obscure the weaker or further off and how that one being removed the energie of the other will easily appear Now that our comparison may be the fitter let us consider what Aristotle saith of phansie that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus much I will take of him that Phansie is sense and adde to it that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and what I have intimated in some passages of these Poems that the soul doth alwayes feel it self it s own actuall Idea by its omniform centrall self So that the immediate sense of the soul is nothing else but to perceive its own energie Now sith that that which we call outward sense is indeed the very energie of the soul and inward sense which is phansie can be no other there seems to be no reall and intrinsecall difference betwixt the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of any form no more then there is betwixt a frog born by the Sunne and mere slime and one born by copulation For these are but extrinsecall relations Wherefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the soul it self is all one But now sith it is the same nature why is not there the same degrees in both I say there is as appears plainly in sleep where we find all as clear and energeticall as when we wake But here these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for I have prov'd them all one do as greater and lesser lights dim one another or that which is nearest worketh strongliest Hence it is that the light or life of this low spirit or body of ours stirring up the soul into a perpetuall senfuall energie if we foster this and unite our minds will and animadversion with it will by its close nearenesse with the soul dim and obscure those more subtil and exile phantasms or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 risen from the soul it self or occasioned by other mens writings For they will be in the flaring light or life of the body as the starres in the beams of the Sunne scarce to be seen unlesse we withdraw our selves out of the flush vigour of that light into the profundity of our own souls as into some deep pit Wherefore men of the most tam'd and castigate spirits are of the best and most profound judgement because they can so easily withdraw themselves from the life and impulse of the lower spirit of this body Thus being quit of passion they have upon any occasion a clear though still and quiet representation of every thing in their minds upon which pure bright sydereall phantasms unprejudiced reason may safely work and clearly discern what is true or probable If my writings fall into the hands of men otherwise qualified I shall gain the lesse approbation But if they will endeavour to compose themselves as near as they can to this temper though they were of another opinion then what my writings intend to prove I doubt not but they will have the happinesse to be overcome and to prove gainers by my victory To say any thing more particularly concerning these last I hold it needlesse Onely let me excuse my self if any chance to blame me for my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as confuting that which no man will assert For it hath been asserted by some as those Mauri whom Ficinus speaks of and the question is also discussed by Plotinus in his fourth Ennead where he distinguisheth of all souls being one after this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The latter member is that which my arguments conclude against though they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet were we safe enough as safe as the beams of the Sun the Sun existing But the similitude of Praxiteles broken glasse is brought in according to the apprehension of such as make the image to vanish into nothing the glasse being taken away and that as there is but one face though there be the appearances of many so though there be the appearances of many souls by reason of that ones working in divers bodies yet there is but one soul and understanding sense and motion to be the acts of this one soul informing severall bodies This is that which both Plotinus and I endeavour to destroy which is of great moment For if one onely soul act in every body what ever we are now surely this body laid in the dust we shall be nothing As for the Oracles answer to Amelius if any vulgar conceited man think it came from a devil with Bats wings and a long tail the Seventies translation of the eight verse of the 32. chapter of Deuteronomy may make it at least doubtfull When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance when he separated the sonnes of Adam he set the bounds of the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He did not then deliver them into the hand and jurisdiction of devils nor to be instructed and taught by them But if Apollo who gave so good a testimony of Socrates while he was living and of Plotinus after his death was some foul fiend yet t is no prejudice to their esteem since our Saviour Christ was acknowledged by the devil But I have broke my word by not breaking off before this Reader t is time now to leave thee to the perusall of my writings which if they chance to please thee I repent me not of my pains if they chance not to please that shall not displease me much for I consider that I also with small content and pleasure have read the writings of other men Yours H. M. The Argument of ANTIPSYCHOPANNYCHIA Or The confutation of the sleep of the Soul CANT I. Adams long sleep will mind compar'd With low vitality The fondnesse plainly have unbar'd Of Psychopannychie 1 THe souls ever durancy I sung before Ystruck with mighty rage A powerfull fire Held up my lively Muse and made her soar So high that mortall wit I fear she 'll tire To trace her Then a while I did respire But now my beating veins new force again Invades and holy fury doth inspire Thus stirred up I 'll adde a second strain Lest what afore was said may seem all spoke in vain 2 For sure in vain do humane souls exist After this life if lull'd in listlesse sleep They senselesse lie wrapt in eternal mist bound up in foggy clouds that ever weep Benumming tears and the souls centre steep With deading liquour that she never minds Or feeleth ought Thus drench'd in Lethe deep Nor misseth she her self nor seeks nor finds Her self This mirksome state all the souls actions binds 3 Desire fear love joy sorrow pleasure pain Sense phancy wit forecasting providence Delight in God and what with sleepy brain Might sute slight dreams all banish'd farre from hence Nor pricking nor applauding conscience Can wake the soul from this dull Lethargie That 'twixt this sleepy state small difference You 'll
are gallant lights and a noble spirit moves in those Philosophers vains and so near-Christianisme if a man will look on them favourably that one would think they are baptized already not onely with water but the holy Ghost But I not seeing humility and self-denyall and acknowledgement of their own unworthinesse of such things as they aimed at nor mortification not of the body for that 's sufficiently insisted upon but of the more spiritual arrogative life of the soul that subtill ascribing that to our selves that is Gods for all is Gods I say I not seeing those things so frequently and of purpose inculcated in their writings thought I might fitly make their Philosophy or rather the life that it doth point at for that 's the subject of this Poem a Type of that life which is very near to perfection but as yet imperfect having still a smack of arrogation and self-seeking But believe it a man shall often meet with frequent Testimonies of their charity and universall love of meeknesse and tranquillity of mind of common care of men of hearty forgivenesse of offences Temperance Justice and contempt of death are obvious and triviall also their Prayer to God and belief that he helps both in finding out of Truth and improvement of Virtue So that I reserve as the true and adequate Character of Christianisme the most profound and spirituall humility that any man can have experience of and a perfect self-deadnesse which is the begetter indeed of the former For where selfenesse is extinguished all manner of arrogation must of necessity be extinct and this is the passage through the valley of Ain So that it must be acknowledged that though there have been many brave and generous lights risen upon the Earth yet none so plainly perfect so purely amiable and lovely as that sweet life of the Messias to whom the possession of the World is promised STANZ 59. Vers 7 8 9. True fortitude that truest foes doth aw Justice and abstinence from sweetest ill And wisedome like the Sunne doth all with light orespill This ravishing beauty and love is lively set out by Plotinus lib. 6. cap. 5. Ennead 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And when you behold your selves beautifull within How are you affected How are you moved and ravished and gathering your selves from your bodies desire more nearly and closely to embrace your naked selves For thus are they affected that are truely amorous when they either contemplate in themselves or behold in others that gallantry and greatnesse of soul that constant garb of Justice pure and undefiled Temperance manly and awfull-eyed Fortitude Gravity and Modesty gently mooving in all peaceable stillnesse and steddy Tranquillity and a god-like Understanding watering and varnishing all these Virtues as it were with golden showers of lustre and light STANZ 63. But Autaparnes wox more wan and wo c. See Autaparn Interpr Gen. STANZ 66. This dale hight Ain c. This valley of Ain is nothing else but self deadnesse or rather self-nothingnesse wherefore the fume rising thence must needs be Anautesthesie that is self-senslesnesse no more feeling or relishing a mans self as concerning himself then if he were not at all STANZ 67. Here Autaparnes c. See Autaparn Interpr Gen. Notes upon Psychathanasia Lib. 1. Canto 1. STANZ 10. Like men new made contriv'd into a Cave SEE Jamblich Protrept cap. 15. STANZ 12. Vers 4. Calling thin shaddows c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Merc. Trismeg 6. STANZ 16. This Errors den The condition of the soul in this life is so disadvantagious to her that the Philosopher in the 3. Chapter of the 8 Book of his 4. Ennead falleth into these expressions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the body is but a prison and sepulchre to the soul and this World a Den and Cave Vers 6. As deep as Hyles Hell The Materia prima such as the schools ordinarily describe Else where Hyle signifieth mere potentiality STANZ 17. That loves the body c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jambliâ—h Protrept cap. 3. pag. 80. Also Plat. Phaed. STANZ 18. Th' unthankefull Stagirite There is notorious testimony of Aristotles pride conceitednesse and unthankfulnesse towards Plato Aelian Var. Histor lib. 3. cap. 19. as also lib. 4. cap. 9. The Title of that Chapter is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of Plato's humility and Aristotles ingratitude Vers 3. Most men prefer 'fore holy Py thagore See Jamblich De Vita Pythag. where the purity and holinesse of his spirit is sufficiently evidenced from the Character of his manners cap. 2. pag. 30. where it is said that what ever he did or spake he did it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with inimitable serenity and sedarenesse of mind never surpriz'd with anger laughter zeal contention or any other precipitancy or perturbation STANZ 21. Love of the Carcas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore the love of Mortality is the Mother of Ignorance especially in divine things for we cannot cleave to both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mercur. Trismeg 4. pag. 21. Vers 9. Here will true wisedome lodge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Paemandr pag. 7. Cant. 2. STANZ 5. Or like a Lamp c See Plotin ' Ennead 4. lib. 1. cap. 8. 12. STANZ 24. Withouten body having energie 'T is the opinion of Plotinus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ennead 4. lib. 1. STANZ 57. But if 't consist of points then a Scalene I 'll prove all one with an Isosceles c. If quantity consists of Indivisibles or Atoms it will follow that a Scalenum is all one with an Isosceles c. Before I prove this and the following conclusions it will be necessary to set down some few Axioms and Definitions Axioms 1. That a Line hath but two ends 2. That Lines that consist of an equall number of Atoms are equall 3. That it is indifferent where we pitch upon the first Line in a superficies so that we fill the whole Area with Lines parallell to what first we choose 4. That no Motion goeth on lesse then an Atom at a time or the breadth of a Mathematicall Line Definitions 1. An Isosceles is a Triangle having two equall sides 2. A Scalenum is a Triangle having all sides unequall Theorem 1. That a Scalenum and an Isosceles be all one Let ABC be a Scalenum The same ABC is also an Isosceles For fill the whole Area ABC with Lines parrallell to AC by the 3. Axiom There is then as many points in BA as in BC by the 1. Axiom and therefore by the second BA is equall to BC. and consequently by the 1. Definition ABC is an Isosceles Appendices The same reason will prove 1. That every Triangle is an Isopleuron or equilaterall Trirngle 2. That the Diametre of a Quadrangle is equall to any of its sides 3. That the Chord of a segment of a Circle is equall to the Ark c. Vers 4. That the crosse Lines of a Rhomboids That from their meeting to all corners presse be
affected if there were nothing to come whence she would not be able so sensibly to discover to her self her own Hypocrisie or sinceritie Lastly that loving adherence and affectionate cleaving to God by Faith and divine sense would be forestall'd by such undeniable evidence of Reason and Nature Which though it would very much gratifie the naturall man yet it would not prove so profitable to us as in things appertaining to God For seeing our most palpable evidence of the souls immortality is from an inward sense and this inward sense is kept alive the best by devotion and purity by freedome from worldly care and sorrow and the grosser pleasures of the body otherwise her ethereall vehicle will drink in so much of earthy and mortall dregs that the sense of the soul will be changed being outvoted as it were by the overswaying number of terrene particles which that ethereal nature hath so plentifully imbib'd and incorporated with she will become in a manner corporeall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Jamblichus speaks and in the extremity of this weaknesse and dotage will be easily drawn off to pronounce her self such as the body is dissolvable and mortall therefore it is better for us that we become doubtfull of our immortall condition when we stray from that virgin-purity and unspottednesse that we may withdraw our feet from these paths of death then that Demonstration and Infallibility should permit us to proceed so farre that our immortality would prove an heavy disadvantage But this is meant onely to them that are lovers of God and their own souls For they that are at enmity with him desire no such instructions but rather embrace all means of laying asleep that disquieting truth that they bear about with them so precious a charge as an immortall Spirit To the Reader REader sith it is the fashion To bestow some salutation I greet thee give free leave to look And nearly view my opened Book But see then that thine eyes be clear If ought thou wouldst discover there Expect from me no Teian strain No light wanton Lesbian vein Though well I wot the vulgar spright Such Harmony doth more strongly smite Silent Secesse wast Solitude Deep searching thoughts often renew'd Stiffe conflict 'gainst importunate vice That daily doth the Soul entice From her high throne of circuling light To plunge her in infernall Night Collection of the mind from stroke Of this worlds Magick that doth choke Her with foul smothering mists and stench And in Lethaean waves her drench A daily Death drad Agony Privation dry Sterility Who is well entred in those wayes Fitt'st man to read my lofty layes But whom lust wrath and fear controule Scarce know their body from their soul If any such chance hear my verse Dark numerous Nothings I rehearse To them measure out an idle sound In which no inward sense is found Thus sing I to cragg'd clifts and hils To sighing winds to murmuring rills To wastefull woods to empty groves Such things as my dear mind most loves But they heed not my heavenly passion Fast fixt on their own operation On chalky rocks hard by the Sea Safe guided by fair Cynthia I strike my silver-sounded lyre First struck my self by some strong fire And all the while her wavering ray Reflected from fluid glasse doth play On the white banks But all are deaf Vnto my Muse that is most lief To mine own self So they nor blame My pleasant notes nor praise the same Nor do thou Reader rashly brand My rhythmes 'fore thou them understand H. M. PSYCHOZOIA OR The first part of the Song of the SOUL Containing A Christiano-Platonicall display of LIFE By H. M. Master of Arts and Fellow of Christs Colledge in Cambridge Tot vitae gradus cognoscimus quot in nobismetipsis expedimus Mars Ficin CAMBRIDGE Printed by Roger Daniel Printer to the Universitie 1647. TO THE READER Upon the first Canto of PSYCHOZOIA THis first Canto as you may judge by the names therein was intended for a mere Platonicall description of Universall life or life that is omnipresent though not alike omnipresent As in Noahs Deluge the water that overflowed the earth was present in every part thereof but every part of the water was not in every part of the earth or all in every part so the low Spirit of the Universe though it go quite through the world yet it is not totally in every part of the world Else we should heare our Antipodes if they did but whisper Because our lower man is a part of the inferiour Spirit of the Universe Ahad Aeon and Psyche are all omnipresent in the World after the most perfect way that humane reason can conceive of For they are in the world all totally and at once every where This is the famous Platonicall Triad which though they that slight the Christian Trinity do take for a figment yet I think it is no contemptible argument that the Platonists the best and divinest of Philosophers and the Christians the best of all that do professe religion do both concur that there is a Trinity In what they differ I leave to be found out according to the safe direction of that infallible Rule of Faith the holy Word In the mean time I shall not be blamed by any thing but ignorance and malignity for being invited to sing of the second Unity of the Platonicall Triad in a Christian and Poeticall scheme that which the holy Scripture witnesseth of the second Person of the Christian Trinity As that his patrimony is the possession of the whole earth For if it be not all one with Christ according to his Divinity yet the Platonists placing him in the same order and giving him the like attributes with the Person of the Sonne in Christianity it is nothing harsh for me to take occasion from hence to sing a while the true Christian Autocalon whose beauty shall adorn the whole Earth in good time if we believe the Prophets For that hath not as yet happened For Christ is not where ever his Name is but as he is the Truth so will he be truely displayed upon the face of the whole Earth For God doth not fill the World with his Glory by words and sounds but by Spirit and Life and Reality Now this Eternall life I sing of even in the middest of Platonisme for I cannot conceal from whence I am viz. of Christ but yet acknowledging that God hath not left the Heathen Plato especially without witnesse of himself Whose doctrine might strike our adulterate Christian Professors with shame astonishment their lives falling so exceeding short of the better Heathen How far short are they then of that admirable and transcendent high mystery of true Christianisme To which Plato is a very good subservient Minister whose Philosophy I singing here in a full heat why may it not be free for me to break out into an higher strain and under it to touch upon some points of Christianity as well as
So full of one great light she hath no time To such low trifles as past sights to dive Such as she gathered up in earthly slime Foreknowledge of herself is lost in light divine 35 But can she here forget our radiant Sunne Of which its maker is the bright Idee This is His shadow or what she hath done Now she 's rewarded with the Deitie Suppose it Yet her hid Centralitie So sprightly's quickned with near Union With God that now life 's wished liberty Is so encreas'd that infinitely sh ' has fun Herself her deep'st desire unspeakably hath wonne 36 And deep desire is the deepest act The most profound and centrall energie The very selfnesse of the soul which backt With piercing might she breaks out forth doth flie From dark contracting death and doth descry Herself unto herself so thus unfold That actuall life she straightwayes saith is I. Thus while she in the body was infold Of this low life as of herself oft tales she told 37 In dangerous sicknesse often saith I die When nought doth die but the low plantall man That falls asleep and while Nature doth tie The soul unto the body she nere can Avoid it but must feel the self-same pain The same decay if hereto she her mind Do bend When stupid cold her corse oreran She felt that cold but when death quite doth bind The sense then she herself doth dead and senselesse find 38 Or else at least just at the entrance Of death she feels that slie privation How now it spreads ore all so living sense Perceives how sleep creeps on till quite o'recome With drousinesse animadversion Doth cease but lower sense then fast ybound The soul bestoweth her adversion On something else So oft strange things hath found In sleep from this dull carcase while she was unbound 39 So though the soul the time she doth advert The bodies passions takes her self to die Yet death now finish'd she can well convert Herself to other thoughts And if the eye Of her adversion were fast fixt on high In midst of death 't were no more fear or pain Then 't was unto Elias to let flie His uselesse mantle to that Hebrew Swain While he rode up to heaven in a bright fiery wain 40 Thus have I stoutly rescued the soul From centrall death or pure mortalitie And from the listlesse flouds of Lethe dull And from the swallow of drad Unitie And from an all-consuming Deitie What now remains but since we are so sure Of endlesse life that to true pietie We bend our minds and make our conscience pure Lest living Night in bitter darknesse us immure FINIS THE ORACLE OR A Paraphrasticall Interpretation of the answer of Apollo when he was consulted by Amelius whither Plotinus soul went when he departed this life I Tune my strings to sing some sacred verse Of my dear friend in an immortall strain His mighty praise I loudly will rehearse With hony-dewed words some golden vein The strucken chords right sweetly shall resound Come blessed Muses let 's with one joynt noise With strong impulse and full harmonious sound Speak out his excellent worth Advance your voice As once you did for great Aeacides Rapt with an heavenly rage in decent dance Mov'd at the measures of Meonides Go to you holy Quire let 's all at once Begin and to the end hold up the song Into one heavenly harmony conspire I Phoebus with my lovely locks ymong The midst of you shall sit and life inspire Divine Plotinus yet now more divine Then when thy noble soul so stoutly strove In that dark prison where strong chains confine Keep down the active mind it cannot move To what it loveth most Those fleshly bands Thou now hast loos'd broke from Necessitie From bodies storms and frothie working sands Of this low restlesse life now setten free Thy feet do safely stand upon a shore Which foaming waves beat not in swelling rage Nor angry seas do threat with fell uprore Well hast thou swommen out and left that stage Of wicked Actours that tumultuous rout Of ignorant men Now thy pure steps thou stay'st In that high path where Gods light shines about And perfect Right its beauteous beams displayes How oft when bitter wave of troubled flesh And whirl-pool-turnings of the lower spright Thou stoutly strov'st with Heaven did thee refresh Held out a mark to guide thy wandring flight While thou in tumbling seas didst strongly toyl To reach the steddie Land struckst with thy arms The deasing surges that with rage do boyl Stear'd by that signe thou shunn'st those common harms How oft when rasher cast of thy souls eye Had thee misguided into crooked wayes Wast thou directed by the Deitie They held out to thee their bright lamping rayes Dispers'd the mistie darknesse safely set Thy feeble feet in the right path again Nor easie sleep so closely ere beset Thy eyelids nor did dimnesse ere so stain Thy radiant sight but thou such things didst see Even in that tumult that few can arrive Of all are named from Philosophie To that high pitch or to such secrets dive But sith this body thy pure soul divine Hath left quite risen from her rotten grave Thou now among those heavenly wights dostâ—shine Whose wonne this glorious lustre doth embrave There lovely Friendship mild-smiling Cupid's there With lively looks and amorous suavitie Full of pure pleasure and fresh flowring chear Ambrosian streams sprung from the Deitie Do frankly flow and soft love-kindling winds Do strike with a delicious sympathie Those tender spirits and fill up their minds With satisfying joy The puritie Of holy fire their heart doth then invade And sweet Perswasion meek Tranquillitie The gentle-breathing Air the Heavens nought sad Do maken up this great felicitie Here Rhadamanthus and just Aeacus Here Minos wonnes with those that liv'd of yore I' th' golden age here Plato vigorous In holy virtue and fair Pythagore These been the goodly Off-spring of Great Jove And liven here and who so fill'd the Quire And sweet assembly of immortall Love Purging their spirits with refining fire These with the happy Angels live in blisse Full fraught with joy and lasting pure delight In friendly feasts and life-outfetching kisse But ah dear Plotin what smart did thy sprite Indure before thou reach'st this high degree Of happinesse what agonies what pains Thou underwent'st to set thy soul so free From baser life She now in heaven remains Mongst the pure Angels O thrice-happy wight That now art got into the Land of Life Fast plac'd in view of that Eternall Light And sitt'st secure from the foul bodies strife But now you comely virgins make an end Break off this musick and deft seemly Round Leave off your dance For Plotin my dear friend Thus much I meant my golden harp should sound AN ADDITION of some few smaller POEMS BY HENRY MORE Master of Arts and Fellow of CHRISTS COLLEDGE in CAMBRIDGE CAMBRIDGE Printed by Roger Daniel Printer to the Universitie 1647. Cupids Conflict
this sensible world of it self can make us know things at distance though Plotinus seem inclinable to that Opinion See Psychathan lib. 3. Cant. 1. STANZ 55. All Sense doth in proportion consist Something 's are so light that the weight is indiscernable to some as the Flie that sat upon the Bulls horns and apologized for her self as having wearied him as it is in the Arabian fable some smells too weak to strike the nostrills of others and some objects too obscure to be seen of the eyes of othersome But Arachne is proportioned to all whatsoever is any way sensible to any because Psyche doth inact this All or Universe as a particular Soul doth the body Vers 9. All life of Sense is in great Haphe's lift It must needs be so For no living soul is sensible of ought in this out-World but by being joyned in a living manner to it Therefore Psyche being joyned to it all must needs perceive all forms and motions in it that are presented to any particular soul For these representations be made in some particular body which is but a part of the whole a knot as it were of Psyches outward stole but the universall body of the World is one undivided peece wherefore nor Owl nor Bat nor Cat nor any thing else can possibly see but Psyche seeth ipso facto for 't is part of her body that hath those representations in it wherefore man is transfixt through and through by the rayes of the divine Light besides that more incomprehensible way of omnisciency in God STANZ 5.6 Sense and Consent c. As Psyche sees all naturall things so she doth allow of them For contrariety of Spirits is onely betwixt particulars and uglinesse and ill-favourednesse are but such to some kinds nor is poyson poyson to all else would the Spider be her own death and all venomous monsters would save man the labour of encounter STANZ 57. Rich Semele display Till we come to Psyches self motion and mutabilitie have place But in Aeon and Ahad is steddy and unalterable rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And there hath Psyche the one eye plac'd as well as the other below beholding all things and that which is above all things as also the shadows and projections of all things without distraction at once as easily as our eyes discern many colours at once in one thing STANZ 59. The mother of each Semele How she is the mother of them see the second Canto of this book at the 23. Stanz Vers 3. But she grasps all The Mundane spirit of which every body hath its part inacted by Psyche if any particular soul exert any imaginative act needs must for a time at least be coloured as it were or stained with that impression so that Psyche must needs perceive it sith it affects her own spirit See Psychath lib. 3. Cant. 2. Stanz 46.47 Besides this euery particular soul as all things else depending so intimately on Psyche as being effluxes from her it is inconceivable that the least motions of the mind or stillest thought should escape her But if any man be puzled how the phantasie of a mans soul should make an impression upon any part of the universall spirit of the world and Semele should not let him consider that the imaginative operations of Psyche are more high more hovering and suspense from immersion into the grosser spirits of this body which is little or nothing conscious of what 's done so farre above and so not receiving the impresse of so high acts it ordinarily happens even in the exaltation of our own phansie that memory fails And besides this as the vigour of sense debilitates or quite extinguisheth the ordinary imaginations of the soul so doth her ordinary imaginations or sense or both hinder the animadversion of the impresses of Semele But particular imaginations and the vigour of sense weakened or extinct in sleep or near death the energies of the soul of the world are then more perceptible probably even in the very spirit of our body as well as in the naked soul hence come prophetick dreams and true predictions before death But to go back to the apprehensions of Psyche Every sensible object and every sensitive and imaginative act appear before her and whatsoever is in her sight is also in the sight of Aeon Because the union betwixt Aeon and Psyche is much more near then between Psyche and the Mundane spirit And whatsoever is represented in Aeon is also clearly in the view of Ahad by reason of the unexpresseable close unity of these two so that Ahad knowes every individuall thing and motion as clearly nay more clearly then any mortall eye can view any one thing let it look never so steddily on it Thus the thoughts of all mens minds and motions of heart arise up into the sight and presence of the all-comprehending Divinity as necessarily and naturally as reek or fume of frankincense rouls up into the open air For the spirit of the Lord fills all the world and that which conteineth all things hath knowledge of the voyce yea of the outward shape gestures and thoughts too Wisd 1 7. Nor is Eternity changed or obscured by the projection of these low shadows For infinite animad version can discern all things unmixtly and undisturbedly not at all loosing it self though gaining nothing by the sight of inferiour things Nor can I assent to that passage in Plotin taken in one sense nor is it I think necessary to take it in that sense the words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is But that such a kind of inclining himself to himself being as it were his energie and abode in himself makes him to be what he is the contrary supposed doth argue For if he should incline to that which is without him he would lose that being which he is But this is to be considered that God being infinitely infinite without stooping or inclining can produce all things and view alwayes his work keeping his own seat that is himself for so saith the Philosopher in another place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is That Intellect or On or the Intellectuall world is the first energie of God is the first substance from him he abiding in himself See Plotin Ennead 6. lib. 8. cap. 16. also Ennead 1. lib. 8. c. 2. But now to take a short view of what I have runne through in my notes on this Canto Ahad Aeon Psyche the Platonick Triad is rather the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Divinity rather then the Deity For God is but one indivisible unmovable self-born Unity and his first born creature is Wisdome Intellect Aeon On or Autocalon or in a word the Intellectuall world whose measure himself is that is simple and perfect Goodnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is For he is without need self-sufficient wanting nothing the measure and term of all things yielding out of himself Intellect or On and Psyche And speaking
lumen of the Sunne all put together is the Sunne so farre at least we may be bold to say that God is all things and that there is nothing but God And that all this may not seem to be said for nothing the apprehension of what hath been writ on this 1. verse of the 10. Stanz will also clear well the 6. 7. and 8. verses of the 15. Stanz where the whole Universe is exhibited to the mind as one vitall Orb whose centre is God himself or Ahad Vers the 9. In every Atom-ball That is Ahad and Aeon are in every Cuspiall particle of the world STANZ 12. Why may 't not c. By differentiall profundity is understood the different kinds of things descending 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or abatement from the first cause of all things But by latitude is understood the multitude of each kind in Individuo which whether they be not infinite in spirituall beings where there is no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or justling for elbow-room I know not unlesse you will say there will be then more infinites then one But those are numbers and not one I but those numbers put together are equall to that One But yet that One may be infinitely better then all For who will not say that Space or Vacuum is infinitely worse then any reall thing and yet its extension is infinite as Lucretius stoutly proves in his first Book Deâ—natura rerum STANZ 15. Throughly possest of lifes community That the World or Universe is indewed with life though it be denied of some who prove themselves men more by their risibility then by their reason yet very worthy and sober Philosophers have asserted it As M. Anton. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 10. where he calls this Universe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a compleat Animal good just and beautifull And Trismeg cap. 12. de Commun Intellectu ad Tat. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. This Universe a great Deity which I conceive he speaks in reference to Psyche upon whom such divine excellency is derived and the image of a greater united also to him and keeping the will and ordinances of his Father is one entire fullnesse of life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For there neither was nor is nor shall be any thing in the World devoid of life And Plotin Ennead 4. lib. 3. cap. 10. shews how Psyche by her vitall power full of form and vigour shapes and adorns and actuates the World 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the seminall forms or Archei form and shape out particular Animals as so many little Worlds Vers 9. And all the Vests be Seats c. i.e. Degrees STANZ 16. That particular creature throng In contradistinction to the Universall creature Aeon Psyche Physis Tasis the centre as it were and more firm essence of the particular creatures For I must call these universall Orders of life creatures too as well as those and onely one God from whence is both the sensible and Intellectuall All and every particular in them both or from them both STANZ 23. Each life a severall ray is from that Sphere Arachne Semel c. Not as if there were so many souls joyned together and made one soul but there is a participation of the virtue at least of all the life that is in the universall Orb of life at the Creation of Mans soul of which this place is meant whence man may well be tearmed a Microcosme or Compendium of the whole World STANZ 24. Great Psychany The abode of the body is this Earth but the habitation of the soul her own energy which is exceeding vast at least in some Every man hath a proper World or particular Horizon to himself enlarged or contracted according to the capacity of his mind But even Sence can reach the starres what then can exalted phansie do or boundlesse Intellect But if starres be all inhabited which Writers no way contemptible do assert how vast their habitation is is obvious to any phansie Beside some inhabit God himself who is unspeakably infinite STANZ 25. Two mighty Kingdomes c. Let Psychanie be as big or little as it will Autaesthesia and Theoprepia be the main parts of it and exhaust the whole Let souls be in the body or out of the body or where they will if they be but alive they are alive to God or themselves and so are either Theoprepians or Autaesthesians Vers 4. Autaesthesie's divided into tway Now they that are alive unto themselves are either wholly alive unto themselves or the life of God hath also taken hold upon them they that are wholly alive to themselves their abode is named Adamah which signifieth the corrupt naturall life the old Adam or Beirah because this Adam is but a brute compared to that which Plotinus calleth the true Man whose form and shape and life is wisdome and righteousnesse That which is above is saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but that low life in the body is but a Leonine or rather a mixture of all brutish lives together and is the seat or sink of wickednesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Trismegist speaks For vice is congenit or connaturall to beasts See Plotin Ennead 1. cap. 1. whence it is manifest why we call one thing by these two names of Adamah and Beirah The other part of Autaesthesia is Dizoia their condition is as this present Stanza declares mungrill betwixt Man and Beast Light and Darknesse God and the Devill Jacob and Esau struggle in them STANZ 26. Great Michael ruleth c. Theoprepia is a condition of the soul whereby she doth that which would become God himself to do in the like cases whether in the body or out of the body Michael ruleth here that is the Image or likenesse of God the true Man the Lord from Heaven For the true man indeed viz. the second Adam is nothing else but the Image of the God of Heaven This is He of whom the soul will say when He cometh to abide in her and when He is known of her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is like unto God for either beautie or power who so comely or strong as He Vers 5. His name is Daemon Daemon the Prince of Autaesthesie i. e. of self-sensednesse it is the very image of the Devil or the Devil himself or worse if ought can be worse it is a life dictating self-seeking and bottoming a mans self upon himself a will divided from the will of God and centred in its self Vers 7. From his dividing force c. All divisions both betwixt God and Man and Man and Man are from this self-seeking life STANZ 28. Autophilus the one yoleeped is Autophilus is the souls more subtill and close embracements of her self in spirituall arrogancy as Philosomatus the love of her body wherefore the one ruleth most in Dizoia the other in Beirah Vers 8. Born of the slime of Autaesthesia Daemon that is the authour of division of man from God born of
