XLV.

Then came the Howres, faire daughters of high love
And timely Night, the which were all endewed
With wondrous beauty fit to kindle love ;
But they were virgins all, and love eschewed,
That might forslack the charge to them fore-shewed
By mighty Love, who did them porters make
Of heaven's gate, (whence all the gods issued)
Which they did dayly watch and nightly wake
By even turnes, ne ever did their charge forsake.

XLVI.

And after all came Life, and lastly Death;
Death with most grim and griesly visage seene,
Yet is he nought but parting of the breath,
Ne ought to see, but like a shade to weene,
Unbodied, unsoul'd, unheard, unseene;
But Life was like a faire young lusty boy,
Such as they faine Dan Cupid to have beene,
Full of delightfull health and lively ioy, [ploy.
Deckt all with flowres, and wings of gold fit to em-

XLVII.

When these were past, thus gan the Titanesse; "Lo, mighty Mother! now be iudge, and say "Whether in all thy creatures more or lesse "Change doth not raign, and beare the greatest sway, "For who sees not that Time on all doth pray? "But times do change and move continually, "So nothing here long standeth in one stay; "Wherefore this lower world who can deny "But to be subiect still to Mutabilitie?"

XLVIII.

Then thus gan Iove; "Right true it is that these, "And all things else that under heaven dwell, "Are chaung'd of Time, who doth them all desseise "Of being; but who is it (to me tell) "That Time himselfe doth move and still compell "To keepe his course? is not that namely wee, "Which poure that vertue from our heavenly cell "That moves them all, and makes them changed be? "So them we gods do rule, and in them also thee." XLIX.

To whom thus Mutability; "The things "Which we see not how they are mov'd and swayd, "Ye may attribute to yourselves as kings, "And say they by your secret power are made, "But what we see not, who shall us perswade? "But were they so, as ye them faine to be, "Mov'd by your might, and order'd by your ayde, "Yet what if I can prove that even yee [me? "Yourselves are likewise changed, and subiect unto

L.

"And first, concerning her that is the first, "Even you, faire Cynthia! whom so much ye make "Love's dearest darling, she was bred and nurst "On Cynthus' hill, whence she her name did take; "Then is she mortall borne, howso ye crake; "Besides, her face and countenance every day "We changed see, and sundry forms partake; [gray; "Now hornd, now round,now bright,now brown and So that as changefull as the moone men use to say.. Volume VI.

Q

LI.

"Next Mercury, who though he lesse appeare
"To change his hew, and alwayes seeme às one,
"Yet he his course doth alter every yeare,
"And is of late far out of order gone;
"So Venus eke, that goodly paragonë,

66

Though faire all night, yet is she darke all day; "And Phoebus' self, who lightsome is alone, "Yet is he oft eclipsed by the way, [may.

"And fills the darkned world with terror and dis

LII.

LIII.

"Now Mars, that valiant man, is changed most, "For he sometimes so far runs out of square, “That he his way doth seem quite to have lost, "And cleane without his usuall sphere to fare, "That even these star-gazers stonisht are "At sight thereof, and damne their lying bookes; "So likewise grim Sir Saturne oft doth spare "His sterne aspect, and calme his crabbed lookes; "So many turning cranks these have, so many [crookes. "But you, Dan love, that only constant are, "And king of all the rest, as ye do clame, "Are you not subject eeke to this misfare? "Then let me aske you this withouten blame, "Where were ye borne? Some say in Crete by name, “Others in Thebes, and others otherwhere; "But wheresoever they comment the same, "They all consent that ye begotten wêre, [peare. "And borne here in this world, në other can ap

LIV.

"Then are ye mortall borne, and thrall to me, "Unlesse the kingdome of the sky yee make "Immortall and unchangeable to be;

"Besides that power and vertue which ye spake, "That ye here worke, doth many changes take, "And your own natures change; for each of you "That vertue have or this or that to make, "Is checkt and changed from his nature trew, "By others opposition or obliquid view.

LV.

"Besides, the sundry motions of your spheres, "So sundry waies and fashions as clerkes faine, "Some in short space, and some in longer yeares,. "What is the same but alteration plaine ? "Onely the starrie skie doth still remaine; "Yet do the starres and signes therein still move, "And even itself is mov'd, as wizards faine "But all that moveth doth mutation, love,

Therefore both you and them to me I subiect prove.
LVI.

"Then since within this wide great universe
"Nothing doth firme and permanent appeare,
"But all things, tost and turned by transverse,
"What then should let but I aloft should reare

My trophee, and from all the triumph beare? "Now iudge then, O thou greatest Goddesse trew ! According as thyselfe doest see and heare, "And unto me addoom that is my dew,

"That is the rule of all, all being rul'd by you."

LVII.

So having ended, silence long ensewed,
Ne Nature to or fro spake for a space,

But with firme eyes affixt the ground still viewed;
Meane while all creatures, looking in her face,
Expecting th' end of this so doubtfull case,
Did hang in long suspence what would ensew,
To whether side should fall the soveraigne place;
At length she looking up with chearefull view [few.
The silence brake, and gave her doome in speeches
LVIII.

"I well consider all that ye have sayd,
"And find that all things stedfastnes doe hate,
"And changed be; yet being rightly wayd,
"They are not changed from their first estate,
"But by their change their being doe dilate,
"And turning to themselves at length againe
"Doe worke their owne perfection so by fate;
" Then over them Change doth not rule and raigne,
"But they raigne over Change, and doe their states
LIX.
[maintaine.
"Cease, therefore, Daughter, further to aspire,

"And thee content thus to be rul'd by me; "For thy decay thou seekst by thy desire, "But time shall come that all shall changed bee, "And from thenceforth none no more change shall So was the Titaness put downe and whist, And love confirm'd in his imperiall see;

[see."

Then was that whole assembly quite dismist,
And Nature's selfe did vanish, whither no man wist.