Elements distributed As may be thought in true proportion And bodies feele them not distempered Fit lineaments and due coniunction There will in fine be yet confusion For what so is compact of contraries By combates fall to mortall maladyes 108. Then is it seene that earth and earthly things Conserued long by Heauens influence And Elements the foure pretended kings That keepe all creatures in obedience Although they haue most due ingredience Their discord seeming most sweete concordance In fine they perish by distemperance 109. Now let vs see the earth and all her parts Her places and her strange diuersities And how the Heauens aspects are found by arts To worke in men and things antipathyes Or by consent of Clymats simpathies How plants and fruites how birds and fishes fare That all throughout this orbe dispersed are 110. The Heauens and earth diuided by the Zones Appeare to haue fiue fit partitions Two cold one hote and two temperate ones Some seeke to proue by strong assertions The cold and hote of these diuisions Were not nor may at all bee habited Two onely are that are well tempered 111. The Zones they say beneath the poles are cold And so exceede in that extreame they kill The creatures that in them doe couet hold The middle Zone neath Equinoxe as ill That burnes the creatures subiect to her will And onely two that lie on either side Do foster men and creatures vndenide 112. Yet is it found by due experience That all haue people and commodious things And Natures might and sweete beneficence So swayes the Clymats and such issue brings Vnto this orbe of earth and earthly things As all her parts and limits are beset With men and fruite that Nature daignes to get 113. Yea in the North vnder the coldest clime Dwell sundrie people and great Nations Long since and some found in this latter time Diuers in tongues and habitations In Lawes Religions and in fashions And though the cold ingender Ice and Snow Men trauaile traffick plant warre ayre and sow 114. As they that dwell in Lythuania Lyuonia Sweden and Estoteland Perima Condora Noua Zembla In Norway Muscouia and Finland In Iseland Freysland and in Lappen-land These and farre more lie in Septentrion Though a distempered and cold Region 115. Yet when the Sunne brings to them wished light And thawes the waters erst congeal'd with cold Then doth retire their long and wearie night And fruits and plants and trees them then vnfold And make the earth more sweeter to behold And men that erst in couert caues did dwell Like winter sleepers rouze them from their cell 116. For as all Regions are found to lie On th' one or th'otherside th' equator line Their distance farre or their propinquitie Doe shew how much or little they decline Which doth the length of nights and dayes define And as the Sunne comes neere the dayes doe grow And as shee passeth from the nights doe so 117. The limites that do bound the world about Are South and North East and West opposited The first two firme and stable seeme throughout Two last moue as Sunne comes low or hight'ned In the Zodiacke and signes obliqued Which makes the East and West to alter so Some hold as Sunne is seene to come and go 118. And though the countreyes in extremities Of hot and cold seeme much distempered They yeeld of precious things varieties Wherewith all other parts are plenished For Nature sweetely hath distributed Her friendly fruites to all that all may see That good and great and full of fruites is she 119. She hath ordain'd the Indies of the East With Pearle of price with stoâ—â—es of highest deeme The Emerald the Ruby and the rest Which potent Princes hold in such esteeme As in respect the purest gold doth seeme More base then these yet these more base then it Tride by the Test the Quintessence of Wit 120. Thence comes the Elephant a beast of might Of maiestie and humane courtesie And the Rinoceros with vertues dight Whose bloud bones flesh and skin haue secrecie As Phisicke rules hold most salutarie There is also the loftie Palme a tree That beares a fruit whereof good wine may bee 121. And thence the silke high Honours ornament Or rather Sirick comes from Sirrick steede In great esteeme yet but wormes excrement That liues and dyes and dying leaues a seede That dieth not but of it other breede High Peeres beholden to this silly beast Deck them with that which it esteemeth least 122. Arabia South not of lesse consequence Yeeldes forth her talent sable Ibony Finest Cottons Mirrhe and sweetest incense And Iewrie which of yore had dignitie Affords the loftie Cedar and sweete