is needlesse all in vain Each centrall form its rayes with ease can well up-stayen 8 What holds the earth in the thin fluid aire Can matter void of fix'd solidity But she like kindly nurse her forms doth chear What can be suck'd from her dark dugges drie Nor warmth nor moistnesse nor fast density Belong to her Therefore I 'll nurse I ween She 'll make that neither hath to satisfie Young-craving life nor firmnesse to sustein The burden that upon her arms should safely lean 9 Therefore an uselesse super fluity It is to make Hyle substantiall Onely let 's term 't the possibility Of all created beings Lives centrall Can frame themselves a right compositall While as they sitten soft in the sweet rayes Or vitall vest of the lives generall As those that out of the earths covert raise Themselves fairly provok'd by warmth of sunny dayes 10 And thus all accidents will prove the beams Of inward forms their flowing energy And quantity th' extension of such streams That goes along even with each qualitie Thus have we div'd to the profundity Of darkest matter and have found it nought But all this worlds bare Possibility Nought therefore ' gainst lifes durance can be brought From Hyles pit that quenchen may that pleasant thought The Argument of PSYCHATHANASIA Or The Immortalitie of the Soul BOOK II. CANT 1. Mans soul with beasts and plants I here Compare Tell my chief end His immortality's to clear Show whence grosse errours wend. 1 BUt hitherto I have with fluttering wings But lightly hover'd in the generall And taught the lasting durance of all springs Of hidden life That life hight seminall Doth issue forth from its deep root centrall One onely form entire and no'te advert What steals from it Beasts life Phantasticall Lets out more forms and eke themselves convert To view the various frie from their dark wombs exert 2 But mans vast soul the image of her Maker Like God that made her with her mighty sway And in ward Fiat if he nould forsake her Can turn sad darknesse into lightsome day And the whole creature 'fore her self display Bid them come forth and stand before her sight They straight flush out and her drad voice obey Each shape each life doth leapen out full light And at her beck return into their usuall Night 3 Oft God himself here listeth to appear Though not perforce yet of his own frank will Sheds his sweet life dispreads his beauty clear And like the Sun this lesser world doth fill And like the Sun doth the foul Pythou kill With his bright darts but cheareth each good spright This is the soul that I with presser quill Must now pursue and fall upon down-right Not to destroy but prove her of immortall might 4 Nor let blind Momus dare my Muse backbite As wanton or superfluously wise For what is past She is but justly quit With Lucrece who all souls doth mortalize Wherefore she did them all immortalize Besides in beasts and men th' affinity Doth seem so great that without prejudice To many proofs for th'immortality Of humane Souls the same to beasts we no'te deny 5 But I herein no longer list contend The two first kinds of souls I 'll quite omit And ' cording as at first I did intend Bestirre me stifly force my feeble wit To rescue humane souls from deaths deep pit Which I shall do with reasons as subtile As I can find slight proofs cannot well fit In so great cause nor phansies florid wile I 'll win no mans assent by a false specious guile 6 I onely wish that arguments exile May not seem nought unto the duller eye Nor that the fatter phansie my lean style Do blame it 's fittest for philosophy And give me leave from any energie That springs from humane soul my cause to prove And in that order as they list to flie Of their own selves so let them freely rove That naturally doth come doth oft the stronger move 7 Self-motion and centrall stability I have already urg'd in generall Al 's ' did right presly to our soul apply Those properties who list it to recall Unto their minds but now we 'll let it fall As needlesse Onely that vitality That doth extend this great Univervall And move th' inert Materiality Of great and little worlds that keep in memory 8 And how the mixture of their rayes may breed Th' opinion of uncertain quality When they from certain roots of life do spreed But their pure beams must needs ychanged be When that those rayes or not be setten free Thinly dispers'd or else be closely meint With other beams of plain diversity That causeth oft a strong impediment So doth this bodies life to the souls high intent 9 The lower man is nought but a fair plant Whose grosser matter is from the base ground The Plastick might thus finely did him paint And fill'd him with the life that doth abound In all the places of the world around This spirit of life is in each shapen'd thing Suck'd in and changed and strangely confound As we conceive This is the nourishing Of all but spermall form the certain shapening 10 This is that strange-form'd statue magicall That hovering souls unto it can allure When it 's right fitted down those spirits fall Like Eagle to her prey and so endure While that low life is in good temperature That a dead body without vitall spright And friendly temper should a guest procure Of so great worth without the dear delight Of joyous sympathy no man can reckon right 11 But here unlucky Souls do waxen sick Of an ill furfeit from the poison'd bait Of this sweet tree yet here perforce they stick In weak condition in a languid state Many through ignorance do fondly hate To be releas'd from this imprisonment And grieve the walls be so nigh ruinate They be bewitch'd so with the blandishment Of that fresh strumpet when in love they first were ment 12 Others disdain this so near unity So farre they be from thinking they be born Of such low parentage so base degree And fleshes foul attraction they do scorn They be th'outgoings of the Eastern morn Alli'd unto th' eternall Deity And pray to their first spring that thus forlorn And left in mud that he would set them free And them again possesse of pristine purity 13 But seemeth not my Muse too hastily To soar aloft that better by degrees Unto the vulgar mans capacity Mought show the souls so high excellencies And softly from all corporeities It heaven up unto its proper seat When we have drove away grosse falsities That do assault the weaker mens conceit And free the simple mind from phansies foul deceit 14 The drooping soul so strongly's coloured With the long commerce of corporeals That she from her own self awide is led Knows not her self but by salfe name she calls Her own high being and what ere befalls Her grosser bodie she that misery Doth deem her own for she her self miscalls
this warme cell For many years and not themselves impare Nor lose ymeint with the bloud where they dwel But come out clever when they conjured are And nimbly passe away soft gliding through the air 72 Why scape not then the souls of men as clear Since to this body they 're no better joyn'd Then thorough it to feel to see to hear And to impart the passions of the mind All which done by th' usurping spright we find As witnesse may that maid in Saxony Who meanly born of rude unlearned kind Not taught to reade yet Greek and Latine she Could roundly speak and in those tongues did prophesie 73 Timotheus sister down in childbed laid Distur'b all phrantick thorough deadly pain Tearing the clothes which much her friends dismai'd Mumbling strange words as confus'd as her brain At last was prov'd to speak Armenian For an old man that was by chance in town And from his native soyle Armenia came The woman having heard of his renown Sent to this aged Sire to this sick wight to come 74 Lo now has entred the Armenian Sage With scalp all bald and skin all brown and brent The number of his wrinkles told his age A naked sword in his dry hand he hent Thus standing near her bed strong threats he sent In his own language and her fiercely chid But she well understanding what he meant Unto his threats did bold defiance bid Ne could his vaunts as yet the sturdy spirit rid 75 Then gan he sternely speak and heave his hond And feign'd himself enrag'd with hasty ire As ready for to strike with flaming brond But she for fear shrunk back and did retire Into her bed and gently did respire Muttering few easie words in sleepy wise So now whom erst tumultuous thoughts did tire Compâ—s'd to rest doth sweetly close her eyes Then wak'd what her befell in sober mood descryes 76 Now Thrax thy Story adde of Alytas Who got his freind into a Mountain high Where he with him the loansome night did passe In Stygian rites and hellish mystery First twiches up an herb that grew thereby Gives him to taste then doth his eyes besmear With uncouth salves wherewith all suddenly Legions of spirits flying here and there Around their cursed heads do visibly appear 77 Lastly into his mouth with filthy spaul He spot which done a spirit like a Daw His mouth did enter and possessed all His inward parts From that time he gan know Many secret things and could events foreshow This was his guerdon this his wicked wage From the inwoning of that Stygian Crow But who can think this bird did so engage With flesh that he no'te scape the ruin of the cage 78 No more do souls of men For stories sayen Well known ' mongst countrey folk our spirits fly From twixt our lips and thither back again Sometimes like Doves sometime like to a Bee And sometime in their bodyes shape they be But all this while their carkase lyes asleep Drown in dull rest son of mortality At last these shapes return'd do slily creep Into their mouth then the dead clouds away they wipe 79 Nor been these stories all but Countrey fictions For such like things even learned Clerks do write Of brasen sleep and bodi 's derelictions That Proconnesian Sage that Atheus hight Did oft himself of this dull body quit His soul then wandring in the easie aire But as to smoking lamp but lately light The flame catch'd by the reek descends from farre So would his soul at last to his warm blood repair 80 And Hermotime the Clazomenian Would in like sort his body leave alone And view with naked soul both Hill and Plain And secret Groves and every Region That he could tell what far and near was done But his curs'd foes the fell Cantharidae Assault his house when he was far from home Burn down to ashes his forsaken clay So may his wandring ghost for ever freely stray 81 And 't is an art well known to Wizards old And wily Hags who oft for fear and shame Of the coarse halter do themselves with-hold From bodily assisting their night game Wherefore their carkasses at home retain But with their soules at those bad feasts they are And see their friends and call them by their name And dance around the Goat and sing har har And kisse the Devils breech and taste his deadly chear 82 A many stories to this purpose might Be brought of men that in this Ecstacy So senselesse ly that coales laid to their feet Nor nips nor whips can make them ope their eye Then of a sudden when this fit 's gone by They up and with great confidence declare What things they heard and saw both far and nie Professing that their souls unbodied were And roam'd about the earth in Countries here and there 83 And to confirm the truth of this strange flight They oft bring home a letter or a ring At their return from some far distant wight Well known to friends that have the ordering Of their forsaken corps that no live thing Do tread or touch't so safely may their spright Spend three whole dayes in airy wandering A feat that 's often done through Magick might By the Norvegian Hags as learned Authors write 84 But now well wearied with our too long stay In these Cimmerian fogs and hatefull mists Of Ghosts of Goblins and drad sorcery From nicer allegations we 'll desist Enough is said to prove that souls dismist From these grosse bodies may be cloth'd in air Scape free although they did not praeexist And in these airy orbs feel see and hear And moven as they list as did by proof appear 85 But that in some sort souls do praeexist Seems to right reason nothing dissonant Sith all souls both of trees of men and beast Been indivisible And all do grant Of humane souls though not of beast and plant But I elsewhere I think do gainly prove That souls of beasts by reasons nothing scant Be individuous ne care to move This question of a new mens patiences to prove 86 But if mens souls be individuous How can they ought from their own substance shed In generation there 's nought flows from us Saving grosse sperm yspent in Nuptiall bed Drain'd from all parts throughout the body spred And well concocted where me list not name But no conveyances there be that lead To the souls substance whereby her they drain Of loosened parts a young babe-soul from thence to gain 87 Wherefore who thinks from souls new souls to bring The same let presse the Sunne beams in his fist And squeez out drops of light or strongly wring The Rainbow till it die his hands well prest Or with uncessant industry persist Th' intentionall species to mash and bray In marble morter till he has exprest A sovereigne eye-salve to discern a Fay. As easily as the first all these effect you may 88 Ne may queint similies this fury damp Which say that our souls propagation Is
forc'd they backward thither 29 The rigid cold had forc'd into its centre This serpents life but when the rurall Swain Plac'd her upon warm hearth and heat did enter Into her nummed corps she gan to strain And stretch herself and her host entertain With scornfull hisse shooting her anchor'd tongue Threatning her venom'd teeth so straight again She prov'd a living snake when she along Her corse free life had drove from centre steddie strong 30 So doth the gentle warmth of solar heat Eas'ly awake the centre seminall That makes it softly streak on its own seat And fairly forward force its life internall That inward life 's th' impresse imaginall Of Natures Art which sweetly flowreth out From that is cleep'd the Sphere spermaticall For there is plac'd the never fading root Of every flower or herb that into th' air doth shoot 31 Fairly invited by Sols piercing ray And inward tickled with his chearing spright All plants break thorough into open day Rend the thick curtain of cold cloying night The earths opakents enemy to light And crown themselves in sign of victory With shining leaves and goodly blossomes bright Thus called out by friendly sympathy Their souls move of themselves on their Centreitie 32 But it's more plain in animalitie When fiery coursers strike the grassie ground With swift tempestuous feet that farre and nigh They fill mens ears with a broad thundring sound From hollow hoof so strongly it doth rebound What 's that that twitcheth up their legs so fast And fiercely jerks them forth that many wound They give to their own mother in their hast With eager steps they quickly mete the forrest wast 34 That outward form is but a neurospast The soul it is that on her subtile ray That she shoots out the limbs of moving beast Doth stretch straight forth so straightly as she may Bones joynts and sinews shap'd of stubborn clay Cannot so eas'ly lie in one straight line With her projected might much lesse obey Direct retractions of these beames fine Of force so straight retreat they ever must decline 35 But yet they follow in a course oblique With angular doublings as the joynts pormit So go they up together not unlike An iron candle-stick the smith hath fit With many junctures whom in studious fit Some scholar set awork but to return Lest what we aim'd at we unwares omit If souls of beasts their bodies move and turn And wield at phansies beck as we describ'd beforn 36 Then be the souls of beasts self-moving forms Bearing their bodies as themselves think meet Invited or provok'd so they transform At first themselves within then straight in sight Those motions come which suddenly do light Upon the bodies visible which move According to the will of th' inward spright In th' inward spright be anger hate and love Hence claws horns hoofs they use the pinching ill t' amove 37 Thus have I plainly prov'd that souls of beasts And plants do move themselves That souls of men Should be more stupid and farre lesse releast From matters bondage surely there 's none can Admit of though but slightly they do scan The cause But for to put all out of doubt Let 's take again the same way we have ran Break down all obstacles that hinder mought Our future course to make all plain all clear throughout 38 If there be no self-motion in mans soul That she nor this nor that way can propend Of her own self nor can no whit controll Nor will of her own self who can offend For no mans self if you do well perpend Guiltie's of ought when nought doth from him flow Whither do learning laws grave speeches tend Speaks the rude Carter to the wagon slow With threat'ning words or to the beasts that do it draw 39 Surely unto the beasts that eas'ly go For there 's the principle of motion Such principle as can it self foreslow Or forward presse by incitation Which though it mov'd by commination So stifly strives yet from it self it strives Bears it self forth with stout contention And ever and anon the whip revives That inward life so bravely on the Rustick drives 40 Again all that sweet labour would be lost That Gods good spirit takes in humane mind So oft we courted be so often cross'd But nor that tender amorous courtship kind Hath any place where we no place can find For a self-yielding love Or if self-will Be not in us how eas'ly were declin'd All crosses None could happen us untill How vvill I want and want no crosse passeth my skill 41 Besides when reason works with phantasie And changeable conceits we do contrive Purging and pruning with all industrie What 's dead or uselesse lesse demonstrative What 's dull or flaccid nought illustrative Quenching unfitted phantasmes in our brain And for our better choice new flames revive The busie soul thus doth her reason strain To write or speak what envious tongue may never stain 42 Or when quite heedlesse of this earthie world She lifts her self unto the azure skie And with those wheeling gyres around is hurld Turns in her self in a due distancie The cering Seven or a stretch'd line doth tie O' th' silver-bowed moon from horn to horn Or finds out Phoebus vast soliditie By his diametre measures the Morn Girds the swoln earth with linear list though earth she scorn 43 All this is done though bodie never move The soul about it self circumgyrates Her various forms and what she most doth love She oft before her self stabilitates She stifly stayes't and wistly contemplates Or lets it somewhat slowlier descend Down to the nether Night she temperates Her starrie orb makes her bright forms to wend Even as she list Anon she 'll all with darknesse blend 44 Thus variously she doth herself invest With rising forms and reasons all the way And by right reason doth her self devest Of falser fancies Who then can gainsay But she 's self-mov'd when she doth with self-sway Thus change herself as inward life doth feel If not then some inspiring sprights bewray Each reasoning Yet though to them we deal First motion yet our selves ought know what they reveal 45 But if nor of our selves we moved be At first without any invasion Of stirring forms that into energie Awake the soul nor after motion From its own centre by occasion Doth issue forth then it 's not conscious Of ought For so 't will want adversion But nothing can animadvert for us Therefore all humane souls be self-vivacious 46 Thus have I prov'd all souls have centrall motion Springing from their own selves But they 'll object ' Gainst th' universalnesse of this clear notion That whiles self-flowing sourse I here detect In plants in brutes in men I ought reject No soul from wished immortalitie But give them durance when they are resect From organized corporeitie Thus brutes and plants shall gain lasting eternitie 47 'T is true a never fading durancie Belongs to all hid principles of life But that full
steddy Spring exclude Summers accession Or Summer spoil the Spring with furious hot oppression 5 You chearfull chaunters of the flowring woods That feed your carelesse souls with pleasant layes O silly birds cease from your merry moods Ill suits such mirth when dreary deaths assayes So closely presse your sory carkases To mournfull note turn your light verilayes Death be your song and winters hoary sprayes Spend your vain sprights in sighing Elegies I 'll help you to lament your wofull miseries 6 When we lay cover'd in the shady Night Of senselesse matter we were well content With that estate nought pierc'd our anxious spright No harm we suffered no harm we ment Our rest not with light dream of ill was blent But when rough Nature with her iron hond Pull'd us from our soft ease and hither hent Disturbing fear and pinching pain we found Full many a bitter blast full many a dreadfull stound 7 Yet life 's strong love doth so intoxicate Our misty minds that we do fear to dy What did dame Nature brood all things of hate And onely give them life for misery Sense for an undeserved penalty And show that if she list that she could make Them happy but with spightfull cruelty Doth force their groaning ghosts this house forsake And to their ancient Nought their empty selves betake 8 Thus in deep sorrow and restlesse disdain Against the cankered doom of envious fate I clove my very heart with riving pain While I in sullen rage did ruminate The Creatures vanity and wofull state And night that ought to yield us timely rest My swelling griefs did much more aggravate The sighs and groans of weary sleeping beast Seem'd as if fleep it self their spirits did molest 9 Or as constrain'd perforce that boon to wrest From envious Nature All things did augment My heavie plight that fouly I blam'd the best Of stubborn destiny cause of this wayment Even sleep that 's for our restauration ment As execrable thing I did abhorre Cause ugly death to th' life it did depeint What good came to my mind I did deplore Because it perish must and not live evermore 10 Thus wrapt in rufull thought through the waste field I staggerd on and scattered my woe Bedew'd the grasse with tears mine eyes did yield At last I am arriv'd wiâ—h footing slow Near a black pitchy wood that strongest throw Of starry beam no'te easily penetrate On the North side I walked to and fro In solitary shade The Moons sly gate Had cross'd the middle line It was at least so late 11 When th' other part of night in painfull grief Was almost spent out of that solemn grove There issued forth for my timely relief The fairest wight that ever sight did prove So fair a wight as might command the love Of best of mortall race her count'nance sheen The pensive shade gently defore her drove A 〈◊〉 sweet light shone from her lovely eyne She seem'd no earthly branch but sprung of stock divine 12 A silken mantle colour'd like the skie With silver starres in a due distance set Was cast about her somewhat carelesly And her bright flowing hair was not ylet By Arts device onely a chappelet Of chiefest flowers which from far and near The Nymphs in their pure Lilly hands had fet Upon her temples she did seemly weare Her own fair beams made all her ornaments appear 13 What wilfull wight doth thus his kindly rest Forsake said she approching me unto What rage what sorrow boils thus in thy chest That thou thus spend'st the night in wasting wo Oft help he gets that his hid ill doth show Ay me said I my grief 's not all mine own For all mens griefs into my heart do flow Nor mens alone but every mornfull grone Of dying beast or what so else that grief hath shown 14 From fading plants my sorrows freshly spring And thou thy self that com'st to comfort me Wouldst strongst occasion of deep sorrow bring If thou wert subject to mortality But I no mortall wight thee deem to be Thy face thy voice immortall thee proclaim Do I not well to wail the vanity Of fading life and churlish fates to blame That with cold frozen death lifes chearfull motions tame 15 Thou dost not well said she to me again Thou hurt'st thy self and dost to them no good The sighs thou sendest out cannot regain Life to the dead thou canst not change the mood Of stedfast destiny That man is wood That weetingly hastes on the thing he hates Dull sorrow chokes the sprights congeals the blood The bodies fabrick quickly ruinates Yet foolish men do fondly blame the hasty fates 16 Come hasty fates said I come take away My weary life the fountain of my wo When that 's extinct or shrunk into cold clay Then well I wote that I shall undergo No longer pain O! why are you so slow Fond speech said she nor chang'd her countenance No signe of grief or anger she did show Full well she knew passions misgovernance Through her clear brest fond passion never yet did lance 17 But thus spake on Sith friendly sympathy With all the creatures thus invades thy brest And strikes thine heart with so deep agony For their decay ' cording to that behest Which the pure sourse of sympathy hath prest On all that of those lovely streams have drunk I 'll tell thee that that needs must please thee best All life 's immortall though the outward trunk May changed be yet life to nothing never shrunk 18 With that she bad me rear my heavie eye Up toward heaven I rear'd them toward th' East Where in a roscid cloud I did espy A Lunar rainbow in her painted vest The heavenly maid in the mean while surceast From further speech while I the bow did view But mine old malady was more increas'd The bow gan break and all the gawdy hiew Dispeared that my heart the sight did inly rue 19 Thus life doth vanish as this bow is gone Said I. That sacred Nymph forthwith reply'd Vain showes may vanish that have gaily shone To feeble sense but if the truth be tri'd Life cannot perish or to nothing slide It is not life that falleth under sight None but vain flitting qualities are ey'd By wondring ignorance The vitall spright As surely doth remain as the Suns lasting light 20 This bow whose breaking struck thy troubled heart Of causelesse grief I hope shall thee recure When I have well explain'd with skilfull Art By its resemblance what things must indure What things decay and cannot standen sure The higher causes of that coloured Ark What e're becomes of it do sit secure That so the body falling lifes fair spark Is safe I 'll clearly show if you but list to mark 21 There be six Orders 'fore you do descend To this gay painted bow Sols centrall spright To the first place to th' next we must commend His hid spread form then his inherent light The fourth his rayes wherewith he is bedight The
