only. But here he cunningly fuppofes what he ought to prove that body only can act and fuffer, touch, and be touched: for the fouls of men, and all immaterial substances, contradict this definition. Ver. 527. He, in many arguments, afcribes perfect folidity to his atoms; nor do I deny it. But there is no reason to believe that therefore they cannot be diffolved: for the folidity of the feeds proceeds from the immediate contact of their parts. But in all concrete bodies the contact of the parts is allowed to be at least equal to that which is between the parts of the feeds. And therefore concrete bodies fhould be equally, and no more liable to diffolution than the feeds them. felves. The other argument by which he afferts the eternity of his átoms, are built on a falfe fupposition: he affumes what he ought to prove; and when he at length flies to what they call a mathematical least, ver. 630. he indeed presses hard on his adversaries, and reduces them to great difficulties, but is reduced to no less straits himself. Ver. 668. He triumphs over Heraclitus, Empedocles, Anaxagoras, and others. At length, ver. 960. he employs a long difputation, to prove the univerfe, which confifts of body and void, to be infinite: and here he is very copious in his arguments against the Stoics, who held a centre in the infinite univerfe, and defcribes the opinions of Epicurus with a great deal of eloquence; but they being all built on falfe fuppofitions, fall together to the ground. Then he banishes the Antipodes, which a truer philofophy and experience have long fince recalled, and fettled in their ancient abodes. However, he foothes with his arguments the imagination of man, which delights to be led away into an infinite, and never yet fixed any bounds to space, nor ever will dare to do so. BOOK II. THE ARGUMENT. I. FROM ver. 1. to 63, Lucretius exhorts his Memmius to the ftudy of philofophy, which alone can alleviate our cares and anxieties, and deliver the mind from fears. II. He difputes concerning the properties or qualities of the feeds or atoms; the firft of which is motion. That feeds move is demonftrated from the generation of things; but their. motion is downwards; for all feeds are heavy. But when folid feeds meet, they muft of neceffity rebound every way from one another. Thus fome feeds happen to unite and join together, and those whofe union is most close, compose the things that are hard and denfe; but the feeds whofe connection is more loofe, make thofe that are foft and rare. But fome feeds never combine into one, but like the motes which we fee in the beams of the fun, are in perpetual motion, flying to and fro in the void, and incessantly strike and drive up and down other atoms and themselves. Thefe arguments end at ver. 133. II. He explains the fwiftness of the feeds that tend downwards, to ver. 160. IV. Then to ver. 177, he feverely, according to his ufual method, falls upon those who acknowledge a Divine and ruling Providence. V. He refumes his argument, and to ver. 209, afferts that all bodies tend downwards. VI. To ver. 280, he shows, that the feeds, as they tend downwards, decline a little from the straight line; for unless they did fo, nothing at all, at least no free agent could ever be produced. VII. Then to ver. 318, he teaches that the feeds ftill move in the fame motion in which they have moved from all eternity and that no man ought to diftruft this opinion because he does not fee the motion, fince even the feeds themselves cannot be perceived. Figure is the fecond property or quality of the feeds and he proves, VIII. to ver. 454, That all feeds are not of the fame figure; but that fome are round, fome fquare, fome fmooth, fome rough, fome hooked, &c. And he shows at large what figures compofe bitter bodies, what fweet, what hard, what soft. IX. To ver. 546, that this variety of figures is not infinite, but that the feeds of the same figure are infinite; that is to say, that the round are infinite, the fquare infinite, &c. X. In the next place, to ver. 678, he proceeds to show, that things are not compofed of atoms of the fame figure; and proves by feveral arguments, that compound bodies contain feeds of different figures. XI. Then he teaches that feeds have none of thofe qualities which we call fenfible; as colour, tafte, cold, heat, &c. XII. And that they are not endowed with fenfe, though coloured, favoury, hot, cold and fenfible things are compofed of them, to ver. 988. XIII. Laftly, That thefe infinite feeds, flying up and down through the infinite void, compofe infinite worlds, and that thefe worlds are fometimes increased in bulk by the feeds that drop down out of the infinite fpace: and fometimes diminished and diffolved, because the feeds get loofe, and fly away from them into the infinite fpace likewife; in like manner as plants and animals are born, increase in growth, wax old, and at length die. 