Sylvæ, or, The second part of Poetical miscellanies

OF NATVRES CHANGES. FROM LUCRETIUS. LIB. V. By a Person of Quality.

SInce Earth, and Water, more dilated Air, And active Fire, mixt Natures Parts appear; These all new form'd, and to Destruction brought; Why of the World may not the like be thought? Reason presents this Maxim to our view, What in each Part, that in the Whole is true:

And therefore when you see, spring up and fall, Natures great Parts, conclude the like of all: Know Heav'n and Earth on the same Laws depend, In time they both began, in time shall end. But Memmius, not t' assume what some deny; The Proof, on plain Experience shall rely: I'll shew, these Elements to Change are prone; Rise in new Shapes, continue long in none. Then first of Earth; conclude that all must fail, Which diff'ring Parts fermenting, can exhale: Much the reflected Rays extract from thence; And from their burning Heat no less th' expence. The Dust and Smoak in flying Clouds appear, Which boistrous Winds disperse through liquid Air. Some parts dissolve, and flow away in Rain, And from their Banks, the rapid Rivers gain. A Diminution, nothing e'er escapes; Which new Existence gives, to other Shapes:

Plants, Minerals, and Concretes, owe their Birth, And Animals their growth, in part, to Earth: Then since from this, all Beings first did spring, Time, all to this, their common Grave does bring. In these Examples, not to mention more, Nature does Earth consume, and Earth restore. The Springs, the Rivers, and the Seas are found, For Earth's Supply, with Waters to abound; Renew'd, and flowing in continual round. Lest these, increasing, should at last prevail; The mighty Ocean, fiercer Winds assail: Vast Shoals of Atoms, thence away they bear, And raising them aloft, transform to Air. Much is extracted by the pow'rful Sun, More does in subterranean Channels run: In Earth it first, excessive Saltness spends; Then to our Springs, and River heads ascends:

These in the fruitful Valleys turn and Wind, And still to new Productions are inclin'd. And next of Air; which in its vast extent, In Changes infinite, each hour, is spent: For Air's wide Ocean still requiring more, Fill'd with Effluviums, should it not restore The perish'd Shapes, Time's Ruines to repair, Long since, had all things, been dissolv'd to Air. From others Loss, its Being it receives; To these again its changing Substance leaves: So true it is, that Nature ebbs and flows; And one Part perishing, another grows. The Sun the fountain of the glorious Rays, Instead of vanish'd Light, new Light displays. The Brightness of the flying Minute past, Is now obscur'd, and to new forms does hast. From hence it comes, that when black Clouds draw near, And banish'd Sun-shine, strait does disappear,

The Earth's o'er shadow'd, as the Storms are driv'n, And Rays new darted, are requir'd from Heav'n. Vision would cease, (so soon would Light expire) Without Recruits of bright Etherial Fire. In our inferiour and sulphureous Light, Of Lamps and Tapers chasing shades of Night, Continu'd fuel feeds the trembling flame Which gives the Light, nor is that Light the same Of Sun, of Moon, of Stars, ne'er think it strange That they are not secure from final Change. When what so late did smile, this instant dyes, And new born Light still shines to mortal Eyes. Thus we observe hard Rocks in time decay'd; The marble Monuments, for Heroes made, And stately Tow'rs in humble Ruins laid. Do Gods their Images from Age secure? Or force their Temples alwayes to endure?

Thus when you see old Rocks from Mountains fall, By this conclude their sure Original; For were they from Eternity so plac'd, No Chance could ruine them, no Time could wast. Next raise your eyes to Earth-surrounding Sphears, From which (say some) springs all that now appears, To which at last their vanish'd Parts ascend; These as they're form'd to Dissolution tend: For all things must in such proportion cease, As they to othet Beings give Increase. But then if no Beginning do's appear, Of Heav'n and Earth, but both Eternal were; Before the Theban War was e'er proclaim'd, Or fatal Siege of Tray by Homer fam'd, Why did not far more ancient Poets sing What Revolutions elder times did bring? Such Men, such Acts, how in Oblivion drown'd, As with immortal Fame might well be crown'd?