messenger of woes That grieveth not himself Can they disclose That misery without impression Upon themselves Therefore one spirit goes Through all this bulk not by extension But by a totall Self-reduplication 34 Which neither body nor dispersed form Nor point of form dispersed e'r could do And bodies life or sprite for to transform Into our soul though that might this undo Yet to so rash conceit to yield unto Cannot be safe for if it propagate It 's self and 'ts passions yet they free may go Unmark'd if sense would not them contemplate So doth the Mundane sprite not heeded circulate 35 Besides if from that spirit naturall The nurse of plants you should dare to assert That lively inward Animadversall To springen out it would surely invert The order of the Orbs from whence do stert All severall beings and of them depend Therefore the Orb Phantastick must exert All life phantasticall sensitive send The life of sense so of the rest unto each end 36 There 's nought from its own self can senden forth Ought better then it self So nought gives sense That hath not sense it self nor greater worth Then sense nor sense nor better springs from thence Nor that which higher is can have essence Lesse active lesse reduplicate lesse free Lesse spiritall then that 's amov'd from hence And is an Orb of a more low degree Wherefore that centrall life hath more activitie 37 And present is in each part totally Of this her body Nor we ought diffide Although some creatures still alive we see To stirre and move when we have them divide And cut in twain Thus worms in sturdie pride Do wrigge and wrest their parts divorc'd by knife But we must know that Natures womb doth hide Innumerable treasures of all life And how to breaken out upon each hint they strive 38 So when the present actuall centrall life Of sense and motion is gone with one part To manage it strait for the due relief Of th' other particle there up doth start Another centrall life and tries her art But she cannot raigne long nor yet recure That deadly wound The plantall lifes depart And flitten or shrunk spright that did procure Her company being lost make her she 'll not endure 39 And so at last is gone from whence she came For soon did fade that sweet allurement The plantall life which for a while did flame With sympathetick fire but that being spent Straight she is flown Or may you this content That some impression of that very soul That 's gone if gone with plantall spirit meint The broken corse thus busily may roll Long 't is till water boild doth stranger heat controul 40 Thus have we prov'd ' cording to our insight That humane souls be not corporeall With reasons drawn from the sensitive might Nor bodies nor spread forms materiall Whether you substances list them to call Or qualities or point of these I 'll bring Hereafter proofs from power rationall In humane souls to prove the self same thing Mount up aloft my Muse and now more shrilly sing The Argument of PSYCHATHANASIA Or The Immortality of the Soul BOOK II. CANT III. The souls incorporeitie From powers rationall We prove Discern true pietie From bitternesse and gall 1 LIke Carpenter entred into a wood To cut down timber for some edifice Of stately structure whiles he casts abroad His curious eye he much perplexed is There stand in view so many goodly trees Where to make choice to enter his rugg'd saw My Muse is plung'd in like perplexities So many arguments themselves do show That where to pitch my wavering mind doth yet scarce know 2 One taller then the rest my circling eye Hath hit upon which if 't be sound at heart Will prove a goodly piece to raise on high The heavenly structure of that deemed part Of man his soul and by unerring art Set his foundation 'bove the bodies frame On his own wheels that he may thence depart Intire unhurt So doth the Scythian swain Drive his light moving house on the waste verdant Plain 3 I 'll sing of piety that now I mean That Trismegist thus wisely doth define Knowledge of God That 's piety I ween The highest of virtues a bright beam divine Which to the purer soul doth sweetly shine But what 's this beam and how doth it enlight What doth it teach It teacheth to decline Self-love and frampard wayes the hypocrite Doth trample in accloy'd with dirt and dismall night 4 Not rage nor mischief nor love of a sect Nor eating irefulnesse harsh cruelty Contracting Gods good will nor conscience checkt Or chok'd continually with impiety Fauster'd and fed with hid hypocrisie Nor tyranny against perplexed minds Nor forc'd conceit nor man-idolatry All which the eye of searching reason blinds And the souls heavenly flame in dungeon darknesse binds 5 Can warres and jarres and fierce contention Swoln hatred and consuming envie spring From piety No. 'T is opinion That makes the riven heavens with trumpets ring And thundring engine mur'drous balls out-sling And send mens groning ghosts to lower shade Of horrid hell This the wide world doth bring To devastation makes mankind to fade Such direfull things doth false Religion perswade 6 But true Religion sprong from God above Is like her fountain full of charity Embracing all things with a tender love Full of good will and meek expectancy Full of true justice and sure verity In heart and voice free large even infinite Not wedg'd in strait particularity But grasping all in her vast active spright Bright lamp of God! that men would joy in thy pure light 7 Can souls that be thus universalis'd Begot into the life of God e're dy His light is like the sun that doth arise Upon the just and unjust can they fly Into a nothing and hath God an eye To see himself thus wasted and decay In his true members can mortality Seize upon that that doth it self display Above the laws of matter or the bodies sway 8 For both the body and the bodies spright Doth things unto particulars confine Teaching them partiall friendship and fell spight But those pure souls full of the life divine Look upon all things with mild friendly eyne Ready to do them good Thus is their will Sweetly spread out and ever doth incline The bent of the first Goodnesse to fulfill Ay me that dreary death such lovely life should spill 9 Besides this largenesse in the will of man And winged freenesse now let 's think upon His understanding and how it doth scan Gods being unto whom religion Is consecrate Imagination That takes its rise from sense so high ascent Can never reach yet intellection Or higher gets or at least hath some sent Of God vaticinates or is parturient 10 For ask her whether God be this or that A body infinite or some mighty spright Yet not almighty such vain speech she 'll hate Whether all present or in some place pight Whether part here part there or
What God near made nor doth at all intend To make free phantasms laughs at future fates Foresees her own condition she relates Th' all comprehension of eternity Complains she 's thirsty still in all estates That all she sees or has no'te satisfie Her hungry self nor fill her vast capacity 29 But I 'll break off My Muse her self forgot Her own great strength and her foes feeblenesse That she her name by her own pains may blot While she so many strokes heaps in excesse That fond grosse phansie quite for to suppresse Of the souls corporal'tie For men may think Her adversaries strength doth thus her presse To multitude of reasons makes her swink With weary toyl and sweat out thus much forced ink 30 Or that she loves with trampling insultations To domineere in easie victory But let not men dare cast such accusations Against the blamelesse For no mastery Nor fruitlesse pomp nor any verity Of that opinion that she here destroyes Made her so large No 't is her jealousie ' Gainst witching falshood that weak souls annoyes And oft doth choke those chearing hopes of lasting joyes The Argument of PSYCHATHANASIA OR The Immortality of the Soul Book 3. Cant. 1. The souls free independency Her drery dreadfull state In hell Her tricentreity What brings to heavens gate 1 WEll said that man what ever man that was That said what things we would we straight believe Upon each slight report t' have come to passe But better he that said Slow faith we give To things we long for most Hope and fear rive Distracted minds as when nigh equall weights Cast on the trembling scales each tug and strive To pull the other up But the same sleights By turns do urge them both in their descents and heights 2 Thus waves the mind in things of greatest weight For things we value most are companied With fear as well as hope these strifly fight The stronger hope the stronger fear is fed On mother both and the like livelyhed One object both from whence they both do spring The greater she the greater these she bred The greater these the greater wavering And longer time to end their sturdy struggeling 3 But is there any thing of more import Then the souls immortality Hence fear And hope we striving feel with strong effort Against each other That nor reason clear Nor sacred Oracles can straight down bear That sturdy rascall with black phantasies Yclad and clouded with drad dismall chear But still new mists he casts before our eyes And now derides our prov'd incorporieties 4 And grinning saith That labour 's all in vain For though the soul were incorporeall Yet her existence to this flesh restrain They be so nearly link'd that if one fall The other fails The eare nor hears our call In stouping age nor eye can see ought clear Benumming palsies shake the bodies wall The soul hath lost her strength and cannot steer Her crasie corse but staggering on reels here and there 5 So plain it is that though the soul 's a spright Not corporall that it must needs depend Upon this body and must perish quite When her foundation falls But now attend And see what false conceits vain fears do send 'T is true I cannot write without a quill Nor ride without an horse If chance that rend Or use make blunt o're-labouring this kill Then can I walk not ride not write but think my fill 6 Our body is but the souls instrument And when it fails onely these actions cease That thence depend But if new eyes were sent Unto the aged man with as much case And accuratenesse as when his youth did please The wanton lasse he now could all things see Old age is but the watry blouds disease The soul from death and sicknesse standeth free My hackney fails not I my pen not sciencie 7 But as I said of things we do desire So vehemently we never can be sure Enough Therefore my Muse thou must aspire To higher pitch and fearfull hearts secure Not with slight phansie but with reason pure Evincing the souls independency Upon this body that doth her immure That when from this dark prison she shall flie All men may judge her rest in immortality 8 Therefore I 'll sing the Tricentreity Of humane souls and how they wake from sleep In which ywrapt of old they long do lie Contract with cold and drench'd in Lethe deep Hugging their plantall point It makes me weep Now I so clearly view the solemn Spring Of silent Night whose Magick dew doth steep These drowsie souls of men whose dropping wing Keeps off the light of life and blunts each fiery sting 9 Three centres hath the soul One plantall hight Our parents this revive in nuptiall bed This is the principle that hales on Night Subjects the mind unto dull drowsyhed If we this follow thus we shall be led To that dark straitnesse that did bind before Our sluggish life when that is shrivelled Into its sunken centre we no more Are conscious of life what can us then restore 10 Unlesse with fiery whips fell Nemesis Do lash our sprights and cruelly do gore Our groning ghosts this is the way I wisse The onely way to keep 's from Morpheus power Both these so dismall are that I do showr Uncessant tears from my compassionate eyes Alas ye souls Why should or sleep devour Sweet functions of life or hellish cries To tender heart resound your just calamities 11 Thus may you all from your dead drowsinesse Be wak'd by inward sting and pinching wo That you could wish that that same heavinesse Might ever you o'represse and Lethe flow Upon your drowned life But you shall glow With urging fire that doth resuscitate Your middle point and makes it self to gnaw It self with madnesse while 't doth ruminate On its deformity and sterill vexing state 12 Continuall desire that nought effects Perfect hot-glowing fervour out to spring In some good world With fury she affects To reach the Land of life then struck with sting Of wounding memory despairs the thing And further off she sees her self the more She rageth to obtain thus doth she bring More fewell to her flame that scorched sore With searching fire she 's forc'd to yell and loudly rore 13 Thus she devours her self not satisfies Her self nought hath she but what 's dearly spun From her own bowels jejune exilities Her body 's gone therefore the rising sun She sees no more nor what in day is done The sporting aire no longer cools her bloud Pleasures of youth and manhood quite are gone Nor songs her eare nor mouth delicious food Doth fill But I 'll have this more fully understood 14 Three centres hath mans soul in Unity Together joynd or if you will but one Those three are one with a Triplicity Of power or rayes Th' high'st intellection Which being wak'd the soul's in Union With God If perfectly regenerate Into that better world corruption Hath then no force her blisse to perturbate The
low'st do make us subject to disturbing fate 15 But low'st gins first to work the soul doth frame This bodies shape imploy'd in one long thought So wholy taken up that she the same Observeth not till she it quite hath wrought So men asleep some work to end have brought Not knowing of it yet have found it done Or we may say the matter that she raught And suck'd unto her self to work upon Is of one warmth with her own spright feels as one 16 And thus the body being the souls work From her own centre so entirely made Seated i' th' heart for there this spright doth lurk It is no wonder 't is so easly sway'd At her command But when this work shall fade The soul dismisseth it as an old thought 'T is but one form but many be display'd Amid her higher rayes dismist and brought Back as she list many come that ne're were sought 17 The soul by making this strange edifice Makes way unto herself to exercise Functions of life and still more waked is The more she has perfected her fine devise Hath wrought her self into sure sympathies With this great world Her ears like hollow caves Resound to her own spright the energies Of the worlds spright If it ought suffered have Then presentifick circles to her straight notice gave 18 We know this world because our soul hath made Our bodie of this sensible worlds spright And body Therefore in the glassie shade Of our own eyes they having the same might That glasse or water hath we have the sight Of what the Mundane spirit suffereth By colours figures or inherent light Sun stars and all on earth it hurrieth To each point of it self so far as 't circuleth 19 And where he lighteth on advantages His circulings grow sensible So hills That hollow be do audible voices Resound The soul doth imitate that skill In framing of the eare that sounds may swell In that concavitie The crystall springs Reflect the light of heaven if they be still And clear the soul doth imitate and bring The eye to such a temper in her shapening 20 So eyes and ears be not mere perforations But a due temper of the Mundane spright And ours together else the circulations Of sounds would be well known by outward sight And th' eare would colours know figures light So that it 's plain that when this bodie 's gone This world to us is clos'd in darknesse quite And all to us is in dead silence drown Thus in one point of time is this worlds glory flown 21 But if 't be so how doth Psyche hear or see That hath nor eyes nor eares She sees more clear Then we that see but secondarily We see at distance by a circular Diffusion of that spright of this great sphear Of th' Universe Her sight is tactuall The Sun and all the starres that do appear She feels them in herself can distance all For she is at each one purely presentiall 22 To us what doth diffusion circular And our pure shadowed eyes bright crystalline But vigorously our spright particular Affect while things in it so clearly shine That 's done continually in the heavens sheen The Sun the Moon the Earth blew-glimmering Hel Scorch'd Aetna's bowels each shape you 'l divine To be in Nature every dern cell With fire-eyed dragons or what else therein doth dwel 23 These be all parts of the wide worlds excesse They be all seated in the Mundane spright And shew just as they are in their bignesse To her But circulation shews not right The magnitude of things for distant site Makes a deficience in these circulings But all things lie opeâ—right unto the sight Of heavens great eye their thin shot shadowings And lightned sides All this we find in Natures springs 24 The worlds great soul knows by Protopathie All what befalls this lower sprite but we Can onely know 't by Deuteropathie At least in sight and hearing She doth see In our own eyes by the close unitie Of ours and the worlds life our passion Plainly perceives our Idiopathie As we do hers by the same union But we cannot see hers in that perfection 25 Fresh varnish'd groves tall hills and gilded clouds Arching an eyelid for the gloring Morn Fair clustred buildings which our sight so crouds At distance with high spires to heaven yborn Vast plains with lowly cottages forlorn Rounded about with the low wavering skie Cragg'd vapours like to ragged rocks ytorn She views those prospects in our distant eye These and such like be the first centres mysterie 26 Or if you will the first low energie Of that one centre which the soul is hight Which knows this world by the close unitie Concorporation with the Mundane sprite Unloos'd from this she wants a certain light Unlesse by true regeneration She be incorporate with God unite With his own spright so a new mansion Sh' has got oft saught with deepest suspiration 27 But robb'd of her first clothing by hard fate If she fall short of this wo's me what pains She undergoes when this lost former state So kindled hath lifes thirst that still remains Thus her eternitie her nothing gains But hungry flames raging voracitie Feeding on its own self The heavens she stains With execrations and foul blasphemie Thus in fell discontent and smoth'ring fire they frie. 28 Vain man that striv'st to have all things at will What wilt thou do in this sterilitie Whom canst thou then command or what shall fill Thy gaping soul O depth of miserie Prepare thy self by deep humilitie Destroy that fretting fire while thou art here Forsake this worlds bewitching vanitie Nor death nor hell then shalt thou need to fear Kill and cast down thy self to heaven God shall thee rear 29 This middle centrall essence of the soul Is that which still survives asleep or waking The life she shed in this grosse earthly moul Is quite shrunk up lost in the bodies breaking Now with slight phantasms of her own fond making She 's clad so is her life drie and jejune But all flit souls be not in the same taking That state this lifes proportion doth tune So as thou livest here such measure must ensuen 30 But they whose souls deiform summitie Is waken'd in this life and so to God Are nearly joyn'd in a firm Unitie This outward bodie is but earthie clod Digested having life transfus'd abroad The worlds life and our lower vitalitie Unite in one their souls have their aboad In Christs own body are eternally One with our God by true and strong communitie 31 When we are clothed with this outward world Feel the soft air behold the glorious Sunne All this we have from meat that 's daily hurld Into these mouthes But first of all we wonne This priviledge by our first union With this worlds body and diffused spright I' th' higher world there 's such communion Christ is the sunne that by his chearing might Awakes our higher rayes to joyn with his pure
