Democritus Platonissans Part 3

Innumerable numbers of fair Lamps Were rightly ranged in this hollow hole, To warm the world and chace the shady damps Of immense darknesse, rend her pitchie stole Into short rags more dustie dimme then coal.

Which pieces then in severall were cast (Abhorred reliques of that vesture foul) Upon the Globes that round those torches trac'd, Which still fast on them stick for all they run so fast.

19

Such an one is that which mortall men call Night, A little shred of that unbounded shade.

And such a Globe is that which Earth is hight; By witlesse Wizzards the sole centre made Of all the world, and on strong pillars staid.

And such a lamp or light is this our Sun, Whose firie beams the scortched Earth invade.

But infinite such as he, in heaven won, And more then infinite Earths about those Suns do run;

20

And to speak out: though I detest the sect Of _Epicurus_ for their manners vile, Yet what is true I may not well reject.

Truth's incorruptible, ne can the style Of vitious pen her sacred worth defile.

If we no more of truth should deign t' embrace Then what unworthy mouths did never soyl, No truths at all mongst men would finden place But make them speedie wings and back to Heaven apace.

21

I will not say our world is infinite, But that infinitie of worlds ther be.

The Centre of our world's the lively light Of the warm sunne, the visible Deitie Of this externall Temple. _Mercurie_ Next plac'd and warm'd more throughly by his rayes, Right nimbly 'bout his golden head doth flie: Then _Venus_ nothing slow about him strayes, And next our _Earth_ though seeming sad full spritely playes.

22

And after her _Mars_ rangeth in a round With firie locks and angry flaming eye, And next to him mild _Jupiter_ is found, But Saturn cold wons in our utmost skie.

The skirts of his large Kingdome surely lie Near to the confines of some other worlds Whose Centres are the fixed starres on high, 'Bout which as their own proper Suns are hurld _Joves_, _Earths_ and _Saturns_; round on their own axes twurld.

23

Little or nothing are those starres to us Which in the azure Evening gay appear (I mean for influence) but judicious Nature and carefull Providence her dear And matchlesse work did so contrive whileere, That th' Hearts or Centres in the wide world pight Should such a distance each to other bear, That the dull Planets with collated light By neighbour suns might cheared be in dampish night.

24

And as the Planets in our world (of which The sun's the heart and kernell) do receive Their nightly light from suns that do enrich Their sable mantle with bright gemmes, and give A goodly splendour, and sad men relieve With their fair twinkling rayes, so our worlds sunne Becomes a starre elsewhere, and doth derive Joynt light with others, cheareth all that won In those dim duskish Orbs round other suns that run.

25

This is the parergon of each n.o.ble fire Of neighbour worlds to be the nightly starre, But their main work is vitall heat t' inspire Into the frigid spheres that 'bout them fare, Which of themselves quite dead and barren are.

But by the wakening warmth of kindly dayes, And the sweet dewie nights they well declare Their seminall virtue in due courses raise Long hidden shapes and life, to their great Makers praise.

26

These with their suns I severall worlds do call, Whereof the number I deem infinite: Else infinite darknesse were in this great Hall Of th' endlesse Universe; For nothing finite Could put that immense shadow unto flight.

But if that infinite Suns we shall admit, Then infinite worlds follow in reason right.

For every Sun with Planets must be fit, And have some mark for his farre-shining shafts to hit.

27

But if he shine all solitarie, alone, What mark is left,? what aimed scope or end Of his existence? wherefore every one Hath a due number of dim Orbs that wend Around their centrall fire. But wrath will rend This strange composure back'd with reason stout And rasher tongues right speedily will spend Their forward censure, that my wits run out On wool-gathering, through infinite s.p.a.ces all about.

28

What sober man will dare once to avouch An infinite number of dispersed starres?

This one absurdity will make him crouch And eat his words; Division nought impairs The former whole, nor he augments that spares.

Strike every tenth out, that which doth remain, An equall number with the former shares, And let the tenth alone, th' whole nought doth gain, For infinite to infinite is ever the same.

29

The tenth is infinite as the other nine, Or else, nor they, nor all the ten entire Are infinite. Thus one infinite doth adjoyn Others unto it and still riseth higher.

And if those single lights. .h.i.ther aspire, This strange prodigious inconsistencie Groweth still stranger, if each fixed fire (I mean each starre) prove Sunnes, and Planets flie About their flaming heads amid the thronged skie.

30

For whatsoever that their number be Whether by seavens, or eighths, or fives, or nines, They round each fixed lamp; Infinity Will be redoubled thus by many times.

Besides each greater Planet th' attendance finds Of lesser. Our _Earths_ handmaid is the Moon, Which to her darkned side right duly shines, And _Jove_ hath foure, as hath been said aboven, And _Saturn_ more then foure if the plain truth were known.

31

And if these globes be regions of life And severall kinds of plants therein do grow, Gra.s.se, flowers, hearbs, trees, which the impartiall knife Of all consuming Time still down doth mow, And new again doth in succession show: Which also 's done in flies, birds, men and beasts; Adde sand, pearls, pebbles, that the ground do strow Leaves, quills, hairs, thorns, blooms, you may think the rest Their kinds by mortall penne can not well be exprest:

32

And if their kinds no man may reckon well, The summe of successive particulars No mind conceive nor tongue can ever tell.

And yet this mist of numbers (as appears) Belongs to one of these opacous sphears.

Suppose this _Earth_; what then will all those Rounds Produce? No _Atlas_ such a load upbears.

In this huge endlesse heap o'rewhelmed, drownd, Choak'd, stifled, lo! I lie, breathlesse, even quite confound.

33

Yet give me s.p.a.ce a while but to respire, And I my self shal fairly well out-wind; Keep this position true, unhurt, entire, That you no greater difficulty find In this new old opinion here defin'd Of infinite worlds, then one world doth imply.

For if we do with steddy patience mind All is resolv'd int' one absurdity, The grant of something greater then infinitie.

34

That G.o.d is infinite all men confesse, And that the Creature is some realty Besides G.o.ds self, though infinitely lesse.

Joyn now the world unto the Deity.

What? is there added no more ent.i.tie By this conjunction, then there was before?

Is the broad breasted earth? the s.p.a.cious skie Spangled with silver light, and burning Ore?

And the wide bellowing seas, whose boyling billows roar,

35

Are all these nothing? But you will reply; As is the question so we ought restrain Our answer unto Corporeity.

But that the phantasie of the body's vain I did before unto you maken plain.

But that no man depart unsatisfi'd A while this Universe here will we feigne _Corporeall_, till we have gainly tride.

If ought that's bodily may infinite abide.

36

What makes a body saving quant.i.ty?