HISTORY OF HEAVEN: Containing the Poetical fictions of all the stars in the firmament: gathered from amongst all the Poets and Astronomers. By Chrystopher Middleton.  
LONDON Printed for Clement Knight, and are to be sold at his shop at the little North door of S. Paul's. 1596.   

To his very good friend master Robert Traps, C. K. wisheth health.  
SIR, in kindness to requite some part of your courtesies, who have tied me unto you as in the debt of friendship: I have chosen yourself as the fittest Patron, under whose protection I might put forth these unpolished lines of the Authors: which though of themselves they deserve not so general an applause, as popular affection have linked unto other men's labours: yet let the worth of the subject somewhat strengthen the weakness of the outward semblance, and so feeding a young muse with the show of a friendly smile, as accepting his good will, though your expectation be not fully satisfied in his work, you shall embolden him in a better vain to perform some more perfect labour, that may deserve more favour. Which if it happen into my hands, I will make yourself a partaker of that, for your forward acceptance of this. Far you well.  
Your loving friend. C. K.   

The History of Heaven.  

WHen from a chaos of confused things  
Was framed the compass of this crystal sky,  
The subject which my home-born muse now sings,  
Though far unfit to reach a note so high,  
As is the music making course of it,  
Whose lowest stream orereaches every wit.   

Then when perfection in her course did bring  
The hidden knowledge of those godlike arts,  
That world's fair frame, which heaven-borne Poets sing,  
Was made to memorise great men's deserts:  
Where, by succeeding ages should be seen  
The wonders that in oreworne worlds have been.   

This true unstainde record not spangled then  
With everlasting characters of gold,  
Where now is writ the works of gods and men:  
The stories that time long ago hath told,  
Was then unfurnished of those glorious lights,  
That now makes day time of the darkest nights.   

This is the circuit which some please to call,  
The glorious starry spangled firmament:  
Others imagine it that golden wall,  
That compasses the heavens continent:  
And of those nine fair Orbs great judgements write:  
This is the highest object to our sight.   

Whose motion forms these elemental frames,  
Quickens the naked shapes that nature makes:  
Sorts every subject to the several names,  
And works what Gods intended for our sakes,  
Turns back perforce the motion of the sun,  
Makes morning, evening, night, and cheerful noon.   

The first that in this monument of fame  

〈…〉  Next to the Arctic pole supplies a place,  
Is fair Calisto, famous by that name:  
Descended from th' Arcadian kingly race,  
Whom for her beauty Cynthia did entertain,  
That she might wait upon her maiden train.   

This Nymph once bathing on her in a brook,  
To cool her body in the crystal glide:  
Where to that end her fellows she forsook,  
By jupiter was lucklesly espied:  
Who with her sight set suddenly on fire,  
Gins study how to compass his desire.   

Long time his wavering thoughts did run about,  
Orelabouring of themselves to find the way,  
That from this labyrinth might lead him out,  
And yet himself thus loath for to bewray,  
Transforms his substance to Diana's shape,  
By that means thinking to obtain her rape.   

Where, with the damsel underneath a shade,  
He spends that pleasant day in sweet delight:  
Offering to show himself: yet half afraid,  
Lest with his sudden change he might affright  
His fearful Love, not yet come to his call,  
And by that means lose labour, Love, and all.   

Gins like a nibbling fish that half mistrusts  
The golden show of an enticing bait,  
Makes many offers for the thing she lusts,  
Daring to deal with that she deems deceit:  
So plays this amorous God, with his fair prize,  
Whom love and lust bids board, but shame denies.   

At last as swelling tides breaks down their bounds,  
That all this while hath kept them in perforce,  
Orelying forcibly their neighbour grounds,  
And loath to come into their former course:  
So driven to the deed with strong desire,  
He 'gins to make a flame out of his fire.   

Which when the shamefast naked Nymph 'gins see,  
How subtly she poor soul was oretaine,  
With modest words defends her chastity:  
Alleging what an everlasting stain  
Would clean unto her soul for this offence,  
With which nor Gods nor mortal men dispense.   

When like a subtle Siren he gins  
To tell her it was credit to offend  
With mighty men, their credit cloaks their sins,  
What they misdo, their might doth strait amend:  
And therefore was Achilles' weapon said,  
To heal the wound that it before had made.   