being think they can never have security enough for this so pleasing hope and expectation and so even with anxiety of mind busie themselves to prove the truth of that strongly which they desire vehemently to be true And this body which dissolution waits upon helpeth our infidelity exceedingly For the soul not seeing it self judgeth it self of such a nature as those things are to which she is nearest united Falsely saith but yet ordinarily I am sick I am weak I faint I die when it is nought but the perishing life of the body that is in such plight to which she is so close tyed in most intimate love and sympathy So a tender mother if she see a knife struck to her childs heart would shreek and swound as if her selfe had been smit when as if her eye had not beheld that spectacle she had not been moved though the thing were surely done So I do verily think that the mind being taken up in some higher contemplation if it should please God to keep it in that ecstasie the body might be destroyed without any disturbance to the soul for how can there be or sense or pain without animadversion But while we have such continuall commerce with this frail body it is not to be expected but that we shall be assaulted with the fear of death and darknesse For alas how few are there that do not make this visible world their Adonai their stay and sustentation of life the prop of their soul their God How many Christians are not prone to whisper that of the Heathen Poet Soles occidere redire possunt Nobis cùm semel occidit brevis lux Nox est perpetua una dormienda The Sunne may set and rise again If once sets our short light Deep sleep us binds with iron chain Wrapt in eternall Night But I would not be so injurious as to make men worse then they are that my little work may seem of greater use and worth then it is Admit then that men are most what perswaded of the souls immortality yet here they may read reasons to confirm that perswasion and be put in mind as they reade of their end and future condition which cannot be but profitable at least For the pleasure they 'll reap from this Poem it will be according as their Genius is fitted for it For as Plato speaks in his Io 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or according to the more usuall phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The spirit of every Poet is not alike nor his writings alike suitable to all dispositions As Io the reciter of Homers verses professeth himself to be snatcht away with an extradodinary fury or ecstasie at the repeating of Homers Poesie but others so little to move him that he could even fall asleep So that no man is rashly to condemn another mans labour in this kind because he is not taken with it As wise or wiser then himselfe may But this is a main piece of idolatry and injustice in the world that every man would make his private Genius an universall God and would devour all mens apprehensions by his own fire that glowes so hot in him and as he thinks shines so clear As for this present song of the Immortality of the soul it is not unlikely but that it will prove sung Montibus Sylvis to the waste woods and solitary mountains For all men are so full of their own phansies and idiopathies that they scarce have the civility to interchange any words with a stranger If they chance to hear his exotick tone they entertain it with laughter a passion very incident upon that occasion to children and clowns But it were much better neither to embosome nor reject any thing though strange till we were well acquainted with it Exquisite disquisition begets diffidence diffidence in knowledge humility humility good manners and meek conversation For mine own part I desire no man to take any thing I write upon trust without canvasing and would be thought rather to propound then to assert what I have here or elsewhere written But continually to have exprest my diffidence in the very tractates themselves had been languid and ridiculous It were a piece of injustice to expect of others that which I could never indure to stoop to my self That knowledge which is built upon humane authority is no better then a Castle in the Aire For what man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or at least can be proved to us to be so Wherefore the foundation of that argument will but prove precarious that is so built And we have rather a sound of words signifying the thing is so then any true understanding that the thing is so indeed What ever may seeme strange in this Poem condemne it not till thou findest it dissonant to Plato's School or not deducible from it But there be many arguments that have no strangenesse at all to prove the Souls immortality so that no man that is not utterly illiterate shall lose his labour in reading this short Treatise I must confesse I intended to spin it out to a greater length but things of greater importance then curious Theory take me off beside the hazard of speaking hard things to a multitude I make no question but those that are rightly acquainted with Platonisme will accept of that small pains and make a good construction of my labours For I well assure thee Reader that it will be nothing but ignorance of my scope that shall make any do otherwise I fly too high to take notice of lesser flaws If thou seest them I give thee free liberty to mend them But if thou regardest not lesser trifles we be well met Farewell H. M. The Argument of PSYCHATHANASIA Or The Immortality of the Soul BOOK I. CANT I. Struck with strong sense of Gods good will The immortality Of Souls I sing Praise with my quill Plato's Philosophy 1 WHatever man he be that dares to deem True Poets skill to spring of earthly race I must him tell that he doth misesteem Their strange estate and eke himselfe disgrace By his rude ignorance For there 's no place For forced labour or slow industry Of flagging wits in that high fiery chace So soon as of the Muse they quickned be At once they rise and lively sing like Lark in skie 2 Like to a Meteor whose materiall Is low unwieldy earth base unctuous slime Whose inward hidden parts ethereall Ly close upwrapt in that dull sluggish fime Ly fast asleep till at some fatall time Great Phoebus lamp has fir'd its inward spright And then even of it self on high doth climb That earst was dark becomes all eye all sight Bright starre that to the wise of future things gives light 3 Even so the weaker mind that languid lies Knit up in rags of dirt dark cold and blind So soon that purer flame of Love unties Her clogging chains and doth her spright unbind Shee sores aloft for shee her self doth find Well plum'd so
Straight all night-trifling sprights doth chase away with fear 12 Long have I swonk with anxious assay To finden out what this hid soul may be That doth her self so variously bewray In different motions Other we her see When she so fairly spreads the branching tree Other when as sh ' hath loos'd her self from ground And opes her root and breaths in heaven free And doth her wants in the wide air resound Speaks out her joy no longer whispers under-ground 13 Such is the noise of chearfull chirping birds That tell the sweet impressions of the Spring Or 'fore some storm when their quick sprights be stird With nearer strong appulse and hid heaving That fills their little souls and makes them sing Puft up with joy and o'rflowing delight Estsoons with ratling winds the air doth ring The sturdy storm doth make them take their flight Into thick bush or hedge to save them from heavens spight 14 From this same sourse of sense are murmuring moans Of bellowing bullocks when sharp hunger bites Hence whining dog so pittifully groans When as with knotted whip his Lord him smites And every beast when with Deaths pangs he fights But senslesse trees nor feel the bleaker wind That nip their sides nor the Suns scorching might Nor the sharp ax piercing their ruggid rind Yet have they soul whose life in their sweet growth we find 15 So plants spring up flourish and fade away Not marking their own state they never found Themselves when first they ' pear'd in sunny day Nor ever sought themselves though in the ground They search full deep Nor are they wak'd by wound Of biting iron to nought are attent That them befalls when cold humours abound And clog their vitall heat or when they 're brent With Sirius flame or when through eld they waxen faint 16 Or whatsoever diseases them betide That basten death they nought at all regard But when to plantall life quick sense is ti'd And progging phansie then upon her guard She gins to stand and well her self to ward From foes she plainly feels pursues her joy Remembers where she well or ill hath far'd Or swiftly flies from that that doth annoy Or stoutly strives her fierce destroyer to destroy 17 Thus have we run thorow these two degrees Of the souls working seen in beast and plant Reason's the third of common qualities The best Of this the humane race doth vaunt As proper to themselves But if we skan't Sans prejudice it 's not in them alone The Dog the Horse the Ape the Elephant Will all rush in striving to make up one And sternly claim their share in use of right reason 18 But whether brutes do reason and reflect Upon their reasoning I 'll not dispute Nor care I what brisk boyes will here object Long task it were all fondlings to confute But I 'll lay down that which will better sute With that high heavenly spark the soul of man His proper character I would he knew 't Is that which Adam lost by wily train Of th' old sly snake that â—â—ve beguil'd with speeches vain 19 This was the Image of the highest God Which brutes partake not of This Image hight True Justice that keeps ever th' even trod True Piety that yields to man the sight Of heavenly beauty those fair beams so bright Of th' everlasting Deity that shed Their sacred fire within the purer spright The fruit of Eden wherewith souls be fed Mans awfull majesty of every beast ydred 20 Nor is that radiant force in humane kind Extinguisht quite he that did them create Can those dull rusty chains of fleep unbind And rear the soul unto her pristin state He can them so inlarge and elevate And spreaden out that they can compasse all When they no longer be incarcerate In this dark dungeon this foul fleshly wall Nor be no longer wedg'd in things corporeall 21 But rais'd aloft into their proper sphere That sphere that hight th' Orb Intellectuall They quiet sit as when the flitting fire That Natures mighty Magick down did call Into the oyly wood at its own fall Grows full of wrath and rage and gins to fume And roars and strives ' gainst its disquietall Like troubled Ghost forc'd some shape to assume But it its holding foe at last doth quite consume 22 And then like gliding spright doth straight dispear That earst was forc'd to take a fiery form Full lightly it ascends into the clear And subtile aire devoid of cloudy storm Where it doth steddy stand all-uniform Pure pervious immixt innocuous mild Nought scorching nought glowing nothing enorm Nought destroying not destroy'd not defil'd Foul fume being spent just 'fore its flight it faicly smil'd 23 Thus have I trac'd the soul in all her works And severall conditions have displaid And show'd all places where so e'r she lurks Even her own lurking's of her self bewray'd In plants in beasts in men while here she staid And freed from earth how then she spreads on high Her heavenly rayes that also hath been said Look now my Muse and cast thy piercing eye On every kind and tell wherein all souls agree 24 Here dare I not define't th' Entelechie Of organized bodies For this life This centrall life which men take souls to be Is not among the beings relative And sure some souls at least are self-active Withouten body having Energie Many put out their force informative In their ethereall corporeity Devoid of heterogenâ—all organity 25 Self-moving substance that be th' definition Of souls that longs to them in generall This well expresseth that common condition Of every vitall centre creaturall For why both what hight form spermaticall Hath here a share as also that we term Soul sensitive I 'll call 't form bestiall It makes a beast added to plantall sperm Adde rationall form it makes a man as men affirm 26 All these be substances self-moveable And that we call virtue magneticall That what 's defin'd be irreprovable I comprehend it in the life plantall Mongst trees ther 's found life Sympatheticall Though trees have not animadversive sense Therefore the soul 's Autokineticall Alone What ere 's in this defining sense Is soul what ere 's not soul is driven far from hence 27 But that each soul 's Autokineticall Is easly shown by sifting all degrees Of souls The first are forms Spermaticall That best be seen in shaping armed trees Which if they want their fixt Centreities By which they fairly every part extend And gently inact with spred vitalities The flowring boughs How Natures work doth wend Who knows or from what inward stay it doth depend 28 Forthy let first an inward centre hid Be put That 's nought but Natures fancie ti'd In closer knot shut up into the mid Of its own self so our own spirits gride With piercing wind in storming Winter tide Contract themselves and shrivell up together Like snake the countrey man in snow espi'd Whose spright was quite shrunk in by nipping weather From whence things come by fo-man
forc'd they backward thither 29 The rigid cold had forc'd into its centre This serpents life but when the rurall Swain Plac'd her upon warm hearth and heat did enter Into her nummed corps she gan to strain And stretch herself and her host entertain With scornfull hisse shooting her anchor'd tongue Threatning her venom'd teeth so straight again She prov'd a living snake when she along Her corse free life had drove from centre steddie strong 30 So doth the gentle warmth of solar heat Eas'ly awake the centre seminall That makes it softly streak on its own seat And fairly forward force its life internall That inward life 's th' impresse imaginall Of Natures Art which sweetly flowreth out From that is cleep'd the Sphere spermaticall For there is plac'd the never fading root Of every flower or herb that into th' air doth shoot 31 Fairly invited by Sols piercing ray And inward tickled with his chearing spright All plants break thorough into open day Rend the thick curtain of cold cloying night The earths opakents enemy to light And crown themselves in sign of victory With shining leaves and goodly blossomes bright Thus called out by friendly sympathy Their souls move of themselves on their Centreitie 32 But it's more plain in animalitie When fiery coursers strike the grassie ground With swift tempestuous feet that farre and nigh They fill mens ears with a broad thundring sound From hollow hoof so strongly it doth rebound What 's that that twitcheth up their legs so fast And fiercely jerks them forth that many wound They give to their own mother in their hast With eager steps they quickly mete the forrest wast 34 That outward form is but a neurospast The soul it is that on her subtile ray That she shoots out the limbs of moving beast Doth stretch straight forth so straightly as she may Bones joynts and sinews shap'd of stubborn clay Cannot so eas'ly lie in one straight line With her projected might much lesse obey Direct retractions of these beames fine Of force so straight retreat they ever must decline 35 But yet they follow in a course oblique With angular doublings as the joynts pormit So go they up together not unlike An iron candle-stick the smith hath fit With many junctures whom in studious fit Some scholar set awork but to return Lest what we aim'd at we unwares omit If souls of beasts their bodies move and turn And wield at phansies beck as we describ'd beforn 36 Then be the souls of beasts self-moving forms Bearing their bodies as themselves think meet Invited or provok'd so they transform At first themselves within then straight in sight Those motions come which suddenly do light Upon the bodies visible which move According to the will of th' inward spright In th' inward spright be anger hate and love Hence claws horns hoofs they use the pinching ill t' amove 37 Thus have I plainly prov'd that souls of beasts And plants do move themselves That souls of men Should be more stupid and farre lesse releast From matters bondage surely there 's none can Admit of though but slightly they do scan The cause But for to put all out of doubt Let 's take again the same way we have ran Break down all obstacles that hinder mought Our future course to make all plain all clear throughout 38 If there be no self-motion in mans soul That she nor this nor that way can propend Of her own self nor can no whit controll Nor will of her own self who can offend For no mans self if you do well perpend Guiltie's of ought when nought doth from him flow Whither do learning laws grave speeches tend Speaks the rude Carter to the wagon slow With threat'ning words or to the beasts that do it draw 39 Surely unto the beasts that eas'ly go For there 's the principle of motion Such principle as can it self foreslow Or forward presse by incitation Which though it mov'd by commination So stifly strives yet from it self it strives Bears it self forth with stout contention And ever and anon the whip revives That inward life so bravely on the Rustick drives 40 Again all that sweet labour would be lost That Gods good spirit takes in humane mind So oft we courted be so often cross'd But nor that tender amorous courtship kind Hath any place where we no place can find For a self-yielding love Or if self-will Be not in us how eas'ly were declin'd All crosses None could happen us untill How vvill I want and want no crosse passeth my skill 41 Besides when reason works with phantasie And changeable conceits we do contrive Purging and pruning with all industrie What 's dead or uselesse lesse demonstrative What 's dull or flaccid nought illustrative Quenching unfitted phantasmes in our brain And for our better choice new flames revive The busie soul thus doth her reason strain To write or speak what envious tongue may never stain 42 Or when quite heedlesse of this earthie world She lifts her self unto the azure skie And with those wheeling gyres around is hurld Turns in her self in a due distancie The cering Seven or a stretch'd line doth tie O' th' silver-bowed moon from horn to horn Or finds out Phoebus vast soliditie By his diametre measures the Morn Girds the swoln earth with linear list though earth she scorn 43 All this is done though bodie never move The soul about it self circumgyrates Her various forms and what she most doth love She oft before her self stabilitates She stifly stayes't and wistly contemplates Or lets it somewhat slowlier descend Down to the nether Night she temperates Her starrie orb makes her bright forms to wend Even as she list Anon she 'll all with darknesse blend 44 Thus variously she doth herself invest With rising forms and reasons all the way And by right reason doth her self devest Of falser fancies Who then can gainsay But she 's self-mov'd when she doth with self-sway Thus change herself as inward life doth feel If not then some inspiring sprights bewray Each reasoning Yet though to them we deal First motion yet our selves ought know what they reveal 45 But if nor of our selves we moved be At first without any invasion Of stirring forms that into energie Awake the soul nor after motion From its own centre by occasion Doth issue forth then it 's not conscious Of ought For so 't will want adversion But nothing can animadvert for us Therefore all humane souls be self-vivacious 46 Thus have I prov'd all souls have centrall motion Springing from their own selves But they 'll object ' Gainst th' universalnesse of this clear notion That whiles self-flowing sourse I here detect In plants in brutes in men I ought reject No soul from wished immortalitie But give them durance when they are resect From organized corporeitie Thus brutes and plants shall gain lasting eternitie 47 'T is true a never fading durancie Belongs to all hid principles of life But that full
is needlesse all in vain Each centrall form its rayes with ease can well up-stayen 8 What holds the earth in the thin fluid aire Can matter void of fix'd solidity But she like kindly nurse her forms doth chear What can be suck'd from her dark dugges drie Nor warmth nor moistnesse nor fast density Belong to her Therefore I 'll nurse I ween She 'll make that neither hath to satisfie Young-craving life nor firmnesse to sustein The burden that upon her arms should safely lean 9 Therefore an uselesse super fluity It is to make Hyle substantiall Onely let 's term 't the possibility Of all created beings Lives centrall Can frame themselves a right compositall While as they sitten soft in the sweet rayes Or vitall vest of the lives generall As those that out of the earths covert raise Themselves fairly provok'd by warmth of sunny dayes 10 And thus all accidents will prove the beams Of inward forms their flowing energy And quantity th' extension of such streams That goes along even with each qualitie Thus have we div'd to the profundity Of darkest matter and have found it nought But all this worlds bare Possibility Nought therefore ' gainst lifes durance can be brought From Hyles pit that quenchen may that pleasant thought The Argument of PSYCHATHANASIA Or The Immortalitie of the Soul 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 Al 's ' 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 it s 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 it s 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 It s 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 't is 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. 'T is 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 't is 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 â—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 't is her jealousie ' Gainst witching falshood that weak souls annoyes And oft doth choke those chearing hopes of lasting joyes The Argument of PSYCHATHANASIA OR The Immortality of the Soul Book 3. Cant. 1. The souls free independency Her drery dreadfull state In hell Her tricentreity What brings to heavens gate 1 WEll said that man what ever man that was That said what things we would we straight believe Upon each slight report t' have come to passe But better he that said Slow faith we give To things we long for most Hope and fear rive Distracted minds as when nigh equall weights Cast on the trembling scales each tug and strive To pull the other up But the same sleights By turns do urge them both in their descents and heights 2 Thus waves the mind in things of greatest weight For things we value most are companied With fear as well as hope these strifly fight The stronger hope the stronger fear is fed On mother both and the like livelyhed One object both from whence they both do spring The greater she the greater these she bred The greater these the greater wavering And longer time to end their sturdy struggeling 3 But is there any thing of more import Then the souls immortality Hence fear And hope we striving feel with strong effort Against each other That nor reason clear Nor sacred Oracles can straight down bear That sturdy rascall with black phantasies Yclad and clouded with drad dismall chear But still new mists he casts before our eyes And now derides our prov'd incorporieties 4 And grinning saith That labour 's all in vain For though the soul were incorporeall Yet her existence to this flesh restrain They be so nearly link'd that if one fall The other fails The eare nor hears our call In stouping age nor eye can see ought clear Benumming palsies shake the bodies wall The soul hath lost her strength and cannot steer Her crasie corse but staggering on reels here and there 5 So plain it is that though the soul 's a spright Not corporall that it must needs depend Upon this body and must perish quite When her foundation falls But now attend And see what false conceits vain fears do send 'T is true I cannot write without a quill Nor ride without an horse If chance that rend Or use make blunt o're-labouring this kill Then can I walk not ride not write but think my fill 6 Our body is but the souls instrument And when it fails onely these actions cease That thence depend But if new eyes were sent Unto the aged man with as much case And accuratenesse as when his youth did please The wanton lasse he now could all things see Old age is but the watry blouds disease The soul from death and sicknesse standeth free My hackney fails not I my pen not sciencie 7 But as I said of things we do desire So vehemently we never can be sure Enough Therefore my Muse thou must aspire To higher pitch and fearfull hearts secure Not with slight phansie but with reason pure Evincing the souls independency Upon this body that doth her immure That when from this dark prison she shall flie All men may judge her rest in immortality 8 Therefore I 'll sing the Tricentreity Of humane souls and how they wake from sleep In which ywrapt of old they long do lie Contract with cold and drench'd in Lethe deep Hugging their plantall point It makes me weep Now I so clearly view the solemn Spring Of silent Night whose Magick dew doth steep These drowsie souls of men whose dropping wing Keeps off the light of life and blunts each fiery sting 9 Three centres hath the soul One plantall hight Our parents this revive in nuptiall bed This is the principle that hales on Night Subjects the mind unto dull drowsyhed If we this follow thus we shall be led To that dark straitnesse that did bind before Our sluggish life when that is shrivelled Into its sunken centre we no more Are conscious of life what can us then restore 10 Unlesse with fiery whips fell Nemesis Do lash our sprights and cruelly do gore Our groning ghosts this is the way I wisse The onely way to keep 's from Morpheus power Both these so dismall are that I do showr Uncessant tears from my compassionate eyes Alas ye souls Why should or sleep devour Sweet functions of life or hellish cries To tender heart resound your just calamities 11 Thus may you all from your dead drowsinesse Be wak'd by inward sting and pinching wo That you could wish that that same heavinesse Might ever you o'represse and Lethe flow Upon your drowned life But you shall glow With urging fire that doth resuscitate Your middle point and makes it self to gnaw It self with madnesse while 't doth ruminate On its deformity and sterill vexing state 12 Continuall desire that nought effects Perfect hot-glowing fervour out to spring In some good world With fury she affects To reach the Land of life then struck with sting Of wounding memory despairs the thing And further off she sees her self the more She rageth to obtain thus doth she bring More fewell to her flame that scorched sore With searching fire she 's forc'd to yell and loudly rore 13 Thus she devours her self not satisfies Her self nought hath she but what 's dearly spun From her own bowels jejune exilities Her body 's gone therefore the rising sun She sees no more nor what in day is done The sporting aire no longer cools her bloud Pleasures of youth and manhood quite are gone Nor songs her eare nor mouth delicious food Doth fill But I 'll have this more fully understood 14 Three centres hath mans soul in Unity Together joynd or if you will but one Those three are one with a Triplicity Of power or rayes Th' high'st intellection Which being wak'd the soul's in Union With God If perfectly regenerate Into that better world corruption Hath then no force her blisse to perturbate The
low'st do make us subject to disturbing fate 15 But low'st gins first to work the soul doth frame This bodies shape imploy'd in one long thought So wholy taken up that she the same Observeth not till she it quite hath wrought So men asleep some work to end have brought Not knowing of it yet have found it done Or we may say the matter that she raught And suck'd unto her self to work upon Is of one warmth with her own spright feels as one 16 And thus the body being the souls work From her own centre so entirely made Seated i' th' heart for there this spright doth lurk It is no wonder 't is so easly sway'd At her command But when this work shall fade The soul dismisseth it as an old thought 'T is but one form but many be display'd Amid her higher rayes dismist and brought Back as she list many come that ne're were sought 17 The soul by making this strange edifice Makes way unto herself to exercise Functions of life and still more waked is The more she has perfected her fine devise Hath wrought her self into sure sympathies With this great world Her ears like hollow caves Resound to her own spright the energies Of the worlds spright If it ought suffered have Then presentifick circles to her straight notice gave 18 We know this world because our soul hath made Our bodie of this sensible worlds spright And body Therefore in the glassie shade Of our own eyes they having the same might That glasse or water hath we have the sight Of what the Mundane spirit suffereth By colours figures or inherent light Sun stars and all on earth it hurrieth To each point of it self so far as 't circuleth 19 And where he lighteth on advantages His circulings grow sensible So hills That hollow be do audible voices Resound The soul doth imitate that skill In framing of the eare that sounds may swell In that concavitie The crystall springs Reflect the light of heaven if they be still And clear the soul doth imitate and bring The eye to such a temper in her shapening 20 So eyes and ears be not mere perforations But a due temper of the Mundane spright And ours together else the circulations Of sounds would be well known by outward sight And th' eare would colours know figures light So that it 's plain that when this bodie 's gone This world to us is clos'd in darknesse quite And all to us is in dead silence drown Thus in one point of time is this worlds glory flown 21 But if 't be so how doth Psyche hear or see That hath nor eyes nor eares She sees more clear Then we that see but secondarily We see at distance by a circular Diffusion of that spright of this great sphear Of th' Universe Her sight is tactuall The Sun and all the starres that do appear She feels them in herself can distance all For she is at each one purely presentiall 22 To us what doth diffusion circular And our pure shadowed eyes bright crystalline But vigorously our spright particular Affect while things in it so clearly shine That 's done continually in the heavens sheen The Sun the Moon the Earth blew-glimmering Hel Scorch'd Aetna's bowels each shape you 'l divine To be in Nature every dern cell With fire-eyed dragons or what else therein doth dwel 23 These be all parts of the wide worlds excesse They be all seated in the Mundane spright And shew just as they are in their bignesse To her But circulation shews not right The magnitude of things for distant site Makes a deficience in these circulings But all things lie opeâ—right unto the sight Of heavens great eye their thin shot shadowings And lightned sides All this we find in Natures springs 24 The worlds great soul knows by Protopathie All what befalls this lower sprite but we Can onely know 't by Deuteropathie At least in sight and hearing She doth see In our own eyes by the close unitie Of ours and the worlds life our passion Plainly perceives our Idiopathie As we do hers by the same union But we cannot see hers in that perfection 25 Fresh varnish'd groves tall hills and gilded clouds Arching an eyelid for the gloring Morn Fair clustred buildings which our sight so crouds At distance with high spires to heaven yborn Vast plains with lowly cottages forlorn Rounded about with the low wavering skie Cragg'd vapours like to ragged rocks ytorn She views those prospects in our distant eye These and such like be the first centres mysterie 26 Or if you will the first low energie Of that one centre which the soul is hight Which knows this world by the close unitie Concorporation with the Mundane sprite Unloos'd from this she wants a certain light Unlesse by true regeneration She be incorporate with God unite With his own spright so a new mansion Sh' has got oft saught with deepest suspiration 27 But robb'd of her first clothing by hard fate If she fall short of this wo's me what pains She undergoes when this lost former state So kindled hath lifes thirst that still remains Thus her eternitie her nothing gains But hungry flames raging voracitie Feeding on its own self The heavens she stains With execrations and foul blasphemie Thus in fell discontent and smoth'ring fire they frie. 28 Vain man that striv'st to have all things at will What wilt thou do in this sterilitie Whom canst thou then command or what shall fill Thy gaping soul O depth of miserie Prepare thy self by deep humilitie Destroy that fretting fire while thou art here Forsake this worlds bewitching vanitie Nor death nor hell then shalt thou need to fear Kill and cast down thy self to heaven God shall thee rear 29 This middle centrall essence of the soul Is that which still survives asleep or waking The life she shed in this grosse earthly moul Is quite shrunk up lost in the bodies breaking Now with slight phantasms of her own fond making She 's clad so is her life drie and jejune But all flit souls be not in the same taking That state this lifes proportion doth tune So as thou livest here such measure must ensuen 30 But they whose souls deiform summitie Is waken'd in this life and so to God Are nearly joyn'd in a firm Unitie This outward bodie is but earthie clod Digested having life transfus'd abroad The worlds life and our lower vitalitie Unite in one their souls have their aboad In Christs own body are eternally One with our God by true and strong communitie 31 When we are clothed with this outward world Feel the soft air behold the glorious Sunne All this we have from meat that 's daily hurld Into these mouthes But first of all we wonne This priviledge by our first union With this worlds body and diffused spright I' th' higher world there 's such communion Christ is the sunne that by his chearing might Awakes our higher rayes to joyn with his pure
light 32 And when he hath that life elicited He gives his own dear body and his bloud To drink and eat Thus dayly we are fed Unto eternall life Thus do we bud True heavenly plants suck in our lasting food From the first spring of life incorporate Into the higher world as erst I show'd Our lower rayes the soul to subjugate To this low world we fearlesse sit above all fate 33 Safely that kingdomes glory contemplate O'reflow with joy by a full sympathie With that worlds sprite and blesse our own estate Praising the fount of all felicitie The lovely light of the blest Deitie Vain mortals think on this and raise your mind Above the bodies life strike through the skie With piercing throbs and sighs that you may find His face Base-fleshly fumes your drowsie eyes thus blind 34 So hath my Muse according to her skill Discovered the soul in all her rayes The lowest may occasionate much ill But is indifferent Who may dispraise Dame Natures work But yet you ought to raise Your selves to higher state Eternitie Is the souls rest and everlasting dayes Aspire to this and hope for victorie I further yet shall prove her immortalitie The Argument of PSYCHATHANASIA Or The Immortality of the Soul BOOK III. CANT 2. From many arguments we show The independencie Of humane souls That all Lives flow From a free Deitie 1 THree apprehensions do my mind divide Concerning the souls preexistencie Before into this outward world she glide So hath my Muse with much uncertaintie Exprest her self so as her phantasie Strongly inacted guides her easie pen I nought obtrude with sow'r anxietie But freely offer hints to wiser men The wise from rash assent in darksome things abstein 2 Or souls be well awake but hovering Not fixt to ought but by a Magick might Drawable here and there and so their wing Struck with the steem of this low Mundane sprite May lower flag and take its stooping flight Into some plantall man new edified By his own plastick point Or else deep Night Drawn on by drooping phansie she doth slide Into this world and by her self that skill is tried 3 Makes to her self this fleshly habitation For this worlds spirit hath provok'd these rayes Then drown in sleep she works that efformation Of her own body all its parts displayes As doth the senselesse plant The two next wayes Are these A reall tricentreitie First centre ever wakes unmoved stayes Hight Intellect The next in sleep doth lie Till the last centre burst into this open skie 4 And then the middle wakes But the last way Makes but one centre which doth sleep likewise Till its low life hath reach'd this worlds glad day A fourth we 'll adde that we may all comprise Take quite away all preexistencies Of humane souls and grant they 're then first made When they begin this bodies edifice And actually this outward world invade None of these wayes do show that they must ever fade 5 The first way might be well occasioned By what the soul in her self feels and tries She works sometime as though she quite had fled All commerce with these low carnalities Yet falls she down at last and lowly lies In this base mansion is so close contract That sleep doth seise her actualities Retains no memory of that strange fact Nor of her self that soar'd in that high heavenly tract 6 The second way that makes the soul tricentrall The highest awake the other with sleep drownd May spring from hence None would vouchsafe the entrall Into this life if they were but once bound To that vast centre where all things are found Hight Intellect The lowest is not awake Therefore the midst lies close in sleep upwound Three centres made that souls may quite forsake This baser world when union with the lowest they break 7 Again because this bodie 's fashioned Without our knowledge reason doth suggest That it could no wise be thus figured From our own centre and yet we not prest To any adversion Therefore we are drest With this grosse clothing by some plantall spright Centred in Nature So that glorious vest The Deiform intellect by our own might's Not made But we have rayes which each of these will fit 8 Ardent desire strong breathing after God At length may work us to that better place Body or clothing that high sure aboad That searching weather nor time can deface But to go on in our proposed race The third and fourth way have the same foundation Not multiplying beings to surpasse Their use What needs that numerous clos'd centration Like wastefull sand ytost with boisterous inundation 9 Let wiser Clerks the truth dare to define I leave it loose for men to muse upon View at their leasure But yet this call mine Though we should grant the souls condition Before her deep incorporation Into dull matter to be nothing more But bare potentiality yet none Can prove from thence that she must fade therefore When to its earth this earth the trusty fates restore 10 For though she and her body be at once Yet of her body she doth not depend But it of her she doth its members branch Pierce bind digest and after makes it wend At her own will when she hath brought to end Her curious work and hath consolidate Its tender limbs which earst did feebly bend Through weaknesse then this world she contemplates And life still blazing higher seeks an heavenly state 11 Breaths after the first fountain of all life Her sweet Creatour thither doth aspire Would see his face nor will she cease this strife Till he fulfill her thirsty fierce desire Nothing can quench this so deep rooted fire But his own presence So he gins despise This bodies pleasures ceaseth to admire Ought fair or comely to these outward eyes Or if she do from hence she higher doth arise 12 But can she higher rise then her own head Therefore her spring is God thence doth she pend Thence did she flow thither again she 's fled When she this life hath lost and made an end Of this low earthly course she doth ascend Unto her circles ancient Apogle Lifted aloft not again to descend Nor stoups not sets that Sunne but standeth free On never shaken pillars of Aeternitie 13 But still this truth more clearly to evince Remember how all things are from one light It shall thy reason forceably convince That nought but God destroyes a centrall spright If he sucks in his beams eternall night Seiseth upon that life that it no'te flow In actuall efflux hath no being quite But Gods own power He lets his breath out go The self-same things again so eas'ly doth he show 14 Let be Noon day the welkin clear the Moon I' th' nether world reflecting the Suns rayes To cheer the irksome night Well! That being done Call out some wondrous might that listlesse stayes In slower phansies Bid't break all delayes Surround with solid dark opacity The utmost beams that Phoebus light displayes Softly steal on
