University of Virginia Library

Nature,
witte and will.

VVitte.
Nature, my soueraigne Quene and paret passyng dere
Whose force I am inforst to know and knowledge euery where,
This care of myne though it be bread within my breste,
Yet it is not so rype: as yet to brede me great vnrest,
So runne I to and fro, with hap suche as I fynde,
Now fast, now lose, now hot, now cold, vncōstant as that wind,
I feele my selfe in loue yet not inflamed so,
But causes moue me now and then, to let suche fancies go,
Whiche causes preuailyng settes eche thing els in doubte
Much like the nayle that last came in, & dryues the former out.
Wherfore my suite is thys, that it woulde please your grace,
To settle this vnsetled head in some assured place:
To leade me through the thyck, to guyde me al the waye,
To poynt me where I maye atcheue my most desyred praye,
For nowe agayne of late I kyndle in desire
And pleasure pricketh fourth my youth to feele a greater fyre,
What though I be to young to shewe her sport in bed,
Yet are there many in thys lande that at my yeares doe wedde,
And though I wed not yet, yet am I olde inowe
To serue my Lady to my power and to begynne to woe.

Nature.
What is that Ladyes sonne which thus thy hart doth moue

VVitte.
A Ladye whom it myght be seeme hygh Ioue hym self to loue

Nature
Who taught the her to loue, or hast thou seene her face.

VVitte.
Nor this nor that, but I hard menne talke of her apace.

Nature.
What is her name?

VVitte.
Reason is her sire, Experience her dame,
The Ladye nowe is in her flowers and Science is her name
Loe where she dwelles, lo where my harte is all possest,
Loe where my bodie would abyde, lo where my soule doth rest.
Her haue I borne good wyll, these manye yeares tofore,
But nowe she lodgeth in my thought a hundred partes the more,
And since I doe perswade my self that thys is she
Which ought aboue all earthly wyghtes to be most deare to me
And since I wote not howe to compasse my desyre,
And since for shame I can not now nor mynd not to retyre,
Helpe on I you besech and bring thys thyng about
Wythout youre hurte to my greate ease, and set all out of doubte.

Nature.
Thou askest more, then is in me to gyue,
More then thy cause, more then thy state will beare
They are two things to able thee to liue,
And to liue so, that none should be thy peare,
The first from me, proceedeth euerye where,
But this by toyle and practise of the mind,
Is set full farre god wot and bought full deare,
By those that seeke the fruite therof to finde,
To match thee then with Science in degree,
To knit that knot, that few may reach vnto
I tel the playne, it lyethe not in mee,
Why should I challenge that I cannot doe
But thou must take another way to woe,
And beate thy brayne and bende thy Curiouse head,
Both ryde and runne and trauayle too and froe
If thou entend that famous Dame to wed.

VVitte.
You name your selfe the Lady of this world.

Nature.
It is true.

VVitte.
And can there be within this world, a thing to hard for you.

Nature.
My power it is not absolute in Iurisdiction
For I cognise an other Lord aboue
That hath receaued vnto his disposition
The soule of man which he of speciall loue
To gyfts of grace and learning eke doth moue.
A worke so farre beyonde my reach and call,
That in to part of prayse with him my selfe to show
Myght sone procure my well deserued falle.
He makes the frame and receiue it soe,
No iotte therin altered for my head,
And as I it reciue I let it goe,
Causyng therin suche sparkles to be bredde
As he commyttes to me by whom I must be ledde
Who guides me first and in me guides the rest,
All which in their due course and kind are spedde
Of giftes from me such as may serue them best,
To thee sonne witte he wild me to inspire
The loue of knowledge and certayne seedes deuine
Which ground might be a meane to bring thee hiere,
Yf therunto thy self thou wilt encline
The massy golde, the connyng hand makes fyne:
Good groundes are tilde, as well as are the worste
The rankest flower will aske a springyng tyme,
So is mans wit vnperfit at the first.

VVitte.
Yf connyng be the key and well of wordly blysse
My thinketh god might at ye first as well endue al with this.

Nature.
As connyng is the kay of blysse, so it is woorthy prayse
The worthiest thīgs ar wonne wt pain in tract of time alwaies,

VVitte.
And yet right worthy things ther are, you wil cōfesse I trow,
Which notwithstanding at our birth god doth on vs bestow.

