Democritus Platonissans

INTRODUCTION

Henry More (1614-1687), the most interesting member of that group traditionally known as the Cambridge Platonists, lived conscientiously and well. Having early set out on one course, he never thought to change it; he devoted his whole life to the joy of celebrating, again and again, “a firm and unshaken Belief of the Existence of GOD . . . , a God infinitely Good, as well as infinitely Great . . . .”1 Such faith was for More the starting point of his rational understanding: “with the most fervent Prayers” he beseeched God, in his autobiographical “Praefatio Generalissima,” “to set me free from the dark Chains, and this so sordid Captivity of my own Will.” More offered to faith all which his reason could know, and so it happened that he “was got into a most Joyous and Lucid State of Mind,” something quite ineffable; to preserve these “Sensations and Experiences of my own Soul,” he wrote “a pretty full Poem call’d Psychozoia” (or A Christiano-Platonicall display of Life), an exercise begun about 1640 and designed for no audience but himself. There were times, More continued in his autobiographical remarks, when he thought of destroying Psychozoia because its style is rough and its language filled with archaisms. His principal purpose in that poem was to demonstrate in detail the spiritual foundation of all existence; Psyche, his heroine, is the daughter of the Absolute, the general Soul who holds together the metaphysical universe, against whom he sees reflected his own soul’s mystical progress. More must, nevertheless, have been pleased with his labor, for he next wrote Psychathanasia Platonica: or Platonicall Poem of the Immortality of Souls, especially Mans Soul, in which he attempts to demonstrate the immortality of the soul as a corrective to his age. Then, he joined to that Antipsychopannychia, or A Confutation of the sleep of the Soul ii after death, and Antimonopsychia, or That all Souls are not one; at the urging of friends, he published the poems in 1642—his first literary work—as Psychodia Platonica.

In his argument for the soul’s immortality toward the end of Psychathanasia (III.4), More had urged that there was no need to plead for any extension of the infinite (“a contradiction,” and also, it would seem, a fruitless inquiry); but he soon changed his mind. The preface to Democritus Platonissans reproduces those stanzas of the earlier poem which deny infinity (34 to the end of the canto) with a new (formerly concluding) stanza 39 and three further stanzas “for a more easie and naturall leading to the present Canto,” i.e., Democritus Platonissans, which More clearly intended to be an addition, a fifth canto to Psychathanasia (Book III); and although Democritus Platonissans first appeared separately, More appended it to Psychathanasia in the second edition of his collected poems, this time with English titles, the whole being called A Platonick Song of the Soul (1647).

There is little relationship between Democritus Platonissans and the rest of More’s poetry; even the main work to which it supposedly forms a final and conclusive canto provides only the slightest excuse for such a continuation. Certainly, in Psychathanasia, More is excited by the new astronomy; he praises the Copernican system throughout Book III, giving an account of it according to the lessons of his study of Galileo’s Dialogo, which he may have been reading even as he wrote.2 Indeed, More tries to harmonize the two poems—his habit was always to look for unity. But even though Democritus Platonissans explores an astronomical subject, just as the third part of Psychathanasia also does, its attitude and theme are quite different; for More had meanwhile been reading Descartes.

More’s theory of the infinity of worlds and God’s plenitude evidently owed a great deal to Descartes’ recent example; More responds exuberantly to him, especially to his Principes de la Philosophie (1644); for in him he fancied having found a true ally. Steeped in Platonic and neo-Platonic thought, and determined iii to reconcile Spirit with the rational mind of man, More thought he had discovered in Cartesian ‘intuition’ what was not necessarily there. Descartes had enjoyed an ecstatic illumination, and so had Plotinus; but this was not enough, as More may have wanted to imagine, to make Descartes a neo-Platonist.3 But the Platonic element implicit in Descartes, his theory of innate ideas, and his proof of the existence of God from the idea of God, all helped to make More so receptive to him. Nevertheless, More did not really need Descartes, nor, as he himself was later to discover, had he even understood him properly, for More had looked at him only to find his own reflection.

But there was nothing really new about the idea of infinite worlds which More described in Democritus Platonissans; it surely was not a conception unique to Descartes. The theory was a common one in Greek and Renaissance thought. Democritus and the Epicureans, of course, advocated the theme of infinite worlds in an infinite universe which More accepted; but at the same time, he rejected their view of a mechanistic and fortuitous creation. Although Plato specifically rejects the idea of infinite worlds (in Timaeus), More imagines, as the title of his poem implies, a Platonic universe, by which he really means neo-Platonic, combined with a Democritean plurality of worlds. More filled space, not with the infinite void of the Atomists, but with the Divine, ever active immanence. More, in fact, in an early philosophic work, An Antidote against Atheisme (1652), and again in Divine Dialogues (1668), refutes Lucretius by asserting the usefulness of all created things in God’s Providence and the essential design in Nature. His reference in Democritus Platonissans (st. 20) is typical: “though I detest the sect/ of Epicurus for their manners vile,/ Yet what is true I may not well reject.” In bringing together Democritus’ theories and neo-Platonic thought, More obviously has attempted reconciliation of two exclusive world views, but with dubious success.

While More stands firmly before a familiar tradition, his belief in an infinity of worlds evidently has little immediate iv connection with any predecessors. Even Bruno’s work, or Thomas Digges,’ which could have occupied an important place, seems to have had little, if any, direct influence on More. It was Descartes who stimulated his thought at the most receptive moment: in 1642 to have denied a theory which in 1646 he proclaimed with such force evidently argues in favor of a most powerful attachment. More responded enthusiastically to what he deemed a congenial metaphysical system; as a champion of Descartes, he was first to make him known in England and first in England to praise the infinity of worlds, yet Descartes’ system could give to him little real solace. More embraces God’s plenitude and infinity of worlds, he rejoices in the variety and grandeur of the universe, and he worships it as he might God Himself; but Descartes was fundamentally uninterested in such enthusiasms and found them even repellant—as well as unnecessary—to his thought. For More the doctrine of infinity was a proper corollary of Copernican astronomy and neo-Platonism (as well as Cabbalistic mysticism) and therefore a necessity to his whole elaborate and eclectic view of the world.

In introducing Cartesian thought into England, More emphasized particular physical doctrines mainly described in The Principles of Philosophy; he shows little interest in the Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting the Reason (1637), or in the Meditations (1641), both of which were also available to him when he wrote Democritus Platonissans. In the preface to his poem, he refers to Descartes whom he seems to have read hopefully: surely “infinitude” is the same as the Cartesian “indefinite.” “For what is his mundus indefinitè extensus, but extensus infinitè? Else it sounds onely infinitus quoad nos, but simpliciter finitus,” for there can be no space “unstuffd with Atoms.” More thinks that Descartes seems “to mince it,” that difficulty lies in the interpretation of a word, not in an essential idea. He is referring to Part II, xxi, of The Principles, but he quotes, with tacit approval, from Part III, i and ii, in the motto to the poem. More undoubtedly knows the specific discussion of ‘infinity’ in Part I, xxvi-xxviii, where he must first v have felt uneasy delight on reading “that it is not needful to enter into disputes regarding the infinite, but merely to hold all that in which we can find no limits as indefinite, such as the extension of the world . . . .”4 More asked Descartes to clarify his language in their correspondence of 1648-49, the last year of Descartes’ life.

Democritus Platonissans is More’s earliest statement about absolute space and time; by introducing these themes into English philosophy, he contributed significantly to the intellectual history of the seventeenth century. Newton, indeed, was able to make use of More’s forging efforts; but of relative time or space and their measurement, which so much concerned Newton, More had little to say. He was preoccupied with the development of a theory which would show that immaterial substance, with space and time as attributes, is as real and as absolute as the Cartesian geometrical and spatial account of matter which he felt was true but much in need of amplification.

In his first letter to Descartes, of 11 December 1648, More wrote: “. . . this indefinite extension is either simpliciter infinite, or only in respect to us. If you understand extension to be infinite simpliciter, why do you obscure your thought by too low and too modest words? If it is infinite only in respect to us, extension, in reality, will be finite; for our mind is the measure neither of the things nor of truth. . . .” Unsatisfied by his first answer from Descartes (5 February 1649), he urges his point again (5 March): if extension can describe matter, the same quality must apply to the immaterial and yet be only one of many attributes of Spirit. In his second letter to More (15 April), Descartes answers firmly: “It is repugnant to my concept to attribute any limit to the world, and I have no other measure than my perception for what I have to assert or to deny. I say, therefore, that the world is indeterminate or indefinite, because I do not recognize in it any limits. But I dare not call it infinite as I perceive that God is greater than the world, not in respect to His extension, because, as I have already said, I do not acknowledge in God any proper [extension], but in vi respect to His perfection . . . . It is repugnant to my mind . . . it implies a contradiction, that the world be finite or limited, because I cannot but conceive a space outside the boundaries of the world wherever I presuppose them.” More plainly fails to understand the basic dualism inherent in Cartesian philosophy and to sense the irrelevance of his questions. While Descartes is really disposing of the spiritual world in order to get on with his analysis of finite experience, More is keenly attempting to reconcile neo-Platonism with the lively claims of matter. His effort can be read as the brave attempt to harmonize an older mode of thought with the urgency of the ‘new philosophy’ which called the rest in doubt. More saw this conflict and the implications of it with a kind of clarity that other men of his age hardly possessed. But the way of Descartes, which at first seemed to him so promising, certainly did not lead to the kind of harmony which he sought.

More’s original enthusiasm for Descartes declined as he understood better that the Cartesian world in practice excluded spirits and souls. Because Descartes could find no necessary place even for God Himself, More styled him, in Enchiridion Metaphysicum (1671), the “Prince of the Nullibists”; these men “readily acknowledge there are such things as Incorporeal Beings or Spirits, yet do very peremptorily contend, that they are no where in the whole World [;] . . . because they so boldly affirm that a Spirit is Nullibi, that is to say, no where,” they deserve to be called Nullibists.5 In contrast to these false teachers, More describes absolute space by listing twenty epithets which can be applied either to God or to pure extension, such as “Unum, Simplex, Immobile . . . Incomprehensible ”6 There is, however, a great difficulty here; for while Space and Spirit are eternal and uncreated, they yet contain material substance which has been created by God. If the material world possesses infinite extension, as More generally believes, that would preclude any need of its having a creator. In order to avoid this dilemma, which Democritus Platonissans ignores, More must at last separate matter and space, seeing the vii latter as an attribute of God through which He is able to contain a finite world limited in space as well as in time. In writing that “this infinite space because of its infinity is distinct from matter,”7 More reveals the direction of his conclusion; the dichotomy it embodies is Cartesianism in reverse.

While More always labored to describe the ineffable, his earliest work, the poetry, may have succeeded in this wish most of all. Although he felt that his poetry was aiming toward truths which his “later and better concocted Prose”8 reached, the effort cost him the suggestiveness of figurative speech. In urging himself on toward an ever more consistent statement of belief, he lost much of his beginning exuberance (best expressed in the brief “Philosopher’s Devotion”) and the joy of intellectual discovery. In the search “to find out Words which will prove faithful witnesses of the peculiarities of my Thoughts,” he staggers under the unsupportable burden of too many words. In trying so desperately to clarify his thought, he rejected poetic discourse as “slight”; only a language free of metaphor and symbol could, he supposed, lead toward correctness. Indeed, More soon renounced poetry; he apparently wrote no more after collecting it in Philosophical Poems (1647), when he gave up poetry for “more seeming Substantial performances in solid Prose.”9 “Cupids Conflict,” which is “annexed” to Democritus Platonissans, is an interesting revelation of the failure of poetry, as More felt it: he justifies his “rude rugged uncouth style” by suggesting that sweet verses avoid telling important truths; harshness and obscurity may at least remind one that there is a significance beyond mere words. His lament is characteristic: “How ill alas! with wisdome it accords/ To sell my living sense for liveless words.”

