,
and set the Iewels round
In gorgeous linckes of golde about
your gracelesse neckes be wound,
Now ruffle in your sylkes abrode,
and brag it through the streete,
Go, go I say you blinded fooles,
both Crownes and Scepter sweete,
And al that Fortune rash can giue
to you with al your power
Go seke: yet all these goodly things
shal vanish in an houre,
Al these things are but dreames & toyes
and haue but little stay,
Which quickly chaunce doth from you take
or death doth snatch away,
Which sone doe vanish hēce like smoke
and neuer turne agayne.
these mystes, and shaddowes vayne.
But when the dying day shal come,
and latest houre shal fall,
Then, then when all your follies past
in vayne to minde you call,
You shall perceyue that you did dote,
and stept from truth awry,
And mourne to late. Alas in tyme
your errour learne to spy.
O mischieuous vntoward soules,
O heartes of canckred kinde,
Why gaze you styll vpon he earth
like beastes of brutish minde?
Why cast you not your eyes aloft
vnto the starry Skies?
There, there ye truest world doth stande
there life most perfect lies,
For such as feare aad worship God:
there neyther chaunce hath place,
Nor churlish death can there the state
wyth deadly darte deface:
There is the assured treasure found,
there lies the chiefe delight,
That God almighty hath preparde
for them that serue him right:
hath power to ouerthrowe,
To this apply your mindes while states
permit, and life below.
Beholde you not of fading life
the slender holde and stay?
Do not you see how all things here
in shortest time decay?
And lyke to smoke in subtile ayre
doth vanish quite away.
Where finde you now the stately kings
in pomp of proud aray
That heretofore haue bene? or where,
do you esteme to be
The Prelates chief that thought thēselues
Gods fellowes in degree?
Their rotten bones entombed close
in fylthy caues do dwell,
And for their soules perhaps they do
kepe Christmasse now in Hell:
Farre banishde from the happy place
wherto the good are brought,
And there they suffer payne, for pryde,
and mischiefe that they wrought.
O Lord how gladly would they nowe
if in their power it lay,
and take their olde aray,
That not esteming riches here,
and kingdomes leauing cleane,
They might liue Godly here on earth,
in pure estate, and meane,
And by their righteous lyfe make hym
their frende that guides the Skie,
And after death possesse a place
aboue the heauens hie.
But he that shewes his wit to late,
his wisdome shewes in vayne.
Let euery man seeke God to please,
and worldly wealth disdayne,
And trauayle, for the heauenly state
of him example take,
Which of this worldly fading ioyes
a small accompt doth make,
But only hopes in time to come
the perfect ioyes to feale,
Which wel he knowes, for God to hym
such things doth oft reueale.
And such a wiseman late there liued
since I remember may,
That with a fewe vpon the top
of hye Soractis lay,
his house was smal and neate,
All clad he was in russet robes,
a man of learning great.
And comely countnance to beholde.
he had his dwelling place
In wildernesse, where round about
the woods did him embrace:
Whose heauenly mind, when as he lyst
of things to come could tel,
And aunswers gaue, such as for truth
did Delphis not excel.
I moued and prouoked thus
with fame that of him ran,
By paynfull iourneys long vnto
this sacred hill I came,
And foūd the olde man sitting there
in warme and Sunny caue.
Who (after that I had receiude
the like God Deane I gaue)
He wyllde me there to take my rest
so downe by him I syt.
And therewithall I askde him thus:
what is the cause of it
(Quoth I) that here you choose to lyue
vpon this mountaine steepe,
that life of man should kepe.
Then aunswering me this holy man
on this sorte there began:
My great delight was heretofore
to liue in cities, whan
Both yong, and ignoraunt, I thought
nought else to be requirde
But riches here, and such delight
as life of man desirde,
Following ye example and the fault
of rude and common sort:
Then ioyed I for to leade my life
wyth great and much resort,
And with the rest for company
I fell into the floud
Of vayne delightes, with colour false,
deceyude of trouth and good.
But when that greater age began
wyth fading yeares to show,
And wisedome more in tract of time
within my head to growe,
I then began to note and marke
the partes that men do play,
And sundry sorte of liues they leade.
(as God gaue grace) to way.
there done, and ful of shame,
And nothing else of iustice left
but vayne and ydle name.
Th' vngilty to be punnished,
the gylty scaping free,
The vertue hydde in vice, and vice
in vertue hid to be,
The poore in euery place opprest,
and fauour more to get
Than iust deserts, ye law a brybing craft
for golde a fyshing nette:
Eche kinde of handy craft corrupt
by guile of workmens wyll,
The theefe to fee the Inkeper
his gests thereby to kyll.
Besydes I many might beholde
enricht by theft and guyle
Though naughty beastes, more meeter far,
to weare a rope a whyle,
Yet praysde to be and worshipped,
and feared very much:
The vnworthy placde in regal seate,
and honours dealt to such
As haue but only shape of men.
Besyde religion fled
to foode, and Harlots bed:
And vnder cloke of holinesse
seke priuily to gayne,
And pick the common peoples purse
by meanes of wyly trayne:
While as they open heauen wyde,
and barre the hellish way,
And while they bost that they can soules
where as they list conuay,
And wyth their Portas force the saincts
to do as they are bent.
By this occasion left I al,
and from the townes I went,
Accoumpting it more safe for me
to liue in desert place,
And in this hyll to runne the rest
of al my ranging race.
This hil whereas the altare stands
of Syluester the saint,
Where as the Shrine, and monuments
of him his prayses paynt:
Which place though it seme rough and rude,
not meete to dwel vpon
Yet fitte it is for saincts, and such
as liue in peace alone,
the Lord to feare and loue,
And alwayes seeke to ioyne themselues
with saincts in Skies aboue:
But hard perchaunce it seemes to thee,
and straunge it doth appere,
That I can liue in desert suth,
and stony places here,
Where seldome any man doth come,
where wanting seemes to be
Most things that should sustaine the life
of man at libertie.
Yet is it not so hard in deede,
nor straunge it seemeth than,
If that the holy Ghost enspire
the heart of any man,
Descending downe from heauens hye:
of God the sacred sprighte
That purifies the heart from sinne,
and rayseth soules to light
That ouerwhelmde in flesh do lye:
as Mercury sublimde
By force of fyer is, and takes
a colour white ful finde.
This holy sprite adournes the minde,
and heart doth vpward moue
and breadeth heauenly loue:
Wherwith the minde inflamed once
all things doth easye seeme,
Though neuer so sore: for he that loues
doth labour light esteeme,
Especially if any hope
there be rewarde to holde:
For hope, & loue, are two strōg pricks,
that makes vs alway bolde,
And not to care for any toyle,
wherfore continually
Our daily prayers must wee make,
to hym that guides the skye,
That so thys holy sprite vouchsafe
into our heartes to fall,
That he may plant a Godly hope,
and Godly loue withall:
Wherwith ye minde inspirde may moūt
aboue the starry skye,
Despising much the world, and ioyes
that vaine doe please the eye,
And striue to ioyne it selfe to God,
with all the force and might,
No maruell then it is all,
if ayded of this sprite
full harde so paciently,
Upon this stiepe and desert rocke,
and stony mountaine hye.
Yet neuer lackt I meate, nor clothes
vpon this loftye spyre,
As much as nature doth content,
not wanton fonde desyre.
A little thing doth nature serue,
a small thing doth content,
Such one as loues none ouerplus,
a man to vertue bent,
That rather seekes celestiall lyfe,
than fleshly fading dayes.
For lyfe (least thou be ignorant)
is double, in hir wayes:
One, wherwithall the bodye lyues,
still followed and pursude
Is thys, of all the route of fooles,
and common people rude.
The people fonde that nothing knowe
of any worthinesse,
But slouthful beasts do make their God
of filthy fonde excesse.
This lyfe is proper vnto beastes
of wilde and sauage kinde,
and men of godly minde,
That for their great and worthy deedes
doe well deserue the name
Of perfect men, and holly sainctes
of euerlasting fame.