with equall distancy Till they have close clapt up all his explendency 15 All 's now in darknesse tell me what 's become Of that infinity of rayes that shone Where second centres from whence out did come Other faint beams what be they all quite flone All perish'd quite You stiflers now be gone Let fall that smoring mantle Do not straight All things return The nether world the Moon The Sun enlightens us The self same light Now shines that shone before this deep and dismall Night 16 If not the same Then like to flowing stream You deem the light that passeth still away New parts ever succeeding The Sun-beam Hath no reflexion then if it decay So fast as it comes forth Nor were there day For it would vanish 'fore it could arrive At us But in a moment Sol doth ray One end of his long shafts then we conceive At once both touch himself and down to us do dive 17 Beside this air is not the sustentation Of spreaden light for then as it did move The light would move And sturdy conflictation Of struggling winds when they have fiercely strove Phoebus fair golden locks would rudely move Out of their place and Eastern winds at morn Would make more glorious dayes while light is drove From that bright quarter Southern blasts do burn From midday sun but yet Northwinds like light have born 18 What then must be the channell of this river If we 'll have light to flow as passing stream So plain it is that Nature doth dissever The light and th' air that th' air the Suns bright beams Doth not uphold as the warmth of his gleams Or heat that lodgeth there From this firm might Nought leaning on the Air well may we't deem Some subtile body or some grosser spright Depending of fair Phoebus of no other wight 19 And when these rayes were forced to retire Into their fountain they were not so gone But that the same sprong out from the first fire So fine spun glittering silk crumpled in one Changeth not 'ts individuation From what it was when it was gaily spread In fluttering winds to th' admiration Of the beholder Thus is nought so dead But God can it restore to its old livelyhed 20 For all the creature 's but the out gone-rayes Of a free sunne and what I meaned most Of him alone depend He deads their blaze By calling in his breath Though things be tost And strangely chang'd yet nought at all is lost Unlesse he list Nor then so lost but he Can them return In every thing compost Each part of th' essence its centreity Keeps to it self it shrinks not to a nullity 21 When that compounded nature is dissolv'd Each centre 's safe as safe as second light Or drove into the Sun or thence out-rol'd So all depend on th' Universall spright From hight to depth as they are ranked right In their due orders Lises full pregnancy Breaks out when friendly sympathy doth smite The higher rank the higher energie From natures lowly lap to Gods sublimity 22 But well may man be call'd the epitome Of all things Therefore no low life him made The Highest holds all in His capacity Therefore mans soul from Gods own life outray'd His outgone Centre 's on that centre staid What disadvantage then can the decay Of this poore carcase do when it doth fade The soul no more depends on this frail clay Then on our eye depends bright Phoebus glist'ring ray 23 But in this argument we 'll no longer stay Consider now the souls conversion Into her self Nought divisible may Close with it self by revolution For then or part in this reflection Is drove into a part or part to th' whole Or whole to part or near compression The whole into the whole doth closely roll But easily all these wayes right reason will controll 24 If part turn into part part into whole Whole into part the thing doth not convert Into it self the thing it self is all Not part of 't self if all to all revert Each part then into each part is insert But tell me then how is their quantity If every part with each part is refert Thus swallowed up they 'l have no distancy So you destroy suppos'd divisibility 25 Wherefore that thing is individuous What ever can into it self reflect Such is the soul as hath been prov'd by us Before and further now we do detect By her foure wheels The first hight Intellect Wherewith she drives into her Nature deep And finds it out next Will this doth affect Her self found out Her self then out doth peep Into these acts she into both doth eas'ly creep 26 But this conversion's from the body free Bâ—gins not thence nor thither doth return Nor is the soul worse then her energie If in her acts she be far higher born Then they should ' pend on this base corse forlorn Then also she haâ—h no dependency Upon this body but may safely scorn That low condition of servility And blame all that averre that false necessity 27 If she should issue from this nether spring Nearer she kept to her Originall She were the stronger and her works would bring To more perfection but alas they fall They fail by near approch The best of all Wax weak and faint by too close union With this foul fount Might intellectuall Grows misty by this strait conjunction The will is woxen weak its vigour quite is gone 28 But O! how oft when she her self doth cut From nearer commerce with the low delight Of things corporeall and her eyes doth shut To those false fading lights she feels her spright Fill'd with excessive pleasure such a plight She finds that it doth fully satisfie Her thirsty life Then reason shines out bright And holy love with mild serenity Doth hug her harmlesse self in this her purity 29 What grave monitions and sure prophesie Have men in sicknesse left a true testation Of the souls utter independency On this poore crasie corse May that narration Of Aristotles move easie perswasion Of his Endemus to whom sick at Phere While sleep his senses bound this revelation A gentle youth did bring with goodly chear And jolly blith deportment chasing needlesse fear 30 Told him that sicknesse would not mortall prove He should grow well er'e long but deaths drad power On that towns tyrant should be shortly drove Swift vengeance on his cursed head should showr Both proved true I could in plenty poure Such like examples as of Pherecyde Calanus him of Rhodes and others more But it is needlesse 't is a truth well tried The higher works the soul the more she is untied 31 Then quite set loose from this her heavy chain Shee is in happiest plight so far she is From being nought or perishing Again We find such utter contrarieties Betwixt the bodies and her qualities That we can no wayes think she pends at all Of that with which she has such repugnancies What thing doth fight with its Originall The spring and
stream be alwayes homogeneall 32 But the high heaven-born soul sprung out from Jove Ever is clashing with the foolery Of this dull body which the sense doth love And erring phansie It were long to try In every thing O how 't would magnifie The hight of pleasures that fall under sense This well describ'd would prove its Deity A vast round body cloth'd with th' excellence Of glorious glistring light through the wide aire extense 33 Bravely adorn'd with diverse colours gay Even infinite varieties that shine With wondrous brightnesse varnish'd with the ray Of that clear light with motion circuline Let turn about and stir up sounds divine That sweetly may affect th' attentive ear Adde fragrant odours waft with gentle wind Adde pleasant taste soft touch to Venus dear This is the bodies God this is its highest sphear 34 But from far higher place and brighter light Our reason checks us for this vanity Calls to us warns us that that empty sight Lead not our soul unto Idolatry Make us not rest in easie falsity If thou be stirred up by working fire To search out god to find the Deity Take to thy self not what thine eyes admire Or any outward sense or what sense can desire 35 Behold a light far brighter then the Sun The Sun 's a shadow if you them compare Or grosse Cimmerian mist the fairest Noon Exceeds not the meridian night so far As that light doth the Sun So perfect clear So perfect pure it is that outward eye Cannot behold this inward subtile starre But indisperst is this bright Majesty Yet every where out shining in infinitie 36 Unplac'd unparted one close Unity Yet omnipresent all things yet but one Not streâ—k'd with gaudy multiplicity Pure light without discolouration Stable without circumvolution Eternall rest joy without passing sound What sound is made without collision Smell taste and touch make God a grosse compound Yet truth of all that 's good is perfectly here found 37 This is a riddle unto outward sense And heavie phansie that can rise no higher Then outward senses knows no excellence But what those Five do faithfully inspire From their great God this world nor do desire More then they know wherefore to consopite Or quench this false light of bold phansies fire Surely must be an act contrary quite Unto this bodies life and its low groveling spright 38 Wherefore the body 's not Originall Of humane soul when she doth thus resist That principle which still more clearly shall Be proved Oft when either drowsie mists Provoke to sleep or worst of senses lists To ease his swelling veins or stomach craves His wonted food that he too long hath mist Or our dry lungs cool liquor fain would have Or when in warre our heart suggests the fear of grave 39 Yet high desire of truth and deep insight Into Gods mystery makes us command These low attractions and our countries right Bids march on bravely stout and stifly stand In bloudy fight and try 't by strength of hand Thus truth and honesty so sway our will That we no longer doubt to break the band Of lower Nature and this body kill Or vex so we the Laws of reason may fulfill 40 This proves the soul to sit at liberty Not wedg'd into this masse of earth but free Unloos'd from any strong necessity To do the bodies dictates while we see Clear reason shining in serenity Calling above unto us pointing to What 's right and decent what doth best agree With those sweet lovely Ideas that do show Some glimps of their pure light So Sol through clouds doth flow 41 How oft do we neglect this bodies life And outward comely plight for to adorn Our soul with virtuous ornaments and strive To fat our mind with truth while it 's forlorn Squalid half-nasty pallid wan deform Can this desire from the base body spring No sure such brave atchievements be yborn Within the soul tend to her perfecting See th' independent mind in her self circuling 42 Best plight of body hinders such like acts How doth she then upon the body pend To do those subtle high pure heavenly facts What doth the Sun his rayes that he out-sends Smother or choke though clouds that upward wend May raised be by him yet of those clouds That he doth congregate he no'te depend Nor doth the soul that in this flesh doth croud Her self rely on that thick vapour where she 's shroud 43 But still to prove it clearer If the mind Without the bodyes help can operate Of her own self then nothing can we find To scruple at but that souls separate Safely exist not subject unto fate Nothing depending on their carcases That they should fade when those be ruinate But first perpend well both their properties That we may better see their independencies 44 The living body where the soul doth ' bide These functions hath phansie sense memory How into sense these outward forms do glide I have already told and did descry How presentifick circularity Is spread through all there is one Mundane spright And body vitall corporality We have from hence Our souls be coâ—unite With the worlds spright and body with these herself she has dight 45 Our body struck by evolution Of outward forms spread in the worlds vast spright Our listning mind by its adversion Doth notice take but nothing is empight In it Of old Gods hand did all forms write In humane souls which waken at the knock Of Mundane shapes If they were naked quite Of innate forms though heaven and earth should rock With roring winds they 'd hear no more then senselesse stock 46 Phansy's th' impression of those forms that flit In this low life They oft continue long When as our spright more potently is hit By their incursions and appulses strong Like heated water though a while but hung On fiercer fire an hot impression Long time retains so forms more stoutly flung Against our spright make deep insculption Long time it is till their clear abolition 47 Hence springeth that which men call memory When outward object doth characterize Our inward common spright or when that we From our own soul stir up clear phantasies Which be our own elicited Idees Springing from our own centrall life by might Of our strong Fiat as oft as we please With these we seal that under grosser spright Make that our note-book there our choifest notions write 48 But sith it is not any part of us But longeth unto the great world it must Be chang'd for course of Time voraginous With rapid force is violently just Makes each thing pay with what it was in trust The common life sucks back the common spright The body backward falls into the dust It doth it by degrees Hence phancie sight And memory in age do not their functions right 49 Often disease or some hard casualtie Doth hurt this spirit that a man doth lose The use of sense wit phansie memory That hence rash men our souls mortall suppose Through
17 This is the measure of Gods providence The key of knowledge the first fair Idee The eye of truth the spring of living sense Whence sprout Gods secrets the sweet mystery Of lasting life eternall charity But you O bitter men and soure of sprite Which brand Gods name with such foul infamy As though poor humane race he did or slight Or curiously view to do them some despight 18 And all to shew his mighty excellency His uncontrolled strength fond men areed Is' t not as great an act from misery To keep the feeble as his life to speed With fatall stroke The weak shak'd whisling reed Shows Boreas wondrous strong but ignorance And false conceit is the foul spirits meed Gods lovely life hath there no enterance Hence their fond thoughts for truth they vainly do advance 19 If God do all things simply at his pleasure Because he will and not because its good So that his actions will have no set measure Is' t possible it should be understood What he intends I feel that he is lov'd Of my dear soul and know that I have born Much for his sake yet is it not bence prov'd That I shall live though I do sigh and mourn To find his face his creatures wish he 'll slight and scorn 20 When I breathe out my utmost vitall breath And my dear spirit to my God commend Yet some foul feigne close lurking underneath My serious humble soul from me may rend So to the lower shades down we shall wend Though I in hearts simplicity expected A better doom sith I my steps did bend Toward the will of God and had detected Strong hope of lasting life but now I am rejected 21 Nor of well being nor subsistency Of our poor souls when they do hence depart Can any be assur'd if liberty We give to such odde thoughts that thus pervert The laws of God and rashly do assert That will rules God but Good rules not Gods will What ere from right love equity doth start For ought we know then God may act that ill Onely to show his might and his free mind fulfill 22 O belch of hell O horrid blasphemy That Heavens unblemish'd beauty thus dost stain And brand Gods nature with such infamy Can Wise Just Good do ought that 's harsh or vain All what he doth is for the creatures gain Not seeking ought from us for his content What is a drop unto the Ocean main All he intends is our accomplishment His being is self-full self-joy'd self-excellent 23 He his fair beams through all has freely 〈◊〉 Purge but thy soul that thou mayst take them in With froward hypocrite he never went That finds pretexts to keep his darling sinne Through all the earth this Sprite takes pains to winne Unto himself such as be simply true And with malignant pride resist not him But strive to do what he for right doth shew So still a greater light he brings into their view 24 All Lives in severall circumference Look up unto him and expect their food He opes his hand showrs down their sustinence So all things be yfild with their wish'd good All drink are satisfi'd from this free floud But circling life that yet unsettled is Grows straight as it is further still remov'd From the first simple Good obtains lesse blisse Sustains sharp pains inflicted by just Nemesis 25 But why do I my soul loose and disperse With mouldring reason that like sand doth flow Life close united with that Good a verse Cannot declare nor its strange virtue show That 's it holds up the soul in all her wo That death nor hell nor any change doth fray Who walks in light knows whither he doth go Our God is light we children of the day God is our strength and hope what can us then dismay 26 Goodnesse it self will do to us this good That godly souls may dwell with him for aye Will God forsake what of himself 's belov'd What ever Lives may shrink into cold clay Yet good mens souls deaths hests shall not obey Where there 's no incompossibility Of things Gods goodnesse needs must bear the sway You virtuous brood take 't for sure verity Your souls shall not fall short of blest eternity 26 But yet bold men with much perplexity Will here object against this principle Heaping up reasons strange fecundity Of ignorance that goodly might to quell Of my last argument so fairly well Set down right strongly the unsettled spright To have confirmed at my last far-well But contrair forces they bring into sight And proudly do provoke me with that rout to fight 27 Whence was 't say they that God the creature made No sooner why did infinite delay Precede his work should God his goodnesse staid So long a time why did he not display From infinite years this out-created ray The mighty starres why not in habited When God may souls proportion to their clay As well as to this earth why not dispred The world withouten bounds endlesse uncompassed 28 Poore souls why were they put into this cave Of misery if they can well exist Without the body Why will not God save All mankind His great wisdome if it list Could so contrive that they 'd at last desist From sinning fallen into some providence That sternly might rebuke them that have mist Their way and work in them true penitence Thus might they turn to God with double diligence 29 Why be not damned souls devoyd of sense If nothing can from wickednesse reclaime Rather then fry in pain and vehemence Of searching agony or why not frame Another form so with new shape and name Again to turn to life One centrall spright Why may 't not many forms in it contain Which may be wak'd by some magnetick might ' Cording as is the matter upon which they light 30 For when too severall kinds by Venus knit Do cause a birth from both the soul doth take A tincture but if free it were transmit Uncloth'd with th' others seed then it would make One simple form for then they could not slake One th' others working Why is the World still Stark nought through malice or through blind mistake Why had the first-made-man such a loose will That his innumerous of-spring he should fouly spill 31 Why was not this unlucky world dissolv'd As soon as that unhappy Adam fell I itch till of this knot I be resolv'd So many myriads tumble down to hell Although partakers of Gods holy spell Beside t is said they that do not partake Of Christian lore for ever they must dwell With cursed fiends and burn in brimstone lake Such drery drad designes do make my heart to quake 32 One of a multitude of myriads Shall not be sav'd but broyl in scorching wo Innumerous mischiefs then to mischiefs addes This worlds continuance if that be so Ill infinitely more then good doth grow So God would show much more benignity If he the ribs of heaven about would strow Powder the earth choke
98 The burning bowels of this wasting ball Shall gullup up great flakes of rolling fire And belch out pitchie flames till over all Having long rag'd Vulcan himself shall tire And th' earth an asheap made shall then expire Here Nature laid asleep in her own Urn With gentle rest right easly will respire Till to her pristine task she do return As fresh as Phenix young under th' Arabian Morn 99 O happy they that then the first are born While yet the world is in her vernall pride For old corruption quite away is worn As metall pure so is her mold well tride Sweet dews cool breathing airs and spaces wide Of precious spicery wafted with soft wind Fair comely bodies goodly beautfi'd Snow-limb'd rose-cheek'd ruby-lip'd pearl-ted star-eyn'd Their parts each fair in fit proportion all combin'd 100 For all the while her purged ashes rest These relicks dry suck in the heavenly dew And roscid Manna rains upon her breast And fills with sacred milk sweet fresh and new Where all take life and doth the world renew And then renew'd with pleasure be yfed A green soft mantle doth her bosome strew With fragrant herbs and flowers embellished Where without fault or shame all living creatures bed 101 Ne ought we doubt how Nature may recover In her own ashes long time buried For nought can ever consume that centrall power Of hid spermatick life which lies not dead In that rude heap but safely covered And doth by secret force suck from above Sweet heavenly juice and therewith nourished Till her just bulk she doth her life emprove Made mother of much children that about her move 102 Witnesse that uncouth bird of Arabie Which out of her own ruines doth revive With all th' exploits of skilfull Chymistrie Such as no vulgar wit can well believe Let universall Nature witnesse give That what I sing 's no feigned forgerie A needlesse task new fables to contrive But what I sing is seemly verity Well suting with right reason and Philosophie 103 But the fit time of this mutation No man can finden out with all his pains For the small sphears of humane reason run Too swift within his narrow compast brains But that vast Orb of Providence contains A wider period turneth still and slow Yet at the last his aimed end he gains And sure at last a fire will overflow The aged Earth and all must into ashes go 104 Then all the stately works and monuments Built on this bottome shall to ruine fall And all those goodly Statues shall be brent Which were erect to the memoriall Of Kings and Kaesars ne may better ' fall The boastfull works of brave Poetick pride That promise life and fame perpetuall Ne better fate may these poore lines abide Betide what will to what may live no lenger tide 105 This is the course that never-dying Nature Might ever hold from all Eternitie Renuing still the faint decayed creature Which would grow stark and drie as aged tree Unlesse by wise preventing Destinie She were at certain periods of years Reduced back unto her Infancie Which well fram'd argument as plainly appears My ship from those hard rocks and shelves right safely stears 106 Lo now my faithfull muse hath represented Both frames of Providence to open view And hath each point in orient colours painted Not to deceive the sight with seeming shew But earnest to give either part their due Now urging th'uncouth strange perplexitie Of infinite worlds and Time then of a new Softening that harsher inconsistency To fit the immense goodnesse of the Deity 107 And here by curious men 't may be expected That I this knot with judgement grave decide And then proceed to what else was objected But ah What mortall wit may dare t' areed heavens counsels in eternall horrour hid And Cynthius pulls me by my tender ear Such signes I must observe with wary heed Wherefore my restlesse Muse at length forbear Thy silver sounded Lute hang up in silence here FINIS ANTIPSYCHOPANNYCHIA OR The third Book of the song of the SOUL Containing a Confutation of the sleep of the SOUL after death By H. M. Master of Arts and Fellow of Christs Colledge in Cambridge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plotin Ennead 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 11. CAMBRIDGE Printed by Roger Daniel Printer to the Universitie 1647. The Preface to the Reader TO preface much concerning these little after-pieces of Poetry I hold needlesse having spoke my mind so fully before The motives that drew me to adde them to the former are exprest in the Poems themselves My drift is one in them all which is to raise a certain number of well ordered Phantasms fitly shaped out and warily contrived which I set to skirmish and conflict with all the furious phansies of Epicurisme and Atheisme But here 's my disadvantage that victory will be no victory unlesse the adversary acknowledge himselfe overcome None can acknowledge himself overcome unlesse he perceive the strength and feel the stroke of the more powerfull arguments But the exility and subtilty of many and that not of the meanest is such nor can they be otherwise that they will as that kind of thunder which the Poets do commonly call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from it s over quick and penetrating energie go through their more porous and spongy minds without any sensible impression Sure I am that sensuality is alwayes an enemy to subtilty of reason which hath its rise from subtilty of phansie so that the life of the body being vigorous and radiant in the soul hinders us of the sight of more attenuate phantasmes But that being supprest or very much castigate and kept under our inward apprehension grows clearer and larger Few men can imagine any thing so clearly awake as they did when they were asleep And what 's the reason but that the sense of the body is then bound up or dead in a manner The dark glasse-windows will afford us a further illustration for this purpose Why is it that we see our own faces there by night What can reflect the species as they phrase it when the glasse is pervious and transparent Surely reflexion in the ordinary apprehension is but a conceit The darknesse behind the glasse is enough to exhibit visibly the forms of things within by hiding stronger objects from the eye which would bury these weak idola in their more orient lustre The starres shine and fill the air with their species by day but are to be seen onely in a deep pit which may fence the Suns light from striking our sight so strongly Every contemptible candle conquers the beams of the Moon by the same advantage that the Suns doth the Starrs viz. propinquitie But put out the candle and you will presently find the moon-light in the room exclude the moon and then the feeblest of all species will step out into energy we shall behold the night All this is but to shew how the stronger or nearer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth
find and that men call Mortality Plain death 's as good as such a Psychopannychie 4 What profiteth this bare existency If I perceive not that I do exist Nought longs to such nor mirth nor misery Such stupid beings write into one list With stocks and stones But they do not persist You 'll say in this dull dead condition But must revive shake off this drowsie mist At that last shrill loud-sounding clarion Which cleaves the trembling earth rives monuments of stone 5 Has then old Adam snorted all this time Under some senselesse sod with sleep ydead And have those flames that steep Olympus climbe Right nimbly wheeled or'e his heedlesse head So oft in heaps of years low buried And yet can ken himself when he shall rise Wakend by piercing trump that farre doth shed Its searching sound If we our memories And wit do lose by sicknesse falls sloth lethargies 6 If all our childhood quite be waste away With its impressions so that we forget What once we were so soon as age doth sway Our bowed backs sure when base worms have eat His mouldring brains and spirits have retreat From whence they came spread in the common fire And many thousand sloping sunnes have set Since his last fall into his ancient mire How he will ken himself reason may well admire 7 For he must know himself by some impression Left in his ancient body unwash'd out Which seemeth strange For can so long succession Of sliding years that great Colosses mought Well moulder into dust spare things ywrought So slightly as light phantasms in our brain Which oft one yeare or moneth have wrenched out And left no footsteps of that former stain No more then 's of a cloud quite melted into rain 8 And shall not such long series of time When Nature hath dispread our vitall spright And turn'd our body to its ancient slime Quite wash away what ever was empight In that our spirit If flesh and soul unite Lose such impressions as were once deep seald And fairly glistered like to comets bright In our blew Chaos if the soul congeald With her own body lose these forms as I reveald 9 Then so long time of their disjunction The body being into dust confract The spright diffus'd spread by dispersion And such Lethean sleep that doth contract The souls hid rayes that it did nothing act Must certainly wipe all these forms away That sense or phansie ever had impact So that old Adam will in vain assay To find who here he was he 'll have no memorie 10 Nor can he tell that ere he was before And if not tell he 's as if then first born If as first born his former life's no store Yet when men wake they find themselves at morn But if their memory away were worn With one nights sleep as much as doth respect Themselves these men they never were beforn This day 's their birth day they cannot conject They ever liv'd till now much lesse the same detect 11 So when a man goes hence thus may he say As much as me concerns I die now quite Adiew good self for now thou goest away Nor can I possibly thee ever meet Again nor ken thy face nor kindly greet Sleep and dispersion spoyls our memory So my dear self henceforth I cannot weet Wherefore to me it 's perfectly to die Though subtiler Wits do call 't but Psychopannychie 12 Go now you Psychopannychites perswade To comely virtues and pure piety From hope of ioy or fear of penance sad Men promptly may make answer Who shall try That pain or pleasure When death my dim eye Shall close I sleep not sensible of ought And tract of time at least all memory Will quiâ—e debarre that reacquainten mought My self with mine own self if so my self I sought 13 But I shall neither seek my self nor find My self unsought Therefore not deprehend My self in joy or wo. Men ought to mind What longs unto them But when once an end Is put unto this life and fate doth rend Our retinence what follows nought at all Belongs to us what need I to contend And my frail spright with present pain to gall For what I nere shall judge my self did ere befall 14 This is the uncouth state of sleeping soul Thus weak of her own self without the prop Of the base body that she no'te out-roll Her vitall raies those raies Death down doth lop And all her goodly beauty quite doth crop With his black claws Wisdome love piety Are straight dried up Death doth their fountain stop This is those sleepers dull Philosophy Which fairly men invites to foul impiety 15 But if we grant which in my former song I plainly prov'd that the souls energie Pends not on this base corse but that self-strong She by her self can work then when we fly The bodies commerce no man can deny But that there is no interruption Of life where will puts on there doth she hie Or if she 's carried by coaction That force yet she observes by presse adversion 16 And with most lively touch doth feel and find Her self For either what she most doth love She then obtains or else with crosse unkind Contrary life since her decease sh ' hath strove That keeps her wake and with like might doth move To think upon her self and in what plight She 's fallen And nothing able to remove Deep searching vengeance groans in this sad Night And rores and raves and storms and with her self doth fight 17 But hearty love of that great vitall spright The sacred fount of holy sympathy Prepares the soul with its deep quickning might To leave the bodies vain mortality Away she flies into Eternity Finds full accomplishment of her desire Each thing would reach its own centrality So Earth with Earth and Moon with Moon conspire Our selves live most when most we feed our Centrall fire 18 Thus is the soul continually in life Withouten interruption if that she Can operate after the fatall knife Hath cut the cords of lower sympathy Which she can do if that some energie She exercise immur'd in this base clay Which on frail flesh hath no dependency For then the like she 'll do that done away These independent acts t is time now to display 19 All comprehending Will proportionate To whatsoever shall fall by Gods decree Or prudent sufferance sweetly spread dilate Stretch'd out t' embrace each act or entity That creep from hidden cause that none can see With outward eyes Next Intellect whose hight Of working 's then when as it stands most free From sense and grosser phansie deep empight In this vild corse which to purg'd minds yields small delight 20 Both Will and Intellect then worketh best When Sense and Appetite be consopite And grosser phansie lull'd in silent rest Then Will grown full with a mild heavenly light Shines forth with goodly mentall rayes bedight And finds and feels such things as never pen Can setten down so that unexpert wight May reade and
understand Experienc'd men Do onely know who like impressions sustain 21 So far 's the Soul from a dependency In these high actions on the body base And further signe is want of memory Of these impressions wrought in heavenly place I mean the holy Intellect they passe Leaving no footsteps of their former light When as the soul from thence descended has Which is a signe those forms be not empight In our low proper Chaos or Corporeall spright 22 For then when we our mind do downward bend Like things we here should find but all is gone Soon as our flagging souls so low descend As that straight spright Like torch that droppeth down From some high tower held steddy clearly shone But in its fall leaves all its light behind Lies now in darknesse on the grail or stone Or dirty earth That erst so fully shin'd Within a glowing coal hath now its light confin'd 23 So doth the soul when from high Intellect To groveling sense she takes her stooping flight Falling into her body quite neglect Forget forgother former glorious sight Grosse glowing fire for that wide shining light For purest love foul fury and base passion For clearest knowledge fell contentious fight Sprong from some scorching false inust impression Which she 'll call truth she gains O witlesse Commutation 24 But still more clear her independent might In understanding and pure subtile will To prove I will assay t' explain aright The difference ' ccording to my best skill 'Twixt these and those base faculties that well From union with the low consistency Of this Out-world that when my curious quill Hath well describ'd their great disparity To th' highest we may give an independency 25 The faculties we deem corporeall And bound unto this earthy instrument So bound that they no'te operate at all Without the body there immerse and meint Be hearing feeling tasting sight and sent Adde lower phansie Mundane memory Those powers be all or more or lesse ypent In this grosse life We 'll first their property Set down and then the others contrariety 26 This might perceives not its own instrument The taste discovers not the spungy tongue Nor is the Mundane spright through all extent From whence are sense and lower phansie sprong Perceived by the best of all among These learned Five nor yet by phantasie Nor doth or this or those so nearly throng Unto themselves as by propinquity To apprehend themselves They no'te themselves descry 27 Nor e're learn what their own impressions be The mind held somewhere else in open sight What ever lies unknown unto the eye It lies though there its image be empight Till that our soul look on that image right Wherefore themselves the senses do not know Nor doth our phansie for each furious wight Hath phansie full enough so full't doth show As sense nor he nor 's phansie doth that phansie know 28 Age potent objects too long exercise Do weaken hurt and much debilitate Those lower faculties The Sun our eyes Confounds with dazeling beams of light so that For a good while we cannot contemplate Ought visible thus thunder deafs the eare And age hurts both that doth quite ruinate Our sense and phansie so if long we heare Or see 't sounds not so sweet nor can we see so clear 29 Lastly the Senses reach but to one kind Of things The eye sees colours so the eare Hears sounds the nostrills snuff perfumed wind What grosse impressions the out-senses bear The phansie represents sometimes it dare Make unseen shapes with uncouth transformation Such things as never in true Nature are But all this while the phansies operation To laws bodily is bound such is her figuration 30 This is the nature of those faculties That of the lower Mundane spright depend But in our Intellect farre otherwise We'st see it if we pressely will attend And trace the parallels unto the end There 's no self-knowledge Here the soul doth find Her self If so then without instrument For what more fit to show our inward mind Then our own mind But if 't be otherwise defin'd 31 Then tell me Knows she that fit instrument if she kens not that instrument how can She judge whether truely it doth represent Her self there may be foul delusion But if she kens this Organ straight upon This grant I 'll ask how kens she this same tole What by another by what that so go on Till to infinity you forward roll An horrid monster count in Philosophick school 32 The soul then works by 't self and is self-liv'd Sith that it acts without an instrument Free motions from her own self deriv'd Flow round But to go on The eyes yblent Do blink even blind with objects vehement So that till they themselves do well recure Lesse matters they no'te see But rayes down sent From higher sourse the mind doth maken pure Do clear do subtilize do fix do settle sure 33 That if so be she list to bend her will To lesser matters she would it perform More excellently with more art and skill Nor by long exercise her strength is worn Witnesse wise Socrates from morn to morn That stood as stiff as any trunck of tree What eye could bear in contemplation So long a fix'dnesse none so long could see It s watery tears would wail its frail infirmity 34 Nor feeble eld sure harbinger of death Doth hinder the free work of th' Intellect When th' eye growes dim and dark that it unneath Can see through age the mind then close collect Into her self such mysteries doth detect By her far-piercing beams that youthfull hear Doth count them folly and with scorn neglect His ignorance concludes them but deceit He hears not that still voyce his pulse so loud doth beat 35 Lastly sense phansie though they be confin'd To certain objects which to severall Belong yet sure the Intellect or mind Apprehends all objects both corporeall As colours sounds and incorporeall As virtue wisdome and the higher spright Gods love and beauty intellectuall So that its plain that she is higher pight Then in all acts to pend on any earthly might 36 If will and appetite we list compare Like difference we easly their discover This pent contract yfraught with furious jar And fierce antipathy It boyleth over With fell revenge or if new chance to cover The former passion Suppose lust or fear Yet all are tumults but the will doth hover No whit enslav'd to what she findeth here But in a free suspence her self doth nimbly bear 37 Mild gentle calm quick large subtill serene These be her properties which do increase The more that vigour in the bodies vein Doth waste and waxen faint Desires decrease When age the Mundane spright doth more release From this straight mansion But the will doth flower And fairly spread near to our last decease Embraceth God with much more life and power Then ever she could do in her fresh vernall hower 38 Wherefore I think we safely may conclude That Will and