In spite of these downcast complaints, More was quite capable of lively and meaningful poetic ideas. One is the striking image of the cone which occurs in Democritus Platonissans (especially in stanzas 7-8, 66-67, and 88) and becomes the most essential symbol to More’s expression of infinitude and extension. The figure first appears in Antipsychopannychia viii (II.9) where his purpose is to reconcile the world Soul with Christian eschatology. In Democritus Platonissans, the cone enables More to adapt the familiar Hermetic paradox:

A Circle whose circumference no where

Is circumscrib’d, whose Centre’s each where set,

But the low Cusp’s a figure circular,

Whose compasse is ybound, but centre’s every where. (st. 8)

Every point on the circumference, or base of the cone, relates to the single point at the top. The world, More wants to say, has no limits, no center, yet there are bounds in its not having any. More recognizes the contradiction when he fancies “some strong arm’d Archer” at the wide world’s edge (st. 37). Where shall he send his shafts? Into “mere vacuity”? But More hardly seems aware of the inappropriateness of the cone: he uses a geometrical figure to locate space, time, and numberless worlds within the universal sight of God, but matter is infinite, “distinct/ And yet proceeding from the Deitie” (st. 68). Obviously, the archer must forever be sending his arrows through an infinitely expanding surface. Nevertheless, the cone has great value as a metaphor, as a richly suggestive and fascinating conception. More, however, does not want to speak metaphorically; he is attempting to disclose truths, literal and plain, where pretty words and metaphors have no place. Even as he is writing his most effective poetry, we are aware that More is denying his poetic office; for he is pleading a reasoned case where the words crack and strain, where poetic meaning gathers, only to be denied.

But these objections momentarily disappear when More forgets himself enough to let us feel his imagination and does not worry that we might miss the proofs of his philosophy. Democritus Platonissans concludes with an apocalyptic vision wherein the poet imagines the reconciliation of infinite worlds and time within God’s immensity. He is also attempting to harmonize ix Psychathanasia, where he rejected infinitude, with its sequel Democritus Platonissans, where he has everywhere been declaring it; thus we should think of endless worlds as we should think of Nature and the Phoenix, dying yet ever regenerative, sustained by a “centrall power/ Of hid spermatick life” which sucks “sweet heavenly juice” from above (st. 101). More closes his poem on a vision of harmony and ceaseless energy, a most fit ending for one who dared to believe that the new philosophy sustained the old, that all coherence had not gone out of the world, but was always there, only waiting to be discovered afresh in this latter age.

The University of British Columbia

NOTES TO THE INTRODUCTION

1. The quotations from More’s Latin autobiography occur in the Opera Omnia (London, 1675-79), portions of which Richard Ward translated in The Life of . . . Henry More (London, 1710). Cf. the modern edition of this work, ed. M. F. Howard (London, 1911), pp. 61, 67-68, the text followed here. There is a recent reprint of the Opera Omnia in 3 volumes (Hildesheim, 1966) with an introduction by Serge Hutin. The “Praefatio Generalissima” begins vol. II. 1. One passage in it which Ward did not translate describes the genesis of Democritus Platonissans. More writes that after finishing Psychathanasia, he felt a change of heart: “Postea vero mutata sententia furore nescio quo Poetico incitatus supra dictum Poema scripsi, ea potissimum innixus ratione quod liquido constaret extensionem spacii dari infinitam, nec majores absurditates pluresve contingere posse in Materia infinita, infinitaque; Mundi duratione, quam in infinita Extensione spacii” (p. ix).

2. Cf. Lee Haring’s unpub. diss., “Henry More’s Psychathanasia and Democritus Platonissans: A Critical Edition,” (Columbia Univ., 1961), pp. 33-57.

3. Marjorie Hope Nicolson’s various articles and books which in part deal with More are important to the discussion that follows, and especially “The Early Stage of Cartesianism in England,” SP, XXVI (1929), 356-379; Mountain Gloom and Mountain Glory (Ithaca, 1959), pp. 113-143, and The Breaking of the Circle (New York, 1960), pp. 158-165.

4. Cf. The Meditations and Selections from the Principles of René Descartes, trans. John Veitch (Chicago, 1908), p. 143. The quotations from the letters which follow occur in Alexandre Koyré’s very helpful book, From the Closed World to the Infinite Universe (Baltimore, 1957), pp. 114, 122-123, but the complete and original texts can be consulted in Descartes, Correspondance avec Arnaud et Morus, ed. G. Lewis (Paris, 1953).

5. This passage occurs at the beginning of “The Easie, True, and Genuine Notion, And consistent Explication Of the Nature of a Spirit,” a free translation of Enchiridion Metaphysicum, I. 27-28, by John Collins which he included in Joseph Glanvil’s Saducismus Triumphatus (London, 1681). I quote from the text as given in Philosophical Writings of Henry More, ed. F. I. MacKinnon (New York, 1925), p. 183.

6. Cf. Enchiridion Metaphysicum, VIII. 8, trans. Mary Whiton Calkins and included in John Tull Baker, An Historical and Critical Examination of English Space and Time Theories . . . (Bronxville, N.Y., 1930), p. 12. For the original, cf. Opera Omnia, II. 1, p. 167.

7. “Infinitum igitur hoc Extensum à Materia distinctum,” Enchiridion Metaphysicum, VIII. 9, in Opera Omnia, loc. cit. Quoted by MacKinnon, p. 262.

8. This and the following reference appear in An Explanation of the grand Mystery of Godliness (London, 1660), “To the Reader,” pp. vi and v.

9. Ibid., II. xi. 5 (p. 52).

xii

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

The text of this edition is reproduced from a copy in the Henry E. Huntington Library.

To the Reader.

The Argument.

’Gainst boundlesse time th’ objections made,

And wast infinity

Of worlds, are with new reasons weigh’d,

Mens judgements are left free.

1

Hence, hence unhallowed ears and hearts more hard

Then Winter clods fast froze with Northern wind.

But most of all, foul tongue I thee discard

That blamest all that thy dark strait’ned mind,

Can not conceive: But that no blame thou find;

What e’re my pregnant Muse brings forth to light,

She’l not acknowledge to be of her kind,

Till Eagle-like she turn them to the sight

Of the eternall Word all deckt with glory bright.

2

Strange sights do straggle in my restlesse thoughts,

And lively forms with orient colours clad

Walk in my boundlesse mind, as men ybrought

Into some spacious room, who when they’ve had

A turn or two, go out, although unbad.

All these I see and know, but entertain

None to my friend but who’s most sober sad;

Although the time my roof doth them contain

Their pretence doth possesse me till they out again.

3

And thus possest in silver trump I found

Their guise, their shape, their gesture and array.

But as in silver trumpet nought is found

When once the piercing sound is past away,

(Though while the mighty blast therein did stay,

Its tearing noise so terribly did shrill,

That it the heavens did shake, and earth dismay)

As empty I of what my flowing quill

In heedlesse hast elswhere, or here, may hap to spill.

[2] ||

4

For ’tis of force and not of a set will.

Ne dare my wary mind afford assent

To what is plac’d above all mortall skill.

But yet our various thoughts to represent

Each gentle wight will deem of good intent.

Wherefore with leave th’ infinitie I’ll sing

Of time, Of Space: or without leave; I’m brent

With eagre rage, my heart for joy doth spring,

And all my spirits move with pleasant trembeling.

5

An inward triumph doth my soul up-heave

And spread abroad through endlesse ’spersed aire.

My nimble mind this clammie clod doth leave,

And lightly stepping on from starre to starre

Swifter then lightning, passeth wide and farre,

Measuring th’ unbounded Heavens and wastfull skie;

Ne ought she finds her passage to debarre,

For still the azure Orb as she draws nigh

Gives back, new starres appear, the worlds walls ’fore her flie.

6

For what can stand that is so badly staid?

Well may that fall whose ground-work is unsure.

And what hath wall’d the world but thoughts unweigh’d

In freer reason? That antiquate, secure,

And easie dull conceit of corporature;

Of matter; quantitie, and such like gear

Hath made this needlesse, thanklesse inclosure,

Which I in full disdain quite up will tear

And lay all ope, that as things are they may appear.

7

For other they appear from what they are

By reason that their Circulation

Cannot well represent entire from farre

Each portion of the Cuspis of the Cone

(Whose nature is elsewhere more clearly shown)

I mean each globe, whether of glaring light

Or else opake, of which the earth is one.

If circulation could them well transmit

Numbers infinite of each would strike our ’stonishd sight;

3 B2

8

All in just bignesse and right colours dight

But totall presence without all defect

’Longs onely to that Trinitie by right,

Ahad, Æon, Psyche with all graces deckt,

Whose nature well this riddle will detect;

A Circle whose circumference no where

Is circumscrib’d, whose Centre’s each where set,

But the low Cusp’s a figure circular,

Whose compasse is ybound, but centre’s every where.

9

Wherefore who’ll judge the limits of the world

By what appears unto our failing sight

Appeals to sense, reason down headlong hurld

Out of her throne by giddie vulgar might.

But here base senses dictates they will dight

With specious title of Philosophie,

And stiffly will contend their cause is right

From rotten rolls of school antiquitie,

Who constantly denie corporall Infinitie.

10

But who can prove their corporalitie

Since matter which thereto’s essentiall

If rightly sifted ’s but a phantasie.

And quantitie who’s deem’d Originall

Is matter, must with matter likewise fall.

What ever is, is Life and Energie

From God, who is th’ Originall of all;

Who being everywhere doth multiplie

His own broad shade that endlesse throughout all doth lie.

11

He from the last projection of light

Ycleep’d Shamajim, which is liquid fire

(It Æther eke and centrall Tasis hight)

Hath made each shining globe and clumperd mire

Of dimmer Orbs. For Nature doth inspire

Spermatick life, but of a different kind.

Hence those congenit splendour doth attire

And lively heat, these darknesse dead doth bind,

And without borrowed rayes they be both cold and blind.

4 ||

12

All these be knots of th’ universall stole

Of sacred Psyche; which at first was fine,

Pure, thin, and pervious till hid powers did pull

Together in severall points and did encline

The nearer parts in one clod to combine.

Those centrall spirits that the parts did draw

The measure of each globe did then define,

Made things impenetrable here below,

Gave colour, figure, motion, and each usuall law.

13

And what is done in this Terrestriall starre

The same is done in every Orb beside.

Each flaming Circle that we see from farre

Is but a knot in Psyches garment tide.

From that lax shadow cast throughout the wide

And endlesse world, that low’st projection

Of universall life each thing’s deriv’d

What e’re appeareth in corporeall fashion;

For body’s but this spirit, fixt, grosse by conspissation.

14

And that which doth conspissate active is;

Wherefore not matter but some living sprite

Of nimble Nature which this lower mist

And immense field of Atoms doth excite,

And wake into such life as best doth fit

With his own self. As we change phantasies

The essence of our soul not chang’d a whit,

So do these Atoms change their energies

Themselves unchanged into new Centreïties.

15

And as our soul’s not superficially

Colourd by phantasms, nor doth them reflect

As doth a looking-glasse such imag’rie

As it to the beholder doth detect:

No more are these lightly or smear’d or deckt

With form or motion which in them we see,

But from their inmost Centre they project

Their vitall rayes, not merely passive be,

But by occasion wak’d rouze up themselves on high.

[5] B3

16

So that they’re life, form, sprite, not matter pure,

For matter pure is a pure nullitie,

What nought can act is nothing, I am sure;

And if all act, that is they’ll not denie

But all that is is form: so easily

By what is true, and by what they embrace

For truth, their feigned Corporalitie

Will vanish into smoke, but on I’ll passe,

More fully we have sung this in another place.

17

Wherefore more boldly now to represent

The nature of the world, how first things were

How now they are: This endlesse large Extent

Of lowest life (which I styled whileere

The Cuspis of the Cone that’s every where)

Was first all dark, till in this spacious Hall

Hideous through silent horrour torches clear

And lamping lights bright shining over all

Were set up in due distances proportionall.

18

Innumerable numbers of fair Lamps

Were rightly ranged in this hollow hole,

To warm the world and chace the shady damps

Of immense darknesse, rend her pitchie stole

Into short rags more dustie dimme then coal.

Which pieces then in severall were cast

(Abhorred reliques of that vesture foul)

Upon the Globes that round those torches trac’d,

Which still fast on them stick for all they run so fast.

19

Such an one is that which mortall men call Night,

A little shred of that unbounded shade.

And such a Globe is that which Earth is hight;

By witlesse Wizzards the sole centre made

Of all the world, and on strong pillars staid.

And such a lamp or light is this our Sun,

Whose firie beams the scortched Earth invade.

But infinite such as he, in heaven won,

And more then infinite Earths about those Suns do run;

[6] ||

20

And to speak out: though I detest the sect

Of Epicurus for their manners vile,

Yet what is true I may not well reject.

