worthinesse before the rest as in a battayle mayne Lieuetenants are and Captaines stout the rest of common traine These causes chiefe aboue the rest in wondrous sort assignes Thalmighty Lord that guides aboue the Starres the starry sygnes Who lyues in euerlasting lyght aboue the Heauens hye That at hys beck doth cause to turne the motions of the skye To euery cause assigning force and whereto they shall tende With certaine boundes encloseth them the which may none transcende And synce he wysely all things made of force it followe must That euery thyng continuallye keepe course and order iust For things that once are rightly framed and fault doe none receaue Ought not in tract of any times their wonted course to leaue The order thus of euery thing can neuer altred be Bicause thalmighty Lorde hath made all things in iuste degre If then the sprite that guides the earth be naught or worke amisse It is bicause the basest cause and farthest of is this From causer fyrst and lyght remoued a large and ample space And therefore vnto darknesse blynde the nerer hath hys place And onely shadowe shewes of truth which God doth so permit Bicause the state of all the world and order asketh it For as the daye determinde is by darknesse of the night And things contrary ended are by force of others might So sort and course of causes good as reason doth require In vyle and wicked cause must ende and fynally expyre which wycked kingdomes gouerne shal and mischiefes vile shall guide Hence discorde euermore proceedes wyth brawles and minde to chide Strong battailes frayes false diseyt with fyres and slaughters great Theftes wyles with nede robberies and plagues with raging heate Great earthquakes stormes tempests great of sycknesses such store So great a sort of perilles vile and daungers euermore And finally what harmes to hap in any place we knowe From thys so wretched cause Prince of all the earth doth flowe Full truely earst alas did say the famous Hermes wyse This world a heape of harms doth seme where euery mischiefe lyes Bicause the diuell that on earth the chiefest stroke doth smite Is mischieuous and euermore in cruelty doth delight For as the first of causes is the spring of all good things So is the last the fountayne chiefe from whence all mischiefe springs Wherefore if lecherours on earth beare al the rule and sway If Asses sxt in seate as Kings in pompe of proud aray If charge of sheepe commytted is to wolues of rauening kinde If Harâ—ots in the Churches dwel and men of monstrous minde If that the holy rytes of Christ the hands vnpure doth fyle If Heauen and purging place Sir John doth sell wyth greedy guile More if vnpunnished such crimes are styll before our eyes The fault not in thalmighty Lord but in this Diuell lies Whome fortune commonly we name and Pluto oft we call But vnto him an apter name Sarcotheus fyt doth fall For vnto him the power of flesh and guiding is assinde Him serues all such as loue them selues â—o much wyth fleshly minde Of him the bodies are therefore in synne they alwayes driue And to the soules as enimies contrary styl do stryue For of the heauens commes the soule and from the starry Skyes But earthly are the bodies here and heauens do despyse This same Sarcotheus thoe that guydes the lowest partes of all Such holy men as do despise the â—oyes â—errestrâ—all To vertue bent and Godly life he hates and styl pursues And vexeth grieueth them molests as commonly doth vse The naughty Prince and cruel King alwayes for to oppresse The wysest men and such as do ercell in vertuousnesse For vertue of the wicked men is euermore enuied Al things their enimies hate and feare and shunne from them asyde Therefore the Diuel many harmes prouâ—deth for the meeke And them whose mindes do mouÌ„t aloft and hearts do heauen seke Ne would he haue his malice seene for if he should be knowne Al men would him detest as head from whom al ylles haue flowne And bloudy butcher of our kinde him al should iustly hate And cursing cal him cruel beast deceyuer of our state Therefore he craftely lies hydde and from the wyse man flies Least he be knowne ne feares he Moles but leapes from Linceus eyes So theues do vse and wicked men alwayes the light to flye And in the darkest tyme reioyce that none their mischiefe spye Hereof it commes as often as men feele aduersity Al ignorant wyth blindnesse and of minde oppressed be For ignorance is causer chiefe of errors al that fal Thinking with anger and complaynt the guyde of goodnesse al Doth vex theÌ„ so they straightway curse his hâ—e and holy name The wicked Diuel daunceth then and grinneth at the same And ioyes to see himself vnknowne and mischiefe close to lye And that he thus hath power to hurt and no man could it spye A foe vnto â—halmighty God he is and ennimy By whome from heauen tumbled down in chaynes he here doth lye Enclosde betwene the earth and Mone and there he holdes his rayne Wherfore O wretched mortal men at length apply your brayne To know the cause of al your griefes from whence such ylles do flowe And heauy harmful things do hay your butcher learne to know For this Sarcotheus this is he that plagues you in such sorte That of your harmes greuous grefes doth make his chiefest sport None otherwise than Mars his child great realmes in thraldome brought Wyth death of wretâ—hed men or beastes a pleaâ—ant pastyme sought The Noble men the Gentlemen the commons all syt styll In diuers roomes assigned them as Othaâ—s lawes doth wyll Then enters in before them all the cutters for to fyght Or else some other yeldes hys lymmes to beastes thereon to byte The Lion or the Tiger stout or else some fierâ—â—r kinde Should at this play present himselfe to please the peoples minde Wyth death mangled much w t wound from whence the bloud doth flow Oft vnto some of others smart a great delight doth grow Wherefore they do most wickedly that rayling thus do brawle And dare blaspheme thalmighty Lorde the cause of goodnesse all From whome as from himself no yll can any tyme proceede Except contingently as Sunne doth darcknesse euer breede As oft as vnder earth it slydes and absent fyre we see Encreaseth colde yet cloud in Sunne nor colde in Fyre can be Wherfore I maruel much that some whose Learning is not smal Do say that he offended is or wrathful him do cal And that he plagueth vs as oft as we do him offend That milde and Lord of mercies is that goodnesse al doth send And that from him doth warres begin wyth plague and famine sore If that our deedes could him offend what thing vnhappier more Than he in al the world were found â–ª for euery day and houre We crimes commit and blasphemies out of our mouthes we poure Then surely should he neuer ioy nor
finished it Or could he alwayes it haue done but would not vtter more What is the cause why rather would he after than before Or else what reason alterd thus his minde to other trade If naught it were this world to make why was it euer made But if it meete and profitable were this world to frame What is the cause that God so late created hath the same Wherefore hath it so short an age For if we boldly may Deuines beleeue eyght thousand yeres are not full past away Since Adam olde created was Beside whence doth proceede The cause why God shuld make y e world for that he this did neede If so he should at first it made least he should greeued bee The lacke of such a goodly thing so long a time to see If not why made he it in vayne â–ª ought he for to deuise The thing that to no purpose is of fooles this is the guise Therof theÌ„ was some cause but what of troth assuredly His goodnesse great and mighty powre least that in vayne should lye These twoo shut vp in secrete close but rather open be To eury man for mighty and good in vayne is coumpted he By whome no great nor godly thing hath neuer yet bene wrought If God therefore was euer good and euer mighty thought Why would he not haue alwayes builte this goodly world we see Why let he such a thing till nowe of late deferred bee No reason truly can be found except some subtile brayne Make more accoÌ„pt of â—oyes than truthe and foolish fansies fayne Wherefore if we to reason sticke then must we surely say That this same world hath euer bene and neuer shall decay But if that GOD sayd otherwise long since and then did giue To Moyses knowledge of his workes we Moyses must belieue Let reason alway yelde to fayth and there as prisoner leaue For GOD can not deceaued be nor neuer doth deceaue If any time he do vouchsafe by words with men to deale If that appearing vnto man his secrets he reueale But they that first this Chaos and continuall matter taught Do trifle much For why should God leaue it so long vnwrought If he forthwith could make the world and at the fyrst create All kinde of things In vayne it is for to deliberate That presently may well be done But some haue surely thought Eternal state the world to haue of no man made or wrought But of it selfe as now it is before all ages past And of it selfe as now it is for euermore shall last Which sure is false for reason doth hir selfe this same deny For two most perfect things can not in order euer lye But would fal out betwene themselues and strife thereby maintayne Well graunt that in a faythful league they alwayes do â—emayne In vayne two heads allowed are for one shall wel suffise Bicause at least dame nature ought before the rest to rise And if before the rest she be then is she cause of all For formost cause doth alwayes frame the things that after fall Wherfore doubtlesse the almighty lord this world himself did make Of nothing and eternall to But how the reason take Eternal goodnesse hath the Lorde eternal powre hath he May not likewise his wyll to make the world eternall be Which if it were as reason shewes nought letê but world may be Continuall built by workeman hie in such a fayre degree As who soeuer grauntê the Sunne continuall to haue bene Must needes confesse the light thereof continually was seene Yet is â—he light the Sunnes effect and Sunne the cause we call But let vs search the Elaments and from the Heauens fall And not vnworthy things of them let vs now vâ—â—er playne Some men haue sayd that vnderneath the Skies a fire doth rayne Neere to the Moone but voyd of light and kindling hastily And wondrous hote which to be true doth perfect reason try For in the night we may beholde the fire in Skies to flie And fâ—ashing flames throughout y e aire and Starres to shoote from hie Which doth proceede of damps that in the ayre do rise more hye And burned is by force of fyre that there alâ—ft doth lye For of twoo sorâ—ê is vapoure one light drye and soone begoonne To fire whereby the flaming sighâ—ê in Skies are causde to runne The other more colde more waighty grosse engendred of this same Are showrs clouds snowes mystes and windes with flashing flame And thunder haylestones deaw rayn if fier were none aboue No vapour there could kindled be in eueningê darke to moue Moreouer since in lightnesse thus the fire doth ayre excell No remedy but needes it must haue hier place to dwell His seate therefore is vnder Skies and next to Moone doth lye Beneath this fire hath ayre his place which in his partes most hye A feruent heate of fire doth take The myddle partes most colde Doth thuÌ„der clouds lightnings bredâ— and tempestê sundry folde The lowest parte is warme and moyst for vapour that doth rise From floudê continually it moysâ—ê ascending towardê the Skies And warmd it is by beames of Sunne that back from earth rebound Here â—â—sts showrs and plesant deawâ— and snowes and frostê are found Which sundry sorts of winds do breede for no small powre is dealt Unto these windes and oftentimes their force in ayre is fealt These can in time of Sommer cause the nipping coldes to come And in the winter season sende abrode the warming Sunne These can both giue and take away from vs our corne and grayne These can both breede and beare away great sicknesses and payne From out the East doth Eurus blowe and from the Libian coast Doth Auster come and Zephyrus from westerne parts doth poste But Boreas blastes in Scythian hilles and Northerne partes doth rise More windes there are all rule the ayre that lower lies And with the ayre both land and sea Of windes the cloudes do breede And from the cloudes do flakes of snow and showers of rayne proceede Dewes lightning hayle early frosts but with diuersty of times And eke by sundry wayes and meanes and blastes of sundry windes Whereof such as from South do blow bréedes cloudes showers heaty But those that from the Scythian partes do come cause coldenesse great From these coms yse snowes frostes when winter dwelleth héere But in the Sommer time they serue to make the weather cléere The westerne winde bréedes flowers grosid with gréene doth new aray And giues the birds a cause to sing and filles the woods wyth May. Oft times the Easterne winde is good yet now and then doth rayse Such tempestes great that seas land by force thereof it frayes These windes the ayry sprites aboue or Starres abrode do send And oft when as the Coniurer for treasure doth intend In earth to delue or consecrate his booke in Magike wise Some sprite to binde then haue I heard that windes which then did rise And