No great Antiquity the World has prov'd; Eternity from this seems far remov'd: All Arts and Science else, would long ago Have reach'd Perfection, not now dayly grow. No ancient Sailers, e'er like ours did steer: No such harmonious Musick charm'd the Ear. This nature of the World, not Ages past Was brought to Light, retarded for the last. And these Discoveries ordain'd by Fate To forraign Climes, I with the first translate. But still if no Beginning you believe, And say, 'tis easier for us to conceive, Such Conflagrations from Sulphureous pow'r, As totally did Humane Race devour: Or gen'ral Earth-quakes did the World confound, Or all in mighty Deluges was drown'd; This force of Argument you then increase, That Heav'n and Earth in future time must cease.

For when such dreadful Danger threatned All, Though Nature then escap'd a total Fall, Grant but the Cause increas'd, and 't will not fail, As did the less, o'er all things to prevail. What shews we cannot endless Life enjoy, But sence of Ills which others did destroy? If you the Worlds Duration, would extend To all Eternity, you must defend, Its solid Substance is so firmly bound, No Penetration can it ever wound: (Minutest Atoms, 'tis confess'd are so, But not the Compound which from these did grow) Or that 'tis Immaterial you must prove, And what no forcing Agent can remove: Or else you must all ambient Space deny To which it may dissolv'd, and ruin'd fly: Thus, Universal claims Eternal's place Because it ne'er can pass t' External space)

But neither is this various Globe so fix'd, (For much Vacuity is intermix'd) Nor is it void of Matter, nor can be From threatning Pow'r of Penetration free; And Pow'rs unknown, from boundless ambient space, This present state of Nature may deface: With dreadful Huricanes they may invade, And turn to Chaos all that e'er was made; Or by some other means, beyond the reach Of Man's Conception, make the fatal Breach. Nor wants there space beyond the Spheres of Heav'n To which the ruin'd parts may then be driv'n: When e'er these Elements their Mansions leave, That vast Abyss lyes open to receive. From hence to their Beginning you're directed, What Magick Charms have alwayes so protected. That when the finite Parts expiring lye, The whole Eternal Ages should defy?

Then since the World's great Parts at once engage, And Civil Wars in its Dominions rage, We may foresee their Strife so long depending, At last in general Subversion ending. Rivers and Seas consum'd, fierce Fires may burn Till all their Ashes meet in Earth's great Urn. Even now they strive the Victory to gain; But still the Ocean does the Fight maintain, And swell'd with Rivers, hopes by Forces try'd, To drown the rest, and sole in Triumph ride. This to prevent, the swift exhausting Wind, And radiant Sun 'gainst liquid Force are joyn'd. Thus equal in appearance, long they mov'd, Each others Strength in mighty Wars they prov'd. At last the Fire, 'tis said, did win the Field: And Earth did once, o'erwhelm'd with Waters, yield.

Long since when Phaeton, led by vain Desire, To drive the Sun's great Chariot did aspire, 'Twas then the World was hazarded by fire. With head-strong force the winged Horses flew; O'er Earth and Heav'n, the burning Planet drew. What then had been the fate of all things here, If angry Iove, the daring Charioteer Had not dismounted, by swift Lightning's stroke, And so at once the flaming Progress broke? Thus Phaeton slain was falling to the ground, And furious Horses dragg'd the Chariot round, When great Apollo reassum'd the Chair; Restor'd the Sun that rov'd throughout the Air; With dext'rous force reclaim'd his raging Steeds, And to this hour in annual course proceeds. Greek Poets thus, the Truth with Lyes confound; To waking men, like wandring dreams they sound:

But though to grace their Morals, they romance, True fires did then from East to West advance. Such Magazines of Sulphur Earth contains, That if some stronger Agent not restrains, The fuel all inflam'd, and raging high, Will n'ere be quench'd till all in Ruines lye. The Water too did, as our Authors tell, In Ages past, to such proportion swell, That spacious Empires wholly were destroy'd: The Ocean then had Sov'raign right enjoy'd; But that some greater Being, soon arose, From inf'nite Space, t'o'ercome th'invading Foes. Bright Heav'ns then triumph'd o'er the vanquish'd showrs, And falling Floods, proclaim'd prevailing Pow'rs.