THE
FIRST
DAY
OF
THE
WORLDES
CREATION
:
Or
Of
the
first
weeke
of
that
most
Christian
Poet
,
W.
SALVSTIVS
,
Lord
of
Bartas
.
Etsi
serò
seriò
.
Imprinted
at
London
,
by
I.
Iackeson
,
for
Gregorie
Seaton
.
1595.
To
the
Right
Worshipfull
,
wise
,
and
learned
,
M.
Anthonie
Bacon
:
perfect
health
of
bodie
,
increase
of
vertues
and
worship
;
to
the
honorable
seruice
of
his
countrie
,
the
aduancement
of
Religion
,
and
the
euerlasting
felicitie
of
his
owne
soule
.
YOur
long
experience
,
both
of
the
French
estate
,
&
language
(
Right
worshipfull
:
)
the
report
of
your
wisdome
blossomed
in
youth
,
and
ripened
in
yeeres
,
increased
by
learning
at
home
,
and
confirmed
by
trauaile
abroad
,
haue
drawne
me
,
a
poore
nameles
countriman
of
yours
,
to
make
choyce
of
your
woorthie
title
to
countenance
the
forefront
of
this
frame
:
and
your
iudgement
to
censure
the
priuie
conueiances
thereof
.
The
peece
of
worke
which
I
offer
to
your
patronage
and
iudgement
,
was
vndertaken
in
the
nonage
of
my
studies
,
before
I
was
professed
,
and
perhaps
had
beene
smothered
from
the
world
as
an
abortiue
,
had
not
some
my
deere
friends
weaned
it
from
my
hands
,
and
fostered
it
in
their
affectionate
bosoms
,
promising
it
life
and
light
,
if
not
with
me
,
without
me
:
yet
not
in
respect
,
either
of
the
matter
which
is
heauenly
,
nor
the
Author
which
is
excellent
,
desired
I
to
silence
my
infantlike
pen
from
proceeding
heerin
:
but
bicause
this
most
Christian
Poet
,
and
noble
Frenchman
Lord
of
Bartas
,
might
haue
been
naturalized
amongst
vs
,
either
by
a
generall
act
of
a
Poeticall
Parliament
:
or
haue
obtained
a
kingly
translator
for
his
weeke
(
as
he
did
for
his
Furies
:
Anthonie
Bacon
:
and
subscribing
to
the
manifold
prayers
for
his
health
and
happinesse
,
with
Amen
.
The
Argument
.
THe
most
Christian
Poet
in
a
matter
of
truth
(
hauing
made
his
invocation
vpon
the
true
God
)
addresseth
himselfe
to
describe
the
creation
of
the
world
,
against
the
truth
whereof
bicause
many
opinions
of
heathenish
Philosophers
might
be
opposed
,
he
cutteth
them
downe
,
as
they
stand
in
his
way
.
Some
dreamed
of
eternitie
,
and
seeing
the
briers
of
antiquitie
growing
over
the
cleere
account
of
the
worlds
age
,
lost
themselues
as
in
a
labyrinth
,
for
wane
of
a
directorie
thread
,
to
leade
to
the
originall
point
of
the
first
entrance
of
the
same
.
Others
stumbled
at
the
beginning
thereof
,
and
did
seeme
to
hold
the
circumstance
of
time
,
and
a
former
commencement
of
motion
,
yet
did
they
denie
the
substance
,
and
miscall
the
author
therof
:
for
they
affirmed
the
world
to
haue
bene
patched
vp
of
meats
,
and
sodainely
so
iumbled
together
by
a
casuall
concourse
of
the
same
.
Our
Poet
treading
the
steppes
of
the
true
Prophets
,
findeth
out
an
Immortall
author
and
preseruer
,
being
the
ancient
of
daies
,
a
Father
of
lights
,
wich
is
he
that
protesteth
of
himselfe
,
I
am
before
the
light
was
created
.
And
if
the
Epicure
demand
what
that
Author
did
before
he
made
the
world
,
here
is
returned
the
same
answere
that
Spiridion
gaue
to
the
like
question
in
the
councel
of
Neece
,
He
built
a
hel
for
curious
questionists
:
&
for
his
company
,
he
was
alone
and
yet
not
solitarie
,
he
had
his
essentiall
vertues
,
his
distinct
persons
all
concurring
in
the
fulnes
of
his
Godhead
which
was
al
in
all
.
Some
of
the
Philosophers
harped
vpon
this
point
,
but
their
brains
were
out
of
tune
,
and
therfore
neuer
found
out
the
perfect
vnion
of
those
three
parts
in
one
.
Our
Poet
expresseth
the
Author
God
,
the
instrument
his
word
,
being
the
very
beginning
and
alpha
of
those
lines
written
in
the
royall
parchment
of
the
heauens
,
and
made
legible
to
all
lands
and
languages
.
This
whole
frame
and
organ
of
the
world
tuned
by
the
finger
of
God
and
breathed
into
by
his
spirit
,
serueth
as
vocall
musicke
to
conueigh
the
significant
dittie
of
his
power
and
glorie
into
euerie
sence
.
Neither
is
this
world
a
worke
of
Imitation
seconded
by
any
former
and
externall
patern
:
but
of
meere
nothing
was
made
a
rude
something
at
the
first
,
by
sixe
daies
leasure
polished
&
extended
in
such
ample
compas
as
we
behold
,
to
the
intent
there
might
be
but
one
whole
entire
mound
,
without
whose
pales
there
might
neither
be
purleis
nor
pluralitie
of
worlds
.
As
it
had
a
beginning
,
so
also
must
it
haue
an
end
,
though
Plato
(
of
prophane
men
the
most
deuine
)
shuld
affirme
the
contrary
,
&
al
the
stife
conceited
sect
of
Stoickes
shuld
necessarity
implead
a
sempiternitie
:
Yet
such
an
end
shall
it
haue
as
euerie
venturous
.
Astrologer
is
not
able
to
discouer
;
no
,
nor
any
bus
the
vnsearchable
knowledge
of
the
highest
.
God
therefore
proued
the
Author
and
destroier
,
is
proposed
as
a
president
to
vs
in
that
he
tooke
six
daies
to
finish
that
which
at
a
trice
he
could
haue
performed
.
Amongst
his
successiue
labors
the
confortable
light
is
preferred
in
time
,
&
made
the
first
fruit
of
his
creatures
:
the
substance
thereof
vncertaine
,
the
beautie
and
profits
therof
most
certaine
:
what
cause
moued
the
almightie
to
distinguish
betweene
day
and
day
,
light
and
light
,
with
intercourse
of
night
and
darkenes
expressed
.
The
angels
creation
being
touched
&
(
according
to
a
general
opinion
)
attributed
to
this
daies
work
,
the
fal
of
som
of
them
,
malice
of
these
apostate
relapses
:
the
persistance
and
diligent
seruice
of
others
in
the
desence
of
Gods
beloued
,
and
offence
of
his
enimies
described
,
the
Poet
takes
his
farewell
for
the
first
day
.