Ne let the tender heart too harshly deem Of this rude sentence for what rigour more Is in consuming fire then drowning stream Of Noahs floud which all creaturs choak'd of yore Saving those few that were kept safe in store In that well builded ship All else beside Men birds and beasts the lion buck and bore Dogs kine sheep horses all that did abide Upon the spacious earth perish'd in waters wide 97 Nor let the slow and misbelieving wight Doubt how the fire on the hard earth may seize No more then how those waters erst did light Upon the sinfull world For as the seas Boyling with swelling waves aloft did rise And met with mighty showers and pouring rain From Heavens spouts so the broad flashing skies Thickned with brimstone and clouds of fiery bain Shall meet with raging Etna's and Vesuvius flame 98 The burning bowels of this wasting ball Shall gullup up great flakes of rolling fire And belch out pitchie flames till over all Having long rag'd Vulcan himself shall tire And th' earth an ashheap made shall then expire Here Nature laid asleep in her own Urn With gentle rest right easly will respire Till to her pristine task she do return As fresh as Phenix young under th' Arabian Morn 99 O happy they that then the first are born While yet the world is in her vernall pride For old corruption quite away is worn As metall pure so is her mold well tride Sweet dews cool-breathing airs and spaces wide Of precious spicery wafted with soft wind Fair comely bodies goodly beautifi'd Snow-limb'd rose-cheek'd ruby-lip'd pearl-ted star eyn'd Their parts each fair in fit proportion all conbin'd 100 For all the while her purged ashes rest These rellicks dry suck in the heavenly dew And roscid Manna rains upon her breast And fills with sacred milk sweet fresh and new Where all take life and doth the world renew And then renew'd with pleasure be yfed A green soft mantle doth her bosome strew With fragrant herbs and flowers embellished Where without fault or shame all living creatures bed 101 Ne ought we doubt how Nature may recover In her own ashes long time buried For nought can ever consume that centrall power Of hid spermatick life which lies not dead In that rude heap but safely covered And doth by secret force suck from above Sweet heavenly juice and therewith nourished Till her just bulk she doth her life emprove Made mother of much children that about her move 102 Witnesse that uncouth bird of Arabie Which out of her own ruines doth revive With all th' exploits of skillfull Chymistrie Such as no vnlgar wit can well believe Let universall Nature witnesse give That what I sing's no feigned forgerie A needlesse task new fables to contrive But what I sing is seemly verity Well suting with right reason and Philosophie 103 But the fit time of this mutation No man can finden out with all his pains For the small sphears of humane reason run Too swift within his narrow compast brains But that vast Orb of Providence contains A wider period turneth still and slow Yet at the last his aimed end he gains And sure at last a fire will overflow The aged Earth and all must into ashes go 104 Then all the stately works and monuments Built on this bottome shall to ruine fall And all those goodly statues shall be brent Which were erect to the memoriall Of Kings Kaesars ne may better ' fall The boastfull works of brave Poetick pride That promise life and fame perpetuall Ne better fate may these poor lines abide Betide what will to what may live no lenger tide 105 This is the course that never-dying Nature Might ever hold from all Eternitie Renuing still the faint decayed creature Which would grow stark and drie as aged tree Unlesse by wise preventing Destinie She were at certain periods of years Reduced back unto her Infancie Which well fram'd argument as plain appears My ship from those hard rocks and shelves right safely stears 106 Lo now my faithfull muse hath represented Both frames of Providence to open view And hath each point in orient colours painted Not to deceive the sight with seeming shew But earnest to give either part their due Now urging th' uncouth strange perplexitie Of infinite worlds and Time then of a new Softening that harsher inconsistencie To fit the immense goodnesse of the Deity 107 And here by curious men 't may be expected That I this knot with judgement grave decide And then proceed to what else was objected But ah What mortall wit may dare t' areed Heavens counsels in eternall horrour hid And Cynthius pulls me by my tender ear Such signes I must observe with wary heed Wherefore my restlesse Muse at length forbear Thy silver sounded Lute hang up in silence here FINIS Cupids Conflict Mela. Cleanthes Cl. MEla my dear why been thy looks so sad As if thy gentle heart were sunk with care Impart thy case for be it good or bad Friendship in either will bear equall share Mel. Not so Cleanthes for if bad it be My self must bleed afresh by wounding