stream be alwayes homogeneall 32 But the high heaven-born soul sprung out from Jove Ever is clashing with the foolery Of this dull body which the sense doth love And erring phansie It were long to try In every thing O how 't would magnifie The hight of pleasures that fall under sense This well describ'd would prove its Deity A vast round body cloth'd with th' excellence Of glorious glistring light through the wide aire extense 33 Bravely adorn'd with diverse colours gay Even infinite varieties that shine With wondrous brightnesse varnish'd with the ray Of that clear light with motion circuline Let turn about and stir up sounds divine That sweetly may affect th' attentive ear Adde fragrant odours waft with gentle wind Adde pleasant taste soft touch to Venus dear This is the bodies God this is its highest sphear 34 But from far higher place and brighter light Our reason checks us for this vanity Calls to us warns us that that empty sight Lead not our soul unto Idolatry Make us not rest in easie falsity If thou be stirred up by working fire To search out god to find the Deity Take to thy self not what thine eyes admire Or any outward sense or what sense can desire 35 Behold a light far brighter then the Sun The Sun 's a shadow if you them compare Or grosse Cimmerian mist the fairest Noon Exceeds not the meridian night so far As that light doth the Sun So perfect clear So perfect pure it is that outward eye Cannot behold this inward subtile starre But indisperst is this bright Majesty Yet every where out shining in infinitie 36 Unplac'd unparted one close Unity Yet omnipresent all things yet but one Not streâ—k'd with gaudy multiplicity Pure light without discolouration Stable without circumvolution Eternall rest joy without passing sound What sound is made without collision Smell taste and touch make God a grosse compound Yet truth of all that 's good is perfectly here found 37 This is a riddle unto outward sense And heavie phansie that can rise no higher Then outward senses knows no excellence But what those Five do faithfully inspire From their great God this world nor do desire More then they know wherefore to consopite Or quench this false light of bold phansies fire Surely must be an act contrary quite Unto this bodies life and its low groveling spright 38 Wherefore the body 's not Originall Of humane soul when she doth thus resist That principle which still more clearly shall Be proved Oft when either drowsie mists Provoke to sleep or worst of senses lists To ease his swelling veins or stomach craves His wonted food that he too long hath mist Or our dry lungs cool liquor fain would have Or when in warre our heart suggests the fear of grave 39 Yet high desire of truth and deep insight Into Gods mystery makes us command These low attractions and our countries right Bids march on bravely stout and stifly stand In bloudy fight and try 't by strength of hand Thus truth and honesty so sway our will That we no longer doubt to break the band Of lower Nature and this body kill Or vex so we the Laws of reason may fulfill 40 This proves the soul to sit at liberty Not wedg'd into this masse of earth but free Unloos'd from any strong necessity To do the bodies dictates while we see Clear reason shining in serenity Calling above unto us pointing to What 's right and decent what doth best agree With those sweet lovely Ideas that do show Some glimps of their pure light So Sol through clouds doth flow 41 How oft do we neglect this bodies life And outward comely plight for to adorn Our soul with virtuous ornaments and strive To fat our mind with truth while it 's forlorn Squalid half-nasty pallid wan deform Can this desire from the base body spring No sure such brave atchievements be yborn Within the soul tend to her perfecting See th' independent mind in her self circuling 42 Best plight of body hinders such like acts How doth she then upon the body pend To do those subtle high pure heavenly facts What doth the Sun his rayes that he out-sends Smother or choke though clouds that upward wend May raised be by him yet of those clouds That he doth congregate he no'te depend Nor doth the soul that in this flesh doth croud Her self rely on that thick vapour where she 's shroud 43 But still to prove it clearer If the mind Without the bodyes help can operate Of her own self then nothing can we find To scruple at but that souls separate Safely exist not subject unto fate Nothing depending on their carcases That they should fade when those be ruinate But first perpend well both their properties That we may better see their independencies 44 The living body where the soul doth ' bide These functions hath phansie sense memory How into sense these outward forms do glide I have already told and did descry How presentifick circularity Is spread through all there is one Mundane spright And body vitall corporality We have from hence Our souls be coâ—unite With the worlds spright and body with these herself she has dight 45 Our body struck by evolution Of outward forms spread in the worlds vast spright Our listning mind by its adversion Doth notice take but nothing is empight In it Of old Gods hand did all forms write In humane souls which waken at the knock Of Mundane shapes If they were naked quite Of innate forms though heaven and earth should rock With roring winds they 'd hear no more then senselesse stock 46 Phansy's th' impression of those forms that flit In this low life They oft continue long When as our spright more potently is hit By their incursions and appulses strong Like heated water though a while but hung On fiercer fire an hot impression Long time retains so forms more stoutly flung Against our spright make deep insculption Long time it is till their clear abolition 47 Hence springeth that which men call memory When outward object doth characterize Our inward common spright or when that we From our own soul stir up clear phantasies Which be our own elicited Idees Springing from our own centrall life by might Of our strong Fiat as oft as we please With these we seal that under grosser spright Make that our note-book there our choifest notions write 48 But sith it is not any part of us But longeth unto the great world it must Be chang'd for course of Time voraginous With rapid force is violently just Makes each thing pay with what it was in trust The common life sucks back the common spright The body backward falls into the dust It doth it by degrees Hence phancie sight And memory in age do not their functions right 49 Often disease or some hard casualtie Doth hurt this spirit that a man doth lose The use of sense wit phansie memory That hence rash men our souls mortall suppose Through
obscure the weaker or further off and how that one being removed the energie of the other will easily appear Now that our comparison may be the fitter let us consider what Aristotle saith of phansie that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus much I will take of him that Phansie is sense and adde to it that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and what I have intimated in some passages of these Poems that the soul doth alwayes feel it self it s own actuall Idea by its omniform centrall self So that the immediate sense of the soul is nothing else but to perceive its own energie Now sith that that which we call outward sense is indeed the very energie of the soul and inward sense which is phansie can be no other there seems to be no reall and intrinsecall difference betwixt the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of any form no more then there is betwixt a frog born by the Sunne and mere slime and one born by copulation For these are but extrinsecall relations Wherefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the soul it self is all one But now sith it is the same nature why is not there the same degrees in both I say there is as appears plainly in sleep where we find all as clear and energeticall as when we wake But here these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for I have prov'd them all one do as greater and lesser lights dim one another or that which is nearest worketh strongliest Hence it is that the light or life of this low spirit or body of ours stirring up the soul into a perpetuall senfuall energie if we foster this and unite our minds will and animadversion with it will by its close nearenesse with the soul dim and obscure those more subtil and exile phantasms or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 risen from the soul it self or occasioned by other mens writings For they will be in the flaring light or life of the body as the starres in the beams of the Sunne scarce to be seen unlesse we withdraw our selves out of the flush vigour of that light into the profundity of our own souls as into some deep pit Wherefore men of the most tam'd and castigate spirits are of the best and most profound judgement because they can so easily withdraw themselves from the life and impulse of the lower spirit of this body Thus being quit of passion they have upon any occasion a clear though still and quiet representation of every thing in their minds upon which pure bright sydereall phantasms unprejudiced reason may safely work and clearly discern what is true or probable If my writings fall into the hands of men otherwise qualified I shall gain the lesse approbation But if they will endeavour to compose themselves as near as they can to this temper though they were of another opinion then what my writings intend to prove I doubt not but they will have the happinesse to be overcome and to prove gainers by my victory To say any thing more particularly concerning these last I hold it needlesse Onely let me excuse my self if any chance to blame me for my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as confuting that which no man will assert For it hath been asserted by some as those Mauri whom Ficinus speaks of and the question is also discussed by Plotinus in his fourth Ennead where he distinguisheth of all souls being one after this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The latter member is that which my arguments conclude against though they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet were we safe enough as safe as the beams of the Sun the Sun existing But the similitude of Praxiteles broken glasse is brought in according to the apprehension of such as make the image to vanish into nothing the glasse being taken away and that as there is but one face though there be the appearances of many so though there be the appearances of many souls by reason of that ones working in divers bodies yet there is but one soul and understanding sense and motion to be the acts of this one soul informing severall bodies This is that which both Plotinus and I endeavour to destroy which is of great moment For if one onely soul act in every body what ever we are now surely this body laid in the dust we shall be nothing As for the Oracles answer to Amelius if any vulgar conceited man think it came from a devil with Bats wings and a long tail the Seventies translation of the eight verse of the 32. chapter of Deuteronomy may make it at least doubtfull When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance when he separated the sonnes of Adam he set the bounds of the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He did not then deliver them into the hand and jurisdiction of devils nor to be instructed and taught by them But if Apollo who gave so good a testimony of Socrates while he was living and of Plotinus after his death was some foul fiend yet t is no prejudice to their esteem since our Saviour Christ was acknowledged by the devil But I have broke my word by not breaking off before this Reader t is time now to leave thee to the perusall of my writings which if they chance to please thee I repent me not of my pains if they chance not to please that shall not displease me much for I consider that I also with small content and pleasure have read the writings of other men Yours H. M. The Argument of ANTIPSYCHOPANNYCHIA Or The confutation of the sleep of the Soul CANT I. Adams long sleep will mind compar'd With low vitality The fondnesse plainly have unbar'd Of Psychopannychie 1 THe souls ever durancy I sung before Ystruck with mighty rage A powerfull fire Held up my lively Muse and made her soar So high that mortall wit I fear she 'll tire To trace her Then a while I did respire But now my beating veins new force again Invades and holy fury doth inspire Thus stirred up I 'll adde a second strain Lest what afore was said may seem all spoke in vain 2 For sure in vain do humane souls exist After this life if lull'd in listlesse sleep They senselesse lie wrapt in eternal mist bound up in foggy clouds that ever weep Benumming tears and the souls centre steep With deading liquour that she never minds Or feeleth ought Thus drench'd in Lethe deep Nor misseth she her self nor seeks nor finds Her self This mirksome state all the souls actions binds 3 Desire fear love joy sorrow pleasure pain Sense phancy wit forecasting providence Delight in God and what with sleepy brain Might sute slight dreams all banish'd farre from hence Nor pricking nor applauding conscience Can wake the soul from this dull Lethargie That 'twixt this sleepy state small difference You 'll
find and that men call Mortality Plain death 's as good as such a Psychopannychie 4 What profiteth this bare existency If I perceive not that I do exist Nought longs to such nor mirth nor misery Such stupid beings write into one list With stocks and stones But they do not persist You 'll say in this dull dead condition But must revive shake off this drowsie mist At that last shrill loud-sounding clarion Which cleaves the trembling earth rives monuments of stone 5 Has then old Adam snorted all this time Under some senselesse sod with sleep ydead And have those flames that steep Olympus climbe Right nimbly wheeled or'e his heedlesse head So oft in heaps of years low buried And yet can ken himself when he shall rise Wakend by piercing trump that farre doth shed Its searching sound If we our memories And wit do lose by sicknesse falls sloth lethargies 6 If all our childhood quite be waste away With its impressions so that we forget What once we were so soon as age doth sway Our bowed backs sure when base worms have eat His mouldring brains and spirits have retreat From whence they came spread in the common fire And many thousand sloping sunnes have set Since his last fall into his ancient mire How he will ken himself reason may well admire 7 For he must know himself by some impression Left in his ancient body unwash'd out Which seemeth strange For can so long succession Of sliding years that great Colosses mought Well moulder into dust spare things ywrought So slightly as light phantasms in our brain Which oft one yeare or moneth have wrenched out And left no footsteps of that former stain No more then 's of a cloud quite melted into rain 8 And shall not such long series of time When Nature hath dispread our vitall spright And turn'd our body to its ancient slime Quite wash away what ever was empight In that our spirit If flesh and soul unite Lose such impressions as were once deep seald And fairly glistered like to comets bright In our blew Chaos if the soul congeald With her own body lose these forms as I reveald 9 Then so long time of their disjunction The body being into dust confract The spright diffus'd spread by dispersion And such Lethean sleep that doth contract The souls hid rayes that it did nothing act Must certainly wipe all these forms away That sense or phansie ever had impact So that old Adam will in vain assay To find who here he was he 'll have no memorie 10 Nor can he tell that ere he was before And if not tell he 's as if then first born If as first born his former life's no store Yet when men wake they find themselves at morn But if their memory away were worn With one nights sleep as much as doth respect Themselves these men they never were beforn This day 's their birth day they cannot conject They ever liv'd till now much lesse the same detect 11 So when a man goes hence thus may he say As much as me concerns I die now quite Adiew good self for now thou goest away Nor can I possibly thee ever meet Again nor ken thy face nor kindly greet Sleep and dispersion spoyls our memory So my dear self henceforth I cannot weet Wherefore to me it 's perfectly to die Though subtiler Wits do call 't but Psychopannychie 12 Go now you Psychopannychites perswade To comely virtues and pure piety From hope of ioy or fear of penance sad Men promptly may make answer Who shall try That pain or pleasure When death my dim eye Shall close I sleep not sensible of ought And tract of time at least all memory Will quiâ—e debarre that reacquainten mought My self with mine own self if so my self I sought 13 But I shall neither seek my self nor find My self unsought Therefore not deprehend My self in joy or wo. Men ought to mind What longs unto them But when once an end Is put unto this life and fate doth rend Our retinence what follows nought at all Belongs to us what need I to contend And my frail spright with present pain to gall For what I nere shall judge my self did ere befall 14 This is the uncouth state of sleeping soul Thus weak of her own self without the prop Of the base body that she no'te out-roll Her vitall raies those raies Death down doth lop And all her goodly beauty quite doth crop With his black claws Wisdome love piety Are straight dried up Death doth their fountain stop This is those sleepers dull Philosophy Which fairly men invites to foul impiety 15 But if we grant which in my former song I plainly prov'd that the souls energie Pends not on this base corse but that self-strong She by her self can work then when we fly The bodies commerce no man can deny But that there is no interruption Of life where will puts on there doth she hie Or if she 's carried by coaction That force yet she observes by presse adversion 16 And with most lively touch doth feel and find Her self For either what she most doth love She then obtains or else with crosse unkind Contrary life since her decease sh ' hath strove That keeps her wake and with like might doth move To think upon her self and in what plight She 's fallen And nothing able to remove Deep searching vengeance groans in this sad Night And rores and raves and storms and with her self doth fight 17 But hearty love of that great vitall spright The sacred fount of holy sympathy Prepares the soul with its deep quickning might To leave the bodies vain mortality Away she flies into Eternity Finds full accomplishment of her desire Each thing would reach its own centrality So Earth with Earth and Moon with Moon conspire Our selves live most when most we feed our Centrall fire 18 Thus is the soul continually in life Withouten interruption if that she Can operate after the fatall knife Hath cut the cords of lower sympathy Which she can do if that some energie She exercise immur'd in this base clay Which on frail flesh hath no dependency For then the like she 'll do that done away These independent acts t is time now to display 19 All comprehending Will proportionate To whatsoever shall fall by Gods decree Or prudent sufferance sweetly spread dilate Stretch'd out t' embrace each act or entity That creep from hidden cause that none can see With outward eyes Next Intellect whose hight Of working 's then when as it stands most free From sense and grosser phansie deep empight In this vild corse which to purg'd minds yields small delight 20 Both Will and Intellect then worketh best When Sense and Appetite be consopite And grosser phansie lull'd in silent rest Then Will grown full with a mild heavenly light Shines forth with goodly mentall rayes bedight And finds and feels such things as never pen Can setten down so that unexpert wight May reade and