At last with his persuasive tongue he won  
The castle of this maiden's constancy:  
They melt with words as wax against the sun:  
So weak is many women's modesty,  
That what sometimes they most would seem to shield,  
Another time unasked poor souls they yield.   

On her this wanton God begot a son,  
Whom she called Archas, at whose luckless birth  
Diana (for this trespass she had done)  
From her sweet service doth expel her forth,  
Plaguing Calisto with this rigorous ●●w,  
That her mishap might hold the rest in awe.   

And jealous juno, that had seen all this  
That her escaping husband had done here,  
Inflicts a heavier doom on her amis,  
Changing her body to an ugly bear:  
And makes her now perforce poor soul to dwell  
In desert dungeon, groves thrice worse than hell.   

Where after many years she had oreworne,  
Grieving at that, hard hap had brought to pass,  
Changed from the shape wherein she first was borne,  
And save her mind, nought left of what she was:  
The fates yet more to cross her weary will,  
Inflicts upon her now a greater ill.   

For whil'st her stripling son ranging abroad,  
To seek amongst the shady trees some game,  
Whereas his woeful mother made abode:  
Thither by chance her careless offspring came,  
Who seeking to pursue some beast or other,  
Was first of all encountered by his mother.   

She willing to interpret her intent,  
For that her tongue denies to take his turn,  
With fawning friendship tells him what she meant,  
And would say how (poor soul) her heart did burn  
With the incessive joy, a mother's eye  
Surfeits upon her children's safety.   

Thus standing at a bay, the foolish boy  
Misconstering her motherly good will,  
Cheers up his heart with over cloying joy,  
He had found a beast he was in hope to kill.  
And casting from his hand a harmful dart,  
Pierces his mother through her tender heart.   

Which murder that it should not here remain  
A wondering precedent for times to come,  
How in despite of God, his Love was slain  
By her own offspring, and his base got son:  
To heal this harm and make all injuries even,  
He takes them up and places them in heaven.   

Where in the Icy frozen artic clime,  
Turned into stars in likeness of two Bears:  
This mother and her son since spends their time,  
Keeping continual motion with the spheres:  
Seven of which stars that in their shapes remain,  
Are by our common people called Charles wain.   

But juno for to cross them he had blest,  
Compounds with Neptune God of watery seas,  
That where all other stars do take their rest,  
These two should never taste that quiet ease:  
'Gainst whom this God opposes such great lets,  
That in all Europe these stars never sets.   

Next them compounded of thirteen fair stars, 
〈…〉   
A hideous Dragon circle's most of these,  
He that kept safely with his watchful wars,  
The golden garden of the Hesperides:  
Whom the right rendering Gods have placed there,  
For to requite the toil that he took here.   

Then stands Cephaeus, sometimes Egypt's king, 
4. Cephaeus   
Husband to Cassiopeia the fair:  
From whom Andromeda Perseus Love did spring:  
Upon whose stock the Gods had such a care,  
That at his beauteous daughters happy birth,  
They swore none of that kind should waste in earth.   

Boötes' next, on whom the Gods have placed, 
〈…〉   
To keep the Bears that jove here dignifies:  
Lest juno in her eager wrath should cast  
Her husband's darling from the azured skies,  
And quit the fault before he had misdone,  
Upon this wretched mother and her son.   

Then of nine silver stars is made a Crown, 
〈…〉   
A garland beauty's Goddess once did twine,  
And gave to Ariadne for a boon:  
When as she matched with Bacchus God of wine:  
After ungrateful Theseus fled away,  
And left his Love to perish and decay.   

Which Bacchus in remembrance of his Love,  
Placed in the heavens as too good to dwell  
Beneath with men, but with the Gods above,  
Where it should never whither, but live well,  
And be the trophies of their nuptial pride,  
Which Venus gave him for to grace his bride.   


Hercules  Next them, the labouring conqueror of kings  
Alcides is, whose looks yet menace wrath  
To the succeeding issue of those things:  
Monsters and men that here he put to death,  
Armed at all points there this world's captain stands,  
With his victorious weapon in his hands,   

He from his wife, whom long he had not seen,  
Received for an intermissive good  
A poisoned shirt, that by her means had been  
Stained in the venom of a centaurs blood:  
Whom once himself bereaved of his life,  
For offering wanton dalliance with his wife.   