Truth’s incorruptible, ne can the style

Of vitious pen her sacred worth defile.

If we no more of truth should deign t’ embrace

Then what unworthy mouths did never soyl,

No truths at all mongst men would finden place

But make them speedie wings and back to Heaven apace.

21

I will not say our world is infinite,

But that infinitie of worlds ther be.

The Centre of our world’s the lively light

Of the warm sunne, the visible Deitie

Of this externall Temple. Mercurie

Next plac’d and warm’d more throughly by his rayes,

Right nimbly ’bout his golden head doth flie:

Then Venus nothing slow about him strayes,

And next our Earth though seeming sad full spritely playes.

22

And after her Mars rangeth in a round

With firie locks and angry flaming eye,

And next to him mild Jupiter is found,

But Saturn cold wons in our utmost skie.

The skirts of his large Kingdome surely lie

Near to the confines of some other worlds

Whose Centres are the fixed starres on high,

’Bout which as their own proper Suns are hurld

Joves, Earths and Saturns; round on their own axes twurld.

23

Little or nothing are those starres to us

Which in the azure Evening gay appear

(I mean for influence) but judicious

Nature and carefull Providence her dear

And matchlesse work did so contrive whileere,

That th’ Hearts or Centres in the wide world pight

Should such a distance each to other bear,

That the dull Planets with collated light

By neighbour suns might cheared be in dampish night.

[7] B4

24

And as the Planets in our world (of which

The sun’s the heart and kernell) do receive

Their nightly light from suns that do enrich

Their sable mantle with bright gemmes, and give

A goodly splendour, and sad men relieve

With their fair twinkling rayes, so our worlds sunne

Becomes a starre elsewhere, and doth derive

Joynt light with others, cheareth all that won

In those dim duskish Orbs round other suns that run.

25

This is the parergon of each noble fire

Of neighbour worlds to be the nightly starre,

But their main work is vitall heat t’ inspire

Into the frigid spheres that ’bout them fare,

Which of themselves quite dead and barren are.

But by the wakening warmth of kindly dayes,

And the sweet dewie nights they well declare

Their seminall virtue in due courses raise

Long hidden shapes and life, to their great Makers praise.

26

These with their suns I severall worlds do call,

Whereof the number I deem infinite:

Else infinite darknesse were in this great Hall

Of th’ endlesse Universe; For nothing finite

Could put that immense shadow unto flight.

But if that infinite Suns we shall admit,

Then infinite worlds follow in reason right.

For every Sun with Planets must be fit,

And have some mark for his farre-shining shafts to hit.

27

But if he shine all solitarie, alone,

What mark is left,? what aimed scope or end

Of his existence? wherefore every one

Hath a due number of dim Orbs that wend

Around their centrall fire. But wrath will rend

This strange composure back’d with reason stout

And rasher tongues right speedily will spend

Their forward censure, that my wits run out

On wool-gathering, through infinite spaces all about.

8 ||

28

What sober man will dare once to avouch

An infinite number of dispersed starres?

This one absurdity will make him crouch

And eat his words; Division nought impairs

The former whole, nor he augments that spares.

Strike every tenth out, that which doth remain,

An equall number with the former shares,

And let the tenth alone, th’ whole nought doth gain,

For infinite to infinite is ever the same.

29

The tenth is infinite as the other nine,

Or else, nor they, nor all the ten entire

Are infinite. Thus one infinite doth adjoyn

Others unto it and still riseth higher.

And if those single lights hither aspire,

This strange prodigious inconsistencie

Groweth still stranger, if each fixed fire

(I mean each starre) prove Sunnes, and Planets flie

About their flaming heads amid the thronged skie.

30

For whatsoever that their number be

Whether by seavens, or eighths, or fives, or nines,

They round each fixed lamp; Infinity

Will be redoubled thus by many times.

Besides each greater Planet th’ attendance finds

Of lesser. Our Earths handmaid is the Moon,

Which to her darkned side right duly shines,

And Jove hath foure, as hath been said aboven,

And Saturn more then foure if the plain truth were known.

31

And if these globes be regions of life

And severall kinds of plants therein do grow,

Grasse, flowers, hearbs, trees, which the impartiall knife

Of all consuming Time still down doth mow,

And new again doth in succession show:

Which also ’s done in flies, birds, men and beasts;

Adde sand, pearls, pebbles, that the ground do strow

Leaves, quills, hairs, thorns, blooms, you may think the rest

Their kinds by mortall penne can not well be exprest:

9 [B5]

32

And if their kinds no man may reckon well,

The summe of successive particulars

No mind conceive nor tongue can ever tell.

And yet this mist of numbers (as appears)

Belongs to one of these opacous sphears.

Suppose this Earth; what then will all those Rounds

Produce? No Atlas such a load upbears.

In this huge endlesse heap o’rewhelmed, drownd,

Choak’d, stifled, lo! I lie, breathlesse, even quite confound.

33

Yet give me space a while but to respire,

And I my self shal fairly well out-wind;

Keep this position true, unhurt, entire,

That you no greater difficulty find

In this new old opinion here defin’d

Of infinite worlds, then one world doth imply.

For if we do with steddy patience mind

All is resolv’d int’ one absurdity,

The grant of something greater then infinitie.

34

That God is infinite all men confesse,

And that the Creature is some realty

Besides Gods self, though infinitely lesse.

Joyn now the world unto the Deity.

What? is there added no more entitie

By this conjunction, then there was before?

Is the broad breasted earth? the spacious skie

Spangled with silver light, and burning Ore?

And the wide bellowing seas, whose boyling billows roar,

35

Are all these nothing? But you will reply;

As is the question so we ought restrain

Our answer unto Corporeity.

But that the phantasie of the body’s vain

I did before unto you maken plain.

But that no man depart unsatisfi’d

A while this Universe here will we feigne

Corporeall, till we have gainly tride.

If ought that’s bodily may infinite abide.

10 ||

36

What makes a body saving quantity?

What quantitie unlesse extension?

Extension if ’t admit infinity

Bodies admit boundlesse dimension.

That some extension forward on doth run

Withouten limits, endlesse, infinite

Is plane from Space, that ever paceth on

Unstop’d, unstaid, till it have filled quite

That immense infinite Orb where God himself doth sit.

37

But yet more sensibly this truth to show

If space be ended set upon that end

Some strong arm’d Archer with his Parthian bow,

That from that place with speedy force may send

His fleeter shafts, and so still forward wend.

Where? When shall he want room his strength to trie?

But here perversly subtill you’l contend

Nothing can move in mere vacuity,

And space is nought, so not extended properly.

38

To solve these knots I must call down from high

Some heavenly help, feather with angels wing

The sluggish arrow. If it will not flie,

Sent out from bow stiff-bent with even string,

Let angels on their backs it thither bring

Where your free mind appointed had before,

And then hold on, till in your travelling

You be well wearied, finding ever more

Free passage for their flight, and what they flying bore.

39

Now to that shift that sayes Vacuity

Is nought, and therefore not at all extent

We answer thus: There is a distancy

In empty space, though we be well content

To balk that question (for we never meant

Such needlesse niceties) whether that it be

A reall being; yet that there’s parts distent

One from another, no mans phantasie

Can e’re reject if well he weigh’t and warily.

11 [B6]

40

For now conceive the aire and azure skie

All swept away from Saturn to the Sunne,

Which each is to be wrought by him on high.

Then in this place let all the Planets runne

(As erst they did before this feat was done)

If not by nature, yet by divine power,

Ne one hairs breadth their former circuits shun

And still for fuller proof, th’ Astronomer

Observe their hights as in the empty heavens they scoure.

41

Will then their Parallaxes prove all one

Or none, or different still as before?

If so, their distances by mortall men

Must be acknowledg’d such as were of yore,

Measur’d by leagues, miles, stades, nor lesse nor more

From circuit unto circuit shall be found

Then was before the sweeping of the floor.

That distance therefore hath most certain ground

In emptinesse we may conclude with reason sound.

42

If distance now so certainly attend

All emptinesse (as also mensuration

Attendeth distance) distance without end

Is wide disperst above imagination

(For emptinesse is void of limitation)

And this unbounded voidnesse doth admit

The least and greatest measures application;

The number thus of the greatest that doth fit

This infinite void space is likewise infinite.

43

But what so e’re that infinite number be,

A lesser number will a number give

So farre exceeding in infinity

That number as this measure we conceive

To fall short of the other. But I’ll leave

This present way and a new course will trie

Which at the same mark doth as fully drive

And with a great deal more facility.

Look on this endlesse Space as one whole quantity.

12 ||

44

Which in your mind int’ equall parts divide,

Tens, hundreds, thousands or what pleaseth best.

Each part denominate doth still abide

An infinite portion, else nor all the rest

Makes one infinitude.

For if one thousandth part may be defin’d

By finite measures eas’ly well exprest,

A myriad suppose of miles assign’d

Then to a thousand myriads is the whole confin’d.

45

Wherefore this wide and wast Vacuity,

Which endlesse is outstretched thorough all,

And lies even equall with the Deity,

Nor is a thing meerly imaginall,

(For it doth farre mens phantasies forestall

Nothing beholden to our devicefull thought)

This inf’nite voidnesse as much our mind doth gall

And has as great perplexities ybrought

As if this empty space with bodies were yfraught.

46

Nor have we yet the face once to denie

But that it is although we mind it not;

For all once minded such perplexity

It doth create to puzzled reason, that

She sayes and unsayes, do’s she knows not what.

Why then should we the worlds infinity

Misdoubt, because when as we contemplate

Its nature, such strange inconsistency

And unexpected sequels, we therein descry?

47

Who dare gainsay but God is every where

Unbounded, measurelesse, all infinite;

Yet the same difficulties meet us here

Which erst us met and did so sore affright

With their strange vizards. This will follow right

Where ever we admit infinity

Every denominated part proves streight

A portion infinite, which if it be,

One infinite will into myriads multiply.

13 [B7]

48

But with new argument to draw more near

Our purpos’d end. If God’s omnipotent

And this omnipotent God be every where,

Where e’re he is then can he eas’ly vent

His mighty virtue thorough all extent.

What then shall hinder but a roscid aire

With gentle heat each where be ’sperst and sprent.

Unlesse omnipotent power we will empair,

And say that empty space his working can debarre.

49

Where now this one supposed world is pight

Was not that space at first all vain and void?

Nor ought said; no, when he said, Let ’t be light.

Was this one space better then all beside,

And more obedient to what God decreed?

Or would not all that endlesse emptinesse

Gladly embrac’d (if he had ever tride)

His just command? and what might come to passe

Implies no contradictious inconsistentnesse.

50

Wherefore this precious sweet Ethereall dew

For ought we know God each where did distill,

And thorough all that hollow voidnesse threw

And the wide gaping drought therewith did fill,

His endlesse overflowing goodnesse spill

In every place; which streight he did contrive

Int’ infinite severall worlds, as his best skill

Did him direct and creatures could receive

For matter infinite needs infinite worlds must give.

51

The Centre of each severall world’s a sunne

With shining beams and kindly warming heat,

About whose radiant crown the Planets runne,

Like reeling moths around a candle light,

These all together, one world I conceit.

And that even infinite such worlds there be,

That inexhausted Good that God is bight

A full sufficient reason is to me,

Who simple Goodnesse make the highest Deity.

14 ||

52

Als make himself the key of all his works

And eke the measure of his providence;

The piercing eye of truth to whom nought lurks

But lies wide ope unbar’d of all pretense.

But frozen hearts! away! flie farre from hence,

Unlesse you’l thaw at this celestiall fire

And melt into one minde and holy sense

With Him that doth all heavenly hearts inspire,

So may you with my soul in one assent conspire.

53

But what’s within, uneath is to convey

To narrow vessels that are full afore.

And yet this truth as wisely as I may

I will insinuate, from senses store

Borrowing a little aid. Tell me therefore

When you behold with your admiring eyes

Heavens Canopie all to bespangled o’re

With sprinkled starres, what can you well devize

Which causen may such carelesse order in the skies?

54

A peck of peasen rudely poured out

On plaister flore, from hasty heedlesse hond

Which lie all carelesse scattered about,

To sight do in as seemly order stond,

As those fair glistering lights in heaven are found.

