He had a skilful eye and true,
And was full kind and loving too. 
For contemplation, clear and pure,—­
For making all his own again, sure;
He had a tongue that charm’d when ’twas heard,
And graceful and light flow’d ev’ry word;
Which made the Muses in him rejoice,
The Master-singer of their choice.

And now a maiden enter’d there,
With swelling breast, and body fair;
With footing firm she took her place,
And moved with stately, noble grace;
She did not walk in wanton mood,
Nor look around with glances lewd.

She held a measure in her hand,
Her girdle was a golden band,
A wreath of corn was on her head,
Her eye the day’s bright lustre shed;
Her name is honest Industry,
Else, Justice, Magnanimity.

She enter’d with a kindly greeting;
He felt no wonder at the meeting,
For, kind and fair as she might be,
He long had known her, fancied he.

“I have selected thee,” she said,
“From all who earth’s wild mazes tread,
That thou shouldst have clear-sighted sense,
And nought that’s wrong shouldst e’er commence. 
When others run in strange confusion,
Thy gaze shall see through each illusion
When others dolefully complain,
Thy cause with jesting thou shalt gain,
Honour and right shalt value duly,
In everything act simply, truly,—­
Virtue and godliness proclaim,
And call all evil by its name,
Nought soften down, attempt no quibble,
Nought polish up, nought vainly scribble. 
The world shall stand before thee, then,
As seen by Albert Durer’s ken,
In manliness and changeless life,
In inward strength, with firmness rife. 
Fair Nature’s Genius by the hand
Shall lead thee on through every land,
Teach thee each different life to scan,
Show thee the wondrous ways of man,
His shifts, confusions, thrustings, and drubbings,
Pushings, tearings, pressings, and rubbings;
The varying madness of the crew,
The anthill’s ravings bring to view;
But thou shalt see all this express’d,
As though ’twere in a magic chest. 
Write these things down for folks on earth,
In hopes they may to wit give birth.”—­
Then she a window open’d wide,
And show’d a motley crowd outside,
All kinds of beings ’neath the sky,
As in his writings one may spy.

Our master dear was, after this,
On Nature thinking, full of bliss,
When tow’rd him, from the other side
He saw an aged woman glide;
The name she bears, Historia,
Mythologia, Fabula;
With footstep tottering and unstable
She dragg’d a large and wooden carved-table,
Where, with wide sleeves and human mien,
The Lord was catechizing seen;
Adam, Eve, Eden, the Serpent’s seduction,
Gomorrah and Sodom’s awful destruction,
The twelve illustrious women, too,
That mirror of honour brought to view;
All kinds of bloodthirstiness, murder, and sin,