Trip it with joy at the worlds harmony Struck with the pleasure of an amorous stound So dance they with fair flowers from unknown root ycrownd 14 Still falling short they never fail to seek Nor find they nothing by their diligence They find repast their lively longings eke Kindled continued by timely influence Thus all things in distinct circumference Move about him that satisfies them all Nor be they thus stird up by wary sense Or foresight or election rationall But blindly reel about the heart of lives centrall 15 So doth the earth one of the erring seven Wheel round the fixed sunne that is the shade Of steddy Good shining in this out-out-heaven With the rest of those stars that God hath made Of baser matter all which be array'd With his far-shining light They sing for joy They frisque about in circulings unstay'd Dance through the liquid aire and nimbly toy cloy While Sol keeps clear their spright consumes what may ac 16 Better the Indigent be mov'd then He That wanteth nought He fills all things with light And kindly heat through his fecundity Peoples the world by his exciting spright Wakens the plants calls them out of deep night They thrust themselves into his fostring rayes Stretch themselves forth stird by his quickning might And all the while their merry roundelayes As lightsome phansies deem each Planet sprightly playes 17 But sooth to say that sound so subtile is Made by percussion of th' ethereall fire Against our aire if it be not transmisse By its exility that none ought admire That we no'te heare what well we mought desire Heavens harmony ' Cording to others lear The sound 's so big that it cannot retire Into the windings of a mortall eare So cannot the Egyptian Niles Catadupa bear 18 There ought to be certain proportion Betwixt the object and the outward sense Rash man that dost inferre negation From thy dead eare or non-experience Then let them dance and sing raise influence From lively motion that preserves their spright From foul corruption motion 's the best fense To keep off filth in children of cold Night Whose life is in dull matter but the sunne's all Light 19 Therefore full safely he may steddy stond Unmov'd at least not remov'd out of place I 'll not deny but that he may turn round On his own centre So the steps we 'll trace Of Essence Plato's On which steddy stayes And moves at once that same Iao hight In that old Clarian Oracle that sayes It is the sunne This answer will aright To Iehova or first essence as Plato school desery't 20 That same first Being Beauty Intellect Turns to his father of whom he was born In a brief instant But who can detect Such hidden mysteries back mine eyes I 'll turn Lest in this light like fluttering moth I burn Enough is shown of correspondency Twixt this worlds sunne and centre of hid Morn The radiant light of the deep Deity Thus have I fairly prov'd the sunnes stability 21 Then must the earth turn round or we want day Or never be in night Now I 'll descend Cloth'd with this truth As wrathfull dogs do bay At spectres solemn Cynthia doth send So now I backward to the senses wend They 'll bark at th' shape of my disguised mind As stranger wights they wrathfully will rend This uncouth habit They no such thing find 'Mongst their domestick forms to whom they are more kind 22 And weaker reason which they wont misguide Will deem all this nothing mysterious But my strong-winged Muse feebly to slide Into false thoughts and dreams vertiginous And plainly judge us woxen furious Thus in our rage to shake the stable earth Whirling it round with turns prodigious For it doth stedfast stand as it appear'th From the unshaken buildings it so safely bear'th 23 If it should move about then would it sting From of it self those fair extructed loads Of carved stone The aire 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 lye In broken shivers What mad frantick mood Doth thus invade wary Philosophy That it so dotes on such a furious falsity 24 But still more subt'lie 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 its 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 ancient 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 how one spirit may Inact a various Corporeity Keep 't up together and its might display Through all the bulk make 't constantly obey The powerfull dictates of that centrall spright Which being one can variously play This lore if we but once had learnd aright All what was brought against us would vanish at first sight 28 For that Magnetick might doth so combine Earth Water Aire 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 it and its bulk 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 aire 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 phantasy 30 Now see if this clear apprehension Will not with ease repell each argument Which we rehers'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
carthie dregs will not denie Sith we so well have prov'd the starres opacitie 65 About the great the lesser lamps do dance The Medicean foure reel about Jove Two round old Saturn without Nominance Luna about the earth doth nimbly move Then all as it doth seemly well behove About the bigg'st of all great Phoebus hight With joy and jollitie needs round must rove Tickled with pleasure of his heat and light What tumbling tricks they play in his farre piercing sight 66 But my next argument could I't well expresse With Poets pen it hath so mighty force That an ingenious man 't would stoutly presse To give assent unto the Annuall course Of this our earth But prejudice the nurse Of ignorance stoppeth all free confession Al 's keeps the way that souls have not recourse To purer reason chok'd with that oppression This argument is drawn from the stars retrocession 67 Planets go back stand still and forward flie With unexpected swiftnesse What 's the cause That they thus stagger in the plain-pav'd skie Or stupid stand as if some dull repose Did numb their spirits and their sinews lose Here'gins the wheel-work of the Epicycle Thus patch they heaven more botch'dly then old cloths This prettie sport doth make my heart to tickle With laughter and mine eyes with merry tears to trickle 68 O daring phansie that dost thus compile The heavens from hasty thoughts such as fall next Warie Philosophers cannot but smile At such feat gear at thy rude rash context An heap of orbs disorderly perplext Thrust in on every hint of motion Must be the wondrous art of Nature next Here working under God Thus thus vain man Intitles alwayes God to his opinion 69 Thinks every thing is done as he conceives Would bind all men to his religion All the world else of freedome he bereaves He and his God must have Dominion The truth must have her propagation That is his thought which he hath made a God That furious hot inust impression Doth so disturb his veins that all abroad With rage he roves and all gainsayers down hath trod 32 But to return from whence my Muse hath flown All this disordred superfluitie Of Epicycles or what else is shown To salve the strange absurd enormitie Of staggering motions in the azure skie Both Epicycles and those turns enorm Would all prove nought if you would but let slie The earth in the Ecliptick line yborn As I could well describe in Mathematick form 71 So could I that 's another argument From this same principle most clearly prove In regresse and in progresse different Of the free Planets Why Saturn should rove With shorter startings give back lesse then Jove Jove lesse then Mars why Venus flincheth out More then Mercurius why Saturn doth move Ofter in those back jets then Jove doth shoot But Mercury more oft then Venus and Mars stout 72 And why the Sunne escap'd an Epicycle When as th' old prodigall Astronomie On the other six bestowed that needlesse cycle Why Saturn Jove and Mars be very nigh Unto the earth show bigger in our eye At eventide when they rise Acronycall Why farre remov'd with so vast distancie When they go down with setting Kronycall All these will plain appear from th' earths course Annuall 73 Many other reasons from those heavenly motions Might well be drawn but with exilitie Of subtile Mathematicks obscure notions A Poets pen so fitly no'te agree And curious men will judge't a vagrancy To start thus from my scope My pitched end Was for to prove the immortalitie Of humane souls But if you well attend My ship to the right port by this bow'd course did bend 74 For I have clearly show'd that stout resistence Of the pure soul against the Mundane spright And bulk whereof's the lower mans consistence How it doth quell by force of reason