THE GEORGICS OF HESIOD, By GEORGE CHAPMAN; TRANSLATED ELABORATELY out of the Greek: Containing Doctrine of Husbandry, Morality, and Piety; with a perpetual Calendar of Good and Bad Days; Not superstitious, but necessary (as far as natural Causes compel) for all Men to observe, and difference in following their affairs.  Nec caret umbra Deo. 
LONDON, Printed by H. L. for Miles Partridge, and are to be sold at his Shop near Saint Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet. 1618.   

TO THE MOST NOBLE COMBINER OF LEARNING, AND HONOUR: Sr. FRANCIS BACON, Knight; Lord High Chancellor of England, etc.  
Ancient wisdom, being so worthily eternized; by the now-renewed Instance of it in your Lordship; And this ancient Author, one of the most Authentic, for all wisdom, crowned with justice and Piety: To what Sea owe these poor Streams their Tribute, but to your Lordship's Ocean? The rather, since others of the like Antiquity, in my Translation of Homer, teach These their way, and add comfort to their Courses; by having received right cheerful countenance and approbation from your Lordship's most grave and honoured predecessor.  
All judgements of this Season (savouring any thing the truth) preferring, to the wisdom of all other Nations, these most wise, learned, and circularly-spoken Grecians. According to that of the Poet: 
Graijs Ingenium; Graijs dedit ore rotund●  
Musa loqui.   
And why may not this Roman Elegy of the Graians', extend in praiseful Intention (by way of Prophetic Poesy) To Graies-Inne wits, and Orators? Or if the allusion (or petition of the Principle) beg with too broad a Licence in the General: yet serious Truth, for the Particular, may most worthily apply it to your Lo p●. truly- Greek Inspiration, and absolutely Attic Elocution. Whose all-acknowledged faculty, hath banished Flattery therein, even from the Court; much more from my country, and more-then-upland simplicity. Nor were those Greeks so circular in their elegant utterance, but their inward judgements and learn, were as round and solid. Their solidity proved in their eternity; and their eternity propagated, by Love of all virtue, and integrity: That Love being the only Parent, and argument, of all Truth, in any wisdom or learning; without which, all is sophisticate, and adulterate; howsoever painted & splinted with Degrees and Languages. Your Lordship's advancement of Learning, then, well showing your love to it; and in it, being true, to all true Goodness; your Learning strengthening that love, must needs be solid and eternal. This 
* Vir verè (seu clarè) sciens: aut illustris judex, vel procul videns Arbiter; quia eos acutos visu, seu gnaros esse oporteat r●i de qua agitur.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore, expressed in this Author, is used here, as if prophesied by him then, now to take life in your Lop. whose life is chief soul, and essence, to all knowledge, and virtue: So few there are that live now, combining Honour and Learning. This Time, resembling the terrible Time whereof this Poet prophesied; to which he desired he might not live: since not a Grace would then smile, on any pious, or worthy; All Greatness, much more gracing Impostors, than Men truly desertful; The worse depraving the better; and that so frontlesly, that Shame and justice, should fly the earth for them. To shame which ignorant Barbarism now emboldened; Let your Lordship's learned humanity, prove nothing the less gracious to Virtue, for the community of Vices graces; but shine much the more clear on her, for those clouds that eclipse her; no Lustre being so Sun like, as that which passeth above all clouds unseen, over Fields, Turrets, & Temples; and breaks out, in free beams, on some humblest Cottage. In whose like, jove himself hath been feasted; And wherein your Lordship may find more honour, than in the fretted Roofs of the Mighty. To which honour, oftentimes, nothing more conduceth, then Noble acceptance of most humble Presentments. On this nobility in your Lordship, my prostrate humility relying; I rest ever submitted in all simple and hearty vows,  
Your Honour's most truly, and freely devoted, GEORGE CHAPMAN.   

Of Hesiodus.  
Hesiodus, surnamed Ascraeus, was one, as of the most ancient Greek Poets; so one of the purest and pressest writers. He lived in the later time of Homer; & was surnamed Ascraeus; of Ascra, a Town in Helicon; in which was built a temple sacred to the Muses; whose Priest, Hesiodus was consecrate: whom Virg. among so many writers of Georgics, only imitated; professing it in this;  
Ascraeumque cano Romana per oppida carmen, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Nor is there any doubt, (saith Mel:) quin idem Virg: initio Georgicorum, hanc inscriptionem expresserit hoc versu: Quid faciat laetas segetes; quo sidere terram etc. His authority was such amongst the Ancients; that his verses were commonly learned, as Axioms or Oracles; All teaching good life, and humanity: which though never so profitable for men's now readings; yet had they rather (saith Isocrates) consume their times still in their own follies, than be any time conversant in these precepts of wisdom; Of which (with Homer) he was first Father, whose Interpreters were all the succeeding Philosophers; Not Aristotle himself excepted: who before Thales, Solon, Pittacus, Socrates, Plato, etc. writ of Life, of Manners, of God, of Nature, of the Stars, and general state of the universe. Not are his writings the less worthy; that Poesy informed them, but of so much the more Dignity, and Eternity: Not Thales, nor Anaxagoras, (as Aristotle ingenuously confesseth) having profited the world so much with all their writings; as Homer's one Ulysses, or Nestor. And sooner shall all the Atoms of Epicurus sustain division; the fire of Heraclitus be utterly quenched; the water that Thales extols so much, be exhausted; the spirit of Anaxamines vanish; the discord of Empedocles be reconciled; & all dissolved to nothing; before by their most celebrated faculties, they do the world somuch profit for all human instruction, as this one Work of Hesiodus: Here being no dwelling on any one subject; but of all human affairs instructively concluded.   

To my worthy friend Mr. George Chapman, and his translated Hesiod.  
CHapman; We find by thy past-prized fraught,  
What wealth thou dost upon this Land confer;  
Th'old Grecian Prophets hither that hast brought,  
Of their full words the true Interpreter:  
And by thy travel, strongly hast expressed  
The large dimensions of the English tongue;  
Delivering them so well, the first and best,  
That to the world in Numbers ever sung.  
Thou hast unlocked the treasury, wherein  
All Art; and knowledge have so long been hidden:  
Which, till the graceful Muses did begin  
Here to inhabit, was to us forbidden.  
In blessed Elysium, (in a place most fit)  
Under that tree due to the Delphian God,  
Musaeus, and that Iliad Singer sit,  
And near to them that noble Hesiod,  
Smoothing their rugged foreheads; and do smile,  
After so many hundred years to see  
Their Poems read in this far western I'll,  
Translated from their ancient Greek, by thee;  
Each his good Genius whispering in his ear,  
That with so lucky, and auspicious fate  
Did still attend them, whilst they living were,  
And gave their Verses such a lasting date.  
Where slightly passing by the Thespian spring,  
Many long after did but only sup;  
Nature, then fruitful, forth these men did bring,  
To fetch deep Rouses from Ioues plenteous cup.  
In thy free labours (friend) then rest content.  
Fear not Detraction, neither fawn on Praise:  
When idle Censure all her force hath spent,  
Knowledge can crown herself with her own bay.  
Their Lines, that have so many lives outworn,  
Clearly expounded, shall base Envy scorn.  
Michael Drayton.   

To my worthy and honoured Friend, Mr George Chapman, on his Translation of Hesiods Works, & Days.  

WHose work could this be▪ Chapman, to refine  
Old Hesiods o'er, and give it us; but thine,  
Who hadst before wrought in rich Homer's Mine?   

What treasure hast thou brought us! and what store  
Still, still, dost thou arrive with, at our shore,  
To make thy honour, and our wealth the more!   

If all the vulgar Tongues, that speak this day,  
Were asked of thy Discoveries; They must say,  
To the Greek coast thine only knew the way.   

Such Passage hast thou found'st such Returns made,  
As, now of all men, it is called thy Trade:  
And who make thither else, rob, or invade.   
Ben: jonson.   

THE GEORGICS, 
Annotations. To approve my difference from the vulgar and verbal exposition; and other amplifications, fit and necessary for the true rendering, and Illustration of my Author; I am enforced to annex some words of the Original to my other Annotations:  OF HESIOD. By GEORGE CHAPMAN. The First Book.  
Muses! That out of your Pierean state,  
All worth, in sacred Numbers celebrate;  
Use 
1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, huc agite.  here your faculties so much renowned,  
To sing 
2 jove.  your sire; And him in 
3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Hy●nu decan. tanses.  hymns resound;  
By whom, All humans, that to death are bound,  
Are bound together: Both the Great in 
4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, de quo magna famae est;  fame;  
And Men, whose Poor Fates fit them, with no 
5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, non di●endus; incelebris.  Name;  

