conceit and hold as reason doth reveal 24 Again if souls corporeall you ween Do the light images of things appear Upon the surface slick bright smooth and sheen As in a lookingglasse Or whether dare They passe the outside and venture so farre As into the depth of the souls substance If this then they together blended are That nought we see with right discriminance If that the object gone away those forms do glance 25 Thus should we be devoid of memory And be all darknesse till the good presence Of outward objects put in energie Our sleeping soul. But this experience Plainly confutes For even in their absence We do retain their true similitude So lovers wont to maken dalliance With the fair shade their minds do still include And wistly view the grace wherewith she is endude 26 But now new reasons I will set on foot Drawn from the common sense that 's not extense But like a centre that around doth shoot Its rayes those rayes should be the outward sense As some resemble them But by no pretence Would I the outward senses should be thought To act so in a spread circumference That the seat of their forms should be distrought Or that by reach of quantities dead arms they wrought 27 For see how little share hath quantitie In act of seeing when we comprehend The heavens vast compasse in our straitend eye Nor may the ox with the Eagle contend Because a larger circle doth extend His slower lights So that if outward sense In its low acts doth not at all depend On quantity how shall the common-sense That 's farre more spiritall have thence lâ—…s dependence 28 But still more presly this point to pursue By th' smelling odours voyces by the eare By th' eye we apprehend the coloured hew Of bodies visible But what shall steer The erring senses where shall they compear In controversie what the difference Of all their objects can with judgement clear Distinguish and discern One common-sense For one alone must have this great preeminence 29 And all this one must know though still but one Else't could not judge of all But make it two Then tell me doth the soul by this alone Apprend this object that the sense doth show And that by that or doth it by both know Both objects suppose this colour and that sound If both knew both then nature did bestow In vain one faculty it doth redound But if this that that this what shall them both compound 30 And by comparison judge of them both Therefore that judge is one But whether one Without division leâ—…s now try that troth If it be any wise extent you 're gone By the same reason that afore was shown Suppose't a line the least of quantity Or sound is here there colour or each one Of the lines parts receive them both If we Grant that again we find a superfluity 31 If this part this and that part that receive We are at the same losse we were afore For one to judge them both or we bereave Our souls of judgement For who can judge more Than what he knowes It is above his power Therefore it 's plain the common sense is one One individed faculty But store Of parts would breed infinite confusion When every part mought claim proper sensation 32 If not nor all could exercise the Act Of any sense For could a power of sense Arise from stupid parts that plainly lack'd That might themselves Thus with great confidence We may conclude that th' humane souls essence Is indivisible yet every where In this her body Cause th' intelligence She hath of whatsoever happens here The aking foot the eye doth view the hand doth cheere 34 What tells the hand or head the toes great grief When it alone is pinch'd with galling shooes Do other parts not hurt call for relief For theirown fellow Ill 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 35 Which neither body nor dispersed form Nor point of form dispersed e'r could do And bodies life or spright for to transform Into our soul though that might this undo But yet 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 spright 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 have vitalitie And 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 straight for the due relief Of th' other particle there up doth start Another centrall life and tries its art But it cannot raigne long nor yet recure That deadly wound The plantall lifes depare 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 dâ—…d flame With sympathetick fire but that being spent Straight she is flowne 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 corporcall 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 rational In humane souls to prove the self same-thing Mount up aloft my Muse and now more shrilly sing THE ARGUMENT OF PSYCHATHANASIA Book 2 Cant. 3. The souls
summitie when sleep that spright doth drown Wrapt into highest heavens in ecstasie It sees such things as would low life confound Enrage with a tumultuous agonie Burst this pent spright for want of fit capacitie 58 Then it is joynd with the Eternall Idees Which move our souls as sights do here below Joynd with the spright of God we gaze on these As by the Mundane spright th' out-world we know Our soul hangs twixt them both and there doth go Where either spright doth snatch her Either raise Her inward forms which leap out nothing-slow When sympathie them calls Thus she displayes Her inward life Gods light views with her wakened rayes 59 When we confute a pregnant falsitie Cloth'd with strong phantasms in our snared mind As this suppose The earths stabilitie What help can we in our low phansie find Possest of this impression what shall bind This stubborn falshood so inveterate That spright so stifly set can't be inclin'd By ought but by the soul that contemplates Truth by her self brings out her forms that be innate 60 Flies she to sense sense pleads for Ptolemee Flies she to her low phansie that 's so swayd By sense and fore-imprest Astronomie By botch'd inculcate paradigmes made By senses dictate that they 'll both perswade That Philolaus and wise Heraclide Be frantick both Copernicus twice mad She cannot then this question well decide By ought but her own forms that in her self reside 61 Which she calls out unto her faithfull aid Commands deep silence to fond phantasie Whose odious prating truth I ath oft betraid And in its stead brought in rash falsitie Seated in sowr inert stupiditie Then farewell sense and what from sense hath sprong Saith she I 'll contemplate in puritie And quit my self of that tumultuous throng What then she finds shall be unfold in my next song THE ARGUMENT OF PSYCHATHANASIA Book 3. Cant. 3. That th' earth doth move proofs Physicall Unto us do descrie Adde reasons Theosophicall Al 's ' adde Astronomie 1 BLest souls first Authours of Astronomie Who clomb the heavens with your high reaching mind Sâ—…al'd the high battlements of the lofty skie To whom compar'd this earth a point you find Your bodies lesse what measure hath defin'd What art that mighty vastnesse Such high facts The ancient Giants swoln with raging wind Could not effect A subtile Parallax A dark Eclipse do quite obscure their braving acts 2 O the great might of mans high Phantasie That with a shade or a divided line That nought this but a thin exilitie Can do farre more then strength enrag'd with tine Hoysted with haughty pride That brood combine To clamber up to heaven Hill upon hill Ossa upon Olympus doth recline Their brawnie arms redoubled force doth fill While they their spirits summon t' effect their furious will 3 But all in vain they want the inward skill What comes from heaven onely can there ascend Not rage nor tempest that this bulk doth fill Can profit ought but gently to attend The souls still working patiently to bend Our mind to sifting reason and clear light That strangely figur'd in our soul doth wend Shifting its forms still playing in our sight Till something it present that we shall take for right 4 The busie soul it is that thither hent By strength of reason the true distancies Of the erring Planets and the vast extent Of their round bodies without outward eyes Hath view'd told their proportionalities Confounded sense by reasons strange report But wiser he that on reason relies Then stupid sense low-sunken into dirt This weapon I have got none from me may extort 5 O you stiff-standers for ag'd Ptolemee I heartly praise your humble reverence If willingly given to Antiquitie But when of him in whom's your confidence Or your own reason and experience In those same arts you find those things are true That utterly oppugne our outward sense Then are you forc'd to sense to bid adieu Not what your sense gainsayes to holden straight untrue 6 Though contraire unto sense though it be new But sooth to sayen th' earthâ—… motion is of tri'd Antiquitie as I above did shew In Philolaus and in Heraclide Those subtile thoughts of old did close reside Yet reason ought to bear away the bell But irefull ignorance cannot abide To be outtopd reprochfully 't will yell Call's mad when it s own self doth with foul furie swell 7 But let them bark like band-dogs at the moon That mindlesse passeth on in silencie I 'll take my flight above this outward sunne Regardlesse of such fond malignitie Life my self up in the Theologie Of heavenly Plato There I 'll contemplate The Archtype of this sunne that bright Idee Of steddie Good that doth its beams dilate Through all the worlds all lives and beings propagate 8 But yet in words to tride I will deigne A while They may our mind fitly prepare For higher flight we larger breath may gain By a low hovering These words they are All found in that old Oracle of Clare That heavenly power which Iao hight The highest of all the Gods thou mayst declare In spring named Zeus in summer Helios bright In autumne call'd Iao Aides in brumall night 9 These names do plainly denotate the sunne In Spring call'd Zeus from life or kindly heat In winter 'cause the dayes so quickly done He Aides hight he is not long in sight In Summer 'cause he strongly doth us smite With his hot darts then Helios we him name From Eloim or Eloah so hight In Autumne Jao Jehovah is the same So is the word deprav'd by an uncertain fame 10 So great similitude twixt Phoebus light And God that God himself the Nations deem The sun The learned Seventy have boldly pight A tent therein for the true Eloim The sensible Deity you 'll reckon him If Hermes words bear with you any sway Or if you Christian Clerks do ought esteem In Davids odes they make Gods Christ a day His father 's then the sunne from whence this light doth ray 11 Then by all the wide worlds acknowledgement The sunne's a type of that eternall light Which we call God a fair delineament Of that which Good in Plato's school is hight His T'agathon with beauteous rayes be dight Let 's now consult with their Theologie And that Idea with our inward sight Behold casheering sensibility Then in clear reason view this correspondency 12 One steddy Good centre of essencies Unmoved Monad that Apollo hight The Intellectuall sunne whose energies Are all things that appear in vitall light Whose brightnesse passeth every creatures sight Yet round about him stird with gentle fire All things do dance their being action might They thither do direct with strong desire To embosome him with close embracements they aspire 13 Unseen incomprehensible he moves About himself each seeking entity That never yet shall find that which it loves No finite thing shall reach infinity No thing dispers'd comprend that Unity Yet in their ranks they seemly foot it round