right Those grosse impressions which our outward sight Seald in our lower life From whence we see That we have proper independent might In our own mind behold our own Idee Which needs must prove the souls sure immortality THE ARGUMENT OF PSYCHATHANASIA Book 3. Cant. 4. Iustice true faith in the first good Our best perswasion Of blest eternity unmov'd Th' earths conflagration 1 IT doth me good to think what things will follow That well prov'd thesis in my former song How we in liquid heavens more swift then swallow Do sail on Tellus lap That doth among The other starres of right not rudely throng We have vvhat highest thoughts of man desire But highest thoughts of man are vain and vvrong In outvvard heaven vve burn vvith hellish fire Hate envy covetise revenge lust pride and ire 2 In the eighth sphere Andromeda from chains Is not releast fearfull Orion flyes The dreaded Scorpion Alas vvhat gains Then is't to live in the bright starrie skyes It no man can exeem from miseries All you that seek for true felicity Rend your ovvn hearts There God himself descryes Himself there dvvells his beauteous majesty There shines the sunne of righteousnesse in goodly glee 3 And you who boldly all Gods providence Confine to this small ball that Tell us hight And dream not of a mutuall influence And how that she may shine with beamsbright At a farre distance clad with Sols lent light As Venus and the Moon O you that make This earth Gods onely darling dear delight All th' other orbs merely for this orbs sake So swiftly for to runne with labour never slack 4 To dance attendance on their Princesse Earth In their quick circuits and with anger keen Would bite him that or serious or in mirth Doubts the prerogative of your great Queen Best use of that your Theory I ween In this that as your selves monopolize All the whole world so your selves back again You wholy give to God Who can devise A better way Mans soul to God this closely tyes 5 But if the earth doth thankfully reflect Both light and influence to other starres As well as they to it where 's the defect That sweet subordination it mars Gods love to us then not so plain appears For then the starres be mutually made One for another Each all the good then bears Of the Universe for 'ts single labour paid With the joint pains of all that in the heavens wade 6 Rare reason why then God would be too good What judgeth so but envy and vain pride And base contract self-love which that free floud Of bounty hath so confidently tied Unto it self alone Large hearts deride This pent hypocrisie Is he good to me That grace I would not ere should be deny'd Unto my fellow My felicity Is multiply'd when others I like happy see 7 But if the rolling starres with mutuall rayes Serve one another sweet fraternity And humble love with such like lore we 'll raise While we do see Gods great benignity Thus mutually reflected in the skie And these round-moving worlds communicate One with another by spread sympathie This all things friendly will concatenate But
put together are a number pariter par again and constitute the first cube which is eight That addes steddinesse and perseverance 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 R RHomboides is a parallelogrammicall figure with unequall sides and oblique angles S SPerm It signifies ordinarily seed I put it for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ratio seminalis or the invisible plasticall form that shapes every visible creature Solyma or Salem from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peace Simon intimates obedience from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obedivit Semele Imagination from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imago Scalen a triangle with all sides unequall T TAsis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extension Tagathon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Good the same with Hattove U URanore The light or beauty of heaven from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lux or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pulchritudo Z ZEus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jupiter from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ferveo or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vivo THus have I briefly run through the more obscure terms in my Poems which I shall God willing hereafter if mens acceptance of these my first endeavours invite me to it and mine own occasions permit expound more sully and speak more determinately of those speculations which I now have but propos'd to mens more serious considerations to weigh freely and warily not so little a moment as the inconsiderable assent of the authour cast in to prejudice their judgements The drift of the whole book is this to stirre men up to take into their thoughts these two main points The heartie good will of God to mankind even in the life of this world made of the commixture of light and darknesse that he will through his power rescue those souls that are faithfull in this their triall and preferre the light before the dark that he will I say deliver them from the power of living Death and Hell by that strong arm of their salvation Jesus Christ the living God enthron'd in the heart of man to whom all the Geniâ—… of the Universe be they never so goodly and glorious shall serve They and all their curious devices and inventions shall be a spoil prey and a possession to Him that is most just and shall govern the nations in righteousnesse and equitie And that beside this happinesse on earth every holy soul hereafter shall enjoy a never-fading felicitie in the invisible and eternall Heaven the Intellectuall world Which if it be not true I must needs confesse it seems almost indifferent whether any creature be or no. For what is it to have lived suppose 70 years wherein we have been dead or worse above two third parts of them Sleep youth age and diseases with a number of poore and contemptible employments swallow up at least so great a portion That as good if not better is he that never was then he is that hath but such a glance or glimps of passing life to mock him And although the succession of â—…ighteousnesse upon earth may rightly seem a goodly great and full spread thing and a matter that may bear an ample correspondencie even to the larger thoughts of a good and upright man yet to say the truth no man is capable of any large inheritance whose life and existence is so scant that he shall not be able so much as to dream of the least happinesse once seised on by death But there are continually on earth such numbers of men alive that if they liv'd well it would be an heaven or Paradise But still a scant one to every particular man whose dayes are even as nothing So that the work of God seems not considerable in the making of this world if humane souls be extinguished when they go out of it You will say that those small particles of time that is thus scattered and lost among men in their successions aâ—…e comprehended and collected in God who is a continuall witnesse of all things But alas what doth the perpetuall repetition of the same life or deiform image throughout all ages adde to Him that is at once infinitely himself viz. good and happy So that there is nothing considerable in the creation if the rationall creature be mortall For neither is God at all profited by it nor man considerably And were not the Angels a great deal better employed in the beholding the worth of their Creatour then to diminish their own happinesse by attending those whom nothing can make happie looking on this troubled passing stream of the perishing generations of men to as little purpose almost as idle boyes do on dancing blebs and bubbles in the water What designe therefore can there be in God in the making of this world that will prove 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worthy of so excellent a goodnesse and wisdome but the triall of the immortall spirit of man It seems the deepest reach of his counsel in the creation and the life of this world but a prelude to one of longer durance and larger circumference hereafter And surely it is nothing else but the heavy load of this bodie that keeps down our mind from the reaching to those so high hopes that I may not say from a certain sense and feeling of that clear and undisturbd state of immortalitie I will close all with the praise of those two main indowments of the mind viz. Charitie and Humilitie which certainly will make us meet eternall mansions for the ever-living Deitie But without these mans