fovet Aetherius Sol. Omnibus his dare jura potes durasque catenas Nectere ad rigidum nodis mordentibus Unum Stringere At hac stupida non torpent caetera lege Liberum enim est genus humanum veluti innuba virgo Quae nondum ullius thalamis addicta mariti est Multi hanc ergo viri precibus blandisque loquelis Facundos quos fecit amor noctisque cupido Solicitant Nostras alios ita manibus imis E mediis alios alios è sedibus altis Impugnasse procos animas sentimus ipsum Delcendisse Jovem casto in praecordia lusu ut Virtutem inspiret sanctumque accendat amorem Scilicet haec fiunt quoniam mens libera nostra est Legibus aeterni fati Uniusque severi Quod si animae motus solido Dea ferrea clavo Praefixos jam olim determinet illius omnes Fictitii assensus libertas nil nisi inane Commentum quod qui est ausus fabricare necesse est Aestuet implicitus nodis quos consuit ipse Et Châ—ysippeum sudet volvendo cylindrum Exorcismus WHat 's this that in my brest thus grieves and greanes Rives my close-straitned heart distends my sides with deep fetch'd sighs while th' other in fell pride Resists and choaks O hear the dreadfull moanes Of thy dear son if so him cleep I may If there be any sense 'twixt Heven and Earth If any mutuall feeling sure this birth May challenge speed and break off all delay You Winged people of the unseen sky That bear that living Name in your pure brest Chariots of God in whom the Lord of rest Doth sit triumphant can not you espy The self same Being in such jeopardy Make haste make haste if you Gods army been Rescue his son wreak your revengefull teen On his fast holding Enemy Hath Nature onely sympathy What may I deem you self-exulting sprights Lock'd up in your own selves whose inward life Is self-contenting joy withouten strife Of doing good and helping wofull weights Then were you empty carres and not the throne Of that thrice-beautious sun the god of love The Soul of souls and heart of highest Jove If you to others good were not most prone Open thou Earth unclose thou fast bound ball Of smoring darknesse The black jawes of Hell Shall issue forth their dead that direfull cell Of miscreant Lives that strive still to enthrall Shall let him go at last and he ore all Shall triumph Then the gladsome Progeny Of the bright Morning star shining on high Shall fill the Round aetheriall With sound of voices musicall Nor yet this breath 's quite spent Swift flight of wing Hath shot my soul from th'hight to th'depth again And from the depth to th' height The glistring Main Of flowing light and darknesses curs'd spring I 've mov'd with sacred words the extreme worlds In holy rage assaulted with my spell I 'll at the middle Movable as well As those and powerfull magick gainst it hurle You waving aires and you more boistrous winds Dark Zaphons sons who with your swelling blasts Thrust out the ribs of heaven and that orepast Leave Nature languid to her wont confind Suppresse your spright and be at his command Who on the troubled Galilean lake Did wind and storm to him obedient make Let still serenity the land Inclose about with steddy hand And you heaven-threatning rocks whose tops be crown'd With wreaths of woolly clouds fall into dust And thou O Ida kill thy glory must Consume and thou lye equall with the ground O're quick-ey'd Ida thou which seest the Sun Before day spring those Eastern spatterd lights And broad spread shinings purpling the gay Night And that swoln-glowing ball they 'll all be gone You summer neezings when the Sun is set That fill the air with a quick fading fire Cease from your flashings and thou Self-desire The worst of meteors curs'd Voraginet The wind of God shall rend thee into nought And thou shalt vanish into empty air Nor shall thy rending out leave any scarre Thy place shall not be found though sought So perish shall all humane thought Deliquium VIres deficiunt abitque vita Virtutem revoca O Deus fugacem O sol justitiae atque origo vitae Vitae qua reficis tuos alumnos Inspira obsecro spiritum suavem Venis languidulis meósque ocellos Lucis vivica novo vigore Perculsum saliat novóque amore Pectus compositas agat choreas Laetum cor cupidis premátque in ulnis Quae tu cunque facis Pater Deorum ImmensÃque opifex perite mundi Cuncta exosculer ambitu benigno Injectis teneam fovens lacertis Nam jucunda cluent cluent amena Ni nubes animum gravent acerbum Atque urat dolor intimus medullam Ergo magnanimam piámque mentem Sedatam facilémque callidámque Concedas quae hominum sciat ferátque Mores omnimodos bonos malósque Nec cor concutiant superbiarum Fluctus turgidulum furor dolórque Vitae ne obsideant vias misell ae Soffocéntque suis feris catenis Mentem praebe humilem at simul serenam Mentem praebe hilarem at simul severam Te circum choreas leves agentem Pulsantem citharam at tibi canentem IT was the time when all things quiet lay In silent rest and Night her rusty Carre Drawn with black teem had drove above half way Her curbed steeds foaming out lavering tarre And finely trampling the soft misty air With proner course toward the West did fare I with the rest of weak mortality For natures due relief lay stretch'd on bed My weary body lay out-stretch'd not I. For I alas from that dead corse had fled Had left that slough as erst I doft my clothes For kindly rest that very Evening-close Free as in open Heaven more swift then thought In endlesse spaces up and down I flie Not carryed on wings or as well taught To row with mine own arms in liquid skie As oft men do in their deceiving sleep Hovering over Waters Woods and Valleys sleep But born on the actuall efflux of my will Without resistence thither easly glide Whither my busie mind did breathe untill All-suddenly an uncouth sight I spide Which meanly as I may I will propound To wiser men to weigh with judgement sound Behold a mighty Orb right well compil'd And kned together of opacous mould That neither curse of God nor man defil'd Though wicked wights as shall anon be told Did curse the ill condition of the place And with foul speech this goodly work disgrace But vain complaints may weary the ill tongue And evil speeches the blasphemer stain But words Gods sacred works can never wrong Noâ— wrongfull deeming work dame Natures bane Who misconceives conceives but his own ill Brings forth a falshood shows his want of skill This globe in all things punctually did seem Like to our earth saving in magnitude For it of so great vastnesse was I ween That if that all the Planets were transmewd Into one Ball they 'd not exceed this Round
Dearum Coeli splendor unica O voluptas Humani generis catena nodis Auratis homines ligans Deósque Te circumvolitant leves Olympi Alati juvenes tuósque gressus Sustentant manibus suis tenellos Et firmant tua crura mollicella Dulcis cura Deûm Venúsque coeli O fons laetitiae piÃque lusus O ter pulchra puella blanda virgo Nostris molliter insidens medullis Coelestémque animo fovens amorem In coetu superûm locas Deorum SIng aloud His praise rehearse Who hath made the Universe He the boundlesse Heavens has spread All the vitall orbs has kned He that on Olympus high Tends his flocks with watchfull eye And this eye has multiplide Midst each flock for to reside Thus as round about they stray Toucheth each with out-strecth'd ray Nimble they hold on their way Shaping out their Night and Day Summer Winter Autumne Spring Their inclined Axes bring Never slack they none respires Dancing round their Centrall fires In due order as they move Echo's sweet be gently drove Thorough Heavens vast Hollownesse Which unto all corners presse Musick that the heart of Jove Moves to joy and sportfull love Fills the listning saylers eares Riding on the wandring Sphears Neither Speech nor Language is Where their voice is not transmisse God is good is Wise is Strong Witnesse all the creature-throng Is confess'd by every Tongue All things back from whence they sprong As the thankfull Rivers pay What they borrowed of the Sea Now my self I do resigne Take me whole I all am thine Save me God! from Self-desire Deaths pit dark Hells raging fire Envy Hatred Vengeance Ire Let not Lust my soul bemire Quit from these thy praise I 'll sing Loudly sweep the trembling string Bear a part O Wisdomes sonnes Free'd from vain Religions Lo from farre I you salute Sweetly warbling on my Lute Indie Egypt Arabie Asia Greece and Tartarie Carmel-tracts and Lebanon With the Mountains of the Moon From whence muddie Nile doth runne Or where ever else you wonne Breathing in one vitall air One we are though distant farre Rise at once let 's sacrifice Odours sweet perfume the skies See how Heavenly lightning fires Hearts inflam'd with high aspires All the substance of our souls Up in clouds of Incense rolls Leave we nothing to our selves Save a voice what need we els Or an hand to wear and tire On the thankfull Lute or Lyre Sing aloud His praise rehearse Who hath made the Universe Charitie and Humilitie FArre have I clambred in my mind But nought so great as love I 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 strait breast Enlarge it downward that sure rest May there be pight for that pure fire Wherewith thou wontest to inspire All self-dead souls My life is gone Sad solitude 's my irksome wonne Cut off from men and all this world In Lethes lonesome ditch I 'm hurld Nor might nor sight doth ought me move Nor do I care to be above O feeble rayes of mentall light That best 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 stars 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 maist raise me with the just THE TRIUMPH OR A Paraphrase upon the ninth Hymn of Synesius written in honour of Jesus the Son of Mary the SAVIOUR of the World O Lovely Child with Glory great arraid Sweet Of-spring of the Solymeian Maid Thee would I sing and thy renowned Acts For thou didst rid the boundlesse flowry tracts Of thy dear Fathers Garden from the spoyles Of the false Serpent and his treacherous toyles When thou hadst once descended to this earth A stranger wight ' mongst us of humane birth After some stay new voyage thou didst take Crossing cold Lethe and the Stygian Lake Arriv'st at the low fields of Tartara There where innumerable flocks do stray Of captive souls whom pale-fac'd Death doth feed Forc'd under his stiff Rod and churlish Reed Streight at thy sight how did that surly Sire Old Orcus quake and greedy Dogg retire From 's usuall watch whiles thou from slavish chain Whole swarms of souls to freedome dost regain Then ' ginst thou with thy immortall Quire to praise Thy Father and his strength to Heaven to raise Ascending thus with joy as thou dost fare Through the thin Sky the Legions of the Aire Accursed Fiends do tremble at thy sight And starry Troops wax pale at thy pure light But Ather master of queint Harmonies With smiling look on 's Musick doth devise Tunes his seven-corded Harp more trimly strung Then strikes up loudly thy Triumphall song Lucifer laughs bright Nuncio of the Day And golden Hesperus to hear him play The Moon begins a dance great Queen of Night Her hollow horns fill'd up with flusher light Titan his streaming locks along doth strow Under thy sacred feet more soft to go Doth homage to thee as to Gods dear Son And to the Spring whence his own light doth run Then thou drad Victour thy quick wings didst shake And suddenly ascend'st above the back Of the blew Skie In th' Intellectuall sphears Dispreadst thy self Where the still Fount appears Of inexhausted Good and silent Heaven Smiles without wrinckle ever constant even Unwearied Time this mansion connot seize Nor Hyles worm importunate Disease Here Aeon wons that cannot wexen old Though of his years the numbers no'te be told Youthfull and ag'd at once here doth he live And to the Gods unmov'd duration give 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS Notes upon Psychozoia Canto 1. Stanz 1. Vers 6. Psyche I 'll sing c. THe fittest
that one single Essence can perform many and various functions as doth the Soul that being one unfolds her self into varieties of operations Yet have the Platonists established their Triad upon no contemptible grounds which I will not be so tedious as here to relate but give the Reader leave to peruse Plotinus at his leisure And I must confesse that that mystery seems to me a thing of it self standing on its own Basis and to happen rather to agree with some Principles of Christianisme then to be drawn from the holy Scripture But the best is that the happinesse of man is not the Essence but the Influence of the Divinity and to be baptized in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost of more consequence then to read and understand all the curious and acute school-tracts of the Trinity For this may be permitted to the Divel that is the priviledge onely of the good and pious man Nor is it any wonder at all For be it so that the contemplation of these things is very sublime and subtile yet well I wot they are nothing satisfactory to the soul For the exile Theories of the Infinity of God and Trinity are but as it were the dry measuring and numbering of the Deity and profit as much to the soul devoid of charity as the Diametre of the Sunnes body or the remembrance of that trinall property in Lux Lumen and Calefaction can warm a man in a cold frosty night But if any man would be sufficiently initiated into these mysteries he must repair to the ever living Word of God that subtile and searching fire that will sift all the â—anities of dreaming Philosophers and burn up the vain â—maginations of false-Christians like stubble All this out of a tendernesse of mind being exceeding â—oth to give any man offence by my writings For though knowledge and theory be better then any thing but honesty and true piety yet it is not so good as that I should willingly offend my neighbour by it Thus much by way of preparation to the first Canto of this Poem I will now leave thee to thine own discresion and judgement Vpon the second Canto THis second Canto before we descend to particular lives exhibits to our apprehension by as fit a similitude as I could light upon the Universe as one simple uniform being from Ahad to Hyle no particular straitned being as yet being made no earth or any other Orb as yet kned together All homogeneall simple single pure pervious unknotted uncoacted nothing existing but those eight universall orders There God hath full command builds and destroyes what he lists That all our souls are free effluxes from his essence What follows is so plain that the Reader wants no direction Vpon the third Canto THere is no knot at all in this last Canto if men do not seek one I plainly and positively declare no opinion but shew the abuse of those opinions there touched crouding a number of enormities together that easily shroud themselves there where all sinfulnesse surely may easily get harbour if we be not yet well aware of the Devil that makes true opinions oftentimes serve for mischief Nothing else can be now expected for the easie and profitable understanding of this Poem but the interpretation of the names that frequently occurre in it Which I will interpret at the end of these Books as also the hard terms of the other Poems for their sakes whose real worth and understanding is many times equall with the best onely they have not fed of husks and shels as others have been forced to do the superficiary knowledge of tongues But it would be well that neither the Linguist would contemne the illiterate for his ignorance nor the ignorant condemn the learned for his knowledge For it is not unlearnednesse that God is so pleased withall or sillinesse and emptinesse of mind but singlenesse and simplicity of heart The Argument of PSYCHOZOIA Or The life of the Soul CANT I. This Song great Psyches parentage With her fourefold array And that mysterious marriage To thâ— Reader doth display 1 NO Ladies loves nor Knights brave martiall deeds Ywrapt in rolls of hid Antiquitie But th' inward Fountain and the unseen Seeds From whence are these and what so under eye Doth fall or is record in memorie Psyche I 'll sing Pfycheâ— from thee they sprong O life of Time and all Alterity The life of lives instill his nâ—ctar strong My soul t' inebriate while I sing Psyches song 2 But thou who e're thou art that hear'st this strain Or read'st these rythmes which from Platonick rage Do powerfully flow forth dare not to blame My forward pen of foul miscarriage If all that 's spoke with thoughts more sadly sage Doth not agree My task is not to try What 's simply true I onely do engage My self to make a fit discovery Give some fair glimpse of Plato's hid Philosophy 3 What man alive that hath but common wit When skilfull limmer ' suing his intent Shall fairly well pourtray and wisely hit The true proportion of each lineament And in right colours to the life depaint The fulvid Eagle with her sun-bright eye Would wexen wroth with inward choler brent Cause 't is no Buzard or discolour'd Pie Why man I meant it not Cease thy fond obloquie 4 So if what 's consonant to Plato's school Which well agrees with learned Pythagore Egyptian Trismegist and th' antique roll Of Chaldee wisdome all which time hath tore But Plato and deep Plotin do restore Which is my scope I sing out lustily If any twitten me for such strange lore And me all blamelesse brand with infamy God purge that man from fault of foul malignity 5 Th' Ancient of dayes Sire of Eternitie Sprung of himself or rather no wise sprong Father of lights and everlasting glee Who puts to silence every daring tongue And flies man's sight shrowding himself among His glorious rayes good Atove from whom came All good that Penia spies in thickest throng Of most desireables all 's from that same That same that Atove hight and sweet Abinoam 6 Now can I not with flowring phantasie To drowsie sensuall souls such words impart Which in their sprights may cause sweet agony And thrill their bodies through with pleasing dart And spread in flowing fire their close-twist heart All chearing fire that nothing wont to burn That Atove lists to save and his good Art Is all to save that wiâ—l to him return That all to him return nought of him is forlorn 7 For what can be forlorn when his good hands Hold all in lise that of life do partake O surest confidence of Loves strong bands Love loveth all that 's made Love all did make And when false life doth fail it 's for the sake Of better being Riving tortures spight That life disjoynts and makes the heart to quake To good the soul doth nearer reunite So ancient Atove hence all-joyning Ahad hight 8 This Ahad of himself the Aeon
rais'd upon her spreaden wing She softly playes and warbles in the wind And carols out her inward life and spring Of overflowing joy and of pure love doth sing 4 She sings of purest love not that base passion That fouls the soul with filth of lawlesse lust And Circe-like her shape doth all misfashion But that bright flame that 's proper to the just And eats away all drosse and cankred rust With its refining heat unites the mind With Gods own spright who raiseth from the dust The slumbring soul and with his usage kind Makes 't breath after that life that time hath not defin'd 5 So hath he rais'd my soul and so possest My inward spright with that unfained will He bears to Psyche's brood that I nere rest But ruth or ragefull indignation fill My troubled veins that I my life near spill With sorrow and disdain for that foul lore That crept from dismall shades of Night and quill Steep'd in sad Styx and fed with stinking gore Suckt from corrupted corse that God and men abhorre 6 Such is thy putid muse Lucretius That fain would teach that souls all mortall be The dusty Atoms of Democritus Certes have fall'n into thy feeble eye And thee bereft of pâ—rspicacity Others through the strong steem of their dull bloud Without the help of that Philosophy Have with more ease the truth not understood And the same thing conclude in some sad drooping mood 7 But most of all my soul doth them refuse That have extinguish'd natures awfull light By evil custome and unkind abuse Of Gods young tender work that in their spright He first gins frame But they with heddy might Of over-whelming liquour that life drownd And reasons eye swell up or put out quite Hence horrid darknesse doth their souls confound And foul blasphemous belch from their furd mouth resounds 8 Thus while false way they take to large their spirit By vaster cups of Bacchus they get fire Without true light and ' cording to demerit Infernall blasts blind confidence inspire Bold heat to uncouth thoughts is their bad hire Which they then dearly hug and ween their feet Have clombe whither vulgar men dare not aspire But it s the fruit of their burnt sootie spright Thus dream they of drad death and an eternall night 9 Now in the covert of dame Natures cell They think they 'r shrowded and the mystery Of her deep secrets they can wisely spell And ' pprove that art above true piety Laugh at religion as a mockery A thing found out to aw the simpler sort But they brave sparks have broke from this dark tie The light of nature yields more sure comfort Alas too many souls in this fond thought consort 10 Like men new made contriv'd into a cave That ne're saw light but in that shadowing pit Some uncouth might them hoodwink hither drave Now with their backs to the dens mouth they sit Yet shoulder not all light from the dern pit So much gets in as Optick art counts meet To shew the forms that hard without do flit With learned quaere each other here they greet True moving substances they deem each shadow slight 11 When fowls flie by and with their swapping wings Beat the inconstant air and mournfull noise Stirre up with their continuall chastisings In the soft yielding penitent the voice These solemn Sages nought at all accoyes 'T is common onely they philosophize Busying their brains in the mysterious toyes Of flittie motion warie well advize On'ts inward principles the hid Entelechies 12 And whereabout that inward life is seated That moves the living creature they espie Passing in their dim world So they 'r defeated Calling thin shadows true realitie And deeply doubt if corporalitie For so they term those visibles were stroy'd Whether that inward first vitalitie Could then subsist But they are ill accloy'd With cloddie earth and with blind duskishnesse annoy'd 13 If roaring Lion or the neighing Horse With frisking tail to brush off busie flies Approch their den then haply they discourse From what part of these creatures may arise Those greater sounds Together they advise And gravely do conclude that from the thing That we would term the tail those thund'ring neyce Do issue forth tail of that shadowing They see then moved most while he is whinneying 14 And so the Lions huge and hideous roar They think proceeds from his rugg'd flowing mane Which the fierce winds do tosse and tousell sore Unlesse perhaps he stirre his bushie train For then the tail will carrie it again Thus upon each occasion their frail wit Bestirres it self to find out errours vain And uselesse theories in this dark pit Pond reasoning they have seldome or never hit 15 So soon new shadows enter in the cave New entelechias they then conceive Brought forth of nature when they passed have Their gloomy orb false shades eas'ly deceive Not onely they that visible bereave Of life and being but the hidden might And moving root unliv'd unbeen'd they leave In their vain thoughts for they those shadows slight Do deem sole prop and stay of th' hidden motive spright 16 This is that awfull cell where Naturalists Brood deep opinion as themselves conceit This Errours den where in a magick mist Men hatch their own delusion and deceit And grasp vain shows Here their bold brains they beat And dig full deep as deep as Hyle's hell Unbare the root of life O searching wit But root of life in Hyles shade no'te dwell For God's the root of all as I elsewhere shall tell 17 This is the stupid state of drooping soul That loves the body and false forme admires Slave to base sense fierce ' gainst reasons controul That still it self with lower lust bemires That nought believeth and much lesse desires Things of that unseen world and inward life Nor unto height of purer truth aspires But cowardly declines the noble strife ' Gainst vice and ignorance so gets it no relief 18 From this default the lust full Epicure Democrite or th' unthankfull Stagirite Most men preferre 'fore holy Pythagore Divinest Plato and grave Epictete But I am so inflam'd with the sweet sight And goodly beauty seen on Eloim-hill That maugre all mens clamours in despight I 'll praise my Platonissa with loud quill My strong intended voice all the wide world shall fill 19 O sacred Nymph begot of highest Jove Queen of Philosophie and virtuous lear That firest the nobler heart with spotlesse love And sadder minds with Nectar drops dost chear That oft bedrencht with sorrows while we 're here Exil'd from our dear home that heavenly soil Through wandring wayes thou safely dost us bear Into the land of truth from dirtie foil Thou keepst our slipping feet oft wearied with long toil 20 When I with other beauties thine compare O lovely maid all others I must scorn For why they all rude and deform'd appear Certes they be ill thew'd and baser born Yet thou alas of men art more forlorn For like will to its
