The Signs of the Zodiack
The twelve signs named one by one, from the Ram to the Fishes.
[p. 12] Now Constellations, Muse, and Signs rehearse,In order, let them sparkle in thy Verse.Those which obliquely bound the burning Zone,And bear the Summer and the Winter Sun,Those first: then those which roll a different wayFrom West: nor Heaven's Diurnal whirl obey:Which Nights serene disclose, and which createThe steddy Rules, and fix the Laws of Fate.
[p. 13] First Aries, glorious in his Golden Wool,Looks back, and wonders at the mighty Bull,Whose back-parts first appear: He bending liesWith threatning Head, and calls the Twins to rise,They clasp for fear, and mutually embrace;And next the Twins with an unsteady paceBright Cancer rolls: Then Leo shakes his Mane:And following Virgo calms his Rage again:Then Day and Night are weigh'd in Libra's Scales,Equal a while, at last the Night prevails,And longer grown the heavyer Scale inclinesAnd draws bright Scorpio from the Winter Signs:Him Centaur follows with an aiming EyeHis Bow full drawn and ready to let fly:Next narrow Horns the twisted Caper shows,And from Aquarius Urn a floud o'erflows.Near their lov'd Waves cold Pisces take their Seat,With Aries joyn and make the Round compleat.
Old words on this page
- diurnal
- of the day. A diurnal planet or sign belongs to daytime.
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The text is Thomas Creech's 1697 verse translation, checked word by word between three scans of the same type (the 1697 printing, the 1700 printing and a third copy). The long s is printed as s; every other spelling is Creech's. Pages are cited as the 1697 printing numbers them. The portrait is William Marshall’s engraving of Lilly from the front of the 1659 printing (Wellcome Library, public domain).