Intellect do not rely Upon the body sith they are indew'd With such apparent contrariety Of qualities to sense and phantasie Which plainly on the body do depend So that departed souls may phantasms free Full well exert when they have made an end Of this vain life nor need to Lethe Lake descend The Argument of ANTIPSYCHOPANNYCHIA OR The Confutation of the Sleep of the Soul Cant. 2. Bondage and freedom's here set out By an inverted Cone The self-form'd soul may work without Incorporation 1 FOuntain of beings the vast deep abysse Of Life and Love and penetrating Will That breaks through narrow Night so transmiss At last doth find it self What mortall skill Can reach this mystery my trembling quill Much lesse may set it forth yet as I may I must attempt this task for to fulfill He guide my pen while I this work assay Who All through all himself doth infinitely display 2 My end 's loose largenesse and full liberty To finden out Most precious thing I ween When contrall life her outgone energy Doth spreaden forth unsneep'd by foe-man keen And like unclouded Sunne doth freely shine This is right Liberty whose first Idee And measure is that holy root divine Of all free life hight Ahad Vnitie In all things He at once is present totally 3 Each totall presence must be infinite So is He infinite infinity Those infinites you must not disunite So is He one all spreaden Unity Nor must you so outspread this Deitie But that infinitie so infinite Must be in every infinite so we Must multiply this infinite single sight Above all apprehension of a mortall wit 4 What is not infinitely infinite It is not simply infinite and free For straitnesse if you do conceive aright Is the true daughter of deficiency But sith there 's no defect in Unity Or Ahad Ahad this first centre hight In Poetry as yet to vulgar eye Unpublish'd Him first freedome infinite We may well style And next is that eternall Light 5 Sonne unto Ahad Aeon we him name In that same Poem like his father free Even infinitely free I him proclaim Every where all at once And so is she Which Psyche hight for perfect Unity Makes all those one So hitherto we have Unmeasurable freedome Semele Is next whom though fair fluttering forms embrave Yet motion and defect her liberty deprave 6 Imagination's not infinite Yet freer farre then sense and sense more free Then vegetation or spermatick spright Even absent things be seen by phantasie By sense things present at a distancie But that spermatick spright is close confin'd Within the compasse of a stupid tree Imprison'd quite in the hard rugged rind Yet their defective Re'plication we find 7 Farre more defective then in phantasie Or sense yet freer is the plastick spright Then quantity or single quality Like quantity it self out stretched right Devoid of all reduplicative might If any such like qualities there were So dull so dead so all devoid of light As no communicative rayes to bear If there be such to Hyle they do verge most near 8 But Hyle's self is perfect penurie And infinite straitnesse Here we sinden nought Nor can do ought If curiously we prie Into this mirksome corner quite distraught From our own life and being we have brought Our selves to nothing Or the sooth to sayen The subtilest soul her self hath never wrought Into so strait a place could nere constrain Herself to enter or that Hagge to entertain 9 Lo here 's the figure of that mighty Cone From the strait Cuspis to the wide-spread Base Which is even all in comprehension What 's infinitely nothing here hath place What 's infinitely all things steddy stayes Aâ— the wide Basis of this Cone inverse Yet it s own essence doth it swiftly chace Oâ—etakes at once so swiftly doth it pierce That motion here 's no motion 10 Suppose the Sunne so much to mend his pace That in a moment he did round the skie The nimble Night how swiftly would he chace About the earth so swift that scarce thine eye Could ought but light discern But let him hie So fast that swiftnesse hath grown infinite In a pure point of time so must he flie Around this ball and the vast shade of Night Quite swallow up ever steddy stand in open sight 11 For that which from its place is not away One point of time how can you say it moves Wherefore the Sunne doth alwayes steddy stay In our Meridian as this reason proves And sith that in an instant round he roves The same doth hap in each Meridian line For in his instantaneous removes He in them all at once doth fairely shine Nor that large stretchen space his freenesse can confine 12 The Sun himself at once stands in each point Of his diurnall circle Thus we see That rest and motion cannot be disjoynt When motion 's swift even to infinity Here contrarieties do well agree Eternall shade and everlasting light With one another here do well comply Instant returns of Night make one long Night Wherefore infinity is freedome infinite 13 No hinderance to ought that doth arrive To this free camp of fair Elysium But nearer that to Hyle things do dive They are more pent and find much lesser room Thus sensuall souls do find their righteous doom Which Nemesis inflicts when they descend From heavenly thoughts that from above do come To lower life which wrath and grief attend And scorching lust that do the souls high honour blend 14 Wherefore the soul cut off from lowly sense By harmlesse fate farre greater liberty Must gain for when it hath departed hence As all things else should it not backward hie From whence it came but such divinity Is in our souls that nothing lesse then God Could send them forth as Plato's schools descry Wherefore when they retreat a free abode They 'll find unlesse kept off by Nemesis just rod. 15 But if kept off from thence where is she then She dwells in her own self there doth reside Is her own world and more or lesse doth pen Her self as more or lesse she erst did side With sense and vice while here she did abide Steril defect and nere-obtained desire Create a Cone whose Cusp is not more wide Then this worlds Cone Here close-contracted fire Doth vex doth burn doth scorch with searching heat and ire 16 Nor easly can she here fall fast asleep To slake her anguish and tormenting pain What drisling mists may here her senses steep What foggie fumes benumb her moistned brain The flitten soul no sense doth then retain And sleep ariseth from a sympathie With these low sprights that in this flesh remain But when from these the soul is setten free What sleep may bind her from continuall energie 17 Here they 'll reply It is not a grosse sleep That binds the soul from operation But sith that death all phantasms clean doth wipe Out of the soul she no occasion Can have of Will or Intellection The
corpse doth rot the spirit wide is spread And with the Mundane life fallen into one So then the soul from these quite being fled Unmov'd of ought must lie sunk in deep drowsihead 18 Nought then she hath whereon to contemplate Her ancient phantasms melt and glide away Her spright suck'd back by all-devouring fate And spread abroad those forms must needs decay That were therein imprinted If they stay Yet sith the soul from them is disunite Into her knowledge they can never ray So wants she objects the mind to excite Wherefore asleep she lies wrapt in eternall Night 19 To which I answer though she corporate With no world yet by a just Nemesis Kept off from all yet she thus separate May oft be struck with potent rayes transmisse From divers worlds that with such mockeries Kindling an hungry fire and eager will They do the wretched soul but Tantalize And with fierce choking flames and fury fill So vext that if she could in rage herself she 'd kill 20 If any doubt of this perplexitie And think so subtil thing can suffer nought What 's gnawing conscience from impietie By highest parts of humane soul ywrought For so our very soul with pain is fraught The body being in an easie plight Through all the senses when you 've pressly sought In none of them you 'll find this sting empight So may we deem this dart the soul it self to hit 21 Again when all the senses be ybound In sluggish sloth the soul doth oft create So mighty pain so cruelly doth wound Herself with tearing tortures as that state No man awake could ever tolerate Which must be in herself for once return'd Unto her body new resuscitate From sleep remembring well how erst she mourn'd Marvels how all so soon to peace and ease is turn'd 22 Wherefore the soul it self receiveth pain From her own self withouten sympathie With something else whose misery must constrain To deep compassion So if struck she be VVith secret ray or some strong energie Of any world or Lives that there remain She 's kept awake Besides fecunditie Of her own nature surely doth contain Innate Idees This truth more fully I 'll explain 23 Strong forward bearing will or appetite A never wearied importunitie Is the first life of this deep centrall spright Thus thrusts she forth before her some Idee Whereby herself now actuall she doth see Her mighty Fiat doth command each form T' appear As did that ancient Majestie This world of old by his drad VVord efform And made the soul of man thus divine Deiform 24 Thus in a manner th' humane soul creates The image of her will when from her centre Her pregnant mind she fairly explicates By actuall forms and so doth safely enter To knowledge of her self Flush light she sendeth forth and live Idee's Those be the glasse whereby the soul doth paint her Sweet centrall love sends out such forms as please But centrall hate or fear foul shapes with evil ease 25 The manner of her life on earth may cause Diversity of those cruptions For will desire or custome do dispose The soul to such like figurations Propension brings imaginations Unto their birth And oft the soul le ts flie Such unexpected eructations That she her self cannot devisen why Unlesse she do ascribe it to her pregnancy 26 It is an argument of her forms innate Which blazen out perchance when none descry This light is lost sense doth so radiate With Mundane life till this poor carcase die As when a lamp that men do sitten by In some wide hall in a clear winter night Being blown out or wasted utterly Unwares they find a sly still silver light The moon the wall or pavement with mild rayes hath dight 27 So when the oyl of this low life is spent Which like a burning lamp doth waste away Or if blown out by fate more violent The soul may find an unexpected ray Of light not from full faced Cynthia But her own fulnesse and quick pregnancy Unthought of life her Nature may display Unto her self not by forc'd industry But naturally it sprouts from her fecundity 28 Now sith adversion is a property So deeply essentiall to the rationall soul This light or life from her doth not so fly But she goes with it as it out doth roll All spirits that around their raies extoll Possesse each point of their circumference Presentially Wherefore the soul so full Of life when it raies out with presse presence Oretakes each outgone beam apprends it by advertence 29 Thus plainly we perceive th' activity Of the departed soul if we could find Strong reason to confirm th' innate idee Essentiall forms created with the mind But things obscure no'te easly be defin'd Yet some few reasons I will venture at To show that God's so liberall and kind As when as humane soul he doth create To fill it with hid forms and deep idees innate 30 Well sang the wise Empedocles of old That earth by earth and sea by sea we see And heaven by heaven and fire more bright than gold By flaming fire so gentle love descry By love and hate by hate And all agree That like is known by like Hence they confesse That some externall species strikes the eye Like to its object in the self-same dresse But my first argument hence I 'll begin to presse 31 If like be known by like then must the mind Innate idolums in it self contain To judge the forms she doth imprinted find Upon occasions If she doth not ken These shapes that flow from distant objects then How can she know those objects a dead glasse That light and various forms do gaily stain Set out in open streets shapes as they passe As well may see Lutes hear each soaming diapase 32 But if she know those species out sent From distant objects tell me how she knows These species By some other You nere ment To answer so For straight the question goes Unto another and still forward flows Even to infinity Doth th' object serve Its image to the mind for to disclose This answer hath as little sense or nerve Now reel you in a circle if you well observe 33 Wherefore no ascititious form alone Can make us see or hear but when this spright That is one with the Mundane's hit upon Sith all forms in our soul be counite And centrally lie there she doth beget Like shapes in her own self that energie By her own centrall self who forth it let Is view'd Her centrall omniformity Thus easly keepeth off needlesse infinity 34 For the quick soul by 't self doth all things know And sith withouten apt similitude Nought's known upon her we must needs bestow Essentiall centrall forms that thus endew'd With universall likenesse ever transmew'd Into a representing energie Of this or that she may have each thing view'd By her own centrall self-vitality Which is her self-essentiall omniformity 35 If plantall souls in their own selves contain That vitall formative fecundity
That they a tree with different colour stain And divers shapes smoothnesse asperity Straightnesse acutenesse and rotundity A golden yellow or a crimson red A varnish'd green with such like gallantry How dull then is the sensitive how dead If forms from its own centre it can never spread 36 Again an Universall notion What object ever did that form impresse Upon the soul What makes us venture on So rash a matter as ere to confesse Ought generally true when neverthelesse We cannot e're runne through all singulars Wherefore in our own souls we do possesse Free forms and immateriall characters Hence 't is the soul so boldly generall truth declares 37 What man that is not dull or mad would doubt Whether that truth for which Pythagoras When he by subtile study found it out Unto the Muses for their helping grace An Hecatomb did sacrifice may passe In all such figures wheresoever they be Yet all Rectangle Triangles none has Viewed as yet none all shall ever see Wherefore this free assent is from th' innate Ides 38 Adde unto these incorporeity Apprehended by the soul when sense nere saw Ought incorporeall Wherefore must she From her own self such subtile Idols draw Again this truth more clearly still to know Let 's turn again to our Geometry What body ever yet could figure show Perfectly perfect as rotundity Exactly round or blamelesse angularity 39 Yet doth the soul of such like forms discourse And finden fault at this deficiency And rightly term this better and that worse Wherefore the measure is our own Idee Which th' humane soul in her own self doth see And sooth to sayen when ever she doth strive To find pure truth her own profundity She enters in her self doth deeply dive From thence attempts each essence rightly to descrive 40 Last argument which yet is not the least Wise Socrates dispute with Theaetete Concerning learning fitly doth suggest A midwifes sonne ycleeped Phenarete He calls himself Then makes a quaint conceit That he his mothers trade did exercise All witlesse his own self yet well did weet By his fit questions to make others wise A midwife that no'te bear anothers birth unties 41 Thus jestingly he flung out what was true That humane souls be swoln with pregnancy Of hidden knowledge if with usage due They were well handled they each verity Would bringen forth from their fecunditie Wise framed questions would facilitate This precious birth stirre up th' inward Idee And make it streme with light from forms innate Thus may a skilfull man hid truth elicitate 42 What doth the teacher in his action But put slight hints into his scholars mind Which breed a solemn contemplation Whether such things be so but he doth find The truth himself But if truth be not sign'd In his own Soul before and the right measure Of things propos'd in vain the youth doth wind Into himself and all that anxious leasure In answering proves uselesse without that hid treasure 43 Nor is his masters knowledge from him flit Into his scholars head for so his brain In time would be exhaust and void of wit So would the sory man but little gain Though richly paid Nor is' t more safe to sam As fire breeds fire art art doth generate The soul with Corporeity't would stain Such qualities outwardly operate The soul within her acts there closely circulate 44 Wherefore the soul it self by her Idee Which is her self doth every thing discover By her own Centrall Omniformity Brings forth in her own self when ought doth move her Till mov'd a dark indifferency doth hover But fierce desire and a strong piercing will Makes her those hidden characters uncover Wherefore when death this lower life shall spill Or fear or love the soul with actuall forms shall fill The Argument of ANTIPSYCHOPANNYCHIA OR The Confutation of the Sleep of the Soul Cant. 3. Departed souls by living Night Suckt in for pinching wo No'te sleep or if with God unite For joyes with which they flow 1 MY hardest task is gone which was to prove That when the soul dy death 's cut off from all Yet she within her self might live and move Be her own world by life imaginall But sooth to sain 't seems not so naturall For though a starre part of the Mundane spright Shine out with rayes circumferentiall So long as with this world it is unite Yet what 't would do cut off so well we cannot weet 2 But sith our soul with God himself may meet Inacted by His life I cannot see What scruple then remains that moven might Least doubt but that she wakes with open eye When Fate her from this body doth untie Wherefore her choisest forms do then arise Rowz'd up by union and large sympathy With Gods own spright she plainly then descries Such plenitude of life as she could nere devise 3 If God even on this body operate And shakes this Temple when he doth descend Or with sweet vigour doth irradiate And lovely light and heavenly beauty lend Such rayes from Moses face did once extend Themselves on Sinai hill where he did get Those laws from Gods own mouth mans life to mend And from Messias on mount Saron set Farre greater beauty shone in his disciples sight 4 Al 's Socrates when his large Intellect Being fill'd with streaming light from God above To that fair sight his soul did close collect That inward lustre though the body drove Bright beams of beauty These examples prove That our low being the great Deity Invades and powerfully doth change and move Which if you grant the souls divinity More fitly doth receive so high a Majesty 5 And that God doth illuminate the mind Is well approv'd by all antiquity With them Philosophers and Priests we find All one or else at least Philosophy Link'd with Gods worship and pure piety Witnesse Pythagoras Aglaophemus Zoroaster thrice-mighty Mercury Wise Socrates nothing injurious Religious Plato and vice-taming Orpheus 6 All these addicted to religion Acknowledg'd God the fount of verity From whence flows out illumination Upon purg'd souls But now O misery To seek to God is held a phantasie But men hug close their loved lust and vice And deem that thraldome a sweet liberty Wherefore reproch and shame they do devise Against the braver souls that better things emprise 7 But lo a proof more strong and manifest Few men but will confesse that prophesie Proceeds from God when as our soul 's possest By his All-seeing spright al 's ecstasie Wherein the soul snatch'd by the Deity And for a time into high heaven hent Doth contemplate that blest Divinity So Paul and John that into Patmos went Heard and saw things inestimably excellent 8 Such things as these men joyntly do confesse To spring from Gods own spirit immediately But if that God ought on the soul impresse Before it be at perfect liberty Quite rent from this base body when that she Is utterly releast she 'll be more fit To be inform'd by that
divine Idee Hight Logos that doth every man enlight That enters into life as speaks the sacred Writ 9 Behold a fit resemblance of this truth The Sun begetteth both colours and sight Each living thing with life his heat indew'th He kindles into act each plastick spright Thus he the world with various forms doth dight And when his vigour hath fram'd out an eye In any living wight he fills with light That Organ which can plainly then descry The forms that under his far-shining beams do ly 10 Even so it is with th' intellectuall sunne Fountain of life and all-discovering light He frames our souls by his creation Al 's he indews them with internall sight Then shines into them by his lucid spright But corporall life doth so obnubilate Our inward eyes that they be nothing bright While in this muddy world incarcerate They lie and with blind passions be intoxicate 11 Fear anger hope fierce vengeance and swoln hate Tumultuous joy envie and discontent Self-love vain-glory strife and fell debate Unsatiate covetise desire impotent Low-sinking grief pleasure lust violent Fond emulation all these dim the mind That with foul filth the inward eye yblent That light that is so near it cannot find So shines the Sunne unseen on a trees rugged rind 12 But the clean soul by virtue purifi'd Collecting her own self from the foul steem Of earthly life is often dignifi'd With that pure pleasure that from God doth streem Often's enlightn'd by that radiant beam That issues forth from his divinity Then feelingly immortall she doth deem Her self conjoynd by so near unity With God and nothing doubts of her eternitie 13 Nor death nor sleep nor any dismall shade Of low contracting life she then doth fear No troubled thoughts her settled mind invade Th' immortall root of life she seeth clear Wisheth she were for ever grafted here No cloud no darknesse no deficiency In this high heavenly life doth ere appear Redundant fulnesse and free liberty Easie flowing knowledge never weary energy 14 Broad open sight eternall wakefulnesse Withouten labour or consuming pain The soul all these in God must needs possesse When there deep-rooted life she doth obtain As I in a few words shall maken plain This bodies life by powerfull sympathy The soul to sleep and labour doth constrain To grief to wearinesse and anxiety In fine to hideous sense of dread mortality 15 But sith no such things in the Deity Are to be found Shee once incorporate With that quick essence she is setten free From ought that may her life obnubilate What then can her contract or maken strait For ever mov'd by lively sympathy With Gods own spright an ever-waking state She doth obtain Doth heavens bright blazing eye Ever close ywrapt in sleep and dead obscurity 16 But now how full and strong a sympathy Is caused by the souls conjunction With the high God I 'll to you thus descry All men will grant that spread dispersion Must be some hinderance to close union Al 's must confesse that closer unity More certainly doth breed compassion Not that there 's passion in the Deity But something like to what all men call Sympathy 17 Now sith the soul is of such subtlety And close collectednesse in dispersion Full by her centrall omniformity Pregnant and big without distension She once drawn in by strong attraction Should be more perfectly there counite In this her high and holy union Then with the body where dispersion's pight But such hard things I leave to some more learned wight 18 The first pure Being's perfect Unity And therefore must all things more strongly bind Then Lives corporeall which dispersed be He also the first Goodnesse is defin'd Wherefore the soul most powerfully's inclin'd And strongly drawn to God But life that 's here When into it the soul doth closely wind Is often sneep'd by anguish and by fear With vexing pain and rage that she no'te easly bear 19 Farre otherwise it fares in that pure life That doth result in the souls Unity With God For there the faster she doth strive To tie her selfe the greater liberty And freer welcome brighter purity She finds and more enlargement joy and pleasure O'reflowing yet without satietie Sight without end and love withouten measure This needs must close unite the heart to that hid treasure 20 This plainly's seen in that mysterious Cone Which I above did fairly stell descrive Their freenesse and incarceration Were plainly setten forth What down doth dive Into the straitned Cuspis needs must strive With stringent bitternesse vexation Anxious unrest in this ill plight they live But they that do ascend to th' top yflown Be free yet fast unite to that fair vision 21 Thus purged souls be close conjoyn'd to God And closer union surer sympathy Wherefore so long as they make their abode In Him incorp'rate by due Unitie They liven in eternall energie For Israels God nor slumbers nor doth sleep Nor Israel lost in dull lethargie Must list lesse ly while numbing streams do steep His heavy head overwhelmed in oblivion deep 22 But here more curious men will straight enquire Whither after death the wicked soul doth go That long hath wallowed in the sinfull mire Before this question I shall answer to Again the nature of the soul I 'll show She all things in her self doth centrally Contain what ever she doth feel or know She feels or knows it by th' innate Idee She 's all proportion'd by her omniformity 23 God heaven this middle world deep glimmering hell With all the lives and shapes that there remain The forms of all in humane souls do dwell She likewise all proportions doth contain That fits her for all sprights So they constrain By a strong pulling sympathy to come And straight possesse that fitting vitall vein That 'longs unto her so her proper room She takes as mighty Nemesis doth give the doom 24 Now which I would you presly should observe Though oft I have with tongue balbutient Prattled to th' weaker ear lest I should sterve My stile with too much subtilty I nere ment To grant that there 's any such thing existent As a mere body For all 's life all spright Though lives and sprights be very different Three generall sprights there be Eternall Light Is one the next our World the last Infernall Night 25 This last lies next unto old Nothingnesse Hight Hyle whom I term'd point of the Cone Her daughter Night is full of bitternesse And strait constraint and pent privation Her sturdy ray's scarce conquer'd by the moon The earths great shade breaks out from this hid spright And active is so soon the Sun is gone Doth repossesse the aire shotten forth right From its hid centrall life ycleep'd Infernall Night 26 In this drad world is scorching Phlegethon Hot without flame burning the vexed sense There hatefull Styx and sad Cocytus run And silent Acheron All drink from hence From this damn'd spright receiven influence That in our world or
poyson do outspue Or have an ugly shape and foule presence That deadly poison and that direfull hue From this Nocturnall spright these uggly creaturâ—◠〈◊〉 27 This is the seat of Gods eternall ire When unmixt vengeance he doth fully powre Upon foul souls fit for consuming fire Fierce storms and tempests strongly doth he show Upon their heads His rage doth still devoure The never dying soul Here Satanas Hath his full swing to torture every houre The grisly ghosts of men when they have passe From this mid world to that most direfull dismall place 28 Did Nature but compile one mighty sphere Of this dark Stygian spright and close collect Its scatter'd being that it might appear Aloft in the wide heaven it would project Dark powerfull beams that solar life ycheckt With these dull choking rayes all things would die Infernall poyson the earth would infect Incessant showrs of pitchie shafts let flie Against the Sun with darknesse would involve the skie 29 Nor is my Muse wox mad that thus gives life To Night or Darknesse sith all things do live But Night is nothing straight I 'll end that strife Doth nought impressions to the sense derive If without prejudice you 'll deigne to dive Into the matter as much realty To darknesse as to coldnesse you will give Certes both night and coldnesse active be Both strike the sense they both have reall entity 30 Again 't is plain that that nocturall spright Sends forth black eben-beams and mirksome rayes Because her darknesse as the Sunne his light More clearly doth reflect on solid place As when a wall a shade empighten has Upon it sure that shade farre darker is Then is the aire that lies in the mid space What is the reason but that rayes emisse From centrall Night the walls reflexion multiplies 31 The light 's more light that strikes upon the wall And much more strongly there affects the eye Then what 's spread in the space aereall So 't is with shadows that amid do lie In the slight air there scarce we them descrie But when they fall upon the wall or ground They gain a perfect sensibilitie Scarce ought in outgone light is to be found But this Nocturnall ray's with like indowments crown'd 32 But why doth my half-wearied mind pursue Dim sculking darknesse a fleet nimble shade If Moses and wise Solomon speak true What we assert may safely well be said Did not a palpable thick Night invade The Land of Egypt such as men might feel And handle with their hands That darknesse ray'd From nether Hell and silently did steal On th' enemies of God as Scripture doth reveal 33 The womb of Night then fully flowred out For that all-swaying endlesse Majestie Which penetrateth those wide worlds throughout This thin spread darknesse that dispers'd doth lie Summon'd by his drad voice and strong decree Much therefore of that spirit close unite Into one place did strike the troubled eye With horrid blacknesse and the hand did smite With a clam pitchie ray shot from that Centrall Night 34 This Centrall Night or Universall spright Of wo of want of balefull bitternesse Of hatred envy wrath and fell despight Of lust of care wasting disquietnesse Of warre contention and bloud-thirstinesse Of zeal of vengeance of suspicion Of hovering horrour and sad pensivenesse This Stygian stream through all the world doth run And many wicked souls unto it self hath wonne 35 Lo here 's the portion of the Hypocrite That serveth God but in an outward show But his drad doom must passe upon his sprite Where it propends there surely must he go Due vengeance neither sleepeth nor is slow Hell will suck in by a strong sympathie What 's like unto it self So down they flow Devouring anguish and anxietie Do vex their souls in piteous pains alas they lie 36 Thus with live Hell be they concorporate United close with that self-gnawing sprite And this I wot will breed no sleeping state Who here descends finds one long restlesse Night May this the dreaming Psychopannychite Awake and make him seriously prepare And purge his heart lest this infernall might Suck in his soul 'fore he be well aware Kill but the seeds of sinne then are you past this fear 37 Thus have I prov'd by the souls union With heaven and hell that she will be awake When she from this mid Nature is ygone But still more curious task to undertake And spenden time to speak of Lethe lake And whether at least some souls fall not asleep Which if they do of Hell they do partake Whether who liv'd like plant or grazing sheep Who of nought else but sloth and growth doth taken keep 38 Whose drooping phansie never flowred out Who relish'd nought but this grosse bodies food Who never entertaind an active thought But like down-looking beasts was onely mov'd To feed themselves whither this drousie mood So drench the lowring soul and inly steep That she lies senselesse drownd in Lethe floud Who will let dive into this mysterie deep Into such narrow subtilties I list not creep 39 But well I wote that wicked crueltie Hate envie malice and ambition Bloud-sucking zeal and lawlesse tyrannie In that Nocturnall sprite shall have their wonne Which like this world admits distinction But like will like unto it strongly draw So every soul shall have a righteous doom According to our deeds God will bestow Rewards Unto the cruell he 'll no mercy show 40 Where 's Nimrod now and dreadfull Hannibal Where 's that ambitious pert Pellean lad Whose pride sweld bigger then this earthly ball Where 's cruell Nero with the rest that had Command and vex'd the world with usage bad They 're all sunk down into this nether hell Who erst upon the Nations stoutly strad Are now the Devils footstool His drad spell Those vassals doth command though they with fury swell 41 Consuming anguish styptick bitternesse Doth now so strangle their imperious will That in perpetuall disquietnesse They roll and rave and roar and rage their fill Like a mad bull that the slie hunters skill Hath caught in a strong net But more they strive The more they kindle that tormenting ill Wo's me in what great miserie they live Yet wote I not what may these wretched thralls relieve 42 The safest way for us that still survive Is this even our own lust to mortifie So Gods own Will will certainly revive Thus shall we gain a perfect libertie And everlasting life But if so be We seek our selves with ardent hot desire From that Infornall Night we are not free But living Hell will kindle a fierce fire And with uncessant pains our vexed soul will tire 43 Then the wild phanfie from her horrid wombe Will senden forth foul shapes O dreadfull sight Overgrown toads fierce serpents thence will come Red-scaled Dragons with deep burning light In their hollow eyeâ—pits With these she must fight Then thinks her self ill wounded sorely stung Old fulsome Hags with scabs and skurf bedight Foul tarry
spittle tumbling with their tongue On their raw lether lips these near will to her clung 44 And lovingly salute against her will Closely embrace and make her mad with wo She 'd lever thousand times they did her kill Then force her such vile basenesse undergo Anon some Giant his huge self will show Gaping with mouth as vast as any Cave With stony staring eyes and footing slow She surely deems him her live-walking grave From that dern hollow pit knows not her self to save 45 After a while tost on the Ocean main A boundlesse sea she finds of misery The fiery snorts of the Leviathan That makes the boyling waves before him flie She hears she sees his blazing morn-bright eye If here she scape deep gulfs and threatning rocks Her frighted self do straightway terrifie Steel-coloured clouds with rattling thunder knocks With these she is amaz'd and thousand such like mocks 46 All which afflict her even like perfect sense For waxen mad with her sore searching pain She cannot easly find the difference But toils and tears and tugs but all in vain Her self from her own self she cannot strain Nocturnall life hath now let ope th' Idee Of innate darknesse from this fulsome vein The soul is fill'd with all deformity But Night doth stirre her up to this dread energie 47 But here some man more curious then wise Perhaps will ask where Night or Hell may be For he by his own self cannot devise Sith chearfull light doth fill the open sky And what 's the earth to the souls subtilty Such men I 'd carry to some standing pool Down to the water bid them bend their eye They then shall see the earth possest and full Of heaven dight with the sunne or starrs that there do roll 48 Or to an hill where 's some deep hollow Cave Dreadfull for darknesse let them take a glasse When to the pitchy hole they turned have Their instrument that darknesse will find place Even in the open sunne-beams at a space Which measures twice the glasses distancy From the Caves mouth This well discovered has How Hell and Heaven may both together lie Sith darknesse safely raies even in the sunny skie 49 But further yet the mind to satisfie That various apprehensions bearen down And to hold up with like variety Of well fram'd phantasms lest she sink and drown Laden with heavie thoughts sprong from the ground And miry clods of this accursed earth Whose dull suffusions make her often sown Orecome with cold till nimble Reason bear'th Unto her timely aid and on her feet her rear'th 50 I will adjoyn to those three former wayes To weet of the Souls self-activity Of Union with Hell and Gods high rayes A fourth contrivement which all souls doth ty To their wing'd Chariots wherein swift they fly The fiery and airy Vehicles they hight In Plato's school known universally But so large matter can not well be writ In a few lines for a fresh Canticle more fit The Preface to the Reader ALthough the opinion of the Praeexistency of the Soul be made so probable and passable in the Canto it self that none can sleight and contemn it that do not ordinarily approve themselves men by Derision more then by Reason yet so heavie prejudice lying upon us both from Naturall diffidence in so high Points and from our common Education I thought it fit for seeuring my self from suspicion of overmuch lightnesse to premize thus much That that which I have taken the pains and boldnesse to present to the free judgement of others hath been already judged of old very sound and orthodox by the wisest and most learned of preceding Ages Which R. Menasseh Ben-Israel doth abundantly attest in his 15. Problem De Creatione Avouching that it is the common Opinion of all the Hebrews and that it was never called into controversie but approved of by the common consent and suffrage of all wise men And himself doth by severall places out of the Old Testament as pat for his purpose I think as any can be brought against it endeavour to make it good but might I confesse have been more fitly furnished could his Religion have reached into the New For Philip. 2. v. 6 7 8. John 9. v. 1 2 3. John 17. v. 45. Mark 8. v. 27 28. all those places do seem so naturally to favour this Probability that if it had pleas'd the Church to have concluded it for a standing Truth He that would not have been fully convinc'd upon the evidence of these passages of Scripture would undoubtedly have been held a man of a very timorous Scepticall constitution if not something worse Nor is the feeblenesse and miserable ineptnesse of Infancy any greater damp to the belief of this Preexistency then the dotage and debility of old Age to the hope of the Souls future subsistency after death Nor if we would fetch an argument from Theologie is Gods Justice and the divine Nemesis lesse set out by supposing that the Souls of men thorough their own revolting from God before they came into the body have thus in severall measures engaged themselves in the sad dangerous and almost fatall entanglements of this Corporeall World then it is by conceiving that they must needs survive the Body that the judgement of the Almighty may passe upon them for what they have committed in the flesh Nor lastly is it harder to phansie how these Praeexistent Souls insinuate into seed Embryos or Infants then how Created ones are insinuated nor yet so hard to determine of their condition if they depart in Infancy as of the condition of these But mistake me not Reader I do not contend in thus arguing that this opinion of the Praeexistency of the Soul is true but that it is not such a self-condemned Falsity but that I might without justly incurring the censure of any Vainnesse or Levity deem it worthy the canvase and discussion of sober and considerate men Yours H.M. The Praeexistency of the SOUL The Argument Of the Souls Praeexistency Her Orb of Fire and Aire Of Ghosts of Goblins of Sorcery This Canto doth declare 1 RIse then Aristo's son assist my Muse Let that hie spright which did inrich thy brains With choice cōceits some worthy thoughts infuse Worthy thy title and the Readers pains And thou O Lycian Sage whose pen contains Treasures of heavenly light with gentle fire Give leave a while to warm me at thy flames That I may also kindle sweet desire In holy minds that unto highest things aspire 2 For I would sing the Praeexistency Of humane souls and live once ore again By recollection and quick memory All what is past since first we all began But all too shallow be my wits to scan So deep a point and mind too dull to clear So dark a matter but Thou O more then man Aread thou sacred Soul of Plotin deare Tell what we mortalls are tell what of old we were 3 A spark or ray of the Divinity Clouded in earthy
fogs yclad in clay A precious drop sunk from Aeternitie Spilt on the ground or rather slunk away For then we fell when we gan first t' assay By stealth of our own selves something to been Uncentring our selves from our great stay Which fondly we new liberty did ween And from that prank right jolly wights our selves did deem 4 For then forthwith some thing beside our God We did conceive our parted selves to be And loosened first from that simple Good Then from great Aeon then from Plyche free We after fell into low phantasie And after that into corporeall sense And after sense embarkd as in a tree First sown in earthly slime then sprung from thence A fading life we lead in deadly influence 5 Thus groaping after our own Centres near And proper substance we grew dark contract Swallow'd up of earthly life ne what we were Of old through ignorance can we detect Like noble babe by fate or friends neglect Left to the care of sorry salvage wight Grown up to manly years cannot conject His own true parentage nor read aright What Father him begot what womb him brought to light 6 So we as stranger Infants elsewhere born Can not divine from what spring we did flow Ne dare these base alliances to scorn Nor lift our selves a whit from hence below Ne strive our Parentage again to know Ne dream we once of any other stock Since foster'd upon Rheas knees we grow In Satyres arms with many a mow and mock Oft danc'd and hairy Pan our cradle oft hath rock'd 7 But Pan nor Rhea be our Parentage We been the Of-spring of all-seeing Jove Though now whether through our own miscariage Or secret force of fate that all doth move We be cast low for why the sportfull love Of our great Maker like as mothers dear In pleasance from them do their children shove That back again they may recoyl more near Shoves of our souls a while the more them to endear 8 Or whether Justice and due Equity Expects the truth of our affection And therefore sets us 'twixt the Deitie And the created world that thereupon We may with a free resignation Give up our selves to him deserves us best That love is none that 's by coaction Hence he our souls from his own self releast And left us free to follow what the most us pleas'd 9 And for this purpose did enrich our choice By framing of the outward Universe The framing of this world a meet devise Whereby Gods wisedome thorough all may pierce From hight to depth In depth is vengeance fierce Whereby transgressing souls are sorely scourged And back again are forced to reverse By Nemesis deep-biting whips well urged And in sad sorrows bath well drench'd and soundly purged 10 Thus nothing's lost of Gods fecundity But stretching out himself in all degrees His wisedome goodnesse and due equity Are rightly rank'd in all the soul them sees O holy lamps of God! O sacred eyes Filled with love and wonder every where Ye wandring tapers to whom God descryes His secret paths great Psyches darlings dear Behold her works but see your hearts close not too near 11 But they so soon as vitall Orbs were made That rolled round about each starry fire Forth-with pursue and strive them to invade Like evening flies that busily conspire Following a Jade that travail long doth tire To seize his nodding head and suck his sweat But they suck'd in into the vitall mire First died and then again reviv'd by heat Did people all the Orbs by this audacious feat 12 But infinite Myriads undipt as yet Did still attend each vitall moveing sphear And wait their turnes for generation fit In airy bodies wafted here and there As sight and sympathy away did bear These corporate with bloud but the first flight Of fallen souls ymeint with slimy gear Rose from their earth breaking their filmes slight As Storyes say Nile living shapes sends forth to sight 13 Here their third chariot cleep'd terrestiall Great Psyches brood did enter for before They rode more light first in coelestiall Or fiery chariots wherein with Uranore The care and thought of all the world they bore This is the Orb of pure quick life and sense Which the thrice mighty Mercury of yore Ascending held with Angels conference And of their comely shapes had perfect cognoscence 14 In this the famous Tyanean swain Lifted above the deadly charming might Of the dull Carkasse could discover plain From seven-hill'd Rome with speedy piercing fight What they in Egypt did as Stories write This is that nimble quick vivacious Orb All ear all eye with rayes round shining bright Sphear of pure sense which noe perpessions curb Nor uncouth shapen Spectres ever can disturb 15 Next this is that light Vehicle of air Where likewise all sense is in each part pight This is more grosse subject to grief and fear And most what soil'd with bodily delight Sometimes with vengeance envie anger spight This Orb is ever passive in sensation But the third wagon of the soul that hight The terrene Vehicle beside this passion Hath organized sense distinct by limitation 16 These last be but the souls live sepulchres Where least of all she acts but afterward Rose from this tomb she free and lively fares And upward goes if she be not debar'd By Adrastias law nor strength empar'd By too long bondage in this Cave below The purged souls ascent nought may retard But earthly mindednesse may eath foreslow Their flight then near the ground in airy weeds they go 17 Awak'd to life more ample then before If they their fortune good could then pursue But sith unwillingly they were ytore From their dear carkasses their fate they rue And terrene thoughts their troubled minds embue So that in languishment they linger near Their wonted homes and oft themselves they shew Sometimes on purpose sometimes unaware That wak'd by hasty call they streightway disappear 18 For men that wont to wander in their sleep By the fixt light of inward phantasie Though a short fit of death fast bounden keep Their outward sense and all their Organes tye Yet forth they fare steared right steddily By that internall guide even so the ghosts Of men deceas'd bedewed with the sky And nights cold influence in sleep yelos'd Awake within and walk in their forewonted coast 19 In shape they walk much like to what they bore Upon the earth For that light Orb of air Which they inact must yielden evermore To phansies beck so when the souls appear To their own selves alive as once they were So cloath'd and conversant in such a place The inward eyes of phansie thither stear Their gliding vehicle that bears the face Of him that liv'd that men may reade what â—ight it was 20 And often ask'd what would they they descry Some secret wealth or hidden injury That first they broach that overoâ—â— doth ly Within their minds but vanish suddenly Disturb'd by bold mans importunity But those that on