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 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 feeble 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 soul shall speed That loveth virtue for no worldly meed Though sooth to say 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 But earthly minds whose sight 's seal'd up with mud Discern not this flesh-clouded Deity Ne do acknowledge any other good Then waht 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 Muse such fruitlesse pains to prove No pains but pleasure to do th' 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 cannot well withold T' expresse its own impressions and hid life Or joy or greif 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 Great hope indeed thy rhymes 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 eager hearty draught Relishing truly what thy rhymes 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 wax 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 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 air 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 Crownd'd with that heavenly light and lively rayes Of holy wisdome 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 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 Gl. And now let 's up Vesper brings on the Night Fides Fluctuans O Deus aeterno lucis qui absconditus Orbe Humanos fugis aspectus da cernere verum Da magnum spectare diem non mobilis Aevi Da contemplari nullius in infera noctis Lapsurum solem Spissas caliginis umbras Adventu dispelle tuo Pernicibus alis Ocyus advolitans animam tu siste solutam Mobilitate sua rapidae quam cursus aquai Deturbat secum atque in caeco gurgite condit Sed tamen ex fluxu hoc rerum miseroque tumultu En vultus attollo meos tu porrige dextram Exime ut excelso figam vestigia saxo O Deus O Centrum rerum te percita motu Arcano circumvolitant cuncta atque requirunt Nequicquam quoniam aeterna te contegis umbra Attamen insano exerces mea pectora amore Et suspirantem volupe est tibi ludere mentem Ignibus occultis Non talibus aestuat Aetna Intima cùm accensas eructet flamma favillas Pleniùs lato spargat sua viscera campo Omnia solicita mecum quae mente revolvi Somnia sunt stultéque animi satagentis inane Figmentum spes nostra perit radicitùs omnis Expectata diu vacuas vita exit in auras Hei mihi quam immensae involvor caligine noctis Subsido pereo repeto jam materiaï Infensas tenebras ahenae vincula mortis Quae me intemperies agitat Rescindito coelos Summe Deûm tantósque animi componito fluctus Resolution WHere 's now the objects of thy fears Needlesse sighs and fruitlesse tears They be all gone like idle dream Suggested from the bodies steam O Cave of horrour black as pitch Dark Den of Spectres that bewitch The weakned phansy sore affright With the grim shades of grisely Night What 's Plague and Prison Losse of friends Warre Dearth and Death that all things ends Mere Bug-bears for the childish mind Pure Panick terrours of the blind Collect thy soul into one sphear Of light and 'bove the earth it rear Those wild scattered thoughts that erst Lay losely in the World disperst Call in thy spirit thus knit in one Fair lucid orb those fears be gone Like vain impostures of the Night That fly before the Morning bright Then with pure eyes thou shalt behold How the first Goodnesse doth infold All things in loving tender armes That deemed mischiefs are no harms But sovereign salves and skilfull cures Of greater woes the world endures That mans stout soul may win a state Far rais'd above the reach of fate Then wilt thou say God rules the World Though mountain over mountain hurl'd Be pitch'd amid the foaming Maine Which busie winds to wrath constrain His fall doth make the billowes start And backward skip from every part Quite sunk then over his senselesse side The waves in triumph proudly ride Though inward tempests fiercely rock The tottering Earth that with the shock High spires and heavie rocks fall down With their own weight drove into ground Though pitchy blasts from Hell up-born Stop the outgoings of the Morn And Nature play her fiery games In this forc'd Night with fulgurant flames Baring by fits for more affright The pale dead visages ghastly sight Of men astonish'd at the stoure Of Heavens great rage the rattling showers Of hail the hoarse bellowing of thunder Their own loud shreekes made mad with wonder All this confusion cannot move The purged mind freed from the love Of commerce with her body dear Cell of sad thoughts sole spring of fear What ere I feel or heare or see Threats but these parts that mortall be Nought can the honest heart dismay Unlesse the love of living clay And long acquaintance with the light Of this Outworld and what to sight Those two officious beams discover Of forms that round about us hover Power Wisedome Goodnesse sure did fra This Universe and still guide the same But thoughts from passions sprung decei◠Vain mortalls No man can contrive A better course then what 's been run Since the first circuit of the Sun He that beholds all from on high Knowes better what to do then I. I 'm not mine own should I repine If he dispose of what 's not mine Purge but thy soul of blind self-will Thou streight shalt see God doth no ill The world He fills with the bright rayes Of his free goodnesse He displayes Himself throughout Like common aire That spirit of life through all doth fare Suck'd in by them as vitall breath That willingly embrace not death But those that with that living Law Be unacquainted cares do gnaw Mistrust of Gods good providence Doth daily vex their wearied sense Now place me on the Libyan soil With scorching sun and sands to toil Far from the view of spring or tree Where neither man nor house I see Place me by the fabulous streams Of Hydaspes In the Realms Where Caucasus his lofty back Doth raise in wreaths and endlesse tract Commit me at my next remove To icy Hyperborean Jove Confine me to the Arctick Pole Where the numbd heavens do slowly roll To lands where cold raw heavie mist Sols kindly warmth and light resists Where louring clouds full fraught with snow Do sternly scoul where winds do blow With bitter blasts and pierce the skin Forcing the vitall spirits in Which leave the body thus ill bested In this chill plight at least half dead Yet by an Antiperistasis My inward heat more kindled is And while this flesh her breath expires My spirit shall suck celestiall fires By deep-fetchd sighs and pure devotion Thus waxen hot with holy motion A◠once I 'll break forth in a flame Above this world and worthlesse fame I 'll take my flight carelesse that men Know not how where I die or when Yea though the Soul should mortall prove So be Gods life but in me move To my last breath I 'm satisfide A lonesome mortall God t' have dide Devotion GOod God! when thou thy inward grace dost shower Into my brest How full of light and lively power Is then my soul How am I blest How can I then all difficulties devour Thy might Thy spright With ease my combrous enemy controll If thou once turn away thy face and hide Thy chearfull look My feeble flesh may not abide That dreadfull stound I cannot brook Thy absence My heart with care and grief then gride Doth fail Doth quail My life steals from me at that hidden wound My phansie's then a burden to my mind Mine anxious thought Betrayes my reason makes me blind Near
this sensible world of it self can make us know things at distance though Plotinus seem inclinable to that Opinion See Psychathan lib. 3. Cant. 1. STANZ 55. All Sense doth in proportion consist Something 's are so light that the weight is indiscernable to some as the Flie that sat upon the Bulls horns and apologized for her self as having wearied him as it is in the Arabian fable some smells too weak to strike the nostrills of others and some objects too obscure to be seen of the eyes of othersome But Arachne is proportioned to all whatsoever is any way sensible to any because Psyche doth inact this All or Universe as a particular Soul doth the body Vers 9. All life of Sense is in great Haphe's lift It must needs be so For no living soul is sensible of ought in this out-World but by being joyned in a living manner to it Therefore Psyche being joyned to it all must needs perceive all forms and motions in it that are presented to any particular soul For these representations be made in some particular body which is but a part of the whole a knot as it were of Psyches outward stole but the universall body of the World is one undivided peece wherefore nor Owl nor Bat nor Cat nor any thing else can possibly see but Psyche seeth ipso facto for 't is part of her body that hath those representations in it wherefore man is transfixt through and through by the rayes of the divine Light besides that more incomprehensible way of omnisciency in God STANZ 5.6 Sense and Consent c. As Psyche sees all naturall things so she doth allow of them For contrariety of Spirits is onely betwixt particulars and uglinesse and ill-favourednesse are but such to some kinds nor is poyson poyson to all else would the Spider be her own death and all venomous monsters would save man the labour of encounter STANZ 57. Rich Semele display Till we come to Psyches self motion and mutabilitie have place But in Aeon and Ahad is steddy and unalterable rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And there hath Psyche the one eye plac'd as well as the other below beholding all things and that which is above all things as also the shadows and projections of all things without distraction at once as easily as our eyes discern many colours at once in one thing STANZ 59. The mother of each Semele How she is the mother of them see the second Canto of this book at the 23. Stanz Vers 3. But she grasps all The Mundane spirit of which every body hath its part inacted by Psyche if any particular soul exert any imaginative act needs must for a time at least be coloured as it were or stained with that impression so that Psyche must needs perceive it sith it affects her own spirit See Psychath lib. 3. Cant. 2. Stanz 46.47 Besides this euery particular soul as all things else depending so intimately on Psyche as being effluxes from her it is inconceivable that the least motions of the mind or stillest thought should escape her But if any man be puzled how the phantasie of a mans soul should make an impression upon any part of the universall spirit of the world and Semele should not let him consider that the imaginative operations of Psyche are more high more hovering and suspense from immersion into the grosser spirits of this body which is little or nothing conscious of what 's done so farre above and so not receiving the impresse of so high acts it ordinarily happens even in the exaltation of our own phansie that memory fails And besides this as the vigour of sense debilitates or quite extinguisheth the ordinary imaginations of the soul so doth her ordinary imaginations or sense or both hinder the animadversion of the impresses of Semele But particular imaginations and the vigour of sense weakened or extinct in sleep or near death the energies of the soul of the world are then more perceptible probably even in the very spirit of our body as well as in the naked soul hence come prophetick dreams and true predictions before death But to go back to the apprehensions of Psyche Every sensible object and every sensitive and imaginative act appear before her and whatsoever is in her sight is also in the sight of Aeon Because the union betwixt Aeon and Psyche is much more near then between Psyche and the Mundane spirit And whatsoever is represented in Aeon is also clearly in the view of Ahad by reason of the unexpresseable close unity of these two so that Ahad knowes every individuall thing and motion as clearly nay more clearly then any mortall eye can view any one thing let it look never so steddily on it Thus the thoughts of all mens minds and motions of heart arise up into the sight and presence of the all-comprehending Divinity as necessarily and naturally as reek or fume of frankincense rouls up into the open air For the spirit of the Lord fills all the world and that which conteineth all things hath knowledge of the voyce yea of the outward shape gestures and thoughts too Wisd 1 7. Nor is Eternity changed or obscured by the projection of these low shadows For infinite animad version can discern all things unmixtly and undisturbedly not at all loosing it self though gaining nothing by the sight of inferiour things Nor can I assent to that passage in Plotin taken in one sense nor is it I think necessary to take it in that sense the words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is But that such a kind of inclining himself to himself being as it were his energie and abode in himself makes him to be what he is the contrary supposed doth argue For if he should incline to that which is without him he would lose that being which he is But this is to be considered that God being infinitely infinite without stooping or inclining can produce all things and view alwayes his work keeping his own seat that is himself for so saith the Philosopher in another place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is That Intellect or On or the Intellectuall world is the first energie of God is the first substance from him he abiding in himself See Plotin Ennead 6. lib. 8. cap. 16. also Ennead 1. lib. 8. c. 2. But now to take a short view of what I have runne through in my notes on this Canto Ahad Aeon Psyche the Platonick Triad is rather the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Divinity rather then the Deity For God is but one indivisible unmovable self-born Unity and his first born creature is Wisdome Intellect Aeon On or Autocalon or in a word the Intellectuall world whose measure himself is that is simple and perfect Goodnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is For he is without need self-sufficient wanting nothing the measure and term of all things yielding out of himself Intellect or On and Psyche And speaking
chiefly aimed at in this Stanza yet I do not confine my Theoprepia to it nor think I the soul of man disjoyned from God that is not in that sort united to him But if a man have lost his self-will and self-love being wholly dead to himself and alive to God though that life exert it self in successive acts if a man I say be but affected as God himself if he were in the flesh would be affected he is also truly and really in Theoprepia Cant. 3. STANZA 1. Shafts which Vriel vers 5. vers 7. No other help we had for Gabriel URiel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ignis Dei Angelus Meridionalis He that rules in the power of the Meridian Sunne Quatuor Angeli praesidentes cardinibus Coeli Michael Raphael Gabriel Vrieb For Gabriel in this place bears onely a naturall notion elsewhere it is the strength of the Lord revealed in the soul But as for those terms it was rather chance then choice that cast me upon them being nothing solicitous whether there be any such Presidents or no. I conceive they be some old Rabbinicall inventions or traditions by the grosse mistake in them For when as they assign to Michael the East and the West to Raphael they seem never to have dreamed of any East or West but what belonged to their own Horizon when as where ever East is West is also to some Inhabitants so that both these Angels will have the same province Cornel. Agrip. de Occult. Philos lib. 2. cap. 7. STANZ 3 4 5. The first estate of man when he begins to make conscience of the law of God which I call Diana which is the Moon as not affording life and vigour though some small light Small I deem it in comparison of the day-starre the Sunne of righteousnesse himself This estate is set out in these 4. Stanzas STANZA 6 7 8 9. The penitent perplext and passionate estate of one that hath the true sight and sense of his sinne and corruption but is not rid of them STANZ 10 Me thought the Sunne it self c. The condition of him whose spirits indeed are unpurged though the fire hath got hold on them and burns and glows as in fowl rubbish This estate is set out by the appearance of the sunne from Ida hill the description whereof follows in the next Stanz STANZ 11. But Phoebus form c. A sad image of bitter zeal and praecipitant wrath against all those that are not in the same sad condition with our selves that is that are either better or worse in life and different in opinion Vers 8. Small things they will prize c. Such men scarce got into the spirit of Elias yet esteem their temper above the meeknesse of Christs own spirit because they never yet had experience of it STANZ 18. All sects besides his own doth execrate This was the disease of the Gnosticks in Plotinus time who contemned all beside their own sect to whom the incomparable Philosopher gravely and more like a Christian then those that call themselves by that name writes to this sense That if they were so much better then all the world they ought to be so much the more mild and modest and not so full of ferocity and rudenesse and to think that there may be room with God for others also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And not in placing themselves onely next to God to sore as it were in a dream to flie in their sleep STANZ 35. Whom with cruel spear The difficulty here is how the eternall Sonne of God may suffer he being everlasting and immortall life it self and not contradict what was written Canto 1. Stanz 9 14 35 36 37. For to the impassible eternall being is the inheritance of the world there promised but here to that which is passible and mortall I answer that the eternal and immortall sonne of God is to take possession of the world by that which after a manner is mortall and extinguishable which is the energie of himself exerted upon the souls of men or a kind of life diffused in mans heart and soul whereby God doth inact us and is our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the soul is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the body and governs and guides it And if Aeon as he is the sonne of Ahad or Atove to speak Platonically that is the simple and free good or in brief as he is the sonne of God who is the simple good without all self-nesse or straitnesse even pure and perfect Light it self for this Aeon contains in him also the whole creature and is the essence or Idea of all things I say if he as he is the sonne of God be in us by his imparted life he then takes possession of the world and God by him But he hath not yet enquickened men generally with this Deiform life but it hath lyen dead to them or they to it that influx being rather suspended then absolutely destroyed but as the soul to its body or any part of her body that is numb and dead But when that life shall flow into them as the vitall rayes of the soul into this mortall body He shall then as truly govern rule and possesse the world as any soul doth her body And that there is an eternall sonne of God immortall impassible and not onely in the souls of men but that fills the whole universe the Evangelist I think will confirm For he ascribes the creation of all things to him yea and calls him God which makes me wonder that the Turks have so high an esteem of this Gospel of S. John unlesse they will interpret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the same tenour that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be interpreted neither place then signifying unity or identity but union onely and conjunction But to prove the thing in hand John the 1. vers 10. He was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not By world must be understood either the whole universe or men inhabiting it and they either the godly or the wicked If the Universe he is then the eternall principle whereby God made the whole creation If the godly onely as he may be said in some more speciall manner to be their maker how came they not to know him when he was in them and alive in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the wicked onely he made them not wicked so that if he made them at all he made their naturall being soul and body and if them why not all the world whence a man may reasonably conclude that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Word is eternall and immortall and invulnerable And if any Authority will now be worth looking after S. Johns testimony being so plain Philo the Jew speaks out to this purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 3. It is manifest that the Archetypal seal which we call the intellectuall world is the very word of God
utmost unities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is in Aristotle intimates equity or justice The sides are equall one with another and so are the angles and the number of the sides and angles equall one with another Both the numbers put together are a number pariter par again and constitute the first cube which is eight That adds steddinesse and persevererance in true justice and uprightnesse toward God and man Hypomone bears all this that is all that dolour and vexation that comes from the keeping our perverse heart to so strait and streight a rule 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 intire and is the same that Tasis in Psychozoia 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 soul doth afford the body is not rationall sensitive or imaginative but vegetative So this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is liquid fire which Psyche sends out and is the outmost last and lowest operation from her self is also vegetative R RAyes. The rayes of an essence is its energie See Energie Reason I understand by Reason the deduction of one thing from another which I conceive proceeds from a kind of continuity of phantasmes and is something like the moveing of a cord at one end the parts next it rise with it And by this concatenation of phantasms I conceive that both brutes and men are moved in reasonable wayes and methods in their ordinary externall actions Reduplicative That is reduplicative which is not onely in this point but also in another having a kind of circumscribed ubiquity 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 spiritual Though the former is most properly at least more eminently spirituall And whether any thing be after that way spirituall saving the Divinity there is reason to doubt For what is intirely omnipresent in a sphear whose diametre is but three foot I see not why that in the circumference being as fresh and intire 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 Rhomboides is a parallelogrammicall figure with unequall sides and oblique angles S SCalen a triangle with all sides unequall Self reduplicative See Reduplicative Semele Imagination from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imago Simon intimates obedience from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obedivit Solyma or Salem from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peace 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 Gen. 2. which is not that impeccable spirit that cannot sinne but the very same that the Platonists call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a middle essence betwixt that which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and we would in the Christian language call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the life of the body which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a kind of an umbratil vitalitie that the soul imparts to the body in the enlivening of it That and the body together we Christians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the suggestions of it especially in its corrupt estate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that that which God inspired into Adam was no more then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the soul not the spirit though it be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spiraculum vitae is plain out of the text because it made man but become a living soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But you will say he was a dead soul before and this was the spirit of life ye the spirit of God the life of the soul that was breathed into him But if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imply 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 as but salt to keep them from stinking as Philo speaks for they are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chap. 1. v. 20.21 See 1. Cor. chap. 15. v. 45 46. In breif therefore that which in Platonisme is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the brute or beast in the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same in both Sperm It signifies ordinarily seed I put it for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ratio seminalis or the invisible plasticall form that shapes every visible creature Spermaticall It belongs properly to Plants but is tranferred 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 Plant one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 animae corporis and the souls vehicle Sometimes life See Reduplicative T TAgathon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Good the same with Hattove Tasis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extension Tricentreity Centre is put for essence so Tricentreity must imply a Trinity of essence See Centre and Energie V VAticinant 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 herself cannot plainly apprehend much lesse comprehend the matter The phrase is borrowed of Proclus who describing the incomprehensiblenesse of God and the desire of all things toward him speaks thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theolog. Platon lib. 1. cap. 21. See Psychathan lib. 3. cant 3. stanz 12. 14. Vranore The light or beauty of heaven from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pulchritudo Z ZAphon Aquilo The North. Zeus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jupiter from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 serveo or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