what auayles it vnto him the pleasaunt wines to bring Who euermore refrayning wine doth ioy in cleared spring Some one with Kid some other thoe wyth porke refresht to be Desireth more some songs delight some other playes to seâ— So loue to all men is not like some man a boy desires And some a mayd and some a gyll and some a wyfe requires The minde and not the thing therefore doth cause a quietnesse Wherby the poore no lesse their ioyes then riche men doth possesse Excesse the riche man doth desyre fewe things the poore suffise To him doth greater charge of house but lesser ioyes arise The shipman or the labouring wight much pleasure more doe take With egges leekes and homely foode his hungred mawe to slake Than kyngs Queenes w t deinty dishe of seas and lande to dine The worthier pleasure then I thinke of right we may define That vsed neither causeth harme nor honesty resystes For best it is to couet least and liue within the lystes Of counsaile good nor vexed be with vaine and fonde desyre For who the things he cannot haue doth earnestly require With frustrate hope is tormented and loseth time in vaine Wherfore desyre thou nothing els but that thou mayst obtaine And rule thy minde w t bridlyng bitt but he that doth habounde With riches alwayes couets more then lawfull may be founde With little and content to liue he knowes not yet there fore Whom least of all doe full suffise hym happier iudge I more For lofty landes doe cause a man for to excell in pride Thimmortall gods for to despise and men for to deride Without all rule a carpet knight and vertues mortall foe For who doth vertue ought regarde when riches swelleth so O famous worthy pouertie O giftes of God vnkende Of vertues aye the safe defence to shamefastnes a frende The brydle tryde of wantones and patron of the lyfe Thou onely canst and well despise the shamelesse fortunde ryfe The raging of the Seas and wyndes whilste in thy little bote Thou kepest the safe assured foordes and rydste by shore a flote The loftye hylles on hye full oft the flashing lightnings smite And spiring ashes long be bette by northern Boreas might Low things do lie vnknoweÌ„ to harmes the tempestes neuer greues The lowly shrouded Junipers nor shakes the Mirice leues The famous Anaxagoras and Democryte the wyse With many mo whose worthy fame throughout the world nowe flies Did syluer golde and riches eke as heads of yll despyse And why but y t they thought they were not vertues good nor trew Which let the minde w t diuers cares and hedlong downe eke threw Full many men in diuers vice but alwayes marke thou well What Fabrice Calo and Curius to these holy men thee tell Regarde not what the common sort and foolishe route doe say Therample of the good alwayes before thy eyes but lay Dyd not Ouirinus conquerour his banners oft display Commaunded weapons vp to take and plough a downe to laye And rest his deluing spade a whyle then would the cottage small Content the men and deinty fare not vsed then at all But Princely meates roufed roomes bring forth as now a dayes A weake a faynâ— and tender fruite and apt to sport and playes O learne you mortall men at length put darkenes from your minde Lyft vp a loft your dimmye eies wherto doth will so blinde You leade take heede in any wyse you thither doe not goe By reason lyke the gods aboue you are created loe By reasons are the seas and lande vnto your power subiect Let errours not therfore as now but reason you direct The certaine ende of euery thing peruse you well alwaye And let the meate your selues suffise that hunger driues away And garments eke your skinnes to hide and cald for to expell Let aye the slepe that doth refresh your wery limmes be well Of these three things aboue the reste most nede we haue alway Sith these our bodies are compact of vile and brittle claye But yet thou oughtst those things to vse as Phisick for to heale The diuers sicknesse that to man dame nature wontes to deale Some one we see in daynty fare doth riot most embrace Some other in ercesse of clothes and some whilst they apace From learning flye do vneth knowe nor once this life perceaue When euermore wyth sluggish slepe their eyes togyther cleaue But happy is he that is content with little to remayne Nor puts his trust in things so frayle that death will him constrayne To leaue behinde as none of his and wayeth well in minde How short the space is of our life how all things vayne we finde That here on earth created be who alwayes one remaynes In prosperouse eke and aduerse chance the iudge nor Sttgian paynes Regardeth not and nought esteemes what euer fortune flyng Unhappy is he whom will doth leade vnmindfull of the thing That is to come but like to beastes regardes the thing in syght Who knoweth not that by how much the minde is more of might Than is the corps so much the more in gifts it doth excell Riches be not the chiefest goodes therefore appeareth well For these bicause for bodies wealth they onely out be sought The manners of the owners eke we see they better nought Who wil accompt them chiefest goods for often times we see Such men with riches as abounde like brutish beastes to bee As much therfore as will suffise thy life no more require For in excesse do fooles reioyce in vaine thou doest desyre Thy barnes vnheaped hugye mowes of corne when thou as well With lesser measure though by much thy hunger mayst expell When little cuppes shall thee suffise why doest thou tunnes desyre But yet if Putus doe thee loue and plentie on thee flyre And eke the will vnknowne of fases hath riches delâ—e to thee What wouldst thou doe that thou hadst learnde it semeth best to mee Least by possession thou be worfe a dolte and counted plaine And tell mee now I thee require what wisdome doth remaine Or counsell else to him in whom great riches euer â—â—owe And by what meanes them for to vse the foole doth nothing know Hereby doth strength and often hurte and beautie eke anoye By reason lyke the aucthour oft doth eloquence destroy And by these meanes are diuers artes full hurtfull oft to many Let not the snare of auarice thee catche but from her flie Than thys there is no fury fierce assuredly more fell Begotten once in Acheron amyd the raigne of hell She was where flaming fyerbrandes she dreadfully doth cast A hundred thretning heades shee beares wyth vgly adders brast Her gredy iawes with bloud of men coulde neuer haue their fill With churlish chaps deuouring meaâ— yet foode requir the shee still She spareth none nor god hys churche once feareth to defyle This cursed neuer fylled beast and wicked monster vile Of hir come plagues slaughâ—ers sharp wyth discorde and distresse
the sacred natures hest Which wold the bred shuld brede agayn which made such ioyful rest In wedlock bed thee not to feare but rather to allure Why wilt thou nature thus withstande no hurt in Venus lure There is if hir thou lawful vse with meane and not excesse But to much vsde she strength abates and drownes the valiantnesse Destroyes the wit and shortneth life Now must we here display dame Venus soÌ„ne whose force doth cause both man and God obay Who brond withal and quiuered shafts makes all the world afrayd To whome though yet a boy and blind hath euery thing obayd That earth or sea did euer breede or heauens hie contayne O Lord what rage of flames and fyre in euery place to rayne This boy hath causd what force haste y e O quiuered Cupide now No strength thy power may once resist thy conquest makes to bow Both beast and Man and Gods aboue with dartes of thine alone His heart through pearcd full oft hath made the thuÌ„dring God to grone And diuers shapes on him to take hys lightning laide a syde And region left of starry skyes on wretched soile to slide Hath not disdainde sometime the forme of Egle swift to beare Sometime a bull with frowuing face sometimes a shepheards cheare On him to put sometime to seme a snake and now and than With flames to come in Satirs shape now golde now like a swan Neptunus also once ychanged to fluddes of Enepey While he poore wretch thy dart did feele with Salmonide he lay And oft a Dolphin would he seeme a Ram or Horse to be With all the seas he coulde not quenche the flames that burnte by thee In breast so blinde and heart of him a tale to long it were Like actes of all the Gods to shewe to thee in order here How Phebus did a hauke become and eke a Lion kende Or call to minde the woode attemptes of raging Tartares fende But vaine it is so time to spende for if I should expounde The Lordes and Ladies euerychone whom cruell loue did wounde My tale woulde runne to much at large and downe before woulde hide His glistring beames syr Titan bright the smoking wheeles should slide Amid the washing westerne waues But here I thinke it best Such things to haue sith many men haue plainely them exprest And now the truth we will declare this boy did neuer flow From Bacchus raines as Grece did faine no sure if it were so Eche man that hateth wine should loue but destny him begot Bicause in euery kinde of loue this destny knittes the knot All morttall things this desteny rules she doth to all bestow Conditions eke with fortune to and ende of lyfe doth know Of greater force than beauty is this desteny assurde Though beauty cause of burning flame hath louers linckes procurde Of greater might than golde it is though once with golde did bye Olde Saturnes sonne inclosde in towers with Danae faire to lie Familier syght and licence had full oft to talke and liue Togither both when none shall see which sliding way doth giue By which to loue we in doe come by which is Venus got All this can nothing sure preuaile if destnies fauour not By destny ioinde by destny broke the louers knot and ring By this the vile deformed slaue sometimes obtaines the thing Which rich nor faire can haue by this the faire and gentle wyfe Is of hir husbande eft despisde and more contentes his lyfe A ragged iade in house to kepe By this the wife disdaines Hir husbande faire of gentle bloud and greater ioy sustaines A lither lousy lout to haue or vnaquainted wight And if so be that loue were not by Gods aduisement right To euery man appointed here by limittes parted iust No doubt of all might one be loued and on them all should lust And euery man might safe enioy the Damsel that he likes But as the fisher doth not take the fishes all in dikes Nor foulers all the birdes do catch nor hunters all doe kill But euery one his chance doth take obtaines and hath his will So loue to euery one is delt by Gods arbitrement So doth the seruant base full oft his Lady well content So shall the bursten bleared lout and crooked father olde A blissefull girle to wyfe obtaine For as the Marchant bolde That vnderneth vnhappy starre with wares his ship doth freight And cuts the fearefull fouring seas is often spoilde of weight By loste of ship or Pirates fierce so he that flames wyth loue The starres luck agaynst him both doth seke the rockes to moue An euil name and cruel wound receyueth he agayne And efâ—e his loue to get doth he the losse of lyfe sustayne But he whome destnies fauour wel and fortune smiles vpon His heart and ioy may sone obtayne wyth quiet rest anon But sure of fewe this grace is had so good are Gods to fewe Except such one as close doth kepe his ioyes that none them knowe No trust there is at al in man disceytes are vsed vile Now euery man doth practise howe his fellow to beguile If any man vnto his frende his secretes doth disclose Then must he stande in feare of him least he his frendship lose Least he in angry moode reueale that erst in harte he hydes If free therefore thou sekest to be and safe to liue besydes Let no man knowe thy secrete deedes thy frend haue alwayes so While frendship lasts that thou foresee he once may be thy foe Which thing in profe hath eft ben knowen for fewe such frendes we see That alwayes loue and much herein ought enuy fearde to be Which euer striues the happy chaunce wyth poyson fell to stayne Take heede therfore of enuy syrs I warne you louers playne Let no man know thy minde in loue but hide this loue of thine If witte thou hast and let not thou thy fyer forth to shine A monster vile is enuy sure a plague that rageth fel A deadly hurt than which a worse is hard to finde in Hel. It hunteth vertue in euery place good dedes asunder teares Good men she hates and doth disdayne the happes of others yeares Although no man can well kepe close his owne vnfayned loue If Fates agaynst him let and nyll the enuious lightes aboue Smal force in wit of man there is where Goddes do not agree In vayne he toyles that seeketh ought when Gods against him be Yet ought we not for this to leaue our willes and wittes to strayne For he that hath the race forth runne and palme cannot obtayne Is worthy prayse and enuy all vpon the Goddes he layes Who often good men downe haue put and fooles exaiting rayse A happy man is he to whome from tower of heauens grace Is graunted whoÌ„ God guides himself whose byrth with lucky face The happy starres haue shinde vpon to him coÌ„mes ioyful loue And voyd of woe long swetenesse he wyth pleasant life may proue For loue is daynty swete and milde if