soul after this life becomes but a den of devils a dungeon of dark and restlesse phantasms being incorporate into the ever-gnawing and corroding spirit of Hell An hymne in the honour of those two despised virtues Charitie and Humilitie FArre have I clambred in my mind But nought so great as loveâ—… find Deep-searching wit mount moving might Are nought compar'd to that good spright Life of delight and soul of blisse Sure source of lasting happinesse Higher then Heaven lower then hell What is thy tent where maist thou dwell My mansion hight humilitie Heavens vastest capabilitie The further it doth downward tend The higher up it doth ascend If it go down to utmost nought It shall return with that it sought Lord stretch thy tent in my straâ—… breast Enlarge it downward that sure rest May there be pight for that pure fire Wherewith thou wontost to inspire All self-dead souls My life is gone Sad solitude is my irksome wonne Cut off from men and all this world In Lethes lonesome ditch I am hurld Nor might nor sight doth ought me move Nor do I care to be above O feeble rayes of mentall light That 〈◊〉 be seen in this dark night What are you what is any strength If it be not laid in one length With pride or love I nought desire But a new life or quite t' expire Could I demolish with mine eye Strong towers stop the fleet starres in skie Bring down to earth the pale-fac'd Moon Or turn black midnight to bright noon Though all things were put in my hand As parch'd as dry as th' Libyan sand Would be my life if Charity Were wanting But Humility Is more then my poore soul durst crave That lies intombd in lowly grave But if 't were lawfull up to send My voice to Heaven this should it rend Lord thrust me deeper into dust That thou â—…ayst raise me with the just 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS ERRATA Psychozoia P. 5. l. 16. reade ybrent p. 17. l. 36. rage full rise p. 19. l. 24. with all p. 39d 31. drearyhead p. 47. l. 7. counts Psychathanasia P. 1. l. 11. to spring p. 6. l. 36. do p. 17. l. 23. mov'd p. 27. l. 291. where in p. 63. l. 9. fell discontent p. 71. l. 9. divisibilitie p. 9. l. 22. lap that p. 100. l. 15. is Antipsychopannychia P. 5. l. 20 -ruption if p. 9. l. 23. detect Antimonopsychia P. 43. l. 30. His. * This opinion though it have its moments of reason yet every mans judgement is left free and will ever be where there is no demonstration to bind it to assent
My softer heart I need no longer wait Lo now new strength my vitalls doth invade And rear again that earst began to fade My life my light my senses all revive That fearfull doubts before had ill apaid Leap in my soul and strongly fore thee drive The fleeting waves and when thee list to th' bottome dive 3 For thou canst dive full well and flote aloft Dive down as deep as the old Hyle's shade Through that slight darknesse glid'st thou sly and soft Through pitchy cumbring fogs strongly canst wade Nor in thy flight could'st thou be ever staid If in thy flight thou flewedst not from him That for himself thine excellent might hath made Contract desire repulse strong Magick steem Then even in foul Cocytus thou mayest fearlesse swim 4 Like that strange uncouth fish Lucerna hight Whose wonne is in the brackish Seas yet fire She easily carries and clear native light In her close mouth and the more to admire In darkest night when she lists to aspire To th' utmost surface of the watery main And opes her jawes that light doth not expire But lively shines till she shut up again Nor liquid Sea nor moistned aire this light restrain 5 Or like a lamp arm'd with pellucid horn Which ruffling winds about do rudely tosse And felly lash with injury and scorn But her mild light they cannot easly crosse She shines to her own foes withouten losse Even so the soul into its self collected Or in her native hew withouten drosse In midst of bitter storms in noâ—… ejected Nor her eternall state is any whit suspected 6 As Cynthia in her stouping Perigee That deeper wades in the earths duskish Cone Yet safely wallows through in silency Till she again her silver face hath shown And tells the world that she 's the self-same Moon Not now more listlesse then I was whileare When I was hid in my Apogeon For I my self alike do alwayes bear In every circling race blind ignorance breeds fear 7 Nor being hid after my monthly wane Long keppen back from your expecting sight Dull damps and darknesse do my beauty stain When none I show then have I the most light Nearer to Phoebus more I am bedight With his fair rayes And better to confute All vain suspicion of my worser plight Mark aye my face after my close salute With that sharp-witted God seem I not more acute 8 This is the state of th' ever-moving soul Whirling about upon its circling wheel Certes to sight it variously doth roll And as men deem full dangerously doth reel But oft when men fear most it self doth feel In happiest plight conjoin'd with that great Sun Of lasting blisse that doth himself reveal More fully then by that close union Though men that misse her here do think her quite undone 9 But lest we rashly wander out too farre And be yblown about with wanton wind Withouten stern or card or Polar starre In its round little list so close confin'd Let the souls nature first be well defin'd Then we 'll proceed But all the while I crave When e'r I speak ' cording to Plato's mind That you my faultlesse drift do not deprave For I the free-born soul to no sect would inslave 10 Divers conceipts the wizards of old time Have had concerning that we here inquire And would set forth in an eternall rhyme But we list not our dainty Muse to tire In such foul wayes and plunge her in the mire Strange dreams their drowsie scholars they have taught The heart the heart-blood brains fleet aire hot fire To be the thing that they so presly sought Some have defin'd some temper some aâ—…omes some nought 11 But I must needs decline this wandring path For well I wote errour is infinite But he that simple truth once reached hath Needs not with every single shade to fight One stroke will put all falsities to flight So soon as Sol his fiery head doth rear Above the Eastern waves his glowing sight As angry darknesse so long rule did bear Straight all night trifling sprights doth chace away with fear 12 Long have I swonk with anxious assay To finden out what this hid soul may be That doth herself so variously bewray In different motions Other we her see When she so fairly spreads the branching tree Other when as sh' hath loos'd her self from ground And opes her root and breaths in heaven free And doth her wants in the wide air resound Speaks out her joy no longer whispers under-ground 13 Such is the noise of chearfull chirping birds That tell the sweet impressions of the Spring Or 'fore some storm when their quick sprights be stird With nearer strong appulse and hid heaving That fills their little souls and makes them sing Puft up with joy and o'rflowing delight Eftsoons with ratling winds the air doth ring The sturdy storm doth make them take their flight Into thick bush or hedge to save them from heavens spight 14 From this same sourse of sense are murmuring moans Of bellowing bullocks when sharp hunger bites Hence whining dog so pittifully groans When as with knotted whip his Lord him smites And every beast when with death pangs he fights But senslesse trees nor feel the bleaker wind That nip their sides nor the Suns scorching might Nor the sharp ax piercing their ruggid rind Yet have they soul whose life in their sweet growth we find 15 So plants spring up flourish and fade away Not marking their own state They never found Themselves when first they ' pear'd in sunny day Nor never sought themselves though in the ground They search full deep Nor are they wak'd by wound Of biting iron to nought they are attent That them befalls when cold humours abound And clog their vitall heat or when they 're brent With Sirius flame or when through eld they waxen faint 16 Or whatsoever diseases them betide That hasten death they nought at all regard But when to plantall life quick sense is ti'd And progging phansie then upon her guard She gins to stand and well her self to ward From foes she plainly feels pursues her joy Remembers where she well or ill hath â—…r'd Or swiftly flies from that that doth annoy Or stoutly strives her fierce destroyer to destroy 17 Thus have we run thorow these two degrees Of the souls working seen in beast and plant The third hight reason of common energies The best of this the humane race doth vaunt As proper to themselves But if we skaâ—…'t Saâ—…s prejudice it 's not in them alone The dog the horse the ape the elephant Will all rush in striving to make up one And sternly claim their share in use of right reason 18 But whether brutes do reason and reflect Upon their reasoning I 'll not dispute Nor care I what brisk boyes will here object Long task it were all fondlings to confute But I 'll lay down that which will better sute With that high heavenly spark the soul of man His proper character I would he
