Philosophical poems by Henry More ...

The Argument of PSYCHATHANASIA, Or The Immortalitie of the Soul. (Book 2)

BOOK II. CANT. 1.

Mans soul with beasts and plants I here Compare; Tell my chief end His immortality's to clear; Show whence grosse errours wend.

1

BUt hitherto I have with fluttering wings But lightly hover'd in the generall, And taught the lasting durance of all springs Of hidden life. That life hight seminall Doth issue forth from its deep root centrall, One onely form entire, and no'te advert What steals from it. Beasts life Phantasticall Lets out more forms, and eke themselves convert To view the various frie from their dark wombs exert.

2

But mans vast soul, the image of her Maker, Like God that made her, with her mighty sway And in ward Fiat (if he nould forsake her) Can turn sad darknesse into lightsome day, And the whole creature 'fore her self display: Bid them come forth and stand before her sight, They straight flush out and her drad voice obey: Each shape, each life doth leapen out full light. And at her beck return into their usuall Night.

3

Oft God himself here listeth to appear, Though not perforce yet of his own frank will Sheds his sweet life, dispreads his beauty clear, And like the Sun this lesser world doth fill, And like the Sun doth the foul Pythou kill With his bright darts, but cheareth each good spright. This is the soul that I with presser quill Must now pursue and fall upon down-right, Not to destroy but prove her of immortall might.

4

Nor let blind Momus dare my Muse backbite, As wanton or superfluously wise For what is past. She is but justly quit With Lucrece, who all souls doth mortalize: Wherefore she did them all immortalize. Besides in beasts and men th' affinity Doth seem so great, that without prejudice To many proofs for th'immortality Of humane Souls, the same to beasts we no'te deny:

5

But I herein no longer list contend. The two first kinds of souls I'll quite omit, And 'cording as at first I did intend Bestirre me stifly, force my feeble wit To rescue humane souls from deaths deep pit; Which I shall do with reasons as subtile As I can find; slight proofs cannot well fit In so great cause, nor phansies florid wile; I'll win no mans assent by a false specious guile.

6

I onely wish that arguments exile May not seem nought unto the duller eye; Nor that the fatter phansie my lean style Do blame: it's fittest for philosophy. And give me leave from any energie That springs from humane soul my cause to prove, And in that order as they list to flie Of their own selves, so let them freely rove. That naturally doth come doth oft the stronger move.

7

Self-motion and centrall stability I have already urg'd in generall; Als' did right presly to our soul apply Those properties, who list it to recall Unto their minds; but now we'll let it fall As needlesse. Onely that vitality, That doth extend this great Univervall, And move th' inert Materiality Of great and little worlds, that keep in memory.

8

And how the mixture of their rayes may breed Th' opinion of uncertain quality, When they from certain roots of life do spreed; But their pure beams must needs ychanged be When that those rayes or not be setten free Thinly dispers'd, or else be closely meint With other beams of plain diversity, That causeth oft a strong impediment: So doth this bodies life to the souls high intent.

9

The lower man is nought but a fair plant, Whose grosser matter is from the base ground; The Plastick might thus finely did him paint, And fill'd him with the life that doth abound In all the places of the world around. This spirit of life is in each shapen'd thing, Suck'd in and changed and strangely confound, As we conceive: This is the nourishing Of all; but spermall form, the certain shapening.

10

This is that strange-form'd statue magicall, That hovering souls unto it can allure When it's right fitted; down those spirits fall Like Eagle to her prey, and so endure While that low life is in good temperature. That a dead body without vitall spright And friendly temper should a guest procure Of so great worth, without the dear delight Of joyous sympathy, no man can reckon right.

11

But here unlucky Souls do waxen sick Of an ill furfeit from the poison'd bait Of this sweet tree, yet here perforce they stick In weak condition, in a languid state. Many through ignorance do fondly hate To be releas'd from this imprisonment, And grieve the walls be so nigh ruinate. They be bewitch'd so with the blandishment Of that fresh strumpet, when in love they first were ment.

12

Others disdain this so near unity, So farre they be from thinking they be born Of such low parentage, so base degree, And fleshes foul attraction they do scorn. They be th'outgoings of the Eastern morn, Alli'd unto th' eternall Deity, And pray to their first spring, that thus forlorn And left in mud, that he would set them free, And them again possesse of pristine purity.