that makes the seas to roare That driues the foming flouds w t force vnto the ratling shore And shakes encldsde in caues the earth wherby commes tumbling downe The buildings byg of euery bowre and strength of euery towne But some perchaunce do doubt if God whome we chief good do call An end may be syth we haue told before that end of all A framed thing must be and here this end to haue we say Beginning and a midst thereto which all men wyl denay He alwayes was and styll shall lyue no end to him can be All things he made and of no man was euer framed he Before him nothing could be seene nothing can after bide This doubt wyth answer for to loose loe thus I do prouide The workman fyrst and maker hero of all the world and all Things in the same contayned clere this same we God do call The end of all the world likewyse and all thing in the same Him God that guides the stars aboue him god we also name Yet lawfull therfore is it not a worke to thinke this same For euery end is not a work his minde that worke doth frame Sekes not the work alone to make but farther doth intend As he that frames a chest doth not his paynes and labour spend The chest alone to make but for some other cause it frame As somthing for to kepe therein or else to sell the same More worthie euer is the ende the later it doth fall And worser things to better driue so God is ende of all To whome eche eyther thing contendes for whom the world doth stand And all things eke therein that be and for himselfe his hand Created al and not for vs as some syr Johns do say That call and bawle in euery church and lead pore soules astray Wyth words they doltes of Dawcockes make what cause what wit of ours What noblenesse what goodnesse is contaynd wythin our powrs For which the world so vast shuld frame so great a prince as he We all are full of fylthy vice and fooles we also be Scarce one in all the world there is whom poyson doth not try Of greedy scraping auarice or fylthy lechery Whom swelling pryde doth neuer vexe whome yre or pleasure blinde Doth not throw hedloÌ„g down why then what goodnesse can we finde In vs or what desertes that might so great a workman moue The skies the seas the fruteful earth to frame for our behoue Loues not he gentle vndeserude so thou perchaunce wylt say This is but fond for who wyll loue the vnthankful wretch alway But he that wit doth lacke belyde whose natures disagree So much what meanes or how may loue betwene them be For God himself all tymes surmounts in whome no end is spyde Nor neuer he beginning had yet end of all besyde And fyrst begynning eke he is most chiefe omnipotent Aboue all things than whome more good can no mans head inuent Or yet a Lord of greater power or one more excellent Who hath no nede of any thing yet all things nede his might Who eche doth beholde and yet not subiect to our sight Contayning all good things in him and voyd of eche ill deede We contrary as misers borne of vile and fylthy seede To wayling woes and dolefull teares and thousand daungers dyre Continually wyth these or those diseases set on fyre But little tymeÌ„ remayning here and that in griefe and payne Alas in what an errors myst our liues we here do trayne Howe eche one weake of minde we be wyth diuers chaunces dolde Lamenting this and wayling that in fraud and vices bolde Who after that we waded haâ—e through cares and â—arking thought Are here compeld this life to yeld resolued sone to nought The distance vs betwene and God this ergo doth declare More great to be 〈◊〉 if we should the seely flea compare Unto the mighty Elephant what knot of amity Can knit these two good geffes in one that so vnequall be Thinkst thou thys flea may haue y e loue of this same monster strong Wyth like doth loue and concord dwell and eke th'vnlike among Alwayes doth hate and discord raine smal fayth at least with them ther is Hereby some sorte appeare whom men prophane our law do iudge and they that cowles do weare Call hereticks account vs mad and doltheads vs do call Bicause we hope the Skies to see and liue the Gods wythall For euermore in happy life wyth diuers other toyes Which folish minde and prating tong do promise vs as ioyes For speach doth make vs beastes excell wher if we lackd the same Which God vs giues eke our handes by which we all things frame No beast more vile than we were then no beast in worser case For these two aboue the rest giues nature all her grace Here of doth all our pride arise there of eche Arte begonne For voyce doth warne the present what to doe or what to shonne And letters to the absent speake for if a beast might show By wordes the secret motions hid in heart that he doth know If talke among them might be had if that their syngers fyne were apt to write no doubt we might bcholde an Aue sometime Of greater wit than we and beastes of euery other kinde would greater reason haue in them than man in vs may finde And boldely durst themselues preferre eche other wight before And eke the Asso would proue himselfe of estimation more Than vs the tongue and hande therfore not reason causeth thus Eche other kinde of beast to be a Subiect vnto vs This they affirme and more besyde if men be borne they say Of parents dumme whose handes are maunde or cut from them away And line in woodes not nere to townes and tongue and hand doe faile Like other beastes I pray thee what can humaine wit preuaile what reason shall in them ayeare thinkest thou they will not leade Their liues as vils as other beastes what wisedome may they pleade More than the reast of brutishe sort one sprite they al possesse Though it vnlike doe seme to be bicause they doe expresse In body diuers forme and haue of great diuersitie Their membres all wher to is toynde a diuers facultie If diuers Carpenters you bring like learned in their feat If some of them lack instruments no doubt the diffrence great Must needes amongst them be for they can nothing do That want eche kinde of tole that doth belong their worke vnto Nor after him shall Orpheus draw the beastes and rockes so hie If he shoulde lacke his musicke sweete ne once would Paris flie Being armed wel at euery poynt vnarmed fierce Achill Wyth such a sorte of reasons vile these fooles our cares do fyll But more of them perchaunce I wyl hereafter bring to light When I shall of the soule of man some sentences resight For there I wyl it proue deuine immortal eke to be which two of beasts no man wil graunt now where we stayd wil we
the childe when they perfour me the acte Disposed ill with naughty bloud or sore diseases racte More causes are there yet beside as labour toyle and rest Both colde heat with slepe and meat and ioyes of Uenus nest Eache one of these doth strength abate and hurt the liuely sprite As oft as we vse them to much or vse them else to lyght Excesse of both doth sicknesse bring of measure health proceedes The perturbations of the minde diseases often breedes And to much sadnesse feare and griefe and to much myrâ—h as well Doth kyll if we will credit such as hystories doe tell The ayre doth hurt the water harmes when they be both infected Hereof doth come the plaguie sore whereby the guttes are vered The common rot doth many kyll and diuers sicknesse sore Doth brawling fight and fawle procure with thousande perryls more These springs grouÌ„ds of mischiefes all if thou thy health set by By all the meanes thou canst inuent seeke thou from them to flye If thou be syck as nedes thou must sometyme what wilt thou doe Desyre not then the medcine long but loke thou sone thereto While as thy sore is yet but grene nor yet thy mortall fo Possessed hath his fired place amyd thy corps to goe A little water doth suffice to quench the breeding fyre But when that it is fully growne and flames begin to spyre Wyth vaunting course agayn y e starres scarce riuer spring or lake Will then suffice to quench it out shift therefore timely make To know the cause of thy disease and sone to put them out Use contraryes contrary things eche one expell no doubt If cold haue thus procurde thy harme vse things to heate agayne If trauayle toyle or meate thee hurt from them likewyse refrayne If nede require then seeke the aide of some Phisitians hand Or Surgians helpe in Surgians Arte more knowledge sure doth stand For playne and sure appeares the work that in his hand he takes But Leache whom we Phisitian name while he the water shakes Wherby he doth his iudgement giue and feeles the beating vayne And rakes the dung he is deceaude and doth deceaue agayne But wyth vnlike estate of harme the simple soule doth die And giues the balde religious men a cause to sing and crie The other hauing gotten golde accuseth God on hie And sayth that be was onely cause wherby the man did die And fast wyth siluer stuffes his purse wyth sweete reioicing hart All men alas are healed now by chaunce and not by Arte. For he that any Arte knowes well in practising of it But seldome he doth chaunce to erâ—e or doth offend no whitte But these among whereof we talke amongst a hundred yll There scarce is one whom they can saue or whome they do not kyll How chaunceth this But for bycause that fewe of them doth knowe What thing they do what Phisicke is but while they seeke to flowe Wyth wytty words and Logiks Arte the vulearned sort to binde Of Phisiks cure the principles they scarcely seke to finde Instructed thus wyth nedelesse Artes themselues they home wards hie And fast wyth Ergo there they prate and bygge they looke therby Hereby they stipendes do require and thinke inough the same Nor are they here deceyude for this that wyth an honest name They may be murderers of men O lawes of wretched kinde That can permit such mischtefs great O Kings and rulers bâ—inde That spye not thys deformed thing O you that guide and rayne Permit not such a wickednesse chase hence this plague agayne And succour bring to mortall kinde by these same murdring knaues How many men both night and day haue found their fatall graues Let them haue perfectly their Arte or let them not professe For other artes if they do erre the harme of them is lesse But this except it perfect be is full of perilles greate And priuily doth rage as doth at home the plaguy heate It is not good therfore to truste such men whose learning stands In precious habite to be seene and to adourne their hands Wyth rings and hoopes and precious stones but this that I shall tell Wherby thou mayst thy selfe retayne in minde reserue thou well See that thy diet holsome be and eate not thou to much For mischiefe great hath come to men by ouer feeding such Here of do most diseases breede beware especially As of a poyson strong that doth enforce the corps to dye That thou no meate agayne do take till that receiued last Be well consumed and perfectly his full digestion past And euery day vse exercise by pace or other feate Wherby thy ioynts thus moued may procure a warming heate For mouing is the cause of warmth and aydes the stomack well Encreaseth strength humors nought from out the flesh expell Breake not beside thy quiet rest for sleepe the body feedes And helps the mind wher harme to both excessiue watching breedes Expell thou sorrow farre from thee and heauinesse exile For it dries vp the sinowes all and makes the body vile And grested haires vntimely plants the ioyfull heart agayne Doth make thy limmes meÌ„bers stroÌ„g and youthfull yeares retayne The other things beholde thy selfe that erst I tolde to thee A thing more precious farre there is by which we happy bee And like to Gods and heauens haunt in earth remayning here Although his grace to fewe is giuen fewe worthy do appere Such honour hie for to possesse and if to know the same Thy minde desyres I wyll thee tell dame wisdome is her name This is the greatest good of all than this of greater grace The Gods can giue nothing to man to this resigneth place All that that breedes in red sea sandes or all the golden goodes That Lagus keepes that Hermus hath or in Pactolus flouds Whatsoeuer growes if truth be sayd to her no Princely raygne May be comparde she is the Mother of all Godly trayne And greatest vertue is O blesf yea blest and blest agayne As much as mortall man can be is he that doth obtayne Of God this goodly gyft to get but some perchaunce wyll seeke What wysdome is to knowe and sure the troth hereof to speake Nought else but knowledge chefe shee is by which the pured minde Whom neither mortal waight doth pres nor earthly thought can blinde Doth scale and clime the skies aboue and there in ayry place Wyth God doth dwel despising here all things in mortall case As vayne ascending alwayes vp much like the flames of fyre Regarding light these earthly things doth things aboue desire And doth discerne the good from yll and truth from falsehode nought And things of blind and mortall men that chiefest here are thought As pleasures realmes and riches great wyth hie triumphing geare For which both night and day they toyle esteming not a heare Bewayls the vayn and fading thoughts declaring here the way Of liuing well in order iust and eke the dying day The rest among the wiseman shines