Trip it with joy at the worlds harmony Struck with the pleasure of an amorous stound So dance they with fair flowers from unknown root ycrownd 14 Still falling short they never fail to seek Nor find they nothing by their diligence They find repast their lively longings eke Kindled continued by timely influence Thus all things in distinct circumference Move about him that satisfies them all Nor be they thus stird up by wary sense Or foresight or election rationall But blindly reel about the heart of lives centrall 15 So doth the earth one of the erring seven Wheel round the fixed sunne that is the shade Of steddy Good shining in this out-heaven With the rest of those stars that God hath made Of baser matter all which be array'd With his far-shining light They sing for joy They frisque about in circulings unstay'd Dance through the liquid aire and nimbly toy cloy While Sol keeps clear their spright consumes what may ac 16 Better the Indigent be mov'd then He That wanteth nought He fills all things with light And kindly heat through his fecundity Peoples the world by his exciting spright Wakens the plants calls them out of deep night They thrust themselves into his fostring rayes Stretch themselves forth stird by his quickning might And all the while their merry roundelayes As lightsome phansies deem each Planet sprightly playes 17 But sooth to say that sound so subtile is Made by percussion of th' ethereall fire Against our aire if it be not transmisse By its exility that none ought admire That we no'te heare what well we mought desire Heavens harmony ' Cording to others lear The sound 's so big that it cannot retire Into the windings of a mortall eare So cannot the Egyptian Niles Catadupa bear 18 There ought to be certain proportion Betwixt the object and the outward sense Rash man that dost inferre negation From thy dead eare or non-experience Then let them dance and sing raise influence From lively motion that preserves their spright From foul corruption motion 's the best fense To keep off filth in children of cold Night Whose life is in dull matter but the sunne's all Light 19 Therefore full safely he may steddy stond Unmov'd at least not remov'd out of place I 'll not deny but that he may turn round On his own centre So the steps we 'll trace Of Essence Plato's On which steddy stayes And moves at once that same Iao hight In that old Clarian Oracle that sayes It is the sunne This answer will aright To Iehova or first essence as Plato school desery't 20 That same first Being Beauty Intellect Turns to his father of whom he was born In a brief instant But who can detect Such hidden mysteries back mine eyes I 'll turn Lest in this light like fluttering moth I burn Enough is shown of correspondency Twixt this worlds sunne and centre of hid Morn The radiant light of the deep Deity Thus have I fairly prov'd the sunnes stability 21 Then must the earth turn round or we want day Or never be in night Now I 'll descend Cloth'd with this truth As wrathfull dogs do bay At spectres solemn Cynthia doth send So now I backward to the senses wend They 'll bark at th' shape of my disguised mind As stranger wights they wrathfully will rend This uncouth habit They no such thing find 'Mongst their domestick forms to whom they are more kind 22 And weaker reason which they wont misguide Will deem all this nothing mysterious But my strong-winged Muse feebly to slide Into false thoughts and dreams vertiginous And plainly judge us woxen furious Thus in our rage to shake the stable earth Whirling it round with turns prodigious For it doth stedfast stand as it appear'th From the unshaken buildings it so safely bear'th 23 If it should move about then would it sting From of it self those fair extructed loads Of carved stone The aire aloud would sing With brushing trees Beasts in their dark aboads Would brained be by their own caves th' earth strowd With strange destruction All would shatter'd lye In broken shivers What mad frantick mood Doth thus invade wary Philosophy That it so dotes on such a furious falsity 24 But still more subt'lie this cause to pursue The clouds would alwayes seem to rise from th' East Which sense and oft-experience proves untrue They rise from all the quarters South North West From every part as Aeolus thinketh best Again the earths sad stupid gravity Unfit for motion shows its quiet rest Lastly an arrow shot unto the sky Would not return unto his foot that let it fly 25 Adde unto these that contrariety Of motion when as the self same things At the same time do back and forward hie As when for speed the rider fiercely dings His horse with iron heel layes the loose strings Upon his neck westward they swiftly scoure When as the earth finishing her dayly rings Doth eastward make with all her might and power She quite hath run her stage at end of twice twelve houres 26 These and like phansies do so strongly tye The slower mind to ancient Ptolemee That shamefull madnesse't were for to deny So plain a truth as they deem this to be But yet alas if they could standen free From prejudice and heavie swaying sense That dims our reason that it cannot see What 's the pure truth enough in just defense Of Pythagore we find though with small diligence 27 One single truth concerning unity Of sprights and bodies how one spirit may Inact a various Corporeity Keep 't up together and its might display Through all the bulk make 't constantly obey The powerfull dictates of that centrall spright Which being one can variously play This lore if we but once had learnd aright All what was brought against us would vanish at first sight 28 For that Magnetick might doth so combine Earth Water Aire into one Animate Whose soul or life so sweetly't doth incline So surely easly as none can relate But he that 's exercis'd in every state Of moving life What Can the plastick spright So variously it and its bulk dilate Downward to hell upward to heaven bright And strangely figur'd leaves and flowers send into sight 29 Can one poore single Centre do all this In a base weed that suddenly decayes And shall not the earths life that is transmisse Through sea and aire and with its potent rayes Informs all this all this on that life stayes Shall 't not obtain the like variety Of inward ruling motion Your minds raise O sluggish men single centrality You 'l find shall do what ere 's admit by phantasy 30 Now see if this clear apprehension Will not with ease repell each argument Which we rehers'd with an intention For to refute The earths swift movement Because 't is naturall not violent Will never shatter buildings With straight line It binds down strongly each partic'larment Of every edifice All stones incline Unto that Centre this doth
beauty quite doth crop With its 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 energic Pends not on this base corse but that self-strong She by her self can work then when we sly 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 she 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 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 bodyes vain mortality Away she flies into Eternity Finds full accomplishment of her strong 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 this bulks sympathy Which she can do if that some energy She exercise immur'd in this base clay Which on this bulk hath no dependency For then the like she 'll do that done away These independent acts its 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 to 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 test 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 understand Experienc'd men Do onely know who like impressions sustain 21 So far 's the soul from a dependency In these high actions on the body base And further signe is want of memory Of these impressions wrought in heavenly place I mean the holy Intellect they passe Leaving no footsteps of their former light When as the soul from thence descended has Which is a signe those forms be not empight In our low proper Chaos or Corporeall spright 22 For then when we our mind do downward bend Like things we here should find but all is gone Soon as our flagging souls so low descend As that straight spright Like torch that droppeth down From some high tower hold steddy clearly shone But in its fall leaves all its light behind Lies now in darknesse on the grail or stone Or dirty earth That erst so fully shin'd Within a glowing coal hath now its light confin'd 23 So doth the soul when from high Intellect To groveling sense she takes her stooping flight Falling into her body quite neglect Forget forgo her former glorious sight Grosse glowing fire for that wide shining light For purest love foul fury and base passion For clearest knowledge fell contentious fight Sprong from some scorching false inust impression Which she 'll call truth she gains O witlesse Commutation 24 But still more clear her independent might In understanding and pure subtile will To prove I will assay t' explain aright The difference ' cording to my best skill 'Twixt these and those base faculties that well From union with the low vitality Of this out-world that when my curious quill Hath well describ'd their great disparity To th' highest we may give an independency 25 The faculties we deem corporeall And bound unto this earthy instrument So bound that they no'te operate at all Without the body there immerse and meint Be hearing feeling tasting sight and sent Adde lower phansie Mundane memory Those powers be all or more or lesse ypent In this grosse life We 'll first their property Set down and then the others contrariety 26 This might perceives not its own instrument The taste discovers not the spungy tongue Nor is the Mundane spright through all extent From whence are sense and lower