The works of Mr. Thomas Brown Serious and Comical, In Prose and Verse; In four volumes. The Fourth Edition, Corrected, and much Enlarged from his Originals never before publish'd. With a key to all his Writings |
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A Translation. |
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 | The works of Mr. Thomas Brown |  |
96
A Translation.
Principio, Cœlum, & Terras, Titaniaq; astra
Spiritus intus alit, totumq; infusa per artus
Mens agitat molem—
I'll sing how God, the World's almighty Mind,
Thro' all infus'd, and to that All confin'd;
Directs the Parts, and with an equal Hand
Supports the whole, enjoying his command:
How all agree, and how the parts have made
Strict Leagues, subsisting by each others aid.
How all by Reason move, because one Soul
Lives in the parts, diffusing thro' the whole.
Thro' all infus'd, and to that All confin'd;
Directs the Parts, and with an equal Hand
Supports the whole, enjoying his command:
How all agree, and how the parts have made
Strict Leagues, subsisting by each others aid.
How all by Reason move, because one Soul
Lives in the parts, diffusing thro' the whole.
For did not all the friendly parts conspire
To make one whole, and keep the Frame entire;
And did not Reason guide, and Sense controul
The vast stupendious Machine of the whole;
Earth wou'd not keep its place, the Skies wou'd fall,
And universal stiffness deaden all.
Stars wou'd not whirl their round, nor Day nor Night
Their course perform, but stop their usual Flight.
Rains wou'd not feed the Fields, and Earth deny
Mists to the Clouds, and Vapours to the Sky.
Seas wou'd not fill the Springs, nor Springs return
Their grateful Tribute from their flowing Urn.
Nor wou'd the All, unless contriv'd by Art,
So justly be proportion'd in each part;
That neither Seas, nor Skies, nor Stars exceed
Our Wants, nor are too scanty for our need.
Thus stands the Frame, and the Almighty Soul,
Thro' all diffus'd, so turns, and guides the whole,
That nothing from its settled station swerves,
And Motion alters not the Frame, but still preserves.
To make one whole, and keep the Frame entire;
And did not Reason guide, and Sense controul
The vast stupendious Machine of the whole;
Earth wou'd not keep its place, the Skies wou'd fall,
And universal stiffness deaden all.
Stars wou'd not whirl their round, nor Day nor Night
Their course perform, but stop their usual Flight.
Rains wou'd not feed the Fields, and Earth deny
Mists to the Clouds, and Vapours to the Sky.
Seas wou'd not fill the Springs, nor Springs return
Their grateful Tribute from their flowing Urn.
Nor wou'd the All, unless contriv'd by Art,
So justly be proportion'd in each part;
That neither Seas, nor Skies, nor Stars exceed
Our Wants, nor are too scanty for our need.
Thus stands the Frame, and the Almighty Soul,
Thro' all diffus'd, so turns, and guides the whole,
That nothing from its settled station swerves,
And Motion alters not the Frame, but still preserves.
This God, or Reason, which the Orbs does move,
Makes Things below depend on Signs above:
Tho' far remov'd, tho' hid in Shades of Night,
And scarce to be descry'd by their own Light.
Yet Nations own, and Men their influence feel,
They rule the publick, and the private will;
The Proofs are plain. Thus from a different Star
We find a fruitful, or a barren Year;
Now Grains increase, and now refuse to grow,
Now quickly ripen, now their Growth is slow.
The Moon commands the Seas; she drives the Main
To pass the Shores, then drives it back again.
And this Sedition chiefly swells the streams,
When opposite she views her Brother's Beams:
Or when she near in close Conjunction rides,
She rears the Floods, and swells the flowing Tides;
Or when attending on the yearly Race,
The Equinoctial sees her borrow'd Face.
Makes Things below depend on Signs above:
Tho' far remov'd, tho' hid in Shades of Night,
And scarce to be descry'd by their own Light.
97
They rule the publick, and the private will;
The Proofs are plain. Thus from a different Star
We find a fruitful, or a barren Year;
Now Grains increase, and now refuse to grow,
Now quickly ripen, now their Growth is slow.
