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While his learn'd tongue nature's great fecrets told,

Whole ftreams of tears in mighty numbers roll'd.

Therefore I'il fing to cure thefe wanton fears, Why fun and moon mete out the circling years: How bodies firft began: But chiefly this, 161 Whence comes the foul, and what her nature is : What frights her waking thoughts, what cheats her eyes,

When fleeping, or difeas'd, fhe thinks fhe fpies
Thin ghosts in various fhapes about her bed :
And feems to hear the voices of the dead.

I'm fenfible the Latin is too poor

To equal the vaft riches of the Grecian store:
New matter various nature still affords,
And new conceptions full require new, words. 170
Yet, in refpe&t to you, with great delight
I meet thefe dangers; and I wake all night,
Lab ring fit numbers, and fit words to find,
To make things plain, and to inftruct your mind,
And teach her to dire&t her curious eye
Into coy nature's greatest privacy.

Thefe fears, that darknefs, which o'erfpreads
our fouls,

Day can't difperfe; but thofe eternal rules,
Which from firm premifes true reafon draws,
And a deep infight into nature's laws.

180

And now let this as the firft rule be laid: Nothing was by the gods of nothing made. From hence proceeds all our diftrust and fear; That many things in heaven and earth appear, Whofe caufes far remote and hidden lie, Beyond the ken of vulgar reafon's eye; And therefore men afcribe them to the Deity. But this once prov'd, it gives an open way To nature's fecrets, and we walk in day. How things are made, and how preferv'd we'll prove, 190

Without the trouble of the powers above.

If nothing can be fertile, what law binds All beings ftill to generate their own kinds? Why do not all things varioufly proceed From ev'ry thing? What ufe of fimilar feed? Why do not birds, why fifh not rife from earth, And men and trees from water take their birth? Why do not herds and flocks drop down from air?

Wild creatures and untam'd fpring ev'ry where.
The fame tree would not rife from the fame root,
The cherry would not bluth in the fame fruit:
Nought fix'd and conftant be; but ev'ry year 202
Whole nature change, and all things all things
bear.

For did not proper feeds on all things wait,
How then could this thing till proceed from that?
But now fince conftant nature all things breeds,
From matter, fitly join'd with proper feeds;
Their various fhapes, their diff'rent properties,
Is the plain caufe why all from all can't rife.

Befides, why is ripe corn in fummer found? 210
Why not bald winter with fresh roles crown'd?
Why not his cups o'erflow with new prefs'd wine?
Why fweaty autumn only treads the vine?
But becaufe feeds to vital union caft,
Spring and appear, but while the feafons laft;

While mother earth has warmth and strength to

bear.

And can with safety trust her infant buds to the mild air.

1

Things made of nothing would at once appear
At any time, and quarter of the year;
Since there's no feed, whofe nature might remit,
And check their growth until the feafon's fit. 221
Befides, no need of time for things to grow:
For time would be a measure e'en too flow;
But in one inftant, if from nought began,
A fhrub might be a tree, a boy a man.
But this is falfe: Each mean observer fees,
Things grow from certain feeds by just degrees;
And growing keep their kind: And hence we'
know,

That things from proper matter rife and grow; (
By proper matter fed and nourish'd too.

230

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Laftly, experience tells us that wild roots, Better'd by art and toil, bear noble fruits. Whence we conclude, that feeds of bodies lie, In earth's cold womb, which, fet at liberty, By breaking of the clods, in which they lurk, Spring brifkly up, and do their proper work. For, were there none, though we no help afford, Things would be better'd of their own accord.

Befides, as nothing nature's pow'r creates : 261 | So death diffolves, but not annihilates. For could the fubftances of bodies die, They prefently would vanish from our eye; And, without force, diffolving, perith all; And filently into their nothing fall.

But now fince things from feeds eternal rife; Their parts well join'd and fitted, nothing dies, Unless fome force break off the nat'ral ties.

If all things, over which long years prevail, 270 Did wholly perish, and their matter fail, How could the pow'rs of all-kind Venus breed A conftant race of an'mal to fucceed? Or how the earth eternally fupply, With conftant food, each his neceflity?

How could the fprings and rivers flow so far,
And fill a fea? How could th' air feed each star?
For whatfoe'er could into nothing waste,
That infinite space of time already pafs'd,
Had quite confum'd.—

But if those bodies, which compofe this all,
Could for fo many ages paft endure:
They are immortal, and from death fecure;
And therefore cannot into nothing fall.