But such hye minded vertuous Impes
the earth doth seldome broode,
The earth a mother to the naught,
and stepdame to the good.
Agui se falta vn Renglon por ligereza.
But now bicause I see thee bent
to giue attentiue eare,
Some things of this celestiall lyfe
I will declare thee here,
which ought well vnderstoode, to please
the minde of any wight.
Fyrst, man consystes not only of fleshe,
but also of the spright:
This giueth lyfe to them that liue,
by this we feele and moue,
This giues vs mind, ye worthyest thing
by which men wondrous proue.
But many doubt if that the soule
doe liue the body dead,
when as the lyfe is fledde:
Assuredly the worser sort
that to the fleshe doe cleaue,
And bent to vice, despising God,
doe wishe and eke beleue,
The soule to haue a dying day:
bicause (alas) they feare
The cruell torments for the sinnes
that they committed here:
And therefore will alowe no hell,
nor Diuels for to be,
And so they doe persuade themselues
to scape with mischiefe free.
An other better sort of men
that synfull lyfe doe hate,
Prouoked with the Godly loue
of vertues goodly state,
Doe thinke the soule doth alwayes lyue,
and not to dye with graue,
Bicause they hope a glorious Crowne
for their good workes to haue,
And make accompt of perfect blisse
when death hath shot hys dart,
And of a better promisde lyfe
for to enioy their part.
who is but the iust?
For euermore in doubtfull things
the opinion must we trust
That pleaseth best the better sort,
and that which follow most
Such men as vertuous be, and such
as haue the holy Ghost.
More safe it is to cleaue vnto
the vertuous, and the iust,
Than fansyes of the wycked men
to credite or to trust.
Ne must we note their number great
that any thing haue sayde,
But in what sort they leade theyr lyfe
must well of vs be wayde.
Wherefore it better is with fewe
of vertuous sort to say,
That soules doe lyue continually
and haue no dying day,
Than with a number of the lewde
against it to replye,
Contending that there are no sprites,
and that the soule doth dye.
But more bicause thou shalt beleue,
I will declare to thee
immortall for to bee.
For if that God in better things
doth cunning still expresse,
As wysedome telles, and as the good
and vertuous must confesse:
Then doubtlesse must we iudge he gaue
the soules no time to dye,
Since better farre it is for them
to liue continuallye,
Than with the fleshe to be extinct,
and feele a full decaye:
Which thus I proue, if death doe take
from vs the soule away,
If that we haue no other lyfe,
but in thys body here,
Then God may be accounted ill,
and shall vniust appere,
For thousandes euery day we see
that florishe prosprouslye,
In richesse, substance and renoume,
in raignes and Empyres hye,
Yet ydle lubbers, vnlearnde, & naught,
that synne at libertye,
And runne the race of all their life
in great prosperitye.
the iust opprest to be
With spitefull chaunce, a wretched lyfe
and pytious 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 disdaine the deedes
of mortall men to knowe.
Besides, what gratious mind apperes in God
what goodnesse doth he showe?
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 wherof is spent in sleepe,
the rest in griefe, and toyle,
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,
let Himnes be ratled out,
Spende frankconsence, and let the nose
of God be stretched wyde
With pleasant smoke: do this, and adde
more honour much besyde,
That he preserue your goodly lyfe,
wherin doth you torment,
Sometime great cold, & sometime heat,
now plague, now famishement
Now bloudy warres, now sicknes great
or chaunce to sorowe at,
Sometime the busye byting flye,
sometime the stynging Gnat,
The Chynch and Flea. Reioyce 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 knaues hys lyfe is ledde,
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 sayncts 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
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
and ioyned something neere.
Wherfore it is conuenient first
the bodies life to showe,
That drawes vs downe frō heauen hie,
to minde the earth below,
And makes vs like to brutish beastes,
contrary to the soule.
This life he liues (though naught) yt 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 entombed lye,
Not casting once his eyes aloft
vnto the heauens hye.
And he that drownde in lecherie,
and surfets euer lyes,
Regarding only fleshly ioyes,
doth shamefastnesse despise,
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 frō 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 chiefly to regard:
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 euerlasting 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:
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,
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 sorte of bookes he wrote,
but now where shall we finde
These things? no where. Himself where now?
both out of sight and minde.
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,
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 ye 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
but smally doth regarde:
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 frō 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
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 chaūce, I askde
which way they trauaile would:
To Rome they sayde: and one of them
lookde full vpon mee thoe,
And naming mee, from whēce 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.
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 mann
I askde wherfore they went to Rome,
then aunswerde me the same:
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 bo-
dye 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 bright:
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, frō 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,
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 hope thereby
of gayne to be possest,
And of the spoyle of such a sort
some soules to beare away
Unto the dreadfull dongeon darke.
These wordes he thus did say:
from thence they doe depart:
And mee they leaue remaining there
alone, with heauy heart.
For when Sarracilus had sayde
that none on earth was wyse,
Immediatly a dolefull thought
wythin my heart did ryse:
And thus vnto my selfe I sayde,
is wysedome euermore
In vaine of vs desyrde, and praisde,
and vainely looked for.
And only delt to saintes aboue?
Then of necessitie
Here in this wretched mortall lyfe,
all men must foolishe be,
And laughing stocks, & pageants fonde,
vnto the Gods in skye.
O state in most vnhappy kinde
of man in misery,
O rashe vnbridled wantonnesse
of such as parents bee,
O filthy lust that doth beget
the Children that we see,
What do you now? you doe beget
both fooles, and wretches here,
reioyce, and make good chere,
Fil in your cuppes, and daynty dish
vpon the table place.
But sone the childe shal proue a foole,
or liue in wretched case,
Or dying sone, he shal departe
vnto the Ghost belowe.
O blinded mindes, that of the things
to come do neuer know.
We mortal men in wretched things
haue oft a great delight.
These words I muttred in my minde,
and wrapt in woful plight
I went vnto my lodging strayght,
for sleepe opprest my eyes,
And made me reele. Of wisemans state
these wordes shal here suffise.
Now meete it is thy weried harpe
my Muse at rest to lay,
And for to spare the iarring strings,
let vs this time go pray
The Lord and maker of the world,
that grace he may vs send,
The other sygnes that do remayne,
wyth pleasant song to end,
than yet from me did flowe:
And sore my simple minde doth feare,
such Mysteries great to showe.
My watry signe shal search the partes
of nature perfectly,
And last of al my labour shal
set open wyde the Skye.
Aquarius, the eleuenth Booke.
The Loue of nature parent chiefand great desire of minde,
The secret causes of al things
for to reueale and finde
Persuades me now agayne, my selfe
with Aeon streames to fyl,
And once agayne to rest on toppes
of hye Parnasus hil.
My Muse draw neere, & bring thy Harp,
now neede thy wit to showe
It is, and of a learned voyce,
and verse at ful to flowe.
No smal things here we must declare
I purpose now in minde,
about the world to winde.
And fyrst what hath bene here before,
what is, and what shal be,
Is called Eus: this name contaynes
al things of eche degree,
But of the sortes that God hath framde
by power and wisdome hye,
Some leade their life of body voyd,
some eyther liuelesse lye,
Or else do liue in body here.
Of former state of twayne
This Boke speaks not, ye next shal shew
in time that doth remayne:
Now (Muse) let vs the other shew.
The farthest partes most high
Of al the world, wyth ample space
encompast is of Skie,
That whirling round with dayly course
doth al things here enclose.
Fiue Zones deuide it into partes,
but euery part of those
Replenisht with his dwellers is,
nothing forbyds the same.
For colde can neuer hurt the Gods,
nor heate can them inflame.
the sacred Skies are free
From colde congeled, quiuering yse,
and fiers that flaming be.
Which though it rolle continually.
yet kepes it styl one place,
And from the parte where first it stode,
doth neuer shift his pace.
For placde betwene two fixed Poles,
it stedfastly doth stand,
And is sustaynde betwene them two
by Gods almighty hand.
