An essay on the first book of T. Lucretius Carus De rerum natura. Interpreted and made English verse by J. Evelyn Esq;

THE INTERPRETER TO Him that READS.

I Have here to deal with three sorts of Persons; the Learned, the Ignorant, the Scrupulous; and something must be said to them all.

To the Intelligent, and those who shall be apt to think, I have levell'd too great a part of Philosophy, such as was locked up for them onely, to whom the Keys of her profounder mysteries are due; I reply, that the five remaining 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or (as one may say) San∣ctuaries of Nature, whose Closets and Re∣cesses have never yet been so much as vio∣lated in the least degree, may well justifie me from Sacriledge; especially, since my de∣sign hath been herein no other, then to

make men admirers of the Rites of Philo∣sophy, and in love with that knowledge and work, without which (if we dare credit the most Learned) so small a progress can be made in either.

Ad has autem utilitates, quae ex hoc poli∣tissimo Scriptore capiuntur gravissimae, ac∣cedunt item aliae non minores. Hic enim vi∣dere licet quanta elegantia & Arte, Graeca Epicuri, aliorum{que} Philosoph. ac Poetarum decr••ta & Sententias poeta Lat. verbis ex∣pressa reddiderit: adeo ut vel hic Liber ex∣emplo nobis esse possit, ad optimum interpre∣tandi genus comparandum. Deinde ad Cicer. Plutarchi, Diogenis, Virgil. aliorum Scripta commodiùs percipienda, nimium quantum utibile est hoc opus & opportunum. At poetae quem veri••s imitandum sibi pro∣ponant, quàm quem ipse Poetarum Princeps Maro penitus rimatus, diligentissimè ex∣pressit, ut haud sciam mirarine superioris nostrae{que} aeta•• is stultitiam, an miseriam de∣plorare de beam; cum pleros{que} repente exi∣stere videam Poetas, qui Lucretium vix un∣quam legerint; Maronis lumina, quia ab aliis & à majoribus plera{que} sunt sumpta, minimè intelligant, &c.

Thus far Gifanus in his Preface ad Sam∣bucum, in pure commiseration of such as neglected this ••uthor, without whose inti∣mate acquaintance and special cognizance,

no man (he thought) was ever capable of becoming either good Philosopher, or tole∣rable Poet. Peter Crinitus, lib. 23. cap. 7. de honesta disciplina, reports the judgement which Marullus gives of the Latine Poets: I will not ci••e him at large, but shew you what he concludes, after particular recital and censure of the rest. Itaque legendi qui∣dem sunt omnes (saith he) sed ••i maximè pro∣bandi pro suo sunt quisque genere, Tibullus, Horatius, Catul us & in Comoediâ Terenti∣us; Virgilium ver•• & LUCRETIUM ediscendos,* 1.1 &c. Which that he might the better eternize to posterity, he thus elegant∣ly expresseth,

Amor Tibullo, Mars tibi Maro debet, Terentio Soccus Levis. Cothurnus olim nemini, satis multum Horatio Satyra & Celys. Natura magni versibus LUCRETII Lepore musaeo illitis. Epigramma cultum teste Rhallo ad huc nulli, Docto Catullo Syllabe. Nos si quis inter caeteros locat vates, Onerat quam honorat veri••s.

And we thus interpret,

Love to Tibullus, Mars to Maro owes, And the Light Sock to Terence bowes; To none the Buskin yet; Satyr and Lyre Grave Horaee do thee most admire; Nature to great LUCRETIUS numbers yields W^ch with Musaean grace he gilds: Cult Epigram to none yet Rhallo says; Catullus claims Phalcucian Bays. If any Us amongst the rest shall place, He doth Us burthen more then grace.

Besides, when I shall have assured the world how difficult an attempt he under∣takes, who makes account to pursue the design; I am perswaded men will rather take the pains to converse the Original, then stay till the rest be translated into English; which yet might peradventure be sometime performed, if the Learned Dr. Casaubon, doubting whether it be possible for any Traduction to reach the excellency and Elegancy of the Or••ginal, did not pro∣nounce it far safer and better not to be meddled withal, then spoiled in the transla∣tion; with vvhose opin••on I so concurre, that had not this Essay been pre-ingaged long before vve vvere so happy as to see his learned Enthusiasms, I should chearfully

rather have given check to this bold at∣tempt (as in obedience to his judgement, I shall to any farther) then exposed my re∣putation to the censure of so grave and dis∣cerning a person. But however, I must now bewail my temerity. I have yet been as in∣dustrious as I could to explain the Poets sense and meaning in his own natural way; using very little Paraphrase, where I could possibly contract him without impeachment of his Argument, or defacing of the Orna∣ment: so that if I have seldom exceeded the number of Verses, save where the Rhyme it self obliges me sometimes to multiply Epithetes, and protract the line; I hope I have neither made a disadvantageous bar∣gain for our Language, nor in the least vio∣lated the limits of an Interpreter, which are yet infinitely more indulgent, and give a far greater latitude, as I could abundantly ex∣emplifie. And if Lucretius himself made it such a difficulty to express those