280

}

Again, the fame force ev'ry thing would break,
Were not the union made more ftrong or weak
By their immortal feeds: Nay, more than that,
One fingle touch would be the ftroke of fate.
For things, where no eternal feeds are found,
Would ftrait diffolve, and die with any wound.
But fince the feed's eternal, and the frame
Of bodies, and their union not the fame;
Things may fecure, and free from danger stand,
Until fome force, driv'n by an envious hand,
Proportion'd to the texture, break the band.
Thus death diffolves alene; death breaks the
chain,

And featters things to their firft feeds again.
Laftly, when father ether kindly pours

291

On fertile mother earth his feminal show'rs, 299 They seem to perish there: But ftrait new juice Ferment, and various herbs and trees produce, Whole trunks grow strong, and spreading branches fhoot, [fruit. Lock fresh, and green, and bend beneath their Thele nourishment to man and beaft do prove: Hence our towns fill with youth; with birds each grove,

Who fit and fing; and in a num'rous throng, With new-fledg'd wings clap, and applaud the fong..

308

Thefe fat our cattle, that diftended lie
On fertile banks, their spightful young ones by,
Rev'ling on milk, which their fwoln udders yield,
Grow gay, and brifk, and wanton o'er the field.
And therefore bodies cannot fall to nought,
Since one thing ftill is from another bought
By prov'dent nature, who lets nothing rife,
Nor be, except from fomething elfe that dies.
Now fince we have by various reasons taught,
That nothing rifes from, or falls to nought;
Let you diffent, because thefe feeds muft lie
Beyond the ken, ev'n of the sharpeft eye:
Know there are bodics, which no eyes can fee, 320
Ye: them, from their effects, we grant to be.
For firft the winds difturb the feas, and tear
The fouteft fhips, and chafe the clouds through
[courfe
Sometimes through humble plains their vi'lent
They bend, and beat down trees with mighty
force:

air:

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They all rush on as headlong rivers flow,
Swoln big with falling fhow'rs, or melting fnow;
And rocks and trees o'erturn, and weighty beanis;
And whirl their conquer'd prey in rapid ftreams,
No bridge can check, no force the stream controul;
It grows more wild, and fierce, and beats the mole.
Ruin and noife attend where'er it flows,

It rolls great ftones, and breaks what dares oppose. 349

So rush the blafts of wind, which, like a flood, Which way foe'er they tend, drive rocks and wood,

And all before them: Sometimes upward bear
In rapid turns, and whirl them in the air.
'Tis certain then, thefe winds, that rudely fight,
Are bodies, though too fubtle for our fight;
Since they do work as ftrong, as furious grow,
As rapid ftreams, which all grant bodies do.

The num'rous odours too, whofe fmells delight, And please the nofe, are all too thin for fight. 350 We view not heat, nor fharpeft colds, which wound

The tender nerves: Nor can we fee a found.
Yet thefe are bodies, for they move the sense;
And ftrait fweet pleasure, or quick pains com-

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Or can be`touch'd, is body, must be granted fuch.
Befides, fresh clothes, expanded near the main,
Grow wet; but by the fun are dry'd again:
Yet what eye faw when first the moisture fate?
Or when it rofe, and fled before the heat?
360
Therefore we must conclude, the drops t' have
been

Diffolv'd to parts, too fubtle to be feen.

Nay more, 'tis certain, ev'ry circling year,
The rings, which grace the hands, diminish there:
Drops hollow ftones; and while we plough, the
fhare

Grows lefs: The streets, by often treading, wear.
The brazen ftatues, that our gates adorn,
Show their right hands diminish'd much, and

worn.

369

By touch of thofe that vifit or pass by.
'Tis certain from all these some parts must fly;
But when those bodies part, or what they be,
Malicious nature grants not pow'r to fee.

Lastly, not ev'n the sharpeft eye e'er fees
What parts, to make things grow by juft degrees,
Nature does add; nor what the takes away,
When age fteals foftly on, and things decay.
Nor what the falt, to fet the waters free,
Frets from the rocks, and beats into the fea :
'I'is certain then, that much which nature does,
She works by bodies, undifcern'd by us.

380

Yet bodies do not fill up every place;
For befide thofe, there is an empty space,
A void. This known, this notion form'd aright,
Will bring to my difcourfe new ftrength and
light;

And teach you plaineft methods to defcry
The greateft fecrets of philofophy.

A void is fpace intangible: Thus prov'd,
For were there none, no body could be mov'd.

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So that to move would be in vain to try;
But all would fix'd, stubborn and movelefs lie;
Becaufe no yielding body could be found,
Which first should move, and give the other
ground.