no not the acutenesse of Reason nor yet a strong if naked conceit that we have the Spirit of God can excuse a man from being in any better condition then in the Land of Brutes or in the mere animal nature Which conclusion I thought worth my labour to set off with such Artifice and Circumstance as I have the gullery and deceit therein if not avoided being of so great and evil consequence For if we can but once entitle our opinions and mistakes to Religion and Gods Spirit it is like running quick-silver in the back of a sword and will enable us to strike to utter destruction and ruine But it would prevent a great deal of bloud and bitternesse in the Christian world if we reserved the flower and strength of our zeal for the undoubted Truth of God and his immutable Righteousnesse and were more mildly and moderately affected concerning the Traditions and determinations of the Elders Furthermore I have added Notes for the better understanding not onely of my Psychozoia but of the Principles of Plato's Philosophy In both which I would be so understood as a Representer of the Wisdome of the Ancients rather then a warranter of the same Contemplations concerning the dry essence of the Diety are very consuming and unsatisfactory 'T is better to drink of the bloud of the grape then bite the root of the vine to smell of the rose then chew the stalk And blessed be God the meanest of men are capable of the former very few successefull in the latter And the lesse because the reports of them that have busied themselves that way have not onely seem'd strange to the vulgar but even repugnant with one another But I should in charity referre this to the nature of the pigeons neck rather then to mistake or contradiction One and the same Object in Nature affords many and different 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And God is as infinitely various as simple Like a circle indifferent whether you suppose it of one Uniform line or an infinite number of Angles Wherefore it is more safe to admit all possible perfections in God then rashly to deny what appears not to us in our particular posture I have also adjoyned some few scattering notes to the second part of the Song of the Soul Where I have also beside some subtil considerations concerning ATOMS and QVANTITY set out very plainly the Hypothesis of Pythagoras or Copernicus concerning the MOTION of the EARTH as also opened the mystery of the FLVX and REFLVX of the SEA Which two contemplations are not inferiour to any for either pleasantnesse in themselves or conduciblenesse for the finding out of the right frame of Nature Finally I have cast into this second Edition severall smaller Poems of which together with all the rest that I have published I would give this generall Advertisement Est pictura Poesis Every poem is an Idyllium And a Poet no more sings himself then a Painter draws his own picture Nor can I by these assume to my self the honour of being a Platonist no more then Virgil incurre the suspicion of being an Epicurean by his Silenus whom notwithstanding Alexander Severus thought good to style poetarum Plato As for a more determinate decision of those many speculations which I have set on foot in these writings though I made some kind of promise that way in my first I must crave leave a while to deferre it till I find the thing it self of more consequence and my self at better leisure However without that there is so great accession made to this second Edition that I easily hope that of as many as I was received favourably before that I shall now be received with much more favour As for others whom sensuall immersion or the deadnesse of Melancholy have more deeply seiz'd upon I must acknowledge that in my own judgement I can seem no better to them then a piece of highly inacted folly they obstinately preferring that sad ground of incredulity before any thing lesse then a Demonstration For whose satisfaction Mounsieur des Chartes hath attempted bravely but yet methinks on this side of Mathematicall evidence He and that learned Knight our own Countryman had done a great deal more if they had promised lesse So high confidence might become the heat and scheme of Poetry much better then sober Philosophy Yet has he not done nothing though not so much as he raiseth mens expectations to And if he had performed lesse it had been enough to souls that have well recovered that divine sagacity and quick sent of their own Interest If this sweet ethereall gale of divine breathing do not quicken and enliven the sent and relish of such arguments as Reason Nature and story will afford they will all prove weak and uselesse Especially to exercised Wits that have so writhen and wrested their phansies that they can imagine or disimagine any thing so weakened it that it is born down aswel with the smallest as greatest weight so crusted and made hard their inward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by overmuch and triviall wearing it that that delicate discrimination and divine touch of the soul is even lost in so much that it would be safer to ask the judgement of young lads or Countrey idiots concerning the force of Arguments for Gods existence or the Souls immortality then those lubricous Wits and overworn Philosophers And surely if we will but admit of Providence and her eye to be placed upon man and this world to be his instruction together with the undistorted suggestions of his own heart these easie hints and pointings will be found no fallacious directions And true opinion is as faithfull a Guide as Necessity and Demonstration That obvious conceit of the nature of light and colours though perhaps false in it self yet is an easie and safe conductour to that grand Truth of the divine Hypostases held up by the whole Christian world for these many hundred years and by more then have acknowledged themselves Christians How naturally are we invited from the appearing of men deceased to think the soul survives the body though we may perversly suppose that those Apparitions are but our own imaginations or that some sportfull or over officious spirit puts himself in the form and fashion of the deceased party But what was the first and most easie suggestion is such a truth as all Ages and Nations without intermission have embraced it Nor yet will this be for a Demonstration and winne undoubted assent with austere and melancholick tempers Nor is reason unback'd with better principles mathematically satisfiable in matters of this kind Nor am I offended that it is not For would it not be an overproportionated engine to the again endangering of Cleombrotus neck or too forcibly driving men to obedience if they had their immortality as demonstrable as That the three angles in a triangle are equall to two right angles Besides it would prevent that fitting triall of the soul how she would be
light 32 And when he hath that life elicited He gives his own dear body and his bloud To drink and eat Thus dayly we are fed Unto eternall life Thus do we bud True heavenly plants suck in our lasting food From the first spring of life incorporate Into the higher world as erst I show'd Our lower rayes the soul to subjugate To this low world we fearlesse sit above all fate 33 Safely that kingdomes glory contemplate O'reflow with joy by a full sympathie With that worlds sprite and blesse our own estate Praising the fount of all felicitie The lovely light of the blest Deitie Vain mortals think on this and raise your mind Above the bodies life strike through the skie With piercing throbs and sighs that you may find His face Base-fleshly fumes your drowsie eyes thus blind 34 So hath my Muse according to her skill Discovered the soul in all her rayes The lowest may occasionate much ill But is indifferent Who may dispraise Dame Natures work But yet you ought to raise Your selves to higher state Eternitie Is the souls rest and everlasting dayes Aspire to this and hope for victorie I further yet shall prove her immortalitie The Argument of PSYCHATHANASIA Or The Immortality of the Soul BOOK III. CANT 2. From many arguments we show The independencie Of humane souls That all Lives flow From a free Deitie 1 THree apprehensions do my mind divide Concerning the souls preexistencie Before into this outward world she glide So hath my Muse with much uncertaintie Exprest her self so as her phantasie Strongly inacted guides her easie pen I nought obtrude with sow'r anxietie But freely offer hints to wiser men The wise from rash assent in darksome things abstein 2 Or souls be well awake but hovering Not fixt to ought but by a Magick might Drawable here and there and so their wing Struck with the steem of this low Mundane sprite May lower flag and take its stooping flight Into some plantall man new edified By his own plastick point Or else deep Night Drawn on by drooping phansie she doth slide Into this world and by her self that skill is tried 3 Makes to her self this fleshly habitation For this worlds spirit hath provok'd these rayes Then drown in sleep she works that efformation Of her own body all its parts displayes As doth the senselesse plant The two next wayes Are these A reall tricentreitie First centre ever wakes unmoved stayes Hight Intellect The next in sleep doth lie Till the last centre burst into this open skie 4 And then the middle wakes But the last way Makes but one centre which doth sleep likewise Till its low life hath reach'd this worlds glad day A fourth we 'll adde that we may all comprise Take quite away all preexistencies Of humane souls and grant they 're then first made When they begin this bodies edifice And actually this outward world invade None of these wayes do show that they must ever fade 5 The first way might be well occasioned By what the soul in her self feels and tries She works sometime as though she quite had fled All commerce with these low carnalities Yet falls she down at last and lowly lies In this base mansion is so close contract That sleep doth seise her actualities Retains no memory of that strange fact Nor of her self that soar'd in that high heavenly tract 6 The second way that makes the soul tricentrall The highest awake the other with sleep drownd May spring from hence None would vouchsafe the entrall Into this life if they were but once bound To that vast centre where all things are found Hight Intellect The lowest is not awake Therefore the midst lies close in sleep upwound Three centres made that souls may quite forsake This baser world when union with the lowest they break 7 Again because this bodie 's fashioned Without our knowledge reason doth suggest That it could no wise be thus figured From our own centre and yet we not prest To any adversion Therefore we are drest With this grosse clothing by some plantall spright Centred in Nature So that glorious vest The Deiform intellect by our own might's Not made But we have rayes which each of these will fit 8 Ardent desire strong breathing after God At length may work us to that better place Body or clothing that high sure aboad That searching weather nor time can deface But to go on in our proposed race The third and fourth way have the same foundation Not multiplying beings to surpasse Their use What needs that numerous clos'd centration Like wastefull sand ytost with boisterous inundation 9 Let wiser Clerks the truth dare to define I leave it loose for men to muse upon View at their leasure But yet this call mine Though we should grant the souls condition Before her deep incorporation Into dull matter to be nothing more But bare potentiality yet none Can prove from thence that she must fade therefore When to its earth this earth the trusty fates restore 10 For though she and her body be at once Yet of her body she doth not depend But it of her she doth its members branch Pierce bind digest and after makes it wend At her own will when she hath brought to end Her curious work and hath consolidate Its tender limbs which earst did feebly bend Through weaknesse then this world she contemplates And life still blazing higher seeks an heavenly state 11 Breaths after the first fountain of all life Her sweet Creatour thither doth aspire Would see his face nor will she cease this strife Till he fulfill her thirsty fierce desire Nothing can quench this so deep rooted fire But his own presence So he gins despise This bodies pleasures ceaseth to admire Ought fair or comely to these outward eyes Or if she do from hence she higher doth arise 12 But can she higher rise then her own head Therefore her spring is God thence doth she pend Thence did she flow thither again she 's fled When she this life hath lost and made an end Of this low earthly course she doth ascend Unto her circles ancient Apogle Lifted aloft not again to descend Nor stoups not sets that Sunne but standeth free On never shaken pillars of Aeternitie 13 But still this truth more clearly to evince Remember how all things are from one light It shall thy reason forceably convince That nought but God destroyes a centrall spright If he sucks in his beams eternall night Seiseth upon that life that it no'te flow In actuall efflux hath no being quite But Gods own power He lets his breath out go The self-same things again so eas'ly doth he show 14 Let be Noon day the welkin clear the Moon I' th' nether world reflecting the Suns rayes To cheer the irksome night Well! That being done Call out some wondrous might that listlesse stayes In slower phansies Bid't break all delayes Surround with solid dark opacity The utmost beams that Phoebus light displayes Softly steal on
with equall distancy Till they have close clapt up all his explendency 15 All 's now in darknesse tell me what 's become Of that infinity of rayes that shone Where second centres from whence out did come Other faint beams what be they all quite flone All perish'd quite You stiflers now be gone Let fall that smoring mantle Do not straight All things return The nether world the Moon The Sun enlightens us The self same light Now shines that shone before this deep and dismall Night 16 If not the same Then like to flowing stream You deem the light that passeth still away New parts ever succeeding The Sun-beam Hath no reflexion then if it decay So fast as it comes forth Nor were there day For it would vanish 'fore it could arrive At us But in a moment Sol doth ray One end of his long shafts then we conceive At once both touch himself and down to us do dive 17 Beside this air is not the sustentation Of spreaden light for then as it did move The light would move And sturdy conflictation Of struggling winds when they have fiercely strove Phoebus fair golden locks would rudely move Out of their place and Eastern winds at morn Would make more glorious dayes while light is drove From that bright quarter Southern blasts do burn From midday sun but yet Northwinds like light have born 18 What then must be the channell of this river If we 'll have light to flow as passing stream So plain it is that Nature doth dissever The light and th' air that th' air the Suns bright beams Doth not uphold as the warmth of his gleams Or heat that lodgeth there From this firm might Nought leaning on the Air well may we't deem Some subtile body or some grosser spright Depending of fair Phoebus of no other wight 19 And when these rayes were forced to retire Into their fountain they were not so gone But that the same sprong out from the first fire So fine spun glittering silk crumpled in one Changeth not 'ts individuation From what it was when it was gaily spread In fluttering winds to th' admiration Of the beholder Thus is nought so dead But God can it restore to its old livelyhed 20 For all the creature 's but the out gone-rayes Of a free sunne and what I meaned most Of him alone depend He deads their blaze By calling in his breath Though things be tost And strangely chang'd yet nought at all is lost Unlesse he list Nor then so lost but he Can them return In every thing compost Each part of th' essence its centreity Keeps to it self it shrinks not to a nullity 21 When that compounded nature is dissolv'd Each centre 's safe as safe as second light Or drove into the Sun or thence out-rol'd So all depend on th' Universall spright From hight to depth as they are ranked right In their due orders Lises full pregnancy Breaks out when friendly sympathy doth smite The higher rank the higher energie From natures lowly lap to Gods sublimity 22 But well may man be call'd the epitome Of all things Therefore no low life him made The Highest holds all in His capacity Therefore mans soul from Gods own life outray'd His outgone Centre 's on that centre staid What disadvantage then can the decay Of this poore carcase do when it doth fade The soul no more depends on this frail clay Then on our eye depends bright Phoebus glist'ring ray 23 But in this argument we 'll no longer stay Consider now the souls conversion Into her self Nought divisible may Close with it self by revolution For then or part in this reflection Is drove into a part or part to th' whole Or whole to part or near compression The whole into the whole doth closely roll But easily all these wayes right reason will controll 24 If part turn into part part into whole Whole into part the thing doth not convert Into it self the thing it self is all Not part of 't self if all to all revert Each part then into each part is insert But tell me then how is their quantity If every part with each part is refert Thus swallowed up they 'l have no distancy So you destroy suppos'd divisibility 25 Wherefore that thing is individuous What ever can into it self reflect Such is the soul as hath been prov'd by us Before and further now we do detect By her foure wheels The first hight Intellect Wherewith she drives into her Nature deep And finds it out next Will this doth affect Her self found out Her self then out doth peep Into these acts she into both doth eas'ly creep 26 But this conversion's from the body free Bâ—gins not thence nor thither doth return Nor is the soul worse then her energie If in her acts she be far higher born Then they should ' pend on this base corse forlorn Then also she haâ—h no dependency Upon this body but may safely scorn That low condition of servility And blame all that averre that false necessity 27 If she should issue from this nether spring Nearer she kept to her Originall She were the stronger and her works would bring To more perfection but alas they fall They fail by near approch The best of all Wax weak and faint by too close union With this foul fount Might intellectuall Grows misty by this strait conjunction The will is woxen weak its vigour quite is gone 28 But O! how oft when she her self doth cut From nearer commerce with the low delight Of things corporeall and her eyes doth shut To those false fading lights she feels her spright Fill'd with excessive pleasure such a plight She finds that it doth fully satisfie Her thirsty life Then reason shines out bright And holy love with mild serenity Doth hug her harmlesse self in this her purity 29 What grave monitions and sure prophesie Have men in sicknesse left a true testation Of the souls utter independency On this poore crasie corse May that narration Of Aristotles move easie perswasion Of his Endemus to whom sick at Phere While sleep his senses bound this revelation A gentle youth did bring with goodly chear And jolly blith deportment chasing needlesse fear 30 Told him that sicknesse would not mortall prove He should grow well er'e long but deaths drad power On that towns tyrant should be shortly drove Swift vengeance on his cursed head should showr Both proved true I could in plenty poure Such like examples as of Pherecyde Calanus him of Rhodes and others more But it is needlesse 't is a truth well tried The higher works the soul the more she is untied 31 Then quite set loose from this her heavy chain Shee is in happiest plight so far she is From being nought or perishing Again We find such utter contrarieties Betwixt the bodies and her qualities That we can no wayes think she pends at all Of that with which she has such repugnancies What thing doth fight with its Originall The spring and
stedfast stand as it appear'th From the unshaken buildings she so safely bear'th 23 If she should move about then would she sling From of her self those fair extructed loads Of carved stone The air aloud would sing With brushing trees Beasts in their dark aboads Would brained be by their own caves th' earth strowd With strange destruction All would shatter'd lie In broken shivers What mad frantick mood Doth thus invade wary Philosophy That it so dotes on such a furious falsitie 24 But still more subt'ly this cause to pursue The clouds would alwayes seem to rise from th' East Which sense and oft-experience proves untrue They rise from all the quarters South North West From every part as Aeolus thinketh best Again the Earths sad stupid gravity Unfit for motion shows her quiet rest Lastly an arrow shot unto the sky Would not return unto his foot that let it fly 25 Adde unto these that contrariety Of motion when as the self same things At the same time do back and forward hie As when for speed the rider fiercely dings His horse with iron heel layes the loose strings Upon his neck westward they swiftly scoure When as the Earth finishing her dayly rings Doth Eastward make with all her might and power She quite hath run her stage at end of twice twelve houres 26 These and like phansies do so strongly tye The slower mind to aged Ptolemee That shamefull madnesse 't were for to deny So plain a truth as they deem this to be But yet alas if they could standen free From prejudice and heavie swaying sense That dims our reason that it cannot see What 's the pure truth enough in just defense Of Pythagore we find though with small diligence 27 One single truth concerning unity Of sprights and bodies and how on Form may Inact a various Corporeity Keep 't up together and her might display Through all the parts make 't constantly obey The powerfull dictates of its centrall spright Which being one can variously play This lore if we but once had learnd aright All what was brought afore would vanish at first sight 28 For that Magnetick might doth so combine Earth Water Air into one animate Whose soul or life so sweetly 't doth incline So surely easly as none can relate But he that 's exercis'd in every state Of moving life What Can the plastick spright So variously his branching stock dilate Downward to hell upward to heaven bright And strangely figur'd leaves and flowers send into sight 29 Can one poore single Centre do all this In a base weed that suddenly decayes And shall not the earths life that is transmisse Through sea and air and with its potent rayes Informs all this all this on that life stayes Shall 't not obtain the like variety Of inward ruling motion Your minds raise O sluggish men single centrality You 'l find shall do what ere 's admit by phantasie 30 Now see if this clear apprehension Will not with case repell each argument Which we rehears'd with an intention For to refute The earths swift movement Because 't is naturall not violent Will never shatter buildings With straight line It binds down strongly each partic'larment Of every edifice All stones incline Unto that Centre this doth stoutly all combine 31 Nor is lesse naturall that circular motion Then this which each part to the centre drives So every stone on earth with one commotion Goes round and yet withall right stifly strives To reach the centre though it never dives So deep Who then so blind but plainly sees How for our safety Nature well contrives Binding all close with down-propensities But now we 'll answer make to the loud-singing trees 32 Walls Towers Trees would stir up a strange noise If th' air stood still while the earth is hurled round As doth the switch oft shak'd by idle boyes That please themselves in varying of the sound But this objection we with reason sound Have well prevented while we plainly taught Earth Water Air in one to be fast bound By one spermatick spright which easly raught To each part Earth Sea Air so powerfully hath it caught 33 All these as one round entire body move Upon their common Poles that difficulty Of stirring sounds so clearly we remove That of the clouds with like facility We straight shall chace away In th' air they ly And whirl about with it and when some wind With violence afore him makes them fly Then in them double motion we find Eastward they move and whither by these blasts they 're inclin'd 34 What they pretend of the Earths gravity Is nought but a long taken up conceit A stone that downward to the earth doth hy Is not more heavie then dry straws that jet Up to a ring made of black shining jeat Each thing doth tend to the loud-calling might Of sympathy So 't is a misconceit That deems the earth the onely heavie weight They ken not the strange power of the strong centrall spright 35 Were there a shiver cut from off the Moon And cast quite off from that round entire masse Would 't fall into our mouths No it would soon Make back to th' centre from whence forc'd it was The same in Mars and Sol would come to passe And all the stars that have their proper centres So gravity is nought but close to presse Unto one Magick point there near to enter Each sympathetick part doth boldly it adventure 36 Thus in each starry globe all parts may tend Unto one point and mean time turn around Nor doth that sway its circling ought offend These motions do not at all confound One th' others course The Earth's not heavy found But from that strong down-pulling centrall sway Which hinders not but that it may turn round Sith that it moves not a contrary way Which answre I will bend against the fifth assay 37 An arrow shot into the empty air Which straight returning to the bowmans foot The Earths stability must proven clear Thus these bad archers do at random shoot Whose easie errour I do thus confute The arrow hath one spirit with this sphere Forc'd upward turns with it mov'd by the root Of naturall motion So when back't doth bear It self still Eastward turns with motions circular 38 So 't is no wonder when it hath descended It falleth back to th' place from whence it flew Sith all this while its circular course hath bended Toward the East and in proportion due That arcuall Eastern motion did pursue Nearer the earth the slower it must go These Arks be lesse but in the heavens blew Those Arks increase it must not be so slow Thus must it needs return unto its idle bow 39 Nor ought we wonder that it doth conform Its motions to the circles of the aire Sith water in a wooden bucket born Doth sit it self unto each periphere By hight or depth as you shall change the sphere So lowly set more water 't will contain ' Cause its round tumour higher then doth