phansie sprong Perceived by the best of all among These learned five nor yet by phantasie Nor doth or this or those so nearly throng Unto themselves as by propinquity To apprehend themselves They no'te themselves descry 27 Nor ever learnd they their own energie The mind held somewhere else in open sight What ever lies unknown unto the eye It lies though there its image be empight Till that our soul look on that image right Wherefore themselves the senses do not know Nor doth our phansie for each furious wight Hath phansie full enough so full't doth show As sense nor he nor 's phansie doth that phansie know 28 Age potent objects too long exercise Do weaken hurt and much debilitate Those lower faculties The Sun our eyes Confounds with dazeling beams of light so that For a good while we cannot contemplate Ought visible thus thunder deafs the eare And age hurts both that doth quite ruinate Our sense and phansie so if long we heare Or see 't sounds not so sweet nor can we see so clear 29 Lastly the Senses reach but to one kind Of things The eye sees colours so the eare Hears sounds the nostrills snuff perfumed wind What grosse impressions the out-out-senses bear The phansie represents sometimes it dare Make unseen shapes with uncouth transformation Such things as never in true nature are But all this while the phansies operation Is bound to law of bodies such is her figurat on 30 This is the nature of those faculties That of the lower Mundane spright depend But in our Intellect farre otherwise We'st see it if we pressely will attend And trace the parallels unto the end There 's no self-knowledge Here the soul doth find Her self If so then without instrument For what more fit to show our inward mind Then our own mind But if 't be otherwise defind 31 Then tell me Knows she that fit instrument If the kens not that instrument how can She judge whether truly it doth represent Her self there may be foul delusion But if she kens this organ straight upon This grant I 'll ask how kens she this same tole What by another by what that so go on Till to infinity you
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 Uranore She Uranora hight because the fire Of Aethers essence she with bright attire And inward unseen golden hew doth dight And life of sense and phancie doth inspire Aether's the vehicle of touch smell sight Of taste and hearing too and of the plastick might 16 Whylom 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 Hattubaean shore She stood the last for her did stand before The lovely Autocal But first of all Was mighty Hattove deeply covered o're With unseen light No might Imaginall â—…ay 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 yshent Through his fond juvenile ambition â—…h ' unruly flundring 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 its 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 â—…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 lest some hidden lye 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 â—…he garment round or circular I do aread 20 As for its colour and materiall It silken seems and of an azur hew If hew it have or colour naturall For much it may amaze 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 azur staâ—… 21 But this fair azur 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 're put in trust You duly do attend If simple deed Accord with simple life then needs you must From the great Urauore of favour speed Though you can not 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 then pompous Courâ—… Excels the homeliest garb of Country 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 i 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 doe these lamping shewes the azur quell Or other colours where 't beseemeth best There they themselves dispose so seemly well â—…th 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 silver 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 To whelm on th' earth So school-boyes do aspire â—…ith coppell'd hat to quelm the Bee all arm'd with ire 26 I saw pourtray'd on this Sky-coloured silk Two lovely lads with wings fully dispread Of silver plumes their skin more white then milk Their lilly limbs I greatly admired Their cheary looks and lustie livelyhed Athwart their snowy breast a scarf they wore Of azur hew fairly bespangoled Was the gold fringe Like Doves so forth they fore â—…me message they I ween to Monocardia bore 27 O gentle sprights whose carefull oversight Tends humane actions sons of Solyma O heavenly Salems sons you send the right You violence resist and fraud bewray The ill with ill the good with good you pay And if you list to mortall eye appear You thick that veil and so your selves array With visibility O mystery rare That thickned veil should maken things appear more bare 28 But well I wote that nothing's bare to sense For sense cannot arrive to th' inwardnesse Of things nor penetrate the crusty fence Of constipated matter close compresse Or that were laid aside yet nathelesse Things thus unbar'd to sense be more obscure Therefore those Sonnes of Love when they them dreâ—… For sight they thick the vest of Uranure And from their centre overflow't with beauty pure 29 Thus many goodly things have been unfold Of Uranures fair changing ornament Yet far more hiddenly as yet untold For all to tell was never my intent Neither all could I tell if I so ment For her large robe all the wide world doth fill It s various largenesse no man can depaint My pen's from thence my books my ink but skill From Uranures own self down gently doth distill 30 But yet one thing I saw that I 'll not passe At the low hem of this large garment gay Number of goodly balls there pendent was Some like the Sun some like the Moons white ray Some like discoloured Tellus when the day Discries her painted coat In wond'rous wise These coloured ones do circle float and play As those far-shining Rounds in open skies Their course the best Astronomer might well aggrize 31 These danc'd about but some I did espie That steddy stood 'mongst which there shined one More fairly shineth not the worlds great eye Which from his plenteous store unto the Moon Kindly imparteth light that when he 's gone She might supply his place and well abate The irksome uglinesse of that foul drone Sad heavie night yet quick to work the fate Of murdered travellers when they themselves belate 32 O gladsome life of sense that doth adore The outward shape of the worlds curious frame The proudest Prince that ever Sceptre bore Though he perhaps
and thither Of this miroir bright Haphe's the life and representing might Haphe's the mother of sense-sympathy Hence are both hearing smelling taste and sight Haphe's the root of felt vitality â—…ut Haphe's mother hight all-spread Community 50 In this clear shining miroir Psyche sees All that falls under sense what ere is done Upon the earth the deserts shaken trees The mournfull winds the solitary wonne Of dreaded beasts the Lybian Lions moan When their hot entrals skorch with hunger keen And they to God for meaâ—… do deeply groan He hears their crie he sees of them unseen â—…is eyelids compasse all that in the wide world been 51 He sees the weary traveller sit down In the waste field ofttimes with carefull chear His chafed feet and the long way to town His burning thirst faintnesse and Panick fear Because he sees not him that stands so near Fetch from his soul deep sighs with count'nance sad But he looks on to whom nought doth dispear O happy man that full perswasion had Of this if right at home nought of him were ydrad 51 A many sparrows for small price be sold Yet none of them his wings on earth doth close Lighting full soft but that eye doth behold Their jets their jumps that miroir doth disclose Thrice happy he that putteth his repose In his all-present God That Africk rock But touch'd with heedlesse hand Auster arose With blust'ring rage that with his irefull shock And moody might he made the worlds frame nigh to rocâ—… 53 And shall not He when his Anointed be Ill handled rise and in his wrathfull stour Disperse and quell the haughty enemie Make their brisk sprights to lout and lowly lour Or else confound them quite with mighty power Touch not my Kings my Prophets let alone Harm not my Priests or you shall ill indure Your works sad payment and that deadly lone Keep off your hand from that high holy rock of stone 54 Do not I see I slumber not nor sleep Do not I heare each noise by shady night My miroir represents when mortals sleep Their languid limbs in Morpheus dull delight I hear such sounds as Adams brood would fright The dolefull echoes from the hollow hill Mock houling wolves the woods with black bedight Answer rough Pan his pipe and eke his skill And all the Satyr-routs rude whoops and shoutings shrill 55 The night 's no night to me What shall the Owl And nimble cat their courses truly steer And guide their feet and wings to every hole So right this on the ground that in the aire And shall not I by night see full as clear All sense doth in proportion consist Arachnea doth all proportions bear All sensible proportions that fine twist Contains all life of sense is in great Haphes list 56 Sense and concent and all abhorrency Be variously divided in each one Partic'lar creature But antipathy Cannot be there where fit proportion Strikes in with all things in harmonious tone Thus Haphe feels nought to her self cont raire In her there 's tun'd a just Diapason For every outward stroke withouten jar Thus each thing doth she feel and each thing easly bear 57 But Haphe and Arachne I 'll dismisse And that fourth vest rich Semele display The largest of all foure and loosest is This floting flouring changeable array How fairly doth it shine and nimbly play Whiles gentle winds of Paradise do blow And that bright Sun of the eternall day Upon it glorious light and forms doth strow And Ahad it with love and joy doth overflow 58 This all-spread Semele doth Bacchus bear Impregn'd of Iove or On. He is the wine That sad down-drouping senses wont to rear And cheerlesse hearts to comfort in ill tine He ' flames chaste Poets brains with fire divine The stronger spright the weaker spright doth sway No wonder then each phansie doth incline To their great mother Semel and obey The vigorous impresse of her enforcing ray 59 She is the mother of each Semele The daughters be divided one from one But she grasps all How can she then but see Each Semels shadows by this union She sees and swayes imagination As she thinks good and if that she think good She lets it play by 't self yet looketh on While she keeps in that large