Jove's dearest darling, she was bred and nurst
On Cynthus hill, whence she her name did take;
Then is she mortal born, howso ye crake:1
Besides, her face and count'nance every day
We changéd see and sundry forms partake, [gray;
Now horn'd, now round, now bright, now brown and
So that as changeful as the moon men use to say.

LI.

Next Mercury; who though he less appear

To change his hue, and always seem as one;
Yet he his course doth alter every year,
And is of late far out of order gone:

So Venus eke, that goodly paragone,

Though fair all night, yet is she dark all day:
And Phoebus' self, who lightsome is alone,
Yet is he oft eclipsed by the way,

And fills the darken'd world with terror and dismay.

LII.

'Now Mars, that valiant man, is changéd most;
For he sometimes so far runs out of square,
That he his way doth seem quite to have lost,
And clean without his usual sphere to fare;
That even these star-gazers 'stonish'd are
At sight thereof, and damn their lying books:
So likewise grim Sir Saturn oft doth spare
His stern aspect, and calm his crabbéd looks:
So many turning cranks these have, so many crooks.

LIII.

'But you, Dan Jove, that only constant are,
And king of all the rest, as ye do claim,
Are you not subject eke to this misfare ?2
Then let me ask you this withouten blame;
Where were ye born? Some say in Crete by name,
Others in Thebes, and others otherwhere;

2

But, wheresoever they comment1 the same,
They all consent that ye begotten were
And born here in this world; ne other can appear.

LIV.

'Then are ye mortal born, and thrall to me;
Unless the kingdom of the sky ye make
Immortal and unchangeable to be:

Besides, that
power and virtue, which ye spake,
That ye here work, doth many changes take,
And your own natures change: for each of you,
That virtue have or this or that to make,

Is check'd and changéd from his nature true,
Oblique. By others' opposition or obliquid2 view.

LV.

'Besides, the sundry motions of your spheres,
So sundry ways and fashions as clerks3 feign,
Some in short space, and some in longer years;
What is the same but alteration plain ?
Only the starry sky doth still remain:

Yet do the stars and signs therein still move,
And even itself is mov'd, as wizards sayn:4

But all that moveth doth mutation love:
Therefore both you and them to me I subject prove.

LVI.

'Then since within this wide great Universe
Nothing doth firm and permanent appear,
But all things toss'd and turnéd by transverse;
What then should let,5 but I aloft should rear
My trophy, and from all the triumph bear?
Now judge then, O thou greatest goddess true,
According as thyself dost see and hear,
And unto me addoom that is my due;
That is, the rule of all; all being rul'd by you.'

LVII.

So having ended, silence long ensu'd;
Ne Nature to or fro spake for a space,

But with firm eyes affix'd the ground still view'd.
Meanwhile all creatures, looking in her face,
Expecting th' end of this so doubtful case,
Did hang in long suspense what would ensue,
To whether side should fall the sov'reign place:
At length she, looking up with cheerful view,
The silence brake, and gave her doom in speeches
few:

LVIII.

'I well consider all that ye have said;

And find that all things steadfastness do hate
And changéd be; yet, being rightly weigh'd,
They are not changéd from their first estate;
But by their change their being do dilate;
And, turning to themselves at length again,
Do work their own perfection so by fate:
Then over them Change doth not rule and reign:
But they reign over Change, and do their states
maintain.

LIX.

Cease therefore, Daughter, farther to aspire, And thee content thus to be rul'd by me: For thy decay thou seek'st by thy desire:

But time shall come that all shall changéd be,

And from thenceforth, none no more change shall see!'

2

So was the Titaness put down and whist,1
And Jove confirm'd in his imperial see."
Then was that whole assembly quite dismist,
And Nature's self did vanish, whither no man wist.3

1 Silenced.

2 Seat.

3 Knew.

VOL. IV.

1 Formerly.

2 Uncertain.

THE VIIITH CANTO, (IMPERFECT.)

I.

WHEN I bethink me on that speech whilere1
Of Mutability, and well it weigh;

Me seems, that though she all unworthy were
Of th' heav'ns' rule; yet, very sooth to say,
In all things else she bears the greatest sway:
Which makes me loathe this state of life so tickle,2
And love of things so vain to cast away;

Whose flow'ring pride, so fading and so fickle, Short Time shall soon cut down with his consuming sickle!

II.

Then gin I think on that which Nature said,
Of that same time when no more change shall be,

But steadfast rest of all things, firmly stay'd
Upon the pillars of Eternity,

That is contrair to Mutability:

For all that moveth doth in change delight:

But thenceforth all shall rest eternally

With Him that is the God of Sabaoth* hight:

O! that great Sabaoth God, grant me that Sabbath's

THE

SHEPHERD'S CALENDER:

CONTAINING

TWELVE ECLOGUES,

PROPORTIONABLE TO THE TWELVE MONTHS.

ENTITLED TO THE NOBLE AND VIRTUOUS GENTLEMAN, MOST WORTHY OF ALL TITLES BOTH OF LEARNING AND CHIVALRY,

MASTER PHILIP SIDNEY.