quoth she, "another, and that perhaps the greatest, cause
of thy sickness: thou hast forgotten what thou art. Wherefore I have
fully found out both the manner of thy disease and the means of thy
recovery; for the confusion which thou art in, by the forgetfulness of
thyself, is the cause why thou art so much grieved at thy exile and the
loss of thy goods. And because thou art ignorant what is the end of
things, thou thinkest that lewd and wicked men be powerful and happy;
likewise, because thou hast forgotten by what means the world is
governed, thou imaginest that these alternations of fortune do fall out
without any guide, sufficient causes not only of sickness, but also of
death itself. But thanks be to the author of thy health, that Nature
hath not altogether forsaken thee. We have the greatest nourisher of thy
health, the true opinion of the government of the world, in that thou
believest that it is not subject to the events of chance, but to divine
reason. Wherefore fear nothing; out of this little sparkle will be
enkindled thy vital heat. But because it is not yet time to use more
solid remedies, and it is manifest that the nature of minds is such that
as often as they cast away true opinions they are possessed with false,
out of which the darkness of perturbations arising doth make them that
they cannot discern things aright, I will endeavour to dissolve this
cloud with gentle and moderate fomentations; that having removed the
obscurity of deceitful affections, thou mayest behold the splendour of
true light.

VII.

Nubibus atris
Condita nullum
Fundere possunt
Sidera lumen.
Si mare uoluens 5
Turbidus Auster
Misceat aestum,
Vitrea dudum
Parque serenis
Vnda diebus 10
Mox resoluto
Sordida caeno
Visibus obstat.
Quique uagatur
Montibus altis 15
Defluus amnis,
Saepe resistit
Rupe soluti
Obice saxi.
Tu quoque si uis 20
Lumine claro
Cernere uerum,
Tramite recto
Carpere callem,
Gaudia pelle, 25
Pelle timorem
Spemque fugato
Nec dolor adsit.
Nubila mens est
Vinctaque frenis, 30
Haec ubi regnant."

VII.