thing is hid from that all-seeing light What thing not done by his all-potencie He can discern by his clear-piercing might The close-couch'd number of each bignesse comes in sight 55 And so can count them out even part by part In number measure weight he all things made Each unite he dissevets by his Art But here this searching reason to evade Each quantum's infinite straight will be said That 's against sense If it be infinite Of parts then tell me be those parts out-spread Or not extent if extended outright Each flie in summer even is higher then Heavens hight 56 If not extended then that quantum's nought Some be extended others not extent Already answers a vain shifting thought But those potentiall parts how be they meint With those that now be actually distent Even thus you grant that those that actuall be Be plainly finite against your intent Grant me but that and we shall well agree So must sleight Atoms be sole parts of quantitie 57 But if 't consist of points then a Scalene I 'll prove all one with an Isosceles With as much ease I 'll evince clear and clean That the crosse lines of a Rhomboides That from their meeting to all angles presse Be of one length though one from earth to heaven Would reach and that the other were much lesse Then a small digit of the lowest of seven So as she'pears to us yet I could prove them even 58 And that the moon though her circumference Be farre more straight then is the earthie ball Sometime the earth illumineth at once And with her grasping rayes enlights it all And that the Sunnes great bodie sphericall Greater then th' earth farre greater then the moon Even at midday illumines not at all This earthie globe in his Apogeon So that we in deep darknesse sit though at high noon 59 Of will of motion of divine foresight Here might I treat with like perplexitie But it 's already clear that 't is not right To reason down the firm subsistencie Of things from ignorance of their propertie Therefore not requisite for to determ The hid conditions of vitalitiâ—… Or shrunk or sever'd onely I 'll affirm It is which my next song shall further yet confirm THE ARGUMENT OF PSYCHATHANASIA Book 1. Cant. 3. Ore whelm'd with grief and pitious wo For fading lifes decayes How no souls die from Lunar how A nymph to me displayes 1 IN silent night when mortalls be at rest And bathe their molten limbs in slothfull sleep My troubled ghost strange cares did straight molest And plung'd my heavie soul in sorrow deep Large floods of tears my moistned cheeks did steep My heart was wounded with compassionate love Of all the creatures sadly out I creep From mens close mansions the more to improve My mournfull plight so softly on I forward move 2 Aye me said I within my wearied breast And fighed sad wherefore did God erect This stage of misery thrice fouretimes blest Whom churlish Nature never did eject From her dark womb and cruelly object By sense and life unto such balefull smart Every slight entrance into joy is checkt By that soure step-dames threats and visage tart Our pleasure of our pain is not the thousandth part 3 Thus vex'd I was 'cause of mortality Her curst remembrance cast me in this plight That I grew sick of the worlds vanity Ne ought recomfort could my sunken spright What so I hate may do me no delight Few things alas I hate the more my wo The things I love by mine own sad foresight Make me the greater torments undergo Because I know at last they 're gone like idle show 4 Each goodly sight my sense doth captivate When vernall flowers their silken leaves display And ope their fragrant bosomes I that stare Would not have changed but indure for aye Nor care to mind that that fatall decay Is still recured by faithfull succession But why should ought that 's good thus fade away Should 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 miseryes 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 hoâ—…d Pull'd us from our soft ease and hither hent Disturbing fear and pinching pain we fouâ—…d 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 â—…o 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 sleep it self their spirits did molest 9 Or as constrain'd perforce that boon to wrest From envious Nature All things did augment My heavy plight that fouly I blam'd the hest 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 staggred on and scattered my woe Bedew'd the grasse with tears mine eyes did yield At last I am ariv'd with footing slow Near a black pitchy wood that strongest throw Of starry beam no'te easly 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 sheeâ—… The pensive shade gently before her drove A milde 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
Souls the same to beasts we no'te denie 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 philosophie 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 stabilitie I have already urg'd in generall Al 's did right presly to our soul applie Those properties who list it to recall Unto their minds but now we 'll let it fall As needlesse Onely that vitalitie That doth extend this great Universall And move th' inert Materialitie Of great and little worlds that keep in memorie 8 And how the mixture of their rayes may breed Th' opinion of uncertain qualitie 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 diversitie 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 aâ—…ound 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 be in good temperature That a dead bodie without vitall spright And friendly temper should a guest procure Of so great worth without the dear delight Of joyous sympathie no man can reckon right 11 But here unlucky Souls do waxen sick Of an ill surfeit 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 imprisonmenâ—… 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 unitie 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 to God and his vitalitie 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 puritie 13 But seemeth not my Muse too hastily To soare aloft that better by degrees Unto the vulgar mans capacitie 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 corporealls That she from her own self awide is led Knows not herself but by false name she calls Her own high being and what ere befalls Her grosser bodie she that miserie Doth deem her own for she herself miscalls Or some thin bodie or spread qualitie Or point of qualitie or fixt or setten free 29 But whether thin spread body she doth deem Her self dispersed through this grosser frame Or doth herself a qualitie esteem Or queint complexion streaming through the same Or else some lucid point herself doth name Of such a qualitie in chiefest part Strongly fix'd down or whether she doth clame More freedome for that point in head nor heart Fast seated yet saith she the bodies brat thou art 16 Thence thou arose thence thou canst not depart There die thou must when thy dear nurse decayes But these false phansies I with reason smart Shall eas'ly chace away and the mind raise To higher pitch O listen to my layes And when you have seen fasâ—… seald eternitie Of humane souls then your great Maker praise For his never fading benignitie And feed your selves with thought of immortalitie THE ARGUMENT OF PSYCHATHANASIA Book 2 Cant. 2. Sense no good judge of truth What 's spright What body we descrie Prove from the souls inferiour might Her incorp'reitie 1 WHile I do purpose with my self to sing The souls incorporeitie I fear That it a worse perplexitie may bring Unto the weaker mind and duller eare For she may deem herself ' stroyd quite and clear While all corporealls from her we expell For she has yet not mark'd that higher sphere Where her own essence doth in safetie dwell But views her lower shade like boy at brink of well 2 Dotes upon sense and its base energie Busied about vain forms corporeall Contemnes as nought unseen exilities Objects of virtue Intellectuall Though these of Substances be principall But I to better hope would fainly lead The sunken mind and cunningly recall Again to life that long hath liggen dead Awake ye drooping souls shake off that drousi head 3 Why do you thus confide in sleepy sense Ill judge of her own objects who 'll believe The eye contracting Phoebus Orb immense Into the compasse of a common sieve If solid reason did not us relieve The host of heaven alwayes would idle stand In our conceit nor could the Sun revive The nether world nor do his Lords command Things near seem further off farst off the nearst at hand 4 The touch acknowledgeth no gustables The tast no fragrant smell or stinking sent The smell doth not once dream of audibles The hearing never knew the verdant peint Of springs gay mantle nor light from heaven sent That doth discover all that goodly pride So that the senses would with zeal fervent Condemne each other and their voyce deride If mutually they heard such things they never try'd 5 But reason that above the sense doth sit Doth comprehend all their impressions And tells the touch it s no fanatick sit That makes the sight of illustrations So stifly talk upon occasions But judgeth all their voyces to be true Concerning their straight operations And doth by nimble consequences shew To her own self what those wise five yet never knew 6 They never knew ought but corporealls But see how reason doth their verdict