Balsamy So much imbraced for her vertues might In healing hurts of wounded men in fight 123. Moluccaes in the farthest part of West Yeelds Pepper Cloues Mace Cinamon and spice Ginger Nutmegs and Phisick drugs the best Yea from the South comes many things of price Else where are found by nauticke arts deuice Sweete Ciuet and the finest Cassia That Marchants bring from Aethiopia 124. In Callicute the ayre most temperate The countrey neuer touch'd with pest All trees and plants are still in greene estate Yeelding each month new fruites then in request Fayre sweete and pleasant diuers yet in test Which eke doe differ from all other frutes In colour forme and in their diuers sutes 125. In Syria where stood fayre Paradise As antique writers doe the place assigne About Damascus Natures benedice Appeares in corne in flesh in fruit in wine Quinces Pomegranets and fruits of that line Oliues and Almonds and the fragrant Rose Sing sundrie prayses by their sweete disclose 126. But contrarie this blessing is deni'de To many people fell and barbarous To them that in Tartara abide And in Arabia robustious That follow cattel liuing beastious Moouing by troupes feeding on milke and grasse Seldome returning as they erst did passe 127. But in the countreyes of Ciuilitie Where Lawes do leade and where Religion guides The people there liue well and decently And plant and sow reape and what besides May yeeld supplie fit for all wants and tydes These changing courses shew dame Nature may Giue or depriue none countermaundes her way 128. Her vertues streames and bountie richly flow From parts and Clymates best etempered Where ayre and waters holsomely bestow Health and fertilitie things gloried Of men and beasts that bee well qualified In vigor colour and complection But in extreames ill constitution 129. The Ethiopians neere to the sunne With parching beames that on them doe reflect Their colours blacke some tawnie some are dunne The head and beard are frisled of that sect Their bodies drier by the same effect Sharp witted fierce sterne and of warlike minds And differ much from them of colder kindes 130. The people in Septentrionall parts In countries cold and Icie regiments Haue softer skinne and white yet brutish hearts For these extreames breede seele good rudiments Yet in them both natures habiliments
Vicissitudo rerum AN Elegiacall Poeme of the interchangeable courses and varietie of things in this world The first Part. Omnia tempore producuntur mutantur consumuntur AVT NVNC AVT NVNQVAM Imprinted at London by Simon Stafford dwelling on Adling hill neere Carterlane 1600. To the Right honorable Sir VVilliam Howard knight the Lord Howard of Effingham Sonne and heyre apparent to the Right Honorable Earle of Nottingham Lord high Admirall of England MInerua fained goddesse of best skill Seem'd friendles to my sad feeble Muse The Sisters nine bar'd me Parnassus hill Mount Helicon where praised Poets vse Therefore my Lord my pen deserues no praise But pardon Honor pardons weake essayes The Change of things in slender verse I sing A weighty subiect common yet to all From lowest creature to the loftiest thing Nature her workes doth tosse like Tennis ball Now rayz'd by force then downe again by poyze Rising ne falling she showes not by noyze But when sterne Time eche thing created sees She fawnes a while and tenters it on Pride And soone she frownes and then forthwith decrees To pull it downe and lay that thing aside Yet as a mother she againe doth beare Some new and that a while she doth vpreare Thus Time by turnes turnes all things out of date And will preuaile till she her selfe haue end For sure things changes proue time terminate And times exchanges doth her turne portend This time once gone a timelesse time shall bee Till then in things a changing state wee see This mooues my Muse erst silent now to sing Though slenderly the swift exchange of things And this to you my Lord I fearfull bring Wishing that time that plants puls downe Kings Would daigne long time to her that still is one By whome we here enioy true Helicon At your Honors command Io. Norden The Preface SYth Time applaudes to see Varieties And nought more alters then Times chāging dayes It fits the Time to sing sad Eligies Of Things exchanges florish and decayes And how Things past rest now as things forgot And Things that are exchange and come to end How Time begins to solue the fatall Knot VVhereon the World and worldly things depend Yea Things aloft of th'mouing Firmament Are seene to alter by Times swaying hest The Heauens Spheres