Poems, and phancies written By the Thrice Noble, Illustrious, And Excellent Princess The Lady Marchioness of Newcastle [i.e. Margaret Cavendish]. The Second Impression, much Altered and Corrected |
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 | Poems, and phancies |  |
The Circle of the Brain cannot be Squared.
A Circle round divided in four partsHath been great Study 'mongst the Men of Arts;
Since Archimed's or Euclid's time, each Brain
Hath on a Line been stretch'd, yet all in vain;
And every Thought hath been a Figure set,
Doubts Cyphers were, Hopes as Triangles met;
There was Division and Substraction made,
And Lines drawn out, and Points exactly laid,
But none hath yet by Demonstration found
The way, by which to Square a Circle round:
For while the Brain is round, no Square will be,
While Thoughts divide, no Figures will agree.
And others did upon the same account,
Doubling the Cube to a great number mount;
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Till into equal Atomes they did fall:
For such is Man's curiosity and mind,
To seek for that, which hardest is to find.
| Poems, and phancies | |