Which he suspectless puts upon his back,  
And proud of his wives favour he was in,  
Wore it, till it began to work his wrack,  
And forcibly did pierce his skarles skin,  
Eating his strong made limbs and joints asunder,  
Whose might was to the world a matchless wonder.   

Which treason when too late he now perceives,  
How thus untimely he was made away:  
Urged with the poisoning pain, he madly raves,  
Disdaining that the world of him should say,  
How he which ransacked hell, and conquered earth,  
Should by a woman's means be brought to death.   

So on a mountain making up his nest,  
Where Phoenixlike he now intends to die,  
And bring his hapless soul to hopeful rest,  
By this undoing of his misery:  
Casts his decaying limbs into the fire,  
Where death had quickly finished his desire.   

But for of several substances combined,  
Begot upon Alcumena by great jove,  
His mother's earth to earth he there resigned.  
His godhead that the Gods do hold above,  
As loathe their substance thought it here descend,  
Should with mortality make here an end.   

Next that, the golden Harp whose well touched strings 
8. Lyre   
Can move the massy stones with melody:  
Raise rooted trees, and stir all lifeless things  
To follow on her heavenly harmony:  
Make rivers turn their streams another way,  
And come unkindly for to hear her play.   

Some say the river Nilus overrun,  
To water the black burnt Egyptian plain:  
When time called back her streams whence they begun,  
To keep their course into the sea again,  
There with innumerable fishes more,  
It left a Tortoise sprawling on the shore.   

Which dried with the moisture drawing sun,  
Young Mercury, as once he passed by,  
Struck it with his staff: whereat the shell begun  
To make a musicking murmuring melody.  
Which the young God takes up with an intent,  
To make of it a formal Instrument.   

And to that sweet tungde Poet that did sing  
Such pleasant Poems in the jaws of Hell:  
The God's decree to give this heavenly thing,  
For that his art could exercise it well:  
After whose death their deed they did reclaim,  
And fetched this Harp to heaven back again.   


〈…〉  Then sits a silver Swan, under whose shape  
The wanton God obscured his deity,  
When as he purchased lovely Leda's rape,  
And revelde in a richer treasury  
Than was combined up in Paris joy,  
Whose sunbright beauty burned fair blowming Troy.   

Whilom enamoured jove with her fair eyes,  
Consorts with wanton Venus for his will:  
She like an Eagle, he in the disguise  
Of a white seeming Swan, seeks to fulfil  
His hungry hope that sets his soul on fire,  
With never dying flames of hot desire.   

And as the Lady sitting by a brook,  
Under a broad bloomed Rose sweet smelling shade,  
Apollo for to glut him with her look,  
Stops the strong passage his proud coursers made:  
Wishing ten thousand times in Thetis stead,  
This beauty were conveyed to his bed.   

When these beguiling birds, as though by hap  
The Swan had fled his furious foe for fear:  
He for his refuge takes this Lady's lap,  
And courteous she content to keep him there,  
Sits her down further underneath the shade,  
For to prevent the means the Eagle made.   

And looking lovely on this beauteous bird,  
Smoothing his silver plumes with her soft hand,  
His silkelike feathers here and there she stirred,  
He with his wings the sweet fumed air found,  
For to allay the over smothering heat,  
That vailed her angel's face with pearly sweat.   

Thus lies this God in beauty's proudest bed,  
Covered with curtains of her ivory arms:  
Her snow white breasts are pillows for his head,  
Her sugared words enticing heavenly charms,  
Whose silver sound were able to assuage  
Wars furious God in hottest of his rage.   

At last, enticing sleep persuades her eyes  
To feed her idle senses with content:  
Which this love armed God, straightways espies,  
And takes that time to practise his intent:  
When in her slumber softly there he wrought  
The full content of his inveagled thought.   

For which good turn, to gratify his friend,  
Under whose covert he contrived his lust,  
And brought his hopeless thoughts to happy end,  
In quenching of his dry desirous thirst,  
Placed her within this compass 'mongst the rest,  
Where for that deed for ever she is blest.   

Then comes fair Cassiopeia Egypt's pride,  
That with her beauty braved those peerless dames,  
Nereids the sea Nymphs that abide  
Upon the watery worlds still moving frames,  
Tripping like summer's Dear from place to place,  
Upon the dancing waves fair gilded face.   