If onely for this world they were intended,

Nature would have adorn’d this azure round

With better art, and easily have mended

This harsh disord’red order, and more beauty lended.

55

But though these lights do seem so rudely thrown

And scattered throughout the spacious skie,

Yet each most seemly sits in his own Throne

In distance due and comely Majesty;

And round their lordly seats their servants hie

Keeping a well-proportionated space

One from another, doing chearfully

Their dayly task. No blemmish may deface

The worlds in severall deckt with all art and grace.

15 [B8]

56

But the appearance of the nightly starres

Is but the by-work of each neighbour sun;

Wherefore lesse marvell if it lightly shares

Of neater Art; and what proportion

Were fittest for to distance one from one

(Each world I mean from other) is not clear.

Wherefore it must remain as yet unknown

Why such perplexed distances appear

Mongst the dispersed lights in Heaven thrown here & there.

57

Again, that eminent similitude

Betwixt the starres and Phœbus fixed light,

They being both with steddinesse indu’d,

No whit removing whence they first were pight,

No serious man will count a reason slight

To prove them both, both fixed suns and starres

And Centres all of severall worlds by right,

For right it is that none a sun debarre

Of Planets which his just and due retinue are.

58

If starres be merely starres not centrall lights

Why swell they into so huge bignesses?

For many (as Astronomers do write)

Our sun in bignesse many times surpasse.

If both their number and their bulks were lesse

Yet lower placed, light and influence

Would flow as powerfully, and the bosome presse

Of the impregned Earth, that fruit from hence

As fully would arise, and lordly affluence.

59

Wherefore these fixed Fires mainly attend

Their proper charge in their own Universe,

And onely by the by of court’sie lend

Light to our world, as our world doth reverse

His thankfull rayes so farre as he can pierce

Back unto other worlds. But farre aboven

Further then furthest thought of man can traverse,

Still are new worlds aboven and still aboven.

In the endlesse hollow Heaven, and each world hath his sun.

16 ||

60

An hint of this we have in winter-nights,

When reason may see clearer then our eye,

Small subtil starres appear unto our sights

As thick as pin-dust scattered in the skie.

Here we accuse our seeing facultie

Of weaknesse, and our sense of foul deceit,

We do accuse and yet we know not why.

But the plain truth is, from a vaster hight

The numerous upper worlds amaze our dazzled sight.

61

Now sith so farre as sense can ever trie

We find new worlds, that still new worlds there be,

And round about in infinite numbers lie,

Further then reach of mans weak phantasie

(Without suspition of temeritie)

We may conclude; as well as men conclude

That there is aire farre ’bove the mountains high,

Or that th’ Earth a sad substance doth include

Even to the Centre with like qualities indu’d.

62

For who did ever the Earths Centre pierce,

And felt or sand or gravell with his spade

At such a depth? what Histories rehearse

That ever wight did dare for to invade

Her bowels but one mile in dampish shade?

Yet I’ll be bold to say that few or none

But deem this globe even to the bottome made

Of solid earth, and that her nature’s one

Throughout, though plain experience hath it never shown.

63

But sith sad earth so farre as they have gone

They still descrie, eas’ly they do inferre

Without all check of reason, were they down

Never so deep, like substance would appear,

Ne dream of any hollow horrour there.

My mind with like uncurb’d facilitie

Concludes from what by sight is seen so clear

That ther’s no barren wast vacuitie

Above the worlds we see, but still new worlds there lie,

17 C

64

And still and still even to infinitie.

Which point since I so fitly have propos’d,

Abating well the inconsistencie

Of harsh infinitude therein supposd

And prov’d by reasons never to be loos’d

That infinite space and infinite worlds there be;

This load laid down, I’m freely now dispos’d

Awhile to sing of times infinitie,

May infinite Time afford me but his smallest fee.

65

For smallest fee of time will serve my turn

This part for to dispatch, sith endlesse space

(Whose perplext nature well mans brains might turn,

And weary wits disorder and misplace)

I have already passed: for like case

Is in them both. He that can well untie

The knots that in those infinite worlds found place,

May easily answer each perplexitie

Of these worlds infinite matters endlesse durancie.

66

The Cuspis and the Basis of the Cone

Were both at once dispersed every where;

But the pure Basis that is God alone:

Else would remotest sights as bigge appear

Unto our eyes as if we stood them near.

And if an Harper harped in the Moon,

His silver sound would touch our tickled eare:

Or if one hollowed from highest Heaven aboven,

In sweet still Evening-tide, his voice would hither roam.

67

This all would be if the Cuspe of the Cone

Were very God. Wherefore I rightly ’t deem

Onely a Creaturall projection,

Which flowing yet from God hath ever been,

Fill’d the vast empty space with its large streem.

But yet it is not totall every where

As was even now by reason rightly seen:

Wherefore not God, whose nature doth appear

Entirely omnipresent, weigh’d with judgement clear,

18 ||

68

A reall infinite matter, distinct

And yet proceeding from the Deitie

Although with different form as then untinct

Has ever been from all Eternitie.

Now what delay can we suppose to be,

Since matter alway was at hand prepar’d

Before the filling of the boundlesse skie

With framed Worlds; for nought at all debar’d,

Nor was His strength ungrown, nor was His strength empair’d.

69

How long would God be forming of a flie?

Or the small wandring moats that play i’ th’ sun?

Least moment well will serve none can denie,

His Fiat spoke and streight the thing is done.

And cannot He make all the World as soon?

For in each Atom of the matter wide

The totall Deitie doth entirely won,

His infinite presence doth therein reside,

And in this presence infinite powers do ever abide.

70

Wherefore at once from all eternitie

The infinite number of these Worlds He made,

And will conserve to all infinitie,

And still drive on their ever-moving trade,

And steddy hold what ever must be staid;

Ne must one mite be minish’d of the summe,

Ne must the smallest atom ever fade,

But still remain though it may change its room;

This truth abideth strong from everlasting doom.

71

Ne fear I what hard sequel after-wit

Will draw upon me; that the number’s one

Of years, moneths, dayes, houres, and of minutes fleet

Which from eternitie have still run on.

I plainly did confesse awhile agone

That be it what it will that’s infinite

More infinites will follow thereupon,

But that all infinites do justly fit

And equall be, my reason did not yet admit.

19 C2

72

But as my emboldened mind, I know not how,

In empty Space and pregnant Deitie

Endlesse infinitude dares to allow,

Though it begets the like perplexitie:

So now my soul drunk with Divinitie,

And born away above her usuall bounds

With confidence concludes infinitie

Of Time of Worlds, of firie flaming Rounds;

Which sight in sober mood my spirits quite confounds.

73

And now I do awhile but interspire

A torrent of objections ’gainst me beat,

My boldnesse to represse and strength to tire.

But I will wipe them off like summer sweat,

And make their streams streight back again retreat.

If that these worlds, say they, were ever made

From infinite time, how comes ’t to passe that yet

Art is not perfected, nor metalls fade,

Nor mines of grimie coal low-hid in griesly shade.

74

But the remembrance of the ancient Floud

With ease will wash such arguments away.

Wherefore with greater might I am withstood.

The strongest stroke wherewith they can assay

To vanquish me is this; The Date or Day

Of the created World, which all admit;

Nor may my modest Muse this truth gainsay

In holy Oracles so plainly writ.

Wherefore the Worlds continuance is not infinite.

75

Now lend me, Origen! a little wit

This sturdy stroke right fairly to avoid,

Lest that my rasher rymes, while they ill fit

With Moses pen, men justly may deride

And well accuse of ignorance or pride.

But thou, O holy Sage! with piercing sight

Who readst those sacred rolls, and hast well tride

With searching eye thereto what fitteth right

Thy self of former Worlds right learnedly dost write:

20 ||

76

To weet that long ago these Earths have been

Peopled with men and beasts before this Earth,

And after this shall others be again

And other beasts and other humane birth.

Which once admit, no strength that reason bear’th

Of this worlds Date and Adams efformation,

Another Adam once received breath

And still another in endlesse repedation,

And this must perish once by finall conflagration.

77

Witnesse ye Heavens if what I say’s not true,

Ye flaming Comets wandering on high,

And new fixt starres found in that Circle blue,

The one espide in glittering Cassiopie,

The other near to Ophiuchus thigh.

Both bigger then the biggest starres that are,

And yet as farre remov’d from mortall eye

As are the furthest, so those Arts declare

Unto whose reaching sight Heavens mysteries lie bare.

78

Wherefore these new-seen lights were greater once

By many thousand times then this our sphear

Wherein we live, ’twixt good and evil chance.

Which to my musing mind doth strange appear

If those large bodies then first shaped were.

For should so goodly things so soon decay?

Neither did last the full space of two year.

Wherefore I cannot deem that their first day

Of being, when to us they sent out shining ray.

79

But that they were created both of old,

And each in his due time did fair display

Themselves in radiant locks more bright then gold,

Or silver sheen purg’d from all drossie clay.

But how they could themselves in this array

Expose to humane sight, who did before

Lie hid, is that which well amazen may

The wisest man and puzzle evermore:

Yet my unwearied thoughts this search could not give o’re.

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80

Which when I’d exercis’d in long pursuit

To finden out what might the best agree

With warie reason, at last I did conclude

That there’s no better probabilitie

Can be produc’d of that strange prodigie,

But that some mighty Planet that doth run

About some fixed starre in Cassiopie

As Saturn paceth round about our Sun,

Unusuall light and bignesse by strange fate had wonne.

81

Which I conceive no gainer way is done

Then by the siezing of devouring fire

On that dark Orb, which ’fore but dimly shone

With borrowed light, not lightened entire,

But halfed like the Moon.

And while the busie flame did sieze throughout,

And search the bowels of the lowest mire

Of that Saturnian Earth; a mist broke out,

And immense mounting smoke arose all round about.

82

Which being gilded with the piercing rayes

Of its own sun and every neighbour starre,

It soon appear’d with shining silver blaze,

And then gan first be seen of men from farre.

Besides that firie flame that was so narre

The Planets self, which greedily did eat

The wastning mold, did contribute a share

Unto this brightnesse; and what I conceit

Of this starre doth with that of Ophiuchus sit.

83

And like I would adventure to pronounce

Of all the Comets that above the Moon,

Amidst the higher Planets rudely dance

In course perplex, but that from this rash doom

I’m bett off by their beards and tails farre strown

Along the skie, pointing still opposite

Unto the sun, however they may roam;

Wherefore a cluster of small starres unite

These meteors some do deem, perhaps with judgement right.

22 ||

84

And that these tayls are streams of the suns light

Breaking through their near bodies as through clouds.

Besides the Optick glasse has shown to sight

The dissolution of these starrie crouds.

Which thing if ’t once be granted and allow’d,

I think without all contradiction

They may conclude these Meteors are routs

Of wandring starres, which though they one by one

Cannot be seen, yet joyn’d, cause this strange vision.

85

And yet methinks, in my devicefull mind

Some reasons that may happily represse

These arguments it’s not uneath to find.

For how can the suns rayes that be transmisse

Through these loose knots in Comets, well expresse

Their beards or curld tayls utmost incurvation?

Beside, the conflux and congeries

Of lesser lights a double augmentation

Implies, and ’twixt them both a lessening coarctation.

86

For when as once these starres are come so nigh

As to seem one, the Comet must appear

In biggest show, because more loose they lie

Somewhat spread out, but as they draw more near

The compasse of his head away must wear,

Till he be brought to his least magnitude;

And then they passing crosse, he doth repair

Himself, and still from his last losse renew’d

Grows till he reach the measure which we first had view’d.

87

And then farre distanc’d they bid quite adiew,

Each holding on in solitude his way.

Ne any footsteps in the empty Blew

Is to be found of that farre-shining ray.

Which processe sith no man did yet bewray,

It seems unlikely that the Comets be

Synods of starres that in wide Heaven stray.

Their smallnesse eke and numerositie

Encreaseth doubt and lessens probabilitie.

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88

A cluster of them makes not half a Moon,

What should such tennis-balls do in the skie?

And few ’ll not figure out the fashion

Of those round firie meteors on high.

Ne ought their beards much move us, that do lie

Ever cast forward from the Morning sunne,

Nor back cast tayls turn’d to our Evening-eye,

That fair appear when as the day is done.

This matter may lie hid in the starres shadowed Cone.