400

But ev'ry one now fees that things do move
With various turns, in earth, and heav'n above:
Which, were no void, not only we've not seen,
But bodies too themselves had never been,
Ne'er generated; for matter, all fides prest
With other matter, would forever reft. [pear,
Though free from pores, though folid things ap-
Yet many reafors
them to be rare.
prove
For drops diftil, and fubtle moisture creeps
Through hardeft rocks, and ev'ry marble weeps.
Juice, drawn from food, ev'n to the head does
climb,

Falls to the feet, and vifits ev'ry limb.

Trees grow, and at due feafons yield their fruit :" Because the juice, drawn by the lab'ring root, Does rife into the trunk, and through the bran

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[fame.

And rig'rous winter's frofts affect our bones.
This could not be, were there no empty space,
Through which these moveables might freely pass.
Befides, why have not bodies equal weight
With those whofe figure is but just as great?
For, did as many equal bodies frame
Both wool and lead, their weight would be the
For ev'ry part of matter downwards tends,
By nature heavy; but no void defcends.
Wherefore thofe lighter things, of equal fize,
Do lefs of matter, more of void comprife.
But by the heavier more of feed's enjoy'd;
And these convincing reafons prove a void.

420

But fome object: The floods to fish give way, Who cut their paffage through the yielding fea; Because they leave a fpace where'er they go, To which the yielding waters circling flow; And hence by an analogy they prove, That, though the world were full, yet things may 430

move.

But this is weak.

For, how could fifh e'er ply their natʼral oars,
How cut the fea, and vifit diftant fhores,
Unless the waves gave way? How thefe divide,
Except the fish firft part the yielding tide?
Therefore fight fenfe, deny what that will prove,
Difcard all motion, and the pow'r to shove,
Or grant a void, whence things begin to move.
Let two broad bodies meet, and part again,
The air muft fill the space that's left between. 440
And ev'n fuppofe it flies as fwift as thought,
Yet common fenfe denies it can be brought
O'er all at once: the nearest firft poffefs'd,
And thence 'tis hurry'd on, and fills the reft.
But now, should fome fuppofe thefe marbles
part,

Made firm by nature, and polite by art,

Because the air's condens'd, they err: 'tis plain
That a wide void is made and fill'd again:
Nor can the air condens'd be thus employ'd;
Or, if it could, yet not without a void,
Could all the parts contract to fhorter space,
And be combin'd with a more clofe embrace.
Thus though you cavil, yet at laft o'ercome,
You must ignobly grant a vacuum.

450

Nor are thefe all; ten thoufand reafons more, Clear, firm, convincing, yet ne'er heard before, Might be produc'd; but thefe, my curious youth, Will guide thy fearching mind to farther truth. For as hounds, once in trace, ftill bear about, Pursue the fcent, and find the quarry out; 450 So you, my Memmius, may from one thing known

To hidden truths fucefsfully go on.
Purfue coy truth with an unerring fenfe,
Into her clofe recefs, and force her thence.
Go bravely on; and, in such things as these,
Ne'er doubt; I'll promife thee deferv'd fuccess:
And my full foul is eager to declare
So many fecrets, that I justly fear,
Ere I fhall prove but one particular,

The reafons flow in fuch a num'rous throng, 470
That age or hafty death will break the fong.
But to go on:-

This all confifts of body and of space:
That moves, and this affords the motion place.
That bodies are, we all from fenfe receive;
Whofe notice, if in this we disbelieve,
On what can reafon fix, on what rely?
What rule the truth of her deductions try
In greater fecrets of philofophy?

า S

Suppofe no void, as former reafons prove, 480 No body could enjoy a place, or move: Befides these two, there is no third degree Diftinct from both; nought that has pow'r to be. For if 'tis tangible, and has a place, 'Tis body; if intangible, 'tis fpace.

Befides, whatever is, a power must own, Or fit to act, or to be acted on,

490

Or be a place in which fuch things are done.
Now, bodies only fuffer and a&t; and place
Is the peculiar gift of empty space :
And thus a diff'rent third in vain is fought;
And ne'er can be found out by fenfe or thought.

For, whatfoe'er may feem of more degrees,
Are but th' events or properties of these.
Which to explain; we call thofe properties,
Which never part, except the subje& dies :
So weight to ftones, fo moisture to the fea,
So touch to body is, and to be free

From touching is to void; but peace and wealth, War, concord, flav'ry, liberty, and health, 500 Whose presence or whofe abfence nor prevents Nor brings the subject's ruin, are events.

Time of itself is nothing, but from thought Receives its rife; by lab'ring fancy wrought From things confider'd, while we think on fome As prefent, fome as past, and fome to come. No thought can think on time; that ftill confeft; But thinks on things in motion or at rest.