For which contempt, the censuring God's decree,  
She should be changed to her deep disgrace  
Into some stars: where for her misery  
Here they appointed her abiding place:  
And in the motion of the heavens still,  
She's backward drawn as though against her will.   

Next is her husband Perseus, Daneas son,  
Whom jupiter beguiled with golden shoes:  
Dazzling her eyes (until the deed were done)  
With present pleasures which breed after woes,  
Raining into her lap so sweet a shower,  
As would have won a thousand women more.   

From that deceitful dalliance Perseus sprung,  
Who after proved Heavens champion in their wars,  
Against Medusa that durst offer wrong  
To Gods and men with her disturbing dares:  
Whose monstrous face orehung with snaky hair,  
Made Heaven tremble and kept earth in fear.   

This soldier armed with Minerva's shield,  
Plumed with swift Mercury's aire-beating wings,  
And his bright sword now ready for the field:  
Proud that the Gods would use him in these things,  
Cuts through the empty air and unseen way,  
That brought him down where fierce Medusa lay.   

Where in that single combat she o'ercomed,  
Humbles herself unto his conquering hand:  
He takes her head, and leaves her body numbed  
With deaths cold comfort sprawling on the sand:  
Then with that purchase back again he flies,  
To be eternized for his dear bought prize.   

When as he towering in the empty air,  
Sees in the sea a maiden weak and pale,  
Whose semblance seemed that she had been fair:  
Though fear had now oreshadowed in a vail  
The fair vermilion tincture of her face,  
And left her there the conquest of disgrace.   

This was Andromeda, the Gods had bound  
Upon a ruthless rock to be the pray  
Of a fierce fish, by whom she must be found,  
And for her mother's pride should there decay,  
Proud Cassiopeia that durst hold plea  
With the fair offspring of the foaming sea.   

Whom Perseus from her painful prison frees,  
And then at liberty he pleads his love:  
For whose requital she straightways agrees,  
Vowing her fancy never should remove,  
Until divorcing death to both their pain,  
Should separate their united souls again.   

Thus as these new met lovers homewards hies,  
Proud Perseus to his sole commander tells  
The hidden virtue of his hideous prize,  
How with her looks all human power she quells,  
And metamorphizes her gazers on,  
To an unpenitrable senseless stone.   

At length unto Sariphus I'll they come,  
Where Perseus' grandsire old Acrisus meets him:  
Glad that his nephew had so happily won  
This hopeless conquest, kindly comes and greets him.  
But looking wishly on the monster's face,  
Turned to a stone he stands still in that place.   

When Perseus grieving at his grandsires death,  
Brought by his means to this unhappy end:  
Casts down his conquest to the cursed earth,  
And vows in sorrow his sad days to spend:  
Whose hap to help the powerful Gods agree,  
To take him up amongst this company.   

Then comes Auriga or the Wagoner, 
〈…〉   
Whom Poets say is young Hippolytus,  
Who fled his mother's lust: and for the care  
The Gods requites his continency thus:  
That sensual sinners by this means may see,  
How heavens remunerats his chastity.   

By him stands Capra jupiters' kind nurse,  
Who by his mother Ops conveide away  
From th'execution of his father's curse:  
To whom the Delphion Oracle did say,  
That by his own son, Saturn should be driven  
From his great kingdom of all-keeping heaven.   

When jupiter conveyed from his rage,  
Was by this she-gote fostered in a down,  
Until he came to strength and able age,  
And had deprived his father of his crown:  
Then he rewards his nurse to her content,  
By placing of her in the firmament.   


〈…〉  Next unto him a man's fair picture stands,  
Composed of xxiiii. glorious stars,  
Holding a wreathed Serpent in his hands,  
Striving as though they two were still at jars.  
This Esculapius is Apollo's son,  
That could bring life again when life was done.   

He when Hippolytus was all to torn  
By the foul flesh fed jades that drew his car:  
Setting his limbs again as they were borne,  
Revives them all as erst before they were.  
For such his cunning was in Physics skill,  
He could expel death's danger at his will.   

Whereat the Destinies incensed with wrath,  
Complains to jupiter how they were wronged  
By mortal men, whose might could conquer death,  
A thing which solely to themselves belonged.  
Telling him he must curb these forward men,  
Or their aspiring minds would o'erreach them.   