89

For in these Planets conflagration,

Although the smoke mount up exactly round,

Yet by the suns irradiation

Made thin and subtil no where else its found

By sight, save in the dim and duskish bound

Of the projected Pyramid opake,

Opake with darknesse, smoke and mists unsound.

Yet gilded like a foggie cloud doth make

Reflection of fair light that doth our senses take.

90

This is the reason of that constant site

Of Comets tayls and beards: And that their show’s

Not pure Pyramidall, nor their ends seem streight

But bow’d like brooms, is from the winds that blow,

I mean Ethereall winds, such as below

Men finden under th’ Equinoctiall line.

Their widend beards this aire so broad doth strow

Incurvate, and or more or lesse decline:

If not, let sharper wits more subtly here divine.

91

But that experiment of the Optick glasse

The greatest argument of all I deem,

Ne can I well encounter nor let passe

So strong a reason if I may esteem

The feat withouten fallacie to been,

Nor judge these little sparks and subtile lights

Some auncient fixed starres though now first seen,

That near the ruin’d Comets place were pight,

On which that Optic instrument by chance did light.

24 ||

92

Nor finally an uncouth after-sport

Of th’ immense vapours that the searching fire

Had boyled out, which now themselves consort

In severall parts and closely do conspire,

Clumper’d in balls of clouds and globes entire

Of crudled smoke and heavy clunging mists;

Which when they’ve staid awhile at last expire;

But while they stay any may see that lists

So be that Optick Art his naturall sight assists.

93

If none of these wayes I may well decline

The urging weight of this hard argument,

Worst is but parting stakes and thus define:

Some Comets be but single Planets brent,

Others a synod joyn’d in due consent:

And that no new found Meteors they are:

Ne further may my wary mind assent

From one single experience solitaire,

Till all-discovering Time shall further truth declare.

94

But for the new fixt starres there’s no pretence,

Nor beard nor tail to take occasion by,

To bring in that unluckie inference

Which weaken might this new built mysterie.

Certes in raging fire they both did frie.

A signe whereof you rightly may aread

Their colours changeable varietie

First clear and white, then yellow, after red,

Then blewly pale, then duller still, till perfect dead.

95

And as the order of these colours went,

So still decreas’d that Cassiopean starre,

Till at the length to sight it was quite spent:

Which observations strong reasons are,

Consuming fire its body did empare

And turn to ashes. And the like will be

In all the darksome Planets wide and farre.

Ne can our Earth from this state standen free

A Planet as the rest, and Planets fate must trie.

25 [C5]

96

Ne let the tender heart too harshly deem

Of this rude sentence: for what rigour more

Is in consuming fire then drowning stream

Of Noahs floud which all creaturs choak’d of yore,

Saving those few that were kept safe in store

In that well builded ship? All else beside

Men, birds, and beasts, the lion, buck, and bore

Dogs, kine, sheep, horses all that did abide

Upon the spacious earth, perish’d in waters wide.

97

Nor let the slow and misbelieving wight

Doubt how the fire on the hard earth may seize;

No more then how those waters erst did light

Upon the sinfull world. For as the seas

Boyling with swelling waves aloft did rise,

And met with mighty showers and pouring rain

From Heavens spouts; so the broad flashing skies

Thickned with brimstone and clouds of fiery bain

Shall meet with raging Etna’s and Vesuvius flame.

98

The burning bowels of this wasting ball

Shall gullup up great flakes of rolling fire,

And belch out pitchie flames, till over all

Having long rag’d, Vulcan himself shall tire

And (th’ earth an ashheap made) shall then expire:

Here Nature laid asleep in her own Urn

With gentle rest right easly will respire,

Till to her pristine task she do return

As fresh as Phenix young under th’ Arabian Morn.

99

O happy they that then the first are born,

While yet the world is in her vernall pride:

For old corruption quite away is worn

As metall pure so is her mold well tride.

Sweet dews, cool-breathing airs, and spaces wide

Of precious spicery wafted with soft wind:

Fair comely bodies goodly beautifi’d

Snow-limb’d, rose-cheek’d, ruby-lip’d, pearl-ted, star eyn’d

Their parts each fair in fit proportion all conbin’d.

26 ||

100

For all the while her purged ashes rest

These rellicks dry suck in the heavenly dew,

And roscid Manna rains upon her breast,

And fills with sacred milk sweet fresh and new,

Where all take life and doth the world renew;

And then renew’d with pleasure be yfed.

A green soft mantle doth her bosome strew

With fragrant herbs and flowers embellished,

Where without fault or shame all living creatures bed.

101

Ne ought we doubt how Nature may recover

In her own ashes long time buried,

For nought can ever consume that centrall power

Of hid spermatick life, which lies not dead

In that rude heap, but safely covered;

And doth by secret force suck from above

Sweet heavenly juice, and therewith nourished

Till her just bulk, she doth her life emprove,

Made mother of much children that about her move.

102

Witnesse that uncouth bird of Arabie

Which out of her own ruines doth revive

With all th’ exploits of skillfull Chymistrie,

Such as no vulgar wit can well believe.

Let universall Nature witnesse give

That what I sing ’s no feigned forgerie.

A needlesse task new fables to contrive,

But what I sing is seemly verity

Well suting with right reason and Philosophie.

103

But the fit time of this mutation

No man can finden out with all his pains.

For the small sphears of humane reason run

Too swift within his narrow compast brains.

But that vast Orb of Providence contains

A wider period; turneth still and slow.

Yet at the last his aimed end he gains.

And sure at last a fire will overflow

The aged Earth, and all must into ashes go.

27 [C6]

104

Then all the stately works and monuments

Built on this bottome shall to ruine fall.

And all those goodly statues shall be brent

Which were erect to the memoriall

Of Kings Kæsars, ne may better ’fall

The boastfull works of brave Poetick pride

That promise life and fame perpetuall;

Ne better fate may these poor lines abide.

Betide what will to what may live no lenger tide!

105

This is the course that never-dying Nature

Might ever hold from all Eternitie,

Renuing still the faint decayed creature

Which would grow stark and drie as aged tree,

Unlesse by wise preventing Destinie

She were at certain periods of years

Reduced back unto her Infancie,

Which well fram’d argument (as plain appears)

My ship from those hard rocks and shelves right safely stears.

106

Lo! now my faithfull muse hath represented

Both frames of Providence to open view,

And hath each point in orient colours painted

Not to deceive the sight with seeming shew

But earnest to give either part their due;

Now urging th’ uncouth strange perplexitie

Of infinite worlds and Time, then of a new

Softening that harsher inconsistencie

To fit the immense goodnesse of the Deity.

107

And here by curious men ’t may be expected

That I this knot with judgement grave decide,

And then proceed to what else was objected.

But, ah! What mortall wit may dare t’ areed

Heavens counsels in eternall horrour hid?

And Cynthius pulls me by my tender ear

Such signes I must observe with wary heed:

Wherefore my restlesse Muse at length forbear.

Thy silver sounded Lute hang up in silence here.

FINIS.

Cupids Conflict.

Mela. Cleanthes.

Cl. M ela my dear! why been thy looks so sad

As if thy gentle heart were sunk with care?

Impart thy case; for be it good or bad

Friendship in either will bear equall share.

Mel. Not so; Cleanthes, for if bad it be

My self must bleed afresh by wounding thee.

But what it is, my slow, uncertain wit

Cannot well judge. But thou shalt sentence give

How manfully of late my self I quit,

When with that lordly lad by chance I strive:

Cl. Of friendship Mela! let’s that story hear.

Mel. Sit down Cleanthes then, and lend thine ear.

Upon a day as best did please my mind

Walking abroad amidst the verdant field

Scattering my carefull thoughts i’ th’ wanton wind

The pleasure of my path so farre had till’d

My feeble feet that without timely rest

Uneath it were to reach my wonted nest.

In secret shade farre moved from mortals sight

In lowly dale my wandring limbs I laid

On the cool grasse where Natures pregnant wit

A goodly bower of thickest trees had made.

Amongst the leaves the chearfull birds did fare

And sweetly carrol’d to the echoing air.

Hard at my feet ran down a crystall spring

Which did the cumbrous pebbles hoarsly chide

For standing in the way. Though murmuring

The broken stream his course did rightly guide

And strongly pressing forward with disdain

The grassie flore divided into twain.

2 ||

The place a while did feed my foolish eye

As being new, and eke mine idle ear

Did listen oft to that wild harmonie

And oft my curious phansie would compare

How well agreed the Brooks low muttering Base,

With the birds trebbles pearch’d on higher place.

But senses objects soon do glut the soul,

Or rather weary with their emptinesse;

So I, all heedlesse how the waters roll

And mindlesse of the mirth the birds expresse,

Into my self ’gin softly to retire

After hid heavenly pleasures to enquire.

While I this enterprize do entertain;

Lo! on the other side in thickest bushes

A mighty noise! with that a naked swain

With blew and purple wings streight rudely rushes.

He leaps down light upon the flowry green,

Like sight before mine eyes had never seen.

At’s snowy back the boy a quiver wore

Right fairly wrought and gilded all with gold.

A silver bow in his left hand he bore,

And in his right a ready shaft did hold.

Thus armed stood he and betwixt us tway

The labouring brook did break his toilsome way.

The wanton lad whose sport is others pain

Did charge his bended bow with deadly dart,

And drawing to the head with might and main,

With fell intent he aim’d to hit my heart.

But ever as he shot his arrows still

In their mid course dropt down into the rill.

Of wondrous virtues that in waters been

Is needlesse to rehearse, all books do ring

Of those strange rarities. But ne’re was seen

Such virtue as resided in this spring.

The novelty did make me much admire

But stirr’d the hasty youth to ragefull ire.

3 [C8]

As heedlesse fowls that take their per’lous flight

Over that bane of birds, Averno lake,

Do drop down dead: so dead his shafts did light

Amid this stream, which presently did slake

Their fiery points, and all their feathers wet

Which made the youngster Godling inly fret.

Thus lustfull Love (this was that love I ween)

Was wholly changed to consuming ire.

And eath it was, sith they’re so near a kin

They be both born of one rebellious sire.

But he supprest his wrath and by and by

For feathered darts, he winged words let flie:

Vain man! said he, and would thou wer’st not vain

That hid’st thy self in solitary shade

And spil’st thy precious youth in sad disdain

Hating this lifes delight! Hath god thee made

Part of this world, and wilt not thou partake

Of this worlds pleasure for its makers sake?

Unthankfull wretch! Gods gifts thus to reject

And maken nought of Natures goodly dower

That milders still away through thy neglect

And dying fades like unregarded flower.

This life is good, what’s good thou must improve,

The highest improvement of this life is love.

Had I (but O that envious Destinie,

Or Stygian vow, or thrice accursed charm

Should in this place free passage thus denie

Unto my shafts as messengers of harm!

Had I but once transfixt thy froward breast,

How would’st thou then——I staid not for the rest;

But thus half angry to the boy replide:

How would’st thou then my soul of sense bereave!

I blinded, thee more blind should choose my guide!

How would’st thou then my muddied mind deceive

With fading shows, that in my errour vile,

Base lust; I love should tearm, vice, virtue stile.

4 ||

How should my wicked rymes then idolize

Thy wretched power, and with impious wit

Impute thy base born passions to the skies

And my souls sicknesse count an heavenly fit,

My weaknesse strength, my wisdome to be caught

My bane my blisse, mine ease to be o’rewraught.

How often through my fondly feigning mind

And frantick phansie, in my Mistris eye

Should I a thousand fluttering Cupids find

Bathing their busie wings? How oft espie

Under the shadow of her eye-brows fair

Ten thousand Graces sit all naked bare?

Thus haunted should I be with such feat fiends:

A pretty madnesse were my portion due.

Foolish my self I would not hear my friends.

Should deem the true for false, the false for true.

My way all dark more slippery then ice

My attendents, anger, pride, and jealousies.

Unthankfull then to God I should neglect

All the whole world for one poor sorry wight,

Whose pestilent eye into my heart project

Would burn like poysonous Comet in my spright.

Aye me! how dismall then would prove that day

Whose onely light sprang from so fatall ray.

Who seeks for pleasure in this mortall life

By diving deep into the body base

Shall loose true pleasure: But who gainly strive

Their sinking soul above this bulk to place

Enlarg’d delight they certainly shall find

Unbounded joyes to fill their boundlesse mind.

