milk sweet fresh and new,
Where all take life and doth the world renew;
And then renew'd with pleasure be yfed.
A green soft mantle doth her bosome strew
With fragrant herbs and flowers embellished,
Where without fault or shame all living creatures bed.

101

Ne ought we doubt how Nature may recover
In her own ashes long time buried,
For nought can ever consume that centrall power
Of hid spermatick life, which lies not dead
In that rude heap, but safely covered;
And doth by secret force suck from above
Sweet heavenly juice, and therewith nourished
Till her just bulk, she doth her life emprove,
Made mother of much children that about her move.

102

Witnesse that uncouth bird of Arabie
Which out of her own ruines doth revive
With all th' exploits of skillfull Chymistrie,
Such as no vulgar wit can well believe.
Let universall Nature witnesse give
That what I sing 's no feigned forgerie.
A needlesse task new fables to contrive,
But what I sing is seemly verity
Well suting with right reason and Philosophie.

103

But the fit time of this mutation
No man can finden out with all his pains.
For the small sphears of humane reason run
Too swift within his narrow compast brains.
But that vast Orb of Providence contains
A wider period; turneth still and slow.
Yet at the last his aimed end he gains.
And sure at last a fire will overflow
The aged Earth, and all must into ashes go.

104

Then all the stately works and monuments
Built on this bottome shall to ruine fall.
And all those goodly statues shall be brent
Which were erect to the memoriall
Of Kings Kaesars, ne may better 'fall
The boastfull works of brave Poetick pride
That promise life and fame perpetuall;
Ne better fate may these poor lines abide.
Betide what will to what may live no lenger tide!

105

This is the course that never-dying Nature
Might ever hold from all Eternitie,
Renuing still the faint decayed creature
Which would grow stark and drie as aged tree,
Unlesse by wise preventing Destinie
She were at certain periods of years
Reduced back unto her Infancie,
Which well fram'd argument (as plain appears)
My ship from those hard rocks and shelves right safely stears.

106

Lo! now my faithfull muse hath represented
Both frames of