Bodies circumferent Are not as earst but in their course opprest The Elements and elementall things Do change and by silent degrees decay The Sea and Land Riuers and water Springs Stay not at one but oft exchange their way And Man himselfe stands as a wauing Twig Bent to and fro or broken with the wind In no state constant be he base or big Ech thing comes diuers in his proper kind As by this first part these are partly seene The second showes the alterations That in the world by course of Time haue beene In Men in Cities Kings and Nations Ouid. Metam lib. 15. Sic tempora verti Cernimus atque alias assumere robora gentes Concidere has Mar. lib. 9. Quid non longa dies quid non consumitis anni 1. SOme sing the Regall actes of worthy Kings Some of fell Warres some of a publique State Some praise haut Beawty some praise baser things Wittes haue their change Will stāds in highest rate Will yet doth wauer Pennes paint Loue Hate Therfore my pen shal publish change in all One onely Essence standing firme from fall 2. The Heauens in their peereles pryde may bost That they in their orbiculer figure Are farre the freest and by change vntost Keeping by turne their Reuolutions sure Though still reuoluing yet alike endure As Orbes and Circles figures perfectest Held by all Artistes to excell the rest 3. The Heauens seeme of most admired might Fixed on nothing yet stand firme and fast Prouidence Diuine them hath so set aright Worldes may not waue them nor vnprop their bast Who then essayes to prooue they will not last Syth from creating they are as they were Not changed by chace nor alter'd by their stere 4. These Figures then form'd of most perfect mold Shaped by Science farre exceeding Wit If they haue change how may the baser hold That haue their Vigors b'influence of it A powre more potent boue this Powre doth sit That giues and guides and swayes all as it list In whome the Heauens and the rest consist 5. And all the mouers and the voluing sphere He first created and disposed so As to haue progresse and againe reuere To tell the Times and seasons as they go Mouing in Circles daily to and fro Ginning and ending as their Circles bee Greater or lesser distinct by degree 6. Ten Spheres in one Astronomers do hold The tenth reuoluing in his fixed tide Twenty foure houres and then his circle rold Againe reuolues powers infinite her guide From East to West still on the dexter side And by her course most swift and impetous The rest she moueth most miraculous 7. For in the selfe same time she moues the rest Although their mouings contrary to her Be on sinister part from West to East And that the ninth Astrologers auerre Hath forty nine thousand yeeres thus to erre Thirty thousand to the eighth assign'd Againe seuen thousand as the learned find 8. The Sphere of Saturne in her thirty yeeres Returnes and Iupiter in twelue they sayne Doth runne his race Fell Mars in two appeares To end his course reuoluing backe againe Sol Venus Mercury haue one yeere to raigne The Moone the lowest soone her circle rounds Twice foureteene daies then againe rebounds 9. This comely course and order of this frame May challenge most if ilke Perfection be Or State not changing but as still the same The Heauens yet a body as wee see In all her parts from Change cannot be free Nor still perseuer as they first were set Though none haue power but Power diuine to let 10. Let Time bee testie in this cause of doubt That did begin when Heauens and Lights were made She was and is and shall remaine throughout But not alike shee flourish'd gins to fade Dayes Weekes and Months and Yeeres she makes by trade All these doe change none doth alike abide Summer nor Winter Autumne or Spring-tide 11. The dayly moouing of this Firmament Distinguyes frowning Nights from fawning Dayes And either by such entercourses pent As they ne passe due time nor make delayes None checks the Sunne to shade or send her rayes To banish Darkenes and to fill with Light What was eclipsed with the shade of Night 12. Yet neither Day nor Night continues one But by reciprocall exchange imparts Each to the other Time as Time is gone Time turnes the Yeere into his aptest parts And Yeere to Yeere lends time likewise by arts Rising and falling changing by degree The present vnlike the preter yeere wee see 13. The first and greatest Mouer of the rest Imparts her moouing to the lesser Spheres To men and beasts and creatures as the Test And tries