13

But seemeth not my Muse too hastily To soar aloft, that better by degrees Unto the vulgar mans capacity Mought show the souls so high excellencies, And softly from all corporeities It heaven up unto its proper seat, When we have drove away grosse falsities, That do assault the weaker mens conceit, And free the simple mind from phansies foul deceit,

14

The drooping soul so strongly's coloured With the long commerce of corporeals, That she from her own self awide is led, Knows not her self, but by salfe name she calls Her own high being, and what ere befalls Her grosser bodie, she that misery Doth deem her own: for she her self miscalls Or some thin body, or spread quality, Or point of quality, or fixt or setten free.

29

But whether thin spread body she doth deem Her self dispersed through this grosser frame; Or doth her self a quality esteem, Or quient complexion, streaming through the same; Or else some lucid point her self doth name Of such a quality, in chiefest part Strongly fix'd down; or whether she doth clame More freedome for that point, in head nor heart Fast seated; yet, saith she, the bodies brat thou art.

30

Thence thou arose, thence thou canst not depart: There die thou must, when thy dear nurse decayes: But these false phansies I with reason smart Shall eas'ly chace away, and the mind raise To higher pitch. O listen to my layes, And when you have seen fast seald eternity Of humane souls, then your great Maker praise For his never fading benignity, And feed your selves with thought of immortality.

The Argument of PSYCHATHANASIA, OR, The Immortality of the Soul.

Book. 2. Cant. 2.

Sense no good judge of truth: What spright, What body we descry: Prove from the souls inferiour might Her incorp'reitie.

1

WHile I do purpose with my self to sing The souls incorporeity, I fear That it a worse perplexitie may bring Unto the weaker mind and duller ear; For she may deem herself 'stroyd quite & clear While all corporeals from her we expell: For she has yet not mark'd that higher sphear Where her own essence doth in safety dwell, But views her lower shade, like boy at brink of well;

2

Dotes upon sense, ne higher doth arise Busied about vain forms corporeall; Contemns as nought unseen exilities, Objects of virtue Intellectuall, Though these of substances be principall. But I to better hope would fainly lead The sunken mind, and cunningly recall Again to life that long hath liggen dead. Awake ye drooping souls! shake off that drousihead!

3

Why do you thus confide in sleepy sense, Ill judge of her own objects? who'll believe The eye contracting Phoebus Orb immense Into the compasse of a common sieve? If solid reason did not us relieve, The host of heaven alwayes would idle stand In our conceit, nor could the Sun revive The neither world, nor do his Lords command. Things near seem further off; farst off, the nearst at hand.

4

The touch acknowledgeth no gustables; The tast no fragrant smell or stinking sent; The smell doth not once dream of audibles; The hearing never knew the verdant peint Of springs gay mantle, nor heavens light ylent That must discover all that goodly pride: So that the senses would with zeal fervent Condemne each other, and their voice deride If mutually they heard such things they never try'd.

5

But reason, that above the sense doth sit, Doth comprehend all their impressions, And tells the touch its no fanatick fit That makes the sight of illustrations So stifly talk upon occasions. But judgeth all their voyces to be true Concerning their straight operations, And doth by nimble consequences shew To her own self what those wise Five yet never knew.

6

They never knew ought but corporealls: But see how reason doth their verdict rude Confute, by loosening materialls Into their principles, as latitude Profundity of bodies to conclude. The term of latitude is breadthlesse line; A point the line doth manfully retrude From infinite processe; site doth confine This point; take site away its straight a spark divine.

7

And thus unloos'd it equally respects The bodies parts, not fixt to any one. Let 't be distused through all. Thus it detects The soul's strange nature, operation, Her independency, loose union With this frail body. So 's this unity Great, but without that grosse extension, Exceeding great in her high energie, Extended far and wide from her non-quantity.

8

If yet you understand not, let the soul, Which you suppose extended with this masse, Be all contract and close together roll Into the centre of the hearts compasse: As the suns beams that by a concave glasse Be strangely strengthned with their strait constraint Into one point, that thence they stoutly passe, Fire all before them withouten restraint, The high arch'd roof of heaven with smouldry smoke they taint.