rude Confute by loosening materialls Into their principles as latitude Profundity of bodies to conclude The term of latitude is breadthlesse line A point the line doth manfully retrude From infinite processe site doth confine This point take site away it s straight a spark divine 7 And thus unloos'd it equally respects The bodyes parts not fixt to any one Let 't be diffused through all Thus it detects The soul's strange nature operation Its independency loose union With this frail bâ—… So is this unity Great but without that grosse extension Exceeding great in her high energie Extended farre and wide from her non-quantity 8 If yet you understand not let the soul Which you suppose extended with this masse Be all contract and close together roll Into the centre of the hearts compasse As the suns beams that by a concave glasse Be strangely strengthned with their strait constraint Into one point that thence they stoutly passe Fire all before them withouten restraint The high arch'd roof of heaven with smouldry smoke they taint 9 But now that grosnesse which we call the heart Quite take away and leave that spark alone Without that sensible corporeall part Of humane body so when that is gone One nimble point of life that 's all at one In its own self doth wonderfully move Indispers'd quick close with selfe-union Hot sparkling active mounting high above In bignesse nought in virtue like to thundring Jove 10 Thus maugre all thâ—… obmurâ—…urings of sense We have found an essence incorporeall A shifting centre with circumference But she not onely sits in midst of all But is also in a manner centrall In her outflowing lines For the extension Of th' outshot rayes circumferentiall Be not gone from her by distrought distension Her point is at each point of all that spread dimension 11 This is a substance truly spiritall That reason by her glistring lamp hath shown No such the sense in things corporeall Can ere find out May this perswasion O sunken souls slaves of sensation Rear up your heads and chase away all fear How when by strong argumentation I shall you strip of what so doth appear Corporeall that you to nought should vanish clear 12 The naked essence of the body 's this Matter extent in three dimensions Hardnesse or softnesse be but qualities Withouten self reduplications Or outspread circling propagations Of its own presence This being's corporall And what with this in such extension Singly's stretch'd out is form materiall Whether our soul be such we 'll now bring unto triall 13 If souls be bodies or inanimate They be or else endowed with life If they Be livelesse give they life if animate Then tell me what doth life to them convey Some other body Here can be no stay Straight we must ask whether that livelesse be Or living Then what ' lives it Thus we 'll play Till we have fore'd you to infinity And make your cheeks wax red at your Philosophy 14 Again pray tell me is this body grosse Or fluid and thin you deem the soul to be If grosse then either strongly it is cross'd From entring some parts of th' outward body And so they want their due vitality Or if it penetrate this bulk throughout It breaks and tears and puts to penalty This sory carcas If 't thin and fluid be thought How pulls it up those limbs and again jerks them out 15 Besides if stretchen corporeity Longs to the soul then Augmentation Must likewise thereto appertain But see Th' absurdities that this opinion Will drag on with it for effluxion Of parts will spoil the steddy memory And wash away all intellection Deface the beauty of that imagery That once was fairly graven in her phantasie 16 But oft when the weak bodie 's worn and wasted And far shrunk in the nimble phantasie So far shee 's from being withered blasted More largely worketh and more gliâ—…terandly Displayes her spreaden forms and chearfully Pursues her sports Again the greater corse Would most be fill'd with magnanimity But oft we see the lesse hath greater force To fight or talk the greater oft we seâ—… the worse 17 All which if weighed well must ill agree With bodyes natures which merely consist In a dull silent stupid quantity Stretching forth mirksome matter in what list Or precincts no man knows No Natura list Can it define unlesse they adde a form That easly curbs the thing that no'â—…e resist And after its own will can it inform It still and stupid stands and thinks nor good nor harm 18 The man is mad that will at all agree That this is soul Or if forme bodily Non-replicate extent not setten free But straight stretch'd out in corporeity Betwixt these two there 's that affinity As little wit that man will seem to have Which I shall plainly prove by th' energic Of sense though that same force seem not so brave Yet for the present I 'll not climbe to higher stave 19 If souls be substances corporeall Be they as big just as the body is Or shoot they out to th' height Aethereall Of such extent are the sights energies If they shoot out be they equally transmisse Around this body or onely upward start If round the body Nature did amis To lose her paines in half of the soules part That part can finden nought that through the earth doth dart 20 Or will you say she is an hemisphere But a ridiculous experiment Will soon confute it list you but to rear Your agill heels towards the firmament And stand upon your head that part is bent Down through the earth that earst did threat the skie So that your soul now upward is extent No higher then your heels yet with your eye The heavens great vastnesse as before you now discry 21 You 'll say this souls thin spread exility Turns not at all How doth it then depend Upon this body It has no unity Therewith but onely doth of cur'sy lend It life as doth the worlds great lamp down send Both light and warmth unto each living wight And if they chance to fail and make an end It s nought to him he shineth yet as bright As ere he did This showes the soul immortall quite 22 But if the soul be justly coextent With this straight body nought can bigger beâ—… Then is our body that she doth present ' Cording to laws of Corporeity So must she represent each realty Thus tallest Gyants would be oft defyed By groveling Pygmees for they could not see The difference nor mete his manly stride Nor ween what matchlesse strength did in his armes reside 23 For they must judge him just as their own selves Of the same stature of the self-same might All men would seem to them their fellow Elves Nor little curs would tremble at the sight Of greater dogs nor hawks would put to slight The lesser birds Th' impression of a seal Can be no larger then the wax or right As big or lesse it is Therefore repeal This grosse