At which the angry God shaking his head,  
Throws down a thunderbolt, that with his weight  
Hits Esculapius, and so strikes him dead.  
But Phoebus hardly brooking of that sight,  
Takes up his son, and spite what jove can do,  
Sets him in heaven for to ease his woe.   

Minos the Cretan King had one sole heir  
named Glaucus, lovely like the Gnidian Dove, 
〈…〉   
Strait as the new sprung pine tree, and as fair  
As fair Adonis Cythereos love.  
But hungry death that all things doth devour,  
Cuts up this bud of beauty fore his flower.   

Whom Esculapius for his former cure,  
Was by constraint enjoined to regain:  
And to that end the King did there immure  
This Artist where he now must needs remain,  
And either bring him back again his son,  
Or let death glory in the deeds he had done.   

When the poor scholar copte up with the course,  
Brooking but badly his imprisonment:  
Beguiles the tedious time with a discourse  
Of wisdoms rule and wills fond government,  
How wisdom this world's soul should be combined,  
With a fond wilful overruling mind.   

At last he finds will stronger of the two,  
But wisdom the director of his might:  
For proof whereof, he sees how great beasts bow  
And humbly casts themselves at wisemen's feet.  
Then thinks he to himself, it cannot be  
Will should have now such conquest over me.   

But then he found it how it came to pass,  
Authority that will was sometimes in:  
jetting like Aesop's moralised Ass,  
Under the covert of a lions skin:  
This is the woeful thing (quoth he) that still  
Must keep God's wisdom subject to man's will.   

When to break off his solitary muse,  
A Serpent comes to him whereas he sits:  
Which with a staff he commonly did use,  
He strikes at, and his stroke so surely hits,  
As piercing of the poisoned Serpent's head,  
His foe falls down and at his feet lies dead.   

Then suddenly from forth another place,  
A second Serpent brings in a fair green leaf:  
With which, touching his fellow, strait doth chase  
Triumphant death, and brings lost life relief.  
Which done, the worms makes haste to get away,  
And leaves the leaf where the dead Serpent lay.   

At which strange sight the man now half amazed,  
Takes up the leaf and lays it on his skin:  
At whose soft touch the child again was raised,  
By working of the like effect in him.  
Which Serpent, Phoebus for this deed she had done,  
Places in heaven with his happy son.   

There is the strong steeled arrow that did kill 
〈…〉   
The Griph that fed upon Promethaeus heart,  
Chained to the top of Caucasus cold hill,  
Whom Hercules released from that smart  
The Gods had cast upon him in their wrath,  
For fetching fire from heaven down to earth.   

The Eagles' next that jupiter did send 
〈…〉   
To steal away the wanton smiling boy,  
Whose never matched beauty still did lend  
More means of pride to peacock plumed Troy,  
That in the summer of her fair sprung flower,  
Thought she had robbed the Gods of all their power.   

He with abundance surfeiting his mind  
Of woman's fading pleasure quickly spent:  
Turns his affections to another kind  
Of lasting love that was more permanent.  
For such is the effect of too much store,  
It makes them loath that which they loved before.   

This Eagle in the searching flight he made,  
Sees this earth's wonder by a bubbling well:  
Wooing Narcissus like his own fair shade,  
That in his own conceit did far excel  
The mixture, which to women's foul disgrace  
The Gods had shadowed in this wantoness face.   

Nature, when as this godlike boy was borne,  
Taunted by Venus that he was too rare:  
Said she had framed his face in heavens scorn,  
Whose Angels sparkling eyeballs were so fair,  
As they should draw men from their chief resort,  
And make proud womenlose their best prized sport.   

Thus at himself as wondering all alone,  
The careful fool did softly take him up:  
And to her master quickly gets her gone,  
Who takes him for to wait upon his cup:  
Where he for ever, as old writers say,  
Served jove with Nectar and Ambrosia.   

Orion that did first of all invent  
The silver Lutes sweet trembling harmony,  
Stored with abundant riches, as he meant  
To sail towards Lesbos from sweet Italy,  
The Sailors, for the wealth he there had stored,  
Determined for to drown him over board.   

Whom he entreats to let him touch his strings,  
Before they work their pitiles intent:  
The which they grant, and then the Poet sings  
The tragic tale of his disparagement,  
Sighing (poor soul) it was his own mishap  
Now in his age to die in dangers lap.   