The Moon commands the Seas; she drives the Main
To pass the Shores, then drives it back again.
And this Sedition chiefly swells the streams,
When opposite she views her Brother's Beams:
Or when she near in close Conjunction rides,
She rears the Floods, and swells the flowing Tides;
Or when attending on the yearly Race,
The Equinoctial sees her borrow'd Face.
Her Power sinks deep, it searches all the Main,
Testaceous fish, as she her Light regains,
Increase, and still diminish in her Wane.
For as the Moon in deepest darkness mourns,
Then Rays receive, and points her borrow'd Horns,
Then turns her Face, and with a Smile invites
The full Effusions of her Brother's Lights,
They to her Changes due Proportions keep,
And show her various Phases in the Deep.
Testaceous fish, as she her Light regains,
Increase, and still diminish in her Wane.
For as the Moon in deepest darkness mourns,
Then Rays receive, and points her borrow'd Horns,
Then turns her Face, and with a Smile invites
The full Effusions of her Brother's Lights,
They to her Changes due Proportions keep,
And show her various Phases in the Deep.
So Brutes, whom Nature did in sport create,
Ignorant of themselves, and of their Fate,
A secret Instinct still erects their Eyes
To Parent Heav'n, and seems to make them wise.
One at the New Moon's rise to distant Shores
Retires, his Body sprinkles, and adores.
Some see Storms gathering, or Serenes foretel,
And scarce our Reason guides us half so well.
Ignorant of themselves, and of their Fate,
A secret Instinct still erects their Eyes
To Parent Heav'n, and seems to make them wise.
One at the New Moon's rise to distant Shores
Retires, his Body sprinkles, and adores.
Some see Storms gathering, or Serenes foretel,
And scarce our Reason guides us half so well.
Then who can doubt that Man, the glorious Pride
Of all, is nearer to the Stars ally'd?
Nature in Man's capacious Soul has wrought,
And given them Voice expressive of their Thought
In Man the God descends, and joys to find
The narrow Image of his greater Mind.
But why should all the other Arts be shown?
Too various for Productions of our own.
Why shou'd I sing how different Tempers fall,
And inequality is seen in all?
How many strive with equal Care to gain
The highest prize, and yet how few obtain?
Which proves not Mattar sways, but Wisdom rules
And measures out the bigness of our Souls.
Sure Fate stands fixt, nor can its Laws decay,
'Tis Heavn's to rule and Matter's Essence to obey.
Of all, is nearer to the Stars ally'd?
Nature in Man's capacious Soul has wrought,
And given them Voice expressive of their Thought
In Man the God descends, and joys to find
The narrow Image of his greater Mind.
But why should all the other Arts be shown?
Too various for Productions of our own.
98
And inequality is seen in all?
How many strive with equal Care to gain
The highest prize, and yet how few obtain?
Which proves not Mattar sways, but Wisdom rules
And measures out the bigness of our Souls.
Sure Fate stands fixt, nor can its Laws decay,
'Tis Heavn's to rule and Matter's Essence to obey.
Who cou'd know Heaven, unless that Heav'n bestow'd
The Knowledge? or find God, but part of God?
How cou'd the Space Immence be e'er confin'd
Within the Compass of a narrow mind?
How cou'd the Skies, the Dances of the Stars,
Their Motions adverse, and eternal Wars.
Unless kind Nature in our Breasts had wrought
Proportion'd Souls, be subject to our Thought?
Were Heaven not aiding to advance our Mind,
To know Fate's Laws, and teach the Way to find;
Did not the Skies their kindred Souls Improve,
Direct, and lead them thro' the Maze above,
Discover Nature, shew its secret Springs,
And tell the sacred intercourse of Things.
How impious were our Search, how bold our Course,
Thus to assault, and take the Skies by Force.
The Knowledge? or find God, but part of God?
How cou'd the Space Immence be e'er confin'd
Within the Compass of a narrow mind?
How cou'd the Skies, the Dances of the Stars,
Their Motions adverse, and eternal Wars.