strong-beating flood That gars the Poet write and rave as he were wood 60 Prophets and Poets have their life from hence Like fire into their marrow it searcheth deep This flaming fiery flake doth choak all sense And binds the lower man with brasen sleep Corruption through all his bones doth creep And raging raptures do his soul outsnatch Round-turning whirlwinds on Olympus steep Do cast the soul that earst they out did catch Then stiller whispering winds dark visions unlatch 61 But not too farre thou bold Platonick Swain Strive not at once all myst'ries to discover Of that strange school More and more hard remain As yet untold But let us now recover Strength to our selves by rest in duly hower Great Psyches parentage marriage and weeds We having song according to our power That we may rise more fresh for morning deeds Let 's here take Inne and rest our weary sweating steeds THE ARGUMENT OF PSYCHOZOIA Lib. 2. Here 's taught how into Psychanie Souls from their centrall sourse Go forth Here Beirons ingeny Old Mnemon doth discourse 1 I Sang great Psyche in my former song Old Hattoves daughter sister unto On Mother of all that nimble Atom-throng Of winged lives and generation When Psyche wedded to Autocalon They both to Ahad forthwith straight were wed For as you heard all these became but one And so conjoyn'd they lie all in one bed And with that foure-fold vest they be all overspred 2 Here lies the inmost centre of Creation From whence all inward forms and life proceed Here 's that aereall stole that to each fashion Of sensibles is matter for their weed This is the ground where God doth sow his seed And whilest he sowes with whispering charms doth bid This flourish long and that to make more speed And all in order by his word doth rid So in their fatall round they 'pear and then are hid 3 Beginning end form and continuance Th' impression of his word to them doth deal Occurrences he sees and mindeth chance But chance hath bounds The Sea cannot â—…'reswell Its just precincts or rocky shores repell Its foming force or else its inward life And Centrall rains do fairly it compell Within it self and gently ' pease the strife Or makes it gnaw the bit with rore and rage full rife 4 So fluid chance is set its certain bound Although with circling winds it be ytost And so the Pilots skill doth quite confound With unexpected storms and men have lost Their time their labour and their precious cost Yet there 's a Neptune Sovereigne of this Sea Which those that in themselves put not their trust To rude mischance did never yet betray It s He whom both the winds and stormy seas
obay 5 Now sith my wandring Bark so far is gone And flitten forth upon the Occan main I thee beseech that just dominion Hast of the Sea and art true Sovereigne Of working phansie when it floats amain With full impregned billows and strong rage Enforceth way upon the boyling plain That thou wouldst steer my ship with wisdome sage That I with happy course may run my watery stage 6 My mind is mov'd dark Parables to sing Of Psyche's progeny that from her came When she was married to that great King Great Aeon who just title well may claim Of every soul and brand them with his name It s He that made us and not our own might But who alas this work can well proclaim We silly sheep cannot bleat out aright The manner how but that that giveth light is light 7 Then let us borrow from the glorious Sun A little light to illustrate this act Such as he is in his solstitiall noon When in the welkin there 's no cloudy tract For to make grosse his beams and light refract Then sweep by all those globes that by reflection His long small shafts do rudely beaten back And let his rayes have undenied projection And so we will pursue this mysteries retection 8 Now think upon that gay discoloured bow That part that is remotest from the light Doth duskish hew to the beholder show The nearer parts have colours far more bright And next the brightest is the subtle light Then colours seem but a distinct degree Of light now failing such let be the sight Of his far spreaden beams that shines on high â—…et vast discoloured orbs close his extremity 9 The last extreme the fardest off from light That 's natures deadly shadow Hyle's cell O horrid cave and womb of dredded Night Mother of witchcraft and the cursed spell Which nothing can avail 'gainst Israel No Magick can him hurt his portion Is not divided nature he doth dwell In light in holy love in union Not fast to this or that but free communion 10 Dependence of this All hence doth appear And severall degrees subordinate But phansie's so unfit such things to clear That oft it makes them seem more intricate And now Gods work it doth disterminate Too far from his own reach But he withall More inward is and far more intimate Then things are with themselves His ideall And centrall presence is in every atom-ball 11 Therefore those different hews through all extend So far as light Let light be every where And every where with light distinctly blend Those different colours which I nam'd whilere The extremities of that far shining sphere And that far shining sphere which centre was Of all those different colours and bright chear You must unfasten so o'respred it has Or rather deeply fill'd with centrall sand each place 12 Now sith that this withouten penetrance Of bodies may be done we clearly see As well as that pendent subordinance The nearly couching of each realtie And the Creatours close propinquitie To ev'ry creature This be understood Of differentiall profundity But for the overspreading latitude Why may 't not equally be stretch'd with th' Ocean floud 13 There Proteus wonnes and fleet Idothea Where the low'st step of that profunditie Is pight Next that is Psyche's out array It Tasis hight Physis is next degree There Psyche's feet impart a smaller fee Of gentle warmth Physis is the great womb From whence all things in th' Universitie Yclad in diverse forms do gaily bloom And after fade away as Psyche gives the doom 14 Next Physis is the tender Arachne There in her subtile loom doth Haphe sit But the last vest is changing Semele And next is Psyches self These garments fit Her sacred limbs full well and are so knit One part to other that the strongest sway Of sharpest axe them no'te asunder smite The seventh is Aeon with eternall ray The eighth Hattove steddy cube allpropping Adonai 15. Upon this universall Ogdoas Is founded every particularment From this same universall Diapase Each harmony is fram'd and sweet consent But that I swerve not farre from my intent This Ogdoas let be an unitie One mighty quickned orb of vast extent Throughly possest of lifes community And so those vests be seats of Gods vitality 16 Now deem this universall round alone And rayes no rayes but a first all-spread light And centrick all like one pellucid Sun A Sun that 's free not bound by natures might That where it lists exerts his rayes outright Both when it lists and what and eke how long And then retracts so as it thinketh meet These rayes be that particular creature-throng Their number none can tell but that all-making tongue 17 Now blundring Naturalist behold the spring Of thy deep-searching soul that fain would know Whether a mortall or immortall thing It be and whence at first it gan to flow And that which chiefest is where it must go Some fixt necessity thou fain wouldst find But no necessity where there 's no law But the good pleasure of an unty'd mind Therefore thy God seek out and leave nature behind 18 He kills He makes alive the keys of hell And death he hath He can keep souls to wo When cruell hands of fate them hence expell Or He in Lethe's lake can drench them so That they no act of life or sense can show They march out at His word and they retreat March out with joy retreat with footing slow In gloomy shade benumm'd with pallid sweat And with their feeble wings their fainting breasts they beat 19 But souls that of his own good life partake He loves as His own self dear as His eye They are to Him He 'll never them forsake When they shall dye then God Himself shall dye They live they live in blest eternity The wicked are not so but like the dirt Trampled by man and beast in grave they ly Filth and corruption is their rufull sort Themselves with death and worms in darknesse they disport 20 Their rotten relicks lurk close under ground With living wight no sense or sympathy They have at all nor hollow thundring sound Of roring winds that cold mortality Can wake ywrapt in sad fatality To horses hoof that beats his grassie dore He answers not The Moon in silency Doth passe by night and all bedew him o're With her cold humid rayes but he feels not heavens poâ—… 21 O dolefull lot of disobedience If God should souls thus drench in Lethe lake But O unspeakable torture of sense When sinfull souls do life and sense partake That those damn'd spirits may the anvils make Of their fell cruelty that lay such blowâ—… That very ruth doth make my heart to quake When I consider of the drery woes And tearing torment that each soul then undergoes 22 Hence the souls nature we may plainly see A beam it is of th' intellectuall sun A ray indeed of that eternity But such a ray as when it first out shone From a free light