Whereof the one doth playne appeare
to vs continually,
And doth beholde the Beares aboue
that kepe their course so hye:
The other vnder earth is placde
agaynst it fixed wel,
And in the night is sene to them.
that vnder vs do dwel.
This compast globe of al the Skie,
from East to West deuides
As many Spheres in compasse round,
as there are Zones besydes.
That which is next vnto the Beare
The Articke hath to name:
wherein doth Cancer flame,
Which doth constraine the Sūne to fal,
and backward to retire,
And farther of for to withdrawe
his beames of flaming fire.
Then next in order doth ensewe,
the Equinoctiall line,
Which doth declare the dayes, & nights,
of equal length and tyme.
Not far from thence by Capricorne,
another line doth runne,
Which cannot passe, but doth retourne
from hence to vs the Sunne.
The circle next that placed is
vnto the South so nere
Th' Autarticke circle hath to name,
contrary to our Sphere.
Beside these lines a circle crookt
there stands in Skies so cleare,
By which ye Sūne in months twice syx,
doth passe a perfect yeare.
An other circle white there is,
whose course by knees doth trayne
Of Gemini, by Scorpius taile,
and by the Tropicks twayne,
by midst of Archers string,
And passeth by the Centaurs legges,
and by the Egles wing,
And both the Carter and the Swanne,
and Perseus doth it touch.
And Paralels there are, this name
giue Greekes to Circles such,
And day by day the Sunne doth passe
a circle of this kinde,
When as he falles amyd the West,
and leaues the East behinde.
Two Colures eke besydes there are,
the one where Sunne doth stay
By Cancer, Capricorne, and both
the Poles doth cut his way:
The other by the Balance runnes,
and by the Wethers face:
This shewes the times whē night & day
are both of equal space.
Besydes a numbre great there is
of sundry circles framde,
That passe by both the foresayd Poles,
Meridians rightly namde,
That ouer vs directly runnes,
a Circle more doth lye
deuided is thereby,
And wher our sight doth ceasse it stands
thence terme the Greekes it so.
Besydes the Heauens parted are
with many Circles moe.
And nine there be, whereof the hyest
that mouer first we call,
Doth rolling from the farthest Indes,
with Moores and Spaniards fall:
Within a day he runnes his race,
and fiercely doth he twine
About with him the other Spheres,
in whome no Starre doth shine:
But cleane contrary to the same
moue al the Spheres besyde,
And towards ye streames of Ganges great
from Cales in course they slyde.
Wherof the greatst doth shine wt starrs
that voyd of number be,
And scarcely in an hundred yeares
doth moue but one degree.
And next to this doth Saturne stande
aboue the other Spheres,
Who finisheth his course at full
in space of thirty yeres.
that ende of course doth gayne
In yeares twice syx. Him Mars ensewes
that turns in tweluemonths twayne.
Next stands the Sunne that (as they say)
his iourney doth contriue
Besyde six houres in space of dayes
three hundred, sixty, fiue.
Then next in place doth Venus rolle
hir whyrling whele about,
And soner than the Sunne hir course
by seuentene dayes falles out.
Then moues in Circle Mercury,
which if report be right,
Doth nine dayes soner end his course
than Venus planet bright.
The Circle of the Moone is lowest,
and passeth through the line
Of all hir course in houres eyght,
and twenty dayes and nine.
Seuen planets thus there are, yt grekes
as wandring starres do call:
The hyest of which Saturnus hath,
to him for house and hall.
The Gote and seruitour of Ioue,
and Iupiter doth holde:
the fishe and Archer bolde.
The Scorpion and the Phrygean Ramme,
to foolishe Mars pertayne:
And in the flaming Lyon fierce,
the Sunne doth East remaine.
But in the Bull and Ballance doth
the tender Venus rest:
Mercurius doth in twinnes reioice,
and in the Virgins brest.
A goodly Rome the Crabbe doth make,
wherein the Moone doth dwell.
But of the fayre Celestiall sygnes,
let vs begin to tell.
Within the Zodiake, where the Sunne
a yere by course doth trye:
Twelue Signes there be, & syx of them,
are named Northerlye.
The other syxe are Southerne sygnes,
from beast that gilded shines:
Unto the pleasant Uirgins foote,
they are calde the Northerne signes.
But from the foremost of the waytes,
vnto the cattayle twaine
Of Neptunes droue, whatsoeuer are
vnto the South pertaine.
I wyll disclose in verse.
These are the Ram, the Bull, the Twinnes
the Crabbe, the Lyon fierce,
The Maide, the Scales, the Scorpion,
the Shooter, and the Gote,
The Waterpourer, and in skyes,
the Fishes, two that flote.
Ech seuenth stande contrarily,
for when the one doth ryse
The other syttes, when as the Ram
apperes before our eyes,
Then down therwith descendes ye Scales,
so standes contrary full:
And risyng eche when other falles
the Scorpion, and the Bull.
From head of Crabbe, to Shooters foote
directly doe they lye:
And from the Gote vnto the Twinnts
they are sayde to hang awry.
Thrise ten degrees in length, & twelue
in bredth hath euery signe:
And earthly named are, the Gote,
the Bull, and Virgin fyne.
But airy are these three, the Scales,
the Waterman, the Twinnes:
the Crabbe, and fishy finnes.
The three that rest are fiery
the Lyon, Shooter, Ram:
And Masculin be these with three,
that Ayrie sygnes we name.
And Fortunate they called be,
the rest are Fæminine:
And are vnfortunate, they say
that state of Starres define.
These mouing are, the Ram, the Crabbe,
the Scales, and Capricorn,
And fast the Lyon, Scorpion, Bull,
and Boye with Egle borne.
The Twinnes, the Shooter, Mayde, and Fishe,
are common euery sygne.
More, three and thyrtie Images
in sacred skyes doe shine,
Whereof are twenty placed fast,
amidde the Northerne Raine:
And storming South doth challenge all
the rest that doe remaine.
These are the starres that in the North
doe giue their blasing light:
Two Beares, of which doth Helice
shine forth with Starres more bright.
Phæniceans faithfull guide:
Betweene them both the Serpent fierce,
doth creepe with crawling pride,
There Cepheus shines, and Cassiopey,
and Candian glistring Crowne:
And next vnto the milke white Swanne
is placde the Kneeler downe,
And harkneth to the pleasant Harpe.
The Berwarde there doth showe
His glistring starres, and Perseus stands
in thys celestiall rowe:
That beares in hande Medusaes face,
and in this part is seene,
The Carter, he that Serpent holdes,
and eke hys Serpent keene,
And by the Serpent standes the Shaft,
and there the Egle nye,
And Dolphin that in ayrie seas
aboue doth swiftly flye.
Here shines the noble Pegasus,
a Horse of auncient fame:
And thereby standes Andromeda,
and Delta, last of name.
Now thirtene sygnes the South in part
contrary doth retaine:
wyth sworde of Perseus slaine.
Orion armde thou shalt beholde
in thys same part of skyes.
There Nilus runnes wt Channels store:
and Hare that swiftly flyes,
Whom nere a brace of Doggs pursue,
the greater and the small.
Among these Starres doth Argos sayle
a goodly Ship, and tall.
Here mayst thou both the Altar, and
the myghty Cup beholde.
And Phœbus Crowe, that glisters all
wyth Starres of flaming golde.
The Centaure fierce, and Dragon slaine,
with strong Alcides sweat,
The stinking plague of Lernaes lake
a griesly monster great.
And in thys part a certaine Fishe,
may well perceiued bee.
Lo here the shapes that moue aboue
my verse hath tolde to thee.