9

But now that grosnesse, which we call the heart, Quite take away, and leave that spark alone Without that sensible corporeall part Of humane body: so when that is gone, One nimble point of life, that's all at one In its own self, doth wonderfully move, Indispers'd, quick, close with self-union, Hor, sparkling, active, mounting high above, In bignesse nought, in virtue like to thundring Jove.

10

Thus maugre all th' obmurmurings of sense We have found an essence incorporeall, A shifting centre with circumference, But she not onely sits in midst of all, But is also in a manner centrall In her outflowing lines. For the extension Of th' outshot rayes circumserentiall Be not gone from her by distrought distension, Her point is at each point of all that spread dimension.

11

This is a substance truly spiritall, That reason by her glistring lamp hath shown: No such the sense in things corporeall Can ere find out. May this perswasion, O sunken souls! slaves of sensation! Rear up your heads and chase away all fear How (when by strong argumentation I shall you strip of what so doth appear Corporeall) that you to nought should vanish clear.

12

The naked essence of the body's this Matter extent in three dimensions (Hardnesse or softnesse be but qualities) Withouten self reduplications Or outspread circling propagations Of its own presence. These be corporall, And what with these in such extension Singly's stretch'd out, is form materiall. Whether our soul be such now to the test we'll call.

13

If souls be bodies, or inanimate They be, or else endowed with life. If they Be livelesse, give they life? if animate, Then tell me what doth life to them convey? Some other body? Here can be no stay. Straight we must ask whether that livelesse be Or living. Then, what 'lives it. Thus we'll play Till we have forc'd you to infinity, And make your cheeks wax red at your Philosophy.

14

Again, pray tell me, is this body grosse Or fluid, and thin you deem the soul to be? If grosse, then either strongly it is cross'd From entring some parts of this rigid tree And so of life they'll want their 'lotted fee: Or if it penetrate this bulk throughout, It breaks and tears and puts to penalty This sory corse. If 't thin and fluid be thought, How pulls it up those limbs and again jerks them out?

15

Besides, if stretchen corporeity Longs to the soul, then Augmentation Must likewise thereto appertain. But see Th' absurdities that this opinion Will drag on with it: for effluxion Of parts will spoil the steddy memory, And wash away all intellection, Deface the beauty of that imagery That once was fairly graven in her phantasie.

16

But oft when the weak bodie's worn and wasted And far shrunk in, the nimble phantasie (So far she's from being withered and blasted) More largely worketh, and more glitterandly Displayes her spreaden forms, and chearfully; Pursues her sports. Again, the greater corse Would most be fill'd with magnanimity: But oft we see the lesse hath greater force, To fight, or talk; the greater oft we see the worse.

17

All which if weighed well, must ill agree With bodies natures, which merely consist In a dull, silent, stupid quantity, Stretching forth mirksome matter, in what list Or precincts no man knows. No Naturalist Can it define, unlesse they adde a form That easly curbs the thing that no'te resist, And after her own will can it inform. It still and stupid stands and thinks nor good nor harm.

18

The man is mad, that will at all agree That this is soul. Or if forme bodily Non-replicate, extent, not setten free, But straight stretch'd out in corporeity (Betwixt these two there's that affinity) As little wit that man will seem to have. Which I shall plainly prove by th' energie Of sense, though that same force seem not so brave, Yet for the present I'll not climbe to higher stave.

19

If Souls be substances corporeall, Be they as big just as the body is? Or shoot they out to th' height Aethereall? (Of such extent are the sights energies) If they shoot out, be they equally transmisse Around this body? or but upward start? If round the body, Nature did amisse To lose her pains in half of the souls part, That part can finden nought that through the earth doth dart.

20

Or will you say she is an hemisphere? But a ridiculous experiment Will soon confute it: list you but to rear Your agill heels towards the firmament, And stand upon your head; that part is bent Down through the earth, that earst did threat the skie: So that your soul now upward is extent No higher then your heels, yet with your eye The heavens great vastnesse as before you now discry.