summitie when sleep that spright doth drown Wrapt into highest heavens in ecstasie It sees such things as would low life confound Enrage with a tumultuous agonie Burst this pent spright for want of fit capacitie 58 Then it is joynd with the Eternall Idees Which move our souls as sights do here below Joynd with the spright of God we gaze on these As by the Mundane spright th' out-world we know Our soul hangs twixt them both and there doth go Where either spright doth snatch her Either raise Her inward forms which leap out nothing-slow When sympathie them calls Thus she displayes Her inward life Gods light views with her wakened rayes 59 When we confute a pregnant falsitie Cloth'd with strong phantasms in our snared mind As this suppose The earths stabilitie What help can we in our low phansie find Possest of this impression what shall bind This stubborn falshood so inveterate That spright so stifly set can't be inclin'd By ought but by the soul that contemplates Truth by her self brings out her forms that be innate 60 Flies she to sense sense pleads for Ptolemee Flies she to her low phansie that 's so swayd By sense and fore-imprest Astronomie By botch'd inculcate paradigmes made By senses dictate that they 'll both perswade That Philolaus and wise Heraclide Be frantick both Copernicus twice mad She cannot then this question well decide By ought but her own forms that in her self reside 61 Which she calls out unto her faithfull aid Commands deep silence to fond phantasie Whose odious prating truth I ath oft betraid And in its stead brought in rash falsitie Seated in sowr inert stupiditie Then farewell sense and what from sense hath sprong Saith she I 'll contemplate in puritie And quit my self of that tumultuous throng What then she finds shall be unfold in my next song THE ARGUMENT OF PSYCHATHANASIA Book 3. Cant. 3. That th' earth doth move proofs Physicall Unto us do descrie Adde reasons Theosophicall Al 's ' adde Astronomie 1 BLest souls first Authours of Astronomie Who clomb the heavens with your high reaching mind Sâ—…al'd the high battlements of the lofty skie To whom compar'd this earth a point you find Your bodies lesse what measure hath defin'd What art that mighty vastnesse Such high facts The ancient Giants swoln with raging wind Could not effect A subtile Parallax A dark Eclipse do quite obscure their braving acts 2 O the great might of mans high Phantasie That with a shade or a divided line That nought this but a thin exilitie Can do farre more then strength enrag'd with tine Hoysted with haughty pride That brood combine To clamber up to heaven Hill upon hill Ossa upon Olympus doth recline Their brawnie arms redoubled force doth fill While they their spirits summon t' effect their furious will 3 But all in vain they want the inward skill What comes from heaven onely can there ascend Not rage nor tempest that this bulk doth fill Can profit ought but gently to attend The souls still working patiently to bend Our mind to sifting reason and clear light That strangely figur'd in our soul doth wend Shifting its forms still playing in our sight Till something it present that we shall take for right 4 The busie soul it is that thither hent By strength of reason the true distancies Of the erring Planets and the vast extent Of their round bodies without outward eyes Hath view'd told their proportionalities Confounded sense by reasons strange report But wiser he that on reason relies Then stupid sense low-sunken into dirt This weapon I have got none from me may extort 5 O you stiff-standers for ag'd Ptolemee I heartly praise your humble reverence If willingly given to Antiquitie But when of him in whom's your confidence Or your own reason and experience In those same arts you find those things are true That utterly oppugne our outward sense Then are you forc'd to sense to bid adieu Not what your sense gainsayes to holden straight untrue 6 Though contraire unto sense though it be new But sooth to sayen th' earthâ—… motion is of tri'd Antiquitie as I above did shew In Philolaus and in Heraclide Those subtile thoughts of old did close reside Yet reason ought to bear away the bell But irefull ignorance cannot abide To be outtopd reprochfully 't will yell Call's mad when it s own self doth with foul furie swell 7 But let them bark like band-dogs at the moon That mindlesse passeth on in silencie I 'll take my flight above this outward sunne Regardlesse of such fond malignitie Life my self up in the Theologie Of heavenly Plato There I 'll contemplate The Archtype of this sunne that bright Idee Of steddie Good that doth its beams dilate Through all the worlds all lives and beings propagate 8 But yet in words to tride I will deigne A while They may our mind fitly prepare For higher flight we larger breath may gain By a low hovering These words they are All found in that old Oracle of Clare That heavenly power which Iao hight The highest of all the Gods thou mayst declare In spring named Zeus in summer Helios bright In autumne call'd Iao Aides in brumall night 9 These names do plainly denotate the sunne In Spring call'd Zeus from life or kindly heat In winter 'cause the dayes so quickly done He Aides hight he is not long in sight In Summer 'cause he strongly doth us smite With his hot darts then Helios we him name From Eloim or Eloah so hight In Autumne Jao Jehovah is the same So is the word deprav'd by an uncertain fame 10 So great similitude twixt Phoebus light And God that God himself the Nations deem The sun The learned Seventy have boldly pight A tent therein for the true Eloim The sensible Deity you 'll reckon him If Hermes words bear with you any sway Or if you Christian Clerks do ought esteem In Davids odes they make Gods Christ a day His father 's then the sunne from whence this light doth ray 11 Then by all the wide worlds acknowledgement The sunne's a type of that eternall light Which we call God a fair delineament Of that which Good in Plato's school is hight His T'agathon with beauteous rayes be dight Let 's now consult with their Theologie And that Idea with our inward sight Behold casheering sensibility Then in clear reason view this correspondency 12 One steddy Good centre of essencies Unmoved Monad that Apollo hight The Intellectuall sunne whose energies Are all things that appear in vitall light Whose brightnesse passeth every creatures sight Yet round about him stird with gentle fire All things do dance their being action might They thither do direct with strong desire To embosome him with close embracements they aspire 13 Unseen incomprehensible he moves About himself each seeking entity That never yet shall find that which it loves No finite thing shall reach infinity No thing dispers'd comprend that Unity Yet in their ranks they seemly foot it round
stoutly all combine 31 Nor is lesse naturall that circular motion Then this that each part to the centre drives So every stone on earth with one commotion Goes round and yet with all 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 frame an answer to the loud-singing trees 32 Walls towers trees would stirre up a strange noise If th' aire 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 aire in one to be fast bound By one spermatick spright which easly raught To each part Earth sea aire 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' aire 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 those 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 heavy 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 heavy 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 answer I will bend against the fifth assay 37 An arrow shot into the empty aire 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 motion circular 38 So 't is no wonder when it hath descended It falleth back to th' place from whence itflew 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 motion to the circles of the aire Sith water in a woden bucket born Doth fit 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 beaâ—… It self up from the brims So may 't be sayen The lowlier man the larger graces doth obtain 40 But now to answer to the last objection T is not impossible one thing to move Contrary wayes which by a fit retection I strongly will evince and clearly prove Take but the pains higher for to remove A clock with hanging plummet It goes down At that same time you heave it high above Its former place Thus fairly have we won The field 'gainst stupid sense that reason fain would drown 41 Now let 's go on we have well cleard the way More plainly prove this seeming paradox And make this truth shine brighter then midday Neglect dull sconses mowes and idle mocks O constant hearts as stark as Thracian rocks Well grounded in grave ignorance that scorn Reasons sly force its light slight subtile strokes Sing we to these wast hills dern deaf forlorn Or to the cheerfull children of the quick-ey'd Morn 42 To you we sing that live in purer light Escap'd the thraldome of down-drooping sense Whose nimble spirit and clear piercing sight Can easly judge of every conference Withouten prejudice with patience Can weigh the moments of each reason brought While others in tempestuous vehemence Blow all away with bitter blasts Untought In subtilties they shew themselves in