the bodies that Nature vpreares Prouing their temper and their temper steres Mong all the creatures that are earthly built Best temper'd stand distemper'd soonest spilt 14. Nay mindes inclines and manners good and bad Proceede some say by moouings and aspects Of Heauens Spheres and Plannets wherewith clad That giue and take and worke the sole effects In Men and Beasts and in all earthly sects All which beginne and end by influence That doth proceede by Heauens concurrence 15. Vertues and vices health and sicknesse too Long and short life force feeblenesse and wit Yea well and ill the Heauens egge to doo All earthly bodies subiect vnto it Humane affayres prayse-worthie and vnfit Depend on these that of themselues are not But stand created to their proper lot 16. Though some prerogatiue aboue the rest They haue An instrumentall meane onely And not the cause efficient confest A fatall Law or of necossitie None holds it so that hath fidelitie Let sacred Wisedome be our studies guide To stay on him that is and will abide 17. The pleasing Sunne with sweete resplending rayes Doth rise and set and yeeldes such influence As earthly creatures glorie in the dayes Not in sad nights that come by consequence The sunnie beames that comfort passed hence Men birds and beasts trees and the hearbes in field Bemone the lacke of what the day did yeeld 18. Whereby wee see the Sunne is held a ghest That with his rayes filles all the fields with glee The plants the hearbs the blossoms and the rest Vnfolde in token of gratuitie Preaching to men the Sunnes benignitie That ayne reuiues their members late neere dead All creatures ioy to see her beames espred 19. The Sunnes ascent and her descent renewes The yeere with change as she comes farre or neere Her course oblique depriues againe endewes The earthly bodies and their powers arere The Solstices and Equinoxes bere As on the wings of th' Zodiackes twelue signes They yeeres foure parts diuided by their lines 20. The Winter with his siluer hayres beginnes When Capricorne receiues declining Sunne As she returnes from Autumne where she lins And with his cold and moysture now begunne Depriues the bodyes of their pride late wonne And all the creatures that of yore grew gay By like degrees doe wither and decay 21. The louely Spring which liuely lends her skill To re'install these creatures in their pride Enters the Ram and equalize she will The Nights and Dayes A moyst and hotter tyde Restoring greene what Winter had vndi'de And yeelds them vigor that were erst decayde All sects reioyce to bee thus re'arrayde 22. Then comes the Summer with her gloornie rayes Imbracing Cancer parching hote and drie Making short nights and the longest dayes The Summer Solstice heaues the Sunne so hie That forthwith she falles and alters by and by The surface of the Earth and all earthly things Thus Time turnes the worlds glasse with silent wings 23. Friendlesse Autumne vnclothes againe apace All that the Spring had clad so fayre before The Sunne in Libra with beclouded face Affords sad nights longer then of yore Depriuing sap and withers by her lore All vegitables and transformes the rest A necessarie but vnwelcome ghest 24. The Yeere thus parted in her qualities Yeeldes great effects vnto the Earths creatures Compounded termed Elementaries As of elementall temperatures Grosse soone decay the purest best endures Exceeding in one qualitie it dies Nought hath true meane that is below the skies 25. The Moone hath secrets in her times effects She swayes the humors ouer which she raignes Increasing decreasing full in aspects Still she disposeth Bodyes and their Vaines In her some mysterie no doubt remaines That worketh wonders by the meane of her Which some affirme so farre in it they erre 26. For shee a creature can yeeld no Euent Compact as other elementall things Her vertue in Decrease and Increment But purer and pure qualities she brings Soring her circuite by diuiner wings And through the force of her high qualities She works in Bodies sundrie faculties 27. As in the Ebbes and flowing of the Deepe By course and by reciprocall retreat Moou'd by the Moone as she her course doth keepe The Ebbe makes emptie Floud againe repleate The Moone in Forme the Sea vnlike in Seate Their like concurrence and like changes shew The Moone and Sea alike to wane and grow 28. The Starres that wander and that fix'd remaine Do cause in ayre great changes Cold and Heate Windes Thunder Tempests and great gusts of Raine And their Aspects and Oppositions met Some strange presages of Euents beget Of Warre of Death of Famine Drought and Pest. Yet nought befalles but by supernall hest 29. Though some affirme that these