Yet while the fons of fame their fongs employ On Helen's rape, or mourn the fall of Troy, 510

Take heed, nor fancy from fuch tales as these
That actions are, that they subsist confefs.
Since all, of whom they were events, war's rage
Long fince destroy'd, or more devouring age.
For action, or whate'er from action springs,
Is call'd th' event of countries or of things.

Laftly; fuppofe no frame, no seeds had been,
To act these things, nor fpace to act them in;
No gentle fire had warm'd kind Paris' breast,
No flames from beauteous Helen's eyes increas'd,
And kindled dreadful war; no teeming horfe 521
Brought forth in one short night fo great a force
As ruin'd stately Troy; which plainly show
That actions not fubfift as bodies do;
Neither as void, but as events alone

[done.

Of places where, and things by which they're
But farther; bodies are of diff'rent kinds,
Or principles, or made of those combin'd.
The principles of things no force can break ;
They are too folid, and all ftrokes too weak: 530
Though fuch can hardly be believ'd: for voice,
Or thunder's found, or ev'ry louder noise,
Breaks through our walls, which yet remain en-
tire:

540

So iron glows, and rocks diffolve in fire,
Strong flames divide the ftubborn gold and brafs,
And to a liquid fubftance break the mafs:
Through filver, heat and cold : and each disdains,
And fcorns a prifon, though in precious chains.
This fenfe perceives; for, hold a filver cup,
And pour fome water gently in at top,
Th' imprifon'd heat or cold flrait break their
bands,
[hands.
Grow fierce, fly through, and warm or chill the
Thefe inftances are ftrong; thefe feem t'explain'
That beings, in their vaft extent, contain
No perfect folids; creatures of the brain!
But yet attend my mufe; the fweetly fings;
(Because right reafon and the frame of things
Sach feeds require) attend, the briefly shows,
And proves that things from perfect folids rofe.

Two forts of beings reafon's eye defcry'd, 550
And prov'd before; their diff 'rence vastly wide :
Body and void, which never could agree
In any one effential property.
For body, as 'tis matter, is from place
Distinct, and void from body, as 'tis space.
Both thefe diftinct fubfift: and thus 'tis prov'd,
That feeds are folid, and from space remov'd.
But farther on: fince things of feeds compos'd
Held void, that thing by which that void's en-
clos'd

560

Is perfect folid; for what else employ'd
Can hold a space, or what contain a void?
Now what can fenfe, what fearching reafon find
To hold this void, but folid feeds combin'd?

This folid matter must for ever last,
Eternally endure, while compounds waste.
So grant no void, no fpaces unpoffefs'd,
Then all would folid be, and all at rest.
And grant no folids, which fill up the place
That they poffefs, all would be empty space.

And thus feeds mix'd with void compofe the whole; 570

Nor all is empty space, nor all ́is full.
TRANS, IL

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.

But fince my former reafons clearly taught
That nothing rifes from or finks to nought;
Thofe various things eternal feeds compofe,
And death again diffolves them into those; 591
And thence new things were fram'd, new crea-
tures rofe.

Then feeds are folid, elfe how could they laft?
How things repair, so many ages paft?

When nature things divides, did the go on
Dividing still, and never would have done;
The feeds had been fo fmall, fo much refin'd,
That nothing could have grown mature, no
mafs combin'd;

For things are easier far diffolv'd than join'd.
Then nature, who, through all these ages past,
Has broke the feeds, and itill goes on to wafte,
Could fcarce contrive, though num'rous years re-
main,

To fit, unite, and join them close again.
But now 'tis plain, by ftrictest reason try'd,
Nature does not to infinite divide,

601

Since things are made, and certain years endure, In which they fpring, grow, and become mature. But more; though feeds are hard through all

their frame,

609

A compound may be soft, as water, flame, Whate'er it is, or whencefoe'er it fprings, Because we grant a void, commix'd with things; But were they foft, no reafon could be shown How harden'd iron's franı'd, or harder ftone; For nature then would want fit feeds to work upon.