grasp of vast Eternitie Longs not to beings simply vegetive Nor yet to creatures merely sensitive Reason alone cannot arrive to it Onely souls Deiform intellective Unto that height of happinesse can get Yet immortalitie with other souls may fit 48 No force of Nature can their strength annoy For they be subtiler then the silken air Which fatall fire from heaven cannot destroy All grossensse its devouring teeth may shear And present state of visibles empare But the fine curtains of the lasting skie Though not of love yet it perforce must spare If they could burn each spark from flint would trie And a bright broad-spread flame to either Pole would hie 49 But if all souls survive their bulks decay Another difficultie will straight arise Concerning their estate when they 're away Flit from this grosser world Shall Paradise Receive the sprights of beasts or wants it trees That their sweet verdant souls should thither take Who shall conduct those stragling colonies Or be they straightway drench'd in Lethe lake So that cold sleep their shriveld life from work doth slake 50 Or if that all or some of them awake What is their miserie what their delight How come they that refined state forsake Or had they their first being in our sight Whither to serve what is the usefull might Of these spirituall trees doth fearfull hare Flie the pursuing dog doth soaring kite Prey upon silly chickins is there jarre Or be those sprights agreed none to other contraire 51 If some contraire then tell me how 's their fight What is the spoil what the stout victors meed No flesh no bloud whereon to spend their spight Or whereupon these hungry souls may feed Or doth the stronger suck the aiery weed Wherewith the other did it self invest And so more freshly deck it self at need An aierie prey for aierie spright is best Or â—o they want no food but be still full and rest 52 Die they again draw they in any breath Or be they sterill or bring forth their young Beat their light feet on the soft aierie heath Expresse they joy or sorrow with their tongue Enough who ere thou art that thus dost throng My tender Muse with rough objections stout Give me but leave to tell thee thou art wrong If being of a thing thou call'st in doubt Cause its more hid conditions shine not clearly out 53 Who questions but there is a quantitie Of things corporeall a trinall dimension Of solid bodies yet to satisfie All doubts that may be made about extension Would plunge the wisest Clerk I 'll onely mention That quaere of what parts it doth consist Whether of Atoms or what strange retention Still keepeth so much back that if God list He could not count the parts of a small linear twist 54 For his division never could exhaust The particles say they of quantitie O daring wit of man that thus doth boast It self and in pursuit of sciencie Forget the reverend laws of pietie What 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 dissevers 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 ouâ—right Each flie in summer-Even is higher then Heavens height 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 strait then is the earthie ball Sometime the earth illumineth at once And with her grasping rayes enlights it all And that the Sunnes great body sphericall Greater then th' earth farre greater then the moon Even at midday illumines not at all This earthy 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 vitalitie Or shrunk or sever'd onely I 'll affirm It is which my next song shall further yet confirm The Argument of PSYCHATHANASIA OR The Immortality of the Soul Book 1. Cant. 3. Ore whelm'd with grief and pitious wo For fading lifes decayes How no souls die from Lunar bow 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 sighed sad wherefore did God erect This stage of misery thrice foure times 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 state 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
all-approved Spencer sings of Christ under the name of Pan Saint Paul also transfers those things that be spoken of Jupiter to God himself Arat. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those latter words he gives to the Christian God whom he himself preached I will omit the usuall course of the Spirit of God in Holy Writ to take occasion from things that have some resemblance with Divine things under them to speak of the true things themselves And that I may not seem rather forcibly to break out here out of Platonisme into Christianisme then to be fairly and easily led into this digression by the fit similitude of things or at least very near correspondency of Names which should imply agreement of nature I have thought good to exhibite to the Readers eye the grounds of this my deviation founded in this Parallelisme of Titles belonging to the second Unity of each Triad Platonic  Christian The Sonne of the Good 1 The Sonne of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plotin 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proverbs 8. Aeon 6 Eternall Life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plot. p. 547 7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For indeed the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is but a Periphrasis of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which contains in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the future present and time past as Criticks observe I might adde further correspondencies betwixt the Platonick Triad and diverse passages of Scripture according to the interpretations of no contemptible Authours As Gods making the World by his Word which is very reasonable He being the wisedome of God or the Intellectuall World the Idea of the visible and naturall Creature And that he is the Redeemer of the laps'd World viz. Mankind while he reduceth the right shape and image again into Man wisedome and righteousnesse Take in the whole Trinity you shall find a strange concordance and harmony betwixt the nature of each Hypostasis in either in their order Atove or Ahad is simply the first Principle of all beings the Father of all existences and the Universall Creation is but his Family and therefore hath he a full right of imposing Lawes on the whole Creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As Aristotle observes out of the Poet. The naturall Creature as David also bears them witnesse keepeth this Law But Man breaketh it however the Law is still propounded to him which when it doth take hold upon him strikes him with dread and horrour Hence will he extrinsecally shape and proportion his actions according to that outward Rule through fear and force as it were As if a man should impresse any character or stamp upon wax paste or any such like matter And this I conceive is to be under the Law that makes nothing perfect and may be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is signified also by Diana in the third Canto of Psychozoia This God vouchsafes sometime to second with the gift of his Sonne who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Philo the Platonist calls him He once come sits not so much on the surface of the soul as dives and divides to the depth of the Spirit and rooting himself there worketh out from the very bottome all corruption and filth cleanseth us throughly from our sins and healeth us of our infirmities shapes us from an inward vitall Principle even as the Ratio seminalis figures out a tree into a new life and shape even into the Image of God that is inward living Righteousnesse and Truth instructing us continually and guiding us with his eye For he is properly Wisedome and Intellect And this may be term'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even of the Sonne of Righteousnesse See Philo Judaeus pag. 390.391.403 407. as also in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pag. 76. Of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trismegist calling him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 writeth thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same which John intimates As many as receive him become the sons of God And a little after he tells us that this Universall Intellect as it doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cooperate with all things so it doth also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 resist and oppose the souls of men hurried on to pleasure and passion by this disadvantagious union with the body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trismeg 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But now being thus healed purged and illuminated by this Baptisme of the living Word or Intellect which is Christ we are no longer under the Law nor the terrour thereof but serve willingly as from a vitall Principle in us under Christ Wherefore such ones as are thus eminently good and virtuous in themselves even according to the judgement of Aristotle Politic. lib. 3. are not under the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Against such there is no Law for they themselves are a Law The very same with the words of the Apostle Gal. cap. 5. vers 24. Rom. 2. vers 14.15 And a little before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore not to be under the Law no more then a Deity can be under their Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For 't is as if they should take upon them to rule Jupiter himself and share his kingdome See Aristol Politic. lib. 3. The last accomplishment of all and the highest perfection as the Apostle witnesseth is Love and this is ever referr'd to the Holy Ghost whom Peter Lombard contends to be Love lib. 1. distinct 17. And this agrees ad amussim with Uranore or Psyche whom Plotinus calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the celestiall Venus out of which is born the heavenly Cupid the divine Love The same is also Juno the sister and wife of Jove that is of the Divine Intellect as the same Philosopher observes And the Greek name of Juno doth fiâ—ly agree to this purpose viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 her name implying Love And a further signe that Juno and Venus are all one is that Astronomers have noted one and the same Starre by both their names 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristot. de Mundo See Plotin Ennead lib. 6. So then the proper effect of this third Hypostasis in either Trinity is Love which compleateth the Circle and reduceth us again to the first Principle of all the simple and absolute good which we enjoy by this single Act or Energie of the Soul viz. divine Love and this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be baptized with the Holy Ghost This trinall effect or spirituall influence on the Soul is experientially true But this threefold Hypostasis viz. Ahad Aeon and Psyche cannot be known by experience but is rather concluded by collection of reason Nor indeed is reason it self able sufficiently to confirm or confute it sith it can conceive
fair Begot the brightnesse of his father's grace No living wight in heav'n to him compare Ne work his goodly honour such disgrace Nor lose thy time in telling of his race His beauty and his race no man can tell His glory darkeneth the Sunnes bright face Or if ought else the Sunnes bright face excell His splend our would it dim and all that glory quell 9 This is that ancient Eidos omniform Fount of all beauty root of flowring glee Hyle old hag foul filthy and deform Cannot come near Joyfull Eternity Admits no change or mutability No shade of change no imminution No nor increase for what increase can be To that that 's all and where Hyl ' hath no throne Can ought decay such is the state of great Aeon 10 Farre otherwise it fares in this same Lond Of Truth and Beauty then in mortall brood Of earthly lovers who impassion'd With outward forms not rightly understood From whence proceeds this amorous sweet flood And choice delight which in their spright they feel Can outward Idole yield so heavenly mood This inward beauty unto that they deal That little beauteous is Thus into th' dirt they reel 11 Like to Narcissus on the grassie shore Viewing his outward face in watery glasse Still as he looks his looks adde evermore New fire new light new love new comely grace To 's inward form and it displayes apace It's hidden rayes and so new lustre sends To that vain shadow but the boy alas Unhappy boy the inward nought attends But in foul filthy mire love life and form he blends 12 And this I wot is the Souls excellence That from the hint of every painted glance Of shadows sensible she doth from hence Her radiant life and lovely hue advance To higher pitch and by good governance May wained be from love of fading light In outward forms having true Cognizance That those vain shows are not the beauty bright That takes men so but what they cause in humane spright 13 Farre otherwise it fares in Aeons Realm O happy close of sight and that there 's seen That there is seen is good Abinoam Who Atove hight And Atuvus I ween Cannot be lesse then he that sets his eyen On that abysse of good eternally The youthfull Aeon whose fair face doth shine While he his Fathers glory doth espy Which waters his fine flowring forms with light from high 14 Not that his forms increase or that they die For Aeon-land which men Idea call Is nought but life in full serenity Vigour of life is root stock branch and all Nought here increaseth nought here hath it's fall For Aeons Kingdomes alwayes perfect stand Birds Beasts Fields Springs Plants Men and Minerall To perfectnesse nought added be there can This Aeon also hight Autocalon and On. 15 This is the eldest sonne of Hattove hore But th' eldest daughter of this aged Sire That virgin wife of Aeon Vranore She Vranora hight because the fire Of Aethers essence she with bright attire And inward unseen golden hew doth dight And life of sense and phansie doth inspire Aether's the vehicle of touch smell sight Of taste and hearing too and of the plastick might 16 Whilome me chanced O my happy chance To spie this spotlesse pure fair Uranore I spi'd her but alas with slighter glance Beheld her on the Atuvaean shore She stood the last for her did stand before The lovely Autocal But first of all Was mighty Atove deeply covered o're With unseen light No might imaginall May reach that vast profunditie 17 Whiles thus they stood by that good lucid spring Of living blisse her fourefold ornament I there observ'd and that 's the onely thing That I dare write with due advisement Fool-hardy man that purposeth intent Far 'bove his reach like the proud Phaeton Who clomb the fiery car and was ybrent Through his fond juvenile ambition Th' unruly slundring steeds wrought his confusion 18 Now rise my Muse and straight thy self addresse To write the pourtraiture of th' outward vest And to display it's perfect comlinesse Begin and leave where it shall please thee best Nor do assay to tell all let the rest Be understood For no man can unfold The many plicatures so closely prest At lowest verge Things 'fore our feet yrold If they be hard how shall the highest things be told 19 It s unseen figure I must here omit For thing so mighty vast no mortall eye Can compasse and if eye not compasse it The extreme parts at least some hidden lie And if that they lie hid who can descry The truth of figure Bodies figured Receive their shape from each extremity But if conjecture may stand in truths stead The garment round or circular I do aread 20 As for it's colour and materiall It silken seems and of an azure hiew If hiew it have or colour naturall For much it may amazâ— mans erring view Those parts the eye is near give not the shew Of any colour but the rurall Swains O easie ignorance would swear 't is blew Such as their Phyllis would when as she plains Their Sunday cloths and the washt white with azure stains 21 But this fair azure colour 's fouly stain'd By base comparison with that blew dust But you of Uranore are not disdain'd O silly Shepherds if you hit not just In your conceits so that you 'r put in trust You duly do attend If simple deed Accord with simple life then needs you must From the great Uranore of favour speed Though you cannot unfold the nature of her weed 22 For who can it unfold and reade aright The divers colours and the tinctures fair Which in this various vesture changes write Of light of duskishnesse of thick of rare Consistences ever new changes marre Former impressions The dubious shine Of changeable silk stuffs this passeth farre Farre more variety and farre more fine Then interwoven silk with gold or silver twine 23 Lo what delightfull immutations On her soft flowing vest we contemplate The glory of the Court their fashions And brave agguize with all their Princely state Which Poets or Historians relate This farre excels farther than pompous Court Excels the homeliest garb of Countrey rate Unspeakable it is how great a sort Of glorious glistring showes in it themselves disport 24 There you may see the eyelids of the Morn With lofty silver arch displaid â—th ' East And in the midst the burnisht gold doth burn A lucid purple mantle in the West Doth close the day and hap the Sun at rest Nor doth these lamping sheâ—es the azur quell Or other colours where 't beseemeth best There they themselves dispose so seemly well Doth light and changing tinctures deck this goodly veil 25 But ' mongst these glaring glittering rows of light And flaming Circles and the grisell gray And crudled clouds with filver tippings dight And many other deckings wondrous gay As Iris and the Halo there doth play Still-pac'd Euphrona in her Conique tire By stealth her steeple-cap she doth assay
in these points farre deeper seen Than either Corvin or Don Graculo Yea than my self assent doth almost win That Church nor Scripture cast in reason too Can to our searching minds truth's hidden treasures show 103 Wherefore a fourth sole ground of certainty Thou didst produce to weet the Spirit divine But now alas here is the misery That left to doubt we cannot well enjoyn Nor this nor that nor Faith-forms freely coyn And make the trembling conscience swear thereto For we our selves do but ghesse and divine What we force other men to swear is true Untill the day-star rise our eyes with light t' embew 104 Which gift though it be given to me and you Mn. Not unto me courteous Don Psittaco Ps Yet certainly there be but very few That so sublime a pitch ascend unto Mn. My self alas a silly Swain I know So far from solving these hard knots said I That more and harder my ranck brain o're grow And wonder that thy quick sagacity Doth not winde out a further inconveniency 105 If light divine we know by divine light Nor can by any other means it see This ties their hands from force that have the spirit How can said Psittaco these things agree For without force vain is Church-Polity Mn. But to use force ' gainst men that thing to do In which they 've not the least ability May seem unjust and violent I trow Gainst reason ' gainst Religion ' gainst all sence and law 106 For 't is as if the King of Arragon Who was well skilled in Astronomy Should by decree deprive each Countrey Clown Of life of lands or of sweet liberty That would not fully avow each star in sky Were bigger then the Earth Here Psittaco Though what I said did not well satisfie His grave judicious self yet he did know Of whom this talk much ' plause would gain and kindnesse too 107 And straight gan say Dear Glaucis hadst thou been At this discourse how would thy joyous spright Have danc'd along For thou art or well seen In these queint points or dost at least delight Exceeding much to hear them open'd right And well I wot on earth scarce can be found So witty girl so wily female wight As this my Glaucis over all renown'd I mean for quicker parts if not for judgment sound 108 How fit an Auditour would she then prov'd To thee young Mnemon how had she admired Thy sifting wit thy speech and person lov'd Clove to that mouth with melting zeal all fired And hung upon those lips so highly inspired Mn. Certes she 'd been a bold immodest wight To come so near when not at all desired Ps Alas good Mnemon you mistake me quite I meant no fond salutes bu what is just and right 109 Her due attention on thy wise discourse Though what thou deemst and more then thou didst deem May fit you too For why by Natures course Like joyn with like wherefore right well I ween Mought I but make the match 't would well beseem For your conspiring minds exactly agree In points which the wide world through wrath and teen Rudely divide I mean free Liberty Be 't so said I yet may our grounds farre different be 110 For might I but repeat without offence What I have heard ill symtomes men descry In this thy Glaucis though the nimble wench So dexterously can pray and prophecy And lectures read of drad mortality Clasping her palms with fatall noise and shreeks Inculcating approching misery To sad afflicted houses when she strikes With brushing strokes the glassie doors and entrance seeks 111 Nor doth her solemne looks much like her Sire Or native zeal which she did once derive From thee grave Psittaco exalt her higher Then Earth and Nature For men do conceive Black sanguine fumes my spouse do thus deceive Translating her into fools Paradise And so of sense and reason her bereave And that that melting love which doth so please Her gulled soul the thawing is of her own grease 112 The naturall spright it self doth sweetly hug In false conceit and ill-deceiving guile Sucking fond solace from it's own dear dug Like the mistaken Cat that lick'd the file And drawing bloud uncessantly did toyl To suck hat sweet as if there Moses rock Had swet new milk Thus Glaucis doth beguil Her likorish taste al 's ' doth delude her flock Teaching them suck themselves their empty souls to mock 113 Thus they intoxicate with their own bloud Mistaken Elves deem it no worse a thing Then pure Ambrosian Nectar fresh and good In golden streams that from great Jove did spring And count themselves His onely choice Ofspring Upon no count but that their count is so O sweet conceit full joy Soul-ravishing Delight Pure faith Self-love keep close thereto Allow but this to us we 'll any thing allow 114 Besides the fixednesse of th' eternall Fates And Adamantine laws of Gods decree Whereby immutably he loves and hates May prove new grounds of Glaucis liberty No danger then nor detriment can be To his own people whom of old he chose From the out goings of Eternity No infecting poyson may them ill dispose What worthlesse wit of man this puzling knot may loose 115 Did not I tell thee what a wily lasse Said Psittace my daughter Glaux would prove And well perceiving how averse I was From her strange manners left all suits of love And straight gan show me how she did improve Her principles to lewdnesse and excesse Secure no fault no filth can ever move Her Maker to dislike no unrighteousnesse Can hurt her soul ne sorrow needs she to expresse 116 Thus in the wicked wench rank fields do grow Of Rapine Riot Lust and Covetize Of Pride of Sacriledge and a thousand moe Disorders which no mortall can devise Said I from ought but that mistake t' arise Of naked Faith disjoyn'd from Purity So with full bitter words he did chastise His absent child but whether zeal it be Or deep conceived hatred I no'te well descry 117 Nor stopt he here but told me all her guise How law-lesse quite and out of shape she 's grown Affecting still wilde contrarieties Averse from what for good all others own Preposterous Girl how often hast thou thrown Thy self into dark corners at Mid-day And then at dead of Night away art flown To some old barn thereon to preach and pray Ending thy dark devotions just at Break of day 118 When others sleep or weep then dost thou sing In frosty night on neighbours chimney set When others fast ' ginst thou thy revelling Thy lustfull sparrows greedily dost eat Which thou by bloud and violence dost get When others eyes plainly can nothing see Then thy prodigious lamps by night unwet And unblown-out can read right readily Withouten spectacles the smallest prints that be 119 If chance or free election ever brings Thee to our Churches then with hooting wild Thou causest uproars and our holy things Font Table Pulpit they be all defil'd