knew 't Is that which Adam lost by wily train Of th' old sly snake that Eve beguil'd with speeches vain 19 This was the Image of the highest God Which brutes partake not of This Image hight True Justice that keeps ever the even trod True Piety that yields to man the sight Of heavenly beauty those fair beams so brigat Of th' everlasting Deity that shed Their sacred fire within the purer spright The fruit of â—…den wherewith souls be sed Mans awfull majesty of eyery beast ydred 20 Nor is that radiant force in humane kind Extinguisht quite he that did them create Can those dull rusty chains of sleep unbind And rear the soul unto her priftin state He can them so inlarge and elevate Aud spreaden out that they can compasse all When they no longer be incarcerate In this dark dungeon this foul fleshy wall Nor be no longer wedg'd in things corporeall 21 But rais'd aloft into their proper sphere That sphere that hight th' Orb Intellectuall They quiet sit as when the flitting fire That Natures mighty Magick down did call Into the oyly wood at its own fall Grows full of wrath and rage and gins to fume And roars and strives 'gainst its disquietall Like troubled Ghost forc'd some shape to assume But it its holding foe at doth last quite consume 22 And then like gliding spright doth straight dispear That earst was forc'd to take a fiery form Full lightly it ascends into the clear And subtile aire devoid of cloudy storm Where it doth steddy stand all-uniform Pure pervious immixt innocuous mild Nought scorching nought glowing nought enorm Nought destroying not destroy'd not defil'd Foul fume being spent just 'fore its flight it fairly smil'd 23 Thus have I trac'd the soul in all its works And severall conditions have displaid And show'd all places where so e'r she lurks Even her own lurkings of her self bewray'd In plants in beasts in men while here she staid And freed from earth how then she spreads on high Her heavenly rayes that also hath been said Look now my Muse and cast thy piercing eye On every kind and tell wherein all souls agree 24 Here dare I not define't th' Entelechy Of organized bodies For this life This centrall life which men take souls to be Is not among the beings relative And sure some souls at least are self-active Withouten body having Energie Many put out their force informative In their ethereall corporeity Devoid of heterogeneall organity 25 Self-moving substance that be th' definition Of souls that longs to them in generall This well expresseth that common condition Of every vitall centre creaturall For why both that hight form spermaticall Hath here a share as also that we term Soul sensitive I 'll call 't form bestiall It makes a beast added to plantall sperin Adde rationall form it makes a man as men affirm 26 All these be substances self-moveable And that we call virtue magneticall That what 's defin'd be irreproveable I comprehend it in the life plantall Mongst trees there 's found life Sympatheticall Though trees have not animadversive sense Therefore the soul 's Autocinelicall Alone What ere 's in this defining sense Is soul what ere 's not soul is driven far from heace 27 But that each soul 's Autocineticall Is easly shown by sitting all degrees Of souls The first are forms Spermaticall That best be seen in shaping armed trees Which if they want their fixt Centreities By which they fairly every part extend And gently inact with spred vitalities The flowring boughs How Natures work doth wend Who knows or from what inward stay it doth depend 28 Forthy let first an inward centre hid Be put That 's nought but Natures fancie ti'd In closer knot shut up into the mid Of its own self so our own spirits gride With piercing wind in storming winter tide Contract themselves and shrivell up together Like snake the countrey man in snow espi'd Whose spright was quite shrunk in by nipping weather From whence things come by foman 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 â—…ummed 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' aire 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 opakenes enemie to light And crown themselves in signe of victorie With shining leaves and goodly blossomes bright Thus called out by friendly sympathie Their souls move of themselves on their Centreitie 32 But it's more plain in animalitie When fierie coursers strike the grassie ground With swift tempestuous feet that farre and nigh They fill mens eares 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 So straight retreat they must of necessitie decline 35 But yet they follow in a course oblique With angular doublings as the joints permit So go they up together not unlike An iron candle-stick the smith hath fit With many junctures whom in studious sit Some scholar set a work 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
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 it self Nought divisible may Close with it self by revolution For then or part in this reflexion 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 easly 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 'll have no distancy So you destroy suppos'd divirsibilitie 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 its 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 easly creep 26 But this conversion's from the body free Begins not thence nor thither doth return Nor is the soul worse then its energie If in its acts it be far higher born Then they should pend on this base bulk forlorn Then also she hath 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 Eudemus to whom sicâ—… at Phere While sleep his senses bound this revelation A gentle youth did bring with goodly cheer And jolly blith deportment chacing needlesse fear 30 Told him that sicknesse would not mortall prove He should grow well e'r 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 it is untied 31 Then quite set loose from this bulks heavy chain She is in happiest plight so far she is From being nought or perishing Again We find such utter contrarieties Betwixt the bodies and her energies 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 stream be alwayes homogeneall 32 But the high heaven-born soul sprung out from Jove Ever is clashing with the foolery Of this dull body which the sense doth love And erring phansie It were long to trie In every thing O how 't would magnifie The height of pleasures that fall under sense This well describ'd would-prove its Deity A vast round body cloth'd with th' excellence Of glorious glistring light through the wide aire extense 33 Bravely adorn'd with diverse colours gay Even infinite varieties that shine With wond'rous brightnesse varnish'd with the ray Of that clear light with motion circuline Let turn about and stir up sounds divine That sweetly may affect th' attentive eare Adde fragrant odours wast with gentle wind Adde pleasant taste soft touch to Venus dear This is the bodies God this is its highest sphere 34 But from far higher place and brighter light Our reason checks us for this vanity Calls to us warns us that that empty sight Lead not our soul unto Idolatry Make us not rest in easie falsitie If thou be stirred up by working sire To search out God to find the Deity Take to thy self not what thine eyes admire Or any outward sense or what sense can desire 35 Behold a light far brighter then the Sunne The Sun 's a shadow if you them compare Or grosse Cimmerian mist the fairest Noon Exceeds not the meridian night so far As that light doth the Sun So perfect clear So perfect pure it is that outward eye Cannot behold this inward subtile starre But indisperst is this bright Majesty Yet every where out shining in in finitie 36 Unplac'd unparted one close Unity Yet omnipresent all things yet but one Not streak'd with gaudy multiplicity Pure light without discolouration Stable without circumvolution Eternall rest joy without passing sound What sound is made without collision Smell taste and touch make God a grosse compound Yet truth of all that 's good is perfectly here found 37 This is a riddle unto outward sense And heavie phansie that can rise no higher Then outward senses knows no excellence But what those five do faithfully inspire From their great god this world nor do desire More then they know wherefore to consopite Or quench this false light of bold phansies fire Surely must be an act contrary quite Unto this bodies life and its low groveling spright 38 Wherefore the body 's not originall Of humane soul when it doth thus resist That principle which still more clearly shall Be proved Oft when either drowsie mists Provoke to sleep or worst of senses lists To ease its swelling veins or stomach craves Its wonted food that it too long hath mist Or our dry lungs cool liquor fain would have Or when in warre our heart suggests the fear of grave 39 Yet high desire of truth and deep insight Into Gods mystery makes us command These low attractions and our countries right Bids march on bravely stout and stifly stand In bloudy fight and try 't by strength of hand Thus truth and honesty so sway our will That we no longer doubt to break the band Of lower Nature and this body kill Or vex so we the Laws of reason may fulfill 40 This proves the
soul to sit at liberty Not wedg'd into this masse of earth but free Unloos'd from any strong necessity To do the bodies dictates while we see Clear reason shining in serenity Calling above unto us pointing to What 's right and decent what doth best agree With those sweet lovely Ideas that do show Some glimps of their pure light So Sol through clouds doth flow 41 How oft do we neglect this bodies life And outward comely plight for to adorn Our soul with virtuous ornaments and strive To fat our mind with truth while it 's forlorn Squallid half-nasty pallid wan deform Can this desire from the base body spring No sure such brave atchievements be yborn Within the soul tend to her perfecting See th' independent mind in her self circuling 42 Best plight of body hinders such like acts How doth she then upon the body pend To do those subtle high pure heavenly facts What doth the Sun his rayes that he out-sends Smother or choke though clouds that upward wend May raised be by him yet of those clouds That he doth congregate he no'te depend Nor doth the soul that in this flesh doth croud Her self rely on that thick vapour where she 's shroud 43 But still to prove it clearer If the mind Without the bodyes help can operate Of its own self then nothing can we find To scruple at but that souls separate Safely exist not subject unto fate Nothing depending on their carcases That they should fade when those be ruinate But first perpend well both their energies That we may better see their independencies 44 The living body where the soul doth ' bide These functions hath phansie sense memory How into sense these outward forms do glide I have already told Vitality And presentisick circularity Is spread through all there is one Mundane spright And body vitall corporality We have from hence Our souls be counite With the worlds spright and body with these herself she has dight 45 Our body struck by evolution Of outward forms spread in the worlds vast spright Our listning mind by its adversion Doth notice take but nothing is empight In it Of old Gods hand did all forms write In humane souls which waken at the knock Of Mundane shapes If they were naked quite Of innate forms though heaven and earth should rock With roring winds they 'd heare no more then sensles stock 46 Phansy's th' impression of those forms that flit In this low life They oft continue long When as our spright more potently is hit By their incursions and appulses strong Like heated water though a while but hung On fiercer fire an hot impression Long time retains so forms more stoutly flung Against our spright make deep insculption Long time it is till their clear abolition 47 Hence springeth that which men call memory When outward object doth characterize Our inward common spright of when that we From