Now wyll I shewe how many Starres
in euery sygne appere:
In Elice doe seuen shine,
by name the greater Beare,
but Cynosura hyght:
The lesser beare bicause she doth
appere with smaller light,
Though one and twenty Starres in hir
doe euermore abide:
Fyftene the waking Serpent hath
that doth the Bears deuide:
And Cepheus .xix. starres containes:
Cassiepey doth shine
with thirtene lights: ye gorgeous crown
hath neuer more than nine:
And three the Swanne, twice fiue and nine
the Kneeler bright doth weare:
And fourtene Starres describes the mā
that driues about the Beare,
Of which the starre doth brightest shine
that in hys gyrdle lyes:
Ful seuentene brondes doth Perseus holde
that glisters in the skyes:
The Carter seuen: but that clere Starre
that on hys shoulder standes
Is calde the Gote, the other twaine
are Kiddes he hath in handes:
A dreadfull syght to shypmen oft.
The man that holdes the Snake
doth two and twenty make.
Nine lyghtes doe shine in Orpheus Harp:
foure frames the Shaft a hye:
Foure fyres doe flame in him that lyfte
the Troian to the skye:
Ten sparkes doe make the Dolphin clere:
with eightene Starres of night
Shines Pægasus: and twenty giues
Andromeda hir lyght:
But three alone doth Delta beare.
Now will I take in hande
To tell in verse how many starres
in sygne of Zodiake stande.
The Ram is fyrst, that .xviij. lightes
doth in his body beare,
The Bull hath one and twenty starres
but seuen shining cleare,
Behinde hys back Vergiliæ are calde
and eke Athlantides,
As many in his head he hath,
of showers calde Hyades:
Eightene betwixt them haue ye Twinnes,
one .x. the other eyght:
And eightene hath the Crabbe aboue,
two standes behinde him straight
but next that clerely shine,
The Lyon glisters there with starres
in number ten and nine:
The Virgin holding eares of Corne
with eyghtene lightes is clere:
In Balance foure, and .xv. in
the Scorpion doth appere:
And .xv. in the Shooter shines,
before whose feete doth lye
A certaine Crowne where seuen lightes
doe glister to the eye.
The Gote hath two and twenty starres,
the Troian Boy fourtene:
In the one Fishe viii. and .ix. appeares:
in the other .xii. are seene.
Now will I shew what starres there be
in sygnes of Southerne syde,
Though farre from vs they be, & scant
can of our syght be spyde:
The monstrous Fyshe hath .xxx. lights:
like sort in Nilus flowes,
Syxe hath the Hare, and .xvij.
in great Orion showes,
With .xix. flames the Syrian Dog,
the lyttle Dog hath three,
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 ye 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 is setting, lets them shine,
this terme we Cronicall:
when as the Sunne full nere
The signe lyes hyd, and passing thence,
forthwith doth bright appere:
The Heliake setting that we cal
when as in any signe
The Sunne doth walke, and wt 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 Phœbus be my frend.
When Ram doth rise then mounteth vp
left part of Andromæd
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,
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
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 yu 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:
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
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,
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.
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
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 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,
and Westward them doth driue,
And rolles them dayly mouing round
though they contrary striue:
Which could not be if that they were
not hard assuredly.
Take 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 thēselues be harde,
and dark they also be:
The experience of the Eclipse doth this
declare apparantly,
For Moone betwixt doth hide ye 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.
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 heauenly 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.
gaynward the mornings seate
Are turnde about one selfe same way,
nor on themselves 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 erre,
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 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,
tis 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 seemes 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
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 otherwyse descrye.
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 themselves they differ eke,
as Elme from Seruise tree,
As Peare from Cherry differeth
in fashion and in fruite:
Their diners 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?
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:
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
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 tis 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,
do moue in no such rate,
No more doth Moone, nor Mercury,
nor Venus pleasaunt Starre:
But moue in little Circles that
to them annexed are.
and Mars, as doth the Sunne?
Syth farther far from vs in Spheares
aloft more hye they runne:
Nor differ they in difference great
from fixed Starres aboue?
Bycause they do not as the Sunne
about their Centers moue,
But in these Epicycles rolle
their bodyes rounde about.
Some man perchaunce if so the Sunne
doth sparckle, standes in doubt.
But if he shall the same beholde
when first it doth appeare,
Or when in Winter time it falles,
and settes in waters cleare,
When as his eye may beste endure
his syght thereon to cast,
He shall perceyue it playne to turne,
and eke to sparkle fast.
Let no man thinke this thing to be
so greate and strange to minde,
If all the gorgeous Starres do moue
in such a sorte and kinde:
Seemes it not farre more wonderfull
that Heauens compasse wide
the world doth alwayes glyde,
That Byrdes and windes, & lightnings flash,
in swiftnesse it doth passe?
Thus now th' almighty Lord, by whom
the world created was,
All things he made, deuided in
these two, mouing and rest.
But in the Center rest vpon
the earth hir place possest:
In all the others motion dwelles.
The streames do swiftly flye,
The ayre and fyry flames on earth
do moue continually.
But chiefly in the firmament
hath mouing greatest spright,
And euery Spheare the higher it is
doth moue wyth greater might,
And swiftlier runnes about the world.
Wherefore that Heauen hie,
That called is the mouer fyrst,
with motion most doth flie.
But that the greatest motion is,
that in the time most small,
Doth soonest runne his course about
the greatest space of all.
in twinckling of an eye,
But that the other Spheares do let
that vnder him do lye,
Restrayning it of course so swifte,
least that in turning round,
The Seas with it, it should conuay,
and all the earthy ground:
For then no kinde of creature coulde
leade here his life in them.
O matter to be wondred at,
who is not mazed when
He wayeth with himselfe in minde
so great a quantitie,
So farre to passe in so short time,
and backe agayne to flye,
And neuer for to ceasse this course,
and labour none to feele?
Hereby do some beleue that Gods
the worlde about do wheele.
Of them to euery Circle is
a mouer strong assignde,
Who like as they that are condemned
in bakehouse for to grinde,
May neuer ceasse from turning round
the Skies both day and night,
to rest his wery spright.
Now surely happy is that God
that serueth in the same.
But these are toyes, and fansies fond
of such as seeke for fame.
What store of fonde Foolosophers,
and such as hunte for prayse,
The earth brings forth, it is not good
to credit all he sayes,
Though great his estimation be
in mouthes of many men,
Though many Reames of Paper he
hath scribled with his pen.
For famous men do oftentimes
make great and famous lies,
And often men do mysse the truth
though they be neuer so wise.
Therefore must reason first be sought,
for in such doubtfull things,
More credit reason ought to haue,
than mennes ymaginings:
For such are often proued false.
What thing doth reason say?
That Skies or Starres are moued of Gods
or of their proper sway?
what pleasure can there be,
Unto these Gods that turne about
the Skies continually?
That they for life of foolish man
may needefull things prouide,
And that the Birdes and sauage beasts
and Fyshes they may guide.
Becoms it Lordes in such a sorte
their seruants here to serue?
And Gods for euer to be thrall,
that they may beastes preserue,
That they may foster Foles & Knaues:
is it not rather meete
For Gods to enioy their liberty,
and pleasaunt freedome sweete?
That they may wher they list go walk,
least as in fetters tyed,
They can not passe from place to place,
but styll at home abyde?
Or as the potters plying styll
the wheele and lumpe of clay,
Can haue no time of quiet rest,
nor steppe from place away.
Seemes it so sweete a sporte to them
the compasse round to moue,
the Gods that syt aboue?
O sentence worthy to be markde
of graue and witty men,
But reason bars them this, and cryes
contrary quite to them.
For nothing is eternall here
but only God alone,
And after him continuall be
the Natures euerychone.
Of things that he of nothing made.
But yet by sure decree,
That otherwise they cannot shewe
than they appoynted be,
By him when first he framd the world,
so styll continuall shall
The waters soft, the fier hote,
the earth a stedfast ball.
So shal the ayre for euer moue,
so of necessity
The circles of the Heauens round
shal turne continually,
So force and fashion euery herbe
deliured doth retayne,
And euery tree, and euery beast
that neuer time can stayne.
of nature doth endure,
As long as chaungeth not the wyll
of GOD diuine and pure.