be Subterranean the last And worst Light-hating ghosts more cruel farre Then Bear or Wolf with hunger hard opprest But doltish yet and dull like an unweildy beast 38 If this sort once possesse the arteries Of forlorn man Madnesse and stupor seize His salvag'd heart and death dwels in his eyes Ne is there remedy for this sad disease For that unworthy guest so senselesse is And deaf no Exorcist can make him hear But would in vain with Magick words chastise Others the thundring threats of Tartar fear And the drad names of Angels that this office bear 39 For they been all subject to passion Some been so grosse they hunger after food And send out seed of which worms spring anon And love to liggen warm in living bloud Whence they into the veins do often crowd Of beasts as well as men wherein they bathe Themselves and sponge-like suck that vitall flood As they done also in their aery path Drink in each unctuous steam which their dire thirst allayth 40 Such be the four last kinds foul dull impure Whose inward life and phansy's more inert And therefore usually in one shape endure But those of aire can easily convert Into new forms and then again revert One while a man after a comely maid And then all suddenly to make the stert Like leaping Leopard he 'll thee invade Then made a man again he 'll comfort thee afraid 41 Then straight more quick then thought or cast of eye A snarling Dog or brisled Boar he 'll be Anon a jugge of milk if thou be drie So easily's turnd that aire-consistency Through inward sport and power of phantasie For all things virtually are containd in aire And like the sunne that fiery spirit free Th' internall soul at once the seed doth rear Waken and ripe at once as if full ag'd they were 42 Cameleon like thus they their colour change And size contract and then dilate again Like the soft earthworm hurt by heedlesse chance Shrinks in her self to shun or ease her pain Nor done they onely thus themselves constrain Into lesse bulk but if with courage bold And flaming brond thou strike these shades in twain A sudden smart they feel that cannot hold Close quick as cloven aire So sang that Wizzard old 43 And truth he said what ever he was told As even this present Age may verifie If any lists its stories to unfold Of Hags of Hobgoblings of Incubi Abhorred dugs by devils sucken dry Of leaping lamps and of fierce flying stones Of living wool and such like witchery Or prov'd by sight or self confessions Which things much credence gain to past traditions 44 Wherefore with boldnesse we will now relate Some few in breif as of th' Astorgan lad Whose peevish mother in fell ire and hate Quite drunk with passion through quick cholar mad With execrations bold the devil bad Take him alive which mood the boy no'te bear But quits the room walks out with spirit sad Into the court where Lo by night appear Tall Giants with grim looks rough limbs black grizely hair 45 These in a moment hoist him into th' air Away him bear more swift then bird can fly Straight to the destin'd place arrived are Mongst craggy rocks and bushy Mountains high Where up and down they drag the sorry boy His tender skin and goary flesh they tear Till he gan on his Maker call and cry Which forc'd the villains home again him bear Where he the story told restor'd by Parents care 46 The walking Skeleton in Bolonia Laden with rattling chains that showd his grave To th' watchfull Student who without dismay Bid tell his wants and speak what he would have Thus cleared he the house by courage brave Nor may I passe the fair Cerdinian maid Whose love a jolly swain did kindly crave And oft with mutuall solace with her stay'd Yet was no jolly swain but a deceitfull shade 47 More harmlesse mirth may that mad spright commend Who in an honest widows house did won At Salamanca who whole showers would send Of stones that swifter then a whirlwind come And yet where ere they hit no hurt is done But cursed cruell be those wicked Hags Whom poysonous spight envy and hate have won T' abhorred sorcery whose writhled bags Fould feinds oft suck and nestle in their loathsome rags 48 Such as the Devil woes in homely form Of swarthy man or some black shaggy Curre Or vermine base and in sad case forlorn Them male-content to evil motions stirre Proffer their service adding a quick spurre To meditated vengance and fell teen Whose hellish voice they heare without demur Abjure God and his Sonne who did redeem The world give up themselves to Satan and foul sinne 49 Thus ' bodyed into that Stygian crue Of damned wights made fast by their own bloud To their bad Master do his service due Frequent the assemblies dance as they were wood Around an huge black Goat in loansome wood By shady night farre from or house or town And kisse with driveling lips in frantcik mood His sacred breech Catch that catch may anon Each Feind has got his Hag for copulation 50 O loathsome law O filthy fond embrace The other root of cursed sorcery For if the streams of this bad art we trace They lead to two foul springs th' one Venerie And coarsest Lust the other near doth lie And is ycleeped Vengeance Malice Hate Or restlesse Envy that would all destroy But both but from one seed do germinate Hight uncurb'd Will or strong Desire inordinate 51 Wherefore I needs must humbly here adore Him whose chaste soul enwombd in Virgin chast As chast a body amongst mortals wore Who never woman knew ne once did taste Of Hymens pleasures while this life did last Ah! my dear Lord dread Sovereigne of souls Who with thy life and lore so warmed hast My wounded heart that when thy Storie 's told Sweet Love methinks in 's silver wings me all infolds 52 How do I hang upon thy sacred lips More sweet then Manna or the hony-dew Thy speech like rosie drops doth cool my wits And calme my fierce affections untrue And winne my heart unto obeisance due Blest O thrice blessed be that holy hill Whereon thou did'st instruct thy faithfull crue In wayes of peace of patience and good will Forbidding base self-love revenge and speeches ill 53 Meek Lambe of God! the worlds both scourge and scorn How done th' infernall feinds thy face envy Thou light they darknesse they Night thou the Morn Mild chariot of Gods lovely Majesty Exalted Throne of the Divinitie As thou with thine mak'st through the yielding aire How do thy frighted foes before thee fly And grin and gnash their teeth for spight and fear To see such awfull strength quite to themselves contraire 54 Ho! you vain men that follow filthy lust And swallow down revenge like pleasant wine Base earthly spirits fly this sinfull dust See with what hellish Comrades you combine Al 's see whose lovely friendship
this warme cell For many years and not themselves impare Nor lose ymeint with the bloud where they dwel But come out clever when they conjured are And nimbly passe away soft gliding through the air 72 Why scape not then the souls of men as clear Since to this body they 're no better joyn'd Then thorough it to feel to see to hear And to impart the passions of the mind All which done by th' usurping spright we find As witnesse may that maid in Saxony Who meanly born of rude unlearned kind Not taught to reade yet Greek and Latine she Could roundly speak and in those tongues did prophesie 73 Timotheus sister down in childbed laid Distur'b all phrantick thorough deadly pain Tearing the clothes which much her friends dismai'd Mumbling strange words as confus'd as her brain At last was prov'd to speak Armenian For an old man that was by chance in town And from his native soyle Armenia came The woman having heard of his renown Sent to this aged Sire to this sick wight to come 74 Lo now has entred the Armenian Sage With scalp all bald and skin all brown and brent The number of his wrinkles told his age A naked sword in his dry hand he hent Thus standing near her bed strong threats he sent In his own language and her fiercely chid But she well understanding what he meant Unto his threats did bold defiance bid Ne could his vaunts as yet the sturdy spirit rid 75 Then gan he sternely speak and heave his hond And feign'd himself enrag'd with hasty ire As ready for to strike with flaming brond But she for fear shrunk back and did retire Into her bed and gently did respire Muttering few easie words in sleepy wise So now whom erst tumultuous thoughts did tire Compâ—s'd to rest doth sweetly close her eyes Then wak'd what her befell in sober mood descryes 76 Now Thrax thy Story adde of Alytas Who got his freind into a Mountain high Where he with him the loansome night did passe In Stygian rites and hellish mystery First twiches up an herb that grew thereby Gives him to taste then doth his eyes besmear With uncouth salves wherewith all suddenly Legions of spirits flying here and there Around their cursed heads do visibly appear 77 Lastly into his mouth with filthy spaul He spot which done a spirit like a Daw His mouth did enter and possessed all His inward parts From that time he gan know Many secret things and could events foreshow This was his guerdon this his wicked wage From the inwoning of that Stygian Crow But who can think this bird did so engage With flesh that he no'te scape the ruin of the cage 78 No more do souls of men For stories sayen Well known ' mongst countrey folk our spirits fly From twixt our lips and thither back again Sometimes like Doves sometime like to a Bee And sometime in their bodyes shape they be But all this while their carkase lyes asleep Drown in dull rest son of mortality At last these shapes return'd do slily creep Into their mouth then the dead clouds away they wipe 79 Nor been these stories all but Countrey fictions For such like things even learned Clerks do write Of brasen sleep and bodi 's derelictions That Proconnesian Sage that Atheus hight Did oft himself of this dull body quit His soul then wandring in the easie aire But as to smoking lamp but lately light The flame catch'd by the reek descends from farre So would his soul at last to his warm blood repair 80 And Hermotime the Clazomenian Would in like sort his body leave alone And view with naked soul both Hill and Plain And secret Groves and every Region That he could tell what far and near was done But his curs'd foes the fell Cantharidae Assault his house when he was far from home Burn down to ashes his forsaken clay So may his wandring ghost for ever freely stray 81 And 't is an art well known to Wizards old And wily Hags who oft for fear and shame Of the coarse halter do themselves with-hold From bodily assisting their night game Wherefore their carkasses at home retain But with their soules at those bad feasts they are And see their friends and call them by their name And dance around the Goat and sing har har And kisse the Devils breech and taste his deadly chear 82 A many stories to this purpose might Be brought of men that in this Ecstacy So senselesse ly that coales laid to their feet Nor nips nor whips can make them ope their eye Then of a sudden when this fit 's gone by They up and with great confidence declare What things they heard and saw both far and nie Professing that their souls unbodied were And roam'd about the earth in Countries here and there 83 And to confirm the truth of this strange flight They oft bring home a letter or a ring At their return from some far distant wight Well known to friends that have the ordering Of their forsaken corps that no live thing Do tread or touch't so safely may their spright Spend three whole dayes in airy wandering A feat that 's often done through Magick might By the Norvegian Hags as learned Authors write 84 But now well wearied with our too long stay In these Cimmerian fogs and hatefull mists Of Ghosts of Goblins and drad sorcery From nicer allegations we 'll desist Enough is said to prove that souls dismist From these grosse bodies may be cloth'd in air Scape free although they did not praeexist And in these airy orbs feel see and hear And moven as they list as did by proof appear 85 But that in some sort souls do praeexist Seems to right reason nothing dissonant Sith all souls both of trees of men and beast Been indivisible And all do grant Of humane souls though not of beast and plant But I elsewhere I think do gainly prove That souls of beasts by reasons nothing scant Be individuous ne care to move This question of a new mens patiences to prove 86 But if mens souls be individuous How can they ought from their own substance shed In generation there 's nought flows from us Saving grosse sperm yspent in Nuptiall bed Drain'd from all parts throughout the body spred And well concocted where me list not name But no conveyances there be that lead To the souls substance whereby her they drain Of loosened parts a young babe-soul from thence to gain 87 Wherefore who thinks from souls new souls to bring The same let presse the Sunne beams in his fist And squeez out drops of light or strongly wring The Rainbow till it die his hands well prest Or with uncessant industry persist Th' intentionall species to mash and bray In marble morter till he has exprest A sovereigne eye-salve to discern a Fay. As easily as the first all these effect you may 88 Ne may queint similies this fury damp Which say that our souls propagation Is
as when lamp we lighten from a lamp Which done withouten diminution Of the first light shows how the soul of man Though indivisible may another rear Imparting life But if we rightly scan This argument it cometh nothing near To light the lamp's to kindle the sulphurious gear 89 No substance new that act doth then produce Onely the oyly atomes 't doth excite And wake into a flame but no such use There is of humane sperm For our free sprite Is not the kindled seed but substance quite Distinct therefrom If not then bodies may So changed be by nature and stiff fight Of hungry stomacks that what erst was clay Then herbs in time it self in sense may well display 90 For then our soul can nothing be but bloud Or nerves or brains or body modifide Whence it will follow that cold stopping crud Hard moldy cheese dry nuts when they have rid Due circuits through the heart at last shall speed Of life and sense look thorough our thin eyes And view the Close wherein the Cow did feed Whence they were milk'd grosse Pie-crust will grow wife And pickled Cucumbers sans doubt Philosophize 91 This all will follow if the soul be nought But the live body For mens bodies feed Of such grosse meat and if more fine be brought Suppose Snipes heads Larks heels for Ladies meet The broth of Barly or that oily Sweet Of th' unctious Grape yet all men must confesse These be as little capable of wit And sense nor can be so transform'd I wisse Therefore no soul of man from seed traducted is 92 Ne been they by th' high God then first create When in this earthly mansion they appear For why should he so soon contaminate So unspotted beauties as mens spirits are Flinging them naked into dunghills here Soyl them with guilt and foul contagion When as in his own hand they spotlesse were Till by an uncouth strange infusion He plung'd them in the deep of Malediction 93 Besides unworthily he doth surmise Of Gods pure being and bright Majesty Who unto such base offices him ties That He must wait on lawlesse Venery Not onely by that large Causality Of generall influence for Creation More speciall concourse all men deem to be But on set purpose He must come anon And ratifie the act which oft men wish undone 94 Which is a rash and shamelesse bad conceit So might they name the brat Adeodatus What ever they in lawlesse love beget Again what 's still far more prodigious When men are stung with fury poysonous And burn with flames of lust toward brute beasts And overcome into conjunction rush He then from that foul act is not releast Creates a soul misplacing the unhappy guest 95 Wherefore mans soul 's not by Creation Nor is it generate as I prov'd before Wherefore let 't be by emanation If fully it did not praeexist of yore By flowing forth from that eternall store Of Lives and souls ycleep'd the World of life Which was and shall endure for evermore Hence done all bodies vitall fire derive And matter never lost catch life and still revive 96 And what has once sprout out doth never cease If it enjoy it self a spray to be Distinct and actuall though if God please He can command it into th' ancient tree This immense Orb of wast vitality With all its Lives and Souls is every where And do's where matter right prepar'd doth lie Impart a soul as done the sunne beams clear Insinuate themselves where filth doth not debarre 97 Thus may the souls in long succession Leap out into distinct activity But sooth to say though this opinion May seem right fair and plausible to be Yet toils it under an hard difficulty Each where this Orb of life 's with every soul Which doth imply the souls ubiquity Or if the whole Extent of Natures's full Of severall souls thick set what may the furthest pull 98 What may engage them to descend so low Remov'd farre from the steam of earthly mire My wits been here too scant and faith too slow Ne longer lists my wearied thoughts to tire Let bolder spirits to such hight aspire But well I wote if there admitted were A praeexistency of souls entire And due Returns in courses circular This course all difficulties with ease away would bear 99 For then suppose they wore an airy sphear Which choise or Nemesis suck'd lower down Thus without doubt they 'll leave their carcase clear Like dispossessed spright when death doth come And by rude exorcisme bids quit the room Ne let these intricacies perplex our mind That we forget that ere we saw the sunne Before this life For who can call to mind Where first he here saw sunne or felt the gentle wind 100 Besides what wonder is 't when fierce disease Can so empair the strongest memory That so full change should make our spirits leese What 'fore they had impress'd in phantasie Nor doth it follow thence that when we die We nought retain of what pass'd in these dayes For Birth is Death Death Life and Liberty The soul 's not thence contract but there displayes Her loosened self doth higher all her powers raise 101 Like to a light fast lock'd in lanthorn dark Whereby by night our wary steps we guide In slabby streets and dirty channels mark Some weaker rayes through the black top do glide And flusher streams perhaps from horny side But when we 've past the perill of the way Arriv'd at home and laid that case aside The naked light how clearly doth it ray And spread its joyfull beams as bright as Summers day 102 Even so the soul in this contracted state Consin'd to these strait instruments of sense More dull and narrowly doth operate At this hole hears the sight must ray from thence Here tasts there smels But when she 's gone from hence Like naked lamp she is one shining sphear And round about has perfect cognoscence What ere in her Horizon doth appear She is one Orb of sense all eye all airy ear 103 Now have I well establish'd the fourth way The souls of men from stupid sleep to save First Light next Night the third the soules Self-ray Fourth the souls Chariot we named have Whether moist air or fire all sparkling brave Or temper mixt Now how these foure agree And how the soul her self may dip and lave In each by turns how no redundancy Ther 's in them might we tell nor scant deficiency 104 But cease my restlesse Muse be not too free Thy chiefest end thou hast accomplished Long since shak'd of the Psychopannychie And rouz'd the soul from her dull drowsiehed So nothing now in death is to be dred Of him that wakes to truth and righteousnesse The corps lies here the soul aloft is fled Unto the fount of perfect happinesse Full freedome joy and peace she lively doth possesse ANTIMONOPSYCHIA Or The fourth part of the Song OF THE SOUL Containing A confutation of the Unity of Souls Whereunto is annexed a Paraphrase
upon Apollos answer concerning Plotinus his Soul departed this life By H. M. Master of Arts and Fellow of Christs Colledge in Cambridge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 CAMBRIDGE Printed by Roger Daniel Printer to the Universitie 1647. The Argument of ANTIMONOPSYCHIA OR Confutation of the Unitie of SOULS The all-devouring Unitie Of Souls There disprove Show how they bear their memorie With them when they remove 1 WHo yields himself to learning and the Muse Is like a man that leaves the steddy shore And skims the Sea He nought then can refuse What ever is design'd by Neptunes power Is fiercely drove in every stormy stoure Slave to the water and the whisling wind Even so am I that whylom meant recover The wished land but novv against my mind Am driven fiercely back and so new work do find 3 What though the Rationall soul immortall be And safely doth exist this body gone And lies broad wake in her existency Itall souls that exist do prove but one Or though a number if oblivion Of all things past put them in such a state That they can no-wise guesse that ere upon This earth they trode even this seems to abate Their happinesse They 'll deem themselves then first create 3 Wherefore to ease us of this double doubt With mighty force great Phoebus doth inspire My raving mind He 'll bear me strongly out Till I have perfected his own desire Nor will he suffer me once to respire Till I have brought this song unto an end O may it be but short though a quick fire Such rage and rapture makes the body bend Doth waste its fading strength and fainting spirits spend 4 Now comes the story of Praxiteles Into my mind whom looking in a glasse With surly countenance it did much displease That any should so sourely him outface Yet whom he saw his dogged self it was Tho he with angry fist struck his own shade Thus he the harmlesse mirior shattered has To many shivers the same shapes invade Each piece so numbers he of surly vizards made 5 These shapes appeard from the division Of the broke glasse so rasher phansies deem That Rationall souls whom they suppose but one By the divided matter many seem Bodies disjoind broke glasses they esteem Which if they did into one subflance flow One single soul in that one glasse would shine If that one substance also were ygo One onely soul is left the rest were but a show 6 Well is their mind by this similitude Explaind But now le ts sift the verity Of this opinion and with reason rude Rub crush tosse rifle this fine phantasie As light and thin as cob-webs that do fly In the blew air caus'd by th' Autumnall sun That boils the dew that on the earth doth lie May seem this whitish rag then is the scum Unlesse that wiser men make 't the field-spiders loom 7 But such deep secrets willingly I leave To grand Philosophers I 'll forward go In my proposed way If they conceive There 's but on soul though many seem in show Which in these living bodies here below Doth operate some such opinion That Learned Arab held hight Aven-Roe How comes't to passe that she 's so seldome known In her own self In few she thinks her self but one 8 Seems not this Soul or Intellect very dull That in so few she can her self discover To be but one in all though all be full Of her alone Besides no soul doth love her Because she sucks up all but what should move her Thus to detest her self if so that she 's But one in all right reason surely drove her Thus to condemne this lonesome Unitie Of soul which reasons her own operations be 9 Thoughts good and bad that Universall mind Must take upon it self and every ill That is committed by all humane kind They are that souls Alas we have no will No free election nor yet any skill But are a number of dull stalking trees That th' universall Intellect doth fill With its own life and motion what it please That there it acts What strange absurdities are these 10 All plotted mischief that sly reason wrought All subtill falsities that nimbly fly About the world that soul them all hath brought Then upon better thoughts with penalty Doth sore afflict her self doth laugh and cry At the same time Here Aristophanes Doth maken sport with some spruse Comedy There with some Tragick strain sad Sophocles Strikes the Spectatours hearts makes many weeping eyes 11 Such grief this soul must in her self conceive And pleasure at one time But here you 'll say We ought not grief or pleasure for to give Unto the soul To what then This live clay It feels no grief if she were gone away Therefore the soul at once doth laugh and cry But in this Argument I 'll no longer stay But forward on with swifter course will hie And finden out some grosser incongruity 12 Let now two men conceiven any form Within their selves suppose of flaming fire If but one soul doth both their corpse inform There 's but one onely species intire For what should make it two The Idee of fire That is but one the subject is but one One onely soul that all men doth inspire Let one man quench that form he thought upon That form is now extinct and utterly ygone 13 So that the other man can think no longer Which all experience doth prove untrue But yet I 'll further urge with reason stronger And still more clearly this fond falshood shew Can contraries the same subject imbew Yes black and white heat cold may both possesse The mind at once but they a nature new Do there obtain they 're not grosse qualities But subtill sprights that mutually themselves no'te presse 14 But contradiction can that have place In any soul Plato affirms Idees But Aristotle with his pugnacious race As idle figments stifly them denies One soul in both doth thus Philosophise Concludes at once contradictoriously To her own self What man can here devise A fit escape if what 's sure verity He grant but the souls indivisibility 15 Which stifly is maintaind in that same song Which is ycleeped Psychathanasie And safely well confirm'd by reasons strong Wherefore I list not here the truth to try But wish the Reader to turn back his eye And view what there was faithfully displaid Now if there be but one centrality Of th' Universall soul which doth invade All humane shapes how come these contradictions made 16 For that one soul is judge of every thing And heareth all Philosophers dispute Herself disputes in all that jangling In reasoning fiercely doth her self confute And contradictions confidently conclude That is so monstrous that no man can think To have least shew of truth So this pursuit I well might now leave off what need I swink To prove what 's clearly true and force out needlesse ink 17 Again she would the same thing will and nill At the same time Besides all men would have
Mela. Cleanthes Cl. MEla my dear why been thy looks so sad As if thy gentle heart were sunk with care Impart thy case for be it good or bad Friendship in either will bear equall share Mel. Not so Cleanthes for if bad it be My self must bleed afresh by wounding thee But what it is my slow uncertain wit Cannot well judge But thou shalt sentence give How manfully of late my self I quit When with that lordly lad by chance I strive Cl. Of friendship Mela let 's that story hear Mel. Sit down Cleanthes then and lend thine ear Upon a day as best did please my mind Walking abroad amidst the verdant field Scattering my carefull thoughts i' th' wanton wind The pleasure of my path so farre had till'd My feeble feet that without timely rest Uneath it were to reach my wonted nest In secret shade farre moved from mortalls sight In lowly dale my wandring limbs I laid On the cool grasse where Natures pregnant wit A goodly Bower of thickest trees had made Amongst the leaves the chearfull Birds did fare And sweetly carol'd to the echoing Air. Hard at my feet ran down a crystall spring Which did the cumbrous pebbles hoarsly chide For standing in the way Though murmuring The broken stream his course did rightly guide And strongly pressing forward with disdain The grassie flore divided into twain The place a while did feed my foolish eye As being new and eke mine idle ear Did listen oft to that wild harmonie And oft my curious phansie would compare How well agreed the Brooks low muttering Base With the birds trebbles pearch'd on higher place But senses objects soon do glut the soul Or rather weary with their emptinesse So I all heedlesse how the waters roll And mindlesse of the mirth the birds expresse Into my self 'gin softly to retire After hid heavenly pleasures to enquire While I this enterprize do entertain Lo on the other side in thickest bushes A mighty noise with that a naked swain With blew and purple wings streight rudely rushes He leaps down light upon the flowry green Like sight before mine eyes had never seen At 's snowy back the boy a quiver wore Right fairly wrought and gilded all with gold A silver bow in his left hand he bore And in his right a ready shaft did hold Thus armed stood he and betwixt us tway The labouring brook did break its toilsome way The wanton lad whose sport is others pain Did charge his bended bow with deadly dart And drawing to the head with might and main With fell intent he aim'd to hit my heart But ever as he shot his arrows still In their mid course dropt down into the rill Of wondrous virtues that in waters been Is needlesse to rehearse all books do ring Of those strange rarities But ne're was seen Such virtue as resided in this spring The noveltie did make me much admire But stirr'd the hasty youth to ragefull ire As heed lesse fowls that take their per'lous flight Over that bane of birds Avernâ— lake Do drop down dead so dead his shafts did light Amid the stream which presently did slake Their fiery points and all their feathers wet Which made the youngster Godling inly fret Thus lustfull Love this was that love I ween Was wholly changed to consuming ire And eath it was sith they 're so near a kin They be both born of one rebellious fire But he supprest his wrath and by and by For feathered darts he winged words let flie Vain man said he and would thou wer'st not vain That hid'st thy self in solitary shade And spil'st thy precious youth in sad disdain Hating this lifes delight Hath God thee made Part of this world and wilt not thou partake Of this worlds pleasure for its makers sake Unthankfull wretch Gods gifts thus to reject And maken nought of Natures goodly dower That milders still away through thy neglect And dying fades like unregarded flower This life is good what 's good thou must improve The highest improvement of this life is love Had I but O that envious Destinie Or Stygian vow or thrice accursed charm Should in this place free passage thus denie Unto my shafts as messengers of harm Had I but once transfixt thy froward breast How would'st thou then I staid not for the rest But thus half angry to the boy replide How would'st thou then my soul of sense bereave I blinded thee more blind should choose my guide How would'st thou then my muddied mind deceive With fading shows that in my errour vile Base lust I love should tearm vice virtue stile How should my wicked rhymes then idolize Thy wretched power and with impious wit Impute thy base born passions to the skies And my souls sicknesse count an heavenly fit My weaknesse strength my wisdome to be caught My bane my blisse mine ease to be o'rewraught How often through my fondly feigning mind And frantick phansie in my Mistris eye Should I a thousand fluttering Cupids find Bathing their busis wings How oft espie Under the shadow of her eye-brows fair Ten thousand Graces sit all naked bare Thus haunted should I be with such feat fiends A pretty madnesse were my portion due Foolish my self I would not hear my friends Should deem the true for false the false for true My way all dark more slippery then ice My attendants anger pride and jealousies Unthankfull then to God I should neglect All the whole world for one poore sorry wight Whose pestilent eye into my heart project Would burn like poysonous Comet in my spright Aye me how dismall then would prove that day Whose onely light sprang from so fatall ray Who seeks for pleasure in this mortall life By diving deep into the body base Shall loose true pleasure But who gainly strive Their sinking soul above this bulk to place Enlarg'd delight they certainly shall find Unbounded joyes to fill their boundlesse mind When I my self from mine own self do quit And each thing else then an all-spreaden love To the vast Universe my soul doth fit Makes me half equall to All-seeing Jove My mightie wings high stretch'd then clapping light I brush the starres and make them shine more bright Then all the works of God with close embrace I dearly hug in my enlarged arms All the hid paths of heavenly Love I trace And boldly listen to his secret charms Then clearly view-I where true light doth rise And where eternall Night low-pressed lies Thus lose I not by leaving small delight But gain more joy while I my self suspend From this and that for then with all unite I all enjoy and love that love commends That all is more then loves the partiall soul Whose petty love th' impartiall fates controll Ah son said he and laughed very loud That trickst thy tongue with uncouth strange disguize Extolling highly that with speeches proud To mortall men that humane state denies And rashly blaming what thou never knew Let men experienc'd speak if they 'll
speak true Had I once lanc'd thy froward flinty heart And cruddled bloud had thawn with living fire And prickt thy drousie sprite with gentle smart How wouldst thou wake to kindle sweet desire Thy soul fill'd up with overflowing pleasures Would dew thy lips with honey dtopping measures Then would thou caroll loud and sweetly sing In honour of my sacred Deity That all the woods and hollow hills would ring Reechoning thy heavenly harmony And eke the hardy rocks withfull rebounds Would faithfully return thy silver sounds Next unto me would be thy Mistresse fair Whom thou might setten out with goodly skill Her peerlesse beauty and her virtues rare That all would wonder at thy gracefull quill And lastly in us both thy self shouldst raise And crown thy temples with immortall bayes But now thy riddles all men do neglect Thy rugged lines of all do ly forlorn Unwelcome rhymes that rudely do detect The Readers ignorance Men holden scorn To be so often non-plus'd or to spell And on one stanza a whole age to dwell Besides this harsh and hard obscurity Of the hid sense thy words are barbarous And strangely new and yet too frequently Return as usuall plain and obvious So that the show of the new thick-set patch Marres all the old with which it ill doth match But if thy haughty mind forsooth would deign To stoop so low as t' hearken to my lore Then wouldst thou with trim lovers not disdeign To adorn th' outside set the best before Nor rub nor wrinkle would thy verses spoil Thy rhymes should run as glib and smooth as oyl If that be all said I thy reasons slight Can never move my well establish'd mind Full well I wote alwayes the present sprite Or life that doth possesse the soul doth blind Shutting the windows ' gainst broad open day Lest fairer sights its uglinesse bewray The soul then loves that disposition best Because no better comes unto her view The drunkard drunkennesse the sluggard rest Th' Ambitious honour and obeysance due So all the rest do love their vices base ' Cause virtues beauty comes not into place And looser love ' gainst Chastity divine Would shut the door that he might sit alone Then wholly should my mind to him incline And woxen strait since larger love was gone That paultry spirit of low contracting lust VVould fit my soul as if 't were made for 't just Then should I with my fellow bird or brute So strangely metamorphiz'd either ney Or bellow loud or if 't may better sute Chirp out my joy pearch'd upon higher spray My passions fond with impudence rehearse Immortalize my madnesse in a verse This is the summe of thy deceiving boast That I vain ludenesse highly should admire When I the sense of better things have lost And chang'd my heavenly heat for hellish fire Passion is blind but virtues piercing eye Approching danger can from farre espie And what thou dost Pedantickly object Concerning my rude rugged uncouth style As childish toy I manfully neglect And at thy hidden snares do inly smile How ill alas with wisdome it accords To sell my living sense for livelesse words My thought 's the fittest measure of my tongue Wherefore I 'll use what 's most significant And rather then my inward meaning wrong Or my full-shining notion trimly skant I 'll conjure up old words out of their grave Or call fresh forrein force in if need crave And these attending on my moving mind Shall duly usher in the fitting sense As oft as meet occasion I find Unusuall words oft used give lesse offence Nor will the old contexture dim or marre For often us'd they 're next to old thred-bare And if the old seem in too rusty hew Then frequent rubbing makes them shine like gold And glister all with colour gayly new Wherefore to use them both we will be bold Thus lists me fondly with fond folk to toy And answer fools with equall foolery The meaner mind works with more nicetie As Spiders wont to weave their idle web But braver spirits do all things gallantly Of lesser failings nought at all affred So Natures carelesse pencill dipt in light With sprinkled starres hath spattered the Night And if my notions clear though rudely thrown And loosely scattered in my poesie May lend men light till the dead Night be gone And Morning fresh with roses strew the sky It is enough I meant no trimmer frame Nor by nice needle-work to seek a name Vain man that seekest name ' mongst earthly men Devoid of God and all good virtuous lere Who groping in the dark do nothing ken But mad with griping care their souls do tear Or Burst with hatred or with envie pine Or burn with rage or melt out at their eyne Thrice happy he whose name is writ above And doeth good though gaining infamy Requiteth evil turns with hearty love And recks not what befalls him outwardly Whose worth is in himself and onely blisse In his pure conscience that doth nought amisse Who placeth pleasure in his purged soul And virtuous life his treasure doth esteem Who can his passions master and controll And that true lordly manlinesse doth deem Who from this world himself hath clearly quit Counts nought his own but what lives in his sprite So when his spright from this vain world shall flit It bears all with it whatsoever was dear Unto it self passing in easie fit As kindly ripen'd corn comes out of th' ear Thus mindlesse of what idle men will say He takes his own and stilly goes his way But the Retinue of proud Lucifer Those blustering Poets that fly after fame And deck themselves like the bright Morning-starre Alas it is but all a crakling flame For death will strip them of that glorious plume That airie blisse will vanish into fume For can their carefull ghosts from Limbo Lake Return or listen from the bowed skie To heare how well their learned lines do take Or if they could is Heavens felicitie So small as by mans praise to be encreas'd Hells pain no greater then hence to be eas'd Therefore once dead in vain shall I transmit My shadow to gâ—zing Posterity Cast farre behind me I shall never see 't On Heavens fair Sunne having fast fixt mine eye Nor while I live heed I what man doth praise Or underprize mine unaffected layes What moves thee then said he to take the pains And spenden time if thou contemn'st the fruit Sweet fruit of fame that fills the Poets brains With high conceit and feeds his fainting wit How pleasant 't is in honour here to live And dead thy name for ever to survive Or is thy abject mind so basely bent As of thy Muse to maken Merchandize And well I wote this is no strange intent The hopefull glimps of gold from chattering Pies From Daws and Crows and Parots oft hath wrung An unexpected Pegaseian song Foul shame on him quoth I that shamefull thought Doth entertain within his dunghill breast Both God and Nature hath my