thee But what it is my slow uncertain wit Cannot well judge But thou shalt sentence give How manfully of late my self I quit When with that lordly lad by chance I strive Cl. Of friendship Mela let 's that story hear Mel. Sit down Cleanthes then and lend thine ear Upon a day as best did please my mind Walking abroad amidst the verdant field Scattering my carefull thoughts i' th' wanton wind The pleasure of my path so farre had till'd My feeble feet that without timely rest Uneath it were to reach my wonted nest In secret shade farre moved from mortals sight In lowly dale my wandring limbs I laid On the cool grasse where Natures pregnant wit A goodly bower of thickest trees had made Amongst the leaves the chearfull birds did fare And sweetly carrol'd to the echoing air Hard at my feet ran down a crystall spring Which did the cumbrous pebbles hoarsly chide For standing in the way Though murmuring The broken stream his course did rightly guide And strongly pressing forward with disdain The grassie flore divided into twain The place a while did feed my foolish eye As being new and eke mine idle ear Did listen oft to that wild harmonie And oft my curious phansie would compare How well agreed the Brooks low muttering Base With the birds trebbles pearch'd on higher place But senses objects soon do glut the soul Or rather weary with their emptinesse So I all heedlesse how the waters roll And mindlesse of the mirth the birds expresse Into my self 'gin softly to retire After hid heavenly pleasures to enquire While I this enterprize do entertain Lo on the other side in thickest bushes A mighty noise with that a naked swain With blew and purple wings streight rudely rushes He leaps down light upon the flowry green Like sight before mine eyes had never seen At 's snowy back the boy
self-love hypocrisie Contempt of goodnesse forc'd opinion These and such like do breed the worlds confusion 39 But sooth to say though my triumphant Muse Seemeth to vant as in got victorie And with puissant stroke the head to bruize Of her stiff fo and daze his phantasie Captive his reason dead each facultie Yet in her self so strong a force withstands That of her self afraid she 'll not aby Nor keep the field She 'll fall by her own hand As Ajax once laid Ajax dead upon the strand 40 For thus her-self by her own self 's oppos'd The Heavens the Earth the universall Frame Of living Nature God so soon disclos'd As He could do or she receive the same All times delay since that must turn to blame And what cannot He do that can be done And what might let but by th' all-powerfull Name Or Word of God the Worlds Creation More suddenly were made then mans swift thought can run 41 Wherefore that Heavenly Power or is as young As this Worlds date or else some needlesse space Of time was spent before the Earth did clung So close unto her-self and seas embrace Her hollow breast and if that time surpasse A finite number then Infinitie Of years before this Worlds Creation passe So that the durance of the Deitie We must contract or strait his full Benignitie 42 But for the cradle of the Cretian Iove And guardians of his vagient Infancie What sober man but sagely will reprove Or drown the noise of the fond Dactyli By laughter loud Dated Divinitie Certes is but the dream of a drie brain God maim'd in goodnesse inconsistencie Wherefore my troubled mind is now in pain Of a new birth which this one Canto'll not contain Now Reader thou art arrived to the Canto it self from which I have kept thee off by too tedious Preface and Apologie which is seldome made without consciousnesse of some fault which I professe I find not in my self unlesse this be it that I am more tender of thy satisfaction then mine own credit As for that high sullen Poem Cupids Conflict I must leave it to thy candour and favourable censure The Philosophers Devotion I cast in onely that the latter pages should not be unfurnished H. M. Nihil tamen frequentius inter Autores occurrit quám ut omnia adeò ex modulo ferè sensuum suorum aestiment ut ea quae insuper infinitis rerum spatiis extare possunt sive superbè sive imprudenter rejiciant â— in usum suum fabricata fuisse glorientur perinde facientes ac si pediculi humanum caput aut pulices sinum muliebrem propter se solos condita existimarent eáque demum ex gradibus saltibuÌ„sve suis metirentur The Lord Herbert in his De Causis Errorum De generali totius hujus mundi aspectabilis constructione ut rectè Philosophemur duo sunt imprimis observanda Unum ut attendentes ad infinitam Dei potentiam bonitatem nè vereamur nimis ampla pulchra absoluta ejus opera imaginari sed è contra caveamus nè si quos fortè limites nobis non certò cognitos in ipsis supponamus non satis magnificè de creatoris potentia sentire videamur Alterum ut etiam caveamus nè nimis superbè de nobis ipsis sentiamus Quod fieret non modò si quos limites nobis nullâ cognitos ratione nec divina revelatione