Wherefore if thus continuall be
the course of Heauens bright,
It must be naturall as shewes
in wayghty things and light.
For what of nature propre is
doth neuer feele decay,
But if another moue the same
in time it falles away.
For no such state of violence
doth last continually.
Haue heauy things & light more force
than state of Starres and Skie,
That they can moue of propre strength
and these can not do so
Except of Gods they caused be
about in course to go?
Then is the earth and fier farre
more noble than the Skie
At least for this bycause they neede
no helpe of mouer by.
But of themselues from Center they
or can to Center flie.
celestiall states aboue
Of proper force and of their formes,
as fyer and earth do moue.
For nature is of greater might
than mouer any one.
This nature onely God excelles
and him except alone,
No better thing than nature is
nor in the worlde more hie.
I nature call the fixed law
of him that guides the Skie,
Which frō the worldes foundation first
to all things he assured,
And wyllde that it should stand in force
while age of worlde endured,
For this same lawe hath God vnto
the formes of things assignde
That when from thence do things procede
formes wel fulfil Gods minde,
Ne can they once this order breake,
for of their formes do spring
Such things as he commaunded hath,
who framde eche formed thing.
This true and proper nature is
of higher state agayne
for certainly these twayne
Are rather springs of eury thing
or causes first aboue
Or framers first, not nature sure
if truest names we loue,
Except we haue a better wyll
false names to giue such things.
But of this same enough we haue,
now strike we other strings,
And whither that the stately roomes
of Heauen empty be,
Or whither any dwellers there
haue place and souraintie.
The present time doth me persuade
in wonted verse to syng.
Syth Heauen is so vast and wyde
and such a gorgeous thing,
All garnisht round with glistring Starres
so bright and fayre to th' eye
Shall only voyd and empty it
and vnreplenisht lye?
And earth and seas such dwellers haue?
or is the seas or ground
A place more pleasaunt, fayre and good
or more in compasse found
than Skies deserue to holde,
Such store of creatures fayre & shapes,
and fashions sundry folde?
Is it a parte of prudent Prince
to builde a pallace wyde
With golde and Marble beautified
throughout on eury syde
And not (saue stable) to permit
there any man to lie
And furnish out such goodly roomes
and sumpteous buildings hie?
For Earth is stable to all the worlde
wherein all filth doth bide
Dust, dyrt, dung, bones and carion,
and lothsome things beside.
Who can at any time rehearse
the heapes of things vncleane
That on the seas and earth appeare
and euer shall be seene?
Who knoweth not the showrs, ye mists,
the cloudes and flakes of snowe,
The force of windes & rage of stormes,
that on the seas do blowe,
That shakes the earth & moues ye ayre?
Yet playnly may we see
of creatures full to bee.
Shall then ye heauens cleare be thought
as voyd and empty made?
O rather voyd and empty mindes
that thus your selues persuade.
For creatures doth the Skies containe
and eury Starre beside
Be heauenly townes & seates of saincts
where Kings and Commons bide
But perfect Kings and people eke,
all things are perfect there,
Not shapes & shaddowes vain of things
as we haue present here,
Which death sone takes & time destroyes,
defiles, and driues away.
There wise and happy folkes, and suche
as neuer do decay
Do liue, here misers dwell and men
that certayne are to dye
And doltish fooles. There peace & light
and pleasure chiefe doth lye:
Here dayly warres and darknesse blind
and eury kinde of payne.
Go now, and prayse this world & take
delight in life so vayne,
the earth to set more by.
But some may doubt if that more strōg
than Diamond be the Skye,
And empty place is none therein,
how Gods there dwelling be
And mouing there? this semeth sure
with reason not t'agree.
Besydes since that the Heauens bright
can not with plowe be torne,
Nor digd with spade, how there shal vines
and nedefull graine be borne?
These are but toyes & laughing stocks,
for though the Skies be harde,
Yet passage haue the dwellers there,
nothing their course hath barde.
For vnto these celestiall states
the Maiesty deuine
Appoynted slendrest bodies hath
of substance light and fine,
So that no neede of dores they haue,
nor yet of windowes wide,
For through the thickest walles they run
and through the Marbels slide,
So pure and fine their nature is,
and of so strong a might.
bene subiect to his sight)
Would thincke that fish in flouds shuld bee
and frogs in slime to breede,
And Salamander liue by fire,
of ayre Chamelions feede
And Greshops nourished with deawe?
yet true this same we see,
And we confesse them wonderfull,
for many things there be
Which though we think can not be dōe
yet can and oft are done,
Why could not God then creatures make
that through ye earth shuld run
And of no meate nor drinke haue neede?
if he so could he did,
Fond were it such a space to builde
and leaue vnfurnished.
But Heaueners haue no neede wt plow
and spade for foode to striue
Since that their bodies are not such
as foode doth keepe aliue,
Nor Gods do euer suffer thyrst
nor Saincts an hungred be
In fine they neuer greeued are
with lack or pouertie.
no kinde of dolefull case
For eury kind of mischefe, God
vpon the earth did place
And in the midst did them enclose
forbydding them the Skie:
O happy such as leade their liues
thus in those places hie,
That Nectar drinke, styll fed with foode
of sweete Ambrosia greene
Whereof in those Celestaill meades
abundance great is seene.
More happy and better is the life
of such as dwell aboue,
The hier they in Heauen haue
their place to rest and moue,
For places such as in the Skies
are hier in degree,
More blessed are, and better farre,
than those that lower bee.
What are the blackish spots that in
the Moone we may beholde?
For of these same men diuersly
their fansies oft haue tolde.
Nought of it selfe doth shine in Skies
saue onely Phœbus cleare,
and Starres that glister there,
Who for bicause she is the last
of all the Starres on hie,
And lowest parte of Heauen keepes
vnto the earth most nie,
Shee needes must darkest be of all
whereby sith eury side
Shee hath not white, nor thick, nor pure
nor meete where light may bide,
For whitest parts and thick and light
sunbeames at night receaue,
The other parts that are not apt
the same doth lightlesse leaue.
Thus in the night the Moone doth shine
but when the day giues light
Much lyke in shewe to spotted cloude,
in Skie shee waxeth white.
So Gloewormes in the night do shine,
but when the day returns
By light they lose their light agayne
that in the euening burns,
And then their propre colour shewe
all fraude and guile away,
The night is meetest for deceyts
true things appeare by day.
or if in time begonne
It doth abyde a finall ende
when many yeares are done,
Is worthy to be vnderstoode.
For of this question hie
Haue diuers wisemen written bookes
he sayth he doth deny,
And authours fansies differing
the thing doth doubtfull try
And that the troth in secrete plighte
all dark doth hydden lye.
Some thinke that it beginning had
and that the world did spring,
Of matter that for euer lasts
and force of mightiest king,
When as before it had no state:
and say that these same twayne
Continued alwayes haue, and shal
for euermore remayne,
Matter, and the almighty Lorde,
from whence all things doe floe.
Some think the world of nothing made
and those deny also
That any matter was before,
but by the word and wyll
so moude by reasons skyll,
That neuer it beginning had
nor neuer shall haue ende.
Of these whose sentence truest is?
sure I shuld condiscend
(But that Religion me forbyds,
and Christians that defend
The doctrine olde of Moyses bookes)
to credit none beside,
But that the world hath alwayes bene,
and alwayes shal abide.
For why might not this world haue ben
for euer heretofore?
Bicause he could not do it tyll time,
had taught him knowledge more,
And then at length he finished it?
Or could he alwayes it haue done
but would not vtter more?
What is the cause? why rather would
he after than before?
Or else what reason alterd thus
his minde to other trade?
If naught it were this world to make:
why was it euer made?
were this world to frame,
What is the cause that God so late
created hath the same?
Wherefore hath it so short an age?
For, if we boldly may
Deuines beleeue, eyght thousand yeres
are not full past away,
Since Adam olde created was.
Beside whence doth proceede
The cause why God shuld make ye world?
for that he this did neede?