With thy broad mutings and large squirtings vilde Mn. Phy Psittaco hide such infirmities From stranger wight Who would his own dear child Thus shamefully disgrace With mine own eyes Have I thy Glaucis seen and better things surmise 120 Good sooth methinks she is not so defac'd And all mishapen and grown out of square But that my self most evidently trac'd Thy comely feature in her visage bare Spare then thy self if her thou wilt not spare Ill may it seem what thine own strength begot With foul reproach and shame thus to besmear And through thy zeal thine own great name to blot To two so worthy wights befall some better lot 121 Thus in my youth said Mnemon did I use With Reverend Ignorance to sport and toy And slily would obnoxius Age abuse For I was a crank wit a brisk young boy But naturally abhorr'd hypocrisie And craft the upshot of experienc'd Age And more then life I lov'd my liberty And much suspected all that would engage My heart to their own sect and free-born soul encage 122 For I ev'n at those years was well aware Of mans false friendship and grown subtilty Which made me snuf the wind drink the free aire Like a young Colt upon the mountains high And turning tail my hunters all defie Ne took I any guide but th' innate light Of my true Conscience whose voice to deny Was the sole sting of my offended spright Thus God and Nature taught their rude Cosmopolite 123 I mean not Natures harsh obdurate light The shamelesse eye-brows of the Serpent old That arm'd with custome will not stick to fight With God and him affront with courage bold But that sweet temper we may oft behold In virgin Youth as yet immaculate And unto drudging Policy unsold Who do without designe now love now hate And freely give and take withouten price or rate 124 Dear lads How do I love your harmlesse years And melt in heart while I the Morning-shine Do view of rising virtue which appears In your sweet faces and mild modest eyne Adore that God that doth himself enshrine In your untainted breasts and give no eare To wicked voice that may your souls encline Unto false peace or unto fruitlesse fear Least loosened from your selves Harpyes away you bear 125 Abstain from censure seek and you shall find Drink your own waters drawn from living well Mend in your selves what ill elsewhere you mind Deal so with men as you would have them deal Honour the Aged that it may go well With you in Age For I my self indeed Have born much scorn for these pranks I you tell By boyes oft bearded which I deem the meed Of my abusive youth But now I will prâ—ceed 126 By this we came into a way that did Divide it self into three parts the one To Leontopolis that in the mid Did lead straight forth out of wide Beiron That was the way that I mought take alone The third way led unto Onopolis And thitherward Don Psittaco put on With both these towns Alopecopolis Is in firm league and golden Myrmecopoln 127 For nothing they attempt without the aid Of these two Cities They 'll not wagen war Nor peace conclude nor permit any trade Nor make decrees nor slake the civil jar Nor take up private wrongs nor plead at bar Nor Temples consecrate nor Mattins say They nought begin divine or secular But they advisen with those Cities tway Opotent Citizens that bear so great a sway 128 No truth of justice in Beîrah lond No sincere faith void of she subtilty That alwayes seeks it self is to be found But law delusion and false Polity False Polity that into Tyrannie Would quickly wend did not stern Fear restrain And keep in aw Th' Onites Democracy Is nought but a large hungry tyrant-train Oppression from the poore is an all-sweeping rain 129 A sweeping torrent that beats down the corn And wasts the oxens labour head-long throws The tallest trees up by the root ytorn Its ranging force in all the land it shows Woods rent from hence its rowling rage bestows In other places that were bare before With muddied arms of trees the earth it strows The list'ning shepherd is amazed sore While it with swift descent so hideously doth rore 130 Such is the out-rage of Democracie When fearlesse it doth rule in Beîrah And little better is false Monarchy When it in this same countrey bears the sway Is 't not a part of Autaesthesia So to an inward sucking whirl pools close They change this swelling torrents surquedry Much treasure it draws in and doth inclose In 'ts winding mouth but whither then there 's no man knows 131 O falsest Beironites what gars you plain One of another and vainly accuse Of foul offence when you all entertain Tyrannick thoughts You all alike do muse Of your own private good though with abuse Of those you can tread down with safety No way to wealth or honour you refuse False Oneple doth grudge and grone and cry Because she is denied a greater tyranny 132 Two of that City whylorn on the way With languid lugs and count'nance gravely sad Did deeply sigh and rudely rough did bray ' Gainst Leontopolis The equall pad Of justice now alas is seldome trad Said they The Lions might is law and right Where 's love or mercy now with that out strad A little dog his dames onely delight And ran near to their tails and bark'd with all his might 133 The surly irefull Onopolitan Without all mercy kickt with yron heel The little bawling curre that at him ran It made his feeble corse to th' earth to reel That was so pierc'd with the imprinted steel That it might grieve a heart of flinty stone No herbs no salves the breach could ever heal The good old wife did then keep house alone False hearted carles is this your great compassion 134 There 's no society in Behirah But beastlike grazing in one pasture ground No love but of the animated clay With beauties fading flowers trimly crown'd Or from strong sympathies heart-striking stound No order but what riches strength and wit Prescribe So bad the good eas'ly confound Is Hâ—â—â—esty in such unruly fit 〈…〉 â—eld in no rank they ' steem it not a whit 135 But I am weary of this uncouth place If any man their bad condition And brutish manners listeth for to trace We may them read in the creation Of this wide Sensible where every passion Of birds and beasts distinctly do display To but an ord'nary imagination The life and soul of them in Behirah This Behirah that hight the greater Adamah 136 The swelling hatefull Toad industrious Ant Lascivious Goat Parrot or prating Py The kingly Lion docil Elephant All-imitating Ape gay Butterfly The crafty Fox famous for subtilty Majestick Horse the beast that twixt two trees A fit resemblance of foul gluttonny When he hath fil'd his gorge himself doth squeeze To feed afresh Court Spaniels and politick Bees 137 With many more which I list
heart Still gnaws yet death doth never Tityus quell Sad Sisyphus a stone with toylsome smart Doth roul up hill but it transcends his art To get it to the top where it may lye On steddy Plain and never backward start His course is stopt by strong Infirmity His roul comes to this wall but then back it doth fly 24 Here fifty Sisters in a sieve do draw Thorough-siping water Tantalus is here Who though the glory of the Lord ore-flow The earth and doth incompasse him so near Yet waters he in waters doth requere Stoop Tantalus and take those waters in What strength of witchcraft thus blinds all yfere Twixt these two massie walls this hold of sinne Aye me who shall this Fort so strongly fenced win 25 I hear the clattering of an armed troup My ears do ring with the strong prancers heels My soul get up out of thy drowsie droop And look unto the everlasting Hills The hollow ground ah how my sense it fills With sound of solid horses hoofs A wonder It is to think how cold my spirit thrills With strange amaze Who can this strength dissunder Hark how the warlike Steeds do neigh their necks do thunder 26 All Milkwhite Steeds in trappings goodly gay On which in golden letters be ywrit These words even he that runs it readen may True righteousnesse unto the Lord of might O comely spectacle O glorious sight 'T would easily ravish the beholders eye To see such beasts so fair so full of spright All in due ranks to prance so gallantly Bearing their riders arm'd with perfect panoply 27 In perfect silver glistring panoply They ride the army of the highest God Ten thousands of his Saints approchen nie To judge the world and rule it with his rod. They leave all plain whereever they have trod Each Rider on his shield doth bear the Sun With golden shining beams dispread abroad The Sun of righteousnesse at high day noon By this same strength I ween this Fort is easily wonne 28 They that but hear thereof shall straight obey But the strange children shall false semblance make But all hypocrisie shall soon decay All wickednesse into that deadly lake All darknesse thither shall it self betake That false brood shall in their close places fade The glory of the Lord shall ne're forsake The earth again nor shall deaths dreadfull shade Return again Him praise that this great day hath made 29 This is the mighty warlick Michaels host That easily shall wade through that foul spue Which the false Dragon casts in every coast That the moon-trampling woman much doth rue His deadly spaul but no hurt doth accrew To this strong army from this filthy steam Nor horse nor man doth fear its lurid hew They safely both can swim in this foul stream This stream the Earth sups up cleft ope by Michaels beam 30 But whiles it beareth sway this poysons might Is to make sterill or prolong the birth To cause cold palsies and to dull the sight By sleepy sloth the melancholick earth It doth increase that hinders all good mirth Yet this dead liquor dull Pantheothen Before the nectar of the Gods preferr'th But it so weakens and disables men That they of manhood give no goodly specimen 31 Here one of us began to interpeal Old Mnemon Tharrhon that young ladkin hight He prayed this aged Sire for to reveal What way this Dragons poysonous despight And strong Pantheothens inwalling might We may escape Then Mnemon thus gan say Some strange devise I know each youthfull wight Would here expect or lofty brave assay But I 'll the simple truth in simple wise convey 32 Good Conscience kept with all the strength and mig That God already unto us hath given A presse pursuit of that foregoing light That egs us on ' cording to what we have liven And helps us on ' cording to what we have striven To shaken off the bonds of prejudice Nor dote too much of that we have first conceiven By hearty prayer to beg the sweet delice Of Gods all-loving spright such things I you advise 33 Can pity move the hearts of parents dear When that their haplesse child in heavie plight Doth grieve and moan whiles pinching tortures tear His fainting life and doth not that sad sight Of Gods own Sonne empassion his good spright With deeper sorrow The tender babe lies torn In us by cruell wounds from hostile might Is Gods own life of God himself forlorn Or was he to continuall pain of God yborn 34 Or will you say if this be Gods own Sonne Let him descend the Crosse for well we ween That he 'll not suffer him to be fordonne By wicked hand if Gods own Sonne he been But you have not those sacred mysteries seen True-crucifying Jews The weaker thing Is held in greot contempt in worldly eyen But time may come when deep impierced sting Shall prick your heart and it shall melt with sorrowing 35 Then you shall view him whom with cruell spear You had transfix'd true crucified Sonne Of the true God unto his Father dear And dear to you nought dearer under Sun Through this strong love and deep compassion How vastly God his Kingdome would enlarge You 'll easily see and how with strong iron He 'll quite subdue the utmost earthly verge O foolish men the heavens why do you fondly charge 36 Subtimidus when Tharrhon sped so well Took courage to himself and thus gan say To Mnemon Pray you Sir vouchsafe to tell What Autaparnes and Hypomone And Simon do this while in Dizoie With that his face shone like the rosie Morn With maiden blush from inward modesty Which wicked wights do holden in such scorn Sweet harmlesse Modesty a rose withouten thorn 37 Old Mnemon lov'd the Lad even from his face Which blamelesse blush with sanguin light had dyed His harmlesse lucid spright with flouring grace His outward form so seemly beautified So the old man him highly magnified For his so fit inquiry of those three And to his question thus anon replyed There 's small recourse till that Fort passed be To Simon Autaparnes or Hypomone 38 For all that space from Behirons high wall Unto Pantheothen none dares arise From his base dunghill warmth such Magicall Attraction his flagging soul down ties To his foul flesh mongst which alas there lyes A little spark of Gods vitality But smoreing filth so close it doth comprize That it cannot flame out nor get on high This Province hence is hight earth-groveling Aptery 39 But yet fair semblances these Apterites Do make of good and sighen very sore That God no stronger is False hypocrites You make no use of that great plenteous store Of Gods good strength which he doth on you pour But you fast friends of foul carnality And false to God his tender sonne do gore And plaud your selves if 't be not mortally Nor let you him live in ease nor let you him fairly dy 40 Like faithlesse wife that by her frampared guize Peevish
forc'd they backward thither 29 The rigid cold had forc'd into its centre This serpents life but when the rurall Swain Plac'd her upon warm hearth and heat did enter Into her nummed corps she gan to strain And stretch herself and her host entertain With scornfull hisse shooting her anchor'd tongue Threatning her venom'd teeth so straight again She prov'd a living snake when she along Her corse free life had drove from centre steddie strong 30 So doth the gentle warmth of solar heat Eas'ly awake the centre seminall That makes it softly streak on its own seat And fairly forward force its life internall That inward life 's th' impresse imaginall Of Natures Art which sweetly flowreth out From that is cleep'd the Sphere spermaticall For there is plac'd the never fading root Of every flower or herb that into th' air doth shoot 31 Fairly invited by Sols piercing ray And inward tickled with his chearing spright All plants break thorough into open day Rend the thick curtain of cold cloying night The earths opakents enemy to light And crown themselves in sign of victory With shining leaves and goodly blossomes bright Thus called out by friendly sympathy Their souls move of themselves on their Centreitie 32 But it's more plain in animalitie When fiery coursers strike the grassie ground With swift tempestuous feet that farre and nigh They fill mens ears with a broad thundring sound From hollow hoof so strongly it doth rebound What 's that that twitcheth up their legs so fast And fiercely jerks them forth that many wound They give to their own mother in their hast With eager steps they quickly mete the forrest wast 34 That outward form is but a neurospast The soul it is that on her subtile ray That she shoots out the limbs of moving beast Doth stretch straight forth so straightly as she may Bones joynts and sinews shap'd of stubborn clay Cannot so eas'ly lie in one straight line With her projected might much lesse obey Direct retractions of these beames fine Of force so straight retreat they ever must decline 35 But yet they follow in a course oblique With angular doublings as the joynts pormit So go they up together not unlike An iron candle-stick the smith hath fit With many junctures whom in studious fit Some scholar set awork but to return Lest what we aim'd at we unwares omit If souls of beasts their bodies move and turn And wield at phansies beck as we describ'd beforn 36 Then be the souls of beasts self-moving forms Bearing their bodies as themselves think meet Invited or provok'd so they transform At first themselves within then straight in sight Those motions come which suddenly do light Upon the bodies visible which move According to the will of th' inward spright In th' inward spright be anger hate and love Hence claws horns hoofs they use the pinching ill t' amove 37 Thus have I plainly prov'd that souls of beasts And plants do move themselves That souls of men Should be more stupid and farre lesse releast From matters bondage surely there 's none can Admit of though but slightly they do scan The cause But for to put all out of doubt Let 's take again the same way we have ran Break down all obstacles that hinder mought Our future course to make all plain all clear throughout 38 If there be no self-motion in mans soul That she nor this nor that way can propend Of her own self nor can no whit controll Nor will of her own self who can offend For no mans self if you do well perpend Guiltie's of ought when nought doth from him flow Whither do learning laws grave speeches tend Speaks the rude Carter to the wagon slow With threat'ning words or to the beasts that do it draw 39 Surely unto the beasts that eas'ly go For there 's the principle of motion Such principle as can it self foreslow Or forward presse by incitation Which though it mov'd by commination So stifly strives yet from it self it strives Bears it self forth with stout contention And ever and anon the whip revives That inward life so bravely on the Rustick drives 40 Again all that sweet labour would be lost That Gods good spirit takes in humane mind So oft we courted be so often cross'd But nor that tender amorous courtship kind Hath any place where we no place can find For a self-yielding love Or if self-will Be not in us how eas'ly were declin'd All crosses None could happen us untill How vvill I want and want no crosse passeth my skill 41 Besides when reason works with phantasie And changeable conceits we do contrive Purging and pruning with all industrie What 's dead or uselesse lesse demonstrative What 's dull or flaccid nought illustrative Quenching unfitted phantasmes in our brain And for our better choice new flames revive The busie soul thus doth her reason strain To write or speak what envious tongue may never stain 42 Or when quite heedlesse of this earthie world She lifts her self unto the azure skie And with those wheeling gyres around is hurld Turns in her self in a due distancie The cering Seven or a stretch'd line doth tie O' th' silver-bowed moon from horn to horn Or finds out Phoebus vast soliditie By his diametre measures the Morn Girds the swoln earth with linear list though earth she scorn 43 All this is done though bodie never move The soul about it self circumgyrates Her various forms and what she most doth love She oft before her self stabilitates She stifly stayes't and wistly contemplates Or lets it somewhat slowlier descend Down to the nether Night she temperates Her starrie orb makes her bright forms to wend Even as she list Anon she 'll all with darknesse blend 44 Thus variously she doth herself invest With rising forms and reasons all the way And by right reason doth her self devest Of falser fancies Who then can gainsay But she 's self-mov'd when she doth with self-sway Thus change herself as inward life doth feel If not then some inspiring sprights bewray Each reasoning Yet though to them we deal First motion yet our selves ought know what they reveal 45 But if nor of our selves we moved be At first without any invasion Of stirring forms that into energie Awake the soul nor after motion From its own centre by occasion Doth issue forth then it 's not conscious Of ought For so 't will want adversion But nothing can animadvert for us Therefore all humane souls be self-vivacious 46 Thus have I prov'd all souls have centrall motion Springing from their own selves But they 'll object ' Gainst th' universalnesse of this clear notion That whiles self-flowing sourse I here detect In plants in brutes in men I ought reject No soul from wished immortalitie But give them durance when they are resect From organized corporeitie Thus brutes and plants shall gain lasting eternitie 47 'T is true a never fading durancie Belongs to all hid principles of life But that full