21

You'll say, this souls thin spread exility Turns not at all. How doth it then depend Upon this body? It has no unity Therewith, but onely doth of cur'sy lend It life, as doth the worlds great lamp down send Both light and warmth unto each living wight; And if they chance to fail and make an end, Its nought to him, he shineth yet as bright As ere he did. This showes the soul immortall quite.

22

But if the soul be justly coextent With this straight body, nought can bigger be Then is our body, that she doth present; 'Cording to laws of Corporeity So must she represent each realty. Thus tallest Gyants would be oft defied By groveling Pigmees: for they could not see The difference, nor mete his manly stride, Nor ween what matchlesse strength did in his armes reside.

23

For they must judge him just as their own selves Of the same stature, of the self-same might: All men would seem to them their fellow Elves; Nor little curs would tremble at the sigh: Of greater dogs; nor hawks would put to flight The lesser birds. Th' impression of a seal Can be no larger then the wax; or right As big, or lesse it is. Therefore repeal This grosse conceit, and hold as reason doth reveal.

24

Again, if souls corporeall you ween; Do the light images of things appear Upon the surface, slick, bright, smooth and sheen As in a looking glasse? Or whether dare They passe the outside and venture so farre As into the depth of the souls substance? If this; then they together blended are That nought we see with right discriminance: If that, the object gone, away those forms do glance.

25

Thus should we be devoid of memory, And be all darknesse, till the good presence Of outward objects doth the soul unty From heavy sleep. But this experience Plainly confutes. For even in their absence We do retain their true similitude: So lovers wont to maken dalliance With the fair shade their minds do still include, And wistly view the grace wherewith she is endude.

26

But now new reasons I will set on foot, Drawn from the common sense, that's not extense But like a centre that around doth shoot Its rayes; those rayes should be the outward sense As some resemble't. But by no pretence Would I the outward senses should be thought To act so in a spread circumference That the seat of their forms should be distrought, Or that by reach of quantities dead arms they wrought.

27

For see how little share hath quantitie In act of seeing, when we comprehend The heavens vast compasse in our straitned eye; Nor may the Ox with the Eagle contend, Because a larger circle doth extend His slower lights. So that if outward sense In his low acts doth not at all depend On quantity, how shall the common-sense, That is farre more spirituall, depend from thence?

28

But still more presly this point to pursue; By th' smelling, odours; voices by the ear; By th' eye we apprehend the coloured hew Of bodies visible. But what shall steer The erring senses? where shall they compear In controversie? what the difference Of all their objects can with judgement clear Distinguish and discern? One common-sense: For one alone must have this great preeminence.

29

And all this one must know, though still but one; Else't could not judge of all. But make it two; Then tell me, doth the soul by this alone Apprehend this object that the sense doth show, And that by that; or doth it by both know Both objects? as this colour and that sound. If both knew both, then nature did bestow In vain one faculty, it doth redound: But if this that, that this, what shall them both compound,

30

And by comparison judge of them both? Therefore that judge is one. But whether one Without division, let's now try that troth. If it be any wise extent, you're gone By the same reason that afore was shown. Suppose't a line the least of quantity. Or sound is here, there colour, or each one Of the lines parts receive them both. If we Grant that, again we find a superfluity.

31

If this part this, and that part that receive, We are at the same losse we were afore, For one to judge them both, or we bereave Our souls of judgement. For who can judge more Than what he knows? It is above his power. Therefore it's plain the common sense is one, One individed faculty. But store Of parts would breed a strange confusion, When every part mought claim proper sensation.

32

If not, nor all could exercise the Act Of any sense. For could a power of sense Arise from stupid parts that plainly lack'd That might themselves. Thus with great confidence We may conclude that th' humane souls essence Is indivisible, yet every where In this her body. Cause th' intelligence She hath of whatsoever happens here: The aking foot the eye doth view, the hand doth cheer.

33

What tells the hand or head the toes great grief, When it alone is pinch'd with galling shooes? Do other parts not hurt call for relief For their dear mates? Ill messenger of woes That grieveth not himself. Can they disclose That misery without impression Upon themselves? Therefore one spirit goes Through all this bulk, not by extension But by a totall Self-reduplication.