spirits wrought To better temper and of old hath blest My loftie soul with more divine aspires Then to be touchd with such vile low desires I hate and highly scorn that Kestrell kind Of bastard scholars that subordinate The precious choice induements of the mind To wealth or worldly good Adulterate And cursed brood Your wit and will are born Of th' earth and circling thither do return Profit and honour be those measures scant Of your slight studies and endeavours vain And when you once have got what you did want You leave your learning to enjoy your gain Your brains grow low your bellies swell up high Foul sluggish fat ditts up your dulled eye Thus what the earth did breed to th' earth is gone Like fading hearb or feeble drooping flower By feet of men and beast quite trodden down The muck-sprung learning cannot long endure Back she returns lost in her filthy source Drown'd chok'd or slocken by her cruell nurse True virtue to her self 's the best reward Rich with her own and full of lively spirit Nothing cast down for want of due regard Or ' cause rude men acknowledge not her merit She knows her worth and stock from whence she sprung Spreads fair without the warmth of earthly dung Dew'd with the drops of Heaven shall flourish long As long as day and night do share the skie And though that day and night should fail yet strong And steddie fixed on Eternitie Shall bloom for ever So the soul shall speed That loveth virtue for no worldly meed Though sooth to say the worldly meed is due To her more then to all the world beside Men ought do homage with affections true And offer gifts for God doth there reside The wise and virtuous soul is his own seat To such what 's given God himself doth get But earthly minds whose sight 's seal'd up with mud Discern not this flesh-clouded Deity Ne do acknowledge any other good Then waht their mole-warp hands can feel and trie By groping touch thus worth of them unseen Of nothing worthy that true worth they ween Wherefore the prudent Law-givers of old Even in all Nations with right sage foresight Discovering from farre how clums and cold The vulgar wight would be to yield what 's right To virtuous learning did by law designe Great wealth and honour to that worth divine But nought's by law to Poesie due said he Ne doth the solemn Statesmans head take care Of those that such impertinent pieces be Of common-weals Thou'd better then to spare Thy uselesse vein Or tell else what may move Thy busie Muse such fruitlesse pains to prove No pains but pleasure to do th' dictates dear Of inward living nature What doth move The Nightingall to sing so sweet and clear The Thrush or Lark that mounting high above Chants her shrill notes to heedlesse ears of corn Heavily hanging in the dewy Morn When Life can speak it cannot well withold T' expresse its own impressions and hid life Or joy or greif that smoothered lie untold Do vex the heart and wring with restlesse strife Then are my labours no true pains but ease My souls unrest they gently do appease Besides that is not fruitlesse that no gains Brings to my self I others profit deem Mine own and if at these my heavenly flames Others receiven light right well I ween My time 's not lost Art thou now satisfide Said I to which the scoffing boy replide Great hope indeed thy rhymes should men enlight That be with clouds and darknesse all o'recast Harsh style and harder sense void of delight The Readers wearied eye in vain do wast And when men win thy meaning with much pain Thy uncouth sense they coldly entertain For wotst thou not that all the world is dead Unto that Genius that moves in thy vein Of poetrie But like by like is fed Sing of my Trophees in triumphant strein Then correspondent life thy powerfull verse Shall strongly strike and with quick passion pierce The tender frie of lads and lasses young With thirstie eare thee compassing about Thy Nectar-dropping Muse thy sugar'd song Will swallow down with eager hearty draught Relishing truly what thy rhymes convey And highly praising thy soul-smiting lay The mincing maid her mind will then bewray Her heart-bloud flaming up into her face Grave matrons will wax wanton and betray Their unresolv'dnesse in their wonted grace Young boyes and girls would feel a forward spring And former youth to eld thou back wouldst bring All Sexes Ages Orders Occupations Would listen to thee with attentive ear And eas'ly moved with thy sweet perswasions Thy pipe would follow with full merry chear While thou thy lively voice didst loud advance Their tickled bloud for joy would inly dance But now alas poore solitarie man In lonesome desert thou dost wander wide To seek and serve thy disappearing Pan Whom no man living in the world hath eyde For Pan is dead but I am still alive And live in men who honour to me give They honour also those that honour me With sacred songs But thou now singst to trees To rocks to Hills to Caves that senselesse be And mindlesse quite of thy hid mysteries In the void air thy idle voice is spread Thy Muse is musick to the deaf or dead Now out alas said I and wele-away The tale thou tellest I confesse too true Fond man so doteth on this living clay His carcase dear and doth its joyes pursue That of his precious soul he takes no keep Heavens love and reasons light lie fast asleep This bodies life vain shadow of the soul With full desire they closely do embrace In fleshly mud like swine they wallow and roll The loftiest mind is proud but of the face Or outward person if men but adore That walking sepulchre cares for no more This is the measure of mans industry To wexen some body and getten grace To 's outward presence though true majestie Crownd'd with that heavenly light and lively rayes Of holy wisdome and Seraphick love From his deformed soul he farre remove Slight knowledge and lesse virtue serves his turn For this designe If he hath trod the ring Of pedling arts in usuall pack-horse form Keeping the rode O! then 't's a learned thing If any chanc'd to write or speak what he Conceives not 't were a foul discourtesie To cleanse the soul from sinne and still diffide Whether our reasons eye be clear enough To intromit true light that fain would glide Into purg'd hearts this way 's too harsh and rough Therefore the clearest truths may well seem dark When sloathfull men have eyes so dimme and stark These be our times But if my minds presage Bear any moment they can ne're last long A three branch'd Flame will soon sweep clean the stage Of this old dirty drosse and all wex young My words into this frozen air I throw Will then grow vocall at that generall thaw Nay now thou' rt perfect mad said he with scorn And full of foul derision
dangers drad Make me distraught Surpriz'd with fear my senses all I find In hell I dwell Opprest with horrour pain and sorrow sad My former Resolutions all are fled Slip't over my tongue My Faith my Hope and Joy are dead Assist my heart Rather then my song My God! my Saviour when I 'm ill bested Stand by And I Shall bear with courage undeserved smart Aphroditus Synes hymn 2. 3. Macrob. Saturnal lib. 3. cap. 8. SUmme Pater rerum fixa inconcussáque sedes Omnia qui fulcis mundo non fictus Adonis Fundamen coelorum immobile Sustentamen Telluris magnûmque quies secura Deorum Omniparens Amor In dias tu luminis oras Omnia producis vastus quae continet orbis Innumera tu prole tua terrasque feraces Aerá que immensum comples camposque natantes Saeclorum Pater es Mater pia sedula Nutrix Te circum quoniam ludunt humana propago Quos nisi tu sistis nutricis more patenti In gremio circumjectis tutare lacertis Protinus heu pereunt priscas repetendo tenebras Submersosque suo claudit Styx lurida fundo Lurida Styx summi quam oderunt tangere Olympi Incolae inextinctum spirantes semper amorem Hujus enim horrendas nemo quisquam petet umbras Fluminis accensus lucenti pectora ab igni Nos tamen intereà charis dum amplecteris ulnis Materno sistisque genu te cernere contrà Vix cupimus blandosve tuos advertere vultus Sed veluti lactens infantulus ubera matris Quaeritat cunctas complet vagitibus aedeis Ni sedet mollem sibi nudam veste mamillam Exhibet Haec igitur properat saevumque tyrannum Demulcet dictis atque oscula dulcia figit Ille autem non dicta moratur nec pia matris Oscula non hilares oculos vultumque serenum Attendit pulchros neque amantum rete capillos Nulla mora est quò caeca fames vocat instat in uber Involat niveum sitienti fauce liquorem Haurit alterno jactans sua cruscula motu Maternum refricat gremium dulcedine sensûs Exultans tenerum succo feriente palatum Sic nos magna Parens quorum provectior aetas Sic tua sic avidis premimus sacra ubera labris Sed formam vultumve tuum quis conspicit Omneis Caecus amor quò tractat expectata voluptas Auferimur plenoque unà devolvimur alveo Verùm ego si possim neque enim deprendere possum Divinam speciem nimio tua pignora lusu Namque soles lassare gratam avertere formam At cùm conatu longo defessus ocellos Adduco facilis vineit mea tempora somnus Tu tamen intereà vigilas membra sopore Dulci extensa vides amico lumine mulces Haec Venus alma animus nebulas noctemque malignam Somniat obfusus neque enim poti ' cernere quicquam est Sed furit caeco rerum perculsus amore Evomit insanum turbato pectore carmen Out of the Anthologie a Distick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In English thus WHen the strong Fates with Gigantean force Bear thee in iron arms without remorse Bear and be born But if with pievish struggle Thou writhe and wrest thy corse thou dost but double Thy present pain and spend thy restlesse spright Nor thou more heavie art nor they more light Or thus If Chance thee change be chang'd and change thou it To better by thy well complying wit If thou repine thou dost but pain and grieve Thy self and Chance will change thee without leeve RIght well I wot my rhymes seem rudely drest In the nice judgement of thy shallow mind That mark'st expressions more then what 's exprest Busily billing the rough outward rinde But reaching not the pith Such surface skill's Unmeet to measure the profounder quill Yea I alas my self too often feel Thy indispos'dnesse when my weakened soul Unstedfast into this Outworld doth reel And lyes immerse in my low vitall mold For then my mind from th' inward spright estrang'd My Muse into an uncouth hew hath chang'd A rude confused heap of ashes dead My verses seem when that caelestiall flame That sacred spirit of life 's extinguished In my cold brest Then gin I rashly blame My rugged lines This word is obsolete That boldly coynd a third too oft doth beat Mine humourous ears Thus fondly curious Is the faint Reader that doth want that fire And inward vigour heavenly furious That made my enrag'd spirit in strong desire Break through such tender cob-web niceties That oft intangle these blind buzzing flies Possest with living sense I inly rave Carelesse how outward words do from me flow So be the image of my mind they have Truly exprest and do my visage show As doth each river deckt with Phebus beams Fairly reflect the viewer of his streams Who can discern the Moons asperity From of this earth or could this earths discover If from the earth he raised were on high Among the starrs and in the sky did hover The Hills and Valleyes would together flow And the rough Earth one smooth-fac'd Round would show Nor can the lofty soul snatch'd into Heven Busied above in th' Intellectuall world At such a distance see my lines uneven At such a distance was my spirit hurld And to my trembling quill thence did endite What he from thence must reade who would read right Fair Fields and rich Enclosures shady Woods Large populous Towns with strong and stately Towers Long crawling Rivers far distended Flouds What ever 's great its shape these eyes of ours And due proportions from high distance see The best And Paro such my Rhyme's to thee Thy groveling mind and moping poreblind eye That to move up unmeet this to see farre The worth or weaknesse never can descry Of my large winged Muse But not to spare Till thou canst well disprove proves well enough Thou art rash and rude how ere my rhymes are rough Necessitas Triumphata Seu Humanam voluntatem ad unum necessariò non determinari O Dea quae clavum manibus cuneúmque superbis Gestas stricta liquidi compagine plumbi Cuncta premis duramque soles imponere legem Usque adeone tuo indulges saevissima rerum Imperio astringas trist◠tibi ut omnia nodo Terra tua est quos sub verno tempore flores Proruit quicquid tenebrosa in viscera condit Amnes quò tu cunque vocas salsaeque lacunae Pergunt lati palantia sydera mundi Aer sub ditione tua est nimbique ruentes Quaeque boant rauco metuenda tonitrua caelo Et nimis angustum si forte haec omnia regnum Infernas moderare umbras sedesque silentûm Horrificosque suis ructantem è faucibus aestus Tartaron His addas brutum genus omne animantûm Innumeras pecorum species atque Altivolantûm Mancipium Natura tuum est sen tristior illa Quam Nox ima premit caeca in caligine sive Quam matutinis radiis
station to take a right view of the Song of the Soul is Psyche or the soul of the Universe For whatsoever is handled in Psychozoia and the three other parts of this song hath a meet relation to Psyche as the subject of the whole Poem For the whole Poem is spent either in her Parentage Marriage Clothing or Of-spring The three first are dispatched in the first Canto of Psychozoia the last in the two latter Cantoes and three following parts of the Poem For in the second Canto the manner of the production of Souls is set out till the 24 Stanza Then all the residue of that and the whole Canto following in the description of their habitation But their habitation being the Land of life that is the severall states of the Soul in good and evill for this cause chiefly as also in part for the description in the first Canto of that life deriv'd from Ahad and Aeon to Psyche and that which flows from her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the lowest skirts of the Universe do I call this first part of the Song of the Soul Psychozoia Vers 7. O life of time and all Alterity For what is time but the perseverance of the motion of the soul of the world while she by her restlesse power brings forth these things in succession that Eternity hath at once altogether For such is the nature of Aeon or Eternity viz. A life exhibiting all things at once and in one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but distance of life makes time and the prorogation of life continueth time the praeterition of life is the praeterition of time but Psyche is the fountain of this evolved life whence she is also the very life of time And all Alterity It may be thus shadowed out The seed of a plant hath all the whole tree branches leaves and fruit at once in one point after a manner closed up but potentially Eternity hath all the world in an indivisible indistant way at once and that actually Psyche or the Soul of the world when she begins this world begets a grosser kind of Alterity and dispersed diversity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. as the seminall forme spreads out it self and the body it inacts into distant branches from the quiet and silent seed making that actuall in time and succession which could not be here below in bodies at once See Plotin Ennead 3. lib. 7. cap. 10. where the nature of time is more fully described Vers 8. The life of lives Viz. God himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of minds thou art the Mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Soul of souls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Nature of each natures kind Synes Hymn 4. STANZ 5. Vers 9. That same that Atove hight The deepest Centre of all things and first root of all beings the Platonists call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Good and the One. See Plot. Ennead 1. lib. 7. cap 1. Mercur. Trismeg Serm. Univers ad Aesculap This is the simple and naked essence of God utterly devoid of division and plurality and therefore not to be known by reason or Intellect but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Oracle speaks by the flower or the summity of the Intellect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Mich. Psellus expounds it by the unitive power of the Intellect or by a certain simple and tactuall Energie of the soul when it is roused into act For so is the expression of Plotinus Ennead 6. l. 9. c. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For he is present to him that can touch him but to him that cannot he is not present and in the 9. Cap. describing more lively the state of our union with Atove or the eminent absolute Good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And there lyeth our happinesse saith he and to be removed from hence is but to partake lesse of being Here is the rest of the soul set out of the reach of all evils ascended into a place devoid of all danger and mischief Here she becomes intellectuall Here she is impassible Here she truly lives indeed But this life that we live disjoyned from God is but a shadow and umbratil imitation of that But that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intellectuall energie an energie that begets Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that still and silent tactuall conjunction with this Universall Good It begets beauty it begets righteousnesse it begets valour for these doth the soul bring forth being once impregned of God and fil'd as it were with his sacred seed And in the 10. Chap. describing further this Union he saith that God and the soul doth as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 joyne centres and centres do wholly swallow up one another so that this union is even more then touch This tactuall conjunction of the soul with God surely in the Christian phrase is no more then divine love as S John speaks God is love and he that is in love is in God and God in him And Plotinus doth plainly acknowledge it when as he saith Every soul is a Venus and hath her Cupid born with her an heavenly Cupid with an heavenly Venus till she be defiled with earthly love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made common and as it were become an Harlot but that the soul in the purity of her own nature loves God and desireth to be joyned with him as a beautifull virgin to a beautifull man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for so I think the text is to be read and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See the whole ninth book of the sixth Ennead For the nature of Atove or Ahad and the manner of the conjunction of the soul with him is there exquisitly set out STANZA 6 7. Now can I not c. It being acknowledged both in the purest Philosophy and in Christianity that the root of all things is goodnesse it self the most genuine consequence of this is That his providence being measured by himself goodnesse it self is the measure thereof so that all Melancholick and dismall dreams of idly affrighted men may well vanish in the clearnesse of this light and truth as also the envious malicious and bloudy minded man may here consider how far he hath wandred from the will of God and the root of his own being STANZA 8. This Ahad of himself the Aeon fair c. This Aeon is all things essentially and truly as Ahad or Atove above all things It is the very intellectuall world Eternall life united ever with the father that brought him forth The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of God his understanding or explicit inward comprehension of all things ab aeterno infinite and every where differing onely from his fountain in this that he is one simple Unity this one ever-actuall omniformity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Oracle speaks being the very Essence or Idea of all things at once not successively or in part See
Plotin Ennead 3. lib. 7. where he doth acknowledge Aeon and On all one at the fourth Chapter STANZ 9. This is the ancient Eidos omniform Fount of all beauty c. The description of Aeon which is the first form also or pulchritude is largely set out Ennead 5. lib. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the condition of that Eternall life is thus delineated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that is It is an easie life they live there for truth is their mother nurce substance and nourishment and they see all things not in which generation is but essence and themselves in others For all 's pellucid nothing dark or impervious but every one to every one is perspicuous and all to every one as light to light For every one hath in him all things and again sees all things in others So that all things are every where and all is all and every thing all and the splendour infinite For every thing there is great sith what is little must be also great the Sun there is all the starres and again every starre the Sun and all things but every thing is more eminently some one thing and yet all things fairly shine in every thing c. See Plotin Ennead 5. lib. 8. cap. 4. STANZ 13. Far otherwise it fares in Aeons realms This is in reference to Narcissus story Stanz 12. that sets out the hazard of loving earthly beauty and of the desire of conjunction with it but there is no such danger in Aeon land for the objects there are perfective and not destructive better then the soul not baser and chiefly Abinoam or Ahad which is as it were the Sun of that world which Aeon doth alwayes behold steddy and unmoved and with him all they that arrive thither Aeons self is also an unspeakable plenitude of life and it is an unexpresseable perfection of the mind to be joyned with him so that there is plainly no danger or hurt to desire earnestly the enjoyment of these divine forms though union with corporeall features may deface the soul STANZ 14. For Aeon land which men Idea call Is nought but life c. So Plotin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The nature of Intellect and On is the true and first world not distant from it self not weak by division or dispersion nothing defective But all of it is life and all intellect living in one and at once understanding A part exhibits the whole and the whole is friendly to it self not separated one part from another nor become another alone and estrang'd from others Whence one part is not injurious to another nor contrary Wherefore every where being one and perfect every where it stands unmoved and admits no alteration See Ennead 3. lib. 2. cap. 1 STANZ 5. That Virgin wife of Aeon Vranore Vranore or Psyche the wife of Aeon the daughter of Ahad For indeed all things come from him but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Ahad that is a simple unity then Aeon that 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an actuall unmoveable Omniformity Lastly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that 's Vranore or Psyche viz capable of that stable Omniformity that Fulnesse of life even all things and of him that is above all things but it is not of her Essence to be all things actually and steddily See Plotin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ennead 5. lib. 1. cap 8. But nothing can be more plain than what he hath written Ennead 5. lib. 6. cap. 4. where speaking of Ahad Aeon and Psyche 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is And we may resemble the first viz. Ahad to lux or light the next to the Sunne the third viz. Psyche to the Moon borrowing her light of the Sunne For Psyche hath but an adventitious Intellect which doth as it were colour her made Intellectuall But Intellect or Aeon hath in himself proper Intellectuall life not being that light onely but that which is in his essence illuminated by Ahad but that which imparts this light viz. Ahad is light alone and nothing else beside exhibiting a power to him to be what he is STANZ 4. 5. Because the fire Of Aethers essence c. That the Intellect in man is clothed with the soul the soul with fire or spirit and that through that instrument it governs and orders this grosse body is the Opinion of Trismeg in his Clavis and the like instrument he ascribes to the Maker of the whole World 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Maker of the Heavens useth fire to his work But I conceive indeed that the pure Heavens or Aether which is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to burn is nothing else but attenuate fire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a subtill fiery liquor or liquid fire as I have else where intimated Vers 6.7 And inward unseen golden hew doth dight And life of Sense c. I cannot better declare this matter then the Philosopher hath already Ennead 5. lib. 1. cap. 2. Let any particular soul saith he quietly by her self conceive the whole Universe devoid of life form and motion let the Earth be still and stupid the Sea the Aire and the Heaven anon an universall soul flow into this torpent masse inwardly infus'd penetrating throughout and illuminating all as the beams of the Sunne doth some Cloud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 making a golden show by their gilding light Such is the entrance of Psyche into the body of the Vniverse kindling and exciting the dead mist the utmost projection of her own life into an Aethereall vivacity and working in this by her plasmaticall Spirits or Archei all the whole world into order and shape fitting this sacred Animal◠for perfect sense establishing that in being which before was next to nothing Vers 8. Aether's the vehicle of touch smell sight Of taste c. This is true in the Microcosme as well as in the Macrocosme above described viz. that the more subtill fiery and attenuate spirits in mans body are the medium whereby the soul is joyned to and doth work in the body STANZ 16. May reach that vast profundity Synesius also calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the paternall depth Hymn 2. STANZ 18. Now rise my Muse c. From this STANZ to the 33. is contained a description of the visible World Vers 2. Th' outward vest To make all this visible World the garment of Psyche is no forc'd or new fancy sith the Sibyll hath apparrelled God therewith Sibyll Orac. lib. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is I am JEHOVAH well my words perpend Clad with the frory Sea all mantled over With the blew Heavens shod with the Earth I wend The Starres around me dance th' Air doth me cover Moses also if we will believe Philo the Jew made Aarons garment a symboll of the visible World and it agrees well with this of the Sibylls For
first upon the top on his Mitre was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 JEHOVAH The shoulder-pieces mought represent the Heavens The two Precious-stones there the two Hemispheres The twelve names engraven the twelve signes of the Zodiack The blew Robe the Air 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the flowry work at the hemme of the garment the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Pomegranets with an allusion to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fluo the water 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Bells the harmony that is the mixture of earth and water for generation But as for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is nothing answereth to it in the Hebrew Text and why should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be Emblems of the water and not rather of the whole Globe of the Earth and Water it being a round fruit and representing the seminall fullnesse of the Earth by its scissure in the side full of kernells or seeds Peradventure had Philo been as well instructed in Pythagorisme as in Platonisme and had mist the Septuagints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he would hit of another harmony then the mixture of Water and Earth doth make I mean the noise of those Balls mentioned STANZ 30. And so the order of having every Bell joyned with a Pomegranet would have signified the many and numerous Globes at the severall depths of the World with their concomitant sounds in their motion or at the least proportionable velocities and consequently Pythagoras harmony would have been ratified from Aarons robe but I hold not this Argument apodicticall Phil. de vita Mosis Vers 7. The many Plicatures Every particular body is esteemed but a knot or close folding of that one intire Out-garment of Psyche STANZ 19. vers the 9. The garment round c. It is too too probable the world is round if it be not infinite the reasons be obvious but to conclude it finite or infinite is but guesse mans imagination being unable to represent Infinity to Reason to judge on STANZ 30.31 But yet one thing I saw c At the low hem c. A glance at Copernicus opinion as at theirs also that make the fixt starres so many Sunnes and all the Planets to be inhabited for by their inhabitants they will be deemed the lowest part of this visible world be it Saturn Mars Jupiter or what Planet soever else discovered or as yet not discovered wherefore according to this conceit it is said At the low hem of this large garment-gay That is at the places that seem low and these are all inhabited Planets supposing there be any inhabited STANZ 33.34 Did tie them twain c. Aeon and Psyche here become one not as though they were one and the same essence but nearer after that kind of manner that the body and soul become one man For Aeon is the Entelechia of Psyche as I may say but closer unite then any form or soul to any body and never to be separate Because the universall soul of the world finds all things in Aeon and knows also exactly inferiour things For her animadversion is not fixed or determined to one as mans soul is but free every where at once above and below so that she cannot possibly leave off this state but is one ever firmly united with Aeon STANZ 36. To thee each knee c. A Christian mystery wrapt up in a Platonicall covering the reduction of the world to conformity with the Eternall Intellect and the soul of the world For these move still to this very day to win men to be governed by them and not by their own perverse and dark will Or rather to speak in the Christian Idiom the Sonne of God and the Holy Ghost do thus stirre men up and invite them to true and lively obedience to the eternall will of God and to forsake their own selves and their blind way and to walk all in one everlasting way of light and saving health STANZ 39. Ahad these three in one c. Here we see Ahad Aeon and Psyche all one which is to be understood not of Essence but Person as I may so speak and that they move and act upon the creature as one man STANZ 41. We Physis name Physis is nothing else but the vegetable World the Universall comprehension of Spermaticall life dispersed throughout This seminall World is neither the very Intellect it self though it be stored with all forms nor any kind of pure soul though depending of both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A kind of life eradiating and resulting both from Intellect and Psyche This enters and raiseth up into life and beauty the whole corporeall world orders the lowest projection of life viz. the reall â—uspis of the Cone infinitely multiplied awaking that immense mist of Atoms into severall energies into fiery watery and earthly and placing her Magick attractive points sucks hither and hither to every centre a due proportion and rightly disposed number of those Cuspidal particles knedding them into Suns Moons Earths c. and then with a more curious artifice the particular Archei frame out in every one such inhabitants and ornaments as the divine Understanding hath thought fit For Physis as I said is not the divine Understanding it self but is as if you should conceive an Artificers imagination separate from the Artificer and left alone to work by it self without animadversion Hence Physis or Nature is sometimes puzzeld and bungells in ill disposed matter because its power is not absolute and omnipotent See Plot. Eunead 3. lib. 2. STANZ â—9 In midst of this fine web doth Haphe sit Every sence to be a kind of touch was the opinion of the ancient Philosophers as you may see in Theophrastus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every sense in Psyche is plainly and perfectly Touch or more then Touch rather I mean a nearer union But this present Stanza respects more properly the nature of sense in particular Animals so farre had my pen started aside where Touch is the centre as it were from whence the soul discerns in the circumference all manner of Forms and Motions She is the centre from whence all the light Dispreads and goodly glorious forms do flit Hither and thither Thus for there is first a tactuall conjunction as it were of the representative rayes of every thing with our sensorium before we know the things themselves which rayes we really feeling perceive those things at distance by this communication For these rayes alwayes convey the distance or place as well as the colour Hence do we discern figure viz. the ray of every Atom of the object representing the site of its Atom For figure is nothing else but the order or disposition of those Atoms Thus have we all figures colours and shapes in a whole Horison conveighed to our sight by a centrall Touch of those rayes of the objects round about us STANZ 49. But Haphes Mother hight all-spread community As is plain in the communication of rayes For I cannot think that union simply with
of Intellect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That intellect is taken up about him imployed in a kind of vitall operation about him living in him But of Psyche 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Psyche something removed and without danceth about the Intellect busily beholding it and looking into it seeth God through it So that Ahad is the vitall perfection of Aeon or Intellect and Aeon and Ahad the happinesse of Psyche and her vitall accomplishment Ennead 1. lib. 8. And both Aeon and Psyche and all things else are from Ahad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is with abatement and farthest off from the fountain the weaker and darker as is more fully set forth in the next Canto Stanz 7 8. c. And that the world is inacted by Psyche and so is which Trismegist and Plato are not nice to grant one intire Animal and that therefore nothing can scape the knowledge of that universall soul no more then any sensation imagination or motion of man can be hid from the soul of man if she be at leasure to observe it That Psyche is at leasure being uncapable of distraction as whose animadversion is infinite entirely omnipresent and every where at once And now I have taken the pains so accurately to describe the Deity me thinks I have made my self obnoxious to almost a just censure of too much boldnesse and curiosity But give me leave to answer that I have not taken upon me so much to set out the absolute nature of God as those Notions that Plato's School have framed of Him Which I hold neither my self nor any man else engaged to embrace for Oracles though they were true 'till such time as they appear to him to be so But how ever I think all men are to interpret both Plato and all men else at the best and rather mark what of undoubted truth they aime at then quarrell and entangle themselves in disputes about the manner of expressing that which no man can reach unto As for example I had rather fill my mind with that unquestionable truth exhibited in their Triad viz. that God is as fully Goodnesse Wisedome and powerfull Love as if there were three such distinct Hypostases in the Deity and then that he is as surely one with himself as if there were but one onely Hypostasis then to perplex my mind with troublesome questions of Three and One and One and three c. For the mind of man being so unable to conceive any thing of the naked being of God those more grosse and figurate representations of Him so be they be sutable to expressive of His unquestionable Attributes are not onely passable but convenient for created understandings to lead them on in the contemplation of God in easie Love and Triumph Whereas by endeavouring more Magisterially and determinately to comprehend and conclude that which is so unconcludible and incomprehensible to the understanding of man we work our selves into anxietie and subtile distemper and dry up the more precious outflowings of the Divinity in our souls by this hellish thirst and importunate desire of dealing with the very naked essence of God But let every modest Philosopher but read that Inscription in Isis Temple a notable monument of the great wisedome of the Ancients 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then pronounce whether there be not roome enough in the Deity for every man to speak diversely one from another in the representation thereof and yet no man nor all men together to set out accurately and adequately the nature of God Notes upon Psychozoia Canto 2. STANZ 6. It s he that made us YEt not excluding Ahad See what 's written upon the 23. Stanza of this Canto STANZ 9. The last extreme the fardest of from light Plotinus Ennead 4. lib. 3. cap. 9. describes the production of the corporeall world after this manner Psyche cannot issue out into any externall vivificative act unlesse you suppose a body for that 's her place properly and naturally Wherefore if she will have place for any vitall act she must produce her self a body So she keeping steddily her own station 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like a plentifull flame shining out in the extreme margins of the fire begot a fuliginous darknesse which she seeing streightway actuated with life and form 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that darknesse becoming a variously adorned aedifice is not disjoyned from its builder but dependeth thence as being the genuine and true energie of the soul of the World This I conceive is the sense of the Philosopher whose conceit I have improved and made use of as here in this Canto for many Stanzas together so also else where in Psychathanasia Vers 2. Hyles cell What I understand by Hyle see the Interp. Gèn. It 's lower then this shadow that Plotinus speaketh of and which maketh the body of the World For I conceive the body of the World to be nothing else but the reall Cuspis of the Cone even infinitely multiplied and reiterated Hyle to be nothing else but potentiality that to be an actuall Centrality though as low as next to nothing But what inconvenience is in Tasis or the corporeall sensible nature to spring from Hyle or the scant capacity or incompossibility of the creature STANZ 10. Dependance of this All hence doth appear to the 17. Stanz The production of the World being by way of energy or emanation hath drawn strange expressions from some of the Ancients as Trismeg cap. 11. Mens ad Mercur. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is For God being the sole Artificer is alwayes in his work being indeed that which he maketh According to this tenour is that also in Orpheus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is Jov's first Jov's last drad Thunderer on high Jov's head Jov's navell Out of Jove all 's made Jov's the depth of the Earth and starry Skie Jove is a man Jov's an immortall Maide Jove is the breath of all Jove's restlesse fire Jov's the Seas root Jove is both Sun and Moon Jov's King Jov's Prince of all and awfull Sire For having all hid in himself anon He from his sacred heart them out doth bring To chearfull light working each wondrous thing Aristot De Mundo cap. 7. And this Hyperbolicall expression of the close dependance that all things have on God is not mis-beseeming Poetry But Trismeg is as punctuall in this excesse as the Poet Ad Tat. cap. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hence is the strange opinion of God being all and that there is nothing but God But it is not at all strange that all things are the mere energie of God and do as purely depend on him as the Sun-beams of the Sunne So that so farre forth as we may say the body lux