messenger of woes That grieveth not himself Can they disclose That misery without impression Upon themselves Therefore one spirit goes Through all this bulk not by extension But by a totall Self-reduplication 34 Which neither body nor dispersed form Nor point of form dispersed e'r could do And bodies life or sprite for to transform Into our soul though that might this undo Yet to so rash conceit to yield unto Cannot be safe for if it propagate It 's self and 'ts passions yet they free may go Unmark'd if sense would not them contemplate So doth the Mundane sprite not heeded circulate 35 Besides if from that spirit naturall The nurse of plants you should dare to assert That lively inward Animadversall To springen out it would surely invert The order of the Orbs from whence do stert All severall beings and of them depend Therefore the Orb Phantastick must exert All life phantasticall sensitive send The life of sense so of the rest unto each end 36 There 's nought from its own self can senden forth Ought better then it self So nought gives sense That hath not sense it self nor greater worth Then sense nor sense nor better springs from thence Nor that which higher is can have essence Lesse active lesse reduplicate lesse free Lesse spiritall then that 's amov'd from hence And is an Orb of a more low degree Wherefore that centrall life hath more activitie 37 And present is in each part totally Of this her body Nor we ought diffide Although some creatures still alive we see To stirre and move when we have them divide And cut in twain Thus worms in sturdie pride Do wrigge and wrest their parts divorc'd by knife But we must know that Natures womb doth hide Innumerable treasures of all life And how to breaken out upon each hint they strive 38 So when the present actuall centrall life Of sense and motion is gone with one part To manage it strait for the due relief Of th' other particle there up doth start Another centrall life and tries her art But she cannot raigne long nor yet recure That deadly wound The plantall lifes depart And flitten or shrunk spright that did procure Her company being lost make her she 'll not endure 39 And so at last is gone from whence she came For soon did fade that sweet allurement The plantall life which for a while did flame With sympathetick fire but that being spent Straight she is flown Or may you this content That some impression of that very soul That 's gone if gone with plantall spirit meint The broken corse thus busily may roll Long 't is till water boild doth stranger heat controul 40 Thus have we prov'd ' cording to our insight That humane souls be not corporeall With reasons drawn from the sensitive might Nor bodies nor spread forms materiall Whether you substances list them to call Or qualities or point of these I 'll bring Hereafter proofs from power rationall In humane souls to prove the self same thing Mount up aloft my Muse and now more shrilly sing The Argument of PSYCHATHANASIA Or The Immortality of the Soul BOOK II. CANT III. The souls incorporeitie From powers rationall We prove Discern true pietie From bitternesse and gall 1 LIke Carpenter entred into a wood To cut down timber for some edifice Of stately structure whiles he casts abroad His curious eye he much perplexed is There stand in view so many goodly trees Where to make choice to enter his rugg'd saw My Muse is plung'd in like perplexities So many arguments themselves do show That where to pitch my wavering mind doth yet scarce know 2 One taller then the rest my circling eye Hath hit upon which if 't be sound at heart Will prove a goodly piece to raise on high The heavenly structure of that deemed part Of man his soul and by unerring art Set his foundation 'bove the bodies frame On his own wheels that he may thence depart Intire unhurt So doth the Scythian swain Drive his light moving house on the waste verdant Plain 3 I 'll sing of piety that now I mean That Trismegist thus wisely doth define Knowledge of God That 's piety I ween The highest of virtues a bright beam divine Which to the purer soul doth sweetly shine But what 's this beam and how doth it enlight What doth it teach It teacheth to decline Self-love and frampard wayes the hypocrite Doth trample in accloy'd with dirt and dismall night 4 Not rage nor mischief nor love of a sect Nor eating irefulnesse harsh cruelty Contracting Gods good will nor conscience checkt Or chok'd continually with impiety Fauster'd and fed with hid hypocrisie Nor tyranny against perplexed minds Nor forc'd conceit nor man-idolatry All which the eye of searching reason blinds And the souls heavenly flame in dungeon darknesse binds 5 Can warres and jarres and fierce contention Swoln hatred and consuming envie spring From piety No. 'T is opinion That makes the riven heavens with trumpets ring And thundring engine mur'drous balls out-sling And send mens groning ghosts to lower shade Of horrid hell This the wide world doth bring To devastation makes mankind to fade Such direfull things doth false Religion perswade 6 But true Religion sprong from God above Is like her fountain full of charity Embracing all things with a tender love Full of good will and meek expectancy Full of true justice and sure verity In heart and voice free large even infinite Not wedg'd in strait particularity But grasping all in her vast active spright Bright lamp of God! that men would joy in thy pure light 7 Can souls that be thus universalis'd Begot into the life of God e're dy His light is like the sun that doth arise Upon the just and unjust can they fly Into a nothing and hath God an eye To see himself thus wasted and decay In his true members can mortality Seize upon that that doth it self display Above the laws of matter or the bodies sway 8 For both the body and the bodies spright Doth things unto particulars confine Teaching them partiall friendship and fell spight But those pure souls full of the life divine Look upon all things with mild friendly eyne Ready to do them good Thus is their will Sweetly spread out and ever doth incline The bent of the first Goodnesse to fulfill Ay me that dreary death such lovely life should spill 9 Besides this largenesse in the will of man And winged freenesse now let 's think upon His understanding and how it doth scan Gods being unto whom religion Is consecrate Imagination That takes its rise from sense so high ascent Can never reach yet intellection Or higher gets or at least hath some sent Of God vaticinates or is parturient 10 For ask her whether God be this or that A body infinite or some mighty spright Yet not almighty such vain speech she 'll hate Whether all present or in some place pight Whether part here part there or
with equall distancy Till they have close clapt up all his explendency 15 All 's now in darknesse tell me what 's become Of that infinity of rayes that shone Where second centres from whence out did come Other faint beams what be they all quite flone All perish'd quite You stiflers now be gone Let fall that smoring mantle Do not straight All things return The nether world the Moon The Sun enlightens us The self same light Now shines that shone before this deep and dismall Night 16 If not the same Then like to flowing stream You deem the light that passeth still away New parts ever succeeding The Sun-beam Hath no reflexion then if it decay So fast as it comes forth Nor were there day For it would vanish 'fore it could arrive At us But in a moment Sol doth ray One end of his long shafts then we conceive At once both touch himself and down to us do dive 17 Beside this air is not the sustentation Of spreaden light for then as it did move The light would move And sturdy conflictation Of struggling winds when they have fiercely strove Phoebus fair golden locks would rudely move Out of their place and Eastern winds at morn Would make more glorious dayes while light is drove From that bright quarter Southern blasts do burn From midday sun but yet Northwinds like light have born 18 What then must be the channell of this river If we 'll have light to flow as passing stream So plain it is that Nature doth dissever The light and th' air that th' air the Suns bright beams Doth not uphold as the warmth of his gleams Or heat that lodgeth there From this firm might Nought leaning on the Air well may we't deem Some subtile body or some grosser spright Depending of fair Phoebus of no other wight 19 And when these rayes were forced to retire Into their fountain they were not so gone But that the same sprong out from the first fire So fine spun glittering silk crumpled in one Changeth not 'ts individuation From what it was when it was gaily spread In fluttering winds to th' admiration Of the beholder Thus is nought so dead But God can it restore to its old livelyhed 20 For all the creature 's but the out gone-rayes Of a free sunne and what I meaned most Of him alone depend He deads their blaze By calling in his breath Though things be tost And strangely chang'd yet nought at all is lost Unlesse he list Nor then so lost but he Can them return In every thing compost Each part of th' essence its centreity Keeps to it self it shrinks not to a nullity 21 When that compounded nature is dissolv'd Each centre 's safe as safe as second light Or drove into the Sun or thence out-rol'd So all depend on th' Universall spright From hight to depth as they are ranked right In their due orders Lises full pregnancy Breaks out when friendly sympathy doth smite The higher rank the higher energie From natures lowly lap to Gods sublimity 22 But well may man be call'd the epitome Of all things Therefore no low life him made The Highest holds all in His capacity Therefore mans soul from Gods own life outray'd His outgone Centre 's on that centre staid What disadvantage then can the decay Of this poore carcase do when it doth fade The soul no more depends on this frail clay Then on our eye depends bright Phoebus glist'ring ray 23 But in this argument we 'll no longer stay Consider now the souls conversion Into her self Nought divisible may Close with it self by revolution For then or part in this reflection Is drove into a part or part to th' whole Or whole to part or near compression The whole into the whole doth closely roll But easily all these wayes right reason will controll 24 If part turn into part part into whole Whole into part the thing doth not convert Into it self the thing it self is all Not part of 't self if all to all revert Each part then into each part is insert But tell me then how is their quantity If every part with each part is refert Thus swallowed up they 'l have no distancy So you destroy suppos'd divisibility 25 Wherefore that thing is individuous What ever can into it self reflect Such is the soul as hath been prov'd by us Before and further now we do detect By her foure wheels The first hight Intellect Wherewith she drives into her Nature deep And finds it out next Will this doth affect Her self found out Her self then out doth peep Into these acts she into both doth eas'ly creep 26 But this conversion's from the body free Bâ—gins not thence nor thither doth return Nor is the soul worse then her energie If in her acts she be far higher born Then they should ' pend on this base corse forlorn Then also she haâ—h no dependency Upon this body but may safely scorn That low condition of servility And blame all that averre that false necessity 27 If she should issue from this nether spring Nearer she kept to her Originall She were the stronger and her works would bring To more perfection but alas they fall They fail by near approch The best of all Wax weak and faint by too close union With this foul fount Might intellectuall Grows misty by this strait conjunction The will is woxen weak its vigour quite is gone 28 But O! how oft when she her self doth cut From nearer commerce with the low delight Of things corporeall and her eyes doth shut To those false fading lights she feels her spright Fill'd with excessive pleasure such a plight She finds that it doth fully satisfie Her thirsty life Then reason shines out bright And holy love with mild serenity Doth hug her harmlesse self in this her purity 29 What grave monitions and sure prophesie Have men in sicknesse left a true testation Of the souls utter independency On this poore crasie corse May that narration Of Aristotles move easie perswasion Of his Endemus to whom sick at Phere While sleep his senses bound this revelation A gentle youth did bring with goodly chear And jolly blith deportment chasing needlesse fear 30 Told him that sicknesse would not mortall prove He should grow well er'e long but deaths drad power On that towns tyrant should be shortly drove Swift vengeance on his cursed head should showr Both proved true I could in plenty poure Such like examples as of Pherecyde Calanus him of Rhodes and others more But it is needlesse 't is a truth well tried The higher works the soul the more she is untied 31 Then quite set loose from this her heavy chain Shee is in happiest plight so far she is From being nought or perishing Again We find such utter contrarieties Betwixt the bodies and her qualities That we can no wayes think she pends at all Of that with which she has such repugnancies What thing doth fight with its Originall The spring and
that '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 OR The Immortality of the Soul Book 3. Cant. 4. Justice true faith in the first good Our best perswasion Of blest eternity unmov'd The 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 what highest thoughts of man desire But highest thoughts of man are vain and wrong In outward heaven we burn with hellish fire Hats envie couetise revenge lust pride and ire 2 In the eighth sphear Andromeda from chains Is not releast fearfull Orion flies The dreadfull Scorpion Alas what gains Then is 't to live in the bright starry skies It no man can exeem from miseries All you that seek for true felicity Rend your own hearts There God himself descries Himself there dwels his beautious Majesty There shines the sun of righteousnesse in goodly glee 3 And you who boldly all Gods providence Confine to this small ball that Tellus hight And dream not of a mutuall influence And how that she may shine with beames bright 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 run 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 Is this that as your selves monopolize All the whole world so your selves back again You wholly 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 th' Universe for ' tâ—s 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 envie 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 sympathy This all things friendly will concatenate But let more hardy wits that truth determinate 8 It me behoves t' hold forward on my way Leaving this uncouth strange Philosophy In which my lightsome pen too long did play As rigid men in sad seuerity May deem but we right carelesse leave that free Unto their censure Now more weighty thought Doth sway our mind thinking how all doth flee Whatever we have painfully ytaught So little fruits remain of all my skill hath wraught 9 O th'emptinesse of vain Philosophy When thin-spun reason and exile discourse Make the soul creep through a strait Theory Whither the blunter mind can never force Her self yet oft alas the case is worse Of this so subtile wight when dangers deep Approch his life then his who learnings sourse Did never drink of nere his lips did steep In Plato's springs nor with low gown the dust did sweep 10 Certes such knowledge is a vanity And hath no strength t' abide a stormy stour Such thin slight clothing will not keep us dry When the grim heavens all black and sadly soure With rage and tempest plenteously down shower Great flouds of rain Dispread exility Of slyer reasons fails Some greater power Found in a lively vigorous Unity With God must free the soul from this perplexity 11 Say now the dagger touch'd thy trembling breast Couldst thou recall the reasons I have shown To prove th' immortall state of men deceast Evolved reason cannot stand at one Stoutly to guard thy soul from passion They passe successively like sand i' th' glasse While thou look'st upon this the other's gone But there 's a plight of soul such virtue has Which reasons weak assistance strangely doth surpasse 12 The just and constant man a multitude Set upon mischief cannot him constrain To do amisse by all their uprores rude Not for a tyrants threat will he ere stain His inward honour The rough Adrian Tost with unquiet winds doth nothing move His steddy heart Much pleasure he doth gain To see the glory of his Master Jove When his drad darts with hurrying light through all do rove 13 If Heaven and Earth should rush with a great noise he fearlesse stands he knows whom he doth trust Is confident of his souls after joyes Though this vain bulk were grinded into dust Strange strength resideth in the soul that 's just She feels her power how 't commands the sprite Of the low man vigorously finds she must Be independent of such feeble might Whose motions dare not 'pear before her awfull fight 14 But yet my Muse still take an higher flight Sing of Platonick Faith in the first Good That Faith that doth our souls to God unite So strongly tightly that the rapid floud Of this swift flux of things nor with foul mud Can stain nor strike us off from th' unity Wherein we stedfast stand unshak'd unmov'd Engrafted by a deep vitality The prop and stay of things is Gods benignity 15 Al 's is the rule of his Oeconomie No other cause the creature brought to light But the first Goods pregnant fecundity He to himself is perfect full delight He wanteth nought with his own beams bedight He glory has enough O blasphemy That envy gives to God or soure despight Harsh hearts that feign in God a tyranny Under pretense t' encrease his sovereign Majesty 16 When nothing can to Gods own self accrew Who 's infinitely happy sure the end Of this creation simply was to shew His flowing goodnesse which he doth out send Not for himself for nought can him amend But to his creature doth his good impart This infinite Good through all the world doth wend To fill with heavenly blisse each willing heart So the free Sunne doth ' light and ' liven every part
obscure the weaker or further off and how that one being removed the energie of the other will easily appear Now that our comparison may be the fitter let us consider what Aristotle saith of phansie that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus much I will take of him that Phansie is sense and adde to it that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and what I have intimated in some passages of these Poems that the soul doth alwayes feel it self it s own actuall Idea by its omniform centrall self So that the immediate sense of the soul is nothing else but to perceive its own energie Now sith that that which we call outward sense is indeed the very energie of the soul and inward sense which is phansie can be no other there seems to be no reall and intrinsecall difference betwixt the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of any form no more then there is betwixt a frog born by the Sunne and mere slime and one born by copulation For these are but extrinsecall relations Wherefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the soul it self is all one But now sith it is the same nature why is not there the same degrees in both I say there is as appears plainly in sleep where we find all as clear and energeticall as when we wake But here these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for I have prov'd them all one do as greater and lesser lights dim one another or that which is nearest worketh strongliest Hence it is that the light or life of this low spirit or body of ours stirring up the soul into a perpetuall senfuall energie if we foster this and unite our minds will and animadversion with it will by its close nearenesse with the soul dim and obscure those more subtil and exile phantasms or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 risen from the soul it self or occasioned by other mens writings For they will be in the flaring light or life of the body as the starres in the beams of the Sunne scarce to be seen unlesse we withdraw our selves out of the flush vigour of that light into the profundity of our own souls as into some deep pit Wherefore men of the most tam'd and castigate spirits are of the best and most profound judgement because they can so easily withdraw themselves from the life and impulse of the lower spirit of this body Thus being quit of passion they have upon any occasion a clear though still and quiet representation of every thing in their minds upon which pure bright sydereall phantasms unprejudiced reason may safely work and clearly discern what is true or probable If my writings fall into the hands of men otherwise qualified I shall gain the lesse approbation But if they will endeavour to compose themselves as near as they can to this temper though they were of another opinion then what my writings intend to prove I doubt not but they will have the happinesse to be overcome and to prove gainers by my victory To say any thing more particularly concerning these last I hold it needlesse Onely let me excuse my self if any chance to blame me for my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as confuting that which no man will assert For it hath been asserted by some as those Mauri whom Ficinus speaks of and the question is also discussed by Plotinus in his fourth Ennead where he distinguisheth of all souls being one after this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The latter member is that which my arguments conclude against though they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet were we safe enough as safe as the beams of the Sun the Sun existing But the similitude of Praxiteles broken glasse is brought in according to the apprehension of such as make the image to vanish into nothing the glasse being taken away and that as there is but one face though there be the appearances of many so though there be the appearances of many souls by reason of that ones working in divers bodies yet there is but one soul and understanding sense and motion to be the acts of this one soul informing severall bodies This is that which both Plotinus and I endeavour to destroy which is of great moment For if one onely soul act in every body what ever we are now surely this body laid in the dust we shall be nothing As for the Oracles answer to Amelius if any vulgar conceited man think it came from a devil with Bats wings and a long tail the Seventies translation of the eight verse of the 32. chapter of Deuteronomy may make it at least doubtfull When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance when he separated the sonnes of Adam he set the bounds of the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He did not then deliver them into the hand and jurisdiction of devils nor to be instructed and taught by them But if Apollo who gave so good a testimony of Socrates while he was living and of Plotinus after his death was some foul fiend yet t is no prejudice to their esteem since our Saviour Christ was acknowledged by the devil But I have broke my word by not breaking off before this Reader t is time now to leave thee to the perusall of my writings which if they chance to please thee I repent me not of my pains if they chance not to please that shall not displease me much for I consider that I also with small content and pleasure have read the writings of other men Yours H. M. The Argument of ANTIPSYCHOPANNYCHIA Or The confutation of the sleep of the Soul CANT I. Adams long sleep will mind compar'd With low vitality The fondnesse plainly have unbar'd Of Psychopannychie 1 THe souls ever durancy I sung before Ystruck with mighty rage A powerfull fire Held up my lively Muse and made her soar So high that mortall wit I fear she 'll tire To trace her Then a while I did respire But now my beating veins new force again Invades and holy fury doth inspire Thus stirred up I 'll adde a second strain Lest what afore was said may seem all spoke in vain 2 For sure in vain do humane souls exist After this life if lull'd in listlesse sleep They senselesse lie wrapt in eternal mist bound up in foggy clouds that ever weep Benumming tears and the souls centre steep With deading liquour that she never minds Or feeleth ought Thus drench'd in Lethe deep Nor misseth she her self nor seeks nor finds Her self This mirksome state all the souls actions binds 3 Desire fear love joy sorrow pleasure pain Sense phancy wit forecasting providence Delight in God and what with sleepy brain Might sute slight dreams all banish'd farre from hence Nor pricking nor applauding conscience Can wake the soul from this dull Lethargie That 'twixt this sleepy state small difference You 'll
