As we now do, whereof we woll reporte 15 Suche parte as we se mete for tyme present, Chyefely concernynge your[98] perpetuall comforte, As the thynge selfe shall prove in experyment, Whyche hyely shall bynde you, on knees lowly bent, Sooly to honour oure hyenes, day by day. 20 And now to the mater gyve eare, and we shall say. Before our presens, in our hye parlyament, Both goddes and goddeses of all degrees Hath[99] late assembled, by comen assent, For the redres of certayne enormytees, 25 Bred amonge them, thorow extremytees Abusyd in eche to other of them all, Namely, to purpose, in these moste specyall: Our forsayde father Saturne, and Phebus, Eolus and Phebe, these foure[100] by name, 30 Whose natures, not onely, so farre contraryous, But also of malyce eche other to defame, Have longe tyme abused, ryght farre out of frame, The dew course of all theyr constellacyons, To the great damage of all yerthly nacyons: 35 Whyche was debated in place sayde before; A ii _b_ And fyrste, as became, our father moste auncyent, With berde whyte as snow, his lockes both colde & hore, Hath entred[101] such mater as served his entent, Laudynge his frosty mansyon in the fyrmament, 40 To ayre & yerth as thynge moste precyous, Pourgynge all humours that are contagyous. How be yt, he alledgeth that, of longe tyme past, Lyttell hath prevayled his great dylygens, Full oft uppon yerth his fayre frost he hath cast, 45 All thynges hurtfull to banysh out of presens. But Phebus, entendynge to kepe him in sylens, When he hath labored all nyght in his powres,[102] His glarynge beamys maryth all in two howres. Phebus to this made no maner answerynge, 50 Whereuppon they both then Phebe defyed, Eche for his parte leyd in her reprovynge That by her showres superfluous they have tryed[103]; In all that she may theyr powres be denyed; Wherunto Phebe made answere no more 55 Then Phebus to Saturne hadde made before. Anone uppon Eolus all these dyd fle, Complaynynge theyr causes, eche one arow, And sayd, to compare, none was so evyll as he; For, when he is dysposed his blastes to blow, 60 He suffereth neyther sone-shyne, rayne nor snowe. They eche agaynste other, and he agaynste al three,-- Thus can these iiii in no maner agree! Whyche sene in themselfe, and further consyderynge, The same to redres was cause of theyr assemble; 65 And, also, that we, evermore beynge, Besyde our puysaunt power of deite, Of wysedome and nature so noble and so fre, From all extremytees the meane devydynge, To pease and plente eche thynge attemperynge, 70