our own soul stir up clear phantasies Which be our own elicited Idees Springing from our own contrall life by might Of our strong Fiat as oft as we please With these we seal that under grosser spright Make that our note-book there our choisest notions write 48 But sith it is not any part of us But longeth unto the great world it must Be chang'd for course of time voraginous With rapid force is violently just Makes each thing pay with what it was intrust The common life sucks back the common spright The body backward falls into the dust It doth it by degrees Hence phancie sight And memorie in age do not their functions right 49 Often disease or some hard casualtie Doth hurt this spirit that a man doth lose The use of sense wit phansie memorie That hence rash men our souls mortall suppose Through their rude ignorance but to disclose The very truth our soul 's in safetie In that distemper that doth ill dispose Her under spright But her sad miserie Is that so close she 's tied in a prone Unitie 50 Leans on this bodies false vitalitie Seeks for things there not in herself nor higher Extremely loves this bodies company Trusts in its life thither bends her desire But when it gins to fail she 's left i' th' mire Yet hard upon us hangs th' Eternall light The ever-live Idees the lamping fire Of lasting Intellect whose nearnesse might Illumine were our minds not lost in that frail spright 51 That spright and we are plain another thing Which now I 'll clearly show that we may see Our independence on its existing Which I must prove by eithers energie That spright hath no preceptibilitie Of her impressions Phantasie nor sense Perceive themselves often with open eye We look upon a man in our presence And yet of that near object have no cognoscence 52 And so of Phansies that be fresh enough Even deeply seald upon that lower spright Unlesse we seek them out and pierce them through With aiming animadversion they in night Do lurk unknown to us though they be bright In their own selves Again some object may In its great vigour lustre sweying might This spirit wound by its fierce riving ray Our sight is hurt by th' eye of the broad blasing day 53 Beside the senses each one are restraind To its own object so â—…s Phantasie That in the spirits compasse is containd As likewise the low naturall memorie But sooth to say by a strong sympathie We both are mov'd by these and these do move As the light spider that makes at a flie Her self now moves the web she subt'ly wove Mov'd first by her own web when here the flie did rove 54 Like spider in her web so do we sit Within this spirit and if ought do shake This subtil loom we feel as it doth hit Most part into adversion we awake Unlesse we chance into our selves betake Our selves or listen to the lucid voice Of th'intellect which these low tumults slake But our own selves judge of what ere accloyes Our muddied mind or what lifts up to heavenly joyes 55 All the five senses Phansie Memorie We feel their work distinguish and compare Find out their natures by the subtiltie Of sifting reason Then they objects are Of th' understanding bear no greater share In this same act then objects wont to do They are two realties distinguish'd clear One from the other as I erst did show She knows that spright that sprigh our soul can never know 56 Sense Phansie Memorie as afore was said Be hurt by stronger objects or be spoild By longer exercise Our soul ne're fades But doth its spright commiserate long toild With agitation when it feels it moild Descends to comfort it and gives it rest But she grows quicker vaster never foild With contemplations that this spright molest The inward soul 's renew'd as cannot be exprest 57 How soul and spright be severed we see But how 't works by it self is not yet shown I mean without this sprights assistencie Though not quite by its self High light doth crown Its
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 severity 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 fruit remains of all my skill hath wraught 9 o th' emptinesse of vain Philosophy When thin-spunne reason and exile discourse Make the soul creep through a strait Theory Whither the blunter mind can never force It 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 stoure Such thin slight clothing will not keep us dry When the grim heavens all black and sadly soure With rage and tempest plenteously dovvn shovver Great floods of rain Dispread exility Of slyer reasons fails Some greater povver 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 It feels the power how 't commands the spright Of the low man vigorously finds it must Be independent of such feeble might Whose motions dare not 'pear before its awfull sight 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 feigne in God a tyranny Under pretense t' encrease his sovereigne 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 17 This is the measure of Gods providence The key of knowledge the first fair Idee The eye of truth the spring of living sense Whence sprout Gods secrets the sweet mystery Of lasting life eternall charity But you O bitter men and soure of spright Which brand Gods name with such foul infamy As though poore humane race he did or slight Or curiously view to do them some despight 18 And all to shew his mighty excellency His uncontrolled strength fond men areed Is 't not as great an act from misery To keep the feeble as his life to speed With fatall stroke The weak shak'd whisling reed Shows Boreas wondrous strong but ignorance And false conceit is the foul spirits meed Gods lovely life hath there no enterance Hence their fond thoughts for truth they vainly do advance 19 If God do all things simply at his pleasure Because he will and not because its good So that his actions shall have no set measure Is 't possible it should be understood What he intends I feel that he is lov'd Of my dear soul and know that I have born Much for his sake yet is it not hence prov'd That I shall live though I do sigh and mourn To find his face his creatures wish he 'll slight and scorn 02 When I breath out my utmost vitall breath And my dear spirit to my God commend Yet some foul feigne close lurking underneath My serious humble soul from me may rend So to the lower shades down we shall wend Though I in hearts simplicity expected A better doom sith I my steps did bend Toward the will of God and had detected Strong hope of lasting life but now I am rejected 21 Nor of well being nor subsistency Of our poore souls when they do hence depart Can any be assur'd if liberty We give to such odde thoughts that thus pervert The laws of God and rashly do assert That will rules God but Good rules not Gods will What ere from right love equity doth start For ought we know then God may act that ill Onely to show his might and his free mind fulfill 22 O belch of hell O horrid blasphemy That Heavens unblemish'd beauty thus dost stain And brand Gods nature with such infamy Can Wise Iust Good do ought that 's harsh or vain All what he doth is for the creatures gain Not seeking ought from us for his content What is a drop unto the Ocean main All he intends is our accomplishment His being is self-full self-joy'd self-excellent 23 He his fair beams through all has freely sent Purge but thy soul that thou mayst take them in With froward hypocrite he never went That finds pretexts to keep his darling sinne Through all the earth this spright takes pains to winne Unto it self such as be simply true And with malignant pride resist not him But strive to do what he for right doth shew So still a greater light he brings into their view 24 All lives in severall circumference Look up unto him and expect their food He opes his hand showrs down their sustinence So all things be yfild with their wish'd good All drink are satisfi'd from this free flood But circling life that yet unsettled is Grows straight as it is further still remov'd
spoke my mind so fully before The motives that drevv me to adde them to the former are exprest in the Poems themselves My drift is one in them all vvhich is to raise a certain number of vvell ordered Phantasms fitly shaped out and vvarily contrived vvhich I set to skirmish and conflict vvith all the furious phansies of Epicurisine and Atheisme But here 's my disadvantage that victory vvill be no victory unlesse the adversary acknovvledge himself overcome None can acknovvledge himself overcome unlesse he perceive the strength and feel the stroke of the more povverfull arguments But the exility and subtletie of many and that not of the meanest is such nor can they be othervvise that they vvill as that kind of thunder vvhich the Poets do commonly call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from it s over quick and penetrating energie go through their more porous and spongie minds vvithout any sensible impression Sure I am that sensuality is alvvayes an enemy to subtilty of reason vvhich hath its rise from subtilty of phansie so that the life of the body being vigorous and radiant in the soul hinders us of the sight of more attenuate phantasms But that being supprest or very much castigate and kept under our inward apprehension grows clearer and larger Few men can imagine any thing so clearly awake as they did when they were asleep And what 's the reason but that the sense of the body is then bound up or dead in a manner The dark glasse-windows will afford us a further illustration for this purpose Why is it that we see our ovvn faces there by night What can reflect the species as they phrase it when the glasse is pervious and transparent Surely reflection in the ordinary apprehension is but a conceit The darknesse behind the glasse is enough to exhibit visibly the forms of things within by hiding stronger objects from the eye which would burie these weak idola in their â—…ore orient lustre The starres shine and fill the aire with their species by day but are to be seen onely in a deep pit which may fence the Sunnes light from striking our sight so strongly Every contemptible candle conquers the beams of the Moon by the same advantage that the Sunnes doth the Starres viz. propinquitie But put out the candle and you will presently find the moon-light in the room exclude the moon and then the feeblest of all species will step out into energie we shall behold the night All this is but to shew how the stronger or nearer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth 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 but the very energie of the soul 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 there not the same degree of energie 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 the soul into a perpetuall sensuall energie if we foster this and unite our minds will and animadversion with it will by its close nearnesse 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 stars 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 profunditie 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 vvritings fall into the hands of men othervvise qualified I shall gain the lesse approbation But if they vvill endeavour to compose themselves as near as they can to this temper though they vvere of another opinion then vvhat my writings intend to prove I doubt not but they vvill have the happinesse to be overcome and to prove gainers by my victorie 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 vvhich my arguments conclude against Though they vvere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet vvere vve safe enough as safe as the beams of the Sunne the Sunne 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 vvorking 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 vvhich is of great moment For if one onely soul act in