find and that men call Mortality Plain death 's as good as such a Psychopannychie 4 What profiteth this bare existency If I perceive not that I do exist Nought longs to such nor mirth nor misery Such stupid beings write into one list With stocks and stones But they do not persist You 'll say in this dull dead condition But must revive shake off this drowsie mist At that last shrill loud-sounding clarion Which cleaves the trembling earth rives monuments of stone 5 Has then old Adam snorted all this time Under some senselesse sod with sleep ydead And have those flames that steep Olympus climbe Right nimbly wheeled or'e his heedlesse head So oft in heaps of years low buried And yet can ken himself when he shall rise Wakend by piercing trump that farre doth shed Its searching sound If we our memories And wit do lose by sicknesse falls sloth lethargies 6 If all our childhood quite be waste away With its impressions so that we forget What once we were so soon as age doth sway Our bowed backs sure when base worms have eat His mouldring brains and spirits have retreat From whence they came spread in the common fire And many thousand sloping sunnes have set Since his last fall into his ancient mire How he will ken himself reason may well admire 7 For he must know himself by some impression Left in his ancient body unwash'd out Which seemeth strange For can so long succession Of sliding years that great Colosses mought Well moulder into dust spare things ywrought So slightly as light phantasms in our brain Which oft one yeare or moneth have wrenched out And left no footsteps of that former stain No more then 's of a cloud quite melted into rain 8 And shall not such long series of time When Nature hath dispread our vitall spright And turn'd our body to its ancient slime Quite wash away what ever was empight In that our spirit If flesh and soul unite Lose such impressions as were once deep seald And fairly glistered like to comets bright In our blew Chaos if the soul congeald With her own body lose these forms as I reveald 9 Then so long time of their disjunction The body being into dust confract The spright diffus'd spread by dispersion And such Lethean sleep that doth contract The souls hid rayes that it did nothing act Must certainly wipe all these forms away That sense or phansie ever had impact So that old Adam will in vain assay To find who here he was he 'll have no memorie 10 Nor can he tell that ere he was before And if not tell he 's as if then first born If as first born his former life's no store Yet when men wake they find themselves at morn But if their memory away were worn With one nights sleep as much as doth respect Themselves these men they never were beforn This day 's their birth day they cannot conject They ever liv'd till now much lesse the same detect 11 So when a man goes hence thus may he say As much as me concerns I die now quite Adiew good self for now thou goest away Nor can I possibly thee ever meet Again nor ken thy face nor kindly greet Sleep and dispersion spoyls our memory So my dear self henceforth I cannot weet Wherefore to me it 's perfectly to die Though subtiler Wits do call 't but Psychopannychie 12 Go now you Psychopannychites perswade To comely virtues and pure piety From hope of ioy or fear of penance sad Men promptly may make answer Who shall try That pain or pleasure When death my dim eye Shall close I sleep not sensible of ought And tract of time at least all memory Will quiâ—e debarre that reacquainten mought My self with mine own self if so my self I sought 13 But I shall neither seek my self nor find My self unsought Therefore not deprehend My self in joy or wo. Men ought to mind What longs unto them But when once an end Is put unto this life and fate doth rend Our retinence what follows nought at all Belongs to us what need I to contend And my frail spright with present pain to gall For what I nere shall judge my self did ere befall 14 This is the uncouth state of sleeping soul Thus weak of her own self without the prop Of the base body that she no'te out-roll Her vitall raies those raies Death down doth lop And all her goodly beauty quite doth crop With his black claws Wisdome love piety Are straight dried up Death doth their fountain stop This is those sleepers dull Philosophy Which fairly men invites to foul impiety 15 But if we grant which in my former song I plainly prov'd that the souls energie Pends not on this base corse but that self-strong She by her self can work then when we fly The bodies commerce no man can deny But that there is no interruption Of life where will puts on there doth she hie Or if she 's carried by coaction That force yet she observes by presse adversion 16 And with most lively touch doth feel and find Her self For either what she most doth love She then obtains or else with crosse unkind Contrary life since her decease sh ' hath strove That keeps her wake and with like might doth move To think upon her self and in what plight She 's fallen And nothing able to remove Deep searching vengeance groans in this sad Night And rores and raves and storms and with her self doth fight 17 But hearty love of that great vitall spright The sacred fount of holy sympathy Prepares the soul with its deep quickning might To leave the bodies vain mortality Away she flies into Eternity Finds full accomplishment of her desire Each thing would reach its own centrality So Earth with Earth and Moon with Moon conspire Our selves live most when most we feed our Centrall fire 18 Thus is the soul continually in life Withouten interruption if that she Can operate after the fatall knife Hath cut the cords of lower sympathy Which she can do if that some energie She exercise immur'd in this base clay Which on frail flesh hath no dependency For then the like she 'll do that done away These independent acts t is time now to display 19 All comprehending Will proportionate To whatsoever shall fall by Gods decree Or prudent sufferance sweetly spread dilate Stretch'd out t' embrace each act or entity That creep from hidden cause that none can see With outward eyes Next Intellect whose hight Of working 's then when as it stands most free From sense and grosser phansie deep empight In this vild corse which to purg'd minds yields small delight 20 Both Will and Intellect then worketh best When Sense and Appetite be consopite And grosser phansie lull'd in silent rest Then Will grown full with a mild heavenly light Shines forth with goodly mentall rayes bedight And finds and feels such things as never pen Can setten down so that unexpert wight May reade and
corpse doth rot the spirit wide is spread And with the Mundane life fallen into one So then the soul from these quite being fled Unmov'd of ought must lie sunk in deep drowsihead 18 Nought then she hath whereon to contemplate Her ancient phantasms melt and glide away Her spright suck'd back by all-devouring fate And spread abroad those forms must needs decay That were therein imprinted If they stay Yet sith the soul from them is disunite Into her knowledge they can never ray So wants she objects the mind to excite Wherefore asleep she lies wrapt in eternall Night 19 To which I answer though she corporate With no world yet by a just Nemesis Kept off from all yet she thus separate May oft be struck with potent rayes transmisse From divers worlds that with such mockeries Kindling an hungry fire and eager will They do the wretched soul but Tantalize And with fierce choking flames and fury fill So vext that if she could in rage herself she 'd kill 20 If any doubt of this perplexitie And think so subtil thing can suffer nought What 's gnawing conscience from impietie By highest parts of humane soul ywrought For so our very soul with pain is fraught The body being in an easie plight Through all the senses when you 've pressly sought In none of them you 'll find this sting empight So may we deem this dart the soul it self to hit 21 Again when all the senses be ybound In sluggish sloth the soul doth oft create So mighty pain so cruelly doth wound Herself with tearing tortures as that state No man awake could ever tolerate Which must be in herself for once return'd Unto her body new resuscitate From sleep remembring well how erst she mourn'd Marvels how all so soon to peace and ease is turn'd 22 Wherefore the soul it self receiveth pain From her own self withouten sympathie With something else whose misery must constrain To deep compassion So if struck she be VVith secret ray or some strong energie Of any world or Lives that there remain She 's kept awake Besides fecunditie Of her own nature surely doth contain Innate Idees This truth more fully I 'll explain 23 Strong forward bearing will or appetite A never wearied importunitie Is the first life of this deep centrall spright Thus thrusts she forth before her some Idee Whereby herself now actuall she doth see Her mighty Fiat doth command each form T' appear As did that ancient Majestie This world of old by his drad VVord efform And made the soul of man thus divine Deiform 24 Thus in a manner th' humane soul creates The image of her will when from her centre Her pregnant mind she fairly explicates By actuall forms and so doth safely enter To knowledge of her self Flush light she sendeth forth and live Idee's Those be the glasse whereby the soul doth paint her Sweet centrall love sends out such forms as please But centrall hate or fear foul shapes with evil ease 25 The manner of her life on earth may cause Diversity of those cruptions For will desire or custome do dispose The soul to such like figurations Propension brings imaginations Unto their birth And oft the soul le ts flie Such unexpected eructations That she her self cannot devisen why Unlesse she do ascribe it to her pregnancy 26 It is an argument of her forms innate Which blazen out perchance when none descry This light is lost sense doth so radiate With Mundane life till this poor carcase die As when a lamp that men do sitten by In some wide hall in a clear winter night Being blown out or wasted utterly Unwares they find a sly still silver light The moon the wall or pavement with mild rayes hath dight 27 So when the oyl of this low life is spent Which like a burning lamp doth waste away Or if blown out by fate more violent The soul may find an unexpected ray Of light not from full faced Cynthia But her own fulnesse and quick pregnancy Unthought of life her Nature may display Unto her self not by forc'd industry But naturally it sprouts from her fecundity 28 Now sith adversion is a property So deeply essentiall to the rationall soul This light or life from her doth not so fly But she goes with it as it out doth roll All spirits that around their raies extoll Possesse each point of their circumference Presentially Wherefore the soul so full Of life when it raies out with presse presence Oretakes each outgone beam apprends it by advertence 29 Thus plainly we perceive th' activity 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 defin'd Yet some few reasons I will venture at To show that God's so liberall and kind As when as 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 hear each soaming diapase 32 But if she know those species out sent 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 th' 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 't 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
fogs yclad in clay A precious drop sunk from Aeternitie Spilt on the ground or rather slunk away For then we fell when we gan first t' assay By stealth of our own selves something to been Uncentring our selves from our great stay Which fondly we new liberty did ween And from that prank right jolly wights our selves did deem 4 For then forthwith some thing beside our God We did conceive our parted selves to be And loosened first from that simple Good Then from great Aeon then from Plyche free We after fell into low phantasie And after that into corporeall sense And after sense embarkd as in a tree First sown in earthly slime then sprung from thence A fading life we lead in deadly influence 5 Thus groaping after our own Centres near And proper substance we grew dark contract Swallow'd up of earthly life ne what we were Of old through ignorance can we detect Like noble babe by fate or friends neglect Left to the care of sorry salvage wight Grown up to manly years cannot conject His own true parentage nor read aright What Father him begot what womb him brought to light 6 So we as stranger Infants elsewhere born Can not divine from what spring we did flow Ne dare these base alliances to scorn Nor lift our selves a whit from hence below Ne strive our Parentage again to know Ne dream we once of any other stock Since foster'd upon Rheas knees we grow In Satyres arms with many a mow and mock Oft danc'd and hairy Pan our cradle oft hath rock'd 7 But Pan nor Rhea be our Parentage We been the Of-spring of all-seeing Jove Though now whether through our own miscariage Or secret force of fate that all doth move We be cast low for why the sportfull love Of our great Maker like as mothers dear In pleasance from them do their children shove That back again they may recoyl more near Shoves of our souls a while the more them to endear 8 Or whether Justice and due Equity Expects the truth of our affection And therefore sets us 'twixt the Deitie And the created world that thereupon We may with a free resignation Give up our selves to him deserves us best That love is none that 's by coaction Hence he our souls from his own self releast And left us free to follow what the most us pleas'd 9 And for this purpose did enrich our choice By framing of the outward Universe The framing of this world a meet devise Whereby Gods wisedome thorough all may pierce From hight to depth In depth is vengeance fierce Whereby transgressing souls are sorely scourged And back again are forced to reverse By Nemesis deep-biting whips well urged And in sad sorrows bath well drench'd and soundly purged 10 Thus nothing's lost of Gods fecundity But stretching out himself in all degrees His wisedome goodnesse and due equity Are rightly rank'd in all the soul them sees O holy lamps of God! O sacred eyes Filled with love and wonder every where Ye wandring tapers to whom God descryes His secret paths great Psyches darlings dear Behold her works but see your hearts close not too near 11 But they so soon as vitall Orbs were made That rolled round about each starry fire Forth-with pursue and strive them to invade Like evening flies that busily conspire Following a Jade that travail long doth tire To seize his nodding head and suck his sweat But they suck'd in into the vitall mire First died and then again reviv'd by heat Did people all the Orbs by this audacious feat 12 But infinite Myriads undipt as yet Did still attend each vitall moveing sphear And wait their turnes for generation fit In airy bodies wafted here and there As sight and sympathy away did bear These corporate with bloud but the first flight Of fallen souls ymeint with slimy gear Rose from their earth breaking their filmes slight As Storyes say Nile living shapes sends forth to sight 13 Here their third chariot cleep'd terrestiall Great Psyches brood did enter for before They rode more light first in coelestiall Or fiery chariots wherein with Uranore The care and thought of all the world they bore This is the Orb of pure quick life and sense Which the thrice mighty Mercury of yore Ascending held with Angels conference And of their comely shapes had perfect cognoscence 14 In this the famous Tyanean swain Lifted above the deadly charming might Of the dull Carkasse could discover plain From seven-hill'd Rome with speedy piercing fight What they in Egypt did as Stories write This is that nimble quick vivacious Orb All ear all eye with rayes round shining bright Sphear of pure sense which noe perpessions curb Nor uncouth shapen Spectres ever can disturb 15 Next this is that light Vehicle of air Where likewise all sense is in each part pight This is more grosse subject to grief and fear And most what soil'd with bodily delight Sometimes with vengeance envie anger spight This Orb is ever passive in sensation But the third wagon of the soul that hight The terrene Vehicle beside this passion Hath organized sense distinct by limitation 16 These last be but the souls live sepulchres Where least of all she acts but afterward Rose from this tomb she free and lively fares And upward goes if she be not debar'd By Adrastias law nor strength empar'd By too long bondage in this Cave below The purged souls ascent nought may retard But earthly mindednesse may eath foreslow Their flight then near the ground in airy weeds they go 17 Awak'd to life more ample then before If they their fortune good could then pursue But sith unwillingly they were ytore From their dear carkasses their fate they rue And terrene thoughts their troubled minds embue So that in languishment they linger near Their wonted homes and oft themselves they shew Sometimes on purpose sometimes unaware That wak'd by hasty call they streightway disappear 18 For men that wont to wander in their sleep By the fixt light of inward phantasie Though a short fit of death fast bounden keep Their outward sense and all their Organes tye Yet forth they fare steared right steddily By that internall guide even so the ghosts Of men deceas'd bedewed with the sky And nights cold influence in sleep yelos'd Awake within and walk in their forewonted coast 19 In shape they walk much like to what they bore Upon the earth For that light Orb of air Which they inact must yielden evermore To phansies beck so when the souls appear To their own selves alive as once they were So cloath'd and conversant in such a place The inward eyes of phansie thither stear Their gliding vehicle that bears the face Of him that liv'd that men may reade what â—ight it was 20 And often ask'd what would they they descry Some secret wealth or hidden injury That first they broach that overoâ—â— doth ly Within their minds but vanish suddenly Disturb'd by bold mans importunity But those that on
set purpose do appear To holden talk with frail mortality Make longer stay So that there is no fear That when we leave this earthly husk we perish clear 21 Or what is like to perfect perishing That inert deadlinesse our souls shall seize That neither sense nor phansies fountains spring But ever close in dull unactive ease For though that Death our spirits doth release From this distinguish'd organizate sense Yet we may hear and see what where we please And walk at large when we are gone from hence And with both men and ghosts hold friendly conference 22 And all in virtue of that airy Waine In which we ride when that of earth is gone Unlesse no terrene tinctures do us stein For then forthwith to heaven we be yflone In our swift fiery chariot thither drawn But least men deem me airy notions feigne All stories this sure truth do seem to own Wherefore my Muse some few do not disdain Of many to relate more firm assent to gain 23 But first lay out the treasures of the Air That immense womb from whence all bodies spring And then the force of Phantasie declare Of Witches wonnes a while then maist thou sing Their Stygian rites and nightly revelling Then to the wished port to draw more near Al 's tell of the untimely wandering Of the sad ghosts of men that oft appear All which to the hard search of truth joynt light do bear 24 Shew fitly how the praeexistent soul Inacts and enters bodies here below And then entire unhurt can leave this moul And thence her airy Vehicle can draw In which by sense and motion they may know Better then we what things transacted be Upon the Earth and when they list may show Themselves to friend or foe their phantasie Moulding their airy Orb to grosse consistency 25 For sooth to sayn all things of Air consist And easly back again return to air Witnesse the carkases of man and beast Which wast though teeth of Wolves them never tear Nor Crow nor Vulture do their flesh empare Yet all is wast and gone no reliques seen Of former shape saving the bones bare And the bare bones by Time and Art I ween First into liquour melt to air ychanged been 26 Besides experience doth maken plain How clouds be but the crudling of the air Take a round glasse let 't nought but air contain Close it with Hermes seal then cover it over With cinders warm onely the top discover The gentle fire hard at the bottome pight Thins the low air which got above doth hover Like a white fume embodying in the hight â—ith cooler parts then turns to drops all crystall bright 27 Not much unlike to the experiment That learned Leech professes to have seen Amongst the Alps where the wind violent Hammered out clouds with his strong blustring keen ' Gainst a steep rock which streight themselves did teem Upon the Earth and wet the verdant Plain Dissolved by the sight of Phoebus sheen But sometimes clouds afford not onely rain But bloud stones milk corn frogs fire earth and all contain 28 Wherefore all bodies be of air compos'd Great Natures all-complying Mercury Unto ten thousand shapes and forms dispos'd Like nimble quick-silver that doth agree With gold with brasse or with what ere it be Amalgamate but brought unto the fire Into an airy fume it all doth flie Though you before might turn to earth and mire What into ancient air so quickly doth retire 29 Wherefore the soul possest of matter meet If she hath power to operate thereon Can eath transform this Vehicle to sight Dight with due colour figuration Can speak can walk and then dispear anon Spreading her self in the dispersed air Then if she please recall again what 's gone Those th' uncouth mysteries of phansie are Then thunder farre more strong more quick then lightning faâ— 30 Some heavings toward this strange activity We may observe even in this mortall state Here health and sicknesse of the phantasie Often proceed which working minds create And pox and pestilence do malleate Their thoughts still beating on those objects ill Which doth the mastered bloud contaminate And with foul poysonous impressions fill And last the precious life with deadly dolour kill 31 And if 't be true that learned Clerks do sayen His phantasie whom a mad dog hath bit With shapes of dogs doth all his Urine stain Women with child if in their longing fit They be differ'd their eager appetite So sharply edges the quick phantasie That it the Signature doth carve and write Of what she long'd for on the Infants body Imprinting it so plain that all the world may see 32 Those streaked rods plac'd by that Syrian swain Before the sheep when they receiv'd the ramme Whence the best part of Labans flock became All spotted or'e whereby his shepheard wan The greater wages show what phansie can And boyes ore night when they went to their rest By dreams grown up to th' stature of a man And bony shapes in mens sad hearts exprest Dear image of their love and wrought by loves unrest 33 Things farre more wonderfull then Cippus horn Who in the field with so much earnestnesse Viewing the fight of bulls rose in the Morn VVith forked front for though the fight did cease Amongst th' enraged heards yet ne're the lesse His working phansie did the war revive Which on the bloud did make so strong impresse In dewy sleep that humours did arrive His knobby head and a fair pair of horns contrive 34 All these declare the force of phantasie Though working here upon this stubborn clay But th' airy Vehicle yields more easily Unto her beck more nimbly doth obey Which truth the joynt confessions bewray Of damned Hags and Masters of bold skill Whose hellish mysteries fully to display With pitchy darknesse would the Heavens fill The earth would grone trees sigh and horrour all ore spill 35 But he that out of darknesse giveth light He guide my steps in this so uncouth way And ill done deeds by children of the Night Convert to good while I shall thence assay The noble souls conditions ope to lay And show her empyre on her ayry sphear By what of sprights and specters Stories say For sprights and spectres that by night appear Be or all one with souls or of a nature near 36 Up then renowned Wizard Hermite sage That twice ten years didst in the desert wonne Convers'dst with sprights in thy hid Hermitage Since thou of mortals didst the commerce shun Well seen in these bad arts that have foredone Many a bold wit Up Marcus tell again That story of thy Thrax who has thee wonne To Christian faith the guise and haunts explain Of all air-trampling ghosts that in the world remain 37 There be six sorts of sprights Lelurion Is the first kind the next are nam'd from Air The first a loft yet farre beneath the Moon The other in this lower region fare The third Terrestriall the fourth Watery are The fift