6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, honoratus, Nobilis.  Noble, and 
7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; ignobilis; ad nullam ●unctionem seu dignitatem essum●tus.  Base; Great Ioues will, order All;  
For He with ease extols; with ease, le's fall;  
easily diminisheth the most in grace,  
And lifts the most obscure to loftiest place:  
easily sets 
8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, r●ctus, er●ctu●; non tor●uosus. Metaph  strait the quite 
9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, tortuosus; incuru●s.  shrunk up together;  
And makes the mostelated 
10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, superbum, seu florentem facit ut defloresc●t.  Beauty, whither:  
And this is jove, that breaks his voice so high,  
In horrid sounds; and dwells above the sky:  
Hear then, O jove, that dost both see and hear;  
And, for thy justice sake, Be Orderer,  
To these just 
11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, judicia vel vera praecepta de moribus, seu pict●te.  Precepts; that in 
12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, rati●inor.  Prophecy;  
I use; to teach my Brother Piety:  
Not one contention, on the Earth there Reigns,  
To raise men's fortunes, and peculiar gains;  
But Two. The One; the knowing Man approves:  
The Other, 
13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, reprehensione, et derisione dignu●,  Hate should force from human loves;  
Since it derides our reasonable kind;  
In two 
14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. in duas parts.  parts, parting, Man's united Mind;  
And is so harmful: for pernicious War,  
It feeds; and bites, at every Civil jar:  
Which no 
15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, He says no man loves this war per se, but per accidens; because men cannot discern ●●om things truly worthy of their loves; Those that falsely pretend worth, & retain none, which he ascribes to some secret counsel of love; That for plague to their impieties strikes blind their understandings.  man loves; But strong Necessity,  
Doth this Contention, as his plague imply,  
By heavens hid Counsels. Th'other strife, Black Night,  
Beg at before: which jove, that in the light  
Of all the stars dwells; And though Throned aloft;  
Of each Man, weighs yet, both the work, and thought;  
Put in the Roots of Earth; from whose womb, grow  
men's needful Means, to pay the debt they owe  
To Life, and living: And this strife is far,  
More fit for Men; And much the sprightlier:  
For He, in whose 
16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, cuius manibus nulla Ars, nulla sedulitas inest.  hands, lives no love of Art,  
Nor virtuous Industry; yet plucks up heart,  
And falls to work for living. Any One,  
Never so stupid, and so base a Drone;  
Seeing a Rich Man haste, to sow, and plant,  
And guide his House well; feels, with shame, his want,  
And labours like him: And this strife is good.  
When strife for riches, warms, and fires the blood;  
The 
17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, He shows Artisans emulations for riches, and approves that kind of contention. Notwithstanding Plato in Lysyas; Aristot. in the 5. of his Pol. & 2. of his Rhetor. and Galen; refer this strife to the first harmful discord. yet Plutarch takes our Author's part; and ascribes it to the virtuous Contention.  Neighbour, doth the Neighbour, emulate:  
The Potter, doth the Potter's profit hate;  
The Smith, the Smith, with spleen 
18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, aestu● ira, quam diu press● in pectore.  inveterate:  
Beggar, maligns the Beggar, for good done;  
And the Musician, the Musician.  
This strife, O Perses, see remembered still:  
But fly Contention, that insults on 
19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, alieni● insultans calamitatibus, Contentio. which he calls their going to law.  th'ill  
Of other Men; And from thy work doth draw,  
To be a well-seene Man, in works of Law.  
Nor to those Courts, afford affected ear:  
For he that hath not, for the entire year,  
Enough laid up before hand; little need,  
Hath to take Care, those factious Courts to feed,  
With what Earth bears; And Ceres doth bestow;  
With which, when thou art satiate; Nor dost know,  
What to do with it: Then, to those wars go,  
For others Goods: But see no more spent so  
Of thine hereafter. Let ourselves decide,  
With dooms direct; All differences implied,  
In our Affairs; And what is ratified,  
By Ioues will, to be ours; Account our own;  
For that thrives ever best. Our discord grown;  
For what did from our Father's Bounty fall,  
We ended lately; And shared freely All.  
When Thou much more than thine hadst ravished home;  
With which, 
20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, valde gloriosos reddens. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Reges donivoros.  thou mad'st proud▪ and didst overcome  
With partial affection to thy Cause;  
Those gift-devouring kings, that sway our laws.  
Who would have still retained us in their powers;  
And given by their Dooms; what was freely ours.  
O Fools, that all things into judgement call;  
Yet know not how much 
21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, dimidium plus Toto. He commends the Mean And reproves those kings, or judges, That are too indulgent, to their covetous, and glorious appetites; from the frugal, & competent life declining; ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, i. ad plus habendi aviditatem inexhaustam▪ Showing how ignorant they are; that the virtue of justice and Mediocrity; is to be preferred, to injustice, and insatiate Avarice. By 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, he understands Medium inter Lucrun et Damnun; which Mean is more profitable, and Noble, than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, i. Toto. quo et sua pars retinetur, et alterius ad se pertrahitur.  Half is more than All.  
Nor how the Mean life, is the firmest still.  
Nor of the Mallow, and the Daffodil,  
How great a Good the little Meals contain.  
But God hath hid from Men the healthful Mean;  
For otherwise, A Man might heap (and play)  
Enough to serve the whole year, in a Day;  
And straight, his Draught-Tree hang up in the smoke,  
Nor more, his labouring Mules, nor Oxen yoke.  
But jove; Man's knowledge of his Best, bereaved;  
Conceiving Anger, since he was deceived,  
By that same 
22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, he calls Prometheus; i qui obliqua agitat consilia; who wrists that wisdom which God hath given him to use to his glory; To his own ends: which is cause to all the miseries Men suffer, and of all their impious actions that deserve them. Ioues fire, signifies truth; which Prometheus stealing; figures learned men's over-subtile abuse of divine knowledge; wresting it in false expositions to their own objects. Thereby to inspire, and puff up their own profane earth. Intending, their corporeal Parts; And the Irreligious delights of them. But for the Muthologie of this; read my Lord chancellors Book de sapientia veterum Cap. 26. being infinitely better.  wisdome-wresting, japhets' son;  
For which, All ill All earth did overrun.  
For jove, close keeping in a hollow Cane,  
His holy fire: To serve the use of Man,  
Prometheus stole it, by his human sleight  
From him that hath of all heavens wit, the height.  
For which, He angry; Thus to him began  
The Cloud-Assembler: Thou most crafty Man,  
That joyest to steal my fire, deceiving Me;  
Shalt feel that joy, the greater grief to thee;  
And therein plague thy universal Race:  
To whom, I'll give a pleasing ill, in place  
Of that good fire: And all shall be so vain,  
To place their pleasure in embracing pain.  
Thus spoke, and laughed, of Gods and Men the sire:  
And strait enjoind the famous God of Fire,  
To mingle instantly, with Water, Earth;  
The voice, and vigour, of a 
23 Ioues creation of a woman.  human Birth,  
Imposing in it; And so fair a face,  
As matched th'immortal Goddesses, in grace.  
Her form presenting a most lovely Maid;  
Then on Minerva, his Command he laid,  
To make her work, and wield the witty loom:  
And (for her Beauty) such as might become  
The Golden Venus; He commanded Her,  
Upon her Brows, and Countenance to confer  
Her own Bewitchings; stuffing all her Breast,  
With wild 
24 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An unwearied, and wanton desire to exceed others; or an insatiate longing to be loved of all.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 membra ad sati●tatem usque depascens. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cares, or meditations of voluptuous satisfactions.   Desires, incapable of Rest;  
And Cares, that feed to all satiety,  
All human Lineaments. The Crafty spy,  
And Messenger of Godheads, Mercury,  
He charged t' inform her, with a 
25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, ●an●nam ment●, vel impudentem. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, furaces m●res.  dogged Mind,  
And thievish Manners. All as he designed,  
Was put in act. A Creature strait had frame,  
Like to a Virgin; Mild and full of shame;  
Which Ioues suggestion, made the both-foot lame,  
Form so deceitfully; And all of Earth,  
To forge the living Matter of her Birth.  
Grey-eyed Minerva, Put her Girdle on;  
And showed how loose parts, wel-composed, shone  
The deified Graces; And the 
26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 o● Suada, Goddess of persuasion, or eloquence.  Dame that sets  
Sweet words, in chief form; Golden Carquenets,  
Embraced her Neck withal; The faire-haird Hours,  
Her gracious Temples crowned, with fresh-spring flowers;  
But, of all these, employed in several place;  
Pallas gave 
27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, impetu inspirabat; gave special force, to all her attractions, which he says Pallas did. To, show that to all Beauty; wisdom, and discreet behaviour, gives the chief excitement.  Order, the impulsive grace.  
Her bosom, Hermes, the great God of spies,  
Which subtle fashions filled, fair words and lies;  
jove prompting still. But all the 
28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Her voice. The vocal, or high-spoken Herald of the Gods imposed; All fair women, affecting, to be furthest heard, as well as most seen.  voice she used,  
The vocal Herald of the Gods infused;  
And called her Name, Pandora; since on Her,  
The Gods did all their several gifts confer:  
Who made her such, in every moving strain,  
To be the Bane of curious Minded Men.  
Her harmful, and inevitable Frame,  
At all parts perfect; jove dismissed the Dame  
To Epimetheus, In his Herald's guide;  
With all the God's plagues, in a Box, beside.  
Nor Epimetheus, kept one word in store  
Of what Prometheus, had advised before;  
Which was; That jove should fasten on his hand,  
No gift at all; But he, his wile withstand,  
And back return it; Lest with instant ill,  
To mortal Men; He all the world did fill.  
But he first took the gift; and after 
29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he had received & tried the ills he knew 'twas ill, & grieved: But than was so infected with affection to it, that He could not reform, nor refine it. For Man's corporeal part; which i● figured in Epimetheus; signifying the inconsiderate and headlong force of affection; not obeying his reasonable part, or soul; nor using foresight fit for the prevention of ills which is figured in Prometheus; He is deceived with a false shadow of pleasure; for the substantial, and true delight, he to be embraced. Which found by Event (the Schoolmaster of fools.) He reputes too late. And therefore, Horace truly; nocet empta dolore voluptas.  grieved.  
For first, the Families of Mortals, lived  
Without, and free from Ill; Harsh Labour, then,  
Nor sickness, hasting timeless Age on Men;  
Their hard, and wretched Tasks imposed on them,  
For many years; But now, a violent stream,  
Of all Afflictions; In an instant came,  
And quenched Life's light; that shined before in flame.  
For when the 
30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, of this came the proverb, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, The plague of women. And by the woman is understood, Appetite, or effeminate affection; and customary, or fashionable Indulgence to the blood; not only in womanish ●ffectations; but in the general fashions of men's judgements and action's; Both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, id est, popularitor; or gratia & authoritate, quo quisvalet apud populom. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, id est, viducendi & floctendi animum. Intending illusively; by this same docta ignorantia; of which, many learned leaders of the Mind, are guilty: And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ● id est, The common source or sink of the vulgar; prevailing past the Nobility, and piety, of humanity and Religion. By which, All sincere discipline, is dissolved, or corrupted; And so, that Discipline taken away (tanquam operculo Pandor●) both the human bodies, and Minds dissolution; instantly, (as out of the Cave of A●olu●) ●et the winds or forces of corruption, violently break: qua data porta, taunt, & terra● turbine po●stant. All which notwithstanding; no course or custom is so desperate in infection; but some hope is left to scape their punishment in every Man; according to Ovid; vivere spe vidi, qui moriturus erat.  women; The unwieldy lid,  
Had once discovered: All the miseries hid,  
In that cursed Cabinet; dispersed, and flew  
About the world; joys pined; And Sorrows grew.  
Hope only rested, in the Boxes Brim;  
And took not wing from thence: jove prompted him,  
That owed the Cabinet; to clap it close,  
Before she parted; But unnumbered woes,  
Besides, encountered Men, in all their ways.  
Full were all shores of them; And full all seas.  
Disease's; Day, and Night; with natural wings,  
And silent Entries stole on men their stings;  
The great in counsels, jove, Their voices re●t;  
That not the truest, might avoid their Theft;  
Nor any scape the Ill, in any kind,  
Resolved at first, in his almighty Mind.  
And, wert thou willing; I would add to this,  
A second Cause of men's calamities:  
Sing all before; And since; Nor will be long,  
But short, and knowing; And t'observe my song,  
By thy conceit, And Mind's retention strong.  
When first, Both Gods, and Men, had one Times Birth;  
The Gods, of diverse languaged Men, on Earth;  
A golden 
31 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Not only this description of Ages (as the Critics observe) is imitated by all the Latin Poets, but all the rest of this Author; And chiefly by Virgil himself. His sentence & invention; made so common; that their Community will darken the rarity of them in their Original. And this was called the golden Age; (according to Plato) for the virtuous excellency, of men's natural dispositions, and manners.  world produced; That did sustain,  
Old Saturn's Rule; when He in heaven did reign;  
And then lived Men, like Gods, in pleasure here;  
Endued with Minds secure; from Toils, Griefs, clear;  
Nor noisome Age, made any crooked, There.  
Their feet went ever naked as their hands;  
Their Cates were blessed, serving their Commands,  
With ceaseless Plenties; All Days, sacred made  
To Feasts, that surfeits never could invade.  
Thus lived they long; and died, as seized with sleep;  
All Good things served them; Fruits did ever keep,  
Their free fields crowned; That all abundance bore;  
All which; All, equal, shared; And none wished more.  
And when the Earth had hid them; Ioues will was,  
The Good should into heavenly Natures pass;  
Yet still held state, on Earth; And 
32 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, sed ut dij utuebant homines. The Poet (sales Melancthon) could not, but have some light of our Parents lives in Paradise.  
32 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, cusiodes hominum: from hence the opinion springeth, that every man hath his good Angel; which sort of spirits (however discredited now to attend, & direct men) Flutat● in his Commentaries de oraculorum defectu, defends to retain assured Being. In this sort: As if a Man should take away the interjected Air; betwixt the Earth and the Moon: That Man must likewise dissolve, all the coherence and actual unity of the universe; leaving vacuum in Medio; and necessary Bond of it all; so they that admit no Genij; leave betwixt God, and Men, no reasonable Mean for Commerce; The Interpretative, and Administering faculty; (as Plato calls it) betwixt them; utterly destroying; And withdrawing consequently; All their reciprocal, and necessary uses. As the witches of Thessaly; are said to pluck the Moon out of her Sphere. But these men being Good; turned only Good Genij; The next Age (Men being bad) turned in their next Being; bad Genij. Of which, after was held; A man's good, and bad Genius.  Guardians were,  
Of all best Mortals, still surviving there;  
Observed works just, and unjust; clad in Air;  
And gliding undiscovered, every where;  
Gave Riches where they pleased; And so were reft,  
Nothing, of All the Royal Rule they left.  
The second Age; That next succeeded This;  
Was far the worse; which Heaven-hous'd Deities,  
Of Silver, fashioned; Not like that of Gould,  
In disposition; Nor so wisely Soul'd.  
For Children then lived, in their mother's Cares,  
(All that time growing still) A Hundred years:  
And were such great fools, at that Age; That They,  
Could not, themselves, dispose a Family.  
And when they Youths grew; having reached the Date,  
That reared their forces up, to Man's estate;  
They lived small space; And spent it all in pain;  
Caused by their follies: Not of power t'abstain,  
From doing one another Injury.  
Nor would They worship any Deity;  
Nor on the holy Altars of the Blessed,  
Any appropriate sacrifice addressed,  
As fits the fashion of all human Birth.  
For which, jove angry; hid them strait in Earth;  
Since to the blessed Deities of Heaven,  
They gave not those Respects, They should have given.  
But when the Earth had hid these, like the rest;  
They than were called, the subterrestrial blessed;  
And in Bliss second; having honours then;  
Fit, for th'infernal spirits, of powerful Men. 
33 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Subterranei beati, mortales vocantur. Out of their long lives and little knowledges; These Men are supposed by our Poet; to survive dull and earthly spirits; For their impieties, in neglect of Religion, subject to painful, and bitter Death; where the former good Men, sweetly slept him out. But for the the Powers of their bodies; being fashioned of the worlds yet fresh, and vigorous matter; Their spirits that informed their bodies; are supposed secondly powerful. And that is intended; in their recourse to earthly men; such as themselves were; furthering their affections and ambitions to ill; for which they had honour of those Men: And, of them, were accounted blest; As the former Good Genij, wereso, indeed; for Exciting Men to goodness.   
Then formed, our Father jove, a third Descent;  
Whose Age was brazen; clearly different  
From that of Silver. All the Mortals there,  
Of wild ash fashioned; stubborn and austere;  
Whose Minds, the harmful facts of Mars affected;  
And Petulant Injury. All Meats rejected,  
Of Natural fruits, and Herbs. And these were They,  
That first began, that Table Cruelty,  
Of slaughtering Beasts; And therefore grew they fierce;  
And not to be endured, in their Commerce.  
Their ruthless Minds, in Adamant were cut;  
Their strengths were dismal; And their shoulders put,  
In accessible hands out; over all  
Their brawny limbs, armed with a brazen wall.  
Their Houses all were brazen; All of Brass,  
Their working Instruments; for black Iron was  
As yet unknown: And, these (their own lives ending;  
The vast, and cold-sad house of hell-descending)  
No 
34 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, These he ●otendes were such rude, and powerful men, as not only refused, (like the second sort) to do honour to the Deities; But directly rebelled against them: And affected here in Earth, celestial Emperit. For which the Celestials let them see, that they needed none but themselves to take down their affectations; And for their so huge conceit of themselves▪ had never any least honour of others, which many great men of this Iron Age, need not be ignorant therefore; is the event of such great ones. And howsoever they laugh in their sleeves, at any other Being than this; they may take notice by their wisers: That even according to reason, both, there are other Being's; And differences of those Being's; Both in honours, and Miseries.  grace had in their ends: But though they were  
Never so powerful; and enforcing fear;  
Black Death, reduced their Greatness in their spite,  
T'a 
35 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in arctumcogo: s●u in a●gustum redig●.  little Room; And stopped their cheerful light.  
When these left life; A fourth kind, jove gave birth;  
Upon the many-a-creature, nourishing Earth;  
More just, and better than this Race before;  
Divine Her●es; That the surnames bore,  
Of 
36 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉▪ semidei, Intending Hercules, jason and others of the Argonants; whose ship was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 naula omnibus cura▪ because it held the care of all men, in those that were in her. Intending of all the virtuous Men, that were then of Name, who were called semigods, for their godlike virtues.  Semigods; yet These; Impetuous Fight,  
And bloody War, bereft of life, and light.  
Some, in Cadmaean Earth; contentious;  
To prize the infinite wealth of Oedipus;  
Before 
37 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He calls this seaven-ported Thebes; to distinguish it from that of Egypt, that had a 100 Ports; besides that Hyppoplace in Cilicia.  seaven-ported Thebes; some shipped upon,  
The ruthless waves; and led to Ilium,  
For faire-haired Helen's love; where, likewise They;  
In bounds of Death; confined the beams of Day.  
To these yet; love gave second life, and seat,  
At ends, of all the Earth; In a Retreat,  
From human feet; where souls secure they bear  