—Graiorum obscura reperta,

in Latine Verse: suppose I had now and then (as to my best notice I have no where) wrest∣ed a syllable unjustly, or adopted an illegiti∣mate word, I had yet been no less excusable even by the verdict and indulgence of our Author▪

Multa novis verbis, praesertim cum sit agendum Propter egestatem Linguae, & rerum novitatem.

I have omitted no considerations which I thought might import the Author, or im∣prove the Version; nor were it at all the least dishonor in speculations thus nice and ab∣stracted, to consult with the most able; so that I ingenuously confess with one of our Poets most industrious Illustrators, Si quando me explicare satis comm••d? nescirem, Viros eruditos consulere non erubui.

There remain some yet whom I expect should look severely on the numbers of this piece, and carp at the cadences of the verse, as we have been able to adorn it but since I presume they will be found of no other then of that second degree of persons with whom I have to deal, and such as have little acquaintance with the Original, nor ever so much as once assayed what it was to tamper with Lucretius, I shall be the less solicitous, especially since our Author himself hath left them so apposite and full a character,

Omnia enim stolidi magis admirantur amant{que} Inversis quae sub verbis latitantia cernunt▪ Veráque constituuut quae bellé tangere possunt Aures, & lepido quae sunt fucata sonore.

For we know with Tasso, an extreme Admirer of our Carus,

—Che là corre il mondo, ove p••u versi Di sue Dolcezze il lusinghier Parnasso:* 1.2 E che'l vero condito, in molli versi, I piu Schivi allettando hà persuaso. Thither the vulgar run where they may meet Parnassus Lure in numbers that are sweet,

And truth in gentle measures so convey'd, Hath oft the most illiterate betray'd▪

Nor will it concern Lucretius, though he be not suddenly understood of all. For if Mem∣mius himself, a person of so profound a judgement and excellent parts, needed to be so often reminded seriously to weigh and ponder the subj••ct matter; as you will find in many places of our Poem he is; how high∣ly requ••site will it be, that even our most confident Reader diligently intend to what is here faithfully presented; whilst in the mean time to the rest of the more unsettled spirits that yet delight in books, I may safe∣ly affirm what our illustrious Verulam hath somewhere pronounced of the study of the Mathematiques▪* 1.3 they will find this work an excellent specifique, and rare ingredient for unstayed and Bird-witted men; since that here, as there, if the minde be not seriously fixed, the Demonstration is ever to begin.

But to render a perfect and lively Image of this excellent piece, and speak of its co∣lours in the Original, cannot be better ac∣complished, then in the resembling it to the surprising artifice of some various Scene, curious Landskip, or delicious prospect; where sometimes from the cragginess of in∣accessible Rocks, uneven and horrid preci∣pices (such as are to be found, respecting those admirable plains of Lombardy) there

breaks and divides (as the Wandring Tra∣veller approaches) a passage to his eyes down into some goodly and luxurious val∣ley; where the trembling serpenting of some Chrystal rivolet, frngied with the curtous diaper of the softer meadows, the umbrage & harmonious warbling of the cooler groves, the frisking and lowing of the wandring cat∣tel, the exuberant festoons of a bountiful Autumn, the smiling crops of a hopeful harvest, and all the youth and pride of a teeming and cheerful Spring, conspire to create a new Paradise, and recompense him the pains of so many difficult accesses. For our Poet seems here to have been of counsel with Nature herself, when she disposed the Principles of things (to speak in the dialect of those times) and framed that beautiful Machine, which we daily contemplate with so much variety and admiration.

In this Piece it is She sits triumphant, wanting none of her just Equipage and At∣tendance; whilst our Carus hath erected this everlasting Arch to her memorie, so full of Ornament and exquisite Workmanship, as nothing of this kinde hath ever or ap∣proached, or exceeded it.

Where the matter he takes in hand is ca∣pable of form and lustre, he makes it even to ou••-shine the Sun it self in splendor: and as he spares no cost to deck and set it forth;

so never had man a more rich and luxuri∣ous fancy, more keen and sagacious Instru∣ments to square the most stubborn & rude of materials, into that spiring softness you will every where finde them disposed, in this his stupendious & wel-built Theatre of Nature.