jangling stout 43 I have the barking of bold sense confuted It s clamorous tongue thus being consopite With reasons easie shall I be well suited To show that Pythagore's position's right Copernicks or whosoever dogma't hight The first is that that 's wisely signifi'd By Moses Maymons son a learned wight Who saith each good Astronomer is ty'd To lessen the heavens motions vainly multiply'd 44 And the foul botches of false feigned Orbs Whose uselesse number reason must restrain That oft the loose luxuriant phansie curbs And in just bounds doth warily contain To use more means then needs is all in vain Why then O busie sonnes of Ptolemee Do you that vast star-bearing sphere constrain To hurl about with such celerity When th' earth may move without such strange velocity 45 What needlesse phansy's this that that huge sphere In one short moment must thus whirl around That it must fly six hundred thousand sheere Of Germane miles If that will not confound For pomp adde fourty thousand more that ' bound Three thousand more if it were requisite You might annex and more if they have found The measure right when as the earth's flow flight In that time of a mile goes but the sixteenth bit 46 But if this All be liquid pervious One fine Ethereall which reason right Will soon admit for 't is ridiculous Thus for to stud the heaven with nails bright The stars in fluid sky will standen tight As men do feigne the earth in the soft aire To be unmov'd How will proportion fit So vast a difference there doth appear Of motions in those stars that the same bignesse bear 47 Besides that difficulty will remain Of unconceivable swift motion In the Equinoctiall stars where some contain This earthy globes mighty dimension Ten thousand times twise told They hurry oâ—… With the same swiftnesse I set down before And with more pains A globes extension The bigger that it growes groweth still
more Nigh to a flat fac'd figure and finds resistance sore 48 But now that all the heavens be liquid hence I 'll fetch an argument Those higher stars They may as well hang in fluid essence As do the Planets Venus orb debars Not Mars nor enters he with knock and jars The soft fine yielding Aether gives admission So gentle Venus to Marcurius dares Descend and finds an easie intromission Casts ope that azur curtain by a swift discission 49 That famous star nail'd down in Cassiopee How was it hammer'd in your solid sky What pinsers pull'd it out again that we No longer see it whither did it fly Astronomers say 't was at least as high As the eighth sphere It gave no parallax No more then those light lamps that there we spy But prejudic'd minds before themselves they 'll tax Of holy writ and the heavens they 'll make a nose of wax 50 What man will now that 's not vertiginous Hurrie about his head these severall lights So mighty vast with so voracious And rapid course whirling them day and night About the earth when the earths motion might Save that so monstrous labour with lesse pains Even infinitely lesse But thoughts empight Once in the mind do so possesse the brains That hard it is to wash out those deep ancient stains 51 Two things there be whose reason 's nothing clear Those cool continuall breathings of East wind Under the Line the next high Comets are In which three motions Philosophers do find Concerning which men hitherto are blind That have not mov'd the earth unto their aid Diurnall and an annuall course they have mind Like to the sunnes beside by what they 're sway'd To north or South This myst'ry's easly thus display'd 52 The Ecliptick course and that diurnall moving Is but apparent as the sunnes not true But that the earth doth move that still wants proving You 'll say Then if you will these Comets shew One proof for her two motions Whence issue Those Meteors turnings what shall hale them on And guide their steps that in proportion due They dance Sols measure what occasion Or fruit can be of that strange double motion 53 Nought but the earths circumvolution Doth cause this sight and but in outward show This sight of double Sunlike motion Seen in the Comets For the winds that blow Under the Aequinoctiall who doth know Any other cause that still they breathe from th' East That strange effect from whence else can it flow Then from the earths swift hurring from the West Mid partis strongliest rouz'd the Poles do sleep in rest 54 Wherefore men under th' Aequinoctiall Where the earths course most rapid is and swift Sensibly 're dash'd 'gainst that Aereall Pure liquid essence That clear aire is left Not snatch'd away so fast not quite bereft Of its own Nature nor like th' other skie Unmoved quite but slow pac'd is yclef And driven close together sensibly So feel we that fine aire that seems from East to flie 55 Those parts be in farre greater puritie Devoid of earthy vapours Thence it is They 're not so easly turn'd by sympathie The aire there having lesse of earthinesse So that they move not with one speedinesse The earth and it Yet curious men have fun Something like this even in the mid-land sea Ships foure times sooner the same stages run When westward they do slie then when they there begun 56 But that disgracement of Philosophie From flux and reflux of the Ocean main With its spread arms we by this Theorie Might take 't away and shew the causes plain Some parts of th' earth do much more swiftnesse gain When as their course goes whirling on one way With th' annuall motion which must needs constrain The sluid sea with unexpected sway Long time it were this mysterie fully to display 57 Wherefore I 'll let it passe my self betake Unto some reasons Astronomicall To which if 't please the nimble mind t' awake And shake off prejudice that wont forestall The ablest wit I fear not but he 'll fall Into the same opinion magnifie That subtile spirit that hath made this All And hath half-hid his work from mortall eye To sport and play with souls in sweet philosophie 58 But with crabb'd mind wisdome will nere consort Make its abode with a sowr ingenie That harmlesse spright it self will nere disport With bloudie zeal currish malignitie With wrathfull ignorance grave hypocrisie Mirth and free mindednesse simplicitie Patience Discreetnesse and benignitie Faithfulnesse heart-struck teneritie These be the lovely play-mates of pure veritie 59 The Eternall Sonne of God who Logos hight Made all things in a fit proportion Wherefore I wote no man that judgeth right In heaven will make such a confusion That courses of unlike extension Infinitely unlike in like time shall be run By the flight starres Such vast distension Of place shews that their time is not all one Saturn his ring no'te finish as quick as the Moon 60 Yet if the Earth stand stupid and unmov'd This needs must come to passe For they go round In every twise twelve houres as is prov'd By dayly experience But it would confound The worlds right order if 't were surely found A reall motion Wherefore let it be In them but seeming but a reall round In th' earth it self The world so 's setten free From that untoward disproportionalitie 61 For so the courses of the erring Seven With their own orbs will fitly well agree Their Annuall periods in the liquid heaven They onely finish then which as they be Or lesse or greater so the time they flie In their own circlings hath its difference The moon a moneth Saturn years ten times three Those have the least and bigg'st circumference So all their times and orbs have mutuall reference 62 Next light 's the Planets dark opacitie Which long time hath been found in the low moon Hills valleys and such like asperitie Through optick glasses thence have plainly shone By the same trick it hath been clearly shown That Venus moon-like grows corniculate What time her face with flusher light is blown Some such like things others have contemplate In Mercurie about the Sunne both circulate 63 When Venus is the furthest off from us Then is she in her full When in her full She seemeth least which proves she's exterous Beyond the Sunne and further off doth roll But when her circling nearer down doth pull Then gins she swell and waxen bug with horn But loose her light parts clad with darknesse dull She shows to us She and Mercury ne're born Farre from the Sunne proves that about him both do turn 64 They both opake as also is the Moon That turns about the earth so turn those foure 'Bout Jupiter tend him as he doth run His annuall course Then Tellus so may scoure Th' Ethereall plain and have the self saine power To run her circuits in the liquid skie About the Sunne the mind that doth not lour Drooping in