mundo vellemus affingere tanquam si vis nostra cogitationis ultra id quod à Deo revera factum est ferri posset sed etiam maximè si res omnes propter nos solos ab illo creatas esse fingeremus Renatus Des-Cartes in his Princip. Philosoph. the third part Democritus Platonissans THE ARGUMENT 'Gainst boundlesse time th' objections made And wast infinity Of worlds are with new reasons weigh'd Mens judgements are left free 1 HEnce hence unhallowed ears and hearts more hard Then Winter clods fast froze with Northern wind But most of all foul tongue I thee discard That blamest all that thy dark strait'ned mind Can not conceive But that no blame thou find What e're my pregnant Muse brings forth to light She 'l not acknowledge to be of her kind Till Eagle-like she turn them to the sight Of the eternall Word all deckt with glory bright 2 Strange sights do straggle in my restlesse thoughts And lively forms with orient colours clad Walk in my boundlesse mind as men ybrought Into some spacious room who when they 've had A turn or two go out although unbad All these I see and know but entertain None to my friend but who 's most sober sad Although the time my roof doth them contain Their presence doth possesse me till they out again 3 And thus possest in silver trump I sound Their guise their shape their gesture and array But as in silver trumpet nought is found When once the piercing sound is past away Though while the mighty blast therein did stay Its tearing noise so terribly did shrill That it the heavens did shake and earth dismay As empty I of what my flowing quill In heedlesse hast elswhere or here may hap to spill 4 For 't is of force and not of a set will Ne dare my wary mind afford assent To what is plac'd above all mortall skill But yet our various thoughts to represent Each genle wight will deem of good intent Wherefore with leave th' infinitie I 'll sing Of Time Of Space or without leave I 'm brent With eagre rage my heart for joy doth spring And all my spirits move with pleasant trembeling 5 An inward triumph doth my soul up-heave And spread abroad through endlesse ' spersed aire My nimble mind this clammie clod doth leave And lightly stepping on from starre to starre Swifter then lightning passeth wide and farre Measuring th' unbounded Heavens and wastfull skie Ne ought she finds her passage to debarre For still the azure Orb as she draws nigh Gives back new starres appear the worlds walls 'fore her flie 6 For what can stand that is so badly staid Well may that fall whose ground-work is unsure And what hath wall'd the world but thoughts unweigh'd In freer reason That antiquate secure And easie dull conceit of corporature Of matter quantitie and such like gear Hath made this needlesse thanklesse inclosure Which I in full disdain quite up will tear And lay all ope that as things are they may appear 7 For other they appear from what they are By reason that their Circulation Cannot well represent entire from farre Each portion of the Cuspis of the Cone Whose nature is elsewhere more clearly shown I mean each globe whether of glaring light Or else opake of which the earth is one If circulation could them well transmit Numbâ—â—s infinite of each would strike our ' stonishd sight 8 All in just bignesse and right colours dight But totall presence without all defect 'Longs onely to that Trinitie by right
Ahad Aeon Psyche with all graces deckt Whose nature well this riddle will detect A Circle whose circumference no where Is circumscrib'd whose Centre 's each where set But the low Cusp 's a figure circular Whose compasse is ybound but centre 's every where 9 Wherefore who 'll judge the limits of the world By what appears unto our failing sight Appeals to sense reason down headlong hurld Out of her throne by giddie vulgar might But here base senses dictates they will dight With specious title of Philosophie And stiffly will contend their cause is right From rotten rolls of school antiquitie Who constantly denie corporall Infinitie 10 But who can prove their corporalitie Since matter which thereto 's essentiall If rightly sifted 's but a phantasie And quantitie who 's deem'd Originall Is matter must with matter likewise fall What ever is is Life and Energie From God who is th' Originall of all Who being everywhere doth multiplie His own broad shade that endlesse throughout all doth lie 11 He from the last projection of light Ycleep'd Shamajim which is liquid fire It 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 e're appeareth in corporeall fashion For body 's but this spirit fixt grosse by conspissation 14 And that which doth conspissate active is Wherefore not matter but some living sprite Of nimble Nature which this lower mist And immense field of Atoms doth excite And wake into such life as best doth fit With his own self As we change phantasies The essence of our soul not chang'd a whit So do these Atoms change their energies