Quantas rerum flectat habenas Natura potens, quibus inmensum Legibus orbem prouida seruet Stringatque ligans inresoluto Singula nexu, placet arguto 5 Fidibus lentis promere cantu. Quamuis Poeni pulchra leones Vincula gestent manibusque datas Captent escas metuantque trucem Soliti uerbera ferre magistrum, 10 Si cruor horrida tinxerit ora, Resides olim redeunt animi Fremituque graui meminere sui; Laxant nodis colla solutis Primusque lacer dente cruento 15 Domitor rabidas imbuit iras. Quae canit altis garrula ramis Ales caueae clauditur antro; Huic licet inlita pocula melle Largasque dapes dulci studio 20 Ludens hominum cura ministret, Si tamen arto saliens texto Nemorum gratas uiderit umbras, Sparsas pedibus proterit escas, Siluas tantum maesta requirit, 25 Siluas dulci uoce susurrat. Validis quondam uiribus acta Pronum flectit uirga cacumen; Hanc si curuans dextra remisit, Recto spectat uertice caelum. 30 Cadit Hesperias Phoebus in undas, Sed secreto tramite rursus Currum solitos uertit ad ortus. Repetunt proprios quaeque recursus Redituque suo singula gaudent 35 Nec manet ulli traditus ordo Nisi quod fini iunxerit ortum Stabilemque sui fecerit orbem. II. How the first reins of all things guided are By powerful Nature as the chiefest cause, And how she keeps, with a foreseeing care, The spacious world in order by her laws, And to sure knots which nothing can untie, By her strong hand all earthly motions draws-- To show all this we purpose now to try Our pliant string, our musick's thrilling sound. Although the Libyan lions often lie Gentle and tame in splendid fetters bound,[121] And fearing their incensed master's wrath, With patient looks endure each blow and wound, Yet if their jaws they once in blood do bathe, They, gaining courage,[122] with fierce noise awake The force which Nature in them seated hath, And from their necks the broken chains do shake; Then he that tamed them first doth feel their rage, And torn in pieces doth their fury slake. The bird shut up in an unpleasing cage, Which on the lofty trees did lately sing, Though men, her want of freedom to assuage, Should unto her with careful labour bring The sweetest meats which they can best devise, Yet when within her prison fluttering The pleasing shadows of the groves she spies, Her hated food she scatters with her feet, In yearning spirit to the woods she flies, The woods' delights do tune her accents sweet. When some strong hand doth tender plant constrain With his debased top the ground to meet, If it let go, the crooked twig again Up toward Heaven itself it straight doth raise.