A floating Dolphin that had hard all this,  
Hovers about the ship to hear some more,  
Orion strait leaps out upon the fish,  
And the poor creature proud of that he bore,  
Passes with pleasure through the surging main,  
And sets him safe in Italy again.   

Which courteous deed the Gods do thus repay,  
Placing this fish within the firmament:  
Where his remembrance never shall decay,  
As long as they keep in this Continent.  
For with the Gods good deeds are so regarded,  
As that they never perish unrewarded.   

Young merry Bacchus when his idle head,  
Cumbered amongst his cups, was out of frame:  
Gets him a little easy paced steed,  
That sofdy might convey him whence he came:  
After whose death the pleasant God obtained,  
His horse in heaven might be entertained.   

After Medusa's conquest, of her blood  
The engendering sun another monster breeds:  
A flying horse that longtime stoutly stood,  
Refusing to be curbed like other steeds:  
Until Bellerephon devised a way  
To bring this stubborn courser to his bay.   

But he intending for to shape a course  
With his winged Palfrey up unto the skies,  
Amidst his journey tumbles from his horse,  
And in the seas like Icarus he dies.  
But up to heaven the horse still kept his way,  
Where ever since he holds a certain stay.   

Next that, Andromeda young Perseus' wife,  
To whom the heavens promised at her birth,  
They would extend her everlasting life,  
After she ' had run her mortal race on earth:  
And careful for to keep their promise sure,  
They placed her there where she doth still endure.   

Ceres in love with fruitful Cicilie, 
〈…〉   
Whose soil did every year afford more corn,  
Then from her neighbour country's treasury  
Can in a long devouring time be worn:  
Craves of the Gods, that with them still might stand,  
The three squared form of this thrice lucky land.   

All these abides within these artic climes,  
And keeps continual motions with the spheres:  
Now follows these dividers of our times,  
The Signs, through whom the sun makes up our years,  
And in twelve months draws out his motion even,  
Going through every several sign in heaven.   

The first is Aries, the golden Ram, 
〈…〉   
That carried Phixius and his sister over  
The surging Hellespont, from their cursed dam,  
Ino old Athmas wife their second mother.  
Whose dangerous journey jupiter requites,  
Turning this Rams ruged shape to heavenly lights.   

This was the Bull the God transformed him to, 
〈…〉   
When as he stole Eutropa by a wile,  
Carrying her over where she would or no,  
To dally with his Love in Candy's Isle.  
Whose loss old Agenor long time bewailed,  
Till when he saw his wailing nought prevailed.   

Within his form seven stars which Poets call  
Old Atlas seven fair daughters, whom we read  
The immortal Gods did company withal:  
And to requite their Lemen for this deed,  
They liberally thus rewards their Love,  
By placing of them with themselves above.   

But fair Electra eldest of those seven,  
That night when woeful Troy was overturned,  
Plucked back her head, and would not see from heaven  
The flames wherein that ancient city burned:  
Since which time this seventh sister hath not been  
Amongst her other sisters ever seen.   


Gemini  Next him the Twins which jupiter begets  
On lovely Leda in his Swans disguise,  
Castor and Pollux, whom their father sets  
In heaven as objects for our mortal eyes:  
For the requital of his former escape  
He made in compassing their mother's rape.   


Cancer  Then comes the backward creeping Crab that went  
On junos' message to that mass of men  
Alcides, whom before herself had sent  
To war with Hydra in foul lerna's fen:  
Where when she came as strongly as she might,  
She bites his heel, thinking to cross his fight.   

But Hercules when Hydra's heads were done,  
Looking about him who should do this deed:  
O'ertakes the slow paste shellfish as she run,  
And beats herself borne-house about her head.  
When juno pitying of her servants pains,  
Takes her to heaven where she now remains.   

The furious Lion in Numeas grove, 
〈…〉   
juno enjoined her husband's son to kill:  
With whom great Hercules a long time strove,  
For he could bring the beast unto his will▪  
This jove when as their weary wars were done,  
Placed in heaven for to grace his son.   

Then justice comes the last of all the Gods, 
〈…〉   
That left her residence here on this earth:  
For lack of whom the world grew all at odds,  
And man to man curses each others birth:  
For then usurping wrong succeeded strait,  
That no man knew how long to hold his right.   