Themselves unchanged into new 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 rouze 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 reliques of that vesture foul Upon the Globes that round those torches trac'd Which still fast on them stick for all they run so fast 19 Such an one is that which mortall men call Night A little shred of that unbounded shade And such a Globe is that which Earth is hight By witlesse Wizzards the sole centre made Of all the world and on strong pillars staid And such a lamp or light is this our Sun Whose firie beams the scortched Earth invade But infinite such as he in heaven won And more then infinite Earths about those Suns do run 20 And to speak out though I detest the sect Of Epicurus for their manners vile Yet what is true I may not well reject Truth 's incorruptible ne can the style Of vitious pen her sacred worth defile If we no more of truth should deign t' embrace Then what unworthy mouths did never soyl No truths at all mongst men would finden place But make them speedie wings and back to Heaven apace 21 I will not say our world is infinite But that infinitie of worlds ther be The Centre of our world 's the lively light Of the warm sunne the visible Deitie Of this externall Temple Mercurie Next plac'd and warm'd more throughly by his rayes Right nimbly 'bout his golden head doth flie Then Venus nothing slow about him strayes And next our Earth though seeming sad full spritely playes 22 And after her Mars rangeth in a round With firie locks and angry flaming eye And next to him mild Iupiter is found But Saturn cold wons in our utmost skie The skirts of his large Kingdome surely lie Near to the confines of some other worlds Whose Centres are the fixed starres on high 'Bout which as their own proper Suns are hurld Ioves 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 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
exceeding in infinity That number as this measure we conceive To fall short of the other But I 'll leave This present way and a new course will trie Which at the same mark doth as fully drive And with a great deal more facility Look on this endlesse Space as one whole quantity 44 Which in your mind int' equall parts divide Tens hundreds thousands or what pleaseth best Each part denominate doth still abide An infinite portion else nor all the rest Makes one infinitude For if one thousandth part may be defin'd By finite measures eas'ly well exprest A myriad suppose of miles assign'd Then to a thousand myriads is the whole confin'd 45 Wherefore this wide and wast Vacuity Which endlesse is outstretched thorough all And lies even equall with the Deity Nor is a thing meerly imaginall For it doth farre mens phantasies forestall Nothing beholden to our devicefull thought This inf'nite voidnesse as much our mind doth gall And has as great perplexities ybrought As if this empty space with bodies were yfraught 46 Nor have we yet the face once to denie But that it is although we mind it not For all once minded such perplexity It doth create to puzzled reason that She sayes and unsayes do's she knows not what Why then should we the worlds infinity Misdoubt because when as we contemplate Its nature such strange inconsistency And unexpected sequels we therein descry 47 Who dare gainsay but God is every where Unbounded measurelesse all infinite Yet the same difficulties meet us here Which erst us met and did so sore affright With their strange vizards This will follow right Where ever we admit infinity Every denominated part proves streight A portion infinite which if it be One infinite will into myriads multiply 48 But with new argument to draw more near Our purpos'd end If God's omnipotent And this omnipotent God be every where Where e're he is then can he eas'ly vent His mighty virtue thorough all extent What then shall hinder but a roscid aire With gentle heat each where be ' sperst and sprent Unlesse omnipotent power we will empair And say that empty space his working can debarre 49 Where now this one supposed world is pight Was not that space at first all vain and void Nor ought said no when he said Let 't be light Was this one space better then all beside And more obedient to what God decreed Or would not all that endlesse emptinesse Gladly embrac'd if he had ever tride His just command and what might come to passe Implies no contradictious inconsistentnesse 50 Wherefore this precious sweet Ethereall dew For ought we know God each where did distill And thorough all that hollow voidnesse threw And the wide gaping drought therewith did fill His endlesse overflowing goodnesse spill In every place which streight he did contrive Int' infinite severall worlds as his best skill Did him direct and creatures could receive For matter infinite needs infinite worlds must give 51 The Centre of each severall world 's a sunne With shining beams and kindly warming heat About whose