Poems, and fancies written by the Right Honourable, the Lady Margaret Newcastle.

THE CLASPE.

WHEN I did write this Booke, I took great paines, For I did walke, and thinke, and breake my Braines. My 〈◊〉〈◊〉 run out of Breath, then downe would lye, And panting with short wind, like those that dye. When Time had given Ease, and lent them strength, Then up would get, and run another length. Sometimes I kept my Thoughts with a strict dyet, And made them 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with Fase, and Rest, and Quiet; That they might run agen with swifter speed, And by this course now Fancies they could breed. But I doe feare they're not so Good to please, But now they're out, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Braine is more at case.

The Circle of the Brain cannot be Squar'd.

A Circle Round divìded in foure Parts, Hath been a Study amongst Men of Arts; Ere since 〈◊〉〈◊〉, or 〈◊〉〈◊〉 time, Hath every Brain been stretch'd upon a Line. And every Thought hath been a Figure set, Doubts Cyphers are, Hopes as Triangulars meet. There is Division, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 made, And Lines drawne out, and Points exactly layd. But yet None can demonstrate it plaine, Of Circles round, a just 〈◊〉〈◊〉 square remaine. Thus while the Braine is round, no Squares will be, While Thoughts are in Divisions, no Figures will agree.

Another to the same Purpose.

AND thus upon the same account, Doubling the Cube must mount; And the Triangular must be cut so small, Till into Equall Atomes it must fall. For such is Mans Curiosity, and mind, To seek for that, which hardest is to find.

The Squaring of the Circle.

WIthin the Head of Man's a Circle Round Of Honesty, no Ends in it is found. To Square this Circle many think it fit, But Sides to take without Ends, hard is it. Prudence and Temperance, as two Lines take; With Fortitude and Justice, foure will make. If th Line of Temperance doth prove too short, Then add a Figure of a discreet Thought; Let Wisedomes Point draw up Discretions Figure, That make two equall Lines joyn'd both together. Betwixt the Line Temperance and Justice, Truth must point, Justice's Line draw downe to Fortitude, that Corner joynt; Then Fortitude must draw in equall length, To Prudence Line, Temperance must give the breadth. And Temperance with Justice Line must run, yet stand Betwixt Prudence and Fortitude, of either hand. At every corner must a Point be layd, Where every Line that meets, an Angle's made; And when the Points too high, or low do fall, Then must the Lines be stretch'd, to mak't even all. And thus the Circle Round you'l find, Is Squar'd with the foure Virtues of the Mind.

A Circle Squar'd in Prose.

A Circle is a Line without Ends, and a Square is foure equall* 1.1 Sides, not one longer, or shorter then another. To square the Circle, is to make the Line of the Square Figure to be equall

with the Round Figure. Honesty is the Circle without Ends, or By-respects, but is honest for Honesties sake. But to square this Circle, it is very difficult, and hard it is for Honesty to take part with foure sidès without Faction: for where there is siding there's Faction, and where Factions are, there is Partiality, and where Partiality is, there is Injustice, and where Injustice is, Wrong, and where Wrong is, Truth is not, and where Truth is not, Honesty cares not to live. But let us see how we can square this Circle of Honesty. First, draw foure Lines, Prudence, Tempe∣rance, 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and Justice; these foure Lines let them be Crosse Parallels, that they may be Longitudes, and Latitudes to each other, and at each end of every Line make a Point. As at the Line of Justice a point of Severity at one end, and another of Facility at the other end. And at either end of Fortitude, one of Rashnesse, and another of Timorosity. And at the end of Temperance, Prodigality, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉: At each end of Prudence, Sloth, and Stupidity. Then draw out these Points, and make them Angles: As Severity, and Timorosity make one Angle; Rashnesse, and Stupidity another. Sloth, and Prodigality make a third Angle; Facility and Covetousnesse make the fourth. Then exactly in the midst of either Line, set of ei∣ther side of the Line, a Figure: As Distributive on the outside of the Line of Justice, and Communicative within the Line. So on the side of Fortitude, Despaire on the outside, and Love with∣in. On Prudence Line, Experience on the outside, and Industry within. On Temperance Line, Observation on the outside, and Ease within. Then draw a Line of Charity from the point Distribution, and from the Point of Observation, a Line of Disere∣tion, and make an Angle with Hope. Then from Community, a Line of Clemency, and from the point of Ease, a Line of Com∣fort, which make an Angle of Peace. Then from Despaire, a Line of Hope, and from Industry, a Line of Fruition, which make an Angle of Tranquillity. Then from the point of Love, a Line of Faith, and from the point of Ease, a Line of Pleasure; this makes an Angle of Joy. Then set a Point at every Angle, as Obe∣dience, Humility, Respect, and Reverence; And thus the Square measur'd with Truth, the Line will be equall with the Circle of Honesty.

The Trasection.

CUT the Line of Wisdome into three parts; Prudence, Experience, and Judgment; Then draw a Line of Dis∣cretion, equall to the Line of Experience, and a Line of Industry, equall to the Line of Prudence, and a Line of Temperance, e∣quall to the Line of Judgment, and to Temperance, an equall Line of Tranquillity, and to the Line Industry, a line of Ingenu∣ity, and to the line of Discretion, draw an equall line of Obedi∣ence. Then all these lines measur'd with the Rule of Reason, and you'l finde it equall to the line of Wisedome; joyne these lines together, Truth makes the Angle. This is the Trasection.

The Arithmetick of Passions.

WIth Numeration Moralists begin Upon the Passions, putting Quotients in, Numbers divide with Figures, and Substract, And in their Difinitions are exact: And there Substract, as taking One, from Three, That add to Foure, 'twill make Five to be. Thus the Odd Numbers to the Even joyn'd, Will make the Passions rise within the Mind.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Because my Lines are too long for my Rhimes, there∣fore I put them in Prose.