When I my self from mine own self do quit

And each thing else; then an all-spreaden love

To the vast Universe my soul doth sit

Makes me half equall to all-seeing Jove.

My mighty wings high stretch’d then clapping light

I brush the starres and make them shine more bright.

5 D

Then all the works of God with close embrace

I dearly hug in my enlarged arms

All the hid paths of heavenly Love I trace

And boldly listen to his secret charms.

Then clearly view I where true light doth rise,

And where eternall Night low-pressed lies.

Thus lose I not by leaving small delight

But gain more joy, while I my self suspend

From this and that; for then with all unite

I all enjoy, and love that love commends.

That all is more then loves the partiall soul

Whose petty loves th’ impartiall fates controll.

Ah son! said he, (and laughed very loud)

That trickst thy tongue with uncouth strange disguize,

Extolling highly that with speeches proud

To mortall men that humane state denies,

And rashly blaming what thou never knew

Let men experienc’d speak, if they’ll speak true.

Had I once lanc’d thy froward flinty heart

And cruddled bloud had thawn with living fire

And prickt thy drousie sprite with gentle smart

How wouldst thou wake to kindly sweet desire,

Thy soul fill’d up with overflowing pleasures

Would dew thy lips with hony-dropping measures.

Then wouldst thou caroll loud and sweetly sing

In honour of my sacred Deity

That all the woods and hollow hills would ring

Reechoing thy heavenly harmonie.

And eke the hardy rocks with full rebounds

Would faithfully return thy silver sounds.

Next unto me would be thy Mistresse fair,

Whom thou might setten out with goodly skill

Her peerlesse beauty and her virtues rare,

That all would wonder at thy gracefull quill.

And lastly in us both thy self shouldst raise

And crown thy temples with immortall bayes.

6 ||

But now thy riddles all men do neglect,

Thy rugged lines of all do lie forlorn.

Unwelcome rymes that rudely do detect

The Readers ignorance. Men holden scorn

To be so often non-plusd or to spell,

And on one stanza a whole age to dwell.

Besides this harsh and hard obscuritie

Of the hid sense, thy words are barbarous

And strangely new, and yet too frequently

Return, as usuall plain and obvious,

So that the show of the new thick-set patch

Marres all the old with which it ill doth match.

But if thy haughty mind, forsooth, would deign

To stoop so low to hearken to my lore,

Then wouldst thou with trim lovers not disdeign

To adorn the outside, set the best before.

Nor rub nor wrinkle would thy verses spoil

Thy rymes should run as glib and smooth as oyl.

If that be all, said I, thy reasons slight

Can never move my well establishd mind.

Full well I wote alwayes the present sprite,

Or life that doth possesse the soul, doth blind,

Shutting the windows ’gainst broad open day

Lest fairer sights its uglinesse bewray.

The soul then loves that disposition best

Because no better comes unto her view.

The drunkard drunkennesse, the sluggard rest,

Th’ Ambitious honour and obeisance due.

So all the rest do love their vices base

’Cause virtues beauty comes not into place.

And looser love ’gainst Chastitie divine

Would shut the door that he might sit alone.

Then wholly should my mind to him incline:

And woxen strait, (since larger love was gone)

That paultrie sprite of low contracting lust

Would fit my soul as if ’t were made for ’t just.

7 D2

Then should I with my fellow bird or brute

So strangely metamorphis’d, either ney

Or bellow loud: or if ’t may better sute

Chirp out my joy pearch’d upon higher spray.

My passions fond with impudence rehearse,

Immortalize my madnesse in a verse.

This is the summe of thy deceiving boast

That I vain ludenesse highly should admire,

When I the sense of better things have lost

And chang’d my heavenly heat for hellish fire,

Passion is blind, but virtues piercing eye

Approching danger can from farre espie.

And what thou dost Pedantickly object

Concerning my rude rugged uncouth style,

As childish toy I manfully neglect,

And at thy hidden snares do inly smile.

How ill alas! with wisdome it accords

To sell my living sense for livelesse words.

My thought ’s the fittest measure of my tongue,

Wherefore I’ll use what’s most significant,

And rather then my inward meaning wrong

Or my full-shining notion trimly scant,

I’ll conjure up old words out of their grave,

Or call fresh forrein force in if need crave.

And these attending on my moving mind

Shall duly usher in the fitting sense.

As oft as meet occasion I find.

Unusuall words oft used give lesse offence;

Nor will the old contexture dim or marre,

For often us’d they’re next to old, thred-bare.

And if the old seem in too rustie hew,

Then frequent rubbing makes them shine like gold,

And glister all with colour gayly new.

Wherefore to use them both we will be bold.

Thus lists me fondly with fond folk to toy,

And answer fools with equall foolerie.

8 ||

The meaner mind works with more nicetie,

As spiders wont to weave their idle web,

But braver spirits do all things gallantly

Of lesser failings nought at all affred:

So Natures carelesse pencill dipt in light

With sprinkled starres hath spattered the Night.

And if my notions clear though rudely thrown

And loosely scattered in my poesie,

May lend men light till the dead Night be gone,

And Morning fresh with roses strew the skie:

It is enough, I meant no trimmer frame

Or by nice needle-work to seek a name.

Vain man! that seekest name mongst earthly men

Devoid of God and all good virtuous lere;

Who groping in the dark do nothing ken

But mad; with griping care their souls do tear,

Or burst with hatred or with envie pine

Or burn with rage or melt out at their eyne.

Thrice happy he whose name is writ above,

And doeth good though gaining infamie;

Requiteth evil turns with hearty love,

And recks not what befalls him outwardly:

Whose worth is in himself, and onely blisse

In his pure conscience that doth nought amisse.

Who placeth pleasure in his purged soul

And virtuous life his treasure doth esteem;

Who can his passions master and controll,

And that true lordly manlinesse doth deem,

Who from this world himself hath clearly quit

Counts nought his own but what lives in his sprite.

So when his sprite from this vain world shall flit

It bears all with it whatsoever was dear

Unto it self, passing in easie fit,

As kindly ripen’d corn comes out of th’ eare.

Thus mindlesse of what idle men will say

He takes his own and stilly goes his way.

9 D3

But the retinue of proud Lucifer,

Those blustering Poets that flie after fame

And deck themselves like the bright Morning-starre.

Alas! it is but all a crackling flame.

For death will strip them of that glorious plume

That airie blisse will vanish into fume.

For can their carefull ghosts from Limbo take

Return, or listen from the bowed skie

To heare how well their learned lines do take?

Or if they could; is Heavens felicitie

So small as by mans praise to be encreas’d,

Hells pain no greater then hence to be eas’d?

Therefore once dead in vain shall I transmit

My shadow to gazing Posteritie;

Cast farre behind me I shall never see’t,

On Heavens fair Sunne having fast fixt mine eye.

Nor while I live, heed I what man doth praise

Or underprize mine unaffected layes.

What moves thee then, said he, to take the pains

And spenden time if thou contemn’st the fruit?

Sweet fruit of fame, that fills the Poets brains

With high conceit and feeds his fainting wit.

How pleasant ’tis in honour here to live

And dead, thy name for ever to survive!

Or is thy abject mind so basely bent

As of thy Muse to maken Merchandize?

(And well I wote this is no strange intent.)

The hopefull glimps of gold from chattering Pies,

From Daws and Crows, and Parots oft hath wrung

An unexpected Pegaseian song.

Foul shame on him, quoth I, that shamefull thought

Doth entertain within his dunghill breast,

Both God and Nature hath my spirits wrought

To better temper and of old hath blest

My loftie soul with more divine aspires

Then to be touchd with such vile low desires.

10 ||

I hate and highly scorn that Kestrell kind

Of bastard scholars that subordinate

The precious choice induements of the mind

To wealth or worldly good. Adulterate

And cursed brood! Your wit and will are born

Of th’ earth and circling thither do return.

Profit and honour be those measures scant

Of your slight studies and endeavours vain,

And when you once have got what you did want

You leave your learning to enjoy your gain.

Your brains grow low, your bellies swell up high,

Foul sluggish fat ditts up your dulled eye.

Thus what the earth did breed, to th’ earth is gone,

Like fading hearb or feebly drooping flower,

By feet of men and beast quite trodden down,

The muck-sprung learning cannot long endure.

Back she returns lost in her filthy source,

Drown’d, chok’d or slocken by her cruell nurse.

True virtue to her self’s the best reward,

Rich with her own and full of lively spirit,

Nothing cast down for want of due regard.

Or ’cause rude men acknowledge not her merit.

She knows her worth and stock from whence she sprung,

Spreads fair without the warmth of earthly dung,

Dew’d with the drops of Heaven shall flourish long;

As long as day and night do share the skie,

And though that day and night should fail yet strong

And steddie, fixed on Eternitie

Shall bloom for ever. So the foul shall speed

That loveth virtue for no worldly meed.

Though sooth to sayn, the worldly meed is due

To her more then to all the world beside.

Men ought do homage with affections true

And offer gifts for God doth there reside.

The wise and virtuous soul is his own seat

To such what’s given God himself doth get.

11 D4

But earthly minds whose sight’s seal’d up with mud

Discern not this flesh-clouded Deity,

Ne do acknowledge any other good

Then what their mole-warp hands can feel and trie

By groping touch; thus (worth of them unseen)

Of nothing worthy that true worth they ween.

Wherefore the prudent Law-givers of old

Even in all Nations, with right sage foresight

Discovering from farre how clums and cold

The vulgar wight would be to yield what’s right

To virtuous learning, did by law designe

Great wealth and honour to that worth divine.

But nought’s by law to Poesie due said he,

Ne doth the solemn Statesmans head take care

Of those that such impertinent pieces be

Of common-weals. Thou’d better then to spare

Thy uselesse vein. Or tell else, what may move

Thy busie use such fruitlesse pains to prove.

No pains but pleasure to do the dictates dear

Of inward living nature. What doth move

The Nightingall to sing so sweet and clear

The Thrush, or Lark that mounting high above

Chants her shrill notes to heedlesse ears of corn

Heavily hanging in the dewy morn.

When life can speak, it can not well withhold

T’ expresse its own impressions and hid life.

Or joy or grief that smoothered lie untold

Do vex the heart and wring with restlesse strife.

Then are my labours no true pains but ease

My souls unrest they gently do appease.

Besides, that is not fruitlesse that no gains

Brings to my self. I others profit deem

Mine own: and if at these my heavenly flames

Others receiven light, right well I ween

My time’s not lost. Art thou now satisfide

Said I: to which the scoffing boy replide.

12 ||

Great hope indeed thy rymes should men enlight,

That be with clouds and darknesse all o’recast,

Harsh style and harder sense void of delight

The Readers wearied eye in vain do wast.

And when men win thy meaning with much pain,

Thy uncouth sense they coldly entertain.

For wotst thou not that all the world is dead

Unto that Genius that moves in thy vein

Of poetrie! But like by like is fed.

Sing of my Trophees in triumphant strein,

Then correspondent life, thy powerfull verse

Shall strongly strike and with quick passion pierce.

The tender frie of lads and lasses young

With thirstie eare thee compassing about,

Thy Nectar-dropping Muse, thy sugar’d song

Will swallow down with eagre hearty draught;

Relishing truly what thy rymes convey,

And highly praising thy soul-smiting lay.

The mincing maid her mind will then bewray,

Her heart-bloud flaming up into her face,

Grave matrons will wex wanton and betray

Their unresolv’dnesse in their wonted grace;

Young boyes and girls would feel a forward spring,

And former youth to eld thou back wouldst bring.

All Sexes, Ages, Orders, Occupations

Would listen to thee with attentive ear,

And eas’ly moved with thy sweet perswasions,

Thy pipe would follow with full merry chear.

While thou thy lively voice didst loud advance

Their tickled bloud for joy would inly dance.

But now, alas! poore solitarie man!

In lonesome desert thou dost wander wide

To seek and serve thy disappearing Pan,

Whom no man living in the world hath eyde:

For Pan is dead but I am still alive,

And live in men who honour to me give:

13 [D5]

They honour also those that honour me

With sacred songs. But thou now singst to trees

To rocks to Hills, to Caves that senselesse be

And mindlesse quite of thy hid mysteries,

In the void aire thy idle voice is spread,

Thy Muse is musick to the deaf or dead.

Now out alas! said I, and wele-away

The tale thou tellest I confesse too true.