38 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. In beatrum Insulis. Of which fortunate islands, Vide Hom: Odies: 8.  Amids the blessed islands; situate near,  
The gulfie-whirle-pit-eating Ocean flood.  
Happy Her●es living; For whose food,  
The plentie-bearing Tellus; thrice a year,  
Delicious fruits, and fragrant Herbs doth bear.  
O that, I might not live now; To partake,  
The Age, that must, the fifth succession make;  
But either Die before; Or else were borne,  
When all that Age, is into ashes worn.  
For, that which next springs, in supply of this,  

39 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  
Cuius Genus est ferraum. This fifth Age he only prophesied of: almost three thousand years since; which falling out in this age especially true, shows how divine a Truth inspired him: And whether it be lawful or not, with Plato and all the formerly learned; to give these worthiest Poets the commendation of divine.   Will all of Iron, produce his families;  
Whose bloods, shall be so banefully Corrupt,  
They shall not let them sleep; But interrupt,  
With Toils, and Miseries, All their Rests, And fares.  
The Gods, such grave, and soule-dissecting cares,  
Shall steep their Bosoms in; And yet, some Good,  
Will God mix with their bad; for when the blood,  
Faints in their nourishment; And leaves their hair,  
A little grey; Ioues hand, will stop the Air,  
Twixt them, and life; And take them strait away.  
Twixt Men, and women, shall be such foul play,  
In their begetting pleasures; And their Race,  
Spring from such false seed; That the sons stolen face;  
Shall nought be like the sires; The sire, no more,  
Seen in his Issue. No friend as before  
Shall like his friend be: Nor no Brother, rest  
Kind, like his Brother: No Guest, like a Guest  
Of former times; No Child, use like a Child,  
His aged Parents; But with manners wild,  
Revile, and shame them; Their Impiety,  
Shall never fear, that God's allseeing eye,  
Is fixed upon them; But shall quite despise,  
Repayment of their educations prize;  

40 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quibus ius est in manibus. All this Ovid translates; Nec hospes ●b hospite tutus, Non socer à genero; fratrum quoque gratia ●ara est.  Bear their law, in their hands; And when they get,  
Their father's free-given goods; Account them debt.  
City shall City ransack; Not a Grace,  
To any pious Man shall show her face;  
Nor to a just, or good man.. All, much more,  
Shall grace a Beastly, and injurious Boar;  
No Right shall seize on any hand of theirs;  
Nor any shame make blush, their black affairs;  
The worse shall worse the better, with bad words;  
And swear him out, of all his Right affords.  
Ill-lunged; 
41 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, malè seu graviter so●ans; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Ma●● gaudens; vel quo mali gaudent, & delectantur. Vel alienis insultans calamitatibus.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, inviso aspectu; & t●ruis oculis cernens: All Epithets of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.   Ill-liverd, Ill-complexioned Spite,  
Shall consort all the Miserable plight,  
Of Men then living. justice then, and Shame,  
Clad in pure white (as if they never came,  
In touch of those societies) shall fly,  
Up to the Gods Immortal family,  
From broad-wayed Earth: And leave grave griefs to Men;  
That (desperate of Amends) must bear all Then.  
But now to Kings, A Fable I'll obtrude,  
Though clear, they savour all it can include.  
The 
42 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Accipiter, The manners of the Mighty towards the Mean, are figured in this fiction.  
By the Nightingale; understanding, learned, and virtuous Men.  
The following verse; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, imprudens etc. follows the most sacred letter, no●esse reluctandum potentioribus.   Hawk once, having trust up in his Seres,  
The sweet-tuned Nightingale; and to the Spheres,  
His prey transferring: with his Talons, she  
Pinched too extremely; and incessantly,  
Crying, for Anguish; This imperious speech,  
He gave the poor Bird; Why complain'st thou wretch?  
One holds thee now, that is thy Mightier far;  
Go, as he guides; Though ne'er so singular  
Thou art a Singer; It lies now in me,  
To make thee sup me; Or to set thee free.  
Fool that thou art; who ever will contend,  
With one, whose faculties, his own transcend;  
Both fails of Conquest; And is likewise sure,  
Besides his wrong, He shall bad words endure.  
Thus spoke the swift, and broad-winged Bird of Prey;  
But hear 
43 O 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, He speaks to his brother, and returns to his first Proposition; of the fit contention, to which he persuaded him before. And though shame and justice are fled in others; yet he wisheth him to love and embrace them. The elegant description immediately before; being truly Philosophical, and is handled at large, by Plato, in Protagoras.  thou justice; And hate Injury.  
Wrong touches near a miserable Man;  
For (though most patient) yet he hardly can  
Forbear just words; and feel injurious deeds;  
Unjust loads, vex; He hardly bears that bleeds.  
And yet hath Wrong, to Right; a better way:  
For, in the end, will justice win the Day.  
Till which, who bears, sees then, Amends arise:  
The 
44 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Passus vero stultus sapit, which was since usurped proverbially: signifying that wisdom to be folly, that we learn but of our own first suffered afflictions: which yet, I think far exceeds any wisdom that was never taught, nor confirmed by first feeling infortunes, and calamities.  fool first suffers, and is after wise.  
But 
45 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, properly signifies Curuis, v●l tortuosis indicijs; which (he says) ravish together with them, Preiurie;  
Alluding to crooked things; or things wrapped together like brambles; that catch and keep with them whatsoever touches them. Our proverb; to overtake with a crooked Measure; not ridiculously applied to this grave Metaphor; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, not signifying, in this place, what our Critics teach; vid. lights iniquas; but judicia iniqua seutortuosa.   crooked justice; jointly hooks with it,  
Injurious Perjury; And that unfit  
Outrage, bribed judges use; that makes them draw,  
The way their gifts go; ever cuts out Law,  
By crooked Measures. Equal justice then,  
All clad in Air; th'ill Minds of bribed Men,  
Comes after mourning: Mourns the City's ill;  
Which where she is expelled, she brings in still.  
But those that with impartial Dooms extend,  
As well to strangers, as their household friend  
The Law's pure Truth; And will in no point stray,  
From forth the strait Tract, of the equal way:  
With such, the City; all things Noble nourish:  
With such, the People, in their Profits flourish.  
Sweet Peace, along the Land goes; Nor to them  
All seeing jove, will destinate th'extreme  
Of baneful War. No Hunger ever comes;  
No ill, where judges use impartial Dooms.  
But Goods well got maintain still neighbour feasts;  
The Fields flow there, with lawful Interests.  
On Hills, the high Oak, Acorns bears; In Dales,  
Th'industrious Bee her Honey sweet exhales:  
And ful-feld Sheep, are shorn with Festivales;  
There, women bring forth children like their Sire;  
And all, in all kinds, find their own entire.  
Nor ever plow they up the barren Seas,  
Their own fat Fields yield store enough to please.  
But whom rude Injury delights, and Acts  
That Misery, and Tyranny contracts;  
Sharp-sighted jove, for such predestines pain;  
And 
46 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, oftentimes, for one ill Man a whole City suffers; which sentence, in near the same words, is used in Ecclesiastes. Saepe universa Civitas, mali viri paenam luit. And as before he recounts the blessings that accompany good Kings or judges; ●o here he remembers the plagues, that pursue the bad; enforcing in both (as I may say) the ebbing, or flowing of every Commonwealth by them. For Law being soul to every such politic Body; And judges; as if Essence to that soul, in giving it form and Being, according to their sentences & expositions of it; The body politic, of force must far well or ill, as it is governed, well or ill. No otherwise then, as the body of ● Man, suffers good or ill; by his souls good or bad information, and discipline. These threats used here (saith Melancthon) as in diverse other places of this divine Poet; He questionless gathered out of the doctrine of Moses and the Prophets, with whom the like comminations are every where frequent.  oftentimes; The whole Land doth sustain  
For one Man's wickedness; that thriving in  
Inequal Dooms; still makes his sentence him.  
For where such Men bear privileged office still;  
There jove pours down whole deluges of ill.  
Famine and Pestilence together go;  
The people perish; women barren grow;  
Whole Houses vanish there, sometimes in peace;  
And sometimes Armies raised to shield th'increase,  
The Gods late gave them: even those Gods destroy  
Their Rampires ruin; and let Rapine joy  
The Goods Injustice gathered: Or, elsewhere  
jove sinks their ships, and leaves their ventures there.  