Then calls the world for justice back again,  
Complaining how they now were overrun:  
And they would suffer any scourging pain,  
In penance for those sins themselves had done:  
For that their wickedness did force this power,  
To leave the seat whereas she sat before.   

Whereas the Gods did in their court decree  
justice should be transformed to these stars,  
Where foolish men might every minute see  
Her, that should help these miseries of theirs.  
But stand like Tantalus within those brinks,  
Where he sees water, but yet never drinks.   

Next her the Balance stands, wherein she had  
The unequal deeds of men's unruly lives,  
Which jupiter there saw to be so bad,  
As for their sakes for ever he deprives  
The world of justice, which they had before,  
That spared no rich men, nor oppressed no poor.   

Orion proudly boasting of his strength,  
There was no monster that he could not kill:  
The earth brought forth a Scorpion at the length,  
To try what this proud bragger could fulfil,  
Whom this empoisoned Serpent with her sting  
Killed, before their combat could begin.   

For recompense whereof, the Gods did take  
This Serpent up again from of the earth,  
And of his substance there a sign they make,  
To let men know they should not deem their worth  
More than the power of heaven: for they can  
Quickly control the strongest stomached man.   

Fair Epheme that nursed those sacred dames 
〈…〉   
The learned Muses authorises of Arts,  
Whose wits all kinds of heavenly cunning frames,  
And lives eternised for their great deserts  
In many a golden line, that will prevail  
When all devouring time itself shall fail,   

Had to her son fair Crocus, that did sup  
The milk those learned sisters left behind:  
Whom jupiter at their requests takes up  
To dwell amongst this metamorphized kind:  
And for his knowledge did exceed compare,  
The Gods have thus determined of him there:   

Like to a Horse they frame his hinder parts,  
To show his knowledge in brave martial deeds:  
His upper limbs tells us the skill in Arts,  
Wherein all other men he far exceeds:  
Framed like an Archer, that the world might know  
His sharp wit by his arrow and his bow.   

The giant Typhoon, heavens greatest foe, 
〈…〉   
When as he menaced all the Gods with wars,  
They for to plague him for disturbing so  
Their quiet kingdom with his churlish dares,  
Sets themselves ready all in battle ranks,  
Upon the bordering plains to Nilus' banks.   

When subtly by their foe entrapped there,  
And no means left them for to scape away:  
Disguised themselves in other shapes for fear,  
Where Pan the shepherds God, as writers say,  
Was glad by turning of his former coat,  
To show like half a fish and half a goat.   

Whereas the God setting himself to swim,  
For fear his foe should cirumvent his shape,  
jove by great chance in this sort seeing him,  
Gins wonder at the strangeness of his shape:  
And when the Gods were all come from these wars,  
They place this shape of Pans amongst the stars.   

This is young Ganymede the Trojan boy,  
Whom jupiter fetched for to be his page,  
And ravished all his beating veins with joy,  
Sucking the sweet taste of his tender age:  
Whom afterwards the God did here set up,  
Pouring in Nectar to a golden cup.   

Venus and lovely Cupid on a day,  
Seating themselves by Euphrates fair glide,  
Spending the time in dallying wanton play,  
Was by the giant Typhon there espied,  
Compassed them about where they were set,  
As once black Vulcan took her in his net.   

For fear whereof the Goddess was constrained,  
Clasping her young son in her silver arms,  
To take the water, where they were sustained  
By fishes that conveyed them from those harms:  
Whom afterwards the Goddess thus requites,  
By turning of these fishes to fair lights.   

Thus have we run this Circle round about,  
Wherein the daily Sun still keeps his course:  
From whence his fiery team never broke out,  
But wholly ruled young Phaeton by force.  
Now to the Southern climates are we led,  
To tell what stories there are chronicled.   

Next to the Signs is placed a mighty Whall, 
〈…〉   
By which Andromeda should have been slain:  
Whom Perseus undertook to fight withal,  
To free his Love Andromeda from pain.  
For the remembrance of which victory,  
She is recorded in this registry.   

jupiter, Neptune, and young Mercury, 
〈…〉   
Travailing in human likeness up and down,  
Were by Hyreus welcomed courteously:  
Which to requite, the bid him ask a boon:  
Of whom the man desired he might have  
A son before death brought him to his grave.   