'Tis pleasant when the feas are rough, to stand 'Tis alfo pleasant to behold from far How troops engage, fecure ourselves from war. II Whence we may view deep, wond'rous deep below, Others with cares and dangers vex each hour She asks no more. What though no boys of gold In clothes embroider d o'er, and beds of down, 31 50 Since then fuch toys as these Contribute nothing to the bodies eafe, As honour, wealth, and nobleness of blood, 'Tis plain they likewife do the mind no good. If when thy fierce embattled troops at land Mock-fights maintain; or when the navies ftand In graceful ranks, or fweep the yielding feas, If then before fuch martial fights as thefe, Difperfe not all black jealoufies and cares, Vain dread of death, and fuperftitious fears Not leave thy mind; but if all this be vain, If the fame cores and dread and fears remain, If traitor-like they seize thee on the throne, And dance within the circle of a crown; If noife of arms, nor darts can make them fly, Nor the gay fparklings of the purple dye. If they on emperors will rudely feize, What makes us value all fuch things as thefe, But folly and dark ignorance of happiness? For we, as boys at night. by day do fear Shadows as vain and fenfelefs as thole are. [fouls, Wherefore that darkness which o'erfpreads our Day can't difperfe; but thofe eternal rules, Which from firm premises true reafon draws, And a deep infight into nature's laws. 61 : For when those bodies part, the things grow less, For here you may behold, by fecret blows Is undifcern'd, and hidden from our fight. 130 And yet how fwift the atoms motions are, This foll'wing inftance will in fhort declare: For when the morning climbs the eastern skies, And tuneful birds falute her early rife; In ev'ry grove and wood with joy appear, And fill with rav'fhing founds the yielding air. How fwift the beams of the bright rifing fun 140 Shoot forth! Their race is finish'd when begun : From heav'n to earth they take their hafty flight, And gild the diftant globe with gaudy light. But this thin vapour, and this glitt'ring ray, Through a mere void, make not their eafy way; But with much trouble force a paffage through Refifting air; and therefore move more flow: Nor are they feeds, but little bodies join'd; And adverse motions in small space confin'd: And therefore from without refifting force, 150 And inbred jars must stop their eager course; But folid feeds, that move through empty space, And all whofe parts do feek one common place; Whom nothing from without refifts; than light And beams more fwift, must make their hasty flight; } And in that time a larger distance fly, Pleasure, that guide of life, and mistress too! Was never made by the wife pow'rs above. 171 And this I think a proper place to prove, That nothing of itself can upward move: Left when you fee th' ambitious flame alpire, 180 You think 'tis nat'ral force bears up the fire. For ev'ry tree does rear its lofty head, Each tender ear and fhrub does upward spread, An all draw up their nour'fhment from below, But yet all weights by nature downward go. So when the fubtle flame, and thining ftreams Of fire arife, and wafte the upper beams; 'Tis fome force drives them up. So from a wound Our blood shoots forth, and fprinkles all around. Again, who fees not that a quiet flood 190 Throws back with mighty force th' immerfed wood? For when we ftrive, in deeper freams, to drown, And fcarce with all our force can prefs it down, The waves, with double vigour, throw it up, And make it strongly leap above the top: And yet who doubts all these would downward tend, 200 When plac'd in void, and natʼrally defcend? 230 Or ftreams; the swiftnefs of the fall must bear line, 240 [fare: Did ftill one motion to another join Must be ftirr'd through the limbs, then fitly join'd, Obey the eager motions of his mind : Which proves thefe motions rife within the heart, Beginning by the will, then run through ev'ry part. 260 [on, But now 'tis otherwise, when 'tis begun From force; for then our limbs are hurry'd on By violent ftrokes, no pow'r of our own, Until the will, by her own nat'ral sway, Shall check, or turn the force another way. Wherefore 'tis plain; though force may drive us And make us move our limbs, and make us run; Yet fomething lies within, that can oppose The vi'lent ftroke, and ftill refift the blows; At whofe command a subtle matter flies, And bends through all our limbs, our arms, our thighs; 270 } And check'd again, and all the vigour dies. Therefore, we must confefs, as these things Nor was this mass of matter, the whole frame, Ever more loofe or close, but still the fame : For it can never fail, or greater grow; Wherefore the feeds ftill mov'd, ev'n just as now: And the like motions ever will maintain; What things were made, will be produc'd again In the fame way; look fair, grow strong, and great, And live as long as nature's laws permit. Nor is there any force can change this all : For there's no place from which strange feeds may fall, 290 And make disturbance: no space does here lie Beyond the whole, to which the feeds may fly, And leave the mighty all to waste and die. Befides, 'tis nothing strange that ev'ry mass Seems quiet, and at reft, and keeps its place; Though ev'ry little part moves here and there : For fince the principles too fubtle are For úght, their motion too muft difappear: Nay, objects fit for fenfe, which diftant lie, Conceal their motions too, and cheat our eye. For often on a hill the wanton sheep, 301 At diftance plac'd, o'er flow'ry paftures creep, Where'er herbs, crown'd with pearly dew, invite, And kindly call their eager appetite. The lambs, their bellies full, with various turns, 310 Straight dreadful sparklings from their arms ap pear, And fill with a strange light