47 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, He would have judges enter into consideration themselves, of the dangers in injustice; which presently after, he reduces into three arguments. The first, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, sibi ipsi, which sentence, to admiration agrees to that of the Script. Incidit in fo●●ā quante fecit. The second for feire of further punishment from God. The third, he makes out of the natural indignity, and absurdity of the thing.  Weigh then yourselves, this justice O ye Kings;  
For howsoever oft, unequal things  
Obtatine their pass; they pass not so the eyes,  
Of all the all-discerning Deities;  
For close and conversant their virtues be  
With Men; and how they grate each other, see,  
With wrested judgements; yielding no cares due,  
To those sure wreaks, with which the Gods pursue  
Unequal judges; Though on Earth there are,  
Innumerable Gods that minister,  
Beneath great jove; That keep Men clad in Air;  
Corrupt Dooms noting, and each false affair;  
And gliding through the Earth, are every where;  
justice is seed to jove; in all fame dear,  
And reverend to the Gods, inhabiting Heaven;  
And still a Virgin; whom when Men ill given,  
Hurt, and abhorring from the right, shall wrong;  
She for redress; to jove her sire complains,  
Of the unjust mind, every man sustains;  
And prays the people may repay the pains  
Their Kings have forfeited, in their offences;  
Depraving justice, and the genuine senses,  
Of laws corrupted, in their sentences.  
Observing this, ye Gift-devouring Kings;  
Correct your sentences; and to their springs,  
Remember ever to reduce those streams,  
Whose crooked courses every Man condemns.  
Whoever forgeth, for another, ill;  
With it, himself is overtaken still;  
In ill, Men run on that they most abhor;  
Ill counsel, worst is to the Councelor.  
For Ioues eye, all things seeing, and knowing all;  
Even these things, if he will; of force must fall  
Within his sight, and knowledge; Nor to him:  
Can these bribed Domes, in Cities shine so dim,  
But he discerns them; and will pay them pain:  
Else would not I live justly amongst Men;  
Nor to my justice frame my children;  
If to be just, is ever to be ill;  
And that the unjust finds most justice still;  
And jove gave each Man in the end his will.  
But he that loves the lightning (I conceive)  
To these things thus, will no conclusion give.  

48 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, He persuades his brother to the love of justice, by argument taken from the true nature of man.. That by virtue of his divine soul, naturally loves it. Because God infused into that divine Beam of his, being immortal; a love to that, that preserved immortalities; without that immortal destruction affected in injustice. Fishes, Beasts, and Fowls, endued naturally with no such love to justice; but allowed by God, to do like themselves and deuo●re one another, which that men should do, as well as they; is most inhuman, and full of confusion; as well in their deformed mixture, as in the Ruin that inseparably follows it. But his confidence here, that whosoever will do justice freely, and without respect of riches; God will enrich him; And that the worse inclined, will feel it in the Hell of his conscience; The others ●eed prospering beyond himself; Is truly, religious and right Christian,  However Perses, put these in thy heart;  
And to the equity of things convert  
Thy Minds whole forces; all thought striking dead;  
To that foul Rapine, that hath now such head.  
For in our Manhoods, jove hath justice closed;  
And as a law, upon our souls imposed:  
Fish, Foule, and savage Beasts; whose (Law is power)  
jove lets each other mutually devour;  
Because they lack the equity he gives  
To govern Men; as, far best for their lives;  
And therefore Men should follow it with strives.  
For he that knows the justice of a Cause;  
And will in public Ministry of Laws,  
Give sentence to his knowledge; Be he sure,  
God will enrich him. But who dares abjure  
His conscious knowledge; and bely the law;  
Past cure, will that wound in his Conscience draw.  
And for his radiance now, his Race shall be  
The deeper plunged in all obscurity.  
The just man's state, shall in his seed exceed;  
And, after him, breed honours as they breed.  
But, why men's ills prevail so much with them;  
I, that the Good know, will unclowd the Beam,  
In whose light lies the reason; with much ease,  
To vice, and her love, Men may make access;  
Such crews in Rout, Herd to her, and her Court  
So passing near lies; Their way sweet and short;  

49 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Ante virtutem. His argument to persuade to virtue, here is taken both from her own natural Fate; and the divine disposition of God. For as she hath a body (being supposed the virtue of Man) and through the worthily exercised and instructed organs of that body; Her soul receives her excitation to all her expressible knowledge; (for dati sunt sensus, ad excitandum intellectum) so to the love and habit of knowledge, and virtue, there is first necessarily required, a laborious and painful conflict; fought through the knowledge, and ha●e of the miseries and beastliness of vice. And this painful passage to Virtue Virgil imitated in his translation of the Pythagorean letter, Y. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or sud●r, is to be understood of sweat, ex labour & fatigatione ●rt●.  But before Virtue, do the God's rain sweat,  
Through which, with Toil, and halfe-dissolued feet,  
You must wade to her; her path long and steep;  
And at your entry, 'tis so sharp and deep.  
But scaling once her height, the joy is more,  
Than all the pain she put you to before.  
The pain at first then, both to love and know  
justice and Virtue; and those few that go  
Their rugged way; is cause 'tis followed lest.  

50 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. He tells he●e. who is at all parts the best and happiest Man; which Virgil. even to a word almost recites; and therefore more than imitates, in this; Felix qui potuit verum cognoscere cansas etc. wherein our divine and all-teaching Poet, since, describes three sorts of Men; One that loves virtue out of knowledge acquired and elaborate; which the Philosopher calls scientiam acquisitam; The second, th●● loves her out of admonition; which he calls infu●am scientiam; The third, is he, that hath neither of those two knowledges; no● is capable of either; having both these ignorances in him; viz. Ignorantiam pranae dispositions, and purae negationis. Li●ie, as well as Virgil, recites this place almost ad verbum, in Fabio & Minuti●; In these words, Saepe ego audini, milites, eum primum ess● virum, qui ipse consulat, quid in remsit: secundum eum, qui bene mone●●i obediat: Qui nec ipse consolere, nec alt riparere scit, eum extromi ingenij esse.  Of all Men therefore, he is always best,  
That not depending on the mightiest,  
Nor on the most; hath of himself descried,  
All things becoming; and goes fortified,  
In his own knowledge, so far, as t' intend  
What now is best; and will be best at th'end.  
Yet he is good too, and enough doth know,  
That only follows, being admonished how:  
But he that neither of himself can tell,  
What fits a man; nor being admonished well,  
Will give his mind to learn; but flat refuse;  
That man, cast out from every human use.  
Do thou then, ever in thy Memory place  
My precepts Perses, sprung of sacred Race;  
And work out what thou know'st not: that with hate  
Famine may prosecute thy full estate;  
And rich-wreathed Ceres (reverenced of all,)  
Love thee as much; and make her festival,  
Amids thy Granaries: Famine evermore  
Is natural consort of the idle Boor.  
Whoever idly lives, both Gods, and Men  
Pursue with hateful and still-punishing spleen.  
The slothful man is like the stingless Drone,  
That all his power, and disposition,  
Employs to rob the labours of the be;  
And with his sloth, devour her Industry.  
Do thou repose thy special pleasure then,  
In still being conversant, with temperate pain;  
That to thee still, the Seasons may send home  
Their utmost store. With Labour Men become  
Herd-full, and rich; with labour thou shalt prove  
Great, both in human, and the Deities love.  
One, with another, all combined in one,  
Hate with infernal horror, th'idle Drone.  
Labour▪ and thrive; and th' idle 'twill inflame.  
No shame to labour; sloth is yoked with shame.  
Glory and virtue into consort fall  
With wealth; wealth Godlike wins the grace of all.  
Since which, yet, springs out of the root of pain;  

50 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, laborare aut●m melius.  
Notwithstanding he hath no other way to persuade his unwise brother to follow his business, and leave his strife in law for other men's goods▪ but to propose wealth, and honour for the fruits of it: yet he prefers labour alone, joined with love of virtue and justice, and the good expense of a man's time; before wealth, and honour with Covetousness and Contention.   Pain hath praecedence; so thou dost maintain  
The temper fitting; and that foolish vain  
Of striving for the wealth of other Men,  
Thou giv'st no vent; but on thine own affairs  
Conuert'st thy Mind; and thereon layest thy cares.  
And then put on, with all the spirit, you can.  
Shame is not good in any needy man..  
Shame much obscures, and makes as much to fame.  
Wealth loves Audacity; Want favours Shame.  
Riches, not ravished, but divinely sent  
For virtuous labour, are most permanent.  
If any stand on force, and get wealth so;  
Or with the tongue, spoil, as a number do;  
When Gain, or Craft doth overgo the soul;  
And Impudence doth honest shame contoule;  
God easily can the so-made-great disgrace;  
And his House, raised so, can as easily race.  
Riches bear Date, but of a little space.  

52 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Par est delictum. He ia●e● it is as great a sin; to wrong a poor suppliant, as to wrong a man: best friend or Guest. Which was then held one of the greatest impieties. And to deceive an Orphan of his dead parents gift, he affirms to be nothing less an offence than to ascend to the bed of his brother. Not that he makes all sins alike; but shows how horrible those sins are, with which we are most familiar.  Who wrongs an humble suppliant, doth offend▪  
As much as he, that wrongs a Guest, or friend.  
Who, for his brother's wife's love, doth ascend  
His brother's bed; and hath his vicious end;  
Offends no more than he, that doth deceive  
An Orphan, of the goods his Parents leave;  
Or he that in the wretched bounds of Age,  
Reviles his Father. All these jove enrage;  
And shall receive of Him revenge at last,  
Inflicting all pains, that till then they passed.  
From all these therefore, turn thy striving Mind,  
And to thy utmost, see the Gods assigned  
chastened, and purely; all their holy dues.  
Burn fattest thighs to them; and sometimes use  
Offerings of wine. Sometimes, serve their delights,  
With burning incense: both, when bedtime cities;  
And when from bed, the sacred Morning calls.  
That thou mayst render the celestials,  
All ways propitious: And so, none else gather,  
Thy fortunes strowed; but thou reap others rather.  
Suffer thy foe thy table; call thy friend.  
In chief, one near; for if Occasion send  
Thy household use of Neighbours; they undressed  
Will hast to thee; where thy Allies will rest,  
Till they be ready. An ill Neighbour is  
A curse: a good one is as great a bliss.  
He hath a treasure, by his fortune signed;  
That hath a Neighbour of an honest mind.  
No loss of Ox, or Horse, a Man shall bear;  
Unless a wicked Neighbour dwell too near.  
Just Measure take of Neighbours, just repay;  
The same received and more; If more thou may.  
That after, needing; thou mayest after, find  
Thy wants supplier, of as free a mind.  

52 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, mala lucra aequaliai● damnis. According to this of the Scripture; Male portum male disperit; Et, de male quesitis non gaudit tertius haeres.  Take no ill gain, ill gain brings loss as ill.  
Aid quit with aid: goodwill pay with goodwill;  
Give him that hath given; him that hath not, give not▪  
Givers, Men give; Gifts to no givers thrive not.  
Giving is good: Rapine is deadly ill.  
Who freely gives, though much, rejoiceth still;  
Who ravines, is so wretched, that though small  
His forced gift be; he grieves, as if 'twere all.  
Little to little added, it oft done,  
In small time makes a great possession.  
Who adds to what is got; needs never fear,  

53 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●tram famem. Black or swarth he calls Famine, or Hung●r; ab effectu, quod nigrum, aut lucidum colorem inducat.  That swarth-che●k't Hunger will devour his cheer.  
Nor will it hurt a Man; though something more,  

54 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He la●●s it will not hurt a man, to have a little more than needs merely, laid up at home; A● we say; it will eat a man no mea●. And prefers keeping a man's store at home; to putting it forth; for it may go less so, as often it doth.  Than serves mere need; he lays at home in store.  
And, best at home: it may go less abroad.  
If cause call forth; at home provide thy Road,  
Enough for all needs, for free spirits die,  
To want, being absent from their own supply.  

55 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incipiente dolio. At the beginning, or height of a man's store, he adviseth liberality; And at the bottom. In the midst frugality. Admonishing therein not to be prodigal nor sordid; or wretched: But as at the top of the Cask, wi●e is the weakest, and thinnest; because it is most near the air; and therefore may there be best spent; at the bottom full of lees; and so may there be best spared; In the midst nearest and briskest, and should be then most made of, or busb●nded; so in the midst of a Man's purse, he adviseth parsimony.  Which note, I charge thee. At thy purses height,  
And when it fights low; give thy use his freight;  
When in the midst thou art, then check the blood;  
Frugality at bottom is not good.  