Oretakes each outgone beam apprends it by advertence 29 Thus plainly we perceive the energie Of the departed soul if we could find Strong reason to confirm th' innate idee Essentiall forms created with the mind But things obscure no'te easly be defind Yet some few reasons I will venture at To show that God's so liberall and kind As when an humane soul he doth create To fill it with hid forms and deep idees innate 30 Well sang the wise Empedocles of old That earth by earth and sea by sea we see And heaven by heaven and fire more bright than gold By flaming fire so gentle love descry By love and hate by hate And all agree That like is known by like Hence they confesse That some externall species strikes the eye Like to its object in the self-same dresse But my first argument hence I 'll begin to presse 31 If like be known by like then must the mind Innate idolums in it self contain To judge the forms she doth imprinted find Upon occasions If she doth not ken These shapes that flow from distant objects then How can she know those objects a dead glasse That light and various forms do gaily stain Set out in open streets shapes as they passe As well may see Lutes heare each foaming diapase 32 But if she know those species outsent From distant objects tell me how she knows These species By some other You nere ment To answer so For straight the question goes Unto another and still forward flows Even to infinity Doth the object serve Its image to the mind for to disclose This answer hath as little sense or nerve Now reel you in a circle if you well observe 33 Wherefore no ascititious form alone Can make us see or hear but when this spright That is one with the Mundane's hit upon Sith all forms in our soul be counite And centrally lie there she doth beget Like shapes in her own self that energie By her own centrall self who forth it let Is view'd Her centrall omniformity Thus easly keepeth off needlesse infinity 34 For the quick soul by it self doth all things know And sith withouten apt similitude Nought's known upon her we must needs bestow Essentiall centrall forms that thus endew'd With universall likenesse ever transmew'd Into a representing energie Of this or that she may have each thing view'd By her own centrall self-vitality Which is her self-essentiall omniformity 35 If plantall souls in their own selves contain That vitall formative fecundity 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 ever 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 studdy 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 idee 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 sayeâ—… 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 clicitate 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 sain 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 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 by 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 â—…nacted by his life I cannot see
partake Whether who liv'd like plant or grazing sheep Who of nought else but sloth and growth doth taken keep 38 Whose drooping phansie never flowred out Who relish'd nought but this grosse bodies food Who never entertaind an active thought But like down-looking beasts was onely mov'd To feed themselves whither this drousie mood So drench the lowring soul and inly sleep That she lies senselesse drownd in Lethe floud Who will let dive into this mysterie deep Into such narrow subtilties I list not creep 39 But well I wote that wicked crueltie Hate envie malice and ambition Bloud-sucking zeal and lawlesse tyrannie In that Nocturnall spright shall have their wonne Which like this world admits distinction But like will like unto it strongly draw So every soul shall have a righteous doom According to our deeds God will bestow Rewards Unto the cruell he 'll no mercie show 40 Where 's Nimrod now and dreadfull Hannibal Where 's that ambitious pert Pellean lad Whose pride sweld bigger then this earthly ball Where 's cruel Nero with the rest that had Command and vex'd the world with usage bad They 're all sunk down into this nether hell Who erst upon the Nations stoutly strad Are now the Devils footstool His drad spell Those vassals doth command though they with furie swell 41 Consuming anguish styptick bitternesse Doth now so strangle their imperious will That in perpetuall disquietnesse They roll and rave and roar and rage their fill Like a mad bull that the slie hunters skill Hath caught in a strong net But more they strive The more they kindle that tormenting ill Woe 's me in what great miserie they live Yet wote I not what may these wretched thralls relieve 42 The safest way for us that still survive Is this even our own lust to mortifie So Gods own Will will certainly revive Thus shall we gain a perfect libertie And everlasting life But if so be We seek our selves with ardent hot desire From that Infernall Night we are not free But living Hell will kindle a fierce fire And with uncessant pains our vexed soul will tire 43 Then the wild phansie from its horrid wombe Will senden forth foul shapes O horrid sight Overgrown toads fierce serpents thence will come Red-scaled Dragons with deep burning light In their hollow eye-pits With these she must fight Then thinks her self ill wounded sorely stung Old fulsome hags with scabs and skurf bedight Foul tarry spittle tumbling with their tongue On their raw lether lips these near will to her clung 44 And lovingly salute against her will Closely embrace and make her mad with wo She 'd lever thousand times they did her kill Then force her such vile basenesse undergo Anon some Giant his huge self will show Gaping with mouth as vast as any cave With stony staring eyes and footing slow She surely deems him her live-walking grave From that dern hollow pit knows not her self to save 45 After a while tost on the Ocean main A boundlesse sea she finds of misery The fiery snorts of the Leviathan That makes the boyling waves before him fly She hears she sees his blazing morn-bright eye If here she scape deep gulfs and threatning rocks Her frighted self do straightway terrifie Steel-coloured clouds with rattling thunder knocks With these she is amaz'd and thousand such like mocks 46 All which afflict her even like perfect sense For waxen mad with her sore searching pain She cannot easly find the difference But toils and tears and tugs 〈◊〉 all in vain Her self from her own self she cannot strain Nocturnall life hath now let ope th' idee Of innate darknesse from this fulsome vein The soul is fill'd with all deformity But Night doth stirre her up to this dread energie 47 But here some man more curious then wise Perhaps will ask where Night or Hell may be For he by his own self cannot devise Sith chearfull light doth fill the open sky And what 's the earth to the souls subtilty Such men I 'd carry to some standing pool Down to the water bid them bend their eye They then shall see the earth possest and full Of heaven dight with the sunne or starres that there do roll 48 Or to an hill where 's some deep hollow cave Dreadfull for darknesse let them take a glasse When to the pitchie hole they turned have Their instrument that darknesse will find place Even in the open sunne-beams at a space Which measures twice the glasses distancy From the caves mouth This well discovered has How Hell and Heaven may both together lie Sith darknesse safely raies even in the sunnie skie 49 But cease my restlesse Muse be not so free Thy chiefest end thou hadst accomplished Long since shak'd of the Psychopannychie And rouz'd the soul from her dull drousiehead So nothing now in death is to be dred Of him that wakes to truth and righteousnesse The bulk lies here the soul aloft is fled Unto the fount of perfect happinesse Full freedome joy and peace she lively doth possesse The Argument of ANTIMONOPS YC HIA. The all-devouring Unity Of souls I here disprove Show how they bear their memory 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 now against my mind Am driven fiercely back and so new work do find 2 What though the Rationall soul immortall be And safely doth exist this bulk being gone And then existing hath full energie Perfectly wake if all souls be 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 Praxitele 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 miroir shattered has To many shivers the same shapes invade Each piece so he a many surly sad faces made 5 These shapes appeard from the division Of the broke glasse so rasher phansies deem The Rationall soul whom they suppose but one By the divided matter many