I go And leaue this fylthy world I wyll where thousand mischieues flowe Where fayth is none where godlinesse where iustice none doth dwell Where peace and quietnesse is fled where vices beare the bell Where brother sekes the brothers blud where sonne the father hates Where discorde euermore doth raigne and guile in maried mates No man there is at least but rare who if he can not steales Who robbeth not who doth not fayne and who not falsiy deales That well this world may now be calde of theeues a gaping den Loe Kings and Bishops proude besyde by name of Godly men The commons poore do powle and pyl and Citizens do shere And simple innocents destroy what should I recken here The horedomes great committed now all flowes with vice we see The naughty act do yong men vse and close misused be Who plants not hornes in neighbours heads the balde religious frye Who should be chast abrode with hores or close wyth boyes do lye To widdowes graue or tender maydes the holy priestes do crepe And some within their kinsfolkes bed haue great delight to slepe Some slaues w t bests themselues defile the fieldes and groue of tree And euery towne is now a stewes And harmes that instant be And daungers great that haps to men and labours great and sore And al the supersticious sorte of false religious lore What nede we subiectes now to be syth O the shameful state Unwytty and grosseheaded fooles and they that learning hate To whome the dice and Dogs to kepe with byrdes of rauening kinde And horses ryde with other toyes is all their chiledish minde Do Scepters holde and peoples guide and gouerne Cities strong Here of such errors vp do spring with folishnesse among Hereof so many vices breede if this thou callest to minde Thou shalt not feare this foolish worlde and nought to leaue behinde Yea thou wilt count it wel that once Calanus and his feares Did bring to passe who slewe theÌ„selues to scape these wretched yeares And staying death with hand did haste nor longer would preserue The dying Corps nor wretched flesh with labour long to serue And if religion sayd not nay and lawes of Plato hie And GOD himselfe I would persuade thee forthwith for to die And wicked chaunce and wretched earth to leaue as vayne and nought Not wine as wine desyred is but wine and good is sought So life as life is nothing worth if goodnesse lack we see If it be naught as wine corrupt let it despised be For life it selfe we nede not wysh nor fled it ought to be The worme the flye and euery stone and barke of euery tree And euery vile and little thing doth life in it possesse No kinde of thing desyred is where wanteth pleasauntnesse If it be not both life and good I see no cause whereby It should be wisht or may be loued Therefore who feares to dye Is but a foole since he desires such hurt and harme to byde Both of the body and the minde with labours long besyde Before he would al kinde of grieues with flesh from him expel And euer in tranquillity and perfect rest to dwell Or leauing members here behinde to liue for euermore Where he shal want no kinde of thing nor sorrow feele nor sore And with the saincts togither there about the world to flye More swift than al the windes that be beholding things on hye Except the dregs of vice him stay and force him styll to dwell Beneath in Corners deepe of earth amyd the raygne of Hell When thus this Lady fayre had sayd she rose and stode by me And on my head refusing I she put the Laurell tree And thence departing forth she flewe where shining starres we see ¶ Explicit media Pars. Libra The seauenth Booke MY muse a lofâ— raise vp thy self and vse a better flite MouÌ„t vp a hie think it scorn of base affayres to write More great renoune and glory more in hautye matters lyes Uiew thou y e Gods and take thy course thorowout the starrye Skyes Where spring time lastes for euermore where peace doth neuer quayle Where Sunne doth shine continuallye where Light doth neuer fayle Clowde causer Southwinde none there is nor boystrous Boreas blowes But mylder breaths y e Western windes where sweete Ambrozia growes Take thou thys way and yet somtimes downe falling fast from hye Now vp now downe wyth sundry sort of Gates aloft go flye And as some hawty place he seekes that couets farre to see The cause is fyrst before the effect the workman worke aboue The perfect thing bicause it doth eche parte in it containe And nothing lacks is stronger farre of greater force againe Therfore it makes coÌ„maunds moues and so by chalenge due The cause and Auctor eke of all it may be tearmed true But otherwyse thunperfect thing that maymde can not consist Is ouercome and moue it must euen as the perfyte list It doth obey and not commaunde and therfore must be named The effect and eke the framed worke and not the thing that framed So farre behinde it euer ought the perfect thing to goe For if vnperfite were the spring from whence all thing doe â—â—oe It were but vile and nothing wrought therof should perfect be As alwayes of thunperfect Arte vnperfect worke we se Wherfore beginnings more than one no reason forth can finde Bicause there is not to be knowne but one of perfect kinde From which the neuer fayling course and order of all things Doth come as from the Union fyrst eche other number springs Besydes it pure and syngle is that mixtures all hath made For nothing can compounded be but symples fyrst is had For fyrst it nedefull is alone the symples to be tryde And then in mixture all in one compounded to abyde Therfore no principall there is but one as I haue taught Which symple in degree we iudge and purest must be thought Whom if we think not for to liue in â—rror great wee fall If he liue not how liues the reasâ— synce by him lyue we all Doubtlesse he liâ—es and wisedome hath or else in order dewe How could he frame such goodly sightes except he all things knew Nor doubt we must but needes coÌ„fesse with mouth and eke with heart Him to be good Can he be ill of whom eche good is part Can bitter â—reames at any time from sweetest fountaine runne Or can the riuers pleasant be of bytter spring begunne For eyther nothing must be good or good must he be thought That is the spring of all the rest by whom the worlde was wrought Hym men doe call by diuers names but we that Latine wright Doe call him God and more we saye that Jupiter he hight Who fynce he is the first that was and maker of eche one Liues of himself both good and wyse receiuing state of none But all by him their states enioy who may lose that they haue Whensoeuer he lyst for to restraine the thing that fyrst
Which were to great absurditie for he doth all things spye That eche thing makes nor ought from him can hyd in secret lye Though some doe say that if so be that heauenly minde shoulde knowe The base estate of mortall kinde it should lesse worthy growe But they are much deceiued for none is ill bycause that hee Doth ill things know nor vile y t knowes the things that vilest bee Nor any man is changed white that white can well define Nor worser is the Sunne as oft as it on knaues doth shine Nor if with beames it hap to blase in place be durtyed much It foule doth seeme nor light defylde that filthy things doth touche So if the minde perceiue the thing that vylest may be thought It is not worse to knowe ill than good but ill to doe is naught Thus God of nothing ignorant all things that are doth knowe What hath bene done in alder tymes and what shall after growe Which if they be not surely â—ixt confesse we must them needes Not to be knowne for knowledge styll of things assurde proceedes The Prophetes also when they speake of things that happen shall The certaine dayes do playnly appoint and proper names of all Which would not be but that al thyngs are fyxed certaine so That are to come or present be or passed long ago Yet many things doe seeme by chaunce amongst vs for to lyght As when a tyle by tempest torne from house a man doth smyte Or when a man in deluing deepe doth store of treasure finde Such things by chauÌ„ce to hap doth synk in common peoples minde But thys my minde doth not alowe for though vnlooked for Such things doe hap shall we therein admit a chaunce therfore Our knowledge nor our ignorance to alter things hath might For fyre hath not his flaming heate nor Snow therfore is whyte Nor SuÌ„ne doth yeld hys glistering beames bicause we knowe the thing For of the matters that consyst our knowledge here doth spring Therfore we knowe it thus to be bicause the thing is so And minde may often seeme to erre the thing can not so do Now of the thing I speake and aske if chaunce therein doe lye For whether we doe knowe thereof or no regarde not I. The chaunce therefore in vs doth lye not in the things that be Such things we thinke to fall by chauÌ„câ— wherof no cause we see As knowne alone vnto the Gods all things are certaine tho For with one sort of mouing rounde the heauens alwayes go Lyke seede like fruite and elaments in auncient order rayne And keepe their kinde wonted course the yeare doth styll retaine For after spring the somer hoat himselfe hath strayghtwayes placde And after him with Apples thyck and Grapes doth haruest hast Next after that his nipping frosres the wynter bringeth in And wyth his Isye northern blastes all things to droupe begin No herbe doth euer change hys force all creatures doe retaine Their olde accustomed shape and in theyr wonted guise remaine Ne must we thinke that monsters here of chaunce or errors growe When cause of them assertaynde is ill tydings to foreshowe And therof fyrst did take theyr name wherfore their wonders hyght Which nature willingly doth make who often doth delight To brede some â—ond ylfauoâ—red things As paynter oft doth ioy Though he haue cunning great besyde to paint some testing toy As pycture crooked or saddelbackd wyth nose of largest syse And blabber lypt a worthy syght and fit for clownishe eyes Synce all things thus in order good and measure lyke doe fall Unstable chaunce within the world shall beare no swynge at all whom chiefest prouidence of God and wysedome great doth draw That he may easely vnderstande with what a wondrous lawe The worlde with euerlasting course is framed here and gracde How euery creature hath his lymmes and members aptly placde well seruing to their vses all agreing fayre the same How God or nature neuer thyng in vaine did make or frame who ponders this shal think not chance but reason beares the sway And al things done as God commauÌ„ds wyll deeme and playnely say But whether fortune guideth all as many doe persuade A thing both meete and worthy is in knowledge to be had Let vs bende all our wyts to thys but fyrst we must well knowe What kinde of thing thys fortune is and whence hir grace doth growe In auncient tyme they worshipt hir and Goddesse hir did call And thought she bare no little sway in Heauen and earth and all And alters vnto hir they built and offred sacrifyce But I thinke hir not God to be nor any sainct in skyes Is eyther male or female sure in kinde they not delight No byrth they haue nor dying day as some of olde doe wryte Who thinke the Gods lyke vs to be O fonde and foolishe mindes O heads for to be healed with iuice of greatest purging kindes Judge you the Gods of our estate that wyth theyr Ladies fayre Embracing many times they lye theyr kinde for to repayre Let rather vs therfore account a certaine God to be Whose nature differs farre from Gods a Ghost of lowe degre And therfore guides the kingdomes vile of earth and waters rounde Wheras so many haynous factes such griefes and plagues are founde Where as no kinde of thing is safe where no estate is free where craftes and wyles doe swarme so thick where such deceiuings be The Prince of all the worlde thys God is named of Christ and Paule Whom Pluto and syr Dites black the Poets vse to call who fauours fooles and wicked men and vertuous men molest This house thys seate this courte doth seme for such a tyrant best whom commonly we fortune call for eche ill thing doth raine Beneath the Mone as darksome night and stormes and tempest mayne Wyth colde and heate and teasty age dame neede of beggars hall And labour griefe and wretchednesse and death that endeth all Aboue the Mone continual light wyth peace and ioy remayne No tyme nor error death nor age nor any thing is vayne O blest and double blest agayne that in so pleasaunt place So fayre so beautifull to liue of God obtayneth grace Some thinke the world to be fulfylde wyth other Gods besyde Whereof the most do leade their lyfe in ayry places wyde whom Greekes cal sprytes more to theÌ„ the chiefest rule they giue Of creatures al that on the earth or on the sea do liue Affirming that both good and euyl as most their mindes doth please They send as honours ioyes wealth and contraries to these wherefore it very needeful is to please them often tymes which may be done by seruing them by charmes or by diuines As many thinke and like wyse say that they will straight appere To vs if they be ryghtly calde and helpe vs praying here And that no better thing can be here in this life to man Than for to haue their company and see them now and than which I