Nature.
There are but such as vnto you that haue the great to name,
I rather that bestow then wynne therby ymmortal fame,

VVitte.
Fayne would I learne what harme or detriment ensued,
Yf any man were at his byrth with these good gyftes endued.

Nature.
There should be nothing lefte, wherin men might excell,
No blame for sinne, no praise to thē that had defyned wel
Uertue should lose her price, and learning would abounde
And as man wold admire the thing that echewher might be foūd,
The great estate that haue of me and fortune what they wil
Shold haue no nede to loke to those, whose heads are fraght wt skil
The meaner sorte that nowe excells in vertues of the minde,
Should not be once accepted there wher now they succor find
For gret men should be spedde of al & wold haue nede of none
And he that were not borne to land should lacke to liue vpon
These and fiue thousand causes moe which I forbeare to tel,
The noble vertue of the mind haue caused there to dwell
Where none may haue accesse, but such as can get in
Through many doble dores, through heat, through cold, through thick and thinne.

VVitte.
Suppose I would addresse my selfe to seeke her out
And to refuse no paine that lieth there about
Should I be suer to spede?

Nature.
Trust me and haue no doubte,
Thou canst not Chuse but spede with trauell and with tyme
These two are they that must dyrect thee how to clime

VVill.
With trauel and with time, must they neds ioyne in one?

Nature.
Nor that nor this can do the good, if they be toke alone.

VVitt.
Time worketh all with ease, and gyues the greatest dynt
In tyme softe water dropes can hollowe hardest flynt
Agayne. with labor by it selfe, great matters compaste bee
Euen at a gyrde in very lyttel time or none wee see
Wherfore in my conceyte good reason it is
Eyther this with out that to looke, or that with out this.

Nature.
Set case thou dyddest attempte to clyme Pernasus hill
Take tyme fiue hundreth thousand yers & lōger if thou will
Trowest thou to touch the top there of by standyng still
Againe, worke out thy harte and spend thy selfe with toyle
Take tyme with all or elles I dare assure the of the foyle

VVitte.
Madame, I trust I haue your licence and your leaue
With your good wil & so much helpe as you to me can gyue
Wyth further ayde also, when you shal spye your tyme,
To make a proffe to giue attempt this famouse hil to clime
And now I here request your blessyng and your prayer
For sure before I slepe I will to yonder forte repaire

Nature.
I blesse thee here with al such gifts as nature can bestow
And for thy sake I would they were as many hundred moe
Take therwith all this childe, to wayte vpon the stil.
A byrde of myne some kinne to thee, his name is Wyll.

VVitte.
Wellcome to me my will, what seruice canst thou doe,

VVill.
All thinges forsooth, sir when me liste and more to.

VVitte.
But when wilt thou list, when I shall list I trowe

VVill.
Trust not to that, paraduenture yea, paraduenture noe,

VVitte.
When I haue neede of thee thou wilt not serue me soe,

VVill.
If yee byd me runne, perhappes I will goe:

VVitte.
Cock soule this is a boye for the nonse amongest twentie moe,

VVill.
I am plaine I tell you at a worde and a bloe,

VVitte.
Then must I pricke you childe if you be drowned in slouth

Nature.
Agree you twayne for I must leaue you both,
Farewel my sonne: farewel myne owne good Will,
Be ruled by Witte, and be obedient still,
Force the I cannot but as farre as lies in me,
I wil helpe thy master to make a good seruant of thee
Farrewell.

Exit
VVitte.
Adue Lady mother with thankes for al your peine
And now let me bethincke my self againe & eke again
To matche with Science is the thinge that I haue toke in hande,
A matter of more weight I see, then I did vnderstande
Will must be wonne to this, or els it wil be hard
Will must goe breake the matter first, or els my gaine is marde,
Sir boye are you content to take such parte for me
As god shall sende, and helpe it forth as much as lyes in thee.

VVill.
Ye a Mayster by his wounds or els cut of his head.

VVitte.
Come then & let vs two deuise what trace were best to tredde,
Nature is on my syde and Wyll my boye is fast,
There is no doubt I shall obtayne my ioyes at last.

Exent