mutations Of changes and of strange and rare euents Proceede of such like innouations As heauenly bodies and their concurrents Worke in the like compounded Elements And giue them moouing issue and successe As if effects proceeded of the lesse 30. The lesse yet great lesse in respect of one Who mooues the Moouer of these Moouers all He he the swayer of euents alone And sinne the cause that moues these to our thrall That moue and change and cause men rise or fall Not as these will but as the Powers aboue Make them the meanes to checke for change of loue 31. The greatest changes and most rare euents In States in Kingdomes and in greatest sects Are sayd to issue of the Spheres dissents The eight and ninth not by their ioynt aspects Their awkward moouings breede rarest effects Not by their natures inclination But by their motiue trepedation 32. Besides coniunction of triplicities Of Saturne Iupiter and Mars aspecting Are held most powerfull principalities Greatest alterations effecting Their triplicities duely respecting Fierie or ayrie watrie or earthly Th' euent corresponds the triplicity 33 Of such some count seu'n since the world begunne Fiue thousand fiue hundred sixtie two yeeres The eight shall be when foure yeeres more are come By testie of the best Astrologers Presaged thus it may well summon teares That he that rules may moderate his ire Lest World consume with fearefull gusts of fire 34. Seneca reports Belus to foresee The vniuersall deluge e're it came And when the conflagration should be To burne the masse as water drown'd the same When of the Starres such opposition came As one right line might pierce their circles all In Cancer signe this last effect should fall 35. The antique Poets in their Poems tel'd Vnder their fondest Fables mysteries By Phaeton how heauens powers rebel'd In fires force and by the histories Of Pirrha and Deucalion there lies The like of waters impetuitie In part concurring with diuinitie 36. Which hath reueyl'd the Worlds destruction By water past her future fall by fire But holds the cause sinne not coniunction Of fire or waters selfe-reuenging ire The Powers diuine commoue them to conspire To make the earth and earthly bodies nought That doe defile what he so pure hath wrought 37. The Priests
such sweete faculties As may support in true tranquillitie The bodyes wherein is disvnitie 84. Then did Heraclitus conceiue it right Who did affirme the parents of all things To be good concord in a discord pight And Homer said Who blameth contendings Reprooueth Nature in distributings Empedocles did call that amitie That had and held concording enmitie 85. Yet thus this disagreement must bee set As in the discord bee no power to wrong For why supremest haue no fatall let But will preuaile as they become too strong Therefore such meane must them be set among As though things bee compact of contraryes They must by ballance haue like quantities 86. Or else sadde ruine will surprize the thing Where in the Elements are at a iarre Where eke the principles diuided bring Into the body such internall warre As striues for victorie to make or marre And sodainely the body pines or dies For that the strongest works most maladies 87. The Heauens haue their moouings contrarie But equally disposed vphold the rest Where if they mou'd one way their harmonie All of one straine of discord dispossest They soone would runne to ruine al opprest Like to a clocke whose wheeles runne all one way Rash of no vse without a counterstay 88. The Planets also in their faculties Are set by Prouidence that did foresee That if they were without their contraries Among themselues some sodain change would be A meane therefore to keepe the Heauens free From sodaine ruine Power diuine hath set As moderator termes that none may let 89. Milde Venus as a meane is placed neere Vnto fell Mars to counterchecke his ire And helping Iupiter next to the Sphere Of malignant Saturne lest they conspire And wrecke the Iurie of their fell desire Vpon the rest if they were not control'd Their wrath would worke the worlds ill manifold 90. The world inferior composed stands Of Elements which are by nature foes And each with other in his nature bands And each his force and malice doth disclose Yet are all bodies wholly fram'd of those And their due order and proportion Conserueth long discording vnion 91. None must exceede in his extreme degree For all by nature reft of mixtion Are so vnequall nothing can bee Formed of one without destruction But of the foure equall proportion Is found the fountaine whence