radiant crown the Planets runne Like reeling moths around a candle light These all together one world I conceit And that even infinite such worlds there be That inexhausted Good that God is hight A full sufficient reason is to me Who simple Goodnesse make the highest Deity 52 Al 's make himself the key of all his works And eke the measure of his providence The piercing eye of truth to whom nought lurks But lies wide ope unbar'd of all pretense But frozen hearts away flie farre from hence Unlesse you 'l thaw at this celestiall fire And melt into one minde and holy sense With Him that doth all heavenly hearts inspire So may you with my soul in one assent conspire 53 But what 's within uneath is to convey To narrow vessels that are full afore And yet this truth as wisely as I may I will insinuate from senses store Borrowing a little aid Tell me therefore When you behold with your admiring eyes Heavens Canopie all to bespangled o're With sprinkled starres what can you well devize Which causen may such carelesse order in the skies 54 A peck of peasen rudely poured out On plaister flore from hasty heedlesse hond Which lie all carelesse scattered about To sight do in as seemly order stond As those fair glistering lights in heaven are found If onely for this world they were intended Nature would have adorn'd this azure round With better art and easily have mended This harsh disord'red order and more beauty lended 55 But though these lights do seem so rudely thrown And scattered throughout the spacious skie Yet each most seemly sits in his own Throne In distance due and comely Majesty And round their lordly seats their servants hie Keeping a well-proportionated space One from another doing chearfully Their dayly task No blemmish may deface The worlds in severall deckt with all art and grace 56 But the appearance of the nightly starres Is but the by-work of each neighbour sun Wherefore lesse marvell if it lightly shares Of neater Art and what proportion Were fittest for to distance one from one Each world I mean from other is not clear Wherefore it must remain as yet unknown Why such perplexed distances appear Mongst the dispersed lights in Heaven thrown here there 57 Again that eminent similitude Betwixt the starres and Phoebus fixed light They being both with steddinesse indu'd No whit removing whence they first were pight No serious man will count a reason slight To prove them both both fixed suns and starres And Centres all of severall worlds by right For right it is that none a sun debarre Of Planets which his just and due retinue are 58 If starres be merely starres not centrall lights Why swell they into so huge bignesses For many as Astronomers do write Our sun in bignesse many times surpasse If both their number and their bulks were lesse Yet lower placed light and influence Would flow as powerfully and the bosome presse Of the impregned Earth that fruit from hence As fully would arise and lordly affluence 59 Wherefore these fixed Fires mainly attend Their proper charge in their own Universe And onely by the by of court'sie lend Light to our world as our world doth reverse His thankfull rayes so farre as he can pierce Back unto other worlds But farre aboven Further then furthest thought of man can traverse Still are new worlds aboven and still aboven In the endlesse hollow Heaven and each world hath his sun 60 An hint of this we have in winter-nights When reason may see clearer then our eye Small subtil starres appear unto our sights As thick as pin-dust scattered in the skie Here we accuse our seeing facultie Of weaknesse and our sense of foul deceit We do accuse and yet we know not why But the plain truth is from a vaster hight The numerous upper worlds amaze our dazzled sight 61 Now sith so farre as sense
can ever trie We find new worlds that still new worlds there be And round about in infinite numbers lie Further then reach of mans weak phantasie Without suspition of temeritie We may conclude as well as men conclude That there is aire farre bove the mountains high Or that th' Earth a sad substance doth include Even to the Centre with like qualities indu'd 62 For who did ever the Earths Centre pierce And felt or sand or gravell with his spade At such a depth what Histories rehearse That ever wight did dare for to invade Her bowels but one mile in dampish shade Yet I 'll be bold to say that few or none But deem this globe even to the bottome made Of solid earth and that her nature's one Throughout though plain experience hath it never shown 63 But sith sad earth so farre as they have gone They still descrie eas'ly they do inferre Without all check of reason were they down Never so deep like substance would appear Ne dream of any hollow horrour there My mind with like uncurb'd facilitie Concludes from what by sight is seen so clear That ther 's no barren wast vacuitie Above the worlds we see but still new worlds there lie 64 And