Fond man so doteth on this living clay

His carcase dear, and doth its joyes pursue,

That of his precious soul he takes no keep

Heavens love and reasons light lie fast asleep.

This bodies life vain shadow of the soul

With full desire they closely do embrace,

In fleshly mud like swine they wallow and roll,

The loftiest mind is proud but of the face

Or outward person; if men but adore

That walking sepulchre, cares for no more.

This is the measure of mans industry

To wexen some body and getten grace

To ’s outward presence; though true majestie

Crown’d with that heavenly light and lively rayes

Of holy wesdome and Seraphick love,

From his deformed soul he farre remove.

Slight knowledge and lesse virtue serves his turn

For this designe. If he hath trod the ring

Of pedling arts; in usuall pack-horse form

Keeping the rode; O! then ’t’s a learned thing.

If any chanc’d to write or speak what he

Conceives not ’t were a foul discourtesie.

To cleanse the soul from sinne, and still diffide

Whether our reasons eye be clear enough

To intromit true light, that fain would glide

Into purg’d hearts, this way ’s too harsh and rough:

Therefore the clearest truths may well seem dark

When sloathfull men have eyes so dimme and stark.

14 ||

These be our times. But if my minds presage

Bear any moment, they can ne’re last long,

A three branch’d Flame will soon sweep clean the stage

Of this old dirty drosse and all wex young.

My words into this frozen air I throw

Will then grow vocall at that generall thaw.

Nay, now thou ’rt perfect mad, said he, with scorn,

And full of foul derision quit the place.

The skie did rattle with his wings ytorn

Like to rent silk. But I in the mean space

Sent after him this message by the wind

Be ’t so I ’m mad, yet sure I am thou ’rt blind.

By this the out-stretch’d shadows of the trees

Pointed me home-ward, and with one consent

Foretold the dayes descent. So straight I rise

Gathering my limbs from off the green pavement

Behind me leaving then the slooping Light.

Cl. And now let’s up, Vesper brings on the Night.

FINIS.

[1] [D6]

A Particular Interpretation appertaining to
the three last books of the Platonick
Song of the Soul.

A

A tom-lives. The same that Centrall lives. Both the terms denotate the indivisibility of the inmost essence it self; the pure essentiall form I mean, of plant, beast or man, yea of angels themselves, good or bad.

Apogee,
Autokineticall,
Ananke,
Acronycall,
Alethea-land,

See Interpret. Gen.

Animadversall. That lively inward animadversall. It is the soul it self, for I cannot conceive the body doth animadvert; when as objects plainly exposed to the sight are not discovered till the soul takes notice of them.

B

B ody. The ancient Philosophers have defined it, Τὸ τριχῇ διάστατον μετ’ ἀντιτυπίας. Sext. Emperic. Pyrrhon. Hypotyp. lib. 3. cap. 5. Near to this is that description, Psychathan, Cant. 2. Stanz. 12. lib. 2, Matter extent in three dimensions. But for that ἀντιτυπία, simple trinall distension doth not imply it, wherefore I declin’d it. But took in matter according to their conceit, that phansie à Materia prima, I acknowledge none, and consequently no such corpus naturale as our Physiologist make the subject of that science. That Τριχῇ διάστατον ἀντίτυπον is nothing but a fixt spirit, the conspissation or coagulation of the Cuspidall particles of the Cone, which are indeed the Centrall Tasis or inward essence of the sensible world. These be an infinite number of vitall Atoms that may be wakened into diverse tinctures, or energies, into fiery, watery, earthy, &c. And one divine Fiat can unloose them all into an universall mist, or turn them out of that sweat into a drie and pure Etheriall temper. These be the last projections of life from the soul of the world; and are act or form though debil and indifferent, like that which they call the first matter. But they are not meerly passive [2] || but meet their information half way, as I may so speak: are radiant ab intimo and awake into this or the other operation, by the powerfull appulse of some superadvenient form. That which change of Phantasmes is to the soul, that is alteration of rayes to them. For their rayes are ab intrinseco, as the phantasmes of the soul. These be the reall matter of which all supposed bodies are compounded, and this matter (as I said) is form and life, so that all is life and form what ever is in the world, as I have somewhere intimated in Antipsychopan: But however I use the terme body ordinarily in the usuall and vulgar acception. And for that sense of the ancients, nearest to which I have defined it in the place first above mentioned, that I seem not to choose that same as most easie to proceed against in disproving the corporeity of the soul, the arguments do as necessarily conclude against such a naturall body as is ordinarily described in Physiologie (as you may plainly discern if you list to observe) as also against this body composed of the Cuspidall particles of the Cone. For though they be Centrall lives, yet are they neither Plasticall, Sensitive, or Rationall, so farre are they from proving to be the humane soul whose nature is there discust.

C

C one: Is a solid figure made by the turning of a rectangular triangle, about; one of the sides that include the right angle resting, which will be then the Axis of the compleated Cone. But I take it sometimes for the comprehension of all things, God himself not left out, whom I tearm the Basis of the Cone or Universe. And because all from him descends, καθ’ ὑποστολῆν, with abatement or contraction, I give the name of Cone to the Universe. And of Cone rather then Pyramid because of the roundnesse of the figure, which the effluxes of all things imitate.

Chaos,
Chronicall,
Clare,

See interpret· Gen.

Circulation, The terme is taken from a toyish observation, viz. the circling of water when a stone is cast into a standing pool. The motion drives on circularly, the first rings are thickest, but the further they go they grow the thinner, till they vanish into nothing. Such is the diffusion of [3] [D7] the species audible in the strucken aire, as also of the visible species. In brief any thing is said to circulate that diffuseth its image or species in a round. It might have been more significantly called orbiculation; seeing this circumfusion makes not onely a circle, but fills a sphere, which may be called the sphere of activity. Yet Circulation more fitly sets out the diminution of activity, from those ringes in the water which as they grow in compasse, abate in force and thicknesse. But sometimes I use Circulate in an ordinary sense to turn round, or return in a circle.

Centre, Centrall, Centrality. When they are used out of their ordinary sense, they signifie the depth or inmost being of any thing, from whence its acts and energies flow forth. See Atom-lives.

Cuspis of the Cone. The multiplide Cuspis of the Cone is nothing but the last projection of life from Psyche, which is שׁמים a liquid fire or fire and water, which are the corporeall or materiall principles of all things, changed or disgregated (if they be centrally distinguishable) and again mingled by the virtue of Physis or Spermaticall life of the world; of these are the Sunne and all the Planets, they being kned together, and fixt by the Centrall power of each Planet and Sunne. The volatile Ether is also of the same, and all the bodies of plants, beasts and men. These are they which we handle and touch, a sufficient number compact together. For neither is the noise of those little flies in a summer-evening audible severally: but a full Quire of them strike the ear with a pretty kind of buzzing. Strong and tumultuous pleasure and scorching pain reside in these, they being essentiall and centrall, but sight and hearing are onely of the images of these, See Body.

Eternitie. Is the steddie comprehension of all things at once. See Æon discribed in my Expos. upon Psychozoia.

Energie. It is a peculiar Platonicall terme. In my Interpret. Gen. I expounded it Operation, Efflux, Activity. None of those words bear the full sense of it. The examples there are fit, viz. the light of the Sunne, the phantasms of the soul. We may collect the genuine sense of the word by comparing severall places in the Philosopher. Ἔχει γὰρ ἕκαστον τῶν ὄντων ἐνεργειαν, ἥ ἐστιν ὁμοίωμα αὐτοῦ, ὥστε αὐτοῦ ὄντος, [4] || κἀκεῖνο εἶναι, καὶ μένοντος φθάνειν εἰς τὸ πόῤῥω, τὸ μὲν ἐπὶ πλέον, τὸ δὲ εἰς ἔλαττον. Καὶ αἱ μὲν ἀσθενεῖς καὶ ἀμυδραὶ, αἱ δὲ καὶ λανθάνουσαι, τῶν δ’ εἰσὶ μείζους καὶ εἰς τὸ πόῤῥω. For every being hath its Energie, which is the image of it self, so that it existing that Energie doth also exist, and standing still is projected forward more or lesse. And some of those energies are weak and obscure, others hid or undiscernable, othersome greater and of a larger projection. Plotin. Ennead. 4. lib. 5. cap. 7. And again, Ennead. 3. lib. 4. Καὶ μένομεν τῷ μὲν νοητῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἄνω· τῷ δὲ ἐσχάτῳ αὐτοῦ, πεπεδήμεθα τῷ κάτω, οἷον ἀπόῤῥοιαν ἀπ’ ἐκείνου διδόντες εἰς τὸ κάτω, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐνέργειαν, ἐκείνου οὐκ ἐλαττουμένου. And we remain above by the Intellectuall man, but by the extreme part of him we are held below, as it were yielding an efflux from him to that which is below, or rather an energie he being not at all lessened. This curiositie Antoninus also observes, (lib. 8. Meditat.) in the nature of the sun-beams, where although he admits of χύσις, yet he doth not of ἀπόῤῥοια which is ἔκχυσις. Ὁ ἥλιος κατακεχύσθαι δοκεῖ, καὶ πάντῇ γε κέχυται οὐ μὴν ἐκκέχυται. ἡ γὰρ χύσις αὐτοῦ τάσις ἐστίν. ἀκτῖνες γοῦν αἱ αὐγαὶ αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐκτείνεσθαι λέγονται. The sunne, saith he, is diffused, and his fusion is every where but without effusion, &c. I will onely adde one place more out of Plotinus. Ennead. 3. lib. 6. Ἑκάστου δὲ μορίου ἡ ἐνέργεια ἡ κατὰ φύσιν ζωὴ οὐκ ἐξιστᾶσα. The naturall energie of each power of the soul is life not parted from the soul though gone out of the soul, viz. into act.

Comparing of all these places together, I cannot better explain this Platonick term, energie, then by calling it the rayes of an essence, or the beams of a vitall Centre. For essence is the Centre as it were of that which is truly called Energie, and Energie the beams and rayes of an essence. And as the Radii of a circle leave not the centre by touching the Circumference, no more doth that which is the pure Energie of an essence, leave the essence by being called out into act, but is ἐν-έργεια a working in the essence though it flow out into act. So that Energie depends alwayes on essence, as Lumen on Lux, or the creature on God; Whom therefore Synesius in his Hymnes calls the Centre of all things.

Entelecheia. See Interpret. Gen.

[5] [D8]

F

F aith. Platonick faith in the first Good. This faith is excellently described in Proclus. where it is set above all ratiocination, nay, Intellect it self. Πρὸς δὲ αὖ τὸ ἀγαθὸν οὐ γνώσεως ἔτι καὶ συνεργείας δεῖ τοῖς συναφθῆναι σπεύδουσιν, ἀλλ’ ἱδρύσεως καὶ μονίμου καταστάσεως καὶ ἠρεμίας. But to them that endeavour to be joyned with the first Good, there is no need of knowledge or multifarious cooperation, but settlednesse, steddinesse, and rest. lib. 1. cap. 24. Theolog. Platon. And in the next chapter; Δεῖ γὰρ οὐ γνωστικῶς οὐδ’ ἀτελῶς τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐπιζητεῖν, ἀλλ’ ἐπιδόντας ἑαυτοὺς τῷ θείῳ φωτὶ καὶ μύσαντας, οὕτως ἐνιδρύεσθαι τῇ ἀγνώστῳ καὶ κρυφίῳ τῶν ὄντων ἑνάδι. For we must not seek after that absolute or first Good cognoscitively or imperfectly, but giving our selves up to the divine light, and winking (that is shutting our eyes of reason and understanding) so to place our selves steddily in that hidden Unitie of all things. After he preferres this faith before the clear and present assent to the κοιναὶ ἔννοιαι, yea and the νοερὰ ἁπλότης, so that he will not that any intellectuall operation should come in comparison with it. Πολυειδὴς γὰρ αἵτη καὶ δι’ ἑτερότητος χωριζομένη τῶν νοουμένων, καὶ ὅλως κίνησίς ἐστι νοερὰ περὶ τὸ νοητόν. Δεῖ δὲ τὴν θείαν πίστιν ἑνοειδῆ καὶ ἤρεμον ὑπάρχειν ἐν τῷ τῆς ἀγαθότητος ὁρμῷ τελείως ἱδρυθεῖσαν. For the operation of the Intellect is multiform and by diversitie separate from her objects, and is in a word, intellectuall motion about the object intelligible. But the divine faith must be simple and uniform, quiet and steddily resting in the haven of Goodnesse. And at last he summarily concludes, Ἐστί οὐν οὗτος ὅρμος ἀσφαλὴς τῶν ὄντων ἁπάντων. See Procl. Theolog. Platonick. lib. 1. cap. 25.