doth flow the seede Where of all creatures in the earth do breede 92. For in this worldes great masse are found to lie Earth Water Ayre and Fire Sunne Moone and Starres Matter and forme substance and quantitie Simple compound actiue and passiue warres These of themselues haue such diurnall iarres As trie the body yet preserue it so As discord seemes a friend and not a foe 93. In humane bodies is a discord set Choler and bloud fleame and melancholie These foure the foure complections beget Among them Nature hath sent enmitie Yet stands the bodie of this contrarie Which could not liue if one alone did raigne One too too strong the other three complaine 94. All other bodies are compos'd as this Not of a like but of vnlike in kind As praysed body Oeconomick is Of husband wife and children them assign'd Lord and slaue master and seruant wee find To liue vnlike yet in good harmonie If true concording discord beautifie 95. A body politike or publike state Hath like dissents which yet assenting stands The King the subiect and the magistrate Noble and base rich poore peace and warlike bands Law religion idle working handes Old yong weake strong good men and euill bee Dislike in parts yet in consort agree 96. All Arts haue discord yet in vnitie Concording as in musicke high and low Long and short these compose the harmonie The paynter doth by contraries forth show By liuely hand what Nature doth bestow By colours white blacke red and greene and blew These contraries depaynt right Natures hew 97. Nothing appeares or can bee sayd the thing Without the contrarie darke from the light Sicknesse from health cold winter from the spring True peace from warre sweete loue from foule despight Iust from vniust truth from the thing vnright None can distinguish but by qualities That are discouer'd by their contraries 98. Who can discourse of griefe that neuer grieu'd Who speakes of colours that could neuer see Who preacheth ioyes that is of ioy bereau'd Who thinkes of freedome that was neuer free Some contraries accord some disagree Yet perfit is Dame Natures art in things For by dissent she true assenting brings 99. Yet hath not Nature made that earthly thing But made to it some thing the contrarie And each to each extends a fatall sting Birdes beasts and plants haue all antipathy Tweene God and good men onely sympathie Whose sacred spirit by his sweete inspire Seasons our soules with sacred sweete desire 100. Yet man is not free from his fatall foe That first supplanted Adam antique sire And works to wrecke on Adams line like woe Beleeuers onely make this foe retire Sacred Messiah payde that deathfull hire Whereby wee liue and haue eternitie Though here beclowded with the contrary 101. What passionate inconstancie haue men Which shew affections so contrarie No creature to a creature worse hath ben Then man to man who in hot enmitie Hath wrought each other deadly destinie Yea some that deerely lou'd before comes foes And foes come friends some work themselues their woes 102. Nay man within himselfe hath selfe debate His soule and body are at deadly feede Yet man himselfe is as a publike state And reason Prince seemes so to sway that steede As foule concupiscence that sowes her seed In fleshie furrowes to corrupt the soule Should not preuaile but haue her due controule 103. No maruaile then if brutish creatures beene In priuate warre the Millet and the Pike The Cocke and Foxe the Eagle and the Wren The Kite and Crow the Tode and Spider like That doe each other of selfe-nature strike Which makes each sect to stand in feare to fall Sith each hath foes and foes are full of gall 104. What makes a Kingdome to continue long But feare of foes that breedes preuenting mindes And mindes forbidding to do neighbours wrong Lest Iustice punish where deseruing binds Nought but securitie a kingdome blindes But when it sees apparent enemies It then takes heede they are her contraries 105. The Lacedemons made stout Athens feare The Romanes rouzed Carthage then secure The Saxon furies did the Brytens weare All states haue foes and yet they may endure Though peace to pietie should best allure Yet is it seene where is no feare of thrall That state soone stumbles and hath sorest fall 106. For pride pricks people that are free from foes And riches rauish mindes dip'd in desires To clime aloft And pleasantly hee rowes That hath no winde nor tyde to checke aspires When he but seemes to rowe indeede retires All haue their ends and all are borne to change Cros'd or at quiet all like race doe range 107. And though the