56 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 testem adhil●to. The Critics expound it; as if a man talking privately and liberally with his brother, should confess so securely; that he must ever bring a witness with him, of what words past him, and the Critics intent it personally; where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies here only, sup●uta, cogita, hypothetically, or by way of supposition; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coming of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, faci●, esto ut ita sit, suppose there were a witness by; and be as circumspect in speeches with your brother, even in your most private and free discourse, as if you supposed a third Man heard you. The other exposition is to be exploded.  Even with thy brother, think a witness by;  
When thou wouldst laugh, or converse liberally;  
Despair hurts none, beyond Credulity.  

57 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, qui vel quae 〈◊〉 ex●rnat.  Let never neate-girt Dame, that all her wealth  
Lays on her waste; make profit of her stealth,  
On thy true judgement; nor be heard to feign  
With her forked tongue; so far forth as to gain  
Thy candle rent (she calls it). He that gives  
A woman trust, doth trust a Den of thieves.  
One only son preserves a family;  
As feeding it with only fit supply.  
And that house to all height his riches rears,  
Whose sire dies old, and leaves a son of years.  
To many children too, God easily spares  
Wealth store; but still, more children the more cares.  
And to the house, the more access is made.  
If then, the hearty love of wealth invade  

58 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, unigenitus. He says one only Son, preserves his Father's house; & adds most ingeniously, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, i. pascendo, se● nutriendo. Intending, that he adds only necessary vital fuel (as 'twere) to his father's decaying fire. Where many sons oftentimes, rather famish, or extinguish a family, than nourish, or fuel it. And yet he adds most gravely and piously, that God can easily give store of Goods, fit for the greatest store of children; but yet, the more children the more care; and speaking to the happiest state of a family; he prefers one supplier to many. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, sic facito. A general Conclusion, and Transition to his doctrine of the next book.  Thy thrifty Mind; perform what follows here;  
And, one work done; with others serve the year.  
The end of the First Book.   

THE SECOND BOOK OF GEORGICS.  
WHen Atlas Birth, 
1 He begins his works, to which, immediately before, he prepares his Brother. This whole Book, containing Precepts of Husbandry; both for field & family. By the Ascent and Set of the Pleyades; is shown the Harvest, and seed season; as well for ground near the Seas, as the far distant. The Pleyades (called the Daughters of A●las) are the seven Stars, in the back of the Bull, which the Latins called Vergilias; when which are seen, near the Sun rising; which is in June; He appoints entry on Harvest affairs; when, in the Morning they leave this Hemispheere (which is in November) he designs seed Time.  the Pleyades, arise;  
Harvest begin; Blow when they leave the Skies.  
Twice twenty days, & nights, these hide their heads;  
The year then turning, leave again their Beds;  
And show when first to whet the Harvest steel.  
This likewise is the Law, the fields must feel;  
Both with Sea-dwellers; near, and high, and those,  

2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P●lustrem Terram significat.  Whose winding Valleys, Neptune overflows:  
That Fenny grounds, and Marshes dwell upon,  
Along the fat, and fruitful Region.  
But wheresoever thou inhabit'st; ply  
The Fields, before fierce winter's cruelty  
Oppress thy pains; when thou mayest naked Blow;  
Naked cast in thy seed, and naked Mow;  
If timely thou wilt bear into thy Barn,  
The works of Ceres; and to that end learn,  
As timely to prepare thy whole increase;  
Lest, in the mean time, thy Necessities  
Importune thee at others Doors to stand,  
And beg supplies to thy unthriftle hand:  
As now thou comest to me, But I, no more  
Will give, or lend thee, what thou mayest restore,  
By equal measure; Nor will trust thee so;  
Labour (vain Perses) and those labours do,  

3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. per signum demonstr●, ita ut coniectare sit facile.  That by the certain sign of Beggary,  
Demonstrated in Idle Drones, thine eye  
May learn the work, that equal Deity,  
Imposeth, of Necessity, on Men:  
Lest, with thy wife, and wanting children;  
(Thy Mind much grieved) Thou seekest of Neighbour's food;  
Thine own means failing. Men grow cold in Good.  
Some twice, or thrice perhaps, thy Neighbour will  
Supply thy wants; whom if thou troubl'st still;  
Thou comest off empty; and to air dost strain  
A world of words; words store, make wanting Men.  
I charge thee therefore, see thy thoughts employed  
To pay thy Debts; and how thou mayst avoid,  
Deserved Famine. To which end, first see,  
Thy Wife well ordered; and thy Family▪  

4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, famulam considerat● acq●isitam. He would have her likewise unmarried▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, ●on nuptam, his reason he shows after.  Thy Plough-drawne Ox; thy Maid, without her spouse,  
And wisely hired; that business in thy house,  
May first work off; and then to Tillage come:  
To both which Offices; make fit at Home,  
Every thing needful; lest abroad thou send  
To ask another, and he will not lend;  
Mean time thou want'st them; Time flies fast away,  
Thy work undone; which not from Day to Day,  
Thou shouldst defer; the work Deferrer, never  

5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, non assidum in opere.  Sees full his Barn; nor he that leaves work ever,  

6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, cura cum industria, & exercitatione.  And still is gadding out. Care flying Ease,  
Gives Labour ever, competent increase.  

7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, jui opus de die in diem dubitat, & procrastina●.  He that with doubt, his needful business crosses,  
Is ever wrestling, with his certain Losses.  

8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Metaphori●è accipitur, pro ●cumine, & visus selevitate.  When therefore of the swift-sharp-sighted Sun,  

9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I● dorificus: humidus calor, does not expres●e the word; being so turned in the verbal translation.  The chief force faints; and sweeting heat is done;  

10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, qui extremi & senescentis A●tumniest.  Autumn grown old; and opening his last vein;  
And great jove steeping all things in his Rain;  
Man's body changed, and made more lightsome far;  
For then, but small time shines the Syrian star,  

11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui 〈◊〉 cum L●thifero fato a●itur, vel qui educatar inte● multas dur● fortis iriseri●●, The most fit Epithet of man..  Above the heads of hard fate forsterd Man;  
Rising near Day; and his beams Austrian,  
Enjoyed in Night most: when (I say) all this  

12 Prosylna.  Follows the Season; and the Forest is  
Sound, being field; his leaves upon the ground  
Before, let fall; and leaving what they crowned:  
Then constantly take time to fallen thy wood;  
Of Husbandry, the time kept, is the blood.  

13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, A kind of Mortar to bray corn in, which the Ancient used for a little Mill, or Que●n.  Cut then your three-foot Querne; whose Pestle, cut  
Three Cubits long; your axle-tree seven foot.  
If it be eight foot, cut your Mallet thence:  
The Felves, that make your Cart's circumference,  
Cut three spans long. Many crooked pieces more,  
Ten Palms in length; fell for your Wagons store.  
All which poor Rules, a rich convenience yield.  
If thou shalt find a Coulter in the Field,  
Or on the Mountain: either Elm, or Oak;  
Convey it home; since for thy Beasts of yoke,  
To plow withal, 'twill most his strength maintain;  

14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Attice Cerecis ser●●●s A Periphrasis of a Ploughman, she being called Attic Ceres; quod ipsa Athenienses, adeoque omnes homines de frugibus d●cuerit.  And chiefly, If Athenian Ceres swain,  
It fixing to the Draught-tree (lest it fails)  
Shall fit it, to the handles s●aie with Nails.  
Two Ploughs compose, to find thee work at home;  
One with a Shar; that of itself doth come  
From forth the Ploughs whole Piece; and one set on:  
Since so 'tis better much; for, either gone;  
With th' other, thou mayst instantly impose  
Work on thy Oxen. On the Laurel grows,  
And on the Elm. your best Plow-handles ever.  
Of Oak, your Draught-tree: From the Maple, never  
Go for your Coulter: For your Oxen choose  
Two males, of nine years old; for then, their use  
Is most available; since their strengths are then,  
Not of the weakest; and the youthful Mean,  
Sticks in their Nerves still: Nor will these contend  
With skittish tricks, when they their stitch should end,  
To break their plough, and leave their work undone;  
These, let a youth of forty wait upon;  

15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉▪ Quadrisidum octo morsu●m, He commends a Man of forty for a most fit servant. And therefore presc●●be● allowance of bread to his meals, something extraordinary: saying, he would have allowed four shives of bread at a meal to his meat; every shive containing eight bits or morsels; Not that the whole four shives should contain but eight morsels, as the Critics expound it. For how absurd is it to imagine, a shive of bread but two bits? And how pinching a diet it were for an able Ploughman?  Whose bread at Meals, in four good shivers cut;  
Eight bits in every shive; for that Man, put  
To his fit task; will see it done past talk,  
With any fellow; Nor will ever baulk  
In any stitch he makes; but give his Mind,  
With care t' his labour. And this Man, no Hind,  
(Though much his younger) shall his better be,  
At sowing Seed; and shunning skilfully,  

16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Qui quidem opus curans, etc.▪ aetatis quam in serus requirit (says Melancthon) rationes addit adm●dum graves, sentitque mu●tum situm esse, in maturitate ●tatis. Forty years then, being but a youth's a●e  Need to go over his whole work again.  
Your younger Man, feeds still a flying vain,  
From his set task; to hold his equals chat;  
And trifles works, he should be serious at.  
Take notice then, when thou the Crane shalt hear  
Aloft, out of the Clouds her changes rear;  
That then he gives thee signal when to sow,  
And winters wrathful Season doth foreshow.  
And then the Man, that can no Oxen get;  
Or wants the Seasons work; his heart doth eat.  
Then feed thy Oxen, in the house with Hay;  
Which he that wants; with ease enough will say,  
Let me, alike, thy Wain and Oxen use▪  
Which 'tis as easy for thee to refuse;  
And say, thy Oxeworke then importunes much.  
He that is rich in Brain, will answer such;  
Work up thyself, a Wagon of thine own;  
For to the foolish borrower, is not known,  
That each Wain asks a hundred joints of wood;  
These things ask forecast; and thou shouldest make good  
At home, before thy need so instant stood.  
When therefore, first, fit plough time doth disclose;  
Put on with spirit; All, as one, dispose  
Thy servants, and thyself: plough wet and dry;  
And when Aurora first affords her eye,  
In Spring-time turn the earth up; which see done,  
Again, past all fail, by the Summer's Sun.  
Hasten thy labours, that thy crowned fields,  
May load themselves to thee; and rack their yields.  