34

Which neither body, nor dispersed form, Nor point of form dispersed e'r could do. And bodies life or sprite for to transform Into our soul, though that might this undo, Yet to so rash conceit to yield unto Cannot be safe: for if it propagate It's self and 'ts passions, yet they free may go Unmark'd, if sense would not them contemplate. So doth the Mundane sprite not heeded circulate.

35

Besides, if from that spirit naturall The nurse of plants, you should dare to assert That lively inward Animadversall To springen out, it would surely invert The order of the Orbs from whence do stert All severall beings and of them depend. Therefore the Orb Phantastick must exert All life phantasticall, sensitive send The life of sense; so of the rest unto each end.

36

There's nought from its own self can senden forth Ought better then it self. So nought gives sense That hath not sense it self, nor greater worth Then sense, nor sense, nor better springs from thence. Nor that which higher is can have essence Lesse active, lesse reduplicate, lesse free, Lesse spiritall, then that's amov'd from hence, And is an Orb of a more low degree. Wherefore that centrall life hath more activitie,

37

And present is in each part totally Of this her body. Nor we ought diffide, Although some creatures still alive we see To stirre and move when we have them divide And cut in twain. Thus worms in sturdie pride Do wrigge and wrest their parts divorc'd by knife; But we must know that Natures womb doth hide Innumerable treasures of all life; And how to breaken out upon each hint they strive.

38

So when the present actuall centrall life Of sense and motion is gone with one part To manage it, strait for the due relief Of th' other particle there up doth start Another centrall life, and tries her art: But she cannot raigne long, nor yet recure That deadly wound. The plantall lifes depart, And flitten or shrunk spright, that did procure Her company, being lost, make her she'll not endure.

39

And so at last is gone, from whence she came, For soon did fade that sweet allurement, The plantall life, which for a while did flame With sympathetick fire, but that being spent Straight she is flown. Or may you this content? That some impression of that very soul That's gone, if gone, with plantall spirit meint The broken corse thus busily may roll. Long 'tis till water boild doth stranger heat controul.

40

Thus have we prov'd 'cording to our insight That humane souls be not corporeall (With reasons drawn from the sensitive might) Nor bodies, nor spread forms materiall, Whether you substances list them to call Or qualities, or point of these. I'll bring Hereafter proofs from power rationall In humane souls, to prove the self same thing. Mount up aloft, my Muse, and now more shrilly sing.

The Argument of PSYCHATHANASIA, Or, The Immortality of the Soul.

BOOK II. CANT. III.

The souls incorporeitie From powers rationall We prove; Discern true pietie From bitternesse and gall.

1

LIke Carpenter entred into a wood To cut down timber for some edifice Of stately structure, whiles he casts abroad His curious eye, he much perplexed is (There stand in view so many goodly trees) Where to make choice to enter his rugg'd saw: My Muse is plung'd in like perplexities, So many arguments themselves do show, That where to pitch my wavering mind doth yet scarce know.

2

One taller then the rest my circling eye Hath hit upon, which if't be sound at heart Will prove a goodly piece to raise on high The heavenly structure of that deemed part Of man, his soul, and by unerring art Set his foundation 'bove the bodies frame On his own wheels, that he may thence depart Intire, unhurt. So doth the Scythian swain Drive his light moving house on the waste verdant Plain.

3

I'll sing of piety: that now I mean That Trismegist thus wisely doth define, Knowledge of God. That's piety I ween, The highest of virtues, a bright beam divine Which to the purer soul doth sweetly shine. But what's this beam? and how doth it enlight? What doth it teach? It teacheth to decline Self-love, and frampard wayes the hypocrite Doth trample in, accloy'd with dirt and dismall night.

4

Not rage, nor mischief, nor love of a sect, Nor eating irefulnesse, harsh cruelty Contracting Gods good will, nor conscience checkt Or chok'd continually with impiety, Fauster'd and fed with hid hypocrisie? Nor tyranny against perplexed minds, Nor forc'd conceit, nor man-idolatry, All which the eye of searching reason blinds, And the souls heavenly flame in dungeon darknesse binds.

5

Can warres and jarres and fierce contention, Swoln hatred, and consuming envie spring From piety? No. 'Tis opinion That makes the riven heavens with trumpets ring, And thundring engine mur'drous balls out-sling, And send mens groning ghosts to lower shade Of horrid hell. This the wide world doth bring To devastation, makes mankind to fade: Such direfull things doth false Religion perswade.