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 Aether 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 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 er'e appeareth in corporeall fashion For body's but this spirit fixt grosse by conspissation 14 And that which doth conpissate 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 phantafies The essence of our soul not chang'd a whit So do these Atomes change their energies Themselves unchanged into new Centreities 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 rouse up themselves on high 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 relicks 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 shted 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 fiery beams the scorched Earth invade But infinite such as he in heaven won And more then infinite Earths about those Suns do run 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 soyle No truths at all ' mongst men would finden place But make them speedy wings and back to Heaven apace 21 I will not say our world is infinite But that infinity of worlds there be The Centre of our world 's the lively light Of the warm sunne the visible Deity Of this externall Temple Mercurie Next plac'd and warm'd more throughly by his rayes Right nimbly 'bout his golden head doth fly Then Venus nothing slow about him strayes And next our Earth though seeming sad full sprightly playes 22 And after her Mars rangeth in a round With fiery locks and angry flaming eye And next to him mild Jupiter is found But Saturn cold wons in our outmost sky The skirts of his large Kingdome surely ly 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 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
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 seazing 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 siez 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 fit 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 bet off by their beards and tails farre strown Along the skie pointing still opposite Unto the sunne however they may roam Wherefore a cluster of small starres unite These Meteors some do deem perhaps with judgement right 84 And that theâ— 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 wandering 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 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 it s 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 Reflexion 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 ancient fixed starres though now first seen That near the ruin'd Comets place were pight On which that Optick instrument by chance did light 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 stayed a while 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 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 creatures chok'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 earst 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 With brimstone thick and clouds of fiery bain Shall meet with raging Etna's and Vesuvius flame
understand Experienc'd men Do onely know who like impressions sustain 21 So far 's the Soul from a dependency In these high actions on the body base And further signe is want of memory Of these impressions wrought in heavenly place I mean the holy Intellect they passe Leaving no footsteps of their former light When as the soul from thence descended has Which is a signe those forms be not empight In our low proper Chaos or Corporeall spright 22 For then when we our mind do downward bend Like things we here should find but all is gone Soon as our flagging souls so low descend As that straight spright Like torch that droppeth down From some high tower held steddy clearly shone But in its fall leaves all its light behind Lies now in darknesse on the grail or stone Or dirty earth That erst so fully shin'd Within a glowing coal hath now its light confin'd 23 So doth the soul when from high Intellect To groveling sense she takes her stooping flight Falling into her body quite neglect Forget forgother former glorious sight Grosse glowing fire for that wide shining light For purest love foul fury and base passion For clearest knowledge fell contentious fight Sprong from some scorching false inust impression Which she 'll call truth she gains O witlesse Commutation 24 But still more clear her independent might In understanding and pure subtile will To prove I will assay t' explain aright The difference ' ccording to my best skill 'Twixt these and those base faculties that well From union with the low consistency Of this Out-world that when my curious quill Hath well describ'd their great disparity To th' highest we may give an independency 25 The faculties we deem corporeall And bound unto this earthy instrument So bound that they no'te operate at all Without the body there immerse and meint Be hearing feeling tasting sight and sent Adde lower phansie Mundane memory Those powers be all or more or lesse ypent In this grosse life We 'll first their property Set down and then the others contrariety 26 This might perceives not its own instrument The taste discovers not the spungy tongue Nor is the Mundane spright through all extent From whence are sense and lower phansie sprong Perceived by the best of all among These learned Five nor yet by phantasie Nor doth or this or those so nearly throng Unto themselves as by propinquity To apprehend themselves They no'te themselves descry 27 Nor e're learn what their own impressions be The mind held somewhere else in open sight What ever lies unknown unto the eye It lies though there its image be empight Till that our soul look on that image right Wherefore themselves the senses do not know Nor doth our phansie for each furious wight Hath phansie full enough so full't doth show As sense nor he nor 's phansie doth that phansie know 28 Age potent objects too long exercise Do weaken hurt and much debilitate Those lower faculties The Sun our eyes Confounds with dazeling beams of light so that For a good while we cannot contemplate Ought visible thus thunder deafs the eare And age hurts both that doth quite ruinate Our sense and phansie so if long we heare Or see 't sounds not so sweet nor can we see so clear 29 Lastly the Senses reach but to one kind Of things The eye sees colours so the eare Hears sounds the nostrills snuff perfumed wind What grosse impressions the out-senses bear The phansie represents sometimes it dare Make unseen shapes with uncouth transformation Such things as never in true Nature are But all this while the phansies operation To laws bodily is bound such is her figuration 30 This is the nature of those faculties That of the lower Mundane spright depend But in our Intellect farre otherwise We'st see it if we pressely will attend And trace the parallels unto the end There 's no self-knowledge Here the soul doth find Her self If so then without instrument For what more fit to show our inward mind Then our own mind But if 't be otherwise defin'd 31 Then tell me Knows she that fit instrument if she kens not that instrument how can She judge whether truely it doth represent Her self there may be foul delusion But if she kens this Organ straight upon This grant I 'll ask how kens she this same tole What by another by what that so go on Till to infinity you forward roll An horrid monster count in Philosophick school 32 The soul then works by 't self and is self-liv'd Sith that it acts without an instrument Free motions from her own self deriv'd Flow round But to go on The eyes yblent Do blink even blind with objects vehement So that till they themselves do well recure Lesse matters they no'te see But rayes down sent From higher sourse the mind doth maken pure Do clear do subtilize do fix do settle sure 33 That if so be she list to bend her will To lesser matters she would it perform More excellently with more art and skill Nor by long exercise her strength is worn Witnesse wise Socrates from morn to morn That stood as stiff as any trunck of tree What eye could bear in contemplation So long a fix'dnesse none so long could see It s watery tears would wail its frail infirmity 34 Nor feeble eld sure harbinger of death Doth hinder the free work of th' Intellect When th' eye growes dim and dark that it unneath Can see through age the mind then close collect Into her self such mysteries doth detect By her far-piercing beams that youthfull hear Doth count them folly and with scorn neglect His ignorance concludes them but deceit He hears not that still voyce his pulse so loud doth beat 35 Lastly sense phansie though they be confin'd To certain objects which to severall Belong yet sure the Intellect or mind Apprehends all objects both corporeall As colours sounds and incorporeall As virtue wisdome and the higher spright Gods love and beauty intellectuall So that its plain that she is higher pight Then in all acts to pend on any earthly might 36 If will and appetite we list compare Like difference we easly their discover This pent contract yfraught with furious jar And fierce antipathy It boyleth over With fell revenge or if new chance to cover The former passion Suppose lust or fear Yet all are tumults but the will doth hover No whit enslav'd to what she findeth here But in a free suspence her self doth nimbly bear 37 Mild gentle calm quick large subtill serene These be her properties which do increase The more that vigour in the bodies vein Doth waste and waxen faint Desires decrease When age the Mundane spright doth more release From this straight mansion But the will doth flower And fairly spread near to our last decease Embraceth God with much more life and power Then ever she could do in her fresh vernall hower 38 Wherefore I think we safely may conclude That Will and
That they a tree with different colour stain And divers shapes smoothnesse asperity Straightnesse acutenesse and rotundity A golden yellow or a crimson red A varnish'd green with such like gallantry How dull then is the sensitive how dead If forms from its own centre it can never spread 36 Again an Universall notion What object ever did that form impresse Upon the soul What makes us venture on So rash a matter as ere to confesse Ought generally true when neverthelesse We cannot e're runne through all singulars Wherefore in our own souls we do possesse Free forms and immateriall characters Hence 't is the soul so boldly generall truth declares 37 What man that is not dull or mad would doubt Whether that truth for which Pythagoras When he by subtile study found it out Unto the Muses for their helping grace An Hecatomb did sacrifice may passe In all such figures wheresoever they be Yet all Rectangle Triangles none has Viewed as yet none all shall ever see Wherefore this free assent is from th' innate Ides 38 Adde unto these incorporeity Apprehended by the soul when sense nere saw Ought incorporeall Wherefore must she From her own self such subtile Idols draw Again this truth more clearly still to know Let 's turn again to our Geometry What body ever yet could figure show Perfectly perfect as rotundity Exactly round or blamelesse angularity 39 Yet doth the soul of such like forms discourse And finden fault at this deficiency And rightly term this better and that worse Wherefore the measure is our own Idee Which th' humane soul in her own self doth see And sooth to sayen when ever she doth strive To find pure truth her own profundity She enters in her self doth deeply dive From thence attempts each essence rightly to descrive 40 Last argument which yet is not the least Wise Socrates dispute with Theaetete Concerning learning fitly doth suggest A midwifes sonne ycleeped Phenarete He calls himself Then makes a quaint conceit That he his mothers trade did exercise All witlesse his own self yet well did weet By his fit questions to make others wise A midwife that no'te bear anothers birth unties 41 Thus jestingly he flung out what was true That humane souls be swoln with pregnancy Of hidden knowledge if with usage due They were well handled they each verity Would bringen forth from their fecunditie Wise framed questions would facilitate This precious birth stirre up th' inward Idee And make it streme with light from forms innate Thus may a skilfull man hid truth elicitate 42 What doth the teacher in his action But put slight hints into his scholars mind Which breed a solemn contemplation Whether such things be so but he doth find The truth himself But if truth be not sign'd In his own Soul before and the right measure Of things propos'd in vain the youth doth wind Into himself and all that anxious leasure In answering proves uselesse without that hid treasure 43 Nor is his masters knowledge from him flit Into his scholars head for so his brain In time would be exhaust and void of wit So would the sory man but little gain Though richly paid Nor is' t more safe to sam As fire breeds fire art art doth generate The soul with Corporeity't would stain Such qualities outwardly operate The soul within her acts there closely circulate 44 Wherefore the soul it self by her Idee Which is her self doth every thing discover By her own Centrall Omniformity Brings forth in her own self when ought doth move her Till mov'd a dark indifferency doth hover But fierce desire and a strong piercing will Makes her those hidden characters uncover Wherefore when death this lower life shall spill Or fear or love the soul with actuall forms shall fill The Argument of ANTIPSYCHOPANNYCHIA OR The Confutation of the Sleep of the Soul Cant. 3. Departed souls by living Night Suckt in for pinching wo No'te sleep or if with God unite For joyes with which they flow 1 MY hardest task is gone which was to prove That when the soul dy death 's cut off from all Yet she within her self might live and move Be her own world by life imaginall But sooth to sain 't seems not so naturall For though a starre part of the Mundane spright Shine out with rayes circumferentiall So long as with this world it is unite Yet what 't would do cut off so well we cannot weet 2 But sith our soul with God himself may meet Inacted by His life I cannot see What scruple then remains that moven might Least doubt but that she wakes with open eye When Fate her from this body doth untie Wherefore her choisest forms do then arise Rowz'd up by union and large sympathy With Gods own spright she plainly then descries Such plenitude of life as she could nere devise 3 If God even on this body operate And shakes this Temple when he doth descend Or with sweet vigour doth irradiate And lovely light and heavenly beauty lend Such rayes from Moses face did once extend Themselves on Sinai hill where he did get Those laws from Gods own mouth mans life to mend And from Messias on mount Saron set Farre greater beauty shone in his disciples sight 4 Al 's Socrates when his large Intellect Being fill'd with streaming light from God above To that fair sight his soul did close collect That inward lustre though the body drove Bright beams of beauty These examples prove That our low being the great Deity Invades and powerfully doth change and move Which if you grant the souls divinity More fitly doth receive so high a Majesty 5 And that God doth illuminate the mind Is well approv'd by all antiquity With them Philosophers and Priests we find All one or else at least Philosophy Link'd with Gods worship and pure piety Witnesse Pythagoras Aglaophemus Zoroaster thrice-mighty Mercury Wise Socrates nothing injurious Religious Plato and vice-taming Orpheus 6 All these addicted to religion Acknowledg'd God the fount of verity From whence flows out illumination Upon purg'd souls But now O misery To seek to God is held a phantasie But men hug close their loved lust and vice And deem that thraldome a sweet liberty Wherefore reproch and shame they do devise Against the braver souls that better things emprise 7 But lo a proof more strong and manifest Few men but will confesse that prophesie Proceeds from God when as our soul 's possest By his All-seeing spright al 's ecstasie Wherein the soul snatch'd by the Deity And for a time into high heaven hent Doth contemplate that blest Divinity So Paul and John that into Patmos went Heard and saw things inestimably excellent 8 Such things as these men joyntly do confesse To spring from Gods own spirit immediately But if that God ought on the soul impresse Before it be at perfect liberty Quite rent from this base body when that she Is utterly releast she 'll be more fit To be inform'd by that
divine Idee Hight Logos that doth every man enlight That enters into life as speaks the sacred Writ 9 Behold a fit resemblance of this truth The Sun begetteth both colours and sight Each living thing with life his heat indew'th He kindles into act each plastick spright Thus he the world with various forms doth dight And when his vigour hath fram'd out an eye In any living wight he fills with light That Organ which can plainly then descry The forms that under his far-shining beams do ly 10 Even so it is with th' intellectuall sunne Fountain of life and all-discovering light He frames our souls by his creation Al 's he indews them with internall sight Then shines into them by his lucid spright But corporall life doth so obnubilate Our inward eyes that they be nothing bright While in this muddy world incarcerate They lie and with blind passions be intoxicate 11 Fear anger hope fierce vengeance and swoln hate Tumultuous joy envie and discontent Self-love vain-glory strife and fell debate Unsatiate covetise desire impotent Low-sinking grief pleasure lust violent Fond emulation all these dim the mind That with foul filth the inward eye yblent That light that is so near it cannot find So shines the Sunne unseen on a trees rugged rind 12 But the clean soul by virtue purifi'd Collecting her own self from the foul steem Of earthly life is often dignifi'd With that pure pleasure that from God doth streem Often's enlightn'd by that radiant beam That issues forth from his divinity Then feelingly immortall she doth deem Her self conjoynd by so near unity With God and nothing doubts of her eternitie 13 Nor death nor sleep nor any dismall shade Of low contracting life she then doth fear No troubled thoughts her settled mind invade Th' immortall root of life she seeth clear Wisheth she were for ever grafted here No cloud no darknesse no deficiency In this high heavenly life doth ere appear Redundant fulnesse and free liberty Easie flowing knowledge never weary energy 14 Broad open sight eternall wakefulnesse Withouten labour or consuming pain The soul all these in God must needs possesse When there deep-rooted life she doth obtain As I in a few words shall maken plain This bodies life by powerfull sympathy The soul to sleep and labour doth constrain To grief to wearinesse and anxiety In fine to hideous sense of dread mortality 15 But sith no such things in the Deity Are to be found Shee once incorporate With that quick essence she is setten free From ought that may her life obnubilate What then can her contract or maken strait For ever mov'd by lively sympathy With Gods own spright an ever-waking state She doth obtain Doth heavens bright blazing eye Ever close ywrapt in sleep and dead obscurity 16 But now how full and strong a sympathy Is caused by the souls conjunction With the high God I 'll to you thus descry All men will grant that spread dispersion Must be some hinderance to close union Al 's must confesse that closer unity More certainly doth breed compassion Not that there 's passion in the Deity But something like to what all men call Sympathy 17 Now sith the soul is of such subtlety And close collectednesse in dispersion Full by her centrall omniformity Pregnant and big without distension She once drawn in by strong attraction Should be more perfectly there counite In this her high and holy union Then with the body where dispersion's pight But such hard things I leave to some more learned wight 18 The first pure Being's perfect Unity And therefore must all things more strongly bind Then Lives corporeall which dispersed be He also the first Goodnesse is defin'd Wherefore the soul most powerfully's inclin'd And strongly drawn to God But life that 's here When into it the soul doth closely wind Is often sneep'd by anguish and by fear With vexing pain and rage that she no'te easly bear 19 Farre otherwise it fares in that pure life That doth result in the souls Unity With God For there the faster she doth strive To tie her selfe the greater liberty And freer welcome brighter purity She finds and more enlargement joy and pleasure O'reflowing yet without satietie Sight without end and love withouten measure This needs must close unite the heart to that hid treasure 20 This plainly's seen in that mysterious Cone Which I above did fairly stell descrive Their freenesse and incarceration Were plainly setten forth What down doth dive Into the straitned Cuspis needs must strive With stringent bitternesse vexation Anxious unrest in this ill plight they live But they that do ascend to th' top yflown Be free yet fast unite to that fair vision 21 Thus purged souls be close conjoyn'd to God And closer union surer sympathy Wherefore so long as they make their abode In Him incorp'rate by due Unitie They liven in eternall energie For Israels God nor slumbers nor doth sleep Nor Israel lost in dull lethargie Must list lesse ly while numbing streams do steep His heavy head overwhelmed in oblivion deep 22 But here more curious men will straight enquire Whither after death the wicked soul doth go That long hath wallowed in the sinfull mire Before this question I shall answer to Again the nature of the soul I 'll show She all things in her self doth centrally Contain what ever she doth feel or know She feels or knows it by th' innate Idee She 's all proportion'd by her omniformity 23 God heaven this middle world deep glimmering hell With all the lives and shapes that there remain The forms of all in humane souls do dwell She likewise all proportions doth contain That fits her for all sprights So they constrain By a strong pulling sympathy to come And straight possesse that fitting vitall vein That 'longs unto her so her proper room She takes as mighty Nemesis doth give the doom 24 Now which I would you presly should observe Though oft I have with tongue balbutient Prattled to th' weaker ear lest I should sterve My stile with too much subtilty I nere ment To grant that there 's any such thing existent As a mere body For all 's life all spright Though lives and sprights be very different Three generall sprights there be Eternall Light Is one the next our World the last Infernall Night 25 This last lies next unto old Nothingnesse Hight Hyle whom I term'd point of the Cone Her daughter Night is full of bitternesse And strait constraint and pent privation Her sturdy ray's scarce conquer'd by the moon The earths great shade breaks out from this hid spright And active is so soon the Sun is gone Doth repossesse the aire shotten forth right From its hid centrall life ycleep'd Infernall Night 26 In this drad world is scorching Phlegethon Hot without flame burning the vexed sense There hatefull Styx and sad Cocytus run And silent Acheron All drink from hence From this damn'd spright receiven influence That in our world or