17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, No●alu impr●cationum expultrix. The Tilth-field, he c●l●es banisher of execrations, and pleaser of sons & daughters; first, because rude husbandmen use to curse, when their crops answer not their expectations; and next, it pleases sons and daughters, since it helps add to their portions.  The Tilth-field sow, on Earth's most light foundations;  
The Tilth-field, banisher of execrations;  
Pleaser of Sons, and Daughters: which t'improve,  
With all wished profits; pray to earthly jove,  
And virtuous Ceres; that on all such suits,  
Her sacred gift bestows, in blessing fruits.  
When first thou enter'st foot to plow thy land,  
And on thy plow-staffes top hast laid thy hand;  
Thy Oxens backs, that next thee, by a Chain  
Thy Oken-draught Tree draw; put to the pain  
Thy Goad imposes. And thy Boy behind,  
That with his Iron Rake thou hast designed,  
To hide thy seed; Let from his labour drive,  
The Birds, that offer on thy sweat to live.  
The best thing, that in human Needs doth fall,  
Is Industry; and Sloth the worst of all.  
With one, thy Corn ears, shall with fruit abound;  
And bow their thankful foreheads to the ground;  
With th' other; scarce thy seed again redound.  
When jove then gives this good end to thy pain;  
Amids the Vessels that preserve thy Grain,  
No Spiders then, shall need t'usurp their room,  
But thou (I think) rejoice, and rest at Home;  
Provision Inned enough of every thing,  
To give thee glad heart, till the neighbour Spring;  
Not go to others to supply thy store,  
But others, need to come to thee for more.  
If at the suns conversion thou shalt sow,  

18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Sedens. He disproves sowing at the winter Solstice; and says, he that doth sow then, may sit & reap, for any labour his crop will require; a Reap, they call as much, as at once the Reaper grasps in his hand.  The sacred Earth; Thou then, mayst sit and mow,  
Or reap in Harvest; such a little pain  
Will serve thy use, to sell thy thin-growne Grain;  
And Reaps so scanty, will take up thy hand;  
Thou hid in dust; Not comforted a sand,  
But gather 'gainst the grain. Thou shouldst be then,  
Cooped in a Basket up; for worldly Men,  
Admire no unthrifts: Honour goes by gain.  
As times still change, so changeth jove his Mind,  
Whose Seasons, mortal Men can hardly find.  
But if thou shouldst sow late, this well may be,  
In all thy slackness, an excuse for thee.  
When, in the Oaks green arms the Cuckoo sings,  
And first delights Men in the lovely springs;  
If much rain fall, 'tis fit then to defer  
Thy sowing work. But how much rain to bear,  
And let no labour to that Much, give ear,  
Past intermission, let jove steep the grass  
Three days together, so he do not pass  
An Ox's hoof in depth; and never stay,  
To strow thy seed in: but if deeper way  
jove, with his rain makes; then forbear the field:  
For late sown then, will past the foremost yield.  
Mind well all this, nor let it fly thy powers,  
To know what fits, the white springs early flowers;  
Nor when rains timely fall; Nor when sharp cold  
In winter's wrath, doth men from work withhold  

19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By which he understands smith's forge●; where the poorer sor● of Greece used to sit, as they do still in the winter amongst us, and a● amongst the Romans in tensirivis, or barbers shops.  Sat by smith's forges, nor warm 
20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, calidam taber●ā These 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were of old said to bold the meetings of Philosophers. And after, because amongst them mixed idle talkers over cups; they were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, nugae, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, loq ●acitas, or garrulitas▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Ma●ileu●a verse crassum pedem manu pre●as Aristo●le in his problems, as out of this place, affirms that da●ly and continual hunger makes men's feet, and ankles swell. And by the same reason, superiores partes exte●u●●●ur et macrescunt, for which He●● uses this ingenious a●●usion to his ●rother; advising him to take heed ne pedem tumefactum tenni mau● demulcere oporteat, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, signifying here demul●eo, not stringend● cr●cio, ●t premo, as it is usually rendered. But (for the pain) struck o●●ouch it softly; for some ease to it: though it doth little good to it, but only makes good the proverb. Vbidolor ibi digitus.  taverns haunt;  
Nor let the bitterest of the season daunt  
Thy thrift-armed pains, like idle Poverty;  
For then the time is when th'industrious Thy  
Upholds, with all increase, his Family.  
With whose rich hardness spirited, do thou,  
Poor Delicacy fly; lest frost and snow,  
Fled for her love; Hunger sit both them out,  
And make thee, with the beggars lazy gout,  
Sat stooping to the pain, still pointing to't,  

21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mala intra animum v●rsat. A●d therefore says Melancthon out of Columel: homines ●●hil agendo male agere dis●u●t. But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, signifies not only versat, but iustar v●darum fousie 〈◊〉 v●raginis versat.  And with a lean hand, struck a foggy foot.  
The slothful man, expecting many things,  
With his vain hope, that cannot stretch her wings  
Past need of necessaries for his kind,  
Turns like a whirlpit over, in his mind  
All means that Rapine prompts to th'idle Hind;  
Sits in the tavern; and finds means to spend  
Ill got; and ever, doth to worse contend.  
When Summer therefore in her Tropic sits;  
Make thou thy servants wear their winter wits,  
And tell them this, ere that warm season waste,  
Make nests; for Summer will not ever last.  

22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Mensis in quo sestam in honorem Le●ei celebratur. Bacchus' being called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, q●oniam torculaeribus et vini expressione praeest. And because his feast used to be solemnized in januarie; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is called Ianu●rium.  The month of januaries all-ill days,  
For Oxens good; shun now by July's rays.  

23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, flante borea. ●y●mis tempus, et mensem Boreali frigore gravissimum copios● et eleganter descripsit. says Melancthon.  When airs i'll North his noisome frosts shall blow  
All over earth, and all the wide sea throw  
At Heaven in hills; from cold horse-breeding Thrace;  
The beaten earth, and all her Sylvan race  
Roaring and bellowing with his bitter strokes;  
Plumps of thick fir-tree, and high-crested Okes;  
Torn up in valleys, all Airs flood let fly  
In him, at Earth; sad nurse of all that die▪  
Wild beasts abhor him; and run clapping close  
Their stern's betwixt their thighs; and even all those,  
Whose hides, their fleeces line, with highest proof;  
Even Oxe-hides also want expulsive stuff;  
And bristled goats, against his bitter gale:  
He blows so cold, he beats quite through them all.  
Only with silly sheep it fares not so;  
For they, each Summer fleeced, their fells so grow,  
They shield all winter, crushed into his wind.  
He makes the old Man trudge for life, to find  
Shelter against him, but he cannot blast  
The tender, and the delicately-graced  
Flesh of the virgin; she is kept within,  
Close by her mother, careful of her skin;  
Since yet she never knew, how to enfold  
The force of Venus swimming all in gold.  
Whose snowy bosom choicely washed and balmed,  
With wealthy oils; she keeps the house becalmed,  
All winter's spite; when in his fire-lesse shed,  
And miserable roof still hiding head;  

24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. exof●●●, he intends the Polypus; that hath no bones, but a gristle for his backbone.  The bonelesse fish doth eat his feet for cold.  
To whom the sun doth never food unfold;  
But turns above the black men's populous towers,  
On whom he more bestows his radiant hours,  

25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Helen was son to Deucalion; of whom as being author of that Nation, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●icitur Graecus ut testatur Plinis, Lib. 4. cap. 7. The sun being in Sagittar●iu● is longer with the Aethiops, which are Meridional: 〈◊〉 with the Grecians.  Then on th' Hellenians; then all Beasts of horn;  
And smooth browed, that in beds of wood are borne,  
About the Oaken dales; that north-wind fly,  
Gnashing their teeth, with restless misery;  
And every where, that Care solicits all,  
That (out of shelter) to their Coverts fall,  
And Caverns eaten into Rocks; and then,  

26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Trip●di homini similes. He calls old Men helped with slaves in their gate; threefooted.  Those wild Beasts shrink, like tame three footed Men,  
Whose backs, are broke with Age, and foreheads driven  
To stoop to Earth; though borne to look on Heaven.  
Even like to these; Those tough-bred rude ones, go,  
Flying the white drifts of the Northern Snow.  
Then put thy Body's best munition on;  
Soft wastecotes, weeds that th'Ankles trail upon;  
And, with a little linen, weave much will,  
In fore-woven webs; and make thy Garments full:  
And these put on thee; lest thy harsh-growne hair  
Tremble upon thee, and into the Air  
Start, as affrighted; all that breast of thine,  

27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, p●n ●arum in mere in altum erigere.  Pointed with Bristles like a Porcupine.  
About thy feet, see fitted Shoes be tied,  
Made of a strongly-dying Ox's Hide;  

28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, not Pil●●, as it is usually translated, but soculis la●eis.  Lined with wool socks: Besides, when those winds blow,  
Thy first fallen Kid-skinnes; sure together sow,  
With Ox's sinews, and about thee throw,  
To be thy refuge, 'gainst the soaking Rain.  
Upon thy head, a quilted Hat sustain,  

29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, aer igniser, o● frugifer, though fruits are the chief effects of it; but Air that brings a comfortable fire with it; and he says, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, à coelo stoilifero.  That from thy ears, may all Airs spite expel.  
When north-winds blow, the Air is sharp and fell;  
30. But Morning air, that brings a warmth withal,  
Down from the Stars, and on the earth doth fall;  
Expires a breath, that (all things cheering then)  
Is fit to crown the works of blessed Men.  
Which drawing out of floods, that ever flow;  
Winde-stormes are raised on Earth, that roughly blow;  
And then, sometimes, a shower falls toward Even;  
And sometime Air, in empty blasts is driven.  
Which, from the north-wind rising out of Thrace,  
And gloomy clouds raised; haste thee home apace;  
Thy work for that day done; th'event foreseen,  
Lest, out of Heaven, a dark cloud hide thee clean,  
Thy weeds wet through, and steep thee to the skin;  
But shun it; for when this cold month comes-in;  
Extreme it is for sheep, extreme for men;  
Take from thy Oxen half their Commons then,  

31 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Tum etc. Then sharpen thy Oxens stomachs, with taking away half their allowance; but give more to thy servants; his reason is▪ because the Days being shorter by half, then; then in Summer; and so take away half the work of the Ox; therefore half their father should be in equal husbandry abated. But since servants must work in Night as well, and that the Nights are much longer; he would have their commons increased; Allowing even those bodily labourers, in a kind of proportion, the same that is fit for Mental painetakers▪ Student's etc. for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, taken here for Nights; is usurped for the effects of Night. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying prudentia va'eus, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is called Night; quod putaretur multum confer, ad inventionem eorum quae quaruntur, intending in studies and labours of the soul, especially the Epithet, 〈◊〉, signifying auxilium, seu inspirationem serentes; magna cum alacritate & contention●. All that since therefore, the words containing, a man may observe, how verbal Expositors ●●ubber up these divine expressions; with their contractions, and going the next way.  But mend thy servants; for ingenious Night,  
Then, great in length, affects the Appetite,  
With all contention, and alacrity,  
To all Invention, and the scrutiny  
Of all our objects; and must therefore feast,  
To make the spirits run high in their Inquest.  
These well observing, all the years Remain,  
The Days and Nights grow equal; till, again,  
Earth, that of all things is the Mother Queen;  
All fruits, promiscuously, brings forth for Men.  
When, after sixty turnings of the Sun,  
By Ioues Decrees; all winter's hours are run;  

32 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Arcturus● is a Star sub Zona ●oota; oritur vespere, initio veris  Then does the Euening-starre, Arcturus, rise,  
And leave th'unmeasured Ocean; all men's eyes,  
Frst, noting then his Beams; and, after him,  
Before the clear Morn's light, hath chaste the Dim;  

33 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, ante-lucano tempore quiritam. The construction should be; not Prorumpit, ad lucem; but ●ugens ad lucem; since it came not soon enough to prevent the Night's Tyranny in Tereus. The fiction of which is too common to be repeated.  pandion's Swallow, breaks out with her Moon;  
Made to the Light; the Spring but new put on.  
Preventing which; cut Vines, for then 'tis best.  
But when the horned house-bearer leaves his rest,  
And climbs the Plants; the seven Stars then in flight;  
No where dig Vines; but Scythes whet, and excite  
Servants to work: fly shady Tavern bowers;  
And Beds, as soon as light salutes the flowers.  
In Harvest, when the Sun the body dries;  
Then haste, and fetch the Fields home; early rise,  
That Plenty may, thy Househould wants suffice:  
The Morn, the third part of thy work doth gain;  
The Morn, makes short thy way, makes short thy pain;  
The Morn, being once up, fills the ways with all,  
And yokes the Ox, herself up, in his stall.  
When once the Thistle doth his flower prefer;  
And on the Tree, the garrulous Grasshopper,  
Beneath her wings; all Day, and all Night long,  
Sits pouring out, her derisory song;  
When Labour drinks, his boiling sweat to thrive:  
Then Goats grow fat; than best wine choose; then strive  
Women for work most; and Men lest can do;  
For then, the dog-star, burns his drought into,  
Their brains, and knees, and all the Body dries;  
But then, betake thee, to the shade that lies,  

34 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Biblinum vi●um▪ dicitur a Biblia R●gione T●r●ciae ubi nobilis●ima ●ina sunt.  In shield of Rocks; drink Biblian wine, and eat,  
The creamie wafer; Goats milk that the Teat,  
Gives newly free; and nurses Kids no more.  
Flesh of Bow-browsing beeves, that never bore;  
And tender Kids. And to these, taste black wine,  

35 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, tertiam aquae pa●tem insunde▪ The Greeks never drunk Merum, but dilutum vinum; wine alaid with water. Athenaeus says, that to two cups of wine, sometime they put five cups of water; and sometimes, to ●oure of wine, but two of water; which they order according to the strength, or weakness of their wine.  The third part water, of the crystalline,  
Still flowing fount, that feeds a stream beneath;  
And sit in shades, where temperate gales may breathe  
On thy opposed cheeks; when Orion's rays,  
His influence, in first Ascent assays.  
Then to thy labouring servants give command,  
To dight the sacred gift of Ceres' hand;  
In some place windy, on a well-planed floor;  
Which, all by measure, into Vessels pour;  
Make then, thy Man-swaine, one that hath no House;  
Thy handmaid, one, that hath nor child, nor Spouse;  
Handmaids, that children have, are ravenous.  

