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

A World made by four Kinds of Atomes.

Sharp Atomes make Fire subtile, quick, and dry,
The Long like shafts still into Air do fly,

The Round do turn to Water, which is wet,
The Square to Earth, a Figure firmly set;
Sharp Atomes, they hard Minerals do make,
Soft Vegetables of round Atomes take;
In Animals none singly lie alone,
But all four sorts do meet and joyn as one:
And thus these four the Substance are of all,
And with their Figures make a worldly Ball.

Thus the fancy of my Atomes is, that the four Principal Figures, as Sharp, Long, Round and Square, make the four Elements; not that they are of several Matters, but all of one Matter, only their several Figures do give them several Proprieties; so likewise do the mixt Figures give them mixt Proprieties, and their several Composures give them other Proprieties, according to their Forms they put themselves into by their several Motions. This I do repeat, that the Ground of my Opinion may be understood.

The several Elements are all of one Matter.