NATURE

What is that Ladies son which thus thy heart does move What is her name? Thou askest more, then is in me to gyve, More then thy cause, more then thy state will bear They are two things to able thee to live, And to live so, that none should be thy pear, The first From, proceedeth every where, But this by tail and practice of the mind, Is set full far God wot and bought full deer, By those that seek the fru to thereof to find, To match thee then with Science in degree, To knit that knot, that few may reach unto I tell the plain, it lieth not in Me, Why should I challenge that I cannot do But thou must take another way to woe, And beat thy brain and bend thy Curious head, Both ride and run and travail too and roe If thou intend that famous Dame to wed. It is true. My power it is not absolute in Jurisdiction For I cognise and other Lord above That hath received unto his disposition The soul of man which he of special love To gifts of grace and learning eke does move. A work so far beyond my reach and call, That in to partly of praise with him my self to show Might soon procure my well deserved fall. He makes the frame and receive it so, No jot therein altered for my head, And as I it receive I let it go, Causing therein such sparkles to be bred As he commyttes to me by whom I must be led Who guides me first and in me guides the rest, All which in their endue course and kind are sped Of gifts from me such as may serve them best, To thee son wit he wild me to infpire The love of knowledge and certain seeds divine Which ground might be a mean to bring thee hiere, If thereunto thy self thou wilt incline The massy gold, the counyng hand makes fine: Good grounds are tilde, as well as are the worst The rankest flower will ask a springing time, So is men wit unperfect at the first. As conning is the kay of bliss, so it is worthy praise The worthiest Thy ̄ gs ar won w to pain in tract of time always, There are but such as unto you that have the great to name, I rather that bestow then win thereby ymmortal fame, There should be nothing left, wherein men might excel, No blame for sin, no praise to the ̄ that had defined well Virtue should loose her price, and learning would abound And as man would admire the thing that echewher might be ou ̄ worser, The great estate that have of me and fortune what they will Should have no need to look to those, whose heads are fraght w to skill The meaner sort that now excels in virtues of the mind, Should not be once accepted there where now they succour find For great men should be sped of all & would have need of none And he that were not born to land should lack to live upon These and five thousand causes more which I forbear to tell, The noble virtue of the mind have caused there to dwell Where none may have access, but such as can get in Through many double doors, through heat, through cold, through thick and thin. Trust me and have no doubt, Thou canst not Choose but speed with travel and with time These two are they that must direct thee how to climb Nor that nor this can do the good, if they be took alone. Set case thou didst attempt to climb Pernasus hill Take time five hundredth thousand years & lo ̄ her if thou will Trowest thou to touch the top there of by standing still Again, work out thy heart and spend thy self with toil Take time with all or else I dare assure the of the foil I bless thee here with all such gifts as nature can bestow And for thy sake I would they were as many hundred more Take therewith all this child, to wait upon the still. A bird of mine some kin to thee, his name is Will. Agree you twain for I must leave you both, Farewell my son: farewell mine own good Will, Be ruled by Wit, and be obedient still, Force the I cannot but as far as lies in me, I will help thy master to make a good servant of Thee Farewell. Exit Who taught the her to love, or hast thou seen her face.