VISUS, LUMEN, COELUM, PHANTASTES, COMMUNIS SENSUS, MEMORY.
VIS. Lo, here the objects that delight the sight!
The goodliest objects that man's heart can wish!
For all things, that the orb first movable
Wraps in the circuit of his large-stretch'd arms,
Are subject to the power of Visus' eyes.
That you may know what profit light doth bring,
Note Lumen's words, that speaks next following.
LUM. Light, the fair grandchild to the glorious sun,
Opening the casements of the rosy morn,
Makes the abashed heavens soon to shun
The ugly darkness it embrac'd beforn;[258]
And, at his first appearance, puts to flight
The utmost relics of the hell-born night.
This heavenly shield, soon as it is display'd,
Dismays the vices that abhor the light;
To wanderers by sea and land gives aid;
Conquers dismay, recomforteth affright;
Rouseth dull idleness, and starts soft sleep,
And all the world to daily labour keep.
This a true looking-glass impartial,
Where beauty's self herself doth beautify
With native hue, not artificial,
Discovering falsehood, opening verity:
The day's bright eye colours distinction,
Just judge of measure and proportion.
The only means by which each mortal eye
Sends messengers to the wide firmament,
That to the longing soul brings presently
High contemplation and deep wonderment;
By which aspirement she her wings displays,
And herself thither, whence she came, upraise.
PHA. What blue thing's that, that's dappled so with stars.
VIS. He represents the heaven.
PHA. In my conceit
'Twere pretty, if he thundered when he speaks.
VIS. Then none could understand him.
COEL. Tropic, colures, the equinoctial,
The zodiac, poles, and line ecliptical,
The nadir, zenith, and anomalies,
The azimuth and ephimerides,
Stars, orbs, and planets, with their motions,
The oriental regradations,
Eccentrics, epicyctes, and—and—and—
PHA. How now, Visus, is your heaven at a stay,
Or is it his motus trepidationis that makes him stammer?
I pray you, Memory, set him a-gate[259] again.
MEM. I remember, when Jupiter made Amphitryo cuckold, and lay with his wife Alcmena, Coelum was in this taking for three days space, and stood still just like him at a nonplus.