If so: he should at first it made
least he should greeued bee
The lacke of such a goodly thing
so long a time to see.
If not: why made he it? in vayne?
ought he for to deuise
The thing that to no purpose is?
of fooles this is the guise.
Therof thē was some cause, but what?
of troth assuredly,
His goodnesse great and mighty powre,
least that in vayne should lye
These twoo shut vp in secrete close,
but rather open be
in vayne is coumpted he
By whome no great nor godly thing
hath neuer yet bene wrought.
If God therefore was euer good,
and euer mighty thought,
Why would he not haue alwayes builte
this goodly world we see?
Why let he such a thing till nowe
of late deferred bee?
No reason truly can be found
except some subtile brayne
Make more accōpt of toyes than truthe
and foolish fansies fayne.
Wherefore, if we to reason sticke
then must we surely say
That this same world hath euer bene
and neuer shall decay.
But if that GOD sayd otherwise
long since, and then did giue
To Moyses knowledge of his workes,
we Moyses must belieue:
Let reason alway yelde to fayth,
and there as prisoner leaue,
For GOD can not deceaued be,
nor neuer doth deceaue,
by words with men to deale,
If that appearing vnto man
his secrets he reueale.
But they that first this Chaos and
continuall matter taught,
Do trifle much. For why should God
leaue it so long vnwrought
If he forthwith could make the world
and at the fyrst create
All kinde of things? In vayne it is
for to deliberate
That presently may well be done.
But some haue surely thought
Eternal state the world to haue
of no man made or wrought,
But of it selfe as now it is,
before all ages past,
And of it selfe as now it is
for euermore shall last.
Which sure is false: for reason doth
hir selfe this same deny,
For two most perfect things can not
in order euer lye:
But would fal out betwene themselues
and strife thereby maintayne.
they alwayes do remayne,
In vayne two heads allowed are,
for one shall wel suffise,
Bicause at least dame nature ought
before the rest to rise.
And if before the rest she be,
then is she cause of all,
For formost cause doth alwayes frame
the things that after fall.
Wherfore doubtlesse the almighty lord
this world himself did make
Of nothing, and eternall to.
But how? the reason take.
Eternal goodnesse hath the Lorde,
eternal powre hath he,
May not likewise his wyll to make
the world eternall be?
Which if it were, as reason shewes:
nought lets but world may be
Continuall built by workeman hie,
in such a fayre degree.
As who soeuer graunts the Sunne
continuall to haue bene,
Must needes confesse, the light thereof
continually was seene:
and Sunne the cause we call.
But let vs search the Elaments
and from the Heauens fall,
And not vnworthy things of them
let vs now vtter playne.
Some men haue sayd that vnderneath
the Skies a fire doth rayne
Neere to the Moone, but voyd of light:
and kindling hastily,
And wondrous hote, which to be true
doth perfect reason try.
For in the night we may beholde
the fire in Skies to flie,
And flashing flames throughout ye aire
and Starres to shoote from hie.
Which doth proceede of damps that in
the ayre do rise more hye,
And burned is by force of fyre
that there aloft doth lye.
For of twoo sorts is vapoure, one
light, drye, and soone begoonne
To fire, whereby the flaming sights
in Skies are causde to runne,
The other more colde, more waighty & grosse,
engendred of this same
and windes with flashing flame,
And thunder, haylestones, deaw & rayn,
if fier were none aboue,
No vapour there could kindled be,
in euenings darke to moue.
Moreouer, since in lightnesse thus
the fire doth ayre excell,
No remedy, but needes it must
haue hier place to dwell.
His seate therefore is vnder Skies,
and next to Moone doth lye.
Beneath this fire hath ayre his place
which in his partes most hye
A feruent heate of fire doth take.
The myddle partes most colde,
Doth thūder, clouds, & lightnings brede
and tempests sundry folde.
The lowest parte is warme and moyst
for vapour that doth rise
From flouds continually it moysts
ascending towards the Skies,
And warmd it is by beames of Sunne
that back from earth rebound,
Here mists & showrs and plesant deaws
and snowes and frosts are found,
for no small powre is dealt
Unto these windes, and oftentimes
their force in ayre is fealt,
These can in time of Sommer cause
the nipping coldes to come
And in the winter season sende
abrode the warming Sunne,
These can both giue and take away
from vs our corne and grayne,
These can both breede and beare away
great sicknesses and payne.
From out the East doth Eurus blowe.
and from the Libian coast
Doth Auster come, and Zephyrus
from westerne parts doth poste,
But Boreas blastes in Scythian hilles
and Northerne partes doth rise.
More windes there are, all rule
the ayre that lower lies,
And with the ayre both land and sea.
Of windes the cloudes do breede,
And from the cloudes do flakes of snow
and showers of rayne proceede:
Dewes, lightning, hayle & early frosts:
but with diuersty of times,
and blastes of sundry windes.
Whereof such as from South do blow,
breedes cloudes & showers, & heate,
But those that from the Scythian partes
do come, cause coldenesse great.
From these coms yse & snowes & frostes
when winter dwelleth heere:
But in the Sommer time they serue
to make the weather cleere.
The westerne winde breedes flowers, & groūd
with greene doth new aray,
And giues the birds a cause to sing,
and filles the woods wyth May.
Oft times the Easterne winde is good
yet now and then doth rayse
Such tempestes great, that seas & land
by force thereof it frayes.
These windes the ayry sprites aboue
or Starres abrode do send,
And oft when as the Coniurer
for treasure doth intend
In earth to delue, or consecrate
his booke in Magike wise
Some sprite to binde, then haue I heard
that windes which then did rise
and 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 thē? 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 wt 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)
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 ye wind proceedes of flouds
that thus resolued bee
While vapour mounting vp is forcde
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 ye beames of Sun doth cause
that on the cloudes we see,
The other made by some one starre
of them that mouers bee,
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 whē three sūnes are thought to shine
and yet they are not three
But shaps of sūne that framd in clouds
as in a glasse we see.
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 ye narrow straights
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 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 ye lakes
and fennes of filthy ayre,
And cleare and Cristall rūning 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.
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 salt-
nesse 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 ponds
lakes, springs & streames that flowe,
Small townes, great cities, broughes & holdes
with stones and metalls pure
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.
of earth and waters great,
Which shadow if in night it chaunce
vpon the Moone to beate
Doth cause Eclipse, and filles wt feare
the wofull gazers hearte,
Supposing that opprest shee is
with charme of Magike arte.
This shadow makes the longest nights
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.
his quaking colde doth sende,
Then sōmer makes the Indians blacke
with raging heate to frye.
But when the Sunne returneth backe
to toppe of Cancer hie,
Then shorter are the nights with vs
and heate beginnes agayne,
Then winter vexeth those with colde
that vnder vs do rayne.
Thus doth the Sūne 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,
there mortall men may dwell
And finde out places fitte for them
and seates that serue them well:
Though colde extreme, or to much heat
rayne there 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 blasts
no shaddowing trees do want
Nor pleasant streams wt store of springs
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 lies
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
wherewt men well may warm thēselues
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 frō 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
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
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 trifles surely are they not,
nor words of vanitie
That of the Stygian lakes, and of
Auernus spoken be.
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 Kingthou Parent chiefe of name
Whose wisdom gret this wōdrous world
of nothing first did frame,
And gouerns it and euermore
preserues 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,
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 graūt 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.
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,
may ende or comprehende
Then is ye 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?
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 cōclude
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 wordes hee should cōmit
his facultie to fame,
Which should be rather folly calde
and not a facultie.
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 therein 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,
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
as Naturesearchers say:
With whome we also do agree.
this same doth playnly showe
That Forme, not Matter makes ye sun
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.
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 therewith the ayre about
the beame with striking shakes
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, ye light doth places chaūge
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 wythout
the vse of ayre proceede.
Especially the light of God
whereof a parte doth passe
Into our sunne and there is kept
contaynde as in a Glasse.
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.