36 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉▪ den●es in●●rse pectinatim coeuntes habens.  A Mastiff likewise, nourish still at home;  
Whose teeth are sharp, and close as any Comb;  
And meat him well, to keep with stronger guard,  

37 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, d●e dormi●ns, nocte vigilance vir, a Periphrasis of a Thief.  The Day-sleep-wake● Night Man, from forth thy yard;  
That else thy Goods into his Caves will bear.  
Inn Hay, and Chaff enough, for all the year,  
To serve thy Oxen, and thy Mules; and then,  
Lose them; and ease the dear knees of thy Men.  
When Syrius, and Orion's aspire  
To heavens steep height; and bright Arcturus fire,  
The rosie-fingerd Morning sees arise;  
O Perses, then, thy Vineyard faculties  
See gathered, and got home. Which twice five Days,  
And Nights no less, expose to Phoebus' Rays;  
Then five Days, Inn them, and in Vessels close,  
The gift, the gladnes-causing God bestows.  
But after, that the Seven-stars, and the Five,  
That twixt the Bull's horns, at their set arrive;  
Together with the great Orion's force;  
Then ply thy Plough, as fits the Seasons course.  

38 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, qui de sort sua quaeritur.  If, of a Chance-complaining Man, at Seas,  
The humour take thee; when the Pleyades,  
Hide head, and fly the fierce Orion's, chase;  
And the darke-deep Oceanus embrace;  
Then diverse Gusts of violent winds arise;  
And then attempt, no Naval enterprise.  
But ply thy Land affairs; and draw ashore,  
Thy Ship; and fence her round, with stonage store,  
To shield her Ribs, against the humorous Gales;  
Her Pump exhausted, lest Ioues rainy falls,  
Breed putrefaction. All tools fit for her;  
And all her tackle, to thy House confer;  
Contracting orderly, all needful things,  
That Imp a water-treading Vessels wings.  
Her wrought Stern, hang in the smoke at home,  
Attending time, till fit Sea Seasons come.  
And then thy swift Sail launch, conveying in,  
Burden, that richly way that Trade begin;  
As did our Father; who a voyage went,  
For want of an Estate so competent,  
As free life asked; and long since landed here;  
When he had measured the unmeasured Spheere,  
Of all the Sea; Aeoliam Cumas leaving;  

39 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, non redditus, s●● divitias fugiens. He blames those that having richly enough of their own; which they freely and safely possessed ashore; will yet with insatiate desire of more, venture the loss of all; which his father (he says) was not to be blamed for; in going to Sea; who only took that course to avoid Poverty; his means by Land not enough, to live withal, freely.  Not flying wealth (Revenues great receiving;  
And Bliss itself possessed, in all fit store;  
If wisely used; yet selling that t'explore  
Strange Countries, madly covetous of more;  
But only shunning loathsome Poverty;  
Which yet jove sends, and Men should never fly.  
The seat that he was left to dwell upon,  
Was set in Ascra, near to Helicon;  
Amids a miserable Village there;  
In winter vile, in summer noisomer;  
And profitable never. Note thou then,  
To do all works; the proper Season, when;  
In Sea-workes chiefly. For whose use allow  
A little Ship; but in her bulk bestow,  
A great big Burden; the more Ships sustain,  
The surer sail they; and heap Gain on Gain:  
If Seas run smooth, and rugged Gusts abstain.  
When thy vain Mind then, would Sea-ventures try;  
In love, the Land-Rocks of loathed Debt to fly;  

40 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, famem auditu insua●em.  And Hunger's-euer harsh-to-heare of cry:  
I'll set before thee all the Trim, and Dress,  
Of those still-roaring-noise-resounding Seas;  

41 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etsi neque nauigand peritus: Melancthon in this free confession of his unskilfulness in what he intended to teach, gives this Note; Rem●net à se reprehensionem ob imperitiam Hic videmu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Primo usurpa tum fuisse, cum laud, pro docere & tradere aliquid eruditius pre alij.  Though neither skilled, in either Ship, or Sail,  
Nor ever was at Sea; Or, lest I fail,  
But for Euboea once; from Aulis where  
The Greeks, with Tempest driven, for shore did steer  
Their mighty Navy, gathered to employ,  
For sacred Greece; 'gainst faire-dame-breeding Troy;  
To Chalcis there, I made by Sea my Pass;  

42 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, King of Euboea, was shine in Battle, against the Erythreans. At whose Funerals, his son's instituted Games. And from hence Melancton gathers; by that time in which the King died; Hesiod then living; that Homer lived a hundred years before him: And so could not be the Man, from whom our Author is affirmed by some Historians to win the prize, he now speaks of.  And to the Games of great Amphidamas;  
Where many afore-studied Exercise,  
Was instituted, with excitefull prize,  
For great-and-good, and able-minded Men:  
And where I won, at the Pierean Pen,  
A three-eared Tripod, which I offered on,  
The Altars of the Maids of Helicon.  
Where first their loves initiated me,  
In skill of their unworldly Harmony.  
But no more practice have my travails sweat,  
In many-a-naile-composed ships; and yet,  
I'll sing what Ioues Mind will suggest in mine,  
Whose daughters taught my verse the rage divine.  
Fifty days after Heavens converted heat,  
When Summers' land-works are dissolved with sweat;  
Then grows the navigable season fit:  
For than no storms rise, that thy sail may split,  
Nor spoil thy sailors. If the God that sways  
Th'earth-shaking Trident, do not overpaise,  
With any counsel, before hand decreed,  
The seasons natural grace, to thy good speed;  
Nor jove consent with his revengeful will;  
In whom are fixed the bounds of good and ill.  
But in the usual temper of the year,  
Easy to judge of, and distinguish clear,  
Are both the winds▪ and seas; none rude, none cross,  
Nor mis-affected with the love of loss.  
And therefore put to sea; trust even the wind  
Then, with thy swift ship; but when thou shalt find  
Fit freight for her; as fitly stowe it straight;  
And all haste home make. For no new wine wait,  
Nor aged Autumns showers; nor winter's falls,  
Then fast approaching; Nor the noisome gales,  
The humorous South breathes, that incense the seas,  

42 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Coelestem imbr● secutus; intending a following of those things quae serie quadam continuase sequuntur.  And raise together in one series  
Ioues Autumn dashes, that come smoking down,  
And with his roughest brows make th'Ocean frown.  
But there's another season for the seas,  
That in the first spring others choices please;  
When, look how much the Crow takes at a stride,  
So much, put forth, the young leaf is descried  
On Figtree tops. But then the gusts so fall,  
That oft the sea becomes imperviall.  
And yet this vernal season many use,  
For sea affairs; which yet, I would not choose;  
Nor gives it my mind any grateful taste,  
Since then steals out so many a ravenous blast;  
Nor, but with much scathe thou canst scape thy bane,  
Which yet, men's greedy follies dare maintain;  
Money is soul to miserable Men:  
And to it many Men their souls bequeath.  
To die in darke-seas is a dreadful death.  
All this I charge thee, need to note no more;  
Nor in one vessel venture all thy store;  
But most part leave out, and impose the less;  
For 'tis a wretched thing t'endure distress  
Incurred at sea. And, 'tis as ill, ashore  
To use adventures, covetous of more  
Than safety warrants; As, upon thy Wain  
To lay on more load than it can sustain.  
For then, thy Axle breaks, thy goods diminish,  
And Thrifts mean means in violent Au'rice vanish.  
The Mean observed, makes an exceeding slare.  
Occasion took at all times, equals Fate.  
Thyself, if well in years; thy wife take home,  
Not much past thirty; nor have much to come:  
But being young thyself; Nuptials that seize,  
The times best season in their acts are these.  

43 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Pollux expounds this word, which is usually taken for four; fourteen. Plato and Aristotle appoint the best time of women's marriages at eightteene.  At fourteen years a woman grows mature,  
At fifteen, wed her; and best means enure,  
To marry her a Maid; to teach her then,  
Respect to thee, and chasteness other men.  

44 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, qua prope 〈◊〉 habitat. His counsel is, to marry a maid bred near a man, whose breeding and behaviour he hath still taken into note. Counsel of gold, but not respected in this born age  In chief choose one, whose life is near thee bred,  
That her condition circularly weighed,  
(And that with care too) in thy neighbour's eyes,  
Thou wedd'st not, for a Maid, their mockeries.  
No purchase passes a good wife, no loss  
Is, than a bad wife, a more cursed cross,  
45. That must a gossip be at every feast;  
And private cates provide too for her guest;  
And bear her husband ne'er so bold a breast,  

46 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Torres sine fac● et cr●da senecta tradit. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, senecta ante temp●s adveniens, which place Boaetius imitates in his book the consolation in this distich: Intempestivi funduntur vertice cani, et dolour aetatemiussit-inesse suam.  Without a fire, burns in him even to rage,  
And in his youth pours grief on him in age.  
The God's forewarnings, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, In God signifies insight, and government in all things, and his just indignation against the impious; In man, respect to the fear of God, and his reverence. Mel.  and pursuits of Men,  
Of impious lives, with unavoided pain;  
Their sight, their rule of all, their love, their fear,  

48 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. vigilus et excubi●s positu.  Watching, and sitting up, give all thy care.  
Give never to thy friend an even respect,  

49 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. This precept of preferring a man's own brother to his friend, is full of humanity, and savours the true taste of a trueborn man.. The neglect of which in these days, shows children either utterly missed ego●●e●, or got by unnatural fathers; of whom children must taste, in disposition, as a poison of degeneracy, poured into them both, & a just plague for both.  With thy born brother; for, in his neglect,  
Thyself thou touchest first, with that defect.  
If thou shalt take thy friend with an offence,  
By word, or deed; twice only, try what sense  
He hath of thy abuse, by making plain  
The wrong he did thee: and if then again  
He will turn friend, confess, and pay all pain  
Due for his forfeit; take him into grace:  
The shameless Man shifts friends still with his place.  
But keep thou friends, forgive, and so convert,  
That not thy look may reprehend thy heart.  
Be not a common host for guests, nor one  
That can abide the kind receipt of none.  
Consort none ill, though raised to any state;  
Nor leave one good; though ne'er so ruinate.  
Abhor all taking pleasure to upbraid  
A forlorn Poverty, which God hath laid  
On any Man, in so severe a kind,  
As quite disheartens, and dissolves his Mind.  
Amongst Men on the earth there never sprung  
An ampler treasure than a sparing tongue.  
Which yet, most grace gains, when it sings the Mean.  
Ill-speakers ever hear as ill again.  
Make not thyself at any public feast,  
A troublesome or overcurious guest.  
'tis common cheer, nor touches thee at all;  
Besides, thy grace is much, thy cost is small.  
Do not thy tongues grace the disgrace to lie,  
Nor mend a true-spoke Mind with policy;  
But all things use with first simplicity.  
To jove, nor no God pour out morning wine,  
With unwashed hands: for, know, the powers divine  
Auer● their ears, and prayers impure reject.  
Put not they urine out, with face erect  
Against the sun, but sitting let it fall,  
Or turn thee to some undiscovering wall.  