be Subterranean the last And worst Light-hating ghosts more cruel farre Then Bear or Wolf with hunger hard opprest But doltish yet and dull like an unweildy beast 38 If this sort once possesse the arteries Of forlorn man Madnesse and stupor seize His salvag'd heart and death dwels in his eyes Ne is there remedy for this sad disease For that unworthy guest so senselesse is And deaf no Exorcist can make him hear But would in vain with Magick words chastise Others the thundring threats of Tartar fear And the drad names of Angels that this office bear 39 For they been all subject to passion Some been so grosse they hunger after food And send out seed of which worms spring anon And love to liggen warm in living bloud Whence they into the veins do often crowd Of beasts as well as men wherein they bathe Themselves and sponge-like suck that vitall flood As they done also in their aery path Drink in each unctuous steam which their dire thirst allayth 40 Such be the four last kinds foul dull impure Whose inward life and phansy's more inert And therefore usually in one shape endure But those of aire can easily convert Into new forms and then again revert One while a man after a comely maid And then all suddenly to make the stert Like leaping Leopard he 'll thee invade Then made a man again he 'll comfort thee afraid 41 Then straight more quick then thought or cast of eye A snarling Dog or brisled Boar he 'll be Anon a jugge of milk if thou be drie So easily's turnd that aire-consistency Through inward sport and power of phantasie For all things virtually are containd in aire And like the sunne that fiery spirit free Th' internall soul at once the seed doth rear Waken and ripe at once as if full ag'd they were 42 Cameleon like thus they their colour change And size contract and then dilate again Like the soft earthworm hurt by heedlesse chance Shrinks in her self to shun or ease her pain Nor done they onely thus themselves constrain Into lesse bulk but if with courage bold And flaming brond thou strike these shades in twain A sudden smart they feel that cannot hold Close quick as cloven aire So sang that Wizzard old 43 And truth he said what ever he was told As even this present Age may verifie If any lists its stories to unfold Of Hags of Hobgoblings of Incubi Abhorred dugs by devils sucken dry Of leaping lamps and of fierce flying stones Of living wool and such like witchery Or prov'd by sight or self confessions Which things much credence gain to past traditions 44 Wherefore with boldnesse we will now relate Some few in breif as of th' Astorgan lad Whose peevish mother in fell ire and hate Quite drunk with passion through quick cholar mad With execrations bold the devil bad Take him alive which mood the boy no'te bear But quits the room walks out with spirit sad Into the court where Lo by night appear Tall Giants with grim looks rough limbs black grizely hair 45 These in a moment hoist him into th' air Away him bear more swift then bird can fly Straight to the destin'd place arrived are Mongst craggy rocks and bushy Mountains high Where up and down they drag the sorry boy His tender skin and goary flesh they tear Till he gan on his Maker call and cry Which forc'd the villains home again him bear Where he the story told restor'd by Parents care 46 The walking Skeleton in Bolonia Laden with rattling chains that showd his grave To th' watchfull Student who without dismay Bid tell his wants and speak what he would have Thus cleared he the house by courage brave Nor may I passe the fair Cerdinian maid Whose love a jolly swain did kindly crave And oft with mutuall solace with her stay'd Yet was no jolly swain but a deceitfull shade 47 More harmlesse mirth may that mad spright commend Who in an honest widows house did won At Salamanca who whole showers would send Of stones that swifter then a whirlwind come And yet where ere they hit no hurt is done But cursed cruell be those wicked Hags Whom poysonous spight envy and hate have won T' abhorred sorcery whose writhled bags Fould feinds oft suck and nestle in their loathsome rags 48 Such as the Devil woes in homely form Of swarthy man or some black shaggy Curre Or vermine base and in sad case forlorn Them male-content to evil motions stirre Proffer their service adding a quick spurre To meditated vengance and fell teen Whose hellish voice they heare without demur Abjure God and his Sonne who did redeem The world give up themselves to Satan and foul sinne 49 Thus ' bodyed into that Stygian crue Of damned wights made fast by their own bloud To their bad Master do his service due Frequent the assemblies dance as they were wood Around an huge black Goat in loansome wood By shady night farre from or house or town And kisse with driveling lips in frantcik mood His sacred breech Catch that catch may anon Each Feind has got his Hag for copulation 50 O loathsome law O filthy fond embrace The other root of cursed sorcery For if the streams of this bad art we trace They lead to two foul springs th' one Venerie And coarsest Lust the other near doth lie And is ycleeped Vengeance Malice Hate Or restlesse Envy that would all destroy But both but from one seed do germinate Hight uncurb'd Will or strong Desire inordinate 51 Wherefore I needs must humbly here adore Him whose chaste soul enwombd in Virgin chast As chast a body amongst mortals wore Who never woman knew ne once did taste Of Hymens pleasures while this life did last Ah! my dear Lord dread Sovereigne of souls Who with thy life and lore so warmed hast My wounded heart that when thy Storie 's told Sweet Love methinks in 's silver wings me all infolds 52 How do I hang upon thy sacred lips More sweet then Manna or the hony-dew Thy speech like rosie drops doth cool my wits And calme my fierce affections untrue And winne my heart unto obeisance due Blest O thrice blessed be that holy hill Whereon thou did'st instruct thy faithfull crue In wayes of peace of patience and good will Forbidding base self-self-love revenge and speeches ill 53 Meek Lambe of God! the worlds both scourge and scorn How done th' infernall feinds thy face envy Thou light they darknesse they Night thou the Morn Mild chariot of Gods lovely Majesty Exalted Throne of the Divinitie As thou with thine mak'st through the yielding aire How do thy frighted foes before thee fly And grin and gnash their teeth for spight and fear To see such awfull strength quite to themselves contraire 54 Ho! you vain men that follow filthy lust And swallow down revenge like pleasant wine Base earthly spirits fly this sinfull dust See with what hellish Comrades you combine Al 's see whose lovely friendship
as when lamp we lighten from a lamp Which done withouten diminution Of the first light shows how the soul of man Though indivisible may another rear Imparting life But if we rightly scan This argument it cometh nothing near To light the lamp's to kindle the sulphurious gear 89 No substance new that act doth then produce Onely the oyly atomes 't doth excite And wake into a flame but no such use There is of humane sperm For our free sprite Is not the kindled seed but substance quite Distinct therefrom If not then bodies may So changed be by nature and stiff fight Of hungry stomacks that what erst was clay Then herbs in time it self in sense may well display 90 For then our soul can nothing be but bloud Or nerves or brains or body modifide Whence it will follow that cold stopping crud Hard moldy cheese dry nuts when they have rid Due circuits through the heart at last shall speed Of life and sense look thorough our thin eyes And view the Close wherein the Cow did feed Whence they were milk'd grosse Pie-crust will grow wife And pickled Cucumbers sans doubt Philosophize 91 This all will follow if the soul be nought But the live body For mens bodies feed Of such grosse meat and if more fine be brought Suppose Snipes heads Larks heels for Ladies meet The broth of Barly or that oily Sweet Of th' unctious Grape yet all men must confesse These be as little capable of wit And sense nor can be so transform'd I wisse Therefore no soul of man from seed traducted is 92 Ne been they by th' high God then first create When in this earthly mansion they appear For why should he so soon contaminate So unspotted beauties as mens spirits are Flinging them naked into dunghills here Soyl them with guilt and foul contagion When as in his own hand they spotlesse were Till by an uncouth strange infusion He plung'd them in the deep of Malediction 93 Besides unworthily he doth surmise Of Gods pure being and bright Majesty Who unto such base offices him ties That He must wait on lawlesse Venery Not onely by that large Causality Of generall influence for Creation More speciall concourse all men deem to be But on set purpose He must come anon And ratifie the act which oft men wish undone 94 Which is a rash and shamelesse bad conceit So might they name the brat Adeodatus What ever they in lawlesse love beget Again what 's still far more prodigious When men are stung with fury poysonous And burn with flames of lust toward brute beasts And overcome into conjunction rush He then from that foul act is not releast Creates a soul misplacing the unhappy guest 95 Wherefore mans soul 's not by Creation Nor is it generate as I prov'd before Wherefore let 't be by emanation If fully it did not praeexist of yore By flowing forth from that eternall store Of Lives and souls ycleep'd the World of life Which was and shall endure for evermore Hence done all bodies vitall fire derive And matter never lost catch life and still revive 96 And what has once sprout out doth never cease If it enjoy it self a spray to be Distinct and actuall though if God please He can command it into th' ancient tree This immense Orb of wast vitality With all its Lives and Souls is every where And do's where matter right prepar'd doth lie Impart a soul as done the sunne beams clear Insinuate themselves where filth doth not debarre 97 Thus may the souls in long succession Leap out into distinct activity But sooth to say though this opinion May seem right fair and plausible to be Yet toils it under an hard difficulty Each where this Orb of life 's with every soul Which doth imply the souls ubiquity Or if the whole Extent of Natures's full Of severall souls thick set what may the furthest pull 98 What may engage them to descend so low Remov'd farre from the steam of earthly mire My wits been here too scant and faith too slow Ne longer lists my wearied thoughts to tire Let bolder spirits to such hight aspire But well I wote if there admitted were A praeexistency of souls entire And due Returns in courses circular This course all difficulties with ease away would bear 99 For then suppose they wore an airy sphear Which choise or Nemesis suck'd lower down Thus without doubt they 'll leave their carcase clear Like dispossessed spright when death doth come And by rude exorcisme bids quit the room Ne let these intricacies perplex our mind That we forget that ere we saw the sunne Before this life For who can call to mind Where first he here saw sunne or felt the gentle wind 100 Besides what wonder is 't when fierce disease Can so empair the strongest memory That so full change should make our spirits leese What 'fore they had impress'd in phantasie Nor doth it follow thence that when we die We nought retain of what pass'd in these dayes For Birth is Death Death Life and Liberty The soul 's not thence contract but there displayes Her loosened self doth higher all her powers raise 101 Like to a light fast lock'd in lanthorn dark Whereby by night our wary steps we guide In slabby streets and dirty channels mark Some weaker rayes through the black top do glide And flusher streams perhaps from horny side But when we 've past the perill of the way Arriv'd at home and laid that case aside The naked light how clearly doth it ray And spread its joyfull beams as bright as Summers day 102 Even so the soul in this contracted state Consin'd to these strait instruments of sense More dull and narrowly doth operate At this hole hears the sight must ray from thence Here tasts there smels But when she 's gone from hence Like naked lamp she is one shining sphear And round about has perfect cognoscence What ere in her Horizon doth appear She is one Orb of sense all eye all airy ear 103 Now have I well establish'd the fourth way The souls of men from stupid sleep to save First Light next Night the third the soules Self-ray Fourth the souls Chariot we named have Whether moist air or fire all sparkling brave Or temper mixt Now how these foure agree And how the soul her self may dip and lave In each by turns how no redundancy Ther 's in them might we tell nor scant deficiency 104 But cease my restlesse Muse be not too free Thy chiefest end thou hast accomplished Long since shak'd of the Psychopannychie And rouz'd the soul from her dull drowsiehed So nothing now in death is to be dred Of him that wakes to truth and righteousnesse The corps lies here the soul aloft is fled Unto the fount of perfect happinesse Full freedome joy and peace she lively doth possesse ANTIMONOPSYCHIA Or The fourth part of the Song OF THE SOUL Containing A confutation of the Unity of Souls Whereunto is annexed a Paraphrase
The self-same knowledge art experience skill The frugall parent might his money save The Pedagoge his pains If he engrave His Grammer precepts but in one boyes mind Oâ— decent manners He doth thus embrave With single labour all the youth you 'll find Under the hollow Heavens they 'll be alike inclin'd 18 And every man is skill'd in every trade And every silent thought that up doth spring In one mans brest doth every man invade No counsel-keeper nor no secret thing Will then be found They 'll need no whispering Not louder voice Let Orators be dumb Nor need the eager auditours make a ring Though every one keep himself close at home The silent Preachers thoughts through all the world will roam 19 Find each man out and in a moment hit With unavoided force Or sooth to sain They all begin at once to think what 's fit And all at once anon leave off again A thousand such incongruities vain Will follow from the first absurdity Which doth all souls into one centre strain And make them void of self-centrality Strange soul from whence first sprong so uncouth falsity 20 Now all the arguments that I have brought For to disprove the souls strange solitude That there is not one onely soul well mought Be urg'd and will with equall strength conclude To prove that God his creature hath indew'd With a self-centrall essence which from his Doth issue forth with proper raies embew'd And that not all the very Godhead is For that would straight beget the like absurdities 21 For he is indivisibly one being At once in every place and knoweth all He is omnipotent infinite in seeing Wherefore if Creatures intellectuall And in that order humane souls will fall Were God himself they would be alike wise Know one anothers thoughts imaginall Which no man doth such falshoods would arise With many more which an idiot might well despise 22 Nor will mens souls that now be different Be God himself hereafter and all one For thus they were quite lost their life ylent And subtill being quite away are flone This is a perfect contradiction They are all one with God and yet they are If they be one with God then they alone Did make themselves and every rolling starre For God alone made these and God himself they are 23 Before the Sun and all the host of heaven The earth the sea and mans deep centrall spright Before all these were made was not God even With his own self what then him moven might To waste his words and say Let there be light If the accomplishment of all things be That all be God himself This is not right No more perfection no more Entity There 's then then was in that eternall Silency 24 Or will you say that God himself delights To do and undo But how can this stand With self-sufficiency There 's nought that might Adde to His happinesse if I understand His nature right But He with open hand Doth easly feed the Creature that he made As easly Wherefore if the truth be scand This Goodnesse would that nought should be decay'd His mind is all should live no life he would should fade 25 But if the finall consummation Of all things make the Creature Deiform As Plato's school doth phrase it there is none That thence need fear to come to any harm For God himself will then inact inform And quicken humane souls at the last day And though the Devil rore and rage and storm Yet Deaths drad power shall be done away Nor living Night on men her poysonous beams shall ray 26 He hasten it that makes that glorious day For certainly it is no fearfull thing But unto pride and love of this base clay It s their destruction but the perfecting Of the just souls It unto them doth bring Their full desire to be more close unite With God and utter cleans'd from all their sin Long was the world involv'd in cloudy Night But at the last will shine the perfect Christian light 27 Thus the souls numerous plurality I 've prov'd and shew'd she is not very God But yet a decent Deiformity Have given her thus in the middle trod I safely went and fairly well have row'd As yet Part of my voyage is to come Which is to prove that the souls new aboad In heaven or hell what ever is her doom Nought hinders but past forms even there again may bloom 28 Which if they did not she could never tell Why she were thus rewarded wherefore ill Or good she doth enjoy whether ill or well She lived here Remembrance death did spill But otherwise it fares as was her will And inclination of her thirsty spright Impressions of like nature then doth fill Her lively mind whether with sad affright Disturb'd which she long fear'd or in hop'd-for delight 29 The life that here most strongly kindled was Sith she awakes in death must needs betray The soul to what nearest affinity has With her own self and likenesses do sway The mind to think of what ever did play In her own self with a like shape or form And contraries do help the memory So if the soul be left in case forlorn Remembrance of past joy makes her more deeply mourn 30 'T is also worth our observation That higher life doth ever comprehend The lower vitall acts sensation The soul some fitten hint doth promptly lend To find out plantall life sense is retaind In subtiller manner in the phantasie Al 's reason phantasies doth well perpend Then must the souls highest capacity Contain all under life Thus is their Memory 31 This faculty is very intimate And near the Centre very large and free Extends it self to whatsoever that The soul peracts There is no subtilty Of Intellect of Will nor Phantasie No Sense nor uncouth strange impression From damned Night or the blest Deity But of all these she hath retention And at their fresh approach their former shapes can own 32 This memorie the very bond of life You may well deem If it were cut away Our being truly then you might contrive Into a point of time The former day Were nought at all to us when once we lay Our selves to sleep we should not know at morn That e're we were before nor could we say A whit of sense so soon as off we turn One word that 's quite forgot Coherence thus is torn 33 Now sith it is of such necessitie And is the bundle of the souls duration The watchman of the soul lest she should flie Or steal from her own self a sure fixation And Centrall depth it hath and free dilation That it takes notice of each energie Of Phansie Sense or any Cogitation Wherefore this virtue no dependencie Hath of this body must be safe when it doth die 34 But if dispersed lifes collection Which is our memory safely survive Which well it may sith it depends not on The Mundane spirit what can fitly drive It into action In heaven she doth live
