or that they were in the pleasant fieldes of Elysium, although they were not suf∣fered to take any other delight therein, but only the pleasant view therof with their wandring eies, bicause (for the strict silence inioyned them) with wordes and woor∣thy praises, they durst not extol that place of paradise, nor had leaue to demand any thing concerning the same. At the entrance of it, Felicia sat her downe, and all the rest after her, who staied there a pretie while, not daring almost to breath, and sawe no more, then the trembling Sunne-beames, that with force seemed to passe be∣tweene leafe and leafe amongst the greene trees that grewe neere togither; where∣upon their thoughts went wandring, and musing of many matters, and their harts were constrained to bite on the bit of forced patience: And faine they would haue changed (in their iudgements) the pleasure to see that which Felicia promised them, to be ridde of the discontent, which their silence did procure them. Which thing (when she perceiued it) made her smile a little to herselfe. Being thus therfore in this pleasant meadow, and tedious mutenes, Felicia pointed with her finger to an entrance thereof right ouer against them, to haue them all looke that way, where casting their eies, they sawe a reuerend old man comming in, graue in his counte∣nance, person, and disposition, as also in the manner of his habite and apparell: for in euery point he seemed to represent a most woorthie priest of Iupiter. Hee came holding a staffe in his right hand, and sustained vpon it his olde and wearied body, whereon sometimes leaning, he looked stedfastly on the grounde, like a man full of imaginations, and sometimes againe lifted vp his eies to heauen, like one most sor∣rowfull and comfortlesse. He made such sundrie kindes of motions and gestures of his body, (obseruing yet alwaies the due grauitie of his noble person) that he did not onely mollifie the tender harts of them that were looking on him, but had been able to haue made the cruell Hircanian Tygres milde and gentle, if they had beene present, especially with the outward shewes of sorrow that he represented of some inwarde greefe: for in the middes thereof he gaue a turne about, viewing the hea∣uens on euery side, and speaking against Fortune (of whom he seemed to make his chiefest complaint) he vttered this that followeth.
IN each created thing
One motion onely, and of might,
Predominant continually is found.
Which still doth keepe and bring
The same, one way, and course aright,
That’s alwaies like, and vniforme, and round.
And none can be vnbound
From this compacted order though he would,
None can againe the same forsake,
Or any other take,
And yet it would not though perhaps it could:
Thou Fortune art alone
Without it, in disorder onely one.
That first, and highest Sphere,
That mooues, and is not moou’d againe
Of any other heauen, that mooues one whit:
The which with his Careare,