50 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. utque contra solem versus erectus m●ito. He would have no contempt against the sun; either directly, or allegorically intending by the sun, great & reverend men: against whom, nihil proteruè, et irreverenter agendum, If in the plain sense; which he makes serious, he would not have a Man make water turning purposely against the sun, nor standing, but sitting, as at this day even amongst the rude Turks it is abhorred, Quibus religiosum est ut sedentes mingant, et ingens flagitium designari credunt siquis in publico cacaret aut mingeret.  And after the great Sun is in descent,  
Remember, till he greet the Orient,  
That, in way, or without, thou still forbear.  
Nor open thy nakedness while thou art there.  
The nights the Gods are, and the Godly Man,  
And wise will shun by all means to profane  

51 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Melancthon expounds this place a congressu uxoris ne sacra accedas▪ whom I have followed▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, signifies here inf●●stut, & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 funebre epulum.  The God's appropriates. Make no access  
(Thy wife new left) to sacred mysteries;  
Or coming from an ominous funeral feast;  
But from a banquet that the Gods have blest  
In Men whose spirits are frolikely inclined;  
Perform those rights that propagate thy kind.  
Never, the fair waves of eternal floods,  
Pass with thy feet, but first invoke the Gods;  
Thine eyes cast on their streams; Which those that wade,  
(Their hands unwashed) those Deities invade  
With future plagues: and even then angry are.  

52 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, he says a man must not pair his nails at the Table, in which our reverend Author is so respectful and moral in his setting down, that he nameth not nails, but calls what is to be pared away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 siccum, or aridum, and the nail itself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is still growing, he calls likewise the hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or quae in quinos ramo● dispergitur, because it puts out five fingers, like branches.  Of thy five branches, see thou never pair  
The dry from off the green, at solemn feasts:  
Nor on the quaffing Mazer's of thy guests  
Bestow the bowl vowed, to the powers divine;  
For harmful fate is swallowed with the wine.  
When thou hast once begun to build a house,  
Leaved not unfinished, lest the Ominous,  
Ill-spoken crow, encounter thee abroad,  
And from her bow, thy means outgone, explode.  
From three-foot pots of meat, set on the fire  
To serve thy house; serve not thy tastes desire  
With ravin of the Meat, till on the board  
Thou seest it set and sacrifice afford.  
Not if thou wash first, and the Gods wouldst please  
With that respect to them: for even for these,  
Pains are imposed, being all Impieties.  
On tombe-stones, or fixed seats no boy permit,  
(That's grown to twelve years old) to idly sit;  
For 'tis not good, but makes a slothful man.  
In bath's whose waters women first began  
To wash their bodies in, should bathe no Men.  
For, in their time, even these parts have their pain  
Grievous enough. If any homely place,  
Sylvan, or other, thou seest vowed to grace  
Of any God, by fire made for the weal  
Of any poor soul, moved with simplest zeal;  
Mock not the mysteries: for God disdains  
Those impious parts, and pays them certain pains.  
Never in channels of those streams that pay  
The Ocean tribute, give thy urine way;  
Nor into 
(r) Hirectè in fon●es immingere dicuntnr qui sacram doctr. nam commaculant.  fountains: but past all neglect,  
See thou avoid it: for the grave respect  
Given to these secrets, meets with blessed effect.  

53 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, gravem or terribilem famam he adviseth a man to avoid. Intending with deserving a good and honest fame amongst men, which known to himself impartially, and betwixt God & him; every worthy man should despise the contrary conceit of the world. According to that of Qu●ntilian writing to Seneca affirming he cared no more what the misjudging world vented against him, quam de vent●● redditi crepitus.  Do this, and fly the people's bitter fame,  
For Fame is ill: 'tis light and raised like flame;  
The burden heavy yet, and hard to cast.  
No fame doth wholly perish, when her blast  
Echo resounds in all the people's cries,  
For she herself, is of the Deities.  
The end of the second Book of works.   

HESIODS BOOK OF DAYS.  
THe Days, that for thy works, are Good, or Ill,  
According to the Influence, they instill;  
Of jove with all care, learn, and give them then,  
(For their discharge) in precept to thy Men.  
The thirtieth Day of every month, is best  

1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, diligèti inspectione digero, seu seceru● & ●ligo. He begins with the last day of the month, which he names not a day of any good, or bad influence; but being (as 'twere) their Term Day; in which their business in Law was attended: And that, not lasting all the Day; He adviseth to spend the rest of it, in disposing the next Months labours. Of the rest, he makes difference; showing which are infortunate, and which auspicious; and are so far to be observed, as natural cause is to be given for them; for it were madness, not to ascribe Reason to Nature; or to make that Reason so far above us, that we cannot know by it, what is daily in use with us; all being for our cause created of God: And therefore the differences of Dries, arise in some part from the Aspects; quibus Luna intuetur solem Nam quadrati asp●ctus cient pugnam Naturae cum morb●.  With diligent inspection, to digest  
The next Months works; and part thy househould foods:  
That being the Day, when all litigious Goods,  
Are justly sentenced, by the people's voices.  
And till that Day, next month, give these Days choices;  
For they are marked out, by most-knowing jove.  

2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, primum Novilunium; which he calls sacred; nam omnia initia sacra. The fourth likewise, he calls sacred, quia eo die prodit a cui●● Luna, primumque tum conspicitur.  First, the first Day, in which the Moon doth move,  
With radiance renewed. And then, the fourth,  
The seventh Day, next; being first in sacred worth:  
For that Day, did Latona bring to light,  

3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, The second, and fifth day, let p●sse, and sixth; ut medijs; he comes to the eighth, & ninth, which in their increasing he terms truly profitable; Nam humores alit crescentia Luna.  The gould-sword-wearing Sun. Next then the eighth,  
And ninth, are Good; being both, Days that retain  
The moons prime strength, t'instruct the works of Men.  

3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, The tenth let pass; the eleventh, and twelfth, he praises diversely; because the Moon beholds the Sun then in a triangular aspect; which is ever called benevolent.  The leaventh, and twelfth, are likewise both Good Days;  
The twelfth yet, far exceeds, the 'leuenths repair;  
For that Day hangs the Spinner in the Air;  
And weaves her web up. So the Spinster, all  
Her Rock then ends, exposing it to sale.  
So Earth's third housewife, the ingenious Ant,  
On that Day ends her Molehills cure of want.  
The Day herself, in their example then,  
Tasking her fire, and bounds her length to Men.  
The thirteenth Day, take care thou sow no seed;  
To plant yet, 'tis a Day of special speed.  
The sixteenth Day, Plants set, prove fruitless still;  
To get a Son 'tis good, a Daughter ill.  

5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, ●eque ●uptijs trudendis The sixteenth Day, he says, is neither good to get a Daughter, nor to wed her; quia à plenilunio coepit iam humor deficere. He says, 'tis good to get a Son in, nam ex humido semine s●● nellae: 〈◊〉 sictiore, puelli na●cuntur.  Nor good to get, nor give in Nuptials;  
Nor in the sixth Day, any Influence falls,  
To fashion her begetting Confluence.  
But to geld Kids, and Lambs, and Sheep-coats fence;  
It is a Day of much benevolence:  
To get a Son, it good effects affords;  

6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, eor al●cui scindeus.  And loves to cut one's heart, with bitter words.  
And yet it likes fair speeches too, and lies;  
And whispering out detractive obloquys.  
The eight, the bellowing Bullock lib, and Goat;  
The twelfth, the labouring Mule; but if of note,  

7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, prudentem ver●●ud cem, seu Arbitr●m quod eoigna●os esse oporteat rei de qua agitur; He calls ●t the great ● w●●●●th, because it is the last, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which is of the middle De●●d of the month; diebus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or days of the dying moon immediately following.  For wisdom, and to make a judge of Laws;  
To estimate, and arbitrate a Cause,  
Thou wouldst a Son get, the great twentieth Day,  
Consort thy wife, when full the Morn's broad Ray,  
Shines through thy windows: for that Day is fit,  
To form a great, and honourable wit.  
The tenth is likewise good, to get a Son;  

8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. The fourteenth is good to get a Daughter; because the Moon than abounds in humours; and her light is more gelid & cold; her heat more temperate. And therefore he says, 'tis good likewise, to tame Beast's in, since then, by the abundance of humous, they are made more gentle, & consequently, easier tamed.  Fourteenth a Daughter; then lay hand upon  
The Colt, the Mule, and horne-retorted Steer;  
And sore-bit Mastiff; and their forces rear,  
To useful services. Be careful then,  

9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, He calls this day so baneful; because of the opposition of Sun and the Moon; and the time then being, that is, between the old and new Moon; are hurtful for bodies, such as labour with choleric diseases; most languish then: Those with Phlegmatic contrary.  The four and twentieth Day, (the bane of Men,  
Hurling amongst them) to make safe thy State;  
For 'tis a Day, of Death insatiate.  
The fourth Day, celebrate thy Nuptial feast,  
All Birds observed, that fit a Bridal best.  

10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, He warns Men to fly all fif● Days; that is, the fifth, the the fifteenth, and the five & twentieth; because all vengeful spirits he affirms then to be most busy with Men.  All fifth Days, to effect affairs in, fly;  
Being all of harsh and horrid quality.  
For then, all vengeful spirits walk their Round,  
And haunt Men like their handmaids; to confound  
Their faithless peace; whose plague Contention got.  
The seventeenth Day, what Ceres did allot  
Thy Barns in Harvest (since then viewed with care)  

11 The seventeenth day, he thinketh best to vi●now, or dight Corn à pleniluni●▪ because about that time, winds are stirred up, and the Air is drier.  Upon a smooth floor; let the vinnoware,  
Dight, and expose, to the opposed Gale.  
Then, let thy Forrest-feller, cut thee all  
Thy Chamber fuel; and the numerous parts  
Of Naval timber, apt for Shipwrights Arts.  
The four and twentieth Day, begin to close  

12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, prima no●a. That is, from the beginning of the month; he calls harmless; proptergeminum aspectum, cum sol abest a signis.  Thy Ships of leak. The ninth Day never blows  
Lest ill at all on Men. The nineteenth Day,  
Yields (after Noon yet) a more gentle Ray;  
Auspicious, both to plant, and generate  

13 Proverb n●ll●● dies omni● mal●●●.  Both Sons and Daughters; ill to no estate.  
But the thrice ninth Days Goodness, few Men know▪  
Being best Day of the whole month, to make flow  
Both wine, and Corne-tuns; and to curb the force  
Of Mules and Oxen and the swift-hooved Horse.  

14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, He says, few observe these differences of days; and as few know, or make any difference betwixt one day and another.  And then, the well-built Ship launch. But few men,  
Know truth in any thing. Or where, or when  
To do, or order, what they must do, needs:  
Days differencing, with no more care than deeds.  
The twice seventh Day (for sacred worth) exceeds.  
But few Men, when the twentieth Day is past,  
Which is the best Day (while the Morn doth last  
In her increasing power; though after Noon,  

15 He says, few approve those days, because these cause most change of tempests, and men's bodies, in the beginning of the last quarter.  Her grace grows faint) approve, or end that Moon,  

16 All this, and the lives of Fowls, is cited out of this Author by Plutarch; not being extant in the common Copy.  With any Care; Man's life, most prized, is least:  
Though lengthlesse; spent as endless. Fowl and Beast  
far passing it, for Date. For all the store  
Of years, Man boasts; the prating Crow hath more,  
By thrice three lives. The long-lived Stag, four parts,  
Exceeds the crows Time; the ravens Age; the Hearts,  
Triples in durance; all the Ravens long Date,  
The Phoenix, ninefolde doth reduplicate.  
Yet Nymphs (the blessed seed of the Thunderer)  
Ten lives outlast the Phoenix. But prefer  
Good life, to long life; and observe these Days,  
That must direct it; being to all men's ways  

17 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Et hae quidem d●es hominibus sunt magno commodo.  
The Epilogue of the Teacher; in all Days is to be considered what Religion commands, & then what riseth out of natural Causes.   Of excellent conduct. All the rest but sound's,  
That follow falls; mere vain and have no grounds:  
But, one doth one Day praise; another, other;  
Few knowing the truth. This Day becomes a Mother;  
The next, a Stepdame. But, be Man still one;  
That Man a happy Angel waits upon;  
Makes rich, and blessed, that through all these Days  
Is knowingly employed. In all his ways,  
(Betwixt him and the Gods) goes still unblamed.  
All their forewarnings, and suggestions framed,  
To their obedience; being directly viewed:  
All Good endeavoured, and all Ill eschewed.  
The end of Hesiods Works, and Days.