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 mortalls 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 carol'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 a quiver wore Right fairly wrought and gilded all with gold A silver bow in his left hand he bore And in his right a ready shaft did hold Thus armed stood he and betwixt us tway The labouring brook did break its toilsome way The wanton lad whose sport is others pain Did charge his bended bow with deadly dart And drawing to the head with might and main With fell intent he aim'd to hit my heart But ever as he shot his arrows still In their mid course dropt down into the rill Of wondrous virtues that in waters been Is needlesse to rehearse all books do ring Of those strange rarities But ne're was seen Such virtue as resided in this spring The noveltie did make me much admire But stirr'd the hasty youth to ragefull ire As heed lesse fowls that take their per'lous flight Over that bane of birds Avernâ— lake Do drop down dead so dead his shafts did light Amid the stream which presently did slake Their fiery points and all their feathers wet Which made the youngster Godling inly fret Thus lustfull Love this was that love I ween Was wholly changed to consuming ire And eath it was sith they 're so near a kin They be both born of one rebellious fire But he supprest his wrath and by and by For feathered darts he winged words let flie Vain man said he and would thou wer'st not vain That hid'st thy self in solitary shade And spil'st thy precious youth in sad disdain Hating this lifes delight Hath God thee made Part of this world and wilt not thou partake Of this worlds pleasure for its makers sake Unthankfull wretch Gods gifts thus to reject And maken nought of Natures goodly dower That milders still away through thy neglect And dying fades like unregarded flower This life is good what 's good thou must improve The highest improvement of this life is love Had I but O that envious Destinie Or Stygian vow or thrice accursed charm Should in this place free passage thus denie Unto my shafts as messengers of harm Had I but once transfixt thy froward breast How would'st thou then I staid not for the rest But thus half angry to the boy replide How would'st thou then my soul of sense bereave I blinded thee more blind should choose my guide How would'st thou then my muddied mind deceive With fading shows that in my errour vile Base lust I love should tearm vice virtue stile How should my wicked rhymes then idolize Thy wretched power and with impious wit Impute thy base born passions to the skies And my souls sicknesse count an heavenly fit My weaknesse strength my wisdome to be caught My bane my blisse mine ease to be o'rewraught How often through my fondly feigning mind And frantick phansie in my Mistris eye Should I a thousand fluttering Cupids find Bathing their busis wings How oft espie Under the shadow of her eye-brows fair Ten thousand Graces sit all naked bare Thus haunted should I be with such feat fiends A pretty madnesse were my portion due Foolish my self I would not hear my friends Should deem the true for false the false for true My way all dark more slippery then ice My attendants anger pride and jealousies Unthankfull then to God I should neglect All the whole world for one poore sorry wight Whose pestilent eye into my heart project Would burn like poysonous Comet in my spright Aye me how dismall then would prove that day Whose onely light sprang from so fatall ray Who seeks for pleasure in this mortall life By diving deep into the body base Shall loose true pleasure But who gainly strive Their sinking soul above this bulk to place Enlarg'd delight they certainly shall find Unbounded joyes to fill their boundlesse mind When I my self from mine own self do quit And each thing else then an all-spreaden love To the vast Universe my soul doth fit Makes me half equall to All-seeing Jove My mightie wings high stretch'd then clapping light I brush the starres and make them shine more bright Then all the works of God with close embrace I dearly hug in my enlarged arms All the hid paths of heavenly Love I trace And boldly listen to his secret charms Then clearly view-I where true light doth rise And where eternall Night low-pressed lies Thus lose I not by leaving small delight But gain more joy while I my self suspend From this and that for then with all unite I all enjoy and love that love commends That all is more then loves the partiall soul Whose petty love th' impartiall fates controll Ah son said he and laughed very loud That trickst thy tongue with uncouth strange disguize Extolling highly that with speeches proud To mortall men that humane state denies And rashly blaming what thou never knew Let men experienc'd speak if they 'll
speak true Had I once lanc'd thy froward flinty heart And cruddled bloud had thawn with living fire And prickt thy drousie sprite with gentle smart How wouldst thou wake to kindle sweet desire Thy soul fill'd up with overflowing pleasures Would dew thy lips with honey dtopping measures Then would thou caroll loud and sweetly sing In honour of my sacred Deity That all the woods and hollow hills would ring Reechoning thy heavenly harmony And eke the hardy rocks withfull rebounds Would faithfully return thy silver sounds Next unto me would be thy Mistresse fair Whom thou might setten out with goodly skill Her peerlesse beauty and her virtues rare That all would wonder at thy gracefull quill And lastly in us both thy self shouldst raise And crown thy temples with immortall bayes But now thy riddles all men do neglect Thy rugged lines of all do ly forlorn Unwelcome rhymes that rudely do detect The Readers ignorance Men holden scorn To be so often non-plus'd or to spell And on one stanza a whole age to dwell Besides this harsh and hard obscurity Of the hid sense thy words are barbarous And strangely new and yet too frequently Return as usuall plain and obvious So that the show of the new thick-set patch Marres all the old with which it ill doth match But if thy haughty mind forsooth would deign To stoop so low as t' hearken to my lore Then wouldst thou with trim lovers not disdeign To adorn th' outside set the best before Nor rub nor wrinkle would thy verses spoil Thy rhymes should run as glib and smooth as oyl If that be all said I thy reasons slight Can never move my well establish'd mind Full well I wote alwayes the present sprite Or life that doth possesse the soul doth blind Shutting the windows ' gainst broad open day Lest fairer sights its uglinesse bewray The soul then loves that disposition best Because no better comes unto her view The drunkard drunkennesse the sluggard rest Th' Ambitious honour and obeysance due So all the rest do love their vices base ' Cause virtues beauty comes not into place And looser love ' gainst Chastity divine Would shut the door that he might sit alone Then wholly should my mind to him incline And woxen strait since larger love was gone That paultry spirit of low contracting lust VVould fit my soul as if 't were made for 't just Then should I with my fellow bird or brute So strangely metamorphiz'd either ney Or bellow loud or if 't may better sute Chirp out my joy pearch'd upon higher spray My passions fond with impudence rehearse Immortalize my madnesse in a verse This is the summe of thy deceiving boast That I vain ludenesse highly should admire When I the sense of better things have lost And chang'd my heavenly heat for hellish fire Passion is blind but virtues piercing eye Approching danger can from farre espie And what thou dost Pedantickly object Concerning my rude rugged uncouth style As childish toy I manfully neglect And at thy hidden snares do inly smile How ill alas with wisdome it accords To sell my living sense for livelesse words My thought 's the fittest measure of my tongue Wherefore I 'll use what 's most significant And rather then my inward meaning wrong Or my full-shining notion trimly skant I 'll conjure up old words out of their grave Or call fresh forrein force in if need crave And these attending on my moving mind Shall duly usher in the fitting sense As oft as meet occasion I find Unusuall words oft used give lesse offence Nor will the old contexture dim or marre For often us'd they 're next to old thred-bare And if the old seem in too rusty hew Then frequent rubbing makes them shine like gold And glister all with colour gayly new Wherefore to use them both we will be bold Thus lists me fondly with fond folk to toy And answer fools with equall foolery The meaner mind works with more nicetie As Spiders wont to weave their idle web But braver spirits do all things gallantly Of lesser failings nought at all affred So Natures carelesse pencill dipt in light With sprinkled starres hath spattered the Night And if my notions clear though rudely thrown And loosely scattered in my poesie May lend men light till the dead Night be gone And Morning fresh with roses strew the sky It is enough I meant no trimmer frame Nor by nice needle-work to seek a name Vain man that seekest name ' mongst earthly men Devoid of God and all good virtuous lere Who groping in the dark do nothing ken But mad with griping care their souls do tear Or Burst with hatred or with envie pine Or burn with rage or melt out at their eyne Thrice happy he whose name is writ above And doeth good though gaining infamy Requiteth evil turns with hearty love And recks not what befalls him outwardly Whose worth is in himself and onely blisse In his pure conscience that doth nought amisse Who placeth pleasure in his purged soul And virtuous life his treasure doth esteem Who can his passions master and controll And that true lordly manlinesse doth deem Who from this world himself hath clearly quit Counts nought his own but what lives in his sprite So when his spright from this vain world shall flit It bears all with it whatsoever was dear Unto it self passing in easie fit As kindly ripen'd corn comes out of th' ear Thus mindlesse of what idle men will say He takes his own and stilly goes his way But the Retinue of proud Lucifer Those blustering Poets that fly after fame And deck themselves like the bright Morning-starre Alas it is but all a crakling flame For death will strip them of that glorious plume That airie blisse will vanish into fume For can their carefull ghosts from Limbo Lake Return or listen from the bowed skie To heare how well their learned lines do take Or if they could is Heavens felicitie So small as by mans praise to be encreas'd Hells pain no greater then hence to be eas'd Therefore once dead in vain shall I transmit My shadow to gâ—zing Posterity Cast farre behind me I shall never see 't On Heavens fair Sunne having fast fixt mine eye Nor while I live heed I what man doth praise Or underprize mine unaffected layes What moves thee then said he to take the pains And spenden time if thou contemn'st the fruit Sweet fruit of fame that fills the Poets brains With high conceit and feeds his fainting wit How pleasant 't is in honour here to live And dead thy name for ever to survive Or is thy abject mind so basely bent As of thy Muse to maken Merchandize And well I wote this is no strange intent The hopefull glimps of gold from chattering Pies From Daws and Crows and Parots oft hath wrung An unexpected Pegaseian song Foul shame on him quoth I that shamefull thought Doth entertain within his dunghill breast Both God and Nature hath my
spirits wrought To better temper and of old hath blest My loftie soul with more divine aspires Then to be touchd with such vile low desires I hate and highly scorn that Kestrell kind Of bastard scholars that subordinate The precious choice induements of the mind To wealth or worldly good Adulterate And cursed brood Your wit and will are born Of th' earth and circling thither do return Profit and honour be those measures scant Of your slight studies and endeavours vain And when you once have got what you did want You leave your learning to enjoy your gain Your brains grow low your bellies swell up high Foul sluggish fat ditts up your dulled eye Thus what the earth did breed to th' earth is gone Like fading hearb or feeble drooping flower By feet of men and beast quite trodden down The muck-sprung learning cannot long endure Back she returns lost in her filthy source Drown'd chok'd or slocken by her cruell nurse True virtue to her self 's the best reward Rich with her own and full of lively spirit Nothing cast down for want of due regard Or ' cause rude men acknowledge not her merit She knows her worth and stock from whence she sprung Spreads fair without the warmth of earthly dung Dew'd with the drops of Heaven shall flourish long As long as day and night do share the skie And though that day and night should fail yet strong And steddie fixed on Eternitie Shall bloom for ever So the soul shall speed That loveth virtue for no worldly meed Though sooth to say the worldly meed is due To her more then to all the world beside Men ought do homage with affections true And offer gifts for God doth there reside The wise and virtuous soul is his own seat To such what 's given God himself doth get But earthly minds whose sight 's seal'd up with mud Discern not this flesh-clouded Deity Ne do acknowledge any other good Then waht their mole-warp hands can feel and trie By groping touch thus worth of them unseen Of nothing worthy that true worth they ween Wherefore the prudent Law-givers of old Even in all Nations with right sage foresight Discovering from farre how clums and cold The vulgar wight would be to yield what 's right To virtuous learning did by law designe Great wealth and honour to that worth divine But nought's by law to Poesie due said he Ne doth the solemn Statesmans head take care Of those that such impertinent pieces be Of common-weals Thou'd better then to spare Thy uselesse vein Or tell else what may move Thy busie Muse such fruitlesse pains to prove No pains but pleasure to do th' dictates dear Of inward living nature What doth move The Nightingall to sing so sweet and clear The Thrush or Lark that mounting high above Chants her shrill notes to heedlesse ears of corn Heavily hanging in the dewy Morn When Life can speak it cannot well withold T' expresse its own impressions and hid life Or joy or greif that smoothered lie untold Do vex the heart and wring with restlesse strife Then are my labours no true pains but ease My souls unrest they gently do appease Besides that is not fruitlesse that no gains Brings to my self I others profit deem Mine own and if at these my heavenly flames Others receiven light right well I ween My time 's not lost Art thou now satisfide Said I to which the scoffing boy replide Great hope indeed thy rhymes should men enlight That be with clouds and darknesse all o'recast Harsh style and harder sense void of delight The Readers wearied eye in vain do wast And when men win thy meaning with much pain Thy uncouth sense they coldly entertain For wotst thou not that all the world is dead Unto that Genius that moves in thy vein Of poetrie But like by like is fed Sing of my Trophees in triumphant strein Then correspondent life thy powerfull verse Shall strongly strike and with quick passion pierce The tender frie of lads and lasses young With thirstie eare thee compassing about Thy Nectar-dropping Muse thy sugar'd song Will swallow down with eager hearty draught Relishing truly what thy rhymes convey And highly praising thy soul-smiting lay The mincing maid her mind will then bewray Her heart-bloud flaming up into her face Grave matrons will wax wanton and betray Their unresolv'dnesse in their wonted grace Young boyes and girls would feel a forward spring And former youth to eld thou back wouldst bring All Sexes Ages Orders Occupations Would listen to thee with attentive ear And eas'ly moved with thy sweet perswasions Thy pipe would follow with full merry chear While thou thy lively voice didst loud advance Their tickled bloud for joy would inly dance But now alas poore solitarie man In lonesome desert thou dost wander wide To seek and serve thy disappearing Pan Whom no man living in the world hath eyde For Pan is dead but I am still alive And live in men who honour to me give They honour also those that honour me With sacred songs But thou now singst to trees To rocks to Hills to Caves that senselesse be And mindlesse quite of thy hid mysteries In the void air thy idle voice is spread Thy Muse is musick to the deaf or dead Now out alas said I and wele-away The tale thou tellest I confesse too true Fond man so doteth on this living clay His carcase dear and doth its joyes pursue That of his precious soul he takes no keep Heavens love and reasons light lie fast asleep This bodies life vain shadow of the soul With full desire they closely do embrace In fleshly mud like swine they wallow and roll The loftiest mind is proud but of the face Or outward person if men but adore That walking sepulchre cares for no more This is the measure of mans industry To wexen some body and getten grace To 's outward presence though true majestie Crownd'd with that heavenly light and lively rayes Of holy wisdome and Seraphick love From his deformed soul he farre remove Slight knowledge and lesse virtue serves his turn For this designe If he hath trod the ring Of pedling arts in usuall pack-horse form Keeping the rode O! then 't's a learned thing If any chanc'd to write or speak what he Conceives not 't were a foul discourtesie To cleanse the soul from sinne and still diffide Whether our reasons eye be clear enough To intromit true light that fain would glide Into purg'd hearts this way 's too harsh and rough Therefore the clearest truths may well seem dark When sloathfull men have eyes so dimme and stark These be our times But if my minds presage Bear any moment they can ne're last long A three branch'd Flame will soon sweep clean the stage Of this old dirty drosse and all wex young My words into this frozen air I throw Will then grow vocall at that generall thaw Nay now thou' rt perfect mad said he with scorn And full of foul derision
quit the place The skie did rattle with his wings ytorn Like to rent silk ' But I in the mean space Sent after him this message by the wind Be 't so I 'm mad yet sure I am thou' rt blind By this the out-stretch'd shadows of the trees Pointed me home-ward and with one consent Foretold the dayes descent So straight I rise Gathering my limbs from off the green pavement Behind me leaving then the slooping Light Gl. And now let 's up Vesper brings on the Night Fides Fluctuans O Deus aeterno lucis qui absconditus Orbe Humanos fugis aspectus da cernere verum Da magnum spectare diem non mobilis Aevi Da contemplari nullius in infera noctis Lapsurum solem Spissas caliginis umbras Adventu dispelle tuo Pernicibus alis Ocyus advolitans animam tu siste solutam Mobilitate sua rapidae quam cursus aquai Deturbat secum atque in caeco gurgite condit Sed tamen ex fluxu hoc rerum miseroque tumultu En vultus attollo meos tu porrige dextram Exime ut excelso figam vestigia saxo O Deus O Centrum rerum te percita motu Arcano circumvolitant cuncta atque requirunt Nequicquam quoniam aeterna te contegis umbra Attamen insano exerces mea pectora amore Et suspirantem volupe est tibi ludere mentem Ignibus occultis Non talibus aestuat Aetna Intima cùm accensas eructet flamma favillas Pleniùs lato spargat sua viscera campo Omnia solicita mecum quae mente revolvi Somnia sunt stultéque animi satagentis inane Figmentum spes nostra perit radicitùs omnis Expectata diu vacuas vita exit in auras Hei mihi quam immensae involvor caligine noctis Subsido pereo repeto jam materiaï Infensas tenebras ahenae vincula mortis Quae me intemperies agitat Rescindito coelos Summe Deûm tantósque animi componito fluctus Resolution WHere 's now the objects of thy fears Needlesse sighs and fruitlesse tears They be all gone like idle dream Suggested from the bodies steam O Cave of horrour black as pitch Dark Den of Spectres that bewitch The weakned phansy sore affright With the grim shades of grisely Night What 's Plague and Prison Losse of friends Warre Dearth and Death that all things ends Mere Bug-bears for the childish mind Pure Panick terrours of the blind Collect thy soul into one sphear Of light and 'bove the earth it rear Those wild scattered thoughts that erst Lay losely in the World disperst Call in thy spirit thus knit in one Fair lucid orb those fears be gone Like vain impostures of the Night That fly before the Morning bright Then with pure eyes thou shalt behold How the first Goodnesse doth infold All things in loving tender armes That deemed mischiefs are no harms But sovereign salves and skilfull cures Of greater woes the world endures That mans stout soul may win a state Far rais'd above the reach of fate Then wilt thou say God rules the World Though mountain over mountain hurl'd Be pitch'd amid the foaming Maine Which busie winds to wrath constrain His fall doth make the billowes start And backward skip from every part Quite sunk then over his senselesse side The waves in triumph proudly ride Though inward tempests fiercely rock The tottering Earth that with the shock High spires and heavie rocks fall down With their own weight drove into ground Though pitchy blasts from Hell up-born Stop the outgoings of the Morn And Nature play her fiery games In this forc'd Night with fulgurant flames Baring by fits for more affright The pale dead visages ghastly sight Of men astonish'd at the stoure Of Heavens great rage the rattling showers Of hail the hoarse bellowing of thunder Their own loud shreekes made mad with wonder All this confusion cannot move The purged mind freed from the love Of commerce with her body dear Cell of sad thoughts sole spring of fear What ere I feel or heare or see Threats but these parts that mortall be Nought can the honest heart dismay Unlesse the love of living clay And long acquaintance with the light Of this Outworld and what to sight Those two officious beams discover Of forms that round about us hover Power Wisedome Goodnesse sure did fra This Universe and still guide the same But thoughts from passions sprung decei◠Vain mortalls No man can contrive A better course then what 's been run Since the first circuit of the Sun He that beholds all from on high Knowes better what to do then I. I 'm not mine own should I repine If he dispose of what 's not mine Purge but thy soul of blind self-will Thou streight shalt see God doth no ill The world He fills with the bright rayes Of his free goodnesse He displayes Himself throughout Like common aire That spirit of life through all doth fare Suck'd in by them as vitall breath That willingly embrace not death But those that with that living Law Be unacquainted cares do gnaw Mistrust of Gods good providence Doth daily vex their wearied sense Now place me on the Libyan soil With scorching sun and sands to toil Far from the view of spring or tree Where neither man nor house I see Place me by the fabulous streams Of Hydaspes In the Realms Where Caucasus his lofty back Doth raise in wreaths and endlesse tract Commit me at my next remove To icy Hyperborean Jove Confine me to the Arctick Pole Where the numbd heavens do slowly roll To lands where cold raw heavie mist Sols kindly warmth and light resists Where louring clouds full fraught with snow Do sternly scoul where winds do blow With bitter blasts and pierce the skin Forcing the vitall spirits in Which leave the body thus ill bested In this chill plight at least half dead Yet by an Antiperistasis My inward heat more kindled is And while this flesh her breath expires My spirit shall suck celestiall fires By deep-fetchd sighs and pure devotion Thus waxen hot with holy motion A◠once I 'll break forth in a flame Above this world and worthlesse fame I 'll take my flight carelesse that men Know not how where I die or when Yea though the Soul should mortall prove So be Gods life but in me move To my last breath I 'm satisfide A lonesome mortall God t' have dide Devotion GOod God! when thou thy inward grace dost shower Into my brest How full of light and lively power Is then my soul How am I blest How can I then all difficulties devour Thy might Thy spright With ease my combrous enemy controll If thou once turn away thy face and hide Thy chearfull look My feeble flesh may not abide That dreadfull stound I cannot brook Thy absence My heart with care and grief then gride Doth fail Doth quail My life steals from me at that hidden wound My phansie's then a burden to my mind Mine anxious thought Betrayes my reason makes me blind Near