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 I can not stay nor now is place the signe where as the sunne Doth yelde his yearly compast course where scaled 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 but yet wythout destenie Doth nothing passe But al things rulde by minde of God on hie Without whose power nothing is done 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 douht 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 deserne which is not to be heard No place is now of Gods to speake but of such things as be In our 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 hyâ— Come from aboue not wyl of ours is that we get them by For who would 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 from childehode fyrst all things wyth ioyful spright And to attayne to honour hye though they vnworthy be And bliâ—ded oft their eyes to rule that scarcely wel can see And lyue in al licenciousnesse 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 ylies 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 coÌ„mes 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 Desrenie 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 w t colde him strangleth fyry smoke Some other hunger doth destroy 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 ruÌ„nes the spiteful spyndle fro So kylde a rysh the prayser of A chilles lusty lore So Aeschilus while as he walkde abrode on Sicill shore Wyth mighty fall of house deceassed 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 he Nothing than death more certayne can nor more vncertayne be Yet some that know the force of starrâ—s and secrets of the skye Soothsaying Poâ—ts that can tel how things to come do lye I knowe not with what sprite inspired 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 Dratour some one An other a Philosopher some alwayes looke vpon The sacred secretes of the Gods and secke the starry skye And some there are y t drink the streames in wretched pouertye That from Castalian well doe flowe whom pleaseth pleasant fame As nerest kinne to hunger sharpe 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 let ts not all to passe one way But them commauÌ„deth 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 herem 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 Constraine vs ill to be and that 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 thunde 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 As vehement anguishe of the minde 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 May these be counted for to haue free wyll and libertye A doubtfull thing it surely is and many it denye Wherfore thou well must vnderstande that he alone is free Whom reason rules that with payne will neuer conquerd bee Nor when the stormy tempests rage to rocks is euer thrall But stoutly sticking to the sterne doth with the hauen fall So truely earst haue certaine sayde but wisemen none we finde Whom reason ruling can correct the affections of the minde The other sort can not doe so why hath not God them delt Free wyll whych euer may be founde where reason may be felt For these are alwayes coupled styll So beastes of nature wylde Syth reason they are thought to lack are iudgde from wyll exylde But all men reason doe receiue and therfore haue free wyll For reason is the guide of minde that choseth good from ill Descerning eke the naughty facts from such as honest be And called is the syght and eye wherwith the minde doth se Such eye perhaps as Poliphaem the Poets gaue to thee Wherwyth the lymmes of thy beloued in seas thou oft didst see But naught alas and all to naught who such to shunne hath might Vlisses wyth a fiery post hath it bereft of syght And face the face that fyrst was fayre of beauty spoyled quite Or such an eye as Lynceus had that sawe in darkest night Thys eye therefore to euery man Prometheus wysedome delt But fewe it vse a very fewe that grace of loue haue felt Hereof the spring of errours doth and wickednesse aryse For if the steps of reason all should treade in nerest wyse Then peace on earthe shoulde alwayes dwell and Mars hys bloudy hande Such slaughters nor such cryes shoulde cause townes walles shuld stand And weapons framed fyrst in hell by fiendyshe furyes wrought Should tille y e field with good exchange to share and cultre brought Then Bees and Cattel swarming thick and riches of the fielde Unto the happy husbandman a great increase should yelde The golden world should then returne and eke one place containe Both man God who would vouchsafe before our eyes to raine The cause why fewe doe reason vse and wayes forbydden knowe And voide of freewill liue like beastes I wyll assay to showe A certaine part diuine in vs that minde and reason hyght There is which nature in the head hath placed a loft in syght And seruants vnto it appoints the senses that there be By meanes whereof the Skies Earth and al things it may see An other fading force there is wythin the breast enclosde By meanes wherof we moue and grow wyth helpe of heate disposde Thus hath it pleased God this straynes molests and grieues the minde And to this part a number great of seruaunts is assinde As fond delight wrath griefe and feare wyth great desire to gayne Ambition hauty harmfull thing wyth fumes that vex the brayne Wyth these his lusty souldiours he giues battayle to the minde These mates attempted Joue to vexe of fiercest giants kinde As Giges strong Iapetus and Tiphoeus monstrous sprite Enceladus yll worker and Briareus dredful wight Wyth worldly thoughtes hie heapt they vexe the part diuine aboue Except that grace from heauen hye like lightning them remoue As when the raynes are once let lose the Chariot headlong dryues And swiftly runnes to stay the course in vaine the Carter stryues The fyrst beginnings must be stopped whyle sparke but kindling lies When fyre hath rought the lofty partes and flames approch the skies Especially when Boreas blastes from Northerne Pole doth fall And rageth fierce in vayne alas for water then they call As when from top of hawty rocke some wayghty stone downe trowles What force can it of course restrayne al things wyth it it rowles Asunder crackes the mighty trees that on the mountayne springs Which at the fyrst might well be stayed wyth force of smallest things Euen so the affections of the minde if that wyth all their sway The minde opprest they do inuade them scarce can reason stay And helme and al forsaken quite wyth streame dame Reason driues In raging windes and yeldes to foe a captiue kept in gyues Therefore while vices yet be yong let them oppressed be And voyd the cause ere they waxe strong then minde and wyl is free Then conquerour thou shalt be crownd wyth Palme of Idumay But if the assault be now begonne and siege the foe doth lay And shakes wyth battrey great y e walles except beleue me well Some God wyth better grace defend Reason doth byd farewell And cannot byde so sore a brunt May we not playnly see What harmes the minde doth there sustayne where Bacchus blessings be What madnesse ofte doth spring when wine to much in stomack raynes Tell where freewyl kepes residence when drinke doth vex the braynes The sober and the fasting man of freewil is possest And doth what so euer Reason byds Againe the dronken gest The thing that he ne would ne knowes he alwayes doth the same Which deedes he sobre doth repent and sorroweth eke wyth shame So wyth affections minde is dronke and in none otherwyse Than wine that topsey turnes the brayn when it doth vpward ryse It troubled is and darkd in mystes Thus he and none besides Hath freedome and his minde at wyl whome reason only guides Who all affections ouercommes and wholly doth restrayne He that from youth doth vertue vse may well to this attaine Such force hath vse nothing more strōg The other sorte are wayde In manner like to brutish beasts as true the Poet sayd Eche man his owne delight doth drawe Freewyll in many opprest And hindred is wherefore who list Freewyl for to possesse Let hym resyst while yong they be thaffections of the minde And them to reason subiect make and brydie vse in kinde For flesh agaynst the sprite rebels and wyth continuall warres Doth it molest The soule most pure doth couet styll thestarres But lumpish flesh doth shunne the skies and earthly things desyres For earth it onely is and into earth at length expyres Thus two so farre contrary things hath God compact in one Admit thou art wyse and onely rulde by reasons force alone And freewyll perfectly enioyest shall destnie then beare sway Yea more to Fates thou subiect arte and more shalt it
rest in quietnesse Nor God should happy be if that as oft as we traâ—â—gresse He should be wroth â–ª moued with dedes of such as synfuâ—â—be But God can not be vexe or harmd 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 so freat Is not this God of passïons 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 Ought he such things for to create 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 When any man doth synne then forth away he stinging 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 But hereof springs two crabbed doubts 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 verity 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 The other as the wisemen iudge So of two sortes is ill The opinion of the common sort is worser euermore For grosse and doâ—â—she 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 tune I allowe And in such sort I say no good 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 y e 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 Diseased is with maladie the heart or else the braine So so alas the whole estate of soule is euer ill WheÌ„ as these two with vice are harmde the minde and eke the wyll As pleasaunt meate to stomack syck doth seme vnpleasaunt aye And protytes 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 For all things doth the wycked man 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 dente But now the wycked man is riche wyth Golde and Jewels 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 The chastitie of maidens poore 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 w c bloudy mouth doth ragâ— eche folde to come vnto And runneth headlong into vice hys misch efe 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 ryther lyke to beastes he doth with fleshely pleasures go Unto himselfe an ennimye and to hys purse a foe Or else an other Tantalus hys goods to much doth spare And heapes vp all ne knowes for whom these heapes he doth prepare And as the swine to his owne bsâ— 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 at wyll What doth he theÌ„ he stratght wil braul and with hys mighty yowre Now one now others shall he harme and mischiefe euery howre Most commonly a wartare 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 hereiâ— syth these exampies may Suffise the trouth therof to shewe 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 tyght 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 For in the greacest sort of things the vse of them we se Is it that chiâ—fly 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 sust and vertuous are Which if they should not doe they semde all voide of reason cleare Unworthy cke 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 To suffer nede and sicknesses 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 y e 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 But here admit the iust man feeles 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 vertnes kinde Seest thou not golde in fyry flame more precious to be made And ground more ferule for to be 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 â–ª cience gets him greater gayne And medcine though it bitter be doth cause relcase of payne And least some man should think that I do tryfies 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 So heate doth Snow and wax and I se 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 calke 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 euyl man 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 My Muse commaundes Chiron doth vpon my Pen attende Who coueteth of state of man to write and fashtons 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 doubtful 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 cafe hir housholdes layd on ground Ticinum Narnia 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 Alas doth heauy mourne by streames of Sebethes so cleare What should I tel the woÌ„drous flames that in the skyes appeare More bright than dayes locusts grim like cloudes the Sunne to hide And tender corue with gredy iawes to spoyle on euery syde How many cities woful plague and piteous famine sore Hath quite depriued of Citizens how many places more Wyth flouds are almost perished Alas now instly now doth God plague vs in sundry case What mischief do we not commyt what iustice is in place