forward roll An horrid monster count in Philosophick school 32 The soul then works by it self and is self-liv'd Sith that it acts without an instrument Free energies from her own self deriv'd Flow round But to go on The eyes yblent Do blink even blind with objects vehement So that till they themselves do well recure Lesse matters they no'te see But rayes down sent From higher sourse the mind do maken pure Do clear do subtilise do fix do settle sure 33 That if so be she list to bend her will To lesser matters she would it perform More excellently with more art and skill Nor by long exercise her strength is worn Witnesse wise Socrates from morn to morn That stood as stiff as any trunck of tree What eye could bear in contemplation So long a fix'dnesse none so long could see It s watery tears would wail its frail infirmity 34 Nor feeble eld sure harbenger of death Doth hinder the free work of th' Intellect When th' eye growes dim and dark that it unneath Can see through age the mind then close collect Into it self such misteries doth detest By its far-piercing beams that youthfull heat Doth count them folly and with scorn neglect His ignorance concludes them but deceit He hears not that still voyce his pulse so loud doth beat 35 Lastly sense phansie though they be confin'd To certain objects which to severall Belong yet sure the Intellect or mind Apprehends all objects both corporeall As colours sounds and incorporeall As virtue wisdome and the higher spright Gods love and beauty intellectuall So that its plain that she is higher pight Then in all acts to pend on any earthly might 36 If will and appetite we list compare Like difference we easly there discover This pent contract yfraught with furious jar And fierce antipathy It boyleth over With fell revenge or if new chance to cover The former passion Suppose lust or fear Yet all are tumults but the will doth hover No whit enslav'd to what she findeth here But in a free suspense her self doth nimbly bear 37 Mild gentle calm quick large subtill serene These be her properties which do increase The more that vigour in the bodies vein Doth waste and waxen faint Desires decrease When age the Mundane spright doth more release From this strait mansion But the will doth flower And fairly spread near to our last decease Embraceth God with much more life and power Then ever it could do in its fresh vernall hower 38. Wherefore I think we safely may conclude That Will and Intellect do not rely Upon the body sith they are indew'd With such apparent contrariety Of qualities to sense and phantasie Which plainly on the body do depend So that departed souls free energie May well exert when they have made an end Of this vain life nor need to Lethe Lake descend The Argument of ANTIPSYCHOP ANNYCHIA Cant. 2. Bondage and freedom's here set out By an inverted Cone The self-formd soul may work without Incorporation 1 FOuntain of beings the vast deep abysse Of life and love and penetrating Will That breaks through narrow Night and so transmisse At last doth find it self What mortall skill Can reach this mysterie my trembling quill Much lesse may set it forth yet as I may I must attempt this task for to fulfill He guide my pen while I this work assay Who All through all himself doth infinitely display 2 My end 's loose largenesse and full libertie To finden out Most precious thing I ween When centrall life it s outgone energie Doth spreaden forth unsneep'd by foe-man keen And like unclouded Sunne doth freely shine This is right Libertie whose first Idee And measure is that holy root divine Of all free life hight Ahad Unitie In all things He at once is present totally 3 Each totall presence must be infinite So is he infinite infinitie Those infinites you must not disunite So is he one all-spreaden Unitie Nor must you so out-spread this Deitie But that infinitie so infinite Must be in every infinite so we Must multiplie this infinite single sight Above all apprehension of a mortall wit 4 What is not infinitely infinite It is not simply infinite and free For straitnesse if you do conceive aright Is the true daughter of deficiencie But sith there 's no defect in Unitie Or Ahad Ahad this first centre hight In Poetrie as yet to vulgar eye Unpublish'd him first freedome infinite We may well style And next is that eternall light 5 Sonne unto Ahad Aeon we him name In that same Poeme like his father free Even infinitely free I him proclaim Every where all at once And so is she Which Psyche hight for perfect Unitie Makes all those one So hitherto we have Unmeasurable freedome Semele Is next whom though fair fluttering forms embrave Yet motion and defect her libertie deprave 6 Imagination's not infinite Yet freer farre then sense and sense more free Then vegetation or spermatick spright Even absent things be seen by phantasie By sense things present at a distancie But that spermatick spright is close consin'd Within the compasse of a stupid tree Imprison'd quite in the hard rugged rind Yet there defective reduplication we find 7 Farre more defective then in phantasie Or sense yet freer is the plastick spright Then quantitie or single qualitie Like quantitie it self out stretched right Devoid of all reduplicative might If any such like qualities there were So dull so dead so all devoid of light As no communicative rayes to bear If there be such to Hyle they do verge most near 8 But Hyle's self is perfect penurie And infinite straitnesse Here we finden nought Nor can do ought If curiously we prie Into this mirksome corner quite distraught From our own life and being we have brought Our selves to nothing Or the sooth to sayen The subtilest soul herself hath never wrought Into so strait a place could nere constrain Herself to enter or that hagge to entertain 9 Lo here 's the figure of that mighty Cone From the strait Cuspis to the wide-spread Base Which is even all in comprehension What 's infinitely nothing here hath place What 's infinitely all things steddie stayes At the wide Basis of this Cone inverse Yet it s own essence doth it swiftly chace Oretakes at once so swiftly doth it pierce That motion here 's no motion 10 Suppose the Sunne so much to mend his pace That in a moment he did round the skie The nimble Night how swiftly would he chace About the earth so swift that scarce thine eye Could ought but light discern But let him hie So fast that swiftnesse hath grown infinite In a pure point of time so must he flie Around this ball and the vast shade of Night Quite swallow up ever steddie stand in open sight 11 For that which from its place is not away One point of time how can you say it moves Wherefore the Sunne doth alwayes steddie stay In our Meridian as this
Oretakes each outgone beam apprends it by advertence 29 Thus plainly we perceive the energie Of the departed soul if we could find Strong reason to confirm th' innate idee Essentiall forms created with the mind But things obscure no'te easly be defind Yet some few reasons I will venture at To show that God's so liberall and kind As when an humane soul he doth create To fill it with hid forms and deep idees innate 30 Well sang the wise Empedocles of old That earth by earth and sea by sea we see And heaven by heaven and fire more bright than gold By flaming fire so gentle love descry By love and hate by hate And all agree That like is known by like Hence they confesse That some externall species strikes the eye Like to its object in the self-same dresse But my first argument hence I 'll begin to presse 31 If like be known by like then must the mind Innate idolums in it self contain To judge the forms she doth imprinted find Upon occasions If she doth not ken These shapes that flow from distant objects then How can she know those objects a dead glasse That light and various forms do gaily stain Set out in open streets shapes as they passe As well may see Lutes heare each foaming diapase 32 But if she know those species outsent From distant objects tell me how she knows These species By some other You nere ment To answer so For straight the question goes Unto another and still forward flows Even to infinity Doth the object serve Its image to the mind for to disclose This answer hath as little sense or nerve Now reel you in a circle if you well observe 33 Wherefore no ascititious form alone Can make us see or hear but when this spright That is one with the Mundane's hit upon Sith all forms in our soul be counite And centrally lie there she doth beget Like shapes in her own self that energie By her own centrall self who forth it let Is view'd Her centrall omniformity Thus easly keepeth off needlesse infinity 34 For the quick soul by it self doth all things know And sith withouten apt similitude Nought's known upon her we must needs bestow Essentiall centrall forms that thus endew'd With universall likenesse ever transmew'd Into a representing energie Of this or that she may have each thing view'd By her own centrall self-vitality Which is her self-essentiall omniformity 35 If plantall souls in their own selves contain That vitall formative fecundity That they a tree with different colour stain And divers shapes smoothnesse asperity Straightnesse acutenesse and rotundity A golden yellow or a crimson red A varnish'd green with such like gallantry How dull then is the sensitive how dead If forms from its own centre it can never spread 36 Again an Universall notion What object ever did that form impresse Upon the soul What makes us venture