Then folid feeds exift, whofe num'rous throng, Clofely combin'd, makes compounds firm and ftrong. growth Befides; fince things have time for life and Prefix'd, and certain terms are set for both; Since bounds are plac'd, o'er which they cannot

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How great their pow'r would rife, how far extend,
How long they'd live, or when their actions end:
Nor fhould we find the fame delights purfu'd,
Nor parents natures in their young renew'd. 629
Farther thofe parts of things that utmost lie
Are fomething, though too fubtle for our eye.
And these are leafts: they never break the chain,
And by themselves fubfift, nor ever can;
For they are parts, whose both extremes the fame;
And fuch like, plac'd in order, bodies frame.
Since thefe fubfift not in a fep'rate itate,
Their union must be strong, too firm for fate :
And stroke and wedge may try their strength in
vain;

No force can loofe the tie, or break the chain. Then feeds are fimple folids, and their parts combin'd

By ftrongest bands, but not of others join'd.
Thefe nature keeps entire : thefe feeds fupply
For future things, repairing those that die.

640

Befides; fuppofe no leaft, then feeds refin'd, Too small for fense, nay, scarce perceiv'd by mind, Would still be full, ftill num'rous parts contain No end, no bound, but infinite the train; And thus the greatest and the smalleft frame 648 Would both be equal, and their bounds the fame; For though the all be infinite, each fingle grain And fmalleft feeds as num'rous parts contain : But that's abfurd, by reafon's laws confefs'd, And therefore nature must admit a leaft; Not fram'd of others, which no parts can show, And which is folid and eternal too.

Besides; did nature not refolve to least, Her pow'r quite spent, her works had long fince ceas'd:

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670

They grofsly err who teach all rife from fire; As Heraclitus, whom vain Greeks admire For dark expreffion; but the fober few, Who feck for, and delight in what is true, Sporn and contemn; for only fools regard What feems obfcure, and intricate, and hard: Take that for truth, whofe phrafes fmooth appear, And dancing periods charm the wanton ear,

For how could bodies, of fo diff'rent frame, So various rife from pure and real flame. Nor can you clear the doubt by fond pretence That fire is made more rare, or elfe more dense: This changes not the fire, 'tis ftill the fame; 680 If denfe, a strong; if rare, a weaker flame. Yet this is all that can be faid.

Who can believe that nature's various pride Can fpring from flame, condens'd or rarify'd? did they admit an empty space, Then flame, made rare, might fill a larger place, Of dente, combine with a more strict embrace.

'Tis truc,

690

But fince they think that hard, and void oppose,
Fearing the difficult, the right they lofe;
Nor yet perceive, that banish void alone,
All bodies would be denfe, and all be one;
From which no feeds could fly, no parts retire,
As fmoke, and heat, and vig'rous light from fire:
This proves a void commix'd

But if by any means, however, strange,
The flame could perish, and its parts could change;
If this could once be done, then all its heat,
And its whole nature would to nought retreat,
And therefore bodies would from nothing rife;
For what is chang'd from what it was, that dies.
But after change fome feeds muft ftill remain, 701
Left all fhould fink to nought, and thence return
again.

Now, fince our former reafons clearly show Some feeds, and those of conftant nature too, Whofe prefence, abfence, or whofe diff'rent range Of order makes the things themselves to change; We certainly conclude they are not flame; For then 'twould nought import, what newly

came,

What chang'd its order, or what did retire,
Since all would be of the fame nature, fire. 710
But this is my opinion.

Some feeds exift, from whose site, figure, fize,
Concuffion, order, motion, flames arife:
And when the order's chang'd, the parts of fire
Their nature lofe, and filently expire.
The difunited bodies fly from thence,
Not flame, nor any object of the fenfe.

But now to think, as Heraclitus tells,
That all that is is fire, and nothing else;
'Tis fond; and certainty of fenfe o'erthrows, 720
By which alone that flame exifts he knows.
In this he credit gives: but fears t' afford
The like in things as plain; and that's abfurd:
For what can judge, and what our search secure
Like fenfe, truth's great criterion? What fo fure?

Befides; why fhould we rather all difclaim,
Reject all elfe, and fancy only flame,
Than fire deny, and all things elfe receive?
Both which 'tis equal madness to believe. [birth
Therefore all those who teach things took their
From fimple fire, or water, air, or earth,
Lie under palpable mistakes.

And thofe
That teach from doubled elements they rofe,
As air and fire, as earth and water join'd,
Or all four, earth, air, water, fire, combin'd.
Thus fung Empedocles-

}

In fruitful Sicily, whofe crooked fides
Th' Ionian wafhes with impetuous tides,
And a small frith from Italy divides.
Here Scylla raves, and fierce Charybdis roars, 740
Beating with boift'rous waves the trembling

fhores,

Here prefs'd Enceladus with mighty loads Vomit revenge in flames against the gods: Through Ætna's jaws he impudently threats, And thund'ring heav'n with equal thunder beats This ifle; though with fuch wond'rous fights as thefe

She call forth trav'llers, and the curious please;

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