What loue or seruice here of God Religion now is made An occupation for the purse a Marchandise and trade The sacred rytes are aye defyled wyth hands of bandy mates Yet loke theron and let it passe the Kings and Princely states And honour due to Christ aboue they not esteeme nor way Thus ouer vs pore misers here such blockes do beare the sway Therefore I wyl go hence a while and in Parnasus hyll Until my Muse doth cal me forth lye close and secrete styll Sagittarius the ninth Booke IT waxeth light now Muse enough wythin Castalian lake We rested haue the wrest therfore and Harp in hand go take Set strings in tune and with thy grace accustomed to thy kinde Sing Goddesse auncient melody good verses fyl thy minde That erst Apollo wonted was in Bay tree woods to tel While he by riuer stoode that runnes from out Permessus Wel. Us calles behold another ioyle wherein some prayse ooth lye Let vs from hautye place and top of Parnas hylles so bye Beholde the sundry mindes of men and eke their liuing marke Nowe past the middest of surging seas had runne my sayling barke And now the toppes of lofty trees wyth frosty ryndes were white When as a certaine God vnknowne by me stoode vp in syght And shining wyth his beames deuine expellde the blackishe night A certaine rock I then behelde whose top did reache so hye That passing cloudes aboue it might discouer plaine the skye Harde semed it first to enter vp for ragged stones there was Placed round about which made y e way both straight and ill to passe The bottom all beset wyth bryers the mydst more mylde againe And nerer as it comes to skyes the path appeares more playne And easyer to be trauailed Theorea eke it hyght Hereto me straightwayes did conduct my Ghost and guiding spright To top wherof when as we came I myght beholde and see Eche place with woÌ„drous syghts fulfild and furnished to bee Which if my tong would here declare the Sunne should soner slyde To lowest partes and night the earth with misty cloke should hyde Whyle as I stay and gase vpon the large and ioyfull syghtes Lo fallyng from the skyes aloft a voice these wordes recytes Stellatus bowe thy knees and here thy humble prayers make Unto the Almighty king without whose grace thou canst not take The pleasant pleasures of this meunt Therefore in humble wyse Kneele thou to God for fauour all doth fall to earth from skyes For nothing is wherof to man can greater profyte flowe Than heauenly helpe with holy prayers to get and God to knowe When thys I hearde vpon the earth my face and hande vpright I bowed my knees and poured out these words in harty plight O Father great of saints chiefe powre that in the worlde may be Than whom may neuer thing be found nor thought of more degree Remoued farre from body here yet framing fashyons all Both such as neuer fade and such as times at length lett es fall The first and of beginning voide the fountaine whence doth spring All kinde of good of nature eke the auctor â–ª guide and king That all things here dost comprehende comprended thou of none The hye Almighty Maiesty and chiefest good alone Lyfe wysedome order praise and ende minde truth way lyght and grace No where thy selfe inhabiting and dwelling in eche place Unmoueable and mouing giuest to all and euery thing From whom in whom eke by whome all kynde of things do spring In one estate remaining styll and changing in no time The chiefest cause that rowling aye the Globe where starres doe shine Doest guide by fixed law th appointed force of destenye Of Lordes the greatest Lorde of all and King of Kings most hye Before whose face a thousande beastes of Angels glystering bright Doe minister with ioyfull hymnes in presence of thy syght Amidst the ample fieldes of lyght aboue the worlde so hye Where aptest place and seate there is for things of certaintye I worship thee I honor thee and prostrate here on face I lyft mine eyes desyring thee wyth mylde and cherefull grace Upon me synfull man to looke and heare my earnest crye Poure downe into my earthly brest thy beames of lyght from hye Driue darkenesse froÌ„ my minde opprest alas in dolefull wyse Whyle in consuming carcasse here and fading fleshe it lyes Graunt me the perfect path to finde least harmefull errors sting wyth fansy fonde and iudgement blind in synne me headlong fling For without thee the wit of man and force of mortall kinde while it intendes to mount a loft receiues a greater fall As Icarus whose wyngs him faylde when he flewe hyest of all Graunt therfore O most mighty king to mee thy creature lowe Thy will to learne and thee to please and then that I may knowe Mine own estate from whence I came and wherto I was made And whether I at length shall passe when that from hence I fade what here in lyfe I should perfourme and what I should not doe That when dame Lachesis my threde of lyfe hath snapt in two And that the farthest day is come that long with priuie stelth Procurde my graue death bring my rest and part of sauing helth These words thus sayde an other voice againe did pearce my eares Thalmighty Lorde thou pleased hast thy prayer full well he heares Pluck vp Stellatus now thy heart to thee for to remaine Here on this mount it graunted is and sacred fruites to gaine Thys said forthwith the voice did ceasse nor worde it vttered more Then in my minde a greater force I felt than earst afore And sharper syght then looked I forth all things descerning well And for my eyes they myght presume olde Linceus to excell With that I felt a subtill wynde to lyft me vp on hye which softly causde me to ascende to toppe of starry skye Much lyke the byrde that beares y e darts that â—ulcans forge dyd frame That when we synne y e thunder thomps doe fling and flashe oft â—â—ame And nowe approcht I nere the Moone whose gaâ—es I had in iyght Wherof part glistred all with golde and part with syluer white I entre in beholding al when straight with me doth meete Timalphes yong of vertues great and eke of fauoure sweete Whom of Arete Ioue begaâ— in auncient
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 seares of lawe Al framed of syluer gold and stone 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 coÌ„mon 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 w t 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 Once was quoth he Arcadia voyd of hylles and al lay playne There dreadful giants kingdome held as Maenalos 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 presuming 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 Menarchus gaue them thrice repulse wyth valeant force and might And thrice the iuice out prest from gras of olde Saturnus spright Among them â—ast the poyson runnes straight wayes through al their bones Wyth chyâ—ling colde consumed w t 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 heare 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 Here quoth my guyde no mortal man 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 seaâ—es 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 Moone they did commaund to stay Astonished long wyth gasyng syght 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 But thou haue alwayes well in minde 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 henyer they with heapes of vice are made The deeper they descende the pyt of darke infernall shade Agayne the better that they be 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 Moonâ— 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 And mete it is that I disclose 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
haue And doth remaine when death hath cast the fading corse in graue But me vnhappy wretch alas did pleasure swete deâ—eaue And fled away doth me in briars and many mischienes leaue For whilst that I in youthful yeares the â—â—ewes do oft frequent And while to feeding slepe and play my dolâ—â—sh minde was bent Nought would I lerne hating bokes did study much despise And learning scorne but now alas I see before my eyes My selfe vnlearnde of yll report in beggarly aray My strength decayde my minde appald my senses worne away Al this tyme haue I liued as he that lyes a sleepe in dreames Doth think him self awake to be deceyued by such meanes Like wordes to these doth vtter ofâ— the sâ—outhfull sâ—uggish man When age the neighbor nexte to death doth count to late as than His life led yll in youthfull yeares The greatest sort do shut the dore when Steede is stollen away And wyse they are when as to late their wittes they do assay And for Physitians faâ—â— they seeke when hope of health is gone O wretches whilst you here haue tyme looke wel thys tyme vpon For fast away the houre â—â—yes and fled can not reâ—ouâ—ne No teares can help the corse in graue nor sobbes for him to mourne That medcine only is of force which is in time applyed Therfore must vertue be embracde when youth is fyrst in pryde And then it nedeful is to to treade the perfect path of lyfe And vertuous workes to take in hand then reason must be ryfe And minde wyth councel must be rulde while yet but yong it is Least that with fonde delight deceyude it he adlong runne amysse Who so is wyse let hym in tyme wyth wisedome wel prouide For after wyttes are euermore to folly next alied And out of tyme it bringeth griefe be wayling al in vayne A hurt or losse that neuer can be brought or got agayne Besyde the wicked thirst of wealth and vile desyre of golde Must thou eschew for where a place this couetousnesse doth holde There rayne almost eche other vice as shameful periuries Ungoolinesse theft and disceyt wyth open robberies Guyles treasons and conspyracies wyth frayes and murders vile What needes it for to shew them all nothing besyde more vile Nor worse than is the couetous man that drownde in earth belowe Doth like the Mole no kinde of thing desyre loue or know Saue only riches of the earth for which he doth not feare Eche yll to work nor other God he doth acknowledge here But purse and pens his chiefe delight nor sees the vnhappy best How short the lyfe of man is here how frayle how sone deceast And how that from his bending bow death euermore doth cast His deadly shaftes that pearceth hearts of mortall men so fast And neyther spares the yong nor lernd nor yet the wealthy wyght But euery man wythout respect wyth bloudy blow doth smyte And oftentimes is neerest then when furthest of he showes And sodaine tumults then doth cause when no man of hym knowes But thou regarde not ryches here nor goods that subiect be To blinded chaunce nor let no care of such things tro 〈…〉 thee For proper vnto no man are the things which as she lykes Doth fortune giue and takes away when she vnconstant strykes Or passing doth wyth lyfe away to diuers men descend Nay other riches shalt thou seke that neuer shal haue ende On which no chauÌ„ce nor kinde of death shall euer powre obtayne These riches labour thou to get both dayes and nightes with payne For that thou shalt be truely rich and truely blest by that The others that the common sorte like fooles do wonder at And wish to haue if thou enioyest as money house and land Them vse and occupy at wyll who doth agaynst it stand But iustly yet and modestly and when thou maist or can Haue pity on the pouerty despise no needy man By this meanes shalt y e wyn thee praise and health for euer more And for this earthly baggage here the Skies aboue shalt gayne No man is he but sure a wolfe that doth not mercy showe That is not moued to see the state of others ouerthrowe But if of poore estate thou arte then beare it paciently And in good part sustayne the lotte of this thy pouerty For greater ouerthrowes hath he and greater griefe and care Whome Fortune most enriched hath and giuen the greater share And so much ouerlayd he is wyth wayght of substance great That by no meanes he can beholde the hie celestial seate For light and voyde of earthly dregges it him behoues to be That wil with minde ascend the place where as the heauens be For more a man seekes earthly state more falles he from the Skye And from the euer lasting light he farther of doth flye And eke in place where as a man his treasure vp doth hyde There lies his heart and there his mind doth euermore abyde Thus prouertie helpes many men vnburdning them therby That so wyth swifter wyngs they may vnto the heauens flye In lyke sort pride thou must auoyde the spring of stryfe and hate That with discention many times destroyes a common state wyth thys disease in auncient time was Rome nere ouerthrowne Opprest wyth rage of fury fierce that ciuill warres had blowne Flye thou thys fiende of hell if thou desyrest for to bee A friende of Gods and after death the Heauens elere to see No proude man loues the Gods aboue nor is beloued of them For God estemes the humble sort and lowly minded men And well he lykes the gentle mindes where no ambition lyes Thrustes downe y e proude suffers not to dwell with him in skyes wherfore you proude disdainful swarme what doth your pryde you gaine What helpes your great renoumed names and princely titles vaine which death in shortest time doth spoile and in the streame hath dronde Of Lethes flouds where synking lowe they neuer can be founde You seeke to please the common sort and of them praysde to hee Tell what distretion hath that state the truth of things to see They count you here as Gods to be and what doth follow then When Asses here in deede you are with outwarde signe of men Th vnskilfull sort you doe deceiue but not the Gods aboue But rather them to laughter oft and oft to wrath you moue For all your prety prankes they marke and priuie deedes they see But you O blinded Asses thinke no Gods at all to bee Nor yet beleue the Corse in graue the soule shall ryse to dome And therfore seke these present ioyes and scorne the lyfe to come A number great of beastes aliue in shape of men doe straye Hence springeth vp your errour great and cause of your decaye That with your grosse capacitie no other thing you see but bodyes grosse nor true things know but such as shaddowes bee The greatest sort delight in smoke and full with smoke they flowe O fooles what lighter thing thaÌ„ smoke what