6

But true Religion sprong from God above Is like her fountain full of charity, Embracing all things with a tender love, Full of good will and meek expectancy, Full of true justice and sure verity, In heart and voice; free, large, even infinite, Not wedg'd in strait particularity, But grasping all in her vast active spright, Bright lamp of God! that men would joy in thy pure light!

7

Can souls that be thus universalis'd, Begot into the life of God e're dy? (His light is like the sun that doth arise Upon the just and unjust) can they fly Into a nothing? and hath God an eye To see himself thus wasted and decay In his true members? can mortality Seize upon that that doth it self display Above the laws of matter, or the bodies sway?

8

For both the body and the bodies spright Doth things unto particulars confine, Teaching them partiall friendship and fell spight, But those pure souls full of the life divine Look upon all things with mild friendly eyne Ready to do them good. Thus is their will Sweetly spread out, and ever doth incline The bent of the first Goodnesse to fulfill. Ay me! that dreary death such lovely life should spill!

9

Besides this largenesse in the will of man And winged freenesse, now let's think upon His understanding, and how it doth scan Gods being, unto whom religion Is consecrate. Imagination That takes its rise from sense so high ascent Can never reach, yet intellection Or higher gets, or at least hath some sent Of God, vaticinates, or is parturient.

10

For ask her whether God be this or that, A body infinite, or some mighty spright, Yet not almighty, such vain speech she'll hate. Whether all present, or in some place pight, Whether part here part there, or every whit In every point, she likes that latter well: So that its plain that some kind of insight Of Gods own being in the soul doth dwell Though what God is we cannot yet so plainly tell.

11

As when a name lodg'd in the memory, But yet through time almost obliterate, Confusely hovers near the phantasie: The man that's thus affected bids relate A catalogue of names. It is not that, Saith he, nor that; that's something like to it, That nothing like, that's likst of all I wot. This last you nam'd it's not like that a whit; O that's the very name, now we have rightly hit.

12

Thus if't be lawfull least things to compare With greatest, so our selves affected be Concerning Gods high essence: for we are Not ignorant quite of this mystery, Nor clearly apprehend the Deity, But in mid state, I call't parturient, And should bring forth that live Divinity Within our selves, if once God would consent To shew his specious form and nature eminent:

13

For here it lies like colours in the night Unseen and unregarded, but the sunne Displayes the beauty and the gladsome plight Of the adorned earth, while he doth runne His upper stage. But this high prize is wonne By curbing sense and the self-seeking life (True Christian mortification) Thus God will his own self in us revive, If we to mortifie our straitned selves do strive.

14

But can ought bodily Gods form receive? Or have it in its self potentially? Or can ought sprung of this base body heve It self so high as to the Deitie To clamber? strive to reach infinity? Can ought born of this carcase be so free As to grasp all things in large sympathie? Can lives corporeall quite loosened be From their own selves, casheering their centreity?

15

These all ill suit with corporeitie: But do we not amisse with stroke so strong All to dispatch at once? needed we flie So high at first? we might have chose among The many arguments that close do throng And tender their own selves this cause to prove Some of a meaner rank, and then along Fairly and softly by degrees to move. My Muse kens no such pomp, she must with freedome rove.

16

And now as chance her guides, compendiously The heads of many proofs she will repeat, Which she lists not pursue so curiously, But leaves the Reader his own brains to beat, To find their fuller strength. As the souls meat, Of which she feeds, if, that she fed at all; She is immortall if she need not eat; But if her food prove to be spiritall, Then can we deem herself to be corporeall?

17

The souls most proper food is verity Got and digest by Contemplation. Hence strength, enlargement, and activity She finds, as th' body by infusion Of grosser meats and drinks (concoction Well perfected) our limbs grow strong by these; The soul by reasons right perswasion: But that truths spiritall we may with ease Find out: For truth the soul from bodies doth release.

18

Next argument let be abstraction, When as the soul with notion precise Keeps off the corporall condition, And a nak'd simple essence doth devise Against the law of Corporeities, It doth devest them both of time and place, And of all individualities, And matter doth of all her forms uncase, Corporeall wight such subtile virtue never has.