you decline Even his whose love to you more strong then death Did death abide foul shame and evil tine But if sweet love your hearts may move uneath Think how one fatall flame shall burn all underneath 55 Pans pipe shall then be mute and Satyrs heel Shall cease to dance ybrent in scorching fire For pleasure then each earthly spright shall feel Deep searching pain Revenge and base desire Shall bear due vengeance reap their worthy hire From thee great Prince of souls shall be their doome Then thou and thy dear Saints ascending higher Shalt fly the fate and quit this stinking room With smouldry smoak fierce fire and loathsome stench o'rerun 56 Go now you cursed Hags salute your Goat Whether with driveling lips or taper end Whereby at last you fire his hispide coat And then the deadly dust on mischief spend As your Liege Lord these ashes doth commend For wicked use thundring this precept drad Revenge revenge or I shall on you send Due vengeance Thus dismist th' Assembly bad Hoyst up into the Air fly home through clammy shade 57 Which stories all to us do plainly prove That airy sprights both speak and hear and see Why do not then the souls of mortalls move In airy Chariots but stupid lie Lock'd up in sloth and senselesse Lethargie Certes our soul 's as well proportionate To this aeriall weed as spirits free For neither can our souls incorporate With naked Earth the Air must ever mediate 58 Which that bold Art which Necromancy hight Doth know too well and therefore doth prepare A vap'rous vehicle for th' intended spright With reek of oyl meal milk and such like gear Wine water hony Thus souls fitted are A grosser Carkas for to reassume And though Thessalian Hags their pains do spare Sometimes they enter without Magick fume Witnesse ye Cretick wives who felt their fruitlesse spume 59 And therefore to prevent such hellish lust They did by laws Municipall provide That he that dar'd to rise out of his dust And thus infest his wife a stake should gride His stubborn heart and 's body burn beside Hereto belongs that story of the spright Of fell Asuitus noted far and wide And of his faithfull comrade Asmund hight Twixt whom this law was made as Danish Records write 60 Which of them two the other did survive Must be intomb'd with 's fellow in one grave Dead Asuit therefore with his friend alive His dog and horse all in one mighty Cave Be shut together yet this care they have That faithfull Asmund be not lost for meat Wherefore he was well stor'd his life to save And liv'd sometime in that infernall seat Till Errick King of Sweads the door did open break 61 For well he ween'd there was some treasure hid Which might enrich himself or 's Army pay But when he had broke ope the brasen lid Nought but a sory wight they finden may Whom out of darknesse brought to open day The King beheld dight with most deadly hue His cheek all gore his ear quite bit away Then gan the King command the cause to shew To which Asmundus answers as doth here ensue 62 Why gaze you thus on my sad squalid face Th' alive needs languish must amongst the dead But this sore wound that further doth deface My wasted looks Asuitus who first fed On 's horse and dog and then with courage dred At me let fly Asuit this wound me gave But well I quit my self took off his head With this same blade his heart nayl'd to the Cave Thus I my self by force did from the monster save 63 The soul of Naboth lies to Ahab told As done the learned Hebrew Doctours write His foe in mischief thereby to infold Go up to Ramoth Gilead and fight Go up and prosper said the lying spright The angry ghost of Naboth whom he slew Unjustly and possest his ancient right Hence his revengefull soul with speech untrue Sat on his Prophets lips and did with lies embue 64 Ne may I passe that story sad of Saul And Samuels ghost whom he in great distresse Consulted was foretold his finall fall By that old man whom Endors sorceresse Awak'd from pleasant vision and sweet ease Straitning a while his wonted liberty By clammy air more close and thick compresse Then gan the mantled Sage Sauls destiny To reade and thine with his dear Jonathan to tye 65 That lovely lasse Pausanias did kill Through ill surmise she ment him treachery How did her angry spirit haunt him still That he could no where rest nor quiet ly Her wronged ghost was ever in his eye And he that in his anger slew his wife And was exempt by Law from penalty Poore sorry man he led a weary life Each night the Shrow him beat with buffes and boxes rife 66 And love as well as hate the dead doth reach As may be seen by what Albumaron Did once befall that learnd Arabian Leach He of a late deceas'd Physition Upon his bed by dream or vision Receiv'd a soveraign salve for his sore eye And just Simonides compassion Unto the dead that did unburied ly On washed shore him sav'd from jaws of destinie 67 For he had perish'd in th' unruly waves And sudden storm but lo the thankfull spright Of the interr'd by timely counsell saves Warning him of the danger he would meet In his intended voyage Simonides desists by 's counsell won The rest for want of faith or due foresight A prey to the devouring Seas become Their dashed bodies welter in the weedy scum 68 In Artick Climes an Isle that Thule hight Famous sor snowy monts whose hoary head 's Sure signe of cold tyet from their siery feet They strike out burning stones with thunders dread And all the Land with smoak and ashes spread Here wandring Ghosts themselves have often shown As if it were the region of the dead And men departed met with whom they 've known In seemly sort shake hands and ancient friendship own 69 A world of wonders hither might be thrown Of Sprights and spectres as that frequent noise Oft heard upon the Plane of Marathon Of neighing horses and of Martiall boyes The Greek the Persian nightly here destroyes In hot assault embroyl'd in a long war Foure hundred years did last these dreadfull toyes As doth by Attick Records plain appear The seeds of hate by death so little slaked are 70 Nor lists me speak of Remus Lemures Nor haunted house of slain Calâ—gula Nor Julius stern Ghost who will with ease May for himself of old or new purvey Thousand such stories in mens mouths do stray But sith it much perplexeth slower minds To think our souls unhurt can passe away From their dear corps so close thereto confin'd From this unweildy thought let 's now their wits unbind 71 For if that spirits can possesse our veins And arteries as usuall stories tell Use all our Organes act our nerves and brains And by our tongue can future things foretell And safely yet keep close in
upon Apollos answer concerning Plotinus his Soul departed this life By H. M. Master of Arts and Fellow of Christs Colledge in Cambridge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 CAMBRIDGE Printed by Roger Daniel Printer to the Universitie 1647. The Argument of ANTIMONOPSYCHIA OR Confutation of the Unitie of SOULS The all-devouring Unitie Of Souls There disprove Show how they bear their memorie With them when they remove 1 WHo yields himself to learning and the Muse Is like a man that leaves the steddy shore And skims the Sea He nought then can refuse What ever is design'd by Neptunes power Is fiercely drove in every stormy stoure Slave to the water and the whisling wind Even so am I that whylom meant recover The wished land but novv against my mind Am driven fiercely back and so new work do find 3 What though the Rationall soul immortall be And safely doth exist this body gone And lies broad wake in her existency Itall souls that exist do prove but one Or though a number if oblivion Of all things past put them in such a state That they can no-wise guesse that ere upon This earth they trode even this seems to abate Their happinesse They 'll deem themselves then first create 3 Wherefore to ease us of this double doubt With mighty force great Phoebus doth inspire My raving mind He 'll bear me strongly out Till I have perfected his own desire Nor will he suffer me once to respire Till I have brought this song unto an end O may it be but short though a quick fire Such rage and rapture makes the body bend Doth waste its fading strength and fainting spirits spend 4 Now comes the story of Praxiteles Into my mind whom looking in a glasse With surly countenance it did much displease That any should so sourely him outface Yet whom he saw his dogged self it was Tho he with angry fist struck his own shade Thus he the harmlesse mirior shattered has To many shivers the same shapes invade Each piece so numbers he of surly vizards made 5 These shapes appeard from the division Of the broke glasse so rasher phansies deem That Rationall souls whom they suppose but one By the divided matter many seem Bodies disjoind broke glasses they esteem Which if they did into one subflance flow One single soul in that one glasse would shine If that one substance also were ygo One onely soul is left the rest were but a show 6 Well is their mind by this similitude Explaind But now le ts sift the verity Of this opinion and with reason rude Rub crush tosse rifle this fine phantasie As light and thin as cob-webs that do fly In the blew air caus'd by th' Autumnall sun That boils the dew that on the earth doth lie May seem this whitish rag then is the scum Unlesse that wiser men make 't the field-spiders loom 7 But such deep secrets willingly I leave To grand Philosophers I 'll forward go In my proposed way If they conceive There 's but on soul though many seem in show Which in these living bodies here below Doth operate some such opinion That Learned Arab held hight Aven-Roe How comes't to passe that she 's so seldome known In her own self In few she thinks her self but one 8 Seems not this Soul or Intellect very dull That in so few she can her self discover To be but one in all though all be full Of her alone Besides no soul doth love her Because she sucks up all but what should move her Thus to detest her self if so that she 's But one in all right reason surely drove her Thus to condemne this lonesome Unitie Of soul which reasons her own operations be 9 Thoughts good and bad that Universall mind Must take upon it self and every ill That is committed by all humane kind They are that souls Alas we have no will No free election nor yet any skill But are a number of dull stalking trees That th' universall Intellect doth fill With its own life and motion what it please That there it acts What strange absurdities are these 10 All plotted mischief that sly reason wrought All subtill falsities that nimbly fly About the world that soul them all hath brought Then upon better thoughts with penalty Doth sore afflict her self doth laugh and cry At the same time Here Aristophanes Doth maken sport with some spruse Comedy There with some Tragick strain sad Sophocles Strikes the Spectatours hearts makes many weeping eyes 11 Such grief this soul must in her self conceive And pleasure at one time But here you 'll say We ought not grief or pleasure for to give Unto the soul To what then This live clay It feels no grief if she were gone away Therefore the soul at once doth laugh and cry But in this Argument I 'll no longer stay But forward on with swifter course will hie And finden out some grosser incongruity 12 Let now two men conceiven any form Within their selves suppose of flaming fire If but one soul doth both their corpse inform There 's but one onely species intire For what should make it two The Idee of fire That is but one the subject is but one One onely soul that all men doth inspire Let one man quench that form he thought upon That form is now extinct and utterly ygone 13 So that the other man can think no longer Which all experience doth prove untrue But yet I 'll further urge with reason stronger And still more clearly this fond falshood shew Can contraries the same subject imbew Yes black and white heat cold may both possesse The mind at once but they a nature new Do there obtain they 're not grosse qualities But subtill sprights that mutually themselves no'te presse 14 But contradiction can that have place In any soul Plato affirms Idees But Aristotle with his pugnacious race As idle figments stifly them denies One soul in both doth thus Philosophise Concludes at once contradictoriously To her own self What man can here devise A fit escape if what 's sure verity He grant but the souls indivisibility 15 Which stifly is maintaind in that same song Which is ycleeped Psychathanasie And safely well confirm'd by reasons strong Wherefore I list not here the truth to try But wish the Reader to turn back his eye And view what there was faithfully displaid Now if there be but one centrality Of th' Universall soul which doth invade All humane shapes how come these contradictions made 16 For that one soul is judge of every thing And heareth all Philosophers dispute Herself disputes in all that jangling In reasoning fiercely doth her self confute And contradictions confidently conclude That is so monstrous that no man can think To have least shew of truth So this pursuit I well might now leave off what need I swink To prove what 's clearly true and force out needlesse ink 17 Again she would the same thing will and nill At the same time Besides all men would have
The self-same knowledge art experience skill The frugall parent might his money save The Pedagoge his pains If he engrave His Grammer precepts but in one boyes mind Oâ— decent manners He doth thus embrave With single labour all the youth you 'll find Under the hollow Heavens they 'll be alike inclin'd 18 And every man is skill'd in every trade And every silent thought that up doth spring In one mans brest doth every man invade No counsel-keeper nor no secret thing Will then be found They 'll need no whispering Not louder voice Let Orators be dumb Nor need the eager auditours make a ring Though every one keep himself close at home The silent Preachers thoughts through all the world will roam 19 Find each man out and in a moment hit With unavoided force Or sooth to sain They all begin at once to think what 's fit And all at once anon leave off again A thousand such incongruities vain Will follow from the first absurdity Which doth all souls into one centre strain And make them void of self-centrality Strange soul from whence first sprong so uncouth falsity 20 Now all the arguments that I have brought For to disprove the souls strange solitude That there is not one onely soul well mought Be urg'd and will with equall strength conclude To prove that God his creature hath indew'd With a self-centrall essence which from his Doth issue forth with proper raies embew'd And that not all the very Godhead is For that would straight beget the like absurdities 21 For he is indivisibly one being At once in every place and knoweth all He is omnipotent infinite in seeing Wherefore if Creatures intellectuall And in that order humane souls will fall Were God himself they would be alike wise Know one anothers thoughts imaginall Which no man doth such falshoods would arise With many more which an idiot might well despise 22 Nor will mens souls that now be different Be God himself hereafter and all one For thus they were quite lost their life ylent And subtill being quite away are flone This is a perfect contradiction They are all one with God and yet they are If they be one with God then they alone Did make themselves and every rolling starre For God alone made these and God himself they are 23 Before the Sun and all the host of heaven The earth the sea and mans deep centrall spright Before all these were made was not God even With his own self what then him moven might To waste his words and say Let there be light If the accomplishment of all things be That all be God himself This is not right No more perfection no more Entity There 's then then was in that eternall Silency 24 Or will you say that God himself delights To do and undo But how can this stand With self-sufficiency There 's nought that might Adde to His happinesse if I understand His nature right But He with open hand Doth easly feed the Creature that he made As easly Wherefore if the truth be scand This Goodnesse would that nought should be decay'd His mind is all should live no life he would should fade 25 But if the finall consummation Of all things make the Creature Deiform As Plato's school doth phrase it there is none That thence need fear to come to any harm For God himself will then inact inform And quicken humane souls at the last day And though the Devil rore and rage and storm Yet Deaths drad power shall be done away Nor living Night on men her poysonous beams shall ray 26 He hasten it that makes that glorious day For certainly it is no fearfull thing But unto pride and love of this base clay It s their destruction but the perfecting Of the just souls It unto them doth bring Their full desire to be more close unite With God and utter cleans'd from all their sin Long was the world involv'd in cloudy Night But at the last will shine the perfect Christian light 27 Thus the souls numerous plurality I 've prov'd and shew'd she is not very God But yet a decent Deiformity Have given her thus in the middle trod I safely went and fairly well have row'd As yet Part of my voyage is to come Which is to prove that the souls new aboad In heaven or hell what ever is her doom Nought hinders but past forms even there again may bloom 28 Which if they did not she could never tell Why she were thus rewarded wherefore ill Or good she doth enjoy whether ill or well She lived here Remembrance death did spill But otherwise it fares as was her will And inclination of her thirsty spright Impressions of like nature then doth fill Her lively mind whether with sad affright Disturb'd which she long fear'd or in hop'd-for delight 29 The life that here most strongly kindled was Sith she awakes in death must needs betray The soul to what nearest affinity has With her own self and likenesses do sway The mind to think of what ever did play In her own self with a like shape or form And contraries do help the memory So if the soul be left in case forlorn Remembrance of past joy makes her more deeply mourn 30 'T is also worth our observation That higher life doth ever comprehend The lower vitall acts sensation The soul some fitten hint doth promptly lend To find out plantall life sense is retaind In subtiller manner in the phantasie Al 's reason phantasies doth well perpend Then must the souls highest capacity Contain all under life Thus is their Memory 31 This faculty is very intimate And near the Centre very large and free Extends it self to whatsoever that The soul peracts There is no subtilty Of Intellect of Will nor Phantasie No Sense nor uncouth strange impression From damned Night or the blest Deity But of all these she hath retention And at their fresh approach their former shapes can own 32 This memorie the very bond of life You may well deem If it were cut away Our being truly then you might contrive Into a point of time The former day Were nought at all to us when once we lay Our selves to sleep we should not know at morn That e're we were before nor could we say A whit of sense so soon as off we turn One word that 's quite forgot Coherence thus is torn 33 Now sith it is of such necessitie And is the bundle of the souls duration The watchman of the soul lest she should flie Or steal from her own self a sure fixation And Centrall depth it hath and free dilation That it takes notice of each energie Of Phansie Sense or any Cogitation Wherefore this virtue no dependencie Hath of this body must be safe when it doth die 34 But if dispersed lifes collection Which is our memory safely survive Which well it may sith it depends not on The Mundane spirit what can fitly drive It into action In heaven she doth live
