of the elements and the causes of matter’s ceaseless change; what influence has given life to the stars, moving them in their courses; what quickens with movement the universal frame. Thou tellest why the seven planets strive backward towards the East, doing battle with the firmament; whether there is one lawgiver to different movements or two minds govern heaven’s revolution; whether colour is a property of matter or whether objects deceive our sight and owe their colours to reflected light; how the moon causes the ebb and flow of the tide; which wind brings about the thunder’s crash, which collects the rain clouds and by which the hail-stones are formed; what causes the coldness of snow and what is that flame that ploughs its shining furrow through the sky, hurls the swift thunderbolt, or sets in heaven’s dome the tail of the baleful comet.
Already had the anchor stayed thy restful bark, already thou wert minded to go ashore; fruitful leisure charmed and books were being born for immortality, when, of a sudden, Justice looked down from the shining heaven and saw thee at thine ease, saw Law, too, deprived of her great interpreter. She stayed not but, wreathing her chaste forehead with a band, left the gates of Autumn where the Standard-bearer dips towards the south and the Scorpion makes good the losses of the night. Where’er she flies a peace fell upon the birds and howling beasts laid aside their rage. Earth rejoices in the return of a deity lost to her since the waning of the age of gold. Secretly Justice enters the walls of Milan, Liguria’s city, and penetrating with light step the holy palace finds Theodorus marking in the sand those heavenly movements which reverent Memphis discovered by
quae moveant momenta polum, quam certus in astris error, quis tenebras solis causisque meantem defectum indicat numerus, quae linea Phoeben 130 damnet et excluso pallentem fratre relinquat. ut procul adspexit fulgentia Virginis ora cognovitque deam, vultus veneratus amicos occurrit scriptaeque notas confundit harenae. Tum sic diva prior: “Manli, sincera bonorum 135 congeries, in quo veteris vestigia recti et ductos video mores meliore metallo: iam satis indultum studiis, Musaeque tot annos eripuere mihi. pridem te iura reposcunt: adgredere et nostro rursum te redde labori 140 nec tibi sufficiat transmissae gloria vitae. humanum curare genus quis terminus umquam praescripsit? nullas recipit prudentia metas. adde quod haec multis potuit contingere sedes, sed meriti tantum redeunt actusque priores 145 commendat repetitus honos, virtusque reducit quos fortuna legit.[174] melius magnoque petendum credis in abstrusa rerum ratione morari? scilicet illa tui patriam praecepta Platonis erexere magis, quam qui responsa secutus 150 obruit Eoas classes urbemque carinis vexit et arsuras Medo subduxit Athenas? Spartanis potuit robur praestare Lycurgus matribus et sexum leges vicere severae