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 perchaūce will here demaūde
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 hitherto 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 graūt that God is spring
and Father eke of all
Who made all things and best & chiefe
him may we truly call.
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 seene 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 proceedes
great ioyes & Saincts delight,
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 eury man doth not aspire
these mysteries to knowe,
A fewe them finde to whome the LORD
aboue doth fauour showe,
And giues to them his light that they
these things may playne beholde.
In fine, there sprites and Angels are
as many thousand folde
As all the woods contayne in leaues
or all the shores in sand,
Or all the Fishes in the seas
or starres in Skie that stand,
Yea, number none can them containe,
for since that GOD could frame
Them numberlesse, he sure so dyd
the more to spread his name,
Especially since that the world
doth voyd of limits lye,
and reason strong doth trye.
But since they voyd of body be
and Matter all away
Therfore they neuer chaunge in tyme
nor age doth them decay,
No greefe they feele, nor sleepe nor foode
at any time they craue
Nor labour knowe but ioyfull youth
continually they haue
And freedome chiefe, no bondage there
no seruants in degree
Nor none there are that there compels,
nor none compelled bee,
One onely Lord they do confesse
the King and spring of all
Him worship they and him they loue
and serue in generall,
They willingly do him obey
and serue in euery thing
Reioycing all his laud and prayse
and wondrous actes they sing
Eche one doth there apply himselfe
to please with goodly grace,
No fighting there, no cancred spite
nor enuy can haue place,
great loue and concorde great
Among them is suspicion none
no craft nor false deceat.
In fine the goodliest parte it is
of all the world beside,
And farre more worthy are the sprites
that in this place abyde,
Than those that in the Skies do dwell
and in the Starres do lye,
For looke as lower euery spheare
doth come to earth more nye,
The meaner sprites it doth contayne,
and meaner goods doth giue,
And so much baser is the same.
whereby such things as liue
Aboue the Skie, as they most fayre
and good, and blessed show,
So those that in the bowels darke
of earth do dwell below,
Are most ylflauoured, vile, and yll,
and there not all in vayne
The stinking lakes and soyels of Hell
to be did Poets fayne:
Of Hell where men do after death
their paynes for mischiefe take
in euer darkned lake.
But wherfore waste I words in winde
and striuing all in vaine
Doe seeke vnto such Buzzards blinde
the trothe to open plaine?
So sore the state of mankinde dotes
that it will neuer knowe
That eyther Gods in Heauen be
or sprites in Hell belowe.
But most men laugh if any man
do tell them credibly
That after death the soules doe liue
and neuer more doe dye.
Hence springeth it that night and daye
they richesse seeke to gaine
This is their greatest carke and care
their greatest toyle and paine
That they in Golde and Iewels maye
their neighbours farre excell,
Golde is the thing that all men seeke
in golde their hope doth dwell.
For thys, runnes into raging warres
the Captaine stout of minde
For thys, his Children wyfe and house
and countrey left behinde
in shyp with sayles set out
Assayes the blewe and dreadfull gulfes
and coastes the worlde about.
Eche man doth practise craft and thefte
this golde to keepe in sight
Golde euery man desires and loues
golde pleaseth euery wyght.
Ne feare they any kinde of paynes
that after death is due
O altogither earthly men
that onely in the viewe
Frō beasts are knowē. Cā you nought else
than golde to knowledge call?
By which a wyse man from a foole
doth differ nought at all
Wherewith fonde fortune ill men oft
habundantly doth feede
Learne you that many things there are
that golde doe farre exceede
Which vnto fooles and wicked men,
of God not giuen be
These are the vertues: Godlinesse
iustice and prudencye
And wysedome passing farre the rest.
These goods who doth retaine
immortall man agayne
That after death shall happy be,
but he that hath them not
And staines himselfe with filthy sinnes
(when death his shaft hath shot)
shall headlong into Hell be cast.
These are not trifles, tales or dreames
but true and sure they be,
Yea most assurde, beleeue it well,
you blinde, beleeue you me,
Woe be to you if that you wyll
not me herein beleeue
For life shall quickly you forsake,
and then you shall perceyue
That I sayd true euen then when as
your soules in Hell shall lye,
You laugh: but this your ioy shall chāge
to teares and greeuous cry.
The time shall come when many men
that now in welthy pride
Do beare the sway and scornefully
both God and man deride
All naked, bare, in miserie
and wretched case shall lye
with pyteous wofull crye.
Wherfore O you that haue delight
in good and Godly things
Endewed with a better soule
whose rootes from heauen springs.
These earthly Gods that as the cloudes
away doe swiftly flye
Which fortune vnto fooles and knaues
doth giue most commonlye,
And which a fewe yeares ended once
doth death take cleane away
Regarde not muche, nor in such things
your heape or treasure laye.
Seeke you no more than that, which is
for lyfe sufficient
A small thing certes will suffise
with little liue content.
But let your chiefe delight be in
the sacred seates on hye
Seeke heauenly things wt all your force
to this your mindes applye:
In Heauen are the perfect goods
that euermore remaine
Which neuer foolishe dolt shall haue
nor wicked man obtaine.
are trifles all and toyes
Which fooles and beastly people seeke
and count as chiefest ioyes
For which a thousande hazardes great
they rashely vndertake
And offring vp their foolishe brestes
to death, they skirmishe make
Of thys they bost the Bytle doth
in dong reioyce to lye
Things filthy, filthy folkes doe loue
and villaines villanie.
Leaue earthly things to earthly minds
let swine in durt delight
And let your only trauaile be
to gaine the heauens bright.
The goodlyest things doe best become
the men of best degree
And valiant things most meetest are
for them that valiant bee.
The earth is but a Chery fayre
God hath to you assynde
The heauens for your countrey sweete
your countrey seeke to finde.
That when from bondes of body thou
escaped art and gone
or wormes to gnawe vpon
You there may alwayes happy liue
from fleshe vncleane exempt
And lame and often weary limmes
wherin whylest you were pent
Remaining in the vale of teares
and in the mortall rayne
Both many harmes and sicknesses
and griefes you did sustaine
For so the earth may called bee
which is the stable sure
Of all the worlde, the mother and
the nurse of vice vnpure
Wheras the raging Deuill dwels
the king of sinfull kinde
Wherfore it needefull is that you
haue often death in minde
And with your selues consider well
how nere the dore he standes
Still threatning with 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.
to thousande casualtyes
O to to shorte and doubtfull state
that smokelyke 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 sheepe
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
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 ye think how gods
doe dwell in Heauens clere
wold also learne some wayes or meanes
(if any such there were)
By which they might wt 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
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 see
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 seedes that others sowe
A portion small of others goodes
vpon the Church bestowe,
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 see?
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
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
Uouchsafes 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
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 filthines
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
in body fayre remaines
Which easely the Lorde forgiues
since well perceiueth hee
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 wt teares
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 fling.
Who thus renewed departes & leaues
his slough in stones behinde
And casting vp his head aloft
His dreadfull hyssing doubleth oft
with tong of triple kinde.
Thus Gods are pleased, & thus whē 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
proceedeth from the same.
Therefore it needefull 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
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
the rauening hauke to keepe,
And (madde) in feeding dogges & horse
hys liuing doth decaye:
Or he that seekes for hye estate
that quickly fades awaye:
An Owle that in the roufe doth sit
a mate of Fortunes playe?
Or is it hee that vpon God
hath heart and fansie set
And which he worships as a God
by all meanes seekes to get?
Beleue mee: they that earthly things
doe couet to obtaine
The things that in the heauens are
regarde not for to gaine.
No man can well two maisters serue
for who so ioyes in white
the black and grisley sight.
Who so delightes in light of Sunne
him darknesse heauie makes
And he that sweetenesse loues in bit-
ter things no pleasure takes
Who so approcheth to the earth
must needes the heauens flye
And where as loue of earth remaines
no man can loue the skye
But fewe (alas) and all to fewe
these earthly things despise
And able are with wings of minde
to mount vnto the skyes.
