Poems, and phancies :: :: University of Virginia Library

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

Newcastle, Margaret Cavendish (1624?-1674)

[section]

TO THE LADY MARCHIONESS OF NEWCASTLE, On Her Book of POEMS.

TO SIR CHARLS CAVENDISH, My Noble Brother-in-Law.

[But at all other things let Fancy fly]

The Poetresses hasty Resolution.

The Poetresses Petition.

An Apology for Writing so much upon this Book.

Part I.

Nature calls a Council, which is Motion, Figure, Matter, and Life, to advise about making the World.

Death's endeavour to hinder and obstruct Nature.

A VVorld made by Atomes.

Of the four Principal sorts of Atomes.

Of the Sympathy of these four Principal Figur'd Atomes.

The four Principal Figur'd Atomes make the four Elements.

Of Aiery Atomes.

Of Air.

Of Earth.

The weight of Atomes.

The Bigness of Atomes.

Of Loose Atomes.

Change is made by several Figur'd Atomes, and Motion.

Of Sharp Atomes.

Of Atomes that make Flame.

Of Fire and Flame.

Of Fire in the Flint.

VVhat Atomes make Fire Burn, and what Flame.

Of Burning, why it causes Pain.

The Increasing, and Decreasing of Visible Fire.

Fire compared to Stings.

Flame compared to the Tide of the Sea.

Of Quenching out Fire.

The Quenching out, and Smothering of Heat and Light, doth not change the Propriety nor Shape of sharp Atomes.

The reason Water quenches Fire.

Of the Sound of Water, Air, and Flame.

The Agility of Water.

The reason of the Roaring of the Sea.

What is Liquid.

Of Fire and Moisture.

Air begot by Heat and Moisture.

The Temper of the Earth.

VVhat Atomes make Vegetables, Minerals, and Animals.

What Atomes make Life.

What Atomes make Death.

What Atomes cause Sickness.

What Atomes make a Dropsie.

What Atomes make a Consumption.

What Atomes make the Wind-colick.

What Atomes make a Palsie, or Apoplexie.

In all other Diseases Atomes are mixed, taking Parts and Factions.

All things are Govern'd by Atomes.

A Warr betwixt Atomes.

Atomes and Motion fall out.

An agreement of some Kind of Motion with some Kind of Atomes.

Motion directs while Atomes Dance.

The difference of Atomes and Motion in Youth and Age.

Motion makes Atomes a Bawd for Figure.

Motion is according to the Figure.

Of the Subtilty of Motion.

Motion is the Life of all things.

Of the Motion of the Sea.

Of the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea.

Of Vacuum.

Vacuum in Atomes.

Of Contracting and Dilating, whereby Vacuum must needs follow.

What Atomes the Sun is made of.

Of the Rays of the Sun.

Of the Beams of the Sun.

The cause of the Breaking of the Sun-beams.

Whether the Sun doth set the Air on a Light, as some Opinions hold.

Of the Motion of the Sun.

Of the Sun's Weakness.

What Atomes make the Sun and the Sea go round.

The Traffick betwixt the Sun and the Earth.

The Sun is Nurse to all the Earth bears.

Of the Attraction of the Sun.

Of the Attraction of the Earth.

Of the Attraction of the Poles, and of Frost.

Of Vapour.

Of Dews and Mists coming from the Earth.

Wind is made in the Air, not in the Earth.

Of Cold Winds.

Thunder is a VVind in the Middle Region.

Of Stars.

Of the Centre of the World.

All sharp Atomes do run to the Centre, and those that settle not, by reason of the straightness of the place, fly out to the Circumference. Sharp Atomes running to the Centre make the Sun.

A Fire is in the Centre of the Earth.

In the Centre Atomes never separate.

If Infinite Worlds, there must be Infinite Centres.

Of Infinite Matter.

A World made by four Kinds of Atomes.

Of the Elements.

The Joyning of several Figur'd Atomes make other Figures.

What Atomes make Change.

What Atomes make Heat and Cold.

All things last or dissolve according to the Composure of Atomes.

Of Light.

Of Light and Sight.

Of the Sound and Eccho.

What makes Eccho.

VVhat makes Eccho rebound.

Of Shadow and Eccho.

The Objects of every Sense are according to their Motions in the Brain.

According as the Motions of the Heart or Brain are, such Passions are produced.

The Motion of Thoughts.

The reason why the Thoughts are only in the Head.

Of the Motion of the Blood.

Of many Worlds in this World.

A World in an Ear-ring.

It is hard to believe that there may be other Worlds in this World.

Several Worlds in several Circles.

The Clasp.

The Circle of the Brain cannot be Squared.

The Circle of Honesty Squared.

The Arithmetick of Passions.

II.

III.

IV.

Collapse All | Expand All expand section

The four Principal Figur'd Atomes make the four Elements.

The Square flat Atomes as dull Earth appear,
The Atomes round do make the Water clear;

The Long streight Atomes like as Arrows fly,
Mount next the Sharp, and make the Airy Skie;
The Sharpest Atomes into Fire do turn,
And by their peircing quality do burn:
That Figure makes them Active, active Light,
VVhich makes them get above the rest in flight;
And by this Figure they stick fast, and draw
Up other Atomes which are Round and Raw.
But Water is round drops, though ne're so small,
VVhich shews its Figure to be Sphærical;
That Figure makes it Spungy, spungy Wet,
And being hollow, softness doth beget,
And being soft, it makes it run about;
More solid Atomes thrust it in or out;
But sharper Atomes force it cannot shun,
For Cold doth nip it, and Heat makes it run.
Flat Atomes, they are heavy, dull, and slow,
And sinking downwards to the bottom go:
These Figur'd Atomes are not Active, Light,
Whereas the Long are like the Sharp in flight;
For as the Sharp do pierce, and get on high,
So do the Long shoot streight and evenly.
The Round are next the Flat, the Long next Round,
Those which are Sharp are still the highest found;
The Flat turn all to Earth, and lye most low,
The Round to Water clear, and Liquid flow;
The Long to Air, from whence the Clouds do grow,
The Sharp to Fire do turn, which hot doth glow.
Thus these four Figures th'Elements do make,
And as their Figures do incline, they take,
For they are perfect in themselves alone,
Not taking any Shape, but what's their own;

And whatsoever Form is elsewhere found,
Must take from Long, or Square, or Sharp, or Round:
For those that are like to Triangles cut,
Part of three Figures in one Form is put;
And those that bow, and bend like to a Bow,
Like to the Round and joyned Atomes shew;
In those that Branch'd, or those which Crooked be,
You may the Long and both sharp Figures see.
Thus several Figures several Tempers make,
But what is Mixt doth of the Four partake.