Plotin Ennead 3. lib. 7. where he doth acknowledge Aeon and On all one at the fourth Chapter STANZ 9. This is the ancient Eidos omniform Fount of all beauty c. The description of Aeon which is the first form also or pulchritude is largely set out Ennead 5. lib. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the condition of that Eternall life is thus delineated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that is It is an easie life they live there for truth is their mother nurce substance and nourishment and they see all things not in which generation is but essence and themselves in others For all 's pellucid nothing dark or impervious but every one to every one is perspicuous and all to every one as light to light For every one hath in him all things and again sees all things in others So that all things are every where and all is all and every thing all and the splendour infinite For every thing there is great sith what is little must be also great the Sun there is all the starres and again every starre the Sun and all things but every thing is more eminently some one thing and yet all things fairly shine in every thing c. See Plotin Ennead 5. lib. 8. cap. 4. STANZ 13. Far otherwise it fares in Aeons realms This is in reference to Narcissus story Stanz 12. that sets out the hazard of loving earthly beauty and of the desire of conjunction with it but there is no such danger in Aeon land for the objects there are perfective and not destructive better then the soul not baser and chiefly Abinoam or Ahad which is as it were the Sun of that world which Aeon doth alwayes behold steddy and unmoved and with him all they that arrive thither Aeons self is also an unspeakable plenitude of life and it is an unexpresseable perfection of the mind to be joyned with him so that there is plainly no danger or hurt to desire earnestly the enjoyment of these divine forms though union with corporeall features may deface the soul STANZ 14. For Aeon land which men Idea call Is nought but life c. So Plotin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The nature of Intellect and On is the true and first world not distant from it self not weak by division or dispersion nothing defective But all of it is life and all intellect living in one and at once understanding A part exhibits the whole and the whole is friendly to it self not separated one part from another nor become another alone and estrang'd from others Whence one part is not injurious to another nor contrary Wherefore every where being one and perfect every where it stands unmoved and admits no alteration See Ennead 3. lib. 2. cap. 1 STANZ 5. That Virgin wife of Aeon Vranore Vranore or Psyche the wife of Aeon the daughter of Ahad For indeed all things come from him but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Ahad that is a simple unity then Aeon that 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an actuall unmoveable Omniformity Lastly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that 's Vranore or Psyche viz capable of that stable Omniformity that Fulnesse of life even all things and of him that is above all things but it is not of her Essence to be all things actually and steddily See Plotin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ennead 5. lib. 1. cap 8. But nothing can be more plain than what he hath written Ennead 5. lib. 6. cap. 4. where speaking of Ahad Aeon and Psyche 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is And we may resemble the first viz. Ahad to lux or light the next to the Sunne the third viz. Psyche to the Moon borrowing her light of the Sunne For Psyche hath but an adventitious Intellect which doth as it were colour her made Intellectuall But Intellect or Aeon hath in himself proper Intellectuall life not being that light onely but that which is in his essence illuminated by Ahad but that which imparts this light viz. Ahad is light alone and nothing else beside exhibiting a power to him to be what he is STANZ 4. 5. Because the fire Of Aethers essence c. That the Intellect in man is clothed with the soul the soul with fire or spirit and that through that instrument it governs and orders this grosse body is the Opinion of Trismeg in his Clavis and the like instrument he ascribes to the Maker of the whole World 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Maker of the Heavens useth fire to his work But I conceive indeed that the pure Heavens or Aether which is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to burn is nothing else but attenuate fire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a subtill fiery liquor or liquid fire as I have else where intimated Vers 6.7 And inward unseen golden hew doth dight And life of Sense c. I cannot better declare this matter then the Philosopher hath already Ennead 5. lib. 1. cap. 2. Let any particular soul saith he quietly by her self conceive the whole Universe devoid of life form and motion let the Earth be still and stupid the Sea the Aire and the Heaven anon an universall soul flow into this torpent masse inwardly infus'd penetrating throughout and illuminating all as the beams of the Sunne doth some Cloud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 making a golden show by their gilding light Such is the entrance of Psyche into the body of the Vniverse kindling and exciting the dead mist the utmost projection of her own life into an Aethereall vivacity and working in this by her plasmaticall Spirits or Archei all the whole world into order and shape fitting this sacred Animal◠for perfect sense establishing that in being which before was next to nothing Vers 8. Aether's the vehicle of touch smell sight Of taste c. This is true in the Microcosme as well as in the Macrocosme above described viz. that the more subtill fiery and attenuate spirits in mans body are the medium whereby the soul is joyned to and doth work in the body STANZ 16. May reach that vast profundity Synesius also calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the paternall depth Hymn 2. STANZ 18. Now rise my Muse c. From this STANZ to the 33. is contained a description of the visible World Vers 2. Th' outward vest To make all this visible World the garment of Psyche is no forc'd or new fancy sith the Sibyll hath apparrelled God therewith Sibyll Orac. lib. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is I am JEHOVAH well my words perpend Clad with the frory Sea all mantled over With the blew Heavens shod with the Earth I wend The Starres around me dance th' Air doth me cover Moses also if we will believe Philo the Jew made Aarons garment a symboll of the visible World and it agrees well with this of the Sibylls For
self-sensednesse See Plotin Ennead 5. lib. 1. cap. 1. where he saith the first cause of evil to the soul was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they would be their own or of themselves So delighted with this liberty they were more and more estranged till at last like children taken away young from their parents they in processe of time grew ignorant both of themselves and of their parents SANZ 29. Duessa first invented Magick lore Duessa is the naturall life of the body or the naturall spirit that whereby we are lyable to Magick assaults which are but the sympathies and antipathies of nature such as are in the spirit of the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The true Magick saith he is nothing else but the concord and discord in the Universe and he viz. the the world is the first Magician and Enchanter others do but learn of him by imitation wherefore they that are established in a principle above the world and are strong in God which are the true and perfect Israel are exempt from the danger of this Enchantment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For neither Astrall spirit nor Angel can prevail against one ray of the Deity as Aesculapius writes to King Ammon Plotinus soul was come to that high and noble temper that he did not onely keep off Magicall assaults from himself but retorted them upon his enemy Olympius which Olympius himself who practised against him did confesse to be from the exalted power of his soul Porphyr de Vita Plot. STANZ 30. Ten times ten times ten The number of ten among the ancients called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an emblem of perfection for it comprehends all numbers sith we are fain to come back again to one two c. when we are past it So that ten may go for perfection of parts in the holy life but the raising of it into a cube by multiplication perfection of degrees in a solid and unshaken manner STANZ 33 Amoritish ground 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo interprets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it is indeed from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dixit the Land of talkers STANZ 34. Psittacusa land id est the land of talkers or Parots See Don Psittaco Intepret Gen. STANZ 35. Ther 's no Society c. This Stanza briefly sets out the Beironites condition as concerning their Society and friendship the bond whereof and exercise is either feasting and tippling or a complacency in the well-favourednesse of this mortall body or some astrall concordance or hidden harmony of spirits which also often knits in wedlock those that are farre enough from beauty Vers 2. But beastlike grazing c. Aristotle defines very well and like a Philosopher the genuine society that should be among men viz. in the communication of reason and discourse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For that in men is right society and not as in beasts to graze in the same pasture Moral Nicom lib. 9. cap. 8. How unlike to these Beironites was the divine communialty of Pythagoras followers as Iamblicus describes it de vita Pythag. lib. 1. cap. 33. not onely supplying friendly one another in the necessities of life but mutually cherishing in one another the divine life of the soul and maintaining an inviolable concord in the best things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For they often admonished one another not to dissipate the Deity in them Wherefore their friendship wholly in words and works seemed to aim at a kind of commixtion and union with God and communion with the divine Intellect and Soul STANZ 136. The swelling hatefull toad This Stanza sets out the nature of each Beironite singly considered by himself which is referable to some bird or beast who are sometime lightly shadowed out even in their very countenances STANZ 137. None in Beiron virtuously do live True virtue I make account is founded in true knowledge of God in obedience and self-deniall without which those seeming virtuous dispositions are but mockvirtues no other then are found in some measure among the brutes Vers 9. If outward form you pierce For as Cicero from Plato saith Mens cujusque is est quisque The soul is the man not the outward shape If she live therefore but the life of a Brute if her vitall operation her vigorous will and complacency be that which a Beast likes I cannot see that she is any more then a living Brute or a dead Man or a Beast clad in mans cloths See the 48. Stanza of this Canto STANZ 138 139. From the 34. Stanz to the 138. are the Religion Polity Freindship or familiar Society and single natures of the Beironites set out Here now begins the discovery of the way of escape from this bruitish condition which is by obedience Now obedience consists in these two Self-deniall Autaparnes and Patience Hypomone Obedience discovers to us the doore of passage out of this pure brutality viz. Humility For it is self-conceit and high presumption that we are all well and wise already that keeps us in this base condition STANZ 144. The young mans speech caus'd sad perplexity c. That a man in confuso or in generall is more easily drawn to entertain obedience but when it is more punctually discovered to him in self-denyall and patience it is nothing so welcome STANZ 146. For understanding of this Stanza see Autaparnes in the Interpr Gen. as also in the 64 65 66 67. Stanz of the third Canto of this book STANZ 147. Into Atuvus life doth melt Ice so long as it is is a thing distinct suppose from the Ocean but once melt by the warmth of the Sunne it becomes one with the rest of the sea so that no man can say at least not perceive it is different from the sea This state of union with God Plotinus as all things else describes excellently well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore then the mind neither sees nor seeing discerns nor phansies too but as it were become another not her self nor her own is there and becoming His is one with Him as it were joyning centre with centre Ennead 6. lib. 9. cap. 10. And that this may not seem a Chimoera I will annex what the noble Philosopher writes of his own experience Ennead 4. lib. 8. cap. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I often awaking out of the body into my self and being without all things but within my self do then behold an admirable beauty and become confident of my better condition having then so excellent a life and being made one with the Deity in which I being placed do set my self above all other Intellectuall beings But after this my station and rest in God descending out of Intellect into reason I am perplext to think both how I now descend and how at first my soul entred this body she being such as she appeared to be by her self although being in the body Such an union as this that Plotinus professeth himself to have been acquainted with though it be the thing
the Archetypall Paradigme the Idea of Ideas or Form of Forms And in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He plainly ascribes the government of the Universe Heavens Starres Earth Elements and all the creatures in them to that which he tearms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the upright word of God his first-born son Which is pure Platonisme and may for ought I know go for right Christianisme so long as the first chapter of S. John for Gospel Vers 2 3. True crucified Son Of the true God For the life that is in him and should flow into us is hindred in its vitall operation But if any man make it a light matter that God himself or the Word himself is not hurt let him consider that he that can find of his heart to destroy the deleble image of God would if it lay in his power destroy God himself so that the crime is as high and as much to be lamented STANZ 38. Earth groveling Aptery From Beirons wall to Pantheothen dwell the Apterites that is such as have souls without wings or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Platonick phrase is souls that have their feathers moult off of them and so are fain to flag among the dirty desires of the world though sometime full of sorrow and vexation for their grosse vices but yet in a kind of Hypocriticall humility acknowledging that to be their destin'd condition and that it is worse then that condition to believe that a man by the help of God may get out of it STANZ 44 45 46. Hight Pteroessa The land betwivt Pantheothen and the valley of Ain is Pteroessa because the Inhabitants have wings whereby they raise themselves above the mire and dirt of the corrupt body One of the wings is Faith in the power of God against the forces of the Prince of darknesse The other Love and desire of appearing before God See the 8. verse of 45. Stanza and the 5 6 7. verses of the 46. Stanza STANZ 47. And Gabriel sware c. Gabriel is the strength of God which will certainly assist them that walk in the precepts of God with simplicity of heart STANZ 49. But I observed well c. And it is well worth our observation that the main danger of Pteroessa is the making too much haste or a slubbering speed promoving our selves into a greater liberty or gaping after higher contemplations than we are fitted for or we can reap profit from or are rightly capable to conceive STANZ 50. And Autaparnes face c. See Interpr Gen. STANZ 5◠Vers 9. Back to retreat c. That is to reassume that more punctuall and vigilant care over our wayes in thought word and deed with a kind of austerenesse of life crossing our own desires many times even in things indifferent and to reattempt a perfect mortification of the old man throughout giving no unseasonable liberty to our deceitfull body For is it not Hypocrisy or partiality to avoid that our selves which we often impose upon our young children whom we oft abridge of things that are not hurtfull of themselves to break them off their stubborn wills And believe it a grown mans body is but a boy or brute and must be kept under severely by the lash of reason and holy discipline STANZ 57. The Jasper enemy to spirits won This kind of stone the Caspian sea affords as Dionysius After writes who ascribes this virtue to it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It sends forth Crystall and the Jasper green Foe to Empusa's and all spectres seen And this stone is none of the meanest jewels in the Platonick Diadem Certainly the purging of our naturall spirits and raising our soul to her due hight of purity weaning her from the love of this body and too tender a sympathy with the frail flesh begets that courage and Majesty of mind in a man that both inward and outward fiends will tremble at his presence and fly before him as darknesse at lights approch For the soul hath then ascended her fiery vehicle and it is noon to her at midnight be she but awake into her self STANZ 59. But love of man c. Those virtues there recited are refulgently conspicuous in Platonisme Pythagorisme and Stoicisme Where 's then the defect But I 'll first set out their virtues Plotinus Ennead 1. lib. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 raiseth virtue to her hight by these 4. degrees The first are Virtutes politicae the second Purgatoriae the third Animi jam purgati the fourth and last Paradigmaticae Now for the better understanding of those degrees we are to take notice of the first and second motions that be in us The first are such as surprise our body or living beast as I may so call it by some outward objects represented to sense and naturall imagination before reason hath consulted of them or it may be phansie clearly apprehended them Such are present frights and pleasant provocations The second consist in the pursuit or declining of these objects represented after the animadversion of our supernall phansie and consultation of reason Mars Ficin upon Plotin Now those virtues that do onely amputate prune and more handsomely proportionate these second motions in us are called Politicall because a common citizen or vulgar man ordinarily exerciseth this degree of virtue perhaps for his credit profit or safety-sake But those virtues that do not onely prune but quite pluck up those second enormous motions of the mind are called Purgative Thirdly those that do both extirpate the second irregular motions and also tame the first in some good measure are the virtues of the soul already purged Fourthly and lastly those vertues that put away quite and extinguish the first motions are Paradigmaticall that is virtues that make us answer to the Paradigme or Idea of virtues exactly viz. the Intellect or God These foure degrees of virtues make so many degrees of men if I may call them all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Virtues Politicall Man Purgative God-man Animi jam purgati Angel-god Paradigmaticall God And this he doth plainly confesse acknowledging that the motions or passions of the mind are not sins if guided directed and subjected to reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But our endeavour must be not onely to be without sin but to become God that is impassible immateriall quit of all sympathy with the body drawn up wholly into the intellect and plainly devoid of all perturbation And who would not be thus at ease who would not crowd himself into this fafe castle for his own security I can not quite excuse the old man of self-love for that round elegancie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It doth not run so well in plain English It is better thy sonne be wicked then thou miserable that is passionate Epictet Enchirid. cap. 16. Yet to speak the truth Stoicisme Platonisme and Pythagorisme
term 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 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 Chaos In our blew Chaos that is In our corporeall spirit for that is the matter that the soul raiseth her phantasmaticall forms in as the life of the World doth bodily shapes in the Heavens or Air. Circulation The term 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 the Species audible in the strucken Air as also of the visible Species In breif 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 rings 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 Clare Claros a Citie of Jonia famous for Apollo's Temple and answers amongst which was this which I have interpreted in Psychathanasia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Macrob. Saturnal lib. 1. cap. 18. Cone 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 Cronychall or Acronychall that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vespertine or at the beginning of night So a starre is said to rise or set Acronychall when it riseth or setteth at the Sunne-setting For then is the beginning of Night Cuspis of the Cone The multiplide Cuspis of the Cone is nothing but the last projection of life from Psyche which is 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 Aether is also 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 eare 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 D Daemon Any particular life any divided spirit or rather the power ruling in these This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divido Daemoniake That which is according to that divided life or particular spirit that rules for it self Deuteropathie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a being affected at second rebound as I may so say We see the Sunne not so properly by sympathy as deuteropathie As the mundane spirit is affected where the Sunne is so am I in some manner but not presently because it is so affected but because in my eye the Sunne is vigorously represented Otherwise a man might without question see the Sunne if he had but a body of thin Aire Diana The Moon by which is set out the dead light or letter of the Law Dicaeosyne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justice or Morall righteousnesse Dizoia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Double-livednesse Duessa Division or duality E EIdos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Form or Beauty Eloim or Eloah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie properly the strong God Energie it is a peculiar Platonicall term I have elsewhere 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 Sun the phantasmes of the soul We may collect the genuine sense of the word by comparing severall places of the Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 other some greater and of a larger projection Plotin Ennead 4. lib. 5. cap. 7. And again Ennead 3. lib. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 curiosity Antoninus also observes lib 8. Meditat. in the nature of the Sun-beams where although he admits of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet he doth not of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Sun 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. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 Radi◠of a circle leave not the Centre by touching the Circumference no more