still and still even to infinitie Which point since I so fitly have propos'd Abating well the inconsistencie Of harsh infinitude therein supposd And prov'd by reasons never to be loos'd That infinite space and infinite worlds there be This load laid down I 'm freely now dispos'd A while to sing of times infinitie May infinite Time afford me but his smallest fee 65 For smallest fee of time will serve my turn This part for to dispatch sith endlesse space Whose perplext nature well mans brains might turn And weary wits disorder and misplace I have already passed for like case Is in them both He that can well untie The knots that in those infinite worlds found place May easily answer each perplexitie Of these worlds infinite matters endlesse durancie 66 The Cuspis and the Basis of the Cone Were both at once dispersed every where But the pure Basis that is God alone Else would remotest sights as bigge appear Unto our eyes as if we stood them near And if an Harper harped in the Moon His silver sound would touch our tickled eare Or if one hollowed from highest Heaven aboven In sweet still Evening-tide his voice would hither roam 67 This all would be if the Cuspe of the Cone Were very God Wherefore I rightly 't deem Onely a Creaturall projection Which flowing yet from God hath ever been Fill'd the vast empty space with its large streem But yet it is not totall every where As was even now by reason rightly seen Wherefore not God whose nature doth appear Intirely omnipresent weigh'd with judgement clear 68 A reall infinite matter distinct And yet proceeding from the Deitie Although with different form as then untinct Has ever been from all Eternitie Now what delay can we suppose to be Since matter alway was at hand prepar'd Before the filling of the boundlesse skie With framed Worlds for nought at all debar'd pair'd Nor was His strength ungrown nor was His strength em - 69 How long would God be forming of a flie Or the small wandring moats that play i' th' sun Least moment well will serve none can denie His Fiat spoke and streight the thing is done And cannot He make all the World as soon For in each Atom of the matter wide The totall Deitie doth entirely won His infinite presence doth therein reside And in this presence infinite powers do ever abide 70 Wherefore at once from all eternitie The infinite number of these Worlds He made And will conserve to all infinitie And still drive on their ever-moving trade And steddy hold what ever must be staid Ne must one mite be minish'd of the summe Ne must the smallest atom ever fade But still remain though it may change its room This truth abideth strong from everlasting doom 71 Ne fear I what hard sequel after-wit Will draw upon me that the number 's one Of years moneths dayes houres and of minutes fleet Which from eternitie have still run on I plainly did confesse awhile agone That be it what it will that 's infinite More infinites will follow thereupon But that all infinites do justly fit And equall be my reason did not yet admit 72 But as my emboldened mind I know not how In empty Space and pregnant Deitie Endlesse infinitude dares to allow Though it begets the like perplexitie So now my soul drunk with Divinitie And born away above her usuall bounds With confidence concludes infinitie Of Time of Worlds of firie flaming Rounds Which sight in sober mood my spirits quite confounds 73 And now I do awhile but interspire A torrent of objections 'gainst me beat My boldnesse to represse and strength to tire But I will wipe them off like summer sweat And make their streams streight back again retreat If that these worlds say they were ever made From infinite time how comes 't to passe that yet Art is not perfected nor metalls fade Nor mines of grimie coal low-hid in griefly shade 74 But the remembrance of the ancient Floud With ease will wash such arguments away Wherefore with greater might I am withstood The strongest stroke wherewith they can assay To vanquish me is this The Date or Day Of the created World which all admit Nor may my modest Muse this truth gainsay In holy Oracles so plainly writ Wherefore the Worlds continuance is not infinite 75 Now lend me Origen a little wit This sturdy stroke right fairly to avoid Lest that my rasher rymes while they ill fit With Moses pen men justly may deride And well accuse of ignorance or pride But thou O holy Sage with piercing sight Who readst those sacred rolls and hast well tride With searching eye thereto what fitteth right Thy self of former Worlds right learnedly dost write 76 To weet that long ago there Earths have been Peopled with men and beasts before this Earth And after this shall others be again And other beasts and other humane birth Which once admit no strength that reason bear'th Of this worlds Date and Adams efformation Another Adam once received breath And still another in endlesse repedation And this must perish once by finall conflagration 77 Witnesse ye Heavens if what I say's not true Ye flaming Comets wandering on high And new fixt starres found in that Circle blue The one espide in glittering Cassiopie The other near to Opbiuchus thigh Both bigger then the biggest starres that are And yet as farre remov'd from mortall eye As are the furthest so those Arts declare Unto whose reaching sight Heavens mysteries lie bare 78 Wherefore these new-seen lights were greater once By many thousand times then this our sphear Wherein we live 'twixt good and evil chance Which to my musing mind doth strange appear If those large bodies then first shaped were For should so goodly things so