thing doth vayner showe Or what may more be laughed at than honor to pursue All vndeserued and to despyse the cause of honor true We see yll men vnlearned and fonde in place aloft to stay And guide such as doe them excell whom they should rather obay For spitefull fortune stâ—ll doth sport 〈◊〉 mortall mans estate And out of order all confoundes as she doth lyke or hate Oft tymes exaiting to the starres the stouthfull seruile kinde Deseruing fetters for to weare or in the mille to grinde But if she were of good estate she would the world commit Of wyse men to be guided here as meete it is and fyt Then all things should in order passe and lawes in strength should stande And holy Sacraments be delt by Godly Prelates hande And God would then contented be to she we himselfe in syght But harebrainde Fortune alwaies doth in counter faites delight Yet thys thalmighty Lorde permittes Who could it well correct And why should not we suffer it For vnto what effect Is it the truth with reason strong to maintaine and defende Preuayling not but get thereby displeasure in the ende For wysedome is coÌ„temnde harmde with which no force doth raine Whom no authoritie supportes nor honour doth maintaine Therfore it is better not to speake despyse thou in thy minde The foolishe common peoples prayse and gyftes of Fortune blinde Applye thy selfe to please the Lorde wyth deedes of vertuous kynde And after death true honor thou and true renoume shalt finde That for the iust and Godly men prepared is in skyes Wheras the milde and lowly hearts doe ioy in ioyfull wyse But proude men wofully doe wayle in smothring fiery smokes Now last of all restraine thy wrath for anger rage prouokes And rage doth cause vnsemely wordes of naughty wordes doth spring Both brawles frayes of frayes comes wouÌ„ds wouÌ„ds do slaughter bring Anger doth so confounde the minde that dronke when bloud doth frye It knowes not what to doe and voide of iudgement runnes awrye Sraight griefe shame ensues y e deedes done vnaduisedly Shunne thys guide minde winne thy selfe with bearing manfully A goodly vertue pacience is which who so is without Must needes of force lacke honestie with cruell minde and stout Still vsyng for to braule and â—â—ght Frayes fittest are for beastes And quiet peace is farre more meete to dwell in mortall breastes The wyse vertuous man sekes peace all other things before And suffers things of smaller waight for feare of mischiefe more And well takes heede least that the cole that yet but kindling lyes Wyth fiery force of flashing flame aloft at length aryse Who naught can beare let him absent himselfe from company And leade hys lyfe alone in woods or else on mountaines hye And he that dwelles in company let him learne much to beare And to restrayne with brydle sharpe the wrath that him doe steare Dissembling closely wyth himselfe his anger that doth spring And neuer breake the bondes of peace for euery tristing thing Forgiuing stull the faultes of those that hym offended haue That he may so forgiuenesse get as he to others gaue Thus much of trayning of the minde I thought it good to touche Which doth suffyse to these I coulde haue added more by much But he that doth obserue these fewe shall neuer want the rest But easely all them obtaine that are not here exprest They all contayned priuily and closde in these doelye But yet it nedefull is the whyle the wysemens bookes to applye And causes for to searche of things and to adorne the minde With diuers arâ—es for voyde therof it is both dull and blinde And thus as hath bene sayde before those â—ooles and foxes well May vertuous be and frame theÌ„selues in seate of blysse to dwell These thigs while as my guide declarde in presens Mercury The poste of Gods and Atlas Sonne sent downe from Ioue stoode by And willde Tâ—malphes in hast the heauens to ascende For all the saints quoth he are willds on Ioue for to attende And Momus there appointed hath of wayghty affayres to treate If certaine Monks that placed are vpon the hauty seate That harde besyde the citie standes where passing by the walles To Venize goolfe the fyshie streames of Ariminum fall Oflyuing shall depriued be or else those partes forsake That contrey women vse to cut when they theyr Capons make Since that they are to coltishe waxt and beare their heddes to hye Despisyng men and filthy factes commit licenciously Example taking of their Prior fye fye to great a shame And can the Church abyde to see such Porkettes as these same That only liue to serue their paunch their lust and sleepy sense Which heard in hast Aretes sonne departing straight from thence Did me commyt to Mercury who going downe to Hell The speciall message of hys Lord vnto the fiende to tell Me fast embracing in his armes did through the cloudes conuay To ground what time as Clement Pope in campe with Caesar lay Within the walles of Bononye and Florenze City fayre With mighty force did long besiege Thus cutting swift the ayre With wyngs at length came Mercury to rockes that ragged lye Of S. Marinus hauty hylles that seeme to touch the Skye From thence in small descent he set me in thy fieldes so gay Verruculus and then to Hell in haste he takes his way Capricornus the tenth Booke AL haile to thee good Mercury from Stygian lake so soone things Art thou returnde declare what in Plutoes court are doone Great brawles raging mad vprodes what is the cause or why I wyll thee tell although in haffe I must to heauen flye So great a sort of Turkes and Jewes and Christians there remaine That place therein suffiseth not the number to contayne No empty rome there is but all ful thwact as they may he The Porches full and ful the Hall and full the courtes I see The Temples houses and the Streates the Walles and Market rowe And al the City fieldes and hylles and wooddy valleyes lowe So full that crowding thick they thrust and shoue wyth diuelish might With fyst and heele and tuske tooth in cruel sort they fight For of no weapon haue they skill nor sprites can euer dye Scarce could I passe the place vnto whereas the fiend doth lye But through y e mydst of swarming soules wyth force I make my way And wyth this rod to get me roome amongst them fast I lay At length the priuy chaumber of the black and vggly sprite I come vnto whom there I fynde in sad and doleful plight And when to him I had declarde my fathers full decree Commanding him that Antechrist should strayght vnlosed be From out the pyt and sent abrode to euery place and land That working wonders strange false and teaching that at hand The dreadful day of iudgement is and cude of all the rest May al thing out of order bring both Gods and man and beast As fixed
and heate that raging broyles And all corrupt and filthy ayres and fennishe moory soyles Especially in sommer tyme when dogge with fyerie â—eene Doth cleaue the fieldes Grashopperâ— â–ª 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 Which scarse can wel be brought about if pouertye denye Needes must we money haue by chauÌ„ce 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 Nor feare the theeues nor doth y e sword â–ª 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 y t perchaunce w t theeues he meete or perishe on the shore And then for Gods sake aske hys meate at euery other dore At home therefore he alwayes dwels 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 To Mercury the Sunne and Moone 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 fleecing 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 Nor any of them doth pity vs 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 state 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 And plunged deepe in Stygian streates 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 Phaenix 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 To all that he declared had forthwith away they flye Ascending to the lofty place and compasde beauens hye Then men of hauty sense they blinde and aunswere all to darke Long pondring in their doubtful minde 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 froÌ„ feare of fortunes wheele and force of robbers hand But vnto felwe 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 In procreation here of youth 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 euerwore 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 In happy state shall tell before 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
depart and shunne the common sort Contenting hym with fellowes fewe and wyth a slender port And solitary oftentimes to God both night and daye The mind wel purgde of naughty thou ghtes 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 of rude and common sort For of the common people is enuied the wysemans port Bycause of their contrary deedes contraries euermore Do one the other striue agaynst and let and hinder sore Here of 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 They fil his heart with comfort greate 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 let the Jewels round In gorgeous linekes of golde about your gracelesse neckes be wound Now ruffie 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 Go go O wretches seke to get 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 y e 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 Which neuer curse of fretting time 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 Enclose themselues in flesh agayne and take their olde aray That not esteming riches here and kingdomes leauing cleane They might liue Godly here on earth in pore 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 Full leane he was and bearded wel his house was smal and neate All clad he was in russet robes a man of learning great And comely countnance to be holde 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 Where almost euery thing doth lack 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 y e 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 Then many fylthy things I sawe 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 y e 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 By conetousnesse and Priests bent al 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 wene 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 meere to dwel vpon Yet fitte it is for saincts and such as liue in peace alone And wholly do apply their mindes 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 such 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 This cutts away the worldly cares 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 stroÌ„g 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 y e minde inspirde may mouÌ„t 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 I here can dwell and leade a lyfe 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 stouthful beasts do make their God of filthy fonde excesse This lyfe is proper vnto beastes of wilde and sauage kinde The other vnto God aboue 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 attentâ—uâ— 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 line by this we feele and moue This giues vs mind y e worthyest thing by which men wondrous proue But many doubt if that the soule doe liue the body dead Or whether it doe finishe â—o when as the lyfe is stedde Assaredly 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 â—icause alas they feare The cruell forments 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 â—iate 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 Of these two sortes who iudgeth best â–ª 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 â—e 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 spriâ—â—s and that the soule doth dye But more bâ—bâ—cause thou shalt beleue I will declare to thee By reason good the state of soule 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 gauâ— 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 seâ— that florishe prosproustye In richesse substance and renoume in raignes and Empyres hye Yet ydle lubbers vnlearnde naughâ— that synne at liberâ—ye And runne