station to take a right view of the Song of the Soul is Psyche or the soul of the Universe For whatsoever is handled in Psychozoia and the three other parts of this song hath a meet relation to Psyche as the subject of the whole Poem For the whole Poem is spent either in her Parentage Marriage Clothing or Of-spring The three first are dispatched in the first Canto of Psychozoia the last in the two latter Cantoes and three following parts of the Poem For in the second Canto the manner of the production of Souls is set out till the 24 Stanza Then all the residue of that and the whole Canto following in the description of their habitation But their habitation being the Land of life that is the severall states of the Soul in good and evill for this cause chiefly as also in part for the description in the first Canto of that life deriv'd from Ahad and Aeon to Psyche and that which flows from her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the lowest skirts of the Universe do I call this first part of the Song of the Soul Psychozoia Vers 7. O life of time and all Alterity For what is time but the perseverance of the motion of the soul of the world while she by her restlesse power brings forth these things in succession that Eternity hath at once altogether For such is the nature of Aeon or Eternity viz. A life exhibiting all things at once and in one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but distance of life makes time and the prorogation of life continueth time the praeterition of life is the praeterition of time but Psyche is the fountain of this evolved life whence she is also the very life of time And all Alterity It may be thus shadowed out The seed of a plant hath all the whole tree branches leaves and fruit at once in one point after a manner closed up but potentially Eternity hath all the world in an indivisible indistant way at once and that actually Psyche or the Soul of the world when she begins this world begets a grosser kind of Alterity and dispersed diversity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. as the seminall forme spreads out it self and the body it inacts into distant branches from the quiet and silent seed making that actuall in time and succession which could not be here below in bodies at once See Plotin Ennead 3. lib. 7. cap. 10. where the nature of time is more fully described Vers 8. The life of lives Viz. God himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of minds thou art the Mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Soul of souls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Nature of each natures kind Synes Hymn 4. STANZ 5. Vers 9. That same that Atove hight The deepest Centre of all things and first root of all beings the Platonists call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Good and the One. See Plot. Ennead 1. lib. 7. cap 1. Mercur. Trismeg Serm. Univers ad Aesculap This is the simple and naked essence of God utterly devoid of division and plurality and therefore not to be known by reason or Intellect but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Oracle speaks by the flower or the summity of the Intellect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Mich. Psellus expounds it by the unitive power of the Intellect or by a certain simple and tactuall Energie of the soul when it is roused into act For so is the expression of Plotinus Ennead 6. l. 9. c. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For he is present to him that can touch him but to him that cannot he is not present and in the 9. Cap. describing more lively the state of our union with Atove or the eminent absolute Good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And there lyeth our happinesse saith he and to be removed from hence is but to partake lesse of being Here is the rest of the soul set out of the reach of all evils ascended into a place devoid of all danger and mischief Here she becomes intellectuall Here she is impassible Here she truly lives indeed But this life that we live disjoyned from God is but a shadow and umbratil imitation of that But that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intellectuall energie an energie that begets Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that still and silent tactuall conjunction with this Universall Good It begets beauty it begets righteousnesse it begets valour for these doth the soul bring forth being once impregned of God and fil'd as it were with his sacred seed And in the 10. Chap. describing further this Union he saith that God and the soul doth as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 joyne centres and centres do wholly swallow up one another so that this union is even more then touch This tactuall conjunction of the soul with God surely in the Christian phrase is no more then divine love as S John speaks God is love and he that is in love is in God and God in him And Plotinus doth plainly acknowledge it when as he saith Every soul is a Venus and hath her Cupid born with her an heavenly Cupid with an heavenly Venus till she be defiled with earthly love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made common and as it were become an Harlot but that the soul in the purity of her own nature loves God and desireth to be joyned with him as a beautifull virgin to a beautifull man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for so I think the text is to be read and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See the whole ninth book of the sixth Ennead For the nature of Atove or Ahad and the manner of the conjunction of the soul with him is there exquisitly set out STANZA 6 7. Now can I not c. It being acknowledged both in the purest Philosophy and in Christianity that the root of all things is goodnesse it self the most genuine consequence of this is That his providence being measured by himself goodnesse it self is the measure thereof so that all Melancholick and dismall dreams of idly affrighted men may well vanish in the clearnesse of this light and truth as also the envious malicious and bloudy minded man may here consider how far he hath wandred from the will of God and the root of his own being STANZA 8. This Ahad of himself the Aeon fair c. This Aeon is all things essentially and truly as Ahad or Atove above all things It is the very intellectuall world Eternall life united ever with the father that brought him forth The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of God his understanding or explicit inward comprehension of all things ab aeterno infinite and every where differing onely from his fountain in this that he is one simple Unity this one ever-actuall omniformity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Oracle speaks being the very Essence or Idea of all things at once not successively or in part See
of Intellect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That intellect is taken up about him imployed in a kind of vitall operation about him living in him But of Psyche 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Psyche something removed and without danceth about the Intellect busily beholding it and looking into it seeth God through it So that Ahad is the vitall perfection of Aeon or Intellect and Aeon and Ahad the happinesse of Psyche and her vitall accomplishment Ennead 1. lib. 8. And both Aeon and Psyche and all things else are from Ahad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is with abatement and farthest off from the fountain the weaker and darker as is more fully set forth in the next Canto Stanz 7 8. c. And that the world is inacted by Psyche and so is which Trismegist and Plato are not nice to grant one intire Animal and that therefore nothing can scape the knowledge of that universall soul no more then any sensation imagination or motion of man can be hid from the soul of man if she be at leasure to observe it That Psyche is at leasure being uncapable of distraction as whose animadversion is infinite entirely omnipresent and every where at once And now I have taken the pains so accurately to describe the Deity me thinks I have made my self obnoxious to almost a just censure of too much boldnesse and curiosity But give me leave to answer that I have not taken upon me so much to set out the absolute nature of God as those Notions that Plato's School have framed of Him Which I hold neither my self nor any man else engaged to embrace for Oracles though they were true 'till such time as they appear to him to be so But how ever I think all men are to interpret both Plato and all men else at the best and rather mark what of undoubted truth they aime at then quarrell and entangle themselves in disputes about the manner of expressing that which no man can reach unto As for example I had rather fill my mind with that unquestionable truth exhibited in their Triad viz. that God is as fully Goodnesse Wisedome and powerfull Love as if there were three such distinct Hypostases in the Deity and then that he is as surely one with himself as if there were but one onely Hypostasis then to perplex my mind with troublesome questions of Three and One and One and three c. For the mind of man being so unable to conceive any thing of the naked being of God those more grosse and figurate representations of Him so be they be sutable to expressive of His unquestionable Attributes are not onely passable but convenient for created understandings to lead them on in the contemplation of God in easie Love and Triumph Whereas by endeavouring more Magisterially and determinately to comprehend and conclude that which is so unconcludible and incomprehensible to the understanding of man we work our selves into anxietie and subtile distemper and dry up the more precious outflowings of the Divinity in our souls by this hellish thirst and importunate desire of dealing with the very naked essence of God But let every modest Philosopher but read that Inscription in Isis Temple a notable monument of the great wisedome of the Ancients 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then pronounce whether there be not roome enough in the Deity for every man to speak diversely one from another in the representation thereof and yet no man nor all men together to set out accurately and adequately the nature of God Notes upon Psychozoia Canto 2. STANZ 6. It s he that made us YEt not excluding Ahad See what 's written upon the 23. Stanza of this Canto STANZ 9. The last extreme the fardest of from light Plotinus Ennead 4. lib. 3. cap. 9. describes the production of the corporeall world after this manner Psyche cannot issue out into any externall vivificative act unlesse you suppose a body for that 's her place properly and naturally Wherefore if she will have place for any vitall act she must produce her self a body So she keeping steddily her own station 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like a plentifull flame shining out in the extreme margins of the fire begot a fuliginous darknesse which she seeing streightway actuated with life and form 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that darknesse becoming a variously adorned aedifice is not disjoyned from its builder but dependeth thence as being the genuine and true energie of the soul of the World This I conceive is the sense of the Philosopher whose conceit I have improved and made use of as here in this Canto for many Stanzas together so also else where in Psychathanasia Vers 2. Hyles cell What I understand by Hyle see the Interp. Gèn. It 's lower then this shadow that Plotinus speaketh of and which maketh the body of the World For I conceive the body of the World to be nothing else but the reall Cuspis of the Cone even infinitely multiplied and reiterated Hyle to be nothing else but potentiality that to be an actuall Centrality though as low as next to nothing But what inconvenience is in Tasis or the corporeall sensible nature to spring from Hyle or the scant capacity or incompossibility of the creature STANZ 10. Dependance of this All hence doth appear to the 17. Stanz The production of the World being by way of energy or emanation hath drawn strange expressions from some of the Ancients as Trismeg cap. 11. Mens ad Mercur. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is For God being the sole Artificer is alwayes in his work being indeed that which he maketh According to this tenour is that also in Orpheus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is Jov's first Jov's last drad Thunderer on high Jov's head Jov's navell Out of Jove all 's made Jov's the depth of the Earth and starry Skie Jove is a man Jov's an immortall Maide Jove is the breath of all Jove's restlesse fire Jov's the Seas root Jove is both Sun and Moon Jov's King Jov's Prince of all and awfull Sire For having all hid in himself anon He from his sacred heart them out doth bring To chearfull light working each wondrous thing Aristot De Mundo cap. 7. And this Hyperbolicall expression of the close dependance that all things have on God is not mis-beseeming Poetry But Trismeg is as punctuall in this excesse as the Poet Ad Tat. cap. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hence is the strange opinion of God being all and that there is nothing but God But it is not at all strange that all things are the mere energie of God and do as purely depend on him as the Sun-beams of the Sunne So that so farre forth as we may say the body lux
the Archetypall Paradigme the Idea of Ideas or Form of Forms And in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He plainly ascribes the government of the Universe Heavens Starres Earth Elements and all the creatures in them to that which he tearms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the upright word of God his first-born son Which is pure Platonisme and may for ought I know go for right Christianisme so long as the first chapter of S. John for Gospel Vers 2 3. True crucified Son Of the true God For the life that is in him and should flow into us is hindred in its vitall operation But if any man make it a light matter that God himself or the Word himself is not hurt let him consider that he that can find of his heart to destroy the deleble image of God would if it lay in his power destroy God himself so that the crime is as high and as much to be lamented STANZ 38. Earth groveling Aptery From Beirons wall to Pantheothen dwell the Apterites that is such as have souls without wings or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Platonick phrase is souls that have their feathers moult off of them and so are fain to flag among the dirty desires of the world though sometime full of sorrow and vexation for their grosse vices but yet in a kind of Hypocriticall humility acknowledging that to be their destin'd condition and that it is worse then that condition to believe that a man by the help of God may get out of it STANZ 44 45 46. Hight Pteroessa The land betwivt Pantheothen and the valley of Ain is Pteroessa because the Inhabitants have wings whereby they raise themselves above the mire and dirt of the corrupt body One of the wings is Faith in the power of God against the forces of the Prince of darknesse The other Love and desire of appearing before God See the 8. verse of 45. Stanza and the 5 6 7. verses of the 46. Stanza STANZ 47. And Gabriel sware c. Gabriel is the strength of God which will certainly assist them that walk in the precepts of God with simplicity of heart STANZ 49. But I observed well c. And it is well worth our observation that the main danger of Pteroessa is the making too much haste or a slubbering speed promoving our selves into a greater liberty or gaping after higher contemplations than we are fitted for or we can reap profit from or are rightly capable to conceive STANZ 50. And Autaparnes face c. See Interpr Gen. STANZ 5◠Vers 9. Back to retreat c. That is to reassume that more punctuall and vigilant care over our wayes in thought word and deed with a kind of austerenesse of life crossing our own desires many times even in things indifferent and to reattempt a perfect mortification of the old man throughout giving no unseasonable liberty to our deceitfull body For is it not Hypocrisy or partiality to avoid that our selves which we often impose upon our young children whom we oft abridge of things that are not hurtfull of themselves to break them off their stubborn wills And believe it a grown mans body is but a boy or brute and must be kept under severely by the lash of reason and holy discipline STANZ 57. The Jasper enemy to spirits won This kind of stone the Caspian sea affords as Dionysius After writes who ascribes this virtue to it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It sends forth Crystall and the Jasper green Foe to Empusa's and all spectres seen And this stone is none of the meanest jewels in the Platonick Diadem Certainly the purging of our naturall spirits and raising our soul to her due hight of purity weaning her from the love of this body and too tender a sympathy with the frail flesh begets that courage and Majesty of mind in a man that both inward and outward fiends will tremble at his presence and fly before him as darknesse at lights approch For the soul hath then ascended her fiery vehicle and it is noon to her at midnight be she but awake into her self STANZ 59. But love of man c. Those virtues there recited are refulgently conspicuous in Platonisme Pythagorisme and Stoicisme Where 's then the defect But I 'll first set out their virtues Plotinus Ennead 1. lib. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 raiseth virtue to her hight by these 4. degrees The first are Virtutes politicae the second Purgatoriae the third Animi jam purgati the fourth and last Paradigmaticae Now for the better understanding of those degrees we are to take notice of the first and second motions that be in us The first are such as surprise our body or living beast as I may so call it by some outward objects represented to sense and naturall imagination before reason hath consulted of them or it may be phansie clearly apprehended them Such are present frights and pleasant provocations The second consist in the pursuit or declining of these objects represented after the animadversion of our supernall phansie and consultation of reason Mars Ficin upon Plotin Now those virtues that do onely amputate prune and more handsomely proportionate these second motions in us are called Politicall because a common citizen or vulgar man ordinarily exerciseth this degree of virtue perhaps for his credit profit or safety-sake But those virtues that do not onely prune but quite pluck up those second enormous motions of the mind are called Purgative Thirdly those that do both extirpate the second irregular motions and also tame the first in some good measure are the virtues of the soul already purged Fourthly and lastly those vertues that put away quite and extinguish the first motions are Paradigmaticall that is virtues that make us answer to the Paradigme or Idea of virtues exactly viz. the Intellect or God These foure degrees of virtues make so many degrees of men if I may call them all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Virtues Politicall Man Purgative God-man Animi jam purgati Angel-god Paradigmaticall God And this he doth plainly confesse acknowledging that the motions or passions of the mind are not sins if guided directed and subjected to reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But our endeavour must be not onely to be without sin but to become God that is impassible immateriall quit of all sympathy with the body drawn up wholly into the intellect and plainly devoid of all perturbation And who would not be thus at ease who would not crowd himself into this fafe castle for his own security I can not quite excuse the old man of self-love for that round elegancie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It doth not run so well in plain English It is better thy sonne be wicked then thou miserable that is passionate Epictet Enchirid. cap. 16. Yet to speak the truth Stoicisme Platonisme and Pythagorisme
vivo THus have I run through the more obscure terms in the preceding Poems But for the many points a man may meet withall therein though I did heretofore make some sleight promise of speaking more determinately of them I hope I may without offence decline the performance as yet till I abound more with leasure and judgement For as I am certain I have little enough of the one so I can not but doubt Nature having lavished so much upon all men else even to the infallible Determining of mutuall contradictions whether I have got any share at all of the other But yet I hope without breach of modesty I may presume to understand the purpose of my own writings Which as I have heretofore signified was no other then this to stirre men up to take into their thoughts these two main considerations 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 Genii 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 equity And that beside this happinesse on earth every holy soul hereafter shall enjoy a never-fading felicity 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 poor 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 glimpse of passing life to mock him And although the succession of righteousnesse 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 are 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 deminish their own happinesse by attending those whom nothing can make happy 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 counsell 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 body 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 undisturbd state of immortality And thus much I have ventured to speak boldly without Scepticisme in Faith and Sense that the first Principle of all things is living Goodnesse armd with Wisdome all-powerfull Love But if a mans soul be once sunk by evil fate or desert from the sense of this high and heavenly truth into that cold conceit that the Originall of things doth lie either in shuffling Chance or in that stark root of unknowing Nature and brute Necessity all the subtile cords of Reason without the timely recovery of that divine touch within the hidden spirit of man will 〈…〉 â—ack out of that abhorred pit of Atheisme and Infidelity So much better is Innocency and Piety then subtile Argument and earnest and sincere Devotion then curious Dispute FINIS Errata Pag. Stanz lin Pro Lege 12 43 9 Hiddenly Hiddeâ— lie 15 56 1 censent concent 22 20 2 weight wight 22 20 5 Can make Can wake 37 79 7 Countrey-speech Counterspeech 46 125 9 preceed proceed 58 21 5 There lives There lies 81 3 1 eanst canst 97 11 8 wild mild 126 17 8 truths truth 's 142 11 6 So he gins so she 'gins 145 24 4 Nor part Not part 153 57 6 Wrapt Rapt 162 30 7 binds It binds 175 5 8 for 't is for 'ts 194 14 1 conpissate conspissate 199 33 3 possession position 203 48 9 debare debarre 212 84 1 these their 242 4 4 though through 246 20 2 stell well 260 19 9 night wight 260 20 3 over oft overmost 264 36 7 of thy to thy 286 6 4 tosse touze 314  33 two efficious too officious 318  21 Haec Venus Haec Venus 322  17 vivica vivifica 340  32 Stanz 5. Stanz 15. 341  26 Stanz Vers 346  18 Stanz 59. Stanz 49. 368  4 Stanz 28. Stanz 38. 369  3 Stanz 50. Stanz 51. 383  24 Stanz Stanz 2. 388  8 Stanz 84. Stanz 48. 412  17 Omnipotency Omnipraesency