on So rash a matter as ere to confesse Ought generally true when neverthelesse We cannot ever runne through all singulars Wherefore in our own souls we do possesse Free forms and immateriall characters Hence 't is the soul so boldly generall truth declares 37 What man that is not dull or mad would doubt Whether that truth for which Pythagoras When he by subtile studdy found it out Unto the Muses for their helping grace An Hecatomb did sacrifice may passe In all such figures wheresoever they be Yet all Rectangle Triangles none has Viewed as yet none all shall ever see Wherefore this free assent is from th' innate idee 38 Adde unto these incorporeity Apprehended by the soul when sense nere saw Ought incorporeall Wherefore must she From her own self such subtile idols draw Again this truth more clearly still to know Let 's turn again to our Geometry What body ever yet could figure show Perfectly perfect as rotundity Exactly round or blamelesse angularity 39 Yet doth the soul of such like forms discourse And finden fault at this deficiency And rightly term this better and that worse Wherefore the measure is our own idee Which th' humane soul in her own self doth see And sooth to sayeâ—… when ever she doth strive To find pure truth her own profundity She enters in her self doth deeply dive From thence attempts each essence rightly to descrive 40 Last argument which yet is not the least Wise Socrates dispute with Theaetete Concerning learning fitly doth suggest A midwifes sonne ycleeped Phenarete He calls himself Then makes a quaint conceit That he his mothers trade did exercise All witlesse his own self yet well did weet By his fit questions to make others wise A midwife that no'te bear anothers birth unties 41 Thus jestingly he flung out what was true That humane souls be swoln with pregnancy Of hidden knowledge if with usage due They were well handled they each verity Would bringen forth from their fecunditie Wise framed questions would facilitate This precious birth stirre up th' inward idee And make it streme with light from forms innate Thus may a skilfull man hid truth clicitate 42 What doth the teacher in his action But put slight hints into his scholars mind Which breed a solemn contemplation Whether such things be so but he doth find The truth himself But if truth be not sign'd In his own soul before and the right measure Of things propos'd in vain the youth doth wind Into himself and all that anxious leasure In answering proves uselesse without that hid treasure 43 Nor is his masters knowledge from him flit Into his scholars head for so his brain In time would be exhaust and void of wit So would the sory man but little gain Though richly paid Nor is 't more safe to sain As fire breeds fire art art doth generate The soul with Corporeity 't would stain Such qualities outwardly operate The soul within her acts there closely circulate 44 Wherefore the soul it self by her idee Which is her self doth every thing discover By her own Centrall omniformity Brings forth in her own self when ought doth move her Till mov'd a dark indifferency doth hover But fierce desire and a strong piercing will Makes her those hidden characters uncover Wherefore when death this lower life shall spill Or fear or love the soul with actuall forms shall fill THE ARGUMENT OF ANTIPSYCHOPANNYCHIA Cant. 3. Departed souls by living Night Suckt in for pinching wo No'te sleep or if with God unite For joyes with which they flow 1 MY hardest task is gone which was to prove That when the soul by death's cut off from all Yet she within her self might live and move Be her own world by life imaginall But sooth to sain 't seems not so naturall For though a starre part of the Mundane spright Shine out with rayes circumferentiall So long as with this world it is unite Yet what 't would do cut off so well we cannot weet 2 But sith our soul with God himself may meet â—…nacted by his life I cannot see
partake Whether who liv'd like plant or grazing sheep Who of nought else but sloth and growth doth taken keep 38 Whose drooping phansie never flowred out Who relish'd nought but this grosse bodies food Who never entertaind an active thought But like down-looking beasts was onely mov'd To feed themselves whither this drousie mood So drench the lowring soul and inly sleep That she lies senselesse drownd in Lethe floud Who will let dive into this mysterie deep Into such narrow subtilties I list not creep 39 But well I wote that wicked crueltie Hate envie malice and ambition Bloud-sucking zeal and lawlesse tyrannie In that Nocturnall spright shall have their wonne Which like this world admits distinction But like will like unto it strongly draw So every soul shall have a righteous doom According to our deeds God will bestow Rewards Unto the cruell he 'll no mercie show 40 Where 's Nimrod now and dreadfull Hannibal Where 's that ambitious pert Pellean lad Whose pride sweld bigger then this earthly ball Where 's cruel Nero with the rest that had Command and vex'd the world with usage bad They 're all sunk down into this nether hell Who erst upon the Nations stoutly strad Are now the Devils footstool His drad spell Those vassals doth command though they with furie swell 41 Consuming anguish styptick bitternesse Doth now so strangle their imperious will That in perpetuall disquietnesse They roll and rave and roar and rage their fill Like a mad bull that the slie hunters skill Hath caught in a strong net But more they strive The more they kindle that tormenting ill Woe 's me in what great miserie they live Yet wote I not what may these wretched thralls relieve 42 The safest way for us that still survive Is this even our own lust to mortifie So Gods own Will will certainly revive Thus shall we gain a perfect libertie And everlasting life But if so be We seek our selves with ardent hot desire From that Infernall Night we are not free But living Hell will kindle a fierce fire And with uncessant pains our vexed soul will tire 43 Then the wild phansie from its horrid wombe Will senden forth foul shapes O horrid sight Overgrown toads fierce serpents thence will come Red-scaled Dragons with deep burning light In their hollow eye-pits With these she must fight Then thinks her self ill wounded sorely stung Old fulsome hags with scabs and skurf bedight Foul tarry spittle tumbling with their tongue On their raw lether lips these near will to her clung 44 And lovingly salute against her will Closely embrace and make her mad with wo She 'd lever thousand times they did her kill Then force her such vile basenesse undergo Anon some Giant his huge self will show Gaping with mouth as vast as any cave With stony staring eyes and footing slow She surely deems him her live-walking grave From that dern hollow pit knows not her self to save 45 After a while tost on the Ocean main A boundlesse sea she finds of misery The fiery snorts of the Leviathan That makes the boyling waves before him fly She hears she sees his blazing morn-bright eye If here she scape deep gulfs and threatning rocks Her frighted self do straightway terrifie Steel-coloured clouds with rattling thunder knocks With these she is amaz'd and thousand such like mocks 46 All which afflict her even like perfect sense For waxen mad with her sore searching pain She cannot easly find the difference But toils and tears and tugs 〈◊〉 all in vain Her self from her own self she cannot strain Nocturnall life hath now let ope th' idee Of innate darknesse from this fulsome vein The soul is fill'd with all deformity But Night doth stirre her up to this dread energie 47 But here some man more curious then wise Perhaps will ask where Night or Hell may be For he by his own self cannot devise Sith chearfull light doth fill the open sky And what 's the earth to the souls subtilty Such men I 'd carry to some standing pool Down to the water bid them bend their eye They then shall see the earth possest and full Of heaven dight with the sunne or starres that there do roll 48 Or to an hill where 's some deep hollow cave Dreadfull for darknesse let them take a glasse When to the pitchie hole they turned have Their instrument that darknesse will find place Even in the open sunne-beams at a space Which measures twice the glasses distancy From the caves mouth This well discovered has How Hell and Heaven may both together lie Sith darknesse safely raies even in the sunnie skie 49 But cease my restlesse Muse be not so free Thy chiefest end thou hadst accomplished Long since shak'd of the Psychopannychie And rouz'd the soul from her dull drousiehead So nothing now in death is to be dred Of him that wakes to truth and righteousnesse The bulk lies here the soul aloft is fled Unto the fount of perfect happinesse Full freedome joy and peace she lively doth possesse The Argument of ANTIMONOPS YC HIA. The all-devouring Unity Of souls I here disprove Show how they bear their memory With them when they remove 1 WHo yields himself to learning and the Muse Is like a man that leaves the steddy shore And skims the sea He nought then can refuse What ever is design'd by Neptunes power Is fiercely drove in every stormy stoure Slave to the water and the whisling wind Even so am I that whylom meant recover The wished land but now against my mind Am driven fiercely back and so new work do find 2 What though the Rationall soul immortall be And safely doth exist this bulk being gone And then existing hath full energie Perfectly wake if all souls be but one Or though a number if oblivion Of all things past put them in such a state That they can no-wise guesse that ere upon This earth they trode even this seems to abate Their happinesse They 'll deem themselves then first create 3 Wherefore to ease us of this double doubt With mighty force great Phoebus doth inspire My raving mind He 'll bear me strongly out Till I have perfected his own desire Nor will he suffer me once to respire Till I have brought this song unto an end O may it be but short though a quick fire Such rage and rapture makes the body bend Doth waste its fading strength and fainting spirits spend 4 Now comes the story of Praxitele Into my mind whom looking in a glasse With surly countenance it did much displease That any should so sourely him outface Yet whom he saw his dogged self it was Tho he with angry fist struck his own shade Thus he the harmlesse miroir shattered has To many shivers the same shapes invade Each piece so he a many surly sad faces made 5 These shapes appeard from the division Of the broke glasse so rasher phansies deem The Rationall soul whom they suppose but one By the divided matter many