H

H yle. See Interpret. Gen.

I

I ntellect. Sometimes it is to be interpreted Soul. Sometime the intellectuall facultie of the soul. Sometimes Intellect is an absolute essence shining into the soul: whose nature is this. A substance purely immateriall, impeccable, actually omniform, or comprehending all things at once, which the soul doth also being perfectly joyned with the Intellect. Ἔχομεν οὖν καὶ τὰ εἴδη διχῶς, ἐν μὲν ψυχῇ οἷον μὲν [6] || ἀνειλιγμένα καὶ οἷον κεχωρισμένα, ἐν δὲ τῷ νῷ ὁμοῦ τὰ πάντα. Plot. Ennead. 1. lib. 1. cap. 8. Ideas, or Idees. Sometimes they are forms in the Intellectuall world. viz. in Æon, or On, other sometimes, phantasmes or representations in the soul. Innate Idees are the souls nature it self, her uniform essence, able by her Fire to produce this or that phantasme into act.

Idiopathy.
Iao

See Interpret. Gen.

L

L ogos. See Interpret. Gen.

Life. The vitall operation of any soul. Sometime it is the soul it self, be it sensitive, vegetative, or rationall.

Lower man. The lower man is our enquickned body, into which our soul comes, it being fitly prepared for the receiving of such a guest. The manner of the production of souls, or rather their non-production is admirably well set down in Plotinus, See, Ennead. 6. lib. 4. cap. 14, 15.

M

M onad. See Interpr. Gen.

Mundane. Mundane spirit, Is that which is the spirit of the world or Universe. I mean by it not an intellectuall spirit, but a fine, unfixt, attenuate, subtill, ethereall substance, the immediate vehicle of plasticall or sensitive life.

Memory. Mundane memory. Is that memory that is seated in the Mundane spirit of man, by a strong impression, or inustion of any phantasme, or outward sensible object, upon that spirit. But there is a Memory more subtill and abstract in the soul it self, without the help of this spirit, which she also carries away with her having left the body.

Magicall. That is, attractive, or commanding by force of sympathy with the life of this naturall world.

Moment. Sometimes signifies an instant, as indivisible, as κίνημα, which in motion answers to an instant in time, or a point in a line, Aristot. Phys. In this sense I use it, Psychathan. lib. 3. cant. 2. stanz. 16; But in a moment sol doth ray. But Cant. the 3. Stanz. 45. v. 2. I understand, as also doth Lansbergius, by a moment one second of a minute. In Antipsych. Cant. 2. Stanz. the 20. v. 2. by a moment I understand a minute, or indefinitely any small time.

[7] E

O

O rb. Orb Intellectuall, is nothing else but Æon or the Intellectuall world. The Orbs generall mentioned Psycathan. lib. 1. cant. 3. stanz. 23. v. 2. I understand by them but so many universall orders of beings, if I may so terme them all; for Hyle hath little or nothing of being.

Omniformity. The omniformity of the soul is the having in her nature all forms, latent at least, and power of awaking them into act, upon occasion.

Out-world. and Out-Heaven. The sensible world, the visible Heaven.

P

erigee,
Psychicall,
Pareties,
Parallax,
Protopathy.

See Interpret. Gen.

Parturient. See, Vaticinant.

Phantasie. Lower phantasie, is that which resides in the Mundane spirit of a man, See Memory.

Q

Quantitative. Forms quantitative, are such sensible energies as arise from the complexion of many natures together, at whose discretion they vanish. That’s the seventh Orb of things, though broken and not filling all as the other do. But if you take it for the whole sensible world, it is entire, and is the same that Tasis in Psycozoia. But the centre of Tasis, viz. the multiplication of the reall Cuspis of the Cone (for Hyle that is set for the most contract point of the Cuspis is scarce to be reckoned among realities) that immense diffusion of atoms, is to be referred to Psyche, as an internall vegetative act, and so belongs to Physis the lowest order of life. For as that warmth that the sense doth afford the body, is not rationall, sensitive, or imaginative, but vegetative; So this, שׁמים i.e. liquid fire, which Psyche sends out, and is the outmost, last, and lowest operation from her self, is also vegetative.

R

R homboides. See Interpr. general.

Reason. I understand by Reason, the deduction of one [8] || thing from another, which I conceive proceeds from a kind of continuitie of phantasmes: and is something like the moving of a cord at one end; the parts next it rise with it. And by this concatenation of phantasmes I conceive, that both brutes and men are moved in reasonable wayes and methods in their ordinary externall actions.

Rayes. The rayes of an essence is its energie. See Energie.

Reduplicative. That is reduplicative, which is not onely in this point, but also in another, having a kind of circumscribed ubiquitie, viz. in its own sphear. And this is either by being in that sphear omnipresent it self, as the soul is said to be in the body tota in toto & tota in qualibet parte, or else at least by propagation of rayes, which is the image of it self; and so are divers sensible objects Reduplicative, as light, colours, sounds. And I make account either of these wayes justly denominate any thing spirituall. Though the former is most properly, at least more eminently spirituall. And whether any thing be after that way spirituall saving the Divinitie, there is reason to doubt. For what is entirely omnipresent in a sphear, whose diametre is but three feet, I see not, why (that in the circumference being as fresh and entire as that in the centre) it should stop there and not proceed even in infinitum, if the circumference be still as fresh and entire as the centre. But I define nothing.

S

S permaticall. It belongs properly to Plants, but is transferred also to the Plasticall power in Animalls, I enlarge it to all magnetick power whatsoever that doth immediately rule and actuate any body. For all magnetick power is founded in Physis, and in reference to her, this world is but one great Plant, (one λόγος σπερματικός giving it shape and corporeall life) as in reference to Psyche, one happy and holy Animall.

Spirit. Sometimes it signifieth the soul, othersometime, the naturall spirits in a mans body, which are Vinculum animæ & corporis, and the souls vehicle: Sometimes life. See Reduplicative.

Soul. When I speak of mans Soul, I understand that which Moses saith was inspired into the body, (fitted out and made of earth) by God, Genes. 2. which is not that [9] E2 impeccable spirit that cannot sinne; but the very same that the Platonists call ψυχή, a middle essence betwixt that which they call νοῦς (and we would in the Christian language call πνεῦμα) and the life of the body which is εἴδωλον ψυχῆς, a kind of an umbratil vitalitie, that the soul imparts to the bodie in the enlivening of it: That and the body together, we Christians would call σὰρξ, and the suggestions of it, especially in its corrupt estate, φρόνημα σαρκός. And that which God inspired into Adam was no more then ψυχὴ, the soul, not the spirit, though it be called נשמת חיים Spiraculum vitæ; is plain out of the text; because it made man but become a living soul, נפש חיה. But you will say, he was a dead soul before, and this was the spirit of life, yea the spirit of God, the life of the soul that was breathed into him.

But if חיה implie such a life and spirit, you must acknowledge the same to be also in the most stupid of all living creatures, even the fishes (whose soul is but as salt to keep them from stinking, as Philo speaks) for they are said to be נשמת חיים chap. 1. v. 20. 21. See 1 Cor. chap. 15, v. 45, 46. In brief therefore, that which in Platonisme is νοῦς, is in Scripture πνεῦμα; what σὰρξ in one, τὸ θηρίον, the brute or beast in the other, ψυχὴ the same in both.

Self-reduplicative. See Reduplicative.

T

T ricentreitie. Centre is put for essence, so Tricentreitie must implie a trinitie of essence. See Centre, and Energie.

V

V aticinant. The soul is said to be in a vaticinant or parturient condition, when she hath some kind of sense and hovering knowledge of a thing, but yet cannot distinctly and fully, and commandingly represent it to her self, cannot plainly apprehend, much lesse comprehend the matter. The phrase is borrowed of Proclus, who describing the incomprehensiblenese of God, and the desire of all things towards him, speaks thus; Ἄγνωστον γὰρ ὂν ποθεῖ τὰ ὄντα τὸ ἐφετὸν τοῦτο καὶ ἄληπτον, μήτε οῦν γνῶναι μήτε ἑλεῖν ὁ ποθεῖ, δυνάμενα, περὶ αὐτὸ πάντα χορεύει καὶ ὠδίνει μὲν αὐτὸ καὶ οἷον ἀπομαντεύεται. Theolog. Platon. lib. 1. cap. 21. See Psychathan. lib. 3. cant. 3. stanz. 12. & 14.

The Philosophers Devotion.

S ing aloud his praise rehearse

Who hath made the Universe.

He the boundlesse Heavens has spread

All the vitall Orbs has kned;

He that on Olympus high

Tends his flocks with watchfull eye,

And this eye has multiplide

Midst each flock for so reside.

Thus as round about they stray

Toucheth each with out-stretch’d ray,

Nimbly they hold on their way,

Shaping out their Night and Day.

Never slack they; none respires,

Dancing round their Centrall fires.

In due order as they move

Echo’s sweet be gently drove

Thorough Heavens vast Hollownesse,

Which unto all corners presse:

Musick that the heart of Jove

Moves to joy and sportfull love;

Fills the listning saylers eares

Riding on the wandering Sphears.

Neither Speech nor Language is

Where their voice is not transmisse.

God is Good, is Wise, is Strong,

Witnesse all the creature-throng,

Is confess’d by every Tongue.

All things back from whence they sprong,

As the thankfull Rivers pay

What they borrowed of the Sea.

Now my self I do resigne,

Take me whole I all am thine.

Save me, God! from Self-desire,

Deaths pit, dark Hells raging fire,

Envy, Hatred, Vengeance, Ire.

Let not Lust my soul bemire.

Quit from these thy praise I’ll sing,

Loudly sweep the trembling string.

[2] ||

Bear a part, O Wisdomes sonnes!

Free’d from vain Relligions.

Lo! from farre I you salute,

Sweetly warbling on my Lute.

Indie, Egypt, Arabie,

Asia, Greece, and Tartarie,

Carmel-tracts, and Lebanon

With the Mountains of the Moon,

from whence muddie Nile doth runne,

Or whereever else you won;

Breathing in one vitall aire,

One we are though distant farre.

Rise at once lett’s sacrifice

Odours sweet perfume the skies.

See how Heavenly lightning fires

Hearts inflam’d with high aspires!

All the substance of our souls

Up in clouds of Incense rolls.

Leave we nothing to our selves

Save a voice, what need we els!

Or an hand to wear and tire

On the thankfull Lute or Lyre.

Sing aloud his praise rehearse

Who hath made the Universe.

FINIS.

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The Project Gutenberg eBook of Democritus Platonissans

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HENRY MORE

Democritus Platonissans

(1646)

Introduction by P. G. Stanwood

PUBLICATION NUMBER 130 WILLIAM ANDREWS CLARK MEMORIAL LIBRARY University of California, Los Angeles

1968

GENERAL EDITORS

ADVISORY EDITORS

CORRESPONDING SECRETARY

INTRODUCTION

NOTES TO THE INTRODUCTION

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Democritus Platonissans,

OR,

AN ESSAY

UPON THE

INFINITY OF WORLDS

OUT OF

Platonick Principles.

Hereunto is annexed

CUPIDS CONFLICT

together with

The Philosophers Devotion:

And a Particular Interpretation appertain- ing to the three last books of the Song of the Soul.

By H. More Master of Arts, and Fellow of Christs Colledge in Cambridge.

CAMBRIDGE

Printed by Roger Daniel, Printer to the Universitie. 1646.

To the Reader.

Stanz. 33d.

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Democritus
Platonissans

Introduction by
P. G. Stanwood

PUBLICATION NUMBER 130
WILLIAM ANDREWS CLARK MEMORIAL LIBRARY
University of California, Los Angeles

And a Particular Interpretation appertain-
ing to the three last books of the
Song of the Soul.

By H. More Master of Arts, and Fellow of
Christs Colledge in Cambridge.

Printed by Roger Daniel, Printer to
the Universitie. 1646.

Stanz. 33^d.