Wherfore? bicause it is so harde,
to this doe I agree:
But great rewardes makes greatest paynes
both easie and light to be.
what greater thing can be obtaynde
than here with Gods to walke?
And to beholde them with our eyes
and thus with them to talke?
This is chiefest Iewell sure
for which we ought to beare
Eache kinde of trauaile toile and griefe
with good and pleasant cheare.
but feete she wyll not wet
The way to vertue sure is harde
yet shall th'vnslouthfull get
Both vertue and honour vertues price
the souldiour good obtaynes
A due rewarde whereas no prayse
the slouthfull cowarde gaynes.
Therefore we must apply our selues
with all our force and might
That these so glorious states aboue
in vs may haue delight
Then euery thing we shalbe sure
here prosperously to haue
Both whilst we liue vpon the earth
and when we are layde in graue.
Why doe we thus esteeme the earth
that sone we shall forsake
O blinded fooles of fading ioyes
we more account doe make
Than of the goods that alwayes lastes
what madnesse is this same?
Nowe last remaynes that prayers oft
with humble minde he frame
That seekes the sight of Gods to haue
which once for to require
we must and much desire
Tyll at the length in space of time
we get the victorie
And as our minde desireth most
obtayne the Gods to see.
One stroke doth not cut downe ye Oke
of olde and auncient yeares,
Nor yet the stone by falling of
one drop of water weares
Nor Rome was builded in a day
eche creature, grayne and tree
In time spring vp, and in great space
of yeares encreased bee.
And thinkst thou such a wōdrous thing
and of estate so hie
Can with so little paynes be done
and wrought immediatly?
So easly can we not the sight
of earthly Kings obtayne
Nor come to tell our tales to them
and heare them talke agayne.
Thinkst thou that Gods no better are
than Kings that here we see
Wherfore then should they come except
they oft desired bee,
in humble sort desire
Wherfore we must on euery daye
them oftentimes require.
That they vouchsafe themselues sometime
to shewe to vs in sight
And with their talke the secrete things
to bring abrode to lyght
This if we doe (beleue mee well)
at length they will appere
And with their presence will vs blesse
in wretched carcasse here
And shortly bring vs to the skyes
an ende of all our strife
whereas the perfectest pleasure is
and eke the happyest lyfe
Then shall we passe and come before
the maker great of skyes
And haue the Prince of all the worlde
in viewe of these our eyes
Than which no better state can be
nor more renouned thing
who is of goodnesse and bewtye all
the fountaine hedde and spring.
But many think it can not be
that vnto any here
should talke or thus appere
And think that I but trifles tell.
to these I pardone gyue.
For nature hath not delt lyke wyt
to all that here doe liue.
Some still doe ponder in their minde
the Heauenly ioyes aboue
And alwayes think of hauty things
some, meane things only loue
And haue no pleasure much to rayse
themselues from earthly place
And thousandes on the grounde doe lye
nor thence wyll ryse an ase.
But earthly ioy doe only minde.
sure in none other wise
Than certayne byrdes that in the ayre
aloft most hylye flye
Where many keepe the midst thereof
and mount not very hye
The reast frequent the lowest partes
and nere the earth doe flye.
Wherfore it is no wonder great
if what I here declare
The common people not beleue
whose mindes most brutishe are.
for how should any one
Liue on the mountaines colde & dwell
in wildernesse alone
And willing leade so harde a lyfe?
sure perishe should he staight,
Except some God him comforting
should ease him of this waight.
Beleue me he that liues alone
auoiding companye
Is eyther mad, or more than man
doth talke with Gods on hye.
In this sort liued the Prophets olde
as it apperes by fame,
And many after Christ whom men
did holy Fathers name
And in this present age of ours
full many may we finde
That leade their life & spēd their yeares
in this same sort and kinde.
These men when they do wisely speake
and reason fayre and well
And wonders great doe bring to passe
and things to come foretell
Wilt thou esteeme as mad or fonde
or to be wayed lyght?
inspirde with holy sprite?
Besides the holy Church affyrmes
that earst haue many beene
That sacred shapes of blessed ghostes
full oftentimes haue seene
Why should not I beleue sith that
the Church doth tell it mee?
Therfore it is no fable fonde
but doth wyth truth agree,
That men may come to speake wt God
and them in presence see
Which I suppose the chiefest good
and finall ende to be
Of all good things that vnto man
may any wayes aryse
While as of thys hys present lyfe
the troublous seas he tryes.
And when escaped from mortall chaine
the soule hath passage straight
Conueying with hir selfe these three
that alwayes on hir wayte
The minde the sense and mouing force
vnto the heauens hye
Shall ioyfull go and there remaine
in blisse perpetuallye:
shall it created be.
O Heauen great O house of Gods
of fayrest dignitie
How pure arte thou how wonderfull
with Maiestie deuine
How garnishte rounde about wt starres
dost thou most brightly shine?
Thou palayce well replenished
with euery sweete delight.
For if the earth habounds with things
so fayre and good to sight
The earth a place for man and beastes
the vylest part of all
what shold we think of thee wher dwels
the Gods celestiall
The Lordes and happy kings of all?
O would to God that when
My dolefull threeds the Systers three
had fully finisht, then
It thyther were my hap to come
my Carcasse cast in graue:
And euermore such wondrous ioyes
before my eyes to haue
And now by grace of God I haue
of Zodiake finisht here
in these my bookes appere:
A labour great with study long
and tedious trauaile pende
Yet finisht now and closed vp
with last and finall ende.
What thanks shall I thee gyue O Lord
and Prince of euery lande
That hast me willde so fayre and great
attempts to take in hande
And giuen me mind and might therto?
the prayse is onely thine,
If any fayre or goodly thing
in these my bookes doth shine,
For euery fayre and goodly thing
from thee doth first descend
Thou wert the fyrst beginning of
this worke and finall ende:
My minde and hand were gouernde by
thy Maiestie deuine,
To thee I onely giue the thanks
the honour all is thine.
But yet if any due desert
on these my paynes attende
I thee beseeche O Lorde that when
my lyfe is at an ende
in dreames of vanitie
And when the day retornes still vext
with griefe and myserie
Thou wylt vouchsafe in wyping out
my sinnes to pardone mee
Whatsoeuer I haue done (alasse)
with mist of minde opprest
And suffer thys my soule with thee
in Heauens hye to rest.
And thou my booke in this meane while
thorow sundry cities run,
Assured vnder cankred clawes
of enuie great to come,
For Carpers and Correctors thou
shalt finde in euery place,
Whose mouthes with teeth enuenomed
shall tearing thee deface.
Nor some shall surely watinng be
which when they nothing can
Doe worthy prayse wyll yet reioyce
to rayle at euery man:
And finding fault at others works
will purchase foolyshe fame.
Shunne yu such enuious whelps as these
and mouthes that thus defame
which though but fewe they bee
Yet happy mayst thou dwell with few,
for fewe of best degree
Hath God created here on earth
to such go reuerently
And all that we haue done laye thou
before the vertuous eye
Which if they lyke it doth suffise
and what the rest doth saye
Regarde not thou, but clownishe words
with laughter passe awaye.
The iudgement of the common sorte
is grosse and eke their minde
Is wondrous weake and foolishe things
delights the foolishe kinde:
All men the meate doe most desire
that them doth best delight
Eache pleasure is not acceptable
to euery kinde of sprite
But good and learned men the things
of good and godly sense
Giue eare vnto and reade and marke
the same with diligence
This is the foode that them doth feede
and comfort of their minde
vnto this vertuous kinde
Thou shalt be heartyly welcomed
and with a smiling looke
Of them thou shalt perused bee.
Go therfore blessed booke
Abyde along and happy tyme,
and when the ghastly graue
Encompast rounde about with earth
my carcasse colde shall haue,
Through euery countrey (thou aliue)
and realmes of sundry fame
Go passe, and seeke in euery place
to blase abrode my name
FINIS.
Non nobis Domine sed nomini tuo.
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