19

Now shall the indivisibilitie Of the souls virtues make an argument. For certainly there's no such qualitie Resideth in a body that's extent. For, tell me, is that quality strait pent Within a point of that corporeall? Or is it with some spreaden part distent? If in a point, then longs it not at all To th' body: in spread part? then 'tis extentionall.

20

But that some virtue's not extentionall May thus be proved. Is there no science Of numbers? Yes. But what is principall And root of all: have we intelligence Of Unities? Or else what's sprong from thence We could not know: what doth the soul then frame Within her self? Is that Idea extense? Or indivisible? If not: we'll blame The soul of falshood, and continuall lying shame.

21

Again, if we suppose our intellect Corporeall, then must we all things know By a swift touch: what? do we then detect The truth of bignesse, when one point doth go Of our quick mind? (It need not be ••o'reslow For infinite parts be found in quantitie) Or doth it use its latitude? If so Remember that some things unspreaden be, How shall it find them out? Or if't use both we'll see.

22

That both be unsufficient I prove. A point cannot discern loose unity Freed from all site. That latitude must move On all the body that it doth descry. So must it be upstretch'd unto the skie And rub against the Stars, surround the Sun And her own parts to every part apply, Then swiftly fridge about the pallid Moon: Thus both their quantities the mind hath strangely won.

23

Adde unto these, that the soul would take pains For her destruction while she doth aspire To reach at things (that were her wofull gains) That be not corporall, but seated higher Above the bodies sphere. Thus should she tire Her self to 'stroy her self. Again, the mind Receives contrary forms. The feverish fire Makes her cool brooks and shadowing groves to find Within her thoughts, thus hot and cold in one she binds.

24

Nor is she chang'd by the susception Of any forms: For thus her self contraire Should be unto her self. But Union She then possesseth, when heat and cold are Together met: They meet withouten jarre Within our souls. Such forms they be not true You'll say. But of their truth lest you despair, Each form in purer minds more perfect hew Obtains, then those in matter we do dayly view.

25

For there, they're mixt, soild and contaminate, But truth doth clear, unweave, and simplifie, Search, sever, pierce, open, and disgregate All ascititious cloggins; then doth eye The naked essence and its property. Or you must grant the soul cannot define Ought right in things; or you must not deny These forms be true that in her self do shine: These be her rule of truth, these her unerring line,

26

Bodies have no such properties. Again, See in one cluster many arguments Compris'd: She multitudes can close constrain Into one nature. Things that be fluent, As flitting time, by her be straight retent Unto one point; she joyns future and past, And makes them steddy stand as if present: Things distant she can into one place cast: Calls kinds immortall, though their singulars do waste.

27

Upon her self she strangely operates, And from her self and by her self returns Into her self; thus the soul circulates. Do bodies so? Her axle-tree it burns With heat of motion. This low world she spurns, Raiseth her self to catch infinity. Unspeakable great numbers how she turns Within her mind, like evening mist the eye Discerns, whose muddy atomes 'fore the wind do fly.

28

Stretcheth out time at both ends without end, Makes place still higher swell, often creates What God near made, nor doth at all intend To make, free phantasms, laughs at future fates, Foresees her own condition, she relates Th' all comprehension of eternity, Complains she's thirsty still in all estates, That all she sees or has no'te satisfie Her hungry self, nor fill her vast capacity.

29

But I'll break off; My Muse her self forgot, Her own great strength and her foes feeblenesse, That she her name by her own pains may blot, While she so many strokes heaps in excesse, That fond grosse phansie quite for to suppresse Of the souls corporal'tie. For men may think Her adversaries strength doth thus her presse To multitude of reasons, makes her swink With weary toyl, and sweat out thus much forced ink:

30

Or that she loves with trampling insultations To domineere in easie victory. But let not men dare cast such accusations Against the blamelesse. For no mastery, Nor fruitlesse pomp, nor any verity Of that opinion that she here destroyes Made her so large. No, 'tis her jealousie 'Gainst witching falshood that weak souls annoyes, And oft doth choke those chearing hopes of lasting joyes.