Unless kind Nature in our Breasts had wrought
Proportion'd Souls, be subject to our Thought?
Were Heaven not aiding to advance our Mind,
To know Fate's Laws, and teach the Way to find;
Did not the Skies their kindred Souls Improve,
Direct, and lead them thro' the Maze above,
Discover Nature, shew its secret Springs,
And tell the sacred intercourse of Things.
How impious were our Search, how bold our Course,
Thus to assault, and take the Skies by Force.
A most convincing Reason's drawn from Sense,
That this vast Frame is mov'd by Providence,
Which like the Soul does every whirl advance,
It must be God, nor was it made by chance,
As Epicurus dreamt: He madly thought
This beauteous Frame of heedless Atoms wrought.
The Seas and Earth, the Stars and spacious Air,
Which forms new Worlds, or does the old repair,
First rose from these, and still supply'd remain,
And all must be when Chance shall break the Chain
Dissolv'd to these wild Principles again.
Absurd and Nonsense! Atheist use thine Eyes,
And having view'd the order of the Skies,
Think, if thou canst, that Matter blindly hurl'd,
Without a Guide, shou'd frame this wound'rous World.
That this vast Frame is mov'd by Providence,
Which like the Soul does every whirl advance,
It must be God, nor was it made by chance,
As Epicurus dreamt: He madly thought
This beauteous Frame of heedless Atoms wrought.
The Seas and Earth, the Stars and spacious Air,
Which forms new Worlds, or does the old repair,
First rose from these, and still supply'd remain,
And all must be when Chance shall break the Chain
Dissolv'd to these wild Principles again.
Absurd and Nonsense! Atheist use thine Eyes,
And having view'd the order of the Skies,
Think, if thou canst, that Matter blindly hurl'd,
Without a Guide, shou'd frame this wound'rous World.
99
But did Chance make, and Chance still rule the whole,
Why do the Signs in constant order rowl?
Observe set times to shut and open Day?
Nor meet, nor justle, and mistake their way?
Perform their Course, as if by Laws confin'd,
None hasten on, and leave the rest behind.
Why every day does the discovering Flame
Show the same World, and leave it still the same?
And ev'en at Night, when Time in secret flies,
And veils himself in Shades from human Eyes,
Can by the Signs Men know how fast he fled,
And in the Skies the hasty Minutes read?
Why shou'd I count how oft the Earth has mourn'd
The Sun's retreat, and smil'd when he return'd?
How oft he does his various course divide
'Twixt Winter's Nakedness, and Summer's Pride?
All mortal Things must change. The fruitful Plain,
As Seasons turn, scarce knows her self again;
Such various Forms she bears: Large Empires too
Put off the former Face, and take a new:
Yet safe the World, and free from change does last,
No Years encrease it, and no Years can waste.
Its course it urges on, and keeps its Frame,
And still will be, because 'twas still the same.
It stands secure from time's devouring Rage,
For 'tis a God that guides, nor can it change with Age.
Why do the Signs in constant order rowl?
Observe set times to shut and open Day?
Nor meet, nor justle, and mistake their way?
Perform their Course, as if by Laws confin'd,
None hasten on, and leave the rest behind.
Why every day does the discovering Flame
Show the same World, and leave it still the same?
And ev'en at Night, when Time in secret flies,
And veils himself in Shades from human Eyes,
Can by the Signs Men know how fast he fled,
And in the Skies the hasty Minutes read?
Why shou'd I count how oft the Earth has mourn'd
The Sun's retreat, and smil'd when he return'd?
How oft he does his various course divide
'Twixt Winter's Nakedness, and Summer's Pride?
All mortal Things must change. The fruitful Plain,
As Seasons turn, scarce knows her self again;
Such various Forms she bears: Large Empires too
Put off the former Face, and take a new:
Yet safe the World, and free from change does last,
No Years encrease it, and no Years can waste.
Its course it urges on, and keeps its Frame,
And still will be, because 'twas still the same.
It stands secure from time's devouring Rage,
For 'tis a God that guides, nor can it change with Age.
| The works of Mr. Thomas Brown | |