'Though Vulcan be pronounst by many a lyer, 'The only halting god that dwels in heauen : 'But that foule name may be more fitly giuen 'To your false Fire, that farre from heauen is fall :7 'And doth consume, waste, spoile, disorder all.

6

43.

And now behold your tender nurse the Ayre ‘And common neighbour that ay runns around; 'How many pictures and impressions faire 'Within her empty regions are there found;

'Which to your sences Dauncing doe propound.

'For what are Breath, Speech, Ecchos, Musicke, Winds,

'But Dauncings of the Ayre in sundry kinds?

44.

'For when you breath, the

ayre

in order moues,

'Now in, now out, in time and measure trew;

'And when you speake, so well she dauncing loues,
'That doubling oft, and oft redoubling new,
'With thousand formes she doth her selfe endew
'For all the words that from our lips repaire
'Are nought but tricks and turnings of the ayre.

7 Cf. 'Nosce Teipsum' page 103, ante: st. fourth, line second. G.

45.

Hence is her pratling daughter Eccho borne,

'That daunces to all voyces she can heare;

'There is no sound so harsh that shee doth scorne,
'Nor any time wherein shee will forbeare

'The ayrie pauement with her feet to weare;
'And yet her hearing sence is nothing quick,
'For after time she endeth euery trick.

46.

'And thou sweet Musicke, Dauncing's onely life, 'The eare's sole happinesse, the ayre's best speach; 'Loadstone of fellowship, charming-rod of strife, 'The soft mind's Paradice, the sicke mind's leach; 'With thine own tong, thou9 trees and stons canst teach, 6 That when the Aire doth dance her finest measure, "Then art thou borne, the gods and mens sweet pleasure.

47.

Lastly, where keepe the Winds their reuelry,

'Their violent turnings, and wild whirling hayes,'

'But in the Ayre's tralucent2 gallery?

"In first edition 'ye❞

= the, and so elsewhere. G.

1 A round country dance. G.

2 Translucent. Cf. Milton, Samson Agonistes 548, and Comus, 861. G.

'Where shee herselfe is turnd a hundreth wayes, 'While with those Maskers wantonly she playes; 'Yet in this misrule, they such rule embrace, 'As two at once encomber not the place.

48.

"If then fire, ayre, wandring and fixed lights 'In euery prouince of the imperiall skie, 'Yeeld perfect formes of dauncing to your sights, 'In vaine I teach the eare, that which the eye

'With certaine view already doth descrie.

But for your eyes perceiue not all they see,

'In this I will your Senses master bee.

49.

'For loe the Sea1 that fleets about the Land, 'And like a girdle clips her solide waist, 'Musicke and measure both doth vnderstand; 'For his great chrystall eye is alwayes cast 'Vp to the Moone, and on her fixèd fast ; 'And as she daunceth in her pallid spheere, 'So daunceth he about his Center heere.

3 In first edition spelled 'fier.' G.
4 Margin-Note here 'Of the sea.' G.

50.

'Sometimes his proud greene waues in order set, 'One after other flow vnto the shore;

Which, when they haue with many kisses wet,

"They ebbe away in order as before;

'And to make knowne his courtly loue the more,
He oft doth lay aside his three-forkt mace,
'And with his armes the timorous Earth embrace.

51.

'Onely the Earth doth stand for euer still:

'Her rocks remoue not, nor her mountaines meet : '(Although some wits enricht with Learning's skill 'Say heau'n stands firme, and that the Earth doth fleet, 'And swiftly turneth vnderneath their feet)

'Yet though the Earth is euer stedfast seene,

'On her broad breast hath Dauncing euer beene.

52.

'For those blew vaines that through her body spred,

'Those saphire streames which from great hils do spring. 5

'(The Earth's great duggs; for euery wight is fed

And still their daunce begets a murmur sweet,

'And still the murmur with the daunce doth meet.

53.

Of all their wayes I love Maander's path,

'Which to the tunes of dying swans doth daunce ;6
'Such winding sleights, such turns and tricks he hath,
'Such creeks, such wrenches, and such daliaunce

'That whether it be hap or heedlesse chaunce,
'In this indented course and wriggling play
'He seemes to daunce a perfect cunning hay. 7

54.

'But wherefore doe these streames for euer runne?

'To keepe themselues for euer sweet and cleere :

'For let their euerlasting course be donne,

They straight corrupt and foule with mud appeare.

'O yee sweet Nymphs that beautie's losse do feare,

Contemne the drugs that Physicke doth deuise,

'And learne of Loue this dainty exercise.

6 Ovid (Heroides VII. 1, 2)

'Sic ubi fata vocant, udis abjectus in herbis,

Ad vada Maeandri concinit albus olor.'

Cf. Sir Thomas Browne Enquiries into Vulgar and Common Errors' Book III. c. xxvii: Works by Wilkin, Vol. 11. pp. 517, 518 (edition Pickering 1835.) G.

7 A round country dance, as before.