the wond'ring air : For though the fhape to many is the fame, how 335 Besides, confider men, or beafts, or trees, Or filent fish, that cut the yielding feas; Or birds, that either wanton o'er the floods, Or fill with tuneful founds the lift'ning woods; Confider each particular, you'll find How diff'rent shapes appear in ev'ry kind. Elfe how could dams their tender young, or [know; The new-born young their diftant mothers Which all perform as well as men can do. For often when an inn'cent heifer dies, To angry gods a spotlefs facrifice; When all around the sheds atoning blood, And stains the altars with a purple flood: Her dam beats o'er the fields in wild despair, 340 And wounds with loud complaints the tender air; Now here, now there will run, and still complain; Now leaves her fall, and then returns again : Mad for her young, she ev'ry field does trace; With paffionate eyes fhe vifits ev'ry place: No ftreams, no flow'rs, her former great delight, Can raife or quicken her dead appetite,Allay her grief, divert her pining care, And though a thousand heifers should appear, More fat, more fair than hers, she paffes by, 350 And looks on none, or, with a flighting eye: So plain it is, fhe looks for fomething known, And view'd before; fhe only seeks her own. Befides, the tender kids, and wanton lambs All know the voice, and bleatings of their dams: And all, as natʼral inftinct prompts them on, When hunger calls, to their own mothers run. Besides, what various fhapes in corn appear? A diff'rent fize to ev'ry grain, and ear. And so in shells, where waters, washing o'er, 360 With wanton kiffes bathe th' amorous fhore. And therefore feeds, fince they from nature' came, Not made by art, after one common frame, Muft not be all alike, their shapes the fame. And hence a reason's seen why light'ning flies With keener force, through ftones, through parted skies. [arife: Than those blunt flames, which from our fires_ Because its little parts, more loosely join'd, More fubtle far, an eafy paffage find Through fuch small pores, as ftop the blunter flame, 370 Which parts of heavy oil, or timber frame. But heavy oil, or stops, or runs more flow: From tafted honey pleafing thoughts arife, And violent diftortions fcrew the face. [fmooth, 390 Which wound the organ, as they enter in, Of feeds of diff'rent shape, and size are made: Or mean and ugly to the fight appears. 411 S Laftly, that heat and cold, form'd diff'rent ways, Aflect the organs, ev'n our touch betrays. For touch, that beft, that chiefeft fenfe is made, When ftrokes, from things without, the nerves invade, 420 Or fomething from within does outward flow, Of parts more hook'd and firm, and clofely But fluids are composed of smooth and round; For their fmall parts, by no ftrong union bound, Are very easily disjoin'd, and move Or here, or there, at every little shove. Laftly, Whatever's foon diffolv'd, or broke, As morning mifts, or yielding flames, or smoke; If all its little bodies be not imooth And round in figure, form, or shape, or both, Yet they are not all twin'd, all have not hooks, And fo may pass through ftones and hardest rocks. Nor muft you think it strange the fame should Fluid and bitter too, as is the fea; [be, For fluids are of smooth and round combin'd; To these are little pungent bodies join'd; Yet there's no need they should be hook'd or twin'd; For they may globous be, though rough, and thence Are fitted both to move, and hurt the fenfe. But to convince you with a clearer proof, That acid fluids have fmooth join'd with rough, They may be sep`rated with ease enough, 450 For when falt ftreams through winding caverns país, They rife up fweet, and bubble o'er the grafs: Because those pungent parts they roll'd before, Now ftay behind, and lodge in every pore. 460 This being prov'd, I'll now go on to show Thefe various fhapes are finite, and but few; For grant them infinite, it follows thence That fome among the feeds must be immenfe : And how can numerous forts of fhapes appear In fuch small bodies as the atoms are? For think that fome minuteft parts compofe The feed, add two, or three, or more to thofe; Now, when the topmost parts are plac'd below, And the right turn'd to left, you'll plainly know, By changing ev'ry way their former place, What figure each pofition gives the mafs. But if you'd make it capable of more, You must fubjoin new parts to those before, And fo go on, if you would vary thofe ; Thus with the shapes the body greater grows: Wherefore 'tis downright folly to admit That this variety is infinite, Unless you grant fome feeds immensely great. Befides; embroider'd fluff, and purple dye, Or gaudy peacocks plumes, that court our eye, Excell'd by finer colours would seem less bright, And lofe their wonted power to delight. So things more sweet than honey would appear, And founds more foft than fwans falute the ear; Nay, mufic's fweeteft airs would ceafe to please, Because there might be better than all these: 481 So on the contrary we ftill might fall From bad to worse, but ne'er to word of all; For ftill in nature fomething worse may rise, Still more offenfive to our ears, our eyes, Our imell, our tafle But now, fince 'tis confefs'd That fome things are in nature worst, some best. And we can fear no high'r, 'tis likewife true, Thefe various thapes are finite, and but few. |