chiefly aimed at in this Stanza yet I do not confine my Theoprepia to it nor think I the soul of man disjoyned from God that is not in that sort united to him But if a man have lost his self-will and self-love being wholly dead to himself and alive to God though that life exert it self in successive acts if a man I say be but affected as God himself if he were in the flesh would be affected he is also truly and really in Theoprepia Cant. 3. STANZA 1. Shafts which Vriel vers 5. vers 7. No other help we had for Gabriel URiel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ignis Dei Angelus Meridionalis He that rules in the power of the Meridian Sunne Quatuor Angeli praesidentes cardinibus Coeli Michael Raphael Gabriel Vrieb For Gabriel in this place bears onely a naturall notion elsewhere it is the strength of the Lord revealed in the soul But as for those terms it was rather chance then choice that cast me upon them being nothing solicitous whether there be any such Presidents or no. I conceive they be some old Rabbinicall inventions or traditions by the grosse mistake in them For when as they assign to Michael the East and the West to Raphael they seem never to have dreamed of any East or West but what belonged to their own Horizon when as where ever East is West is also to some Inhabitants so that both these Angels will have the same province Cornel. Agrip. de Occult. Philos lib. 2. cap. 7. STANZ 3 4 5. The first estate of man when he begins to make conscience of the law of God which I call Diana which is the Moon as not affording life and vigour though some small light Small I deem it in comparison of the day-starre the Sunne of righteousnesse himself This estate is set out in these 4. Stanzas STANZA 6 7 8 9. The penitent perplext and passionate estate of one that hath the true sight and sense of his sinne and corruption but is not rid of them STANZ 10 Me thought the Sunne it self c. The condition of him whose spirits indeed are unpurged though the fire hath got hold on them and burns and glows as in fowl rubbish This estate is set out by the appearance of the sunne from Ida hill the description whereof follows in the next Stanz STANZ 11. But Phoebus form c. A sad image of bitter zeal and praecipitant wrath against all those that are not in the same sad condition with our selves that is that are either better or worse in life and different in opinion Vers 8. Small things they will prize c. Such men scarce got into the spirit of Elias yet esteem their temper above the meeknesse of Christs own spirit because they never yet had experience of it STANZ 18. All sects besides his own doth execrate This was the disease of the Gnosticks in Plotinus time who contemned all beside their own sect to whom the incomparable Philosopher gravely and more like a Christian then those that call themselves by that name writes to this sense That if they were so much better then all the world they ought to be so much the more mild and modest and not so full of ferocity and rudenesse and to think that there may be room with God for others also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And not in placing themselves onely next to God to sore as it were in a dream to flie in their sleep STANZ 35. Whom with cruel spear The difficulty here is how the eternall Sonne of God may suffer he being everlasting and immortall life it self and not contradict what was written Canto 1. Stanz 9 14 35 36 37. For to the impassible eternall being is the inheritance of the world there promised but here to that which is passible and mortall I answer that the eternal and immortall sonne of God is to take possession of the world by that which after a manner is mortall and extinguishable which is the energie of himself exerted upon the souls of men or a kind of life diffused in mans heart and soul whereby God doth inact us and is our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the soul is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the body and governs and guides it And if Aeon as he is the sonne of Ahad or Atove to speak Platonically that is the simple and free good or in brief as he is the sonne of God who is the simple good without all self-nesse or straitnesse even pure and perfect Light it self for this Aeon contains in him also the whole creature and is the essence or Idea of all things I say if he as he is the sonne of God be in us by his imparted life he then takes possession of the world and God by him But he hath not yet enquickened men generally with this Deiform life but it hath lyen dead to them or they to it that influx being rather suspended then absolutely destroyed but as the soul to its body or any part of her body that is numb and dead But when that life shall flow into them as the vitall rayes of the soul into this mortall body He shall then as truly govern rule and possesse the world as any soul doth her body And that there is an eternall sonne of God immortall impassible and not onely in the souls of men but that fills the whole universe the Evangelist I think will confirm For he ascribes the creation of all things to him yea and calls him God which makes me wonder that the Turks have so high an esteem of this Gospel of S. John unlesse they will interpret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the same tenour that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be interpreted neither place then signifying unity or identity but union onely and conjunction But to prove the thing in hand John the 1. vers 10. He was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not By world must be understood either the whole universe or men inhabiting it and they either the godly or the wicked If the Universe he is then the eternall principle whereby God made the whole creation If the godly onely as he may be said in some more speciall manner to be their maker how came they not to know him when he was in them and alive in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the wicked onely he made them not wicked so that if he made them at all he made their naturall being soul and body and if them why not all the world whence a man may reasonably conclude that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Word is eternall and immortall and invulnerable And if any Authority will now be worth looking after S. Johns testimony being so plain Philo the Jew speaks out to this purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 3. It is manifest that the Archetypal seal which we call the intellectuall world is the very word of God
the Archetypall Paradigme the Idea of Ideas or Form of Forms And in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He plainly ascribes the government of the Universe Heavens Starres Earth Elements and all the creatures in them to that which he tearms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the upright word of God his first-born son Which is pure Platonisme and may for ought I know go for right Christianisme so long as the first chapter of S. John for Gospel Vers 2 3. True crucified Son Of the true God For the life that is in him and should flow into us is hindred in its vitall operation But if any man make it a light matter that God himself or the Word himself is not hurt let him consider that he that can find of his heart to destroy the deleble image of God would if it lay in his power destroy God himself so that the crime is as high and as much to be lamented STANZ 38. Earth groveling Aptery From Beirons wall to Pantheothen dwell the Apterites that is such as have souls without wings or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Platonick phrase is souls that have their feathers moult off of them and so are fain to flag among the dirty desires of the world though sometime full of sorrow and vexation for their grosse vices but yet in a kind of Hypocriticall humility acknowledging that to be their destin'd condition and that it is worse then that condition to believe that a man by the help of God may get out of it STANZ 44 45 46. Hight Pteroessa The land betwivt Pantheothen and the valley of Ain is Pteroessa because the Inhabitants have wings whereby they raise themselves above the mire and dirt of the corrupt body One of the wings is Faith in the power of God against the forces of the Prince of darknesse The other Love and desire of appearing before God See the 8. verse of 45. Stanza and the 5 6 7. verses of the 46. Stanza STANZ 47. And Gabriel sware c. Gabriel is the strength of God which will certainly assist them that walk in the precepts of God with simplicity of heart STANZ 49. But I observed well c. And it is well worth our observation that the main danger of Pteroessa is the making too much haste or a slubbering speed promoving our selves into a greater liberty or gaping after higher contemplations than we are fitted for or we can reap profit from or are rightly capable to conceive STANZ 50. And Autaparnes face c. See Interpr Gen. STANZ 5◠Vers 9. Back to retreat c. That is to reassume that more punctuall and vigilant care over our wayes in thought word and deed with a kind of austerenesse of life crossing our own desires many times even in things indifferent and to reattempt a perfect mortification of the old man throughout giving no unseasonable liberty to our deceitfull body For is it not Hypocrisy or partiality to avoid that our selves which we often impose upon our young children whom we oft abridge of things that are not hurtfull of themselves to break them off their stubborn wills And believe it a grown mans body is but a boy or brute and must be kept under severely by the lash of reason and holy discipline STANZ 57. The Jasper enemy to spirits won This kind of stone the Caspian sea affords as Dionysius After writes who ascribes this virtue to it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It sends forth Crystall and the Jasper green Foe to Empusa's and all spectres seen And this stone is none of the meanest jewels in the Platonick Diadem Certainly the purging of our naturall spirits and raising our soul to her due hight of purity weaning her from the love of this body and too tender a sympathy with the frail flesh begets that courage and Majesty of mind in a man that both inward and outward fiends will tremble at his presence and fly before him as darknesse at lights approch For the soul hath then ascended her fiery vehicle and it is noon to her at midnight be she but awake into her self STANZ 59. But love of man c. Those virtues there recited are refulgently conspicuous in Platonisme Pythagorisme and Stoicisme Where 's then the defect But I 'll first set out their virtues Plotinus Ennead 1. lib. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 raiseth virtue to her hight by these 4. degrees The first are Virtutes politicae the second Purgatoriae the third Animi jam purgati the fourth and last Paradigmaticae Now for the better understanding of those degrees we are to take notice of the first and second motions that be in us The first are such as surprise our body or living beast as I may so call it by some outward objects represented to sense and naturall imagination before reason hath consulted of them or it may be phansie clearly apprehended them Such are present frights and pleasant provocations The second consist in the pursuit or declining of these objects represented after the animadversion of our supernall phansie and consultation of reason Mars Ficin upon Plotin Now those virtues that do onely amputate prune and more handsomely proportionate these second motions in us are called Politicall because a common citizen or vulgar man ordinarily exerciseth this degree of virtue perhaps for his credit profit or safety-sake But those virtues that do not onely prune but quite pluck up those second enormous motions of the mind are called Purgative Thirdly those that do both extirpate the second irregular motions and also tame the first in some good measure are the virtues of the soul already purged Fourthly and lastly those vertues that put away quite and extinguish the first motions are Paradigmaticall that is virtues that make us answer to the Paradigme or Idea of virtues exactly viz. the Intellect or God These foure degrees of virtues make so many degrees of men if I may call them all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Virtues Politicall Man Purgative God-man Animi jam purgati Angel-god Paradigmaticall God And this he doth plainly confesse acknowledging that the motions or passions of the mind are not sins if guided directed and subjected to reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But our endeavour must be not onely to be without sin but to become God that is impassible immateriall quit of all sympathy with the body drawn up wholly into the intellect and plainly devoid of all perturbation And who would not be thus at ease who would not crowd himself into this fafe castle for his own security I can not quite excuse the old man of self-love for that round elegancie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It doth not run so well in plain English It is better thy sonne be wicked then thou miserable that is passionate Epictet Enchirid. cap. 16. Yet to speak the truth Stoicisme Platonisme and Pythagorisme
of one length Theorem 2. That the diagoniall Lines of a Rhombeids be equall Let ACBD be a Rhomboides and AB stretch'd out in infinitum after the infinite productions of CB and AD. I say that DC will be equall to AB For EC is equall to EA and ED to EB by the precedent Theorem Wherefore DC and AB are equall The same is also as briefly prov'd by the first or second Appendix of the precedent Theorem STANZ 58. And with her grasping rayes c. Theorem 3. That the Moon sometimes enlightens the whole Earth and the Sunne sometimes enlightens not the Earth at all To prove this I must set down some received Propositions in Opticks and Astronomie Propositions Opticall 1. SPhaeriodes luminosum minus si propinquius est opaco minorem portionem illustrat quam si remotius existat 2. Sphaeroides luminosum majus ê propinquo ampliorem partem opaci irradiat quam ê remoto Aguilon lib. 5. Propositions Astronom 1. THe greatest distance of the Full or New Moon from the Centre of the Earth is 64. semidiameters of the Earth 2. The least distance of the Moon New or Full from the Centre of the Earth is 54. semidiameters of the Earth so that there is five Diameters difference 3. The Sun in his Apogee is distant from the Centre of the Earth 1550 semidiameters of the Earth but in his Perigee 1446. So there is 52. Diameters difference But now for the second part of the Theorem That the Sunne sometimes enlightens not the earth at all Let the Sunne be in his Perigee A enlightening the Earth CEHD so farre as FG. Remove him from A to his Apogee B. In his recession to B the Earth CEHD is lesse and lesse enlightned by the second Opticall Proposition I say it is not enlightned at all For suppose he had gone back but the length of IC then had FCG been devoyd of light because that CG hath no more points in it then IC hath by the first and second Axiom or third Appendix of the first Theorem And the light cannot go off lesse then an Atom a time by the fourth Axiom Much more destitute therefore is the Earth CHED of light the Sunne being in B when as the distance AB will measure above fifty times CH which yet is bigger then IC by the Consect of the third proposition Astrnomicall so that day will hang in the sky many thousand miles off from us fastigiated into one conicall point and we become utterly destitute of light A man might as well with placing the Sunne in B first prove him to enlighten all the Earth at once and make perfect day As also the Moon if you place her in her Apogee first that she enlightens not the least particle of the Earth though in her full Lastly if you place them in K you might prove they do enlighten every part and never a part of the Earth at once so that a perfect Universall darknesse and light would possesse the World at the same time which is little better then a pure contradiction Thematter is very plain at the first sight STANZ 28. In every place c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ennead 2. lib. 9. cap. 7. Lib. 2. Cant. 1. STANZ 10. This is that strange fram'd statue c. REad Plotin Ennead 6. lib. 4. cap. 14. And cap. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And a little after he saith that the corporeall substance being thus prepared catches life and soul from the Mundus vitae as Ficinus calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reade the 14. and 15. chap. of that fourth Book Cant. 2. STANZ 12. The naked essence of the bodi 's this See Body Interpr Gener. STANZ 26. But like a Centre that around doth shoot c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ennead 4. lib. 7. cap. 6. Cant. 3. STANZ 3 Knowledge of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Merc. Trismeg 9. p. 37. Lib. 3. Cant. 1. STANZ 14. Three Centres has mans soul c. PLotinus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The opinion of the Philosopher is here methinks something perplext Nor can we easly gather whether he makes three essences or onely three generall faculties If three essences why sayes he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one nature in many faculties If but one essence and three faculties how comes that supernall facultie to be ever employed in intellectuall and divine speculations and we seldome or never perceive it See Ennead 2. lib. 9. cap. 2. STANZ 22. Shee sees more clear c. Sith God moves all things and all things immediately depend of him or if you will is all things it cannot be but he must have the sense of all things in the nearest and most immediate manner as you may see more at large in Merc. Trismeg in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 9. pag. 39.40 Cant. 2. STANZ 2 By his own plastick point or else deep Night Drawn on c. PLotinus mentions also a middle way That the great soul of ths World does at least inchoate and rudely delineate the fabrick of our body at first The particular soul afterward accomplishes it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. See Ennead 6. lib. 7. cap. 7. He seems also in his second Ennead to intimate that our bodies are made by the soul of the World 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 9. cap. 18. STANZ 5. By what the soul in her self feels and tryes c. Plotinus professes himself to have frequent experience of this Ennead 4. lib. 8. cap. 1. STANZ 16. Then like to flowing stream c. This seems to be the opinion of that learned Knight in his Book of Bodies But I cannot satisfie my self in some difficulties it is entangled with How it can be possible that any fiery Atom or thin particle should be capable of so strong an impetus impressed on it as to carry it so many thousand miles and not to cease from motion or be extinct Nor can the particles that follow drive on the former For there is still the same difficulty that was afore Besides our sense shall then discover onely those particles of light that are in our eye so that the Sunne will seem to have neither distance nor due figure There 's the same reason in colours Mounsier des Chartes his gentle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or renixus of the Aethereall Vortices against the Organ of sight is far more solid and ingenuous agreeing exactly with all the properties of light The contending in this and the following stanzes for the received way of species is but a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These rayes are here used for illustration rather then Proof STANZ 20. Yet nought at all is lost See Merc. Trismeg 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 8 STANZ 21. When that compounded nature is dissolv'd Each Centre 's safe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 11. p. 57. Canto 3. STANZA 12. One steddy good centre of Essences See Trismeg pag. 41 52 68 69. Edit Turneb STANZ 38.
where else as well as at A but the point G is onely at G or if it be at L it is onely then at L and not at G nor any where else therefore A though in respect of the Universall orders of Beings which flow from him may be the Centre of a Circle yet in respect that these orders fall short of his large Ubiquity some of them at least all of his perfection and excellency and the last reall efflux is contracted after a manner to a mere mathematicall point for such is the nature of the Orb G or corporeall substance as I have intimated For this reason I say may A rightly be called the largest Basis of the Cone whose Diametre is IM or NL as the descent of these Degrees and Beings from Ahad or Atove may fitly resemble a Conicall figure whose Cuspis is G. And here I may seasonably appeal unto the apprehensions of men whether the divine fecundity A flow'd out per saltum and produced onely the Orb G or whether there being a possibility of more excellent intermediate Orbs I will not stand upon this number I have assigned he did not produce BCD c. And if he produced G onely whether that Orb G be not either an arbitrarious or naturall efflux from A. i.e. dependeth on him as closely and intimately as a Ray doth on the Sun And if so why the nature of Atove should be lesse fruitfull then the imaginations of men who can in reason and distinct notion place severall Orbs betwixt A and G. Or why the free will of Atove or Ahad should be lesse bountifull then the minds of well meaning men who if it were in their power as it is in the arbitrarious power of Ahad it clashing with no other good attribute would fill up that empty gulf betwixt A and G. Wherefore as farre as free reason and authority of Platonisme will reach the mystery of the Cone will hold good though my drift at this time was rather to explane it then confirm it But if any should be so adventrous as to deny such an Ubiquity as I have described yet in some sort this adumbration of the Cone will still hold good For there will be a latitude and contraction of power if not of presence And this will be ground enough for this expression But it is to be noted that if we forsake this apprehension of the omnipoâ—ency of Ahad God and all things else will prove mere bodies And then must God if he can make himself up in severall parcells and pieces And God administring the affairs of the Earth will scarce know what God doth in Saturn or at least many millions of miles distant which conceit seems to me farre below the light of Nature and improv'd Reason But to conceive God not onely a body but a body devoid of life sense and understanding is so dark and melancholick a phansie that I professe I think I could with far lesse pain and reluctancy suffer my body to be buried alive in the cold Earth then so stark and stupid conceit to entombe my soul STANZ 85. Besides the Conflux and Congeries Of lesser Lights a double augmentation Emplies and 'twixt them both a lessening coarctation The difficulty that their opinion is entangled with that hold the Comets to be nothing but a conflux of lesser stars is this That they must then seem first bigger then lesser then bigger again which will evidently appear in the following Scheme Circle I. But afterward this light will be lesse and lesse till they come to the Centre A where it will be least of all they coming there closest of all one to another But then they holding on stil in their severall Arks they will passe by one another and the Comet will grow bigger and bigger till they have reached the Circle I again where the Comet is as big as at the biggest before But then disjoyning themselves more wide one from another their severall Circles so carrying them they cease to be seen of us This would be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a Comet if it did consist of a conflux of Starres But sith there is no such thing observed in Comets it is very probable they arise not from this cause Notes upon The Philosophers Devotion Nimbly they hold on their way Shaping out their Night and Day Summer Winter Autumn Spring Their inclined Axes bring TO shew how Day and Night VVinter and Summer arise from Copernicus his Hypothesis will not onely explane these verses but exceedingly set out the fitnesse and genuinenesse of the Hypothesis it self VVhich I will therefore do out of Galilaeo for the satisfaction of the unprejudiced and ingenuous Reader Let the Circle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be the Ecliptick where by the way we may take notice that when the Earth is in the sign 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sun will appear in the opposite sign 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And so while the Earth doth really passe through the Signes the sunne seems to passe through the Signs opposite to those the Earth is really passing through whence this annuall motion through the Zodiack has been ascribed unto him Let now the centre of the Earth be plac'd in the point of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let the Poles and Axis of the earth be AB inclining upon the Diametre of Capricorn and Cancer 23 degrees and an half VVe must also suppose this inclination immutable the upper pole A to be the North pole the South-pole B. Now imagine the Earth turnd round on her Axis in 24 houres from West to East then will every point in the semicircle ADB describe a parallel Circle We 'll for the present take notice onely of that great circle CD and two other remov'd from this 23. gr and an half viz. EF. and GN the one above the other below and lastly two other furthermost circles IK and LM equidistant from the Poles AB Furthermore we are to understand that while the Earth moves on that her Axis keeps not onely the same inclination upon the Plane of the Ecliptick but also one constant direction toward the same part of the Universe or Firmament remaining alway parallel to it self Now this immutability of inclination and steddy direction of her Axis presupposed place the Earth also in the first points of Aries Cancer and Libra according as you see in the present Scheme VVe will go thorough all the foure figures and first that in Capricorn In which because the Axis AB declines from a perpendicular upon the Diametre of Capricorne and Cancer 23. grad and an half towards the Sun O and the Ark AI is 23. grad and an half the Sun enlightning an Hemisphere of the Earth divided from the dark Hemisphere by the Circle KL which Galilaeo calls Terminator lucis this Terminator lucis KL must divide CD as being a great circle into equall parts but all the
my writings I answer That it is sometime fit for Poeticall pomp sake as in my Psychozoia Othersome time necessitie requires it Propter egestatem linguae rerum novitatem as Lucretius pleads for himself in like case Again there is that significancie in some of the barbarous words for the Greeks are Barbarians to us that although not out of superstition yet upon due reason I was easily drawn to follow the Counsel of the Chaldee Oracle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not to change those barbarous terms into into our english tongue Lastly if I have offended in using such hard names or words I shall make amends now by interpreting them A ABinoam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pater amoenitatis Father of delight Acronychall See Cronychall Adamah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Earth The earthly or naturall mans abode Adonai 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord or the sustainer of all things from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Basis or foot of a pillar Aelpon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not hoping or without hope Aeon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eternity Aether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to burn The fluid fiery nature of heaven the same that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies as much viz. a fiery fluour or fluid fire Africk Rock See Pompon Mel. lib. 1. cap. 8. Rom. 9.33 1. Cor. 10.4 1. Pet. 2.5 Revel 5.10 Psal 105.15 Ahad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One or The One. The Platonists call the first Originall of all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for these reasons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or One because the multitude or plurality of Beings is from this One as all numbers from an unite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or The Good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because all things are driven drawn or make haste to partake of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Procl Theo. log Plat. lib. 2. cap. 4. Aides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It ordinarily signifies Orcus or Pluto here the Winter Sunne the etymon fits both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hell is dark and the Sunne in Winter leavs us to long nights Ain Not to be To be nothing from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non nihil or nemo Alethea-land That is the land of truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Platonists call it Alopecopolis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The foxes city or politie Ananke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same that Hyle is But the proper signification of the word is Necessity See Hyle Anautaesthetus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One that feels not himself or at least relisheth not himself Anautaesthesie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Without self-sensednesse or relishing ones self Animadversall That lively inward animadversall It is the soul it self for I cannot conceive the body doth animadvert When as objects plainly exposed to the sight are not discovered till the soul takes notice of them Anthropion The same with Adamah Onely Adamah signifies earthlinesse Anthropion from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uprightnesse of body or looking up Apathie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be without passion Apogee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is that absis or ark of the circle of a Planet in which the Planet is further off from the earth as the word it self intimates Apterie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 negative and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a wing It signifies the want of wings Arachnea hath its name from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a spider Atom-lives The same that Centrall-lives Both the terms denotate the indivisibilty of the inmost essence it self the pure essentiall form I mean of plant beast or man yea of angels themselves good or bad Atove See Hattove Autaparnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Simon Autaparnes Hypomone are but the soul thrice told over Autaparnes is the soul denying it self Hypomone the soul bearing the anguish of this deniall of it self From these two results Simon the soul obedient to the spirit of Christ Now there is no self-deniall where there is no corrupt or evill life to be supprest and satisfied nor any Patience or Hypomone where there is no agony from the vexation of self-deniall So that the soul as long as it is Autaparnes or Hypomone is a thing complex or concrete necessarily including the corruption of that evill life or spirit which is the souls self for a time Hence is that riddle easily opened How the strength of Autaparnes is the weakning of Simon and the destruction of him and Hypomone in the valley of Ain Simons consummation and perfection or rather his translation or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Autaestthesia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Self-sensednesse Autokineticall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That which moves it self Autopathia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Denotates the being self-strucken to be sensible of what harms us rather then what is absolutely evill Autophilus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A lover of himself B BAcha Weeping Bacha Vale is the Valley of tears from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Flevit Beirah or Beiron The brutish life from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brutum Body The ancient Philosophers have defined it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sext. Emperic Pyrrhon Hypotyp lib. 3. cap. 5. Near to this is that description Psychathan Cant. 2. Stanz 12. lib. 2. Matter extent in three dimensions But for that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simple trinall distension doth not imply it wherefore I declin'd it But took in matter according to their conceit that phansie a Materia prima I acknowledge none and consequently no such corpus naturale as our Physiologist make the subject of that science That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is nothing but a fixt spirit the conspissation or coagulation of the cuspidall particles of the Cone which are indeed the Centrall Tasis or inward effence of the sensible world These be an infinite number of vitall Atoms that may be wakened into divers tinctures or energies into Fiery Watery Earthy c. And one divine Fiat can unloose them all into an universall mist or turn them out of that sweat into a drie and pure Ethereall temper These be the last projections of life from the soul of the world and are act or form though debil and indifferent like that which they call the first matter But they are not merely passive but meet their information half way as I may so speak are radiant ab intimo and awake into this or the other operation by the powerfull appulse of some superadvenient form That which change of phantasmes is to the soul that is alteration of rayes to them For their rayes are ab intrinseco as the phantasmes of the soul These be the reall matter of which all supposed bodies are compounded and this matter as I said is form and life so that all is life and form what ever is in the world as I have somewhere intimated in Antipsychopan But how ever I use the
term Body ordinarily in the usuall and vulgar acception And for that sense of the Ancients nearest to which I have defined it in the place first above mentioned that I seem not to choose that same as most easie to proceed against in disproving the corporeity of the soul the Arguments do as necessarily conclude against such a naturall body as is ordinarily described in Physiologie as you may plainly discern if you list to observe as also against this body composed of the Cuspidall particles of the Cone For though they be Centrall lives yet are they neither Plasticall Sensitive or Rationall so farre are they from proving to be the humane soul whose nature is there discust C CEntre Centrall Centrality When they are used out of their ordinary sense they signifie the depth or inmost Being of any thing from whence its Acts and Energies flow forth See Atom lives Chaos In our blew Chaos that is In our corporeall spirit for that is the matter that the soul raiseth her phantasmaticall forms in as the life of the World doth bodily shapes in the Heavens or Air. Circulation The term is taken from a toyish observation viz. the circling of water when a stone is cast into a standing pool The motion drives on circularly the first rings are thickest but the further they go they grow the thinner till they vanish into nothing Such is the diffusion of the Species audible in the strucken Air as also of the visible Species In breif any thing is said to circulate that diffuseth its Image or Species in a round It might have been more significantly called orbiculation seeing this circumfusion makes not onely a Circle but fills a Sphere which may be called the Sphere of activity Yet Circulation more fitly sets out the diminution of activity from those rings in the water which as they grow in compasse abate in force and thicknesse But sometimes I use Circulate in an ordinary sense to turn round or return in a Circle Clare Claros a Citie of Jonia famous for Apollo's Temple and answers amongst which was this which I have interpreted in Psychathanasia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Macrob. Saturnal lib. 1. cap. 18. Cone Is a solid figure made by the turning of a rectangular Triangle about one of the sides that include the right angle resting which will be then the Axis of the compleated Cone But I take it sometimes for the comprehension of all things God himself not left out whom I tearm the Basis of the Cone or Universe And because all from him descends 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with abatement or contraction I give the name of Cone to the Universe And of Cone rather then Pyramid because of the roundnesse of the figure which the effluxes of all things imitate Cronychall or Acronychall that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vespertine or at the beginning of night So a starre is said to rise or set Acronychall when it riseth or setteth at the Sunne-setting For then is the beginning of Night Cuspis of the Cone The multiplide Cuspis of the Cone is nothing but the last projection of life from Psyche which is a liquid fire or fire and water which are the corporeall or materiall principles of all things changed or disgregated if they be centrally distinguishable and again mingled by the virtue of Physis or Spermaticall life of the World of these are the Sunne and all the Planets they being kned together and fixt by the centrall power of each Planet and Sunne The volatile Aether is also the same and all the bodies of Plants Beasts and Men. These are they which we handle and touch a sufficient number compact together For neither is the noise of those little flies in a Summer-evening audible severally but a full Quire of them strike the eare with a pretty kind of buzzing Strong and tumultuous pleasure and scorching pain reside in these they being essentiall and centrall but sight and hearing are onely of the Images of these See Body D Daemon Any particular life any divided spirit or rather the power ruling in these This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divido Daemoniake That which is according to that divided life or particular spirit that rules for it self Deuteropathie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a being affected at second rebound as I may so say We see the Sunne not so properly by sympathy as deuteropathie As the mundane spirit is affected where the Sunne is so am I in some manner but not presently because it is so affected but because in my eye the Sunne is vigorously represented Otherwise a man might without question see the Sunne if he had but a body of thin Aire Diana The Moon by which is set out the dead light or letter of the Law Dicaeosyne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justice or Morall righteousnesse Dizoia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Double-livednesse Duessa Division or duality E EIdos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Form or Beauty Eloim or Eloah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie properly the strong God Energie it is a peculiar Platonicall term I have elsewhere expounded it Operation Efflux Activity None of those words bear the full sense of it The examples there are fit viz. the light of the Sun the phantasmes of the soul We may collect the genuine sense of the word by comparing severall places of the Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For every being hath its Energie which is the image of it self so that it existing that Energie doth also exist and standing still is projected forward more or lesse And some of those Energies are weak and obscure others hid or undiscernable other some greater and of a larger projection Plotin Ennead 4. lib. 5. cap. 7. And again Ennead 3. lib. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And we remain above by the Intellectuall man but by the extreme part of him we are held below as it were yielding an efflux from him to that which is below or rather an Energie he being not at all lessened This curiosity Antoninus also observes lib 8. Meditat. in the nature of the Sun-beams where although he admits of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet he doth not of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Sun saith he is diffused and his fusion is every where but without effusion c. I will onely adde one place more out of Plotinus Ennead 3. lib. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The naturall Energie of each power of the soul is life not parted from the soul though gone out of the soul viz. into act Comparing of all these places together I cannot better explain this Platonick term Energie then by calling it the rayes of an essence or the beams of a vitall Centre For essence is the Centre as it were of that which is truly called Energie and Energie the beams and rayes of an essence And as the Radi◠of a circle leave not the Centre by touching the Circumference no more