suddayne storme hath layd y e corne and grapes did downeward fling The matter making windes is mistes that from the flouds do spring The cause that moueth them are sprites that in the ayre do dwell But this will not the common sorte allow nor credit well What theÌ„ cast not such precious pearls to Dogs or filthy swine Beleue it you that learned are whose mindes are more deuine That not alone in Skies but in the ayre there thousands be Of sprites that moue the raging winds and tempests that you see And thunder down w c lightning throw Yet do I not deny But other causes are that blastes of windes are moued by As Sunne and Moone and Starres but chief the seauen which they name The wandring stars that of these mists effects do diuers frame I saw while as at Rome P. Leo the tenth there raygning than I was a peece of potters worke and picture of a man That from his mouth of straightest sise a mighty winde did blowe For all his brest being hollow made with water full did flowe Which being with heate of fire resolud out of his mouth it went In mighty winde and farre from it the force thereof was sent This proues y t wind proceedes of flouds that thus resolued bee While vapour mounting vp is forede by meanes of heate to flie For contraries do euermore eche other driue away In this same lowest parte of ayre as we before did say The blasing starres do oft appeare that fall of Prince doth showe And there with diuers colours died appeares the stormy bowe This same y e beames of Sun doth cause that on the cloudes we see The other made by some one starre of them that mouers bee Which while the vapour vnderneath doth shape thereof receaue Appeares a tayle and in the clouds his flaming light doth leaue Like as the Circled myst that doth encompasse round the Moone The circled mist as men do say a signe of winde to come As wheÌ„ thrée suÌ„nes are thought to shine and yet they are not thrée But shaps of suÌ„ne that framd in clouds as in a glasse we sée But vnderneath this ayre so grosse and lowe the Seas haue place The Occean Seas that all the earth in circuite do embrace Which passing through y e narrow stratghts where Hercles pillars showes It spreds it selfe and thus abrode both farre and wyde it flowes And this is namde by sundry names Aegian flouds it makes Ionian Tuscan Adriatike Red Seas and Persean lakes This Sea doth search the secrete caues that lowe in earth doth lye And euermore doth ebbe and flowe and tasteth diuersly As diuers is the earth by which he doth his passage make And of the brimstone sulphured vaynes doth smell of brimstone take This is the cause that fluds their cours mayntayne continually For to their springs they ofte returne and oft to seas they flye And roll and passe from place to place and round in compasse driue And do preserue the earth as bloud preserues the corse aliue The selfe same fluds doth make y e lakes and fennes of filthy ayre And cleare and Cristall ruÌ„ning springs and wells for euer fayre In fine from Occean seas proceedes all course of waters heere That round about the world retaynes This made the waters cleare That parte beneath the earth do lye and parte aboue doe runne And such besides as from the cloudes of Hellish dye do come But wherefore is the Seas so salte doth it of nature spring I thinke not so For euery tast that seas with them do bring Doth fetch his cause from out the earth for in the earth are found Great hilles of salte that vnderneath the waters deepe are dround Seas sucks this salte and doth resolue it into water cleare Thus Salte not Sunne is cause that saltnesse doth in Seas appeare For why doth not the Sunne likewise of Ponds salt water make For all such partes of earth as were not meete for man to take Bycause they were to full of salt hath nature vnderlayde The Occean seas more frutefull partes to vs she hath displayed Wherein are mountaines hils cliues rocks fields and valleyes lowe Straights countreys woods and pondê lakes springs streames that flowe Small townes great cities broughes holdes with â—â—ones and metalls pure Such things wherby the life of man the better doth endure The rule of all this earth and goods to man the Lorde did giue And made him King of eury kinde in seas or land that liue And wit and reason to him dealt by which he might excell And guide the world and seruing God him loue and worship well Amyd this earth a Center lies whereby it is sustaynde For thither falles eche waighty thing as God at first ordaynde That neuer of their propre force can from this Center flye And therefore fixed stands the earth and in the mydst doth lye Sustayned with hir heauy waight that fast on eury side To Center runs and frames a ball both darke and thick and wyde About the which wyth Crimsin horse the Sunne is alwayes lead And on the parte contrary styll the darkesome night is spread For nothing else but shade it is of earth and waters great Which shadow if in night it chaunce vpon the Moone to beate Doth cause Eclipse and filles w t feare the wofull gazers hearte Supposing that opprest shee is with charme of Magike arte This shadow makes the longest nightê when farthest from vs burnes The flaming Sunne and shortest when to Northerne signes he turnes The cause thereof is swelling earth and stately mountaynes hie Which subtile nature hath deuised in place betweene to lie That with their tops in change of time the nights they alter may For looke when neerer vnto South the same doth keepe his way Then farther forth their shadowes dark these hilles abrode do fling Such shades as hide the light and cause the day more late to spring And force the day in shorter time and space his course to ende Then frosty winter vnto vs his quaking colde doth sende Then soÌ„mer makes the Indians blacke with raging heate to frye But when the Sunne returneth backe to toppe of Cancer hie Then shorter are the nightê with vs and heate beginnes agayne Then winter vexeth those with colde that vnder vs do rayne Thus doth the SuÌ„ne with diuers cours both alter times and tides And in foure equall partes the space of all the yeare deuides And rolling round about the earth both nations serueth well Both them that vnder vs do liue and them aloft that dwell For men liue also vnder earth not onely woods and streames Nor nature willde that Sunne and day in vayne should cast their beames And onely serue for brutish beastes and sortes of swimming kinde For all the earth is dwelt vpon no place therein we finde Nor any clime there is but that there mortall men may dwell And finde out places fitte for them and seates that serue them well Though colde extreme or to much hear rayne there
wordes hee should coÌ„mit his facultie to fame Which should be rather folly calde and not a facultie But in the state diuine of God and glorious maiestie We must beleeue is nothing vayne since Godliest is the same Thus God what so euer he could doe assurely did frame Least that his vertue were in vayne and euer should lye hyd But since he could make endlesse things it must be thought he dyd And all his power there in employed so that there did remaine In him no kinde of power or force that ydle were or vayne But learned Aristotle sayth there can no body be But that it must of boundes consist to this do I agree Bicause aboue the Skies no kinde of body we do place But light most pure of body voyd such light as doth deface And farre excel our shining Sunne such light as comprehend Our eyes can not and endlesse light that God doth from him send Wherein togither with their King the sprites that are more hie Do dwell the meaner sorte beneath in Skies do alwayes lie Therfore the raygne and portion of the world consists in three Celestiall Subcelestiall which with limits compast be The rest no bounds may comprehend which bright aboue the Skie Doth shine with light most wonderfull But here will some replie That without body is no light and so by this denie That light can neuer thoe be found aboue the heauens hie But at vs vaynly doth he barke in vaine he doth contend For reason doth my words approue and veritie defend I pray thee shew what is the cause that here the Sunne doth shine Bicause his matter giues him light or rather forme deuine That doth so great a globe contayne for forme and fashion gay To all things state of being giues as Naturesearchers say With whome we also do agree this same doth playnly showe That Forme not Matter makes y e suâ— to shine From Forme doth flowe All kinde of force and comelinesse And if so greate a light Assigned be to bodyly Formes why should we in this plight Deny that incorporeall states may any light contayne Since that more pure and fine they are and fayrer farre agayne Wherefore the sprites and ghosts aboue do shine with wondrous light Although it can not be discernde of our corrupted sight So that among these Saincts the more their state and powre is hie With brighter beauty much they shew and greater maiestie No golde no pearls nor precious stones nor pompe of purple gowne Doth them as it doth vs set out but light is their renowne And as the Sunne amongst the starres doth shine with goodliest light So shines among the Saincts aboue the LORD of greatest might And neuer darkneth them a whit but makes them all to shine Such is the goodnesse of his grace and maiestie deuine But here perchaunce he wyll obiect that in the ayre doth lye No ground of light and since no ayre there is aboue the Skye He wyll deny that there is light But now he lies agayne For ayre is not the ground of light nor as some fondly fayne Is light in ayre but contrary the ayre in light doth dwell If reason what not Aristotle doth say he marketh well For if without the dores fast shut a candle burneth bright Or by some clift the fier shine in house all voyde of light And some there with the ayre about the beame with striking shakes The ayre is forced to passe the light but light no mouing makes And if the ayre were ground of light then with one motion so Both ayre and light should moued be and both togither goe Beside if that in time of night a man with Torch in hand Should passe y t light doth places chauÌ„ge but ayre doth quiet stand Which if to light it subiect were it should continually Go wander place by place with light and styll keepe company But now this same is nothing so but doth contrary proue For light doth passe when aire doth stay and styll with torch doth moue Wherby it appeares that light doth not the ayre as subiect neede But well may stand and well wy 〈…〉 the vse of ayre procéede Especially the light of God whereof a parte doth passe Into our sunne and there is kepâ— contaynde as in a Glasse For as within his propre spheare that vnder Moone doth lye No fier can discerned be by force of any eye But if that any matter chaunce to kindle with the same Then Starres do fall and firy streams in Sommer nights do flame And other sights that feare the mindes of men in dreadfull wise So as it is the light of God can not be seene with eyes But fixed in the Sunne it shines bycause the matter cleare Whereof the Sunne is made is fitte and apt for light t' appeare For God hath framde it in such sorte as there his light may byde And shine creating day and life and goodly things beside That light doth also shine in shapes of sundry sacred sprites Though not alike to all as Starres shine not with equall lights But some more bright than others be as they are set before And as a candle can giue light to many candels more And yet doth neyther lose nor lesse his beauty burning bright So light of God decreasing not to other Saincts giues light But some perchauÌ„ce will here demauÌ„de and doubtfull question finde If that besides this light that I declarde of endlesse kinde Doth any other thing consist without the world so great Though this be neyther meete nor fitte for mortall men t' entreat Yet wyll I proue to passe the path wherein no Poet yet That hath bene hither to before might euer set his feete And wyll attempt to bring to light the treasures hie in place Of God if he be pleasde and helpe with his accustomed grace First must we grauÌ„t that God is spring and Father â—ke of all Who made all things and best chiefe him may we truly call Therefore where so euer GOD abides his glory there is found And euery good and gorgeous sight doth in that place abound And thus what so euer good the earth the seas or ayre contaynes All this is séene in place whereas the LORD almighty raygnes And though no matter be in such yet iudge not thou therfore They being lacke for perfecter and fayrer they be more than things that are of matter made For forme that can it selfe sustayne wythout this matters hand Is perfecter than that which voyd of matter cannot stand Therefore all voyd of matter there things perfect are and pure And in despite of fretting age and force of fate endure And store of goodly things are there that in this worldly light GOD hath not made from which procéedes great ioyes Saincts delight Such ioyes as tong of mortall man can neuer full define Such ioyes as neuer can decay with space of any time These incorporeal formes were known to minde of Plato hie Although the enuious sorte do scorne his bookes full bytterly But