I do here purposely omit to speak of the Authors life, as reserving it to adorn a more entire Volume by whomsoever perfect∣ed; onely for his studies and genius, his af∣fection to the Greek Poets is perspicuous; as having from them and the Garden of Epi∣curus, culled the greatest part of his pro∣found knowledge▪ for which very regard he is observed to have much affected Empedo∣cles (using in some encounters even his ve∣ry expressions) who before his time had (it seems) treated on the same subject,* 1.4 and par∣ticular Argument; so that what Aristotle attributes to that Philosopher, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. for his being so grave and Homer-like in his man∣ner of expression; so Metaphorique and skilful in the usages of Poets, and their Institutions, hand scio an in ullo alio P••∣eta Latino invenias quàm in solo Lucr••∣tio, is the voyce of a very learned and judicious person. Other excellent Poets he likewise imitated, and was so fortunate in

the esteem of succeeding Ages; that it e∣ven rose to a frequent Proverb, If amongst the Poets Ennius were generally reputed to be the Grand-father, and Virgil the Son; LU••RETIUS must needs be acknowledged for the Father as well of him, as of all that should come after; as if the whole As∣sembly of the Epick Latine Poets were to be summ•••• up and anacephaliz'd in this se∣lect ••riumviri.

To the Scrupulous now, which are the last sort of persons I have prom••sed to treat with, and shall endeavor to satisfie: They are such as seem greatly to declaim against our Author, as altogether Irreligious and Prophane; and therefore not fit (say they) to be so much as read or entertained a∣mongst Christians. But if this be the sole and grand objection, I would likewise en∣quire, why those nicer and peevish spirits should at all approve, or in the least make use of any other Heathen Writer whatsoe∣ver? The Stoicks affirmed God (who is the onely source and veritable Original of all things) to be fast linked and chained to a Series of Second Causes, obnox••ous to the Laws and Decrees of Destiny and Necessi∣ty. Plato was a Leveller, and would have Wives and most other things to be profane and impropriate▪ Aristotle bears us in hand, that the World is Eternal à parte antè, and

pòst. Infinite other are the exorbitant Chy∣maera's we encounter amongst the opinions and Placits of the ancient Philosophers. In fine, why do we read any Poet of them all, since there is none exempt of the most gross and absur'd Fictions, apparent Levi∣ties, and horrible Impieties imaginable? yet who is it amongst them, that doth not even embosome Juvenal, the most vi∣cious, Aristophanes, Anacreon, Catullus, Martial, Ausonius, and Petronius (to spare Beza, Buchanan, and others) the most loose, and beyond comparison, abandoned, like so many pious Offices and Manuals; celebra∣ting their luxurious and disboashed spirits, whose fancies breath nothing but their pro∣digious bestialities, and prostitute Cynaeduse's as so many petty Oracles, or inspired Pro∣phets? But grant them all this, and what were yet worse (if more impious can be) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,* 1.5 that there was noth••ng able to corrupt a vertuous and honest minde, was the opi∣nion of Aristippus, as Laertius truly reports of him,* 1.6 being constrained one day to be present at a Ball in his reverend purple. And that even the best of Christians were as ca∣pable to derive from them benefits, as in∣contaminate & innocent, we may easily ima∣gine and conceiv'd; whilst we finde S. Paul that great Apostle himself, citing Parmenides,

Aratus and Menander; enough (I suppose) to justifie how lawful it is to make use of the good even in the midst of Evil. And if our Poet have any one passage (as where he prevaricates on Providence, the Immor∣tality of the Soul, the spontaneous coalition of Principles, and some other sublime points of speculative Theologie) which seems to concern, or be any whit obnoxious to our Faith; he hath a thousand more, where amongst the rest of his most excellent Pre∣cepts, and rare discourses, he perswades to a life the most exact and Moral; and no man, I hope, comes hither as a Spider, to swell up his bag with poyson onely, when with half that pains, he may with the in∣dustrious Bee, store and furnish his Hive with so much wholesome and delicious Honey.

Indignum profectò ob aliqua mala tam multa bona expungere,* 1.7 ac rosetum exscin∣dere, quod spinas rosis intextas ferat.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Vide Dan. Paraeum de T. Lu••r▪ admirato∣ribus, &c.
• * 1.2

  Ca••t. 1. Stro. 3. Gerus. lib.
• * 1.3

  Aug. Scient. l. 2.
• * 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.5

  1 Tit. 15.
• * 1.6

  Socr. Schol. l. 3. c. 14. Basil. de legend. Ethnico∣rum Scri∣ptis. Aug. de doctri∣nâ Chri∣stianá.
• * 1.7

  Gassend. de vita & Morib. Epic. in Epist.