doth that which is the pure Energie of an essence leave the essence by being called out into act but is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a working in the essence though it flow out into act So that Energie depends alwayes on essence as Lumen on Lux or the creature on God Whom therefore Synesius in his Hymnes calls the Centre of all things Entelechia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is nothing else but forma or actus and belongs even to the most contemptible forms as for example to Motion which is defined by Arist in the third of his physicks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scaliger in his 309 exercitation against Cardan descants very curiously upon this word Cùm igitur formam dixeris that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intelliges immaterialitatem simplicitatem potestatem perfectionem informationem Hoc enim est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod innuit maximus Poetarum Totósque infusa per artus Hoc est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quia est ultima forma sub coelestibus princeps inferiorum finis perfectio Hoc est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 posse This goodly mysterie and fit significancy seems plainly forced or fictitious if you compare it with what was cited out of Arist about Motion So that when we have made the best of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is but the form of any thing in an ordinary and usuall sense If we stood much upon words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would prove more significant of the nature of the Soul even according to Scaligers own Etymon from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from its permeation colligation or keeping together the body from defluxion into its ancient principles which properties be included in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 moves forward the body thus kept together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intimates the possession or retention of the body thus moved that it is rather promov'd by the Soul than mov'd from the Soul But of these words enough or rather too much Eternitie is the steddy comprehension of all things at once See Aeon described in my Notes upon Psychozoia Euphrona 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The night F FAith Platonick faith in the first Good This faith is excellently described in Proclus where it is set above all ratiocination nay Intellect it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But to them that endeavour to be joyned with the first Good there is no need of knowledge or multifarious cooperation but of settlednesse steddinesse and rest lib. 1. cap. 24. Theolog. Platon And in the next chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For we must not seek after that absolute or first good cognoscitively or imperfectly but giving our selves up to the divine light and winking that is shutting our eyes of reason and understanding so to place our selves steddily in that hidden Unity of all things After he preferres this faith before the clear and present assent to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that he will not that any intellectuall operation should come in comparison with it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the operation of the Intellect is multiform and by diversity separate from her objects and is in a word intellectuall motion about the object intelligible But the divine faith must be simple and uniform quiet and steddily resting in the haven of goodnesse And at last he summarily concludes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Procl Theolog. Platonic lib. 1. cap. 25. G GAbriel The strength of God from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glaucis Glaux 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Owle H HAphe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The touch Har-Eloim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The mount of Angels Genii or particular spirits Hattove 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Good or that eminent Good or first Good from whence all good is derived See Ahad Helios 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Sunne Heterogeneall is that which consists of parts of a diverse nature or form as for example a mans body of flesh bonâ—s nerves c. Homogeneall That whose nature is of one kind Hyle Materia prima or that dark fluid potentiality of the creature the straitnesse repugnancy and incapacity of the creature as when its being this destroyes or debilitates the capacity of being something else or after some other manner This is all that any wary Platonist will understand by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hypomone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Patience See Autaparnes I JAo A corruption of the Tetragrammaton Greek writers have strangeely mash'd this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some calling it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is very likely that from this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 came Bacchus his apellation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Maenades acclamations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his Orgia Which sutes well with the Clarian Oracle which saith that in Autumne the Sun is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the time of vintage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Fullers Miscel Ida. See Pompon Mel. lib. 1. cap. 17. Ideas or Idees sometimes they are forms in the Intellectuall world viz. in Aeon or On other sometimes phantasmes or representations in the soul Innate Idees are the souls nature it self her uniform essence able by her Fiat to produce this or that phantasme into act Idea Lond. The Intellectuall world Idiopathie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is ones proper peculiar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my or thy being affected thus or so upon this or that occasion as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is this or that mans proper temper But this propriety of affection may also belong unto kinds As an Elephant hath his idiopathy and a man his at the hearing of a pipe a Cat and an Eagle at the sight of the Sunne a Dogge and a Circopithecus at the sight of the Moon c. Idothea The fleet passage of fading forms from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Forma and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 curro Intellect Sometimes it is to be interpreted Soul Sometimes the intellectuall faculty of the Soul Sometimes Intellect is an absolute essence shining into the Soul whose nature is this A substance purely immateriall impeccable actually omniform or comprehending all things at once which the soul doth also being perfectly joyned with the Intellect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plot. Ennead 1. lib. 1. cap. 8. Isosceles A triangle with two sides equall L LAmpropronaea The bright side of Providence Lelurion Nocturnall fire from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leontopolis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lions citie or Politie Life The vitall operation of any soul Sometimes it is the Soul it self be it sensitive vegetative or rationall Logos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The appellation of the Sonne of God It is ordinarily translated the Word but hath an ample signification It signifieth Reason Proportion Form Essence any
inward single thought or apprehension is any thing but matter and matter is nothing Lower man The lower man is our enquickned body into which our soul comes it being fully prepared for the receiving of such a guest The manner of the production of souls or rather their non-production is admirably well set down in Plotinus See Ennead 6. l. 4. c. 14.15 Lypon from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sorrow M MAgicall that is attractive or commanding by force of sympathy with the life of this naturall world Melampronoea the black side of providence Memory Mundane memory Is that memory that is seated in the Mundane spirit of man by a strong impression or inustion of any phantasme or outward sensible object upon that spirit But there is a memory more subtill and abstract in the soul it self without the help of this spirit which she also carries away with her having left the body Michael who like unto God from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 similitudinis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deus Moment Sometimes signifies an instant as indivisible as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in motion answers to an instant in time or a point in a line Arist. Phys In this sense I use it Psychathan lib. 3. cant 2. stanz 2.16 But in a moment Sol doth ray But Cant. 3. stanz 45. vers 2. I understand as also doth Lansbergius by a moment one second of a minute In Antipsych Cant. 2. stanz 10. vers 2. by a moment I understand a minute or indefinitely any small time Monad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Unitas the principle of all numbers an embleme of the Deity And the Pythagoreans call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God It is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stable and immovable a firme Cube of it self One time one time one remains still one See Ahad Monocordia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Single-heartednesse Mundane Mundane spirit is that which is the spirit of the world or Universe I mean by it not an Intellectuall spirit but a fine unfixt attenuate subtill ethereall substance the immediate vehicle of plasticall or sensitive life Myrmecopolis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the city or polity of Pismires N NEurospast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Puppet or any Machina that's mov'd by an unseen string or nerve O OGdoas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 numerus octonarius the number of eight Omniformity the omniformity of the soul is the having in her nature all forms latent at least and power of awaking them into act upon occasion On 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The being Orb. Orb Intellectuall is nothing else but Aeon or the Intellectuall world The Orbs generall mentioned Psychathan lib. 1. cant 3. stanz 23. vers 2. I understand by them but so many universall orders of being if I may so terme them all for Hyle hath little or nothing of being Out-World and Out Heaven The sensible World the visible Heaven P PAndemoniothen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all from the devill viz. all false perswasions and ill effects from them Panoply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Armour for the whole body Pantheothen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All from God Which is true in one sense false in another You 'll easily discern the sense in the place you find the word This passage of Pantheothen contains a very savory and hearty reproof of all be they what they will that do make use of that intricate mystery of fate and infirmity safely to guard themselves from the due reprehensions and just expostulations of the earnest messengers of God who would rouse them out of this sleep of sin and stir them up seriously to seek after the might and spirit of Christ that may work wonderfully in their souls to a glorious conquest and triumph against the devill death and corruption Parallax 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the difference betwixt the true and seeming place of a star proceeding from the sensible difference of the centre and the height of the superficies of the earth in reference to the star and from the stars declining from the Zenith Parelies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are rorid clouds which bear the image of the Sunne Parturient See Vaticinant Penia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Want or poverty Perigee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is that absis or ark of a Planets circle in which it comes nearer to the earth Periphere Peripheria it is the line that terminates a circle Phantasie Lower phantasie is that which resides in the Mundane spirit of a man See Memory Phantasme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any thing that the soul conceives in it self without any present externall object Philosomatus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lover of his body Phobon from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fear Phrenition anger impatiency fury from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 phrensie or madnesse Ira furor brevis est Physis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nature vegetative Pithecus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Ape Pithecusa the land of Apes Plastick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is that efformative might in the seed that shapes the body in its growth Protopathy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a suffering or being affected at first that is without circulation If any man strike me I feel immediately because my soul is united with this body that is struck and this is protopathy If the air be struck aloof of I am sensible also of that but by circulation or propagation of that impression into my eare and this is deuteropathy See Deuteropathy Proteus Vertumnus changeab lenesse Psittaco Don Psittaco from Psittacus a Parot a bird that speak significant words whose sense notwithstanding it self is ignorant of The Dialogue betwixt this Parot and Mnemon sets out the vanity o◠superficiall conceited Theologasters that have but the surface and thin imagination of divinity but truly devoid of the spirit and inward power of Christ the living well-spring of knowledge and virtue and yet do pride themselves in prattling and discoursing of the most hidden and abstruse mysteries of God and take all occasions to shew forth their goodly skill and wonderfull insight into holy truth when as they have indeeed scarce licked the outside of the glasse wherein it lies Psittacusa the land of Parots Psychania the land of Souls Psyche 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Soul or spirit Psychicall Though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be a generall name and belongs to the souls of beasts and plants yet I understand by life Psychicall such centrall life as is capable of Aeon and Ahad Pteroessa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the land of winged souls from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a wing Q QUadrate A figure with foure equall sides and foure right angles The rightnesse of the angles is a plain embleme of erectnesse or uprightnesse of mind The number of the sides as also of the angles being pariter par that is equall divisible to the
utmost unities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is in Aristotle intimates equity or justice The sides are equall one with another and so are the angles and the number of the sides and angles equall one with another Both the numbers put together are a number pariter par again and constitute the first cube which is eight That adds steddinesse and persevererance in true justice and uprightnesse toward God and man Hypomone bears all this that is all that dolour and vexation that comes from the keeping our perverse heart to so strait and streight a rule Quantitative Forms quantitative are such sensible energies as arise from the complexion of many natures together at whose discretion they vanish That 's the seventh orb of things though broken and not filling all as the other do But if you take it for the whole sensible world it is intire and is the same that Tasis in Psychozoia But the centre of Tasis viz. the multiplication of the reall Cuspis of the Cone for Hyle that is set for the most contract point of the Cuspis is scarce to be reckoned among realities that immense diffusion of atoms is to be referred to Psyche as an internall vegetative act and so belongs to Physis the lowest order of life For as that warmth that the soul doth afford the body is not rationall sensitive or imaginative but vegetative So this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is liquid fire which Psyche sends out and is the outmost last and lowest operation from her self is also vegetative R RAyes. The rayes of an essence is its energie See Energie Reason I understand by Reason the deduction of one thing from another which I conceive proceeds from a kind of continuity of phantasmes and is something like the moveing of a cord at one end the parts next it rise with it And by this concatenation of phantasms I conceive that both brutes and men are moved in reasonable wayes and methods in their ordinary externall actions Reduplicative That is reduplicative which is not onely in this point but also in another having a kind of circumscribed ubiquity viz. in its own sphear And this is either by being in that sphear omnipresent it self as the soul is said to be in the body tota in toto tota in qualibet parte or else at least by propagation of rayes which is the image of it self and so are divers sensible objects Reduplicative as light colours sounds And I make account either of these wayes justly denominate any thing spiritual Though the former is most properly at least more eminently spirituall And whether any thing be after that way spirituall saving the Divinity there is reason to doubt For what is intirely omnipresent in a sphear whose diametre is but three foot I see not why that in the circumference being as fresh and intire as that in the centre it should stop there and not proceed even in infinitum if the circumference be still as fresh and entire as the centre But I define nothing Rhomboides is a parallelogrammicall figure with unequall sides and oblique angles S SCalen a triangle with all sides unequall Self reduplicative See Reduplicative Semele Imagination from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imago Simon intimates obedience from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obedivit Solyma or Salem from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peace Soul when I speak of mans soul I understand that which Moses saith was inspired into the body fitted out and made of Earth by God Gen. 2. which is not that impeccable spirit that cannot sinne but the very same that the Platonists call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a middle essence betwixt that which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and we would in the Christian language call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the life of the body which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a kind of an umbratil vitalitie that the soul imparts to the body in the enlivening of it That and the body together we Christians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the suggestions of it especially in its corrupt estate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that that which God inspired into Adam was no more then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the soul not the spirit though it be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spiraculum vitae is plain out of the text because it made man but become a living soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But you will say he was a dead soul before and this was the spirit of life ye the spirit of God the life of the soul that was breathed into him But if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imply such a life and spirit you must acknowledge the same to be also in the most stupid of all living creatures even the fishes whose soul is as but salt to keep them from stinking as Philo speaks for they are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chap. 1. v. 20.21 See 1. Cor. chap. 15. v. 45 46. In breif therefore that which in Platonisme is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the brute or beast in the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same in both Sperm It signifies ordinarily seed I put it for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ratio seminalis or the invisible plasticall form that shapes every visible creature Spermaticall It belongs properly to Plants but is tranferred also to the Plasticall power in Animalls I enlarge it to all magnetick power whatsoever that doth immediately rule and actuate any body For all magnetick power is founded in Physis and in reference to her this world is but one Plant one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giving it shape and corporeall life as in reference to Psyche one happy and holy Animall Spirit Sometimes it signifieth the soul othersometime the naturall spirits in a mans body which are Vinculum animae corporis and the souls vehicle Sometimes life See Reduplicative T TAgathon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Good the same with Hattove Tasis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extension Tricentreity Centre is put for essence so Tricentreity must imply a Trinity of essence See Centre and Energie V VAticinant The soul is said to be in a vaticinant or parturient condition when she hath some kind of sense and hovering knowledge of a thing but yet cannot distinctly and fully and commandingly represent it to herself cannot plainly apprehend much lesse comprehend the matter The phrase is borrowed of Proclus who describing the incomprehensiblenesse of God and the desire of all things toward him speaks thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theolog. Platon lib. 1. cap. 21. See Psychathan lib. 3. cant 3. stanz 12. 14. Vranore The light or beauty of heaven from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pulchritudo Z ZAphon Aquilo The North. Zeus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jupiter from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 serveo or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
fluid Sea with unexpected sway Long time it were this mystery fully to display 57 Wherefore I 'll let it passse my self betake Unto some reasons Astronomicall To which if 't please the nimble mind t' awake And shake off prejudice that wont forestall The ablest wit I fear not but he 'll fall Into the same opinion magnifie That subtile spirit that hath made this All And hath half-hid his work from mortall eye To sport and play with souls in sweet philosophie 58 But with crabb'd mind wisdome will nere consort Make her abode with a sowr ingenie That harmlesse spright her self will nere disport With bloudy zeal currish malignitie With wrathfull ignorance grave hypocrisie Mirth and Free mindednesse Simplicitie Patience Discreetnesse and Benignitie Faithfulnesse heart-struck Teneritie These be the lovely playemates of pure veritie 59 The Eternall Son of God who Logos hight Made all things in a fit proportion Wherefore I wote no man that judgeth right In Heaven will make such a confusion That courses of unlike extension Vastly unlike in like time shall be run By â—he flight stars Such huge distension Of place shews that their time is not all one Saturn his ring no'te finish as quick as the Moon 60 Yet if the Earth stand stupid and unmov'd This needs must come to passe For they go round In every twise twelve houres as is prov'd By dayly experience But it would confound The worlds right order if 't were surely found A reall motion Wherefore let it be In them but seeming but a reall round In th' Earth it self The world so 's setten free From that untoward disproportionalitie 61 For so the courses of the erring Seven With their own orbs will fitly well agree Their Annuall periods in the liquid Heaven They onely finish then which as they be Or lesse or greater so the time they flie In their own circlings hath its difference The Moon a moneth Saturn years ten times three Those have the least and bigg'st circumference So all their times and oâ—bs have mutuall reference 62 Next light 's the Planets dark opacitie Which long time hath been found in the low Moon Hills Valleys and such like asperitie Through optick glasses thence have plainly shone By the same trick it hath been clearly shown That Venus Moon-like grows corniculate What time her face with flusher light is blown Some such like things others have contemplate In Mercurie about the Sunne both circulate 63 When Venus is the furthest off from us Then is she in her full When in her full She seemeth least which proves she's exterous Beyond the Sunne and further off doth roll But when her circling nearer down doth pull Then gins she swell and waxen bug with horn But loose her light parts clad with darknesse dull She shows to us She and Mercury ne're born Farre from the Sunne proves that about him both do turn 64 They both opake as also is the Moon That turns about the Earth so turn those foure 'Bout Jupiter tend him as he doth run His annuall course That Tellus so may scoure Th'Ethereall Plain and have the self same power To run her circuits in the liquid skie About the Sunne the mind that doth not lour Drooping in earthy dregs will not deny Sith we so well have prov'd the starres opacitie 65 About the great the lesser lamps do dance The Medicean foure reel about Jove Two round old Saturn without Nominance Luna about the earth doth nimbly move Then all as it doth seemly well behove About the bigg'st of all great Phoebus hight With joy and jollitie needs round must rove Tickled with pleasure of his heat and light What tumbling tricks they play in his farre-piercing sight 66 Next argument could I it well expresse With Poets pen it hath so mighty force That an ingenious man 't would stoutly presse To give assent unto the Annuall course Of this our earth But prejudice the nurse Of ignorance stoppeth all free confession Al 's keeps the way that souls have not recourse To purer reason chok'd with that oppression This argument is drawn from the stars retrocession 67 Planets go back stand still and forward flie With unexpected swiftnesse What 's the cause That they thus stagger in the plain-pay'd skie Or stupid stand as if some dull repose Did numb their spirits and their sinews lose Here 'gins the wheel-work of the Epicycle Thus patch they Heaven more botch'dly then old cloths This pretty sport doth make my heart to tickle With laughter and mine eyes with merry tears to trickle 68 O daring phansie that dost thus compile The Heavens from hasty thoughts such as fall next Wary Philosophers cannot but smile At such feat gear at thy rude rash context An heap of Orbs disorderly perplext Thrust in on every hint of motion Must be the wondrous art of Nature next Here working under God Thus thus vain man Intitles alwayes God to his opinion 69 Thinks every thing is done as he conceives Would bind all men to his religion All the world else of freedome he bereaves He and his God must have Dominion The truth must have her propagation That is his thought which he hath made a God That furious hot inust impression Doth so disturb his veins that all abroad With rage he roves and all gainsayers down hath trod 70 But to return from whence my Muse hath flown All this disordred superfluity Of Epicycles or what else is shown To salve the strange absurd enormity Of staggering motions in the azure skie Both Epicycles and those turns enorm Would all prove nought if you would but let flie The earth in the Ecliptick line yborn As I could well describe in Mathematick form 71 So could I that 's another argument From this same principle most clearly prove In regresse and in progresse different Of the free Planets Why Saturn should rove With shorter startings give back lesse then Jove Jove lesse then Mars why Venus flincheth out More then Mercurius why Saturn moves Ofter in those back jets then Jove doth shoot But Mercury more oft then Venus and Mars stout 72 And why the Sunne escap'd an Epicycle When as th' old prodigall Astronomie On th' other six bestowed that needlesse cycle Why Saturn Jove and Mars be very nigh Unto the Earth show bigger in our eye At Eventide when they rise Acronicall Why far remov'd with so vast distancy When they go down with setting Cronicall All these will plain appear from th' earths course Annuall 73 Many other reasons from those heauenly motions Might well be drawn but with exility Of subtile Mathematicks obscure notions A Poets pen so fitly no'te agree And curious men will judge't a vagrancy To start thus from my scope My pitched end Was for to prove the immortality Of humane souls But if you well attend My ship to the right port by this bow'd course did bend 74 For I have clearly show'd that stout resistence Of the pure soul against the Mundane spright And body
that 's the lower mans consistence How it doth quell by force of reason right Those grosse impressions which our outward sight Seald in our lower life From whence we see That we have proper independent might In our own mind behold our own Idee Which needs must prove the souls sure immortality The Argument of PSYCHATHANASIA OR The Immortality of the Soul Book 3. Cant. 4. Justice true faith in the first good Our best perswasion Of blest eternity unmov'd The earths conflagration 1 IT doth me good to think what things will follow That well prov'd thesis in my former song How we in liquid heavens more swift then swallow Do sail on Tellus lap that doth among The other starres of right not rudely throng We have what highest thoughts of man desire But highest thoughts of man are vain and wrong In outward heaven we burn with hellish fire Hats envie couetise revenge lust pride and ire 2 In the eighth sphear Andromeda from chains Is not releast fearfull Orion flies The dreadfull Scorpion Alas what gains Then is 't to live in the bright starry skies It no man can exeem from miseries All you that seek for true felicity Rend your own hearts There God himself descries Himself there dwels his beautious Majesty There shines the sun of righteousnesse in goodly glee 3 And you who boldly all Gods providence Confine to this small ball that Tellus hight And dream not of a mutuall influence And how that she may shine with beames bright At a farre distance clad with Sols lent light As Venus and the Moon O you that make This earth Gods onely darling dear delight All th' other orbs merely for this orbs sake So swiftly for to run with labour never slack 4 To dance attendance on their Princesse Earth In their quick circuits and with anger keen Would bite him that or serious or in mirth Doubts the prerogative of your great Queen Best use of that your Theory I ween Is this that as your selves monopolize All the whole world so your selves back again You wholly give to God Who can devise A better way Mans soul to God this closely tyes 5 But if the Earth doth thankfully reflect Both light and influence to other starres As well as they to it where 's the defect That sweet subordination it mars Gods love to us then not so plain appears For then the starres be mutually made One for another Each all the good then bears Of th' Universe for ' tâ—s single labour paid With the joint pains of all that in the heavens wade 6 Rare reason why then God would be too good What judgeth so but envie and vain pride And base contract self-love which that free floud Of bounty hath so confidently tied Unto it self alone Large hearts deride This pent hypocrisie Is he good to me That grace I would not ere should be deny'd Unto my fellow My felicity Is multiply'd when others I like happy see 7 But if the rolling starres with mutuall rayes Serve one another sweet fraternity And humble love with such like lore we 'll raise While we do see Gods great benignity Thus mutually reflected in the skie And these round-moving worlds communicate One with another by spread sympathy This all things friendly will concatenate But let more hardy wits that truth determinate 8 It me behoves t' hold forward on my way Leaving this uncouth strange Philosophy In which my lightsome pen too long did play As rigid men in sad seuerity May deem but we right carelesse leave that free Unto their censure Now more weighty thought Doth sway our mind thinking how all doth flee Whatever we have painfully ytaught So little fruits remain of all my skill hath wraught 9 O th'emptinesse of vain Philosophy When thin-spun reason and exile discourse Make the soul creep through a strait Theory Whither the blunter mind can never force Her self yet oft alas the case is worse Of this so subtile wight when dangers deep Approch his life then his who learnings sourse Did never drink of nere his lips did steep In Plato's springs nor with low gown the dust did sweep 10 Certes such knowledge is a vanity And hath no strength t' abide a stormy stour Such thin slight clothing will not keep us dry When the grim heavens all black and sadly soure With rage and tempest plenteously down shower Great flouds of rain Dispread exility Of slyer reasons fails Some greater power Found in a lively vigorous Unity With God must free the soul from this perplexity 11 Say now the dagger touch'd thy trembling breast Couldst thou recall the reasons I have shown To prove th' immortall state of men deceast Evolved reason cannot stand at one Stoutly to guard thy soul from passion They passe successively like sand i' th' glasse While thou look'st upon this the other's gone But there 's a plight of soul such virtue has Which reasons weak assistance strangely doth surpasse 12 The just and constant man a multitude Set upon mischief cannot him constrain To do amisse by all their uprores rude Not for a tyrants threat will he ere stain His inward honour The rough Adrian Tost with unquiet winds doth nothing move His steddy heart Much pleasure he doth gain To see the glory of his Master Jove When his drad darts with hurrying light through all do rove 13 If Heaven and Earth should rush with a great noise he fearlesse stands he knows whom he doth trust Is confident of his souls after joyes Though this vain bulk were grinded into dust Strange strength resideth in the soul that 's just She feels her power how 't commands the sprite Of the low man vigorously finds she must Be independent of such feeble might Whose motions dare not 'pear before her awfull fight 14 But yet my Muse still take an higher flight Sing of Platonick Faith in the first Good That Faith that doth our souls to God unite So strongly tightly that the rapid floud Of this swift flux of things nor with foul mud Can stain nor strike us off from th' unity Wherein we stedfast stand unshak'd unmov'd Engrafted by a deep vitality The prop and stay of things is Gods benignity 15 Al 's is the rule of his Oeconomie No other cause the creature brought to light But the first Goods pregnant fecundity He to himself is perfect full delight He wanteth nought with his own beams bedight He glory has enough O blasphemy That envy gives to God or soure despight Harsh hearts that feign in God a tyranny Under pretense t' encrease his sovereign Majesty 16 When nothing can to Gods own self accrew Who 's infinitely happy sure the end Of this creation simply was to shew His flowing goodnesse which he doth out send Not for himself for nought can him amend But to his creature doth his good impart This infinite Good through all the world doth wend To fill with heavenly blisse each willing heart So the free Sunne doth ' light and ' liven every part
self-sensednesse See Plotin Ennead 5. lib. 1. cap. 1. where he saith the first cause of evil to the soul was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they would be their own or of themselves So delighted with this liberty they were more and more estranged till at last like children taken away young from their parents they in processe of time grew ignorant both of themselves and of their parents SANZ 29. Duessa first invented Magick lore Duessa is the naturall life of the body or the naturall spirit that whereby we are lyable to Magick assaults which are but the sympathies and antipathies of nature such as are in the spirit of the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The true Magick saith he is nothing else but the concord and discord in the Universe and he viz. the the world is the first Magician and Enchanter others do but learn of him by imitation wherefore they that are established in a principle above the world and are strong in God which are the true and perfect Israel are exempt from the danger of this Enchantment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For neither Astrall spirit nor Angel can prevail against one ray of the Deity as Aesculapius writes to King Ammon Plotinus soul was come to that high and noble temper that he did not onely keep off Magicall assaults from himself but retorted them upon his enemy Olympius which Olympius himself who practised against him did confesse to be from the exalted power of his soul Porphyr de Vita Plot. STANZ 30. Ten times ten times ten The number of ten among the ancients called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an emblem of perfection for it comprehends all numbers sith we are fain to come back again to one two c. when we are past it So that ten may go for perfection of parts in the holy life but the raising of it into a cube by multiplication perfection of degrees in a solid and unshaken manner STANZ 33 Amoritish ground 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo interprets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it is indeed from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dixit the Land of talkers STANZ 34. Psittacusa land id est the land of talkers or Parots See Don Psittaco Intepret Gen. STANZ 35. Ther 's no Society c. This Stanza briefly sets out the Beironites condition as concerning their Society and friendship the bond whereof and exercise is either feasting and tippling or a complacency in the well-favourednesse of this mortall body or some astrall concordance or hidden harmony of spirits which also often knits in wedlock those that are farre enough from beauty Vers 2. But beastlike grazing c. Aristotle defines very well and like a Philosopher the genuine society that should be among men viz. in the communication of reason and discourse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For that in men is right society and not as in beasts to graze in the same pasture Moral Nicom lib. 9. cap. 8. How unlike to these Beironites was the divine communialty of Pythagoras followers as Iamblicus describes it de vita Pythag. lib. 1. cap. 33. not onely supplying friendly one another in the necessities of life but mutually cherishing in one another the divine life of the soul and maintaining an inviolable concord in the best things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For they often admonished one another not to dissipate the Deity in them Wherefore their friendship wholly in words and works seemed to aim at a kind of commixtion and union with God and communion with the divine Intellect and Soul STANZ 136. The swelling hatefull toad This Stanza sets out the nature of each Beironite singly considered by himself which is referable to some bird or beast who are sometime lightly shadowed out even in their very countenances STANZ 137. None in Beiron virtuously do live True virtue I make account is founded in true knowledge of God in obedience and self-deniall without which those seeming virtuous dispositions are but mockvirtues no other then are found in some measure among the brutes Vers 9. If outward form you pierce For as Cicero from Plato saith Mens cujusque is est quisque The soul is the man not the outward shape If she live therefore but the life of a Brute if her vitall operation her vigorous will and complacency be that which a Beast likes I cannot see that she is any more then a living Brute or a dead Man or a Beast clad in mans cloths See the 48. Stanza of this Canto STANZ 138 139. From the 34. Stanz to the 138. are the Religion Polity Freindship or familiar Society and single natures of the Beironites set out Here now begins the discovery of the way of escape from this bruitish condition which is by obedience Now obedience consists in these two Self-deniall Autaparnes and Patience Hypomone Obedience discovers to us the doore of passage out of this pure brutality viz. Humility For it is self-conceit and high presumption that we are all well and wise already that keeps us in this base condition STANZ 144. The young mans speech caus'd sad perplexity c. That a man in confuso or in generall is more easily drawn to entertain obedience but when it is more punctually discovered to him in self-denyall and patience it is nothing so welcome STANZ 146. For understanding of this Stanza see Autaparnes in the Interpr Gen. as also in the 64 65 66 67. Stanz of the third Canto of this book STANZ 147. Into Atuvus life doth melt Ice so long as it is is a thing distinct suppose from the Ocean but once melt by the warmth of the Sunne it becomes one with the rest of the sea so that no man can say at least not perceive it is different from the sea This state of union with God Plotinus as all things else describes excellently well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore then the mind neither sees nor seeing discerns nor phansies too but as it were become another not her self nor her own is there and becoming His is one with Him as it were joyning centre with centre Ennead 6. lib. 9. cap. 10. And that this may not seem a Chimoera I will annex what the noble Philosopher writes of his own experience Ennead 4. lib. 8. cap. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I often awaking out of the body into my self and being without all things but within my self do then behold an admirable beauty and become confident of my better condition having then so excellent a life and being made one with the Deity in which I being placed do set my self above all other Intellectuall beings But after this my station and rest in God descending out of Intellect into reason I am perplext to think both how I now descend and how at first my soul entred this body she being such as she appeared to be by her self although being in the body Such an union as this that Plotinus professeth himself to have been acquainted with though it be the thing