soon decay Neither did last the full space of two year Wherefore I cannot deem that their first day Of being when to us they sent out shining ray 79 But that they were created both of old And each in his due time did fair display Themselves in radiant locks more bright then gold Or silver sheen purg'd from all drossie clay But how they could themselves in this array Expose to humane sight who did before Lie hid is that which well amazen may The wisest man and puzzle evermore Yet my unwearied thoughts this search could not give o're 80 Which when I 'd exercis'd in long pursuit To finden out what might the best agree With warie reason at last I did conclude That there 's no better probabilitie Can be produc'd of that strange prodigie But that some mighty Planet that doth run About some fixed starre in Cassiopie As Saturn paceth round about our Sun Unusuall light and bignesse by strange fate had wonne 81 Which I conceive no gainer way is done Then by the siezing of devouring fire On that dark Orb which 'fore but dimly shone With borrowed light not lightened entire But halfed like the Moon And while the busie flame did fieze throughout And search the bovvels 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 bett off by their beards and tails farre strown Along the skie pointing still opposite Unto the sun however they may roam Wherefore a cluster of small starres unite These meteors some do deem perhaps with judgement right 84 And that these tayls are streams of the suns light Breaking through their near bodies as through clouds Besides the Optick glasse has shown to sight The dissolution of these starrie crouds Which thing if 't once be granted and allow'd I think without all contradiction They may conclude these Meteors are routs Of wandring starres which though they one by one Cannot be seen yet joyn'd cause this strange vision 85 And yet methinks in my devicefull mind Some reasons that may happily represse These arguments it 's not uneath to find For how can the suns rayes that be transmisse Through these loose knots in Comets well expresse Their beards or curld tayls utmost incurvation Beside the conflux and congeries Of lesser lights a double augmentation Implies and 'twixt them both a lessening coarctation 86 For when as once these starres are come so nigh As to seem one the Comet must appear In biggest show because more loose they lie Somewhat spread out but as they draw more near The compasse of his head away must wear Till he be brought to his least magnitude And then they passing crosse he doth repair Himself and still from his last losse renew'd Grows till he reach the measure which we first had view'd 87 And then farre distanc'd they bid quite adiew Each holding on in solitude his way Ne any footsteps in the empty Blew Is to be found of that farre-shining ray Which processe sith no man did yet bewray It seems unlikely that the Comets be Synods of starres that in wide Heaven stray Their smallnesse eke and numerositie Encreaseth doubt and lessens probabilitie 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 Reflection of fair light that doth our senses take 90 This is the reason of that constant site Of Comets tayls and beards And that their show's Not pure Pyramidall nor their ends seem streight But bow'd like brooms is from the winds that blow I mean Ethereall winds such as below Men finden under th' Equinoctiall line Their widend beards this aire so broad doth strow Incurvate and or more or lesse decline If not let sharper wits more subtly here divine 91 But that experiment of the Optick glasse The greatest argument of all I deem Ne can I well encounter nor let passe So strong a reason if I may esteem The feat withouten fallacie to been Nor judge these little sparks and subtile lights Some auncient fixed starres though now first seen That near the ruin'd Comets place were pight On which that Optic instrument by chance did light 92 Nor finally an uncouth after-sport Of th' immense vapours that the searching fire Had boyled out which now themselves consort In severall parts and closely do conspire Clumper'd in balls of clouds and globes entire Of crudled smoke and heavy clunging mists Which when they 've staid 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