Then do the Gods command him bring the skin  
Of a young ox that was but newly slain:  
Wherein they pissed, and puts it straightways in  
The earth's cold womb, bidding him raiseed gain  
When as the term of ten full months were done,  
And of that urine he should have a son.   

Which charge he kept: and when the time was past  
He takes it up, within whose folds he found  
Orion, from the urine they there placed  
Grown in the belly of the hard cold ground:  
After whose death in memory of this thing,  
Him and the hide to heaven they did bring.   

Eridanus or Padus is the next,  
Within whose streams young Phaeton was drenched:  
At whose offence great jupiter being vexed,  
Strikes him strait down, whereat the fire was quenched.  
And in remembrance of this rivers name,  
It stands in heaven for quenching of that flame.   

And at his feet they placed a fearful Hare,  
For that he most delighted for to view it,  
Whilst on this earth he was conversing here  
With mortal creatures, and there would still pursue it  
With two fierce dogs, that there do also stand  
Ready attendants at their master's hands.   

The ship in which proud jason came from Greece, 
〈…〉   
Stoutly attended with a lucky train  
To Colchos, for to win the golden fleece,  
Which by Medea's love he did obtain:  
For her success the Gods do dignify,  
Next to Orion and his company.   

Apollo on a time would needs invite 
〈…〉   
jupiter for to be his welcome guest,  
And sends the Crow wherein he did delight,  
To fetch him some fair water for his feast,  
Sending him with a golden cup away, 
〈…〉   
And charged him straightly for to make no stay.   

The Crow as he was flying to the spring,  
Spies a fair fig tree standing by the way,  
And then forgetting what he was to bring,  
determines there a while to make his stay:  
Wherefore he go this servant means to see  
The yet green figs full ripened on their tree.   

After long time when he had eat his fill,  
He then too late remembers what was passed:  
And taking a dead Serpent in his bill,  
Back to his angry master flies he fast: 
〈…〉   
To whom the silly foul gins to tell  
How that foul Serpent kept him from the well.   

At which the angry God chafing to see  
Himself abused by a simple fowl,  
Means with an everlasting misery,  
His too bold misdemeanour to control,  
And into heaven to his shame takes up  
Himself, the Serpent, and the golden cup.   


〈…〉  Next them the man that was so famous,  
Chiron the Centaur for his famous arts,  
Chief schoolmaster to Esculapius,  
Achilles, and Alcides, whose deserts  
Won with the Gods such an exceeding favour,  
As that they placed him here to live for ever.   


〈…〉  Next him a wolf, which heavens to this end  
Placed there besides him, for he was devout:  
The fame of his devotion should extend  
Unto all times, and near be blotted out:  
Holding a sacrifice within his hands,  
To offer on an Altar that there stands.   


〈…〉  Next that, the Wheel that wrought Ixion's pain,  
For offering dalliance to the heavens Queen,  
Whereon in hell long time he did remain,  
Till pity moved the Gods for to redeem  
This cursed creature from his punishment,  
And place his rack within the firmament.   

The last that's in this monument of fame, 
〈…〉   
Is a fair fish whom they term Venus' daughter,  
Transformed in the sea, and for her name  
These stars continued there ever after:  
Where she and all the rest are fixed fast,  
As long as heaven moves and earth shall last.   

Thus did the Gods with favours still regard  
The dutiful demeans of earthbred kinds,  
And gave to every deed his due reward.  
Such is their equal justice rendering minds,  
That no affections draws away their favour,  
But every thing's rewarded for his labour.   

The weak they do not overpress with weight,  
Nor fear they what the mighty man can do:  
The rich man with his close fist golden sleight  
Cannot corrupt their rightful judgements so.  
Thus without hope of gain, or fear of might,  
They rendered unto every man his right.   

But when the world, orecloyed with this good,  
Began to surfeit in enticing ill,  
Then turned they down the wheel where Fortune stood,  
And lets them reap the fruits of their own will:  
So that these after times as Poets tell,  
Are for their follies registered in hell.   

Where now they show not in fair fixed stars,  
But shadowed in foul mists and frying fire,  
With fiends and furies keeps continual wars,  
From which their weary souls shall near retire.  
So was the first world blest with heavenly favours,  
And the last cursed with painful hellish labours.   
FINIS.