of the nature of things-第12部分

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That　keep　and　guard　each　living　thing　soever。
　　Again；　a　blow　beyond　its　nature's　strength
Shatters　forthwith　each　living　thing　soe'er；
And　on　it　goes　confounding　all　the　sense
Of　body　and　mind。　For　of　the　primal　germs
Are　loosed　their　old　arrangements；　and；　throughout；
The　vital　motions　blocked；…　until　the　stuff；
Shaken　profoundly　through　the　frame　entire；
Undoes　the　vital　knots　of　soul　from　body
And　throws　that　soul；　to　outward　wide…dispersed；
Through　all　the　pores。　For　what　may　we　surmise
A　blow　inflicted　can　achieve　besides
Shaking　asunder　and　loosening　all　apart？
It　happens　also；　when　less　sharp　the　blow；
The　vital　motions　which　are　left　are　wont
Oft　to　win　out…　win　out；　and　stop　and　still
The　uncouth　tumults　gendered　by　the　blow；
And　call　each　part　to　its　own　courses　back；
And　shake　away　the　motion　of　death　which　now
Begins　its　own　dominion　in　the　body；
And　kindle　anew　the　senses　almost　gone。
For　by　what　other　means　could　they　the　more
Collect　their　powers　of　thought　and　turn　again
From　very　doorways　of　destruction
Back　unto　life；　rather　than　pass　whereto
They　be　already　well…nigh　sped　and　so
Pass　quite　away？
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Again；　since　pain　is　there
Where　bodies　of　matter；　by　some　force　stirred　up；
Through　vitals　and　through　joints；　within　their　seats
Quiver　and　quake　inside；　but　soft　delight；
When　they　remove　unto　their　place　again：
'Tis　thine　to　know　the　primal　germs　can　be
Assaulted　by　no　pain；　nor　from　themselves
Take　no　delight；　because　indeed　they　are
Not　made　of　any　bodies　of　first　things；
Under　whose　strange　new　motions　they　might　ache
Or　pluck　the　fruit　of　any　dear　new　sweet。
And　so　they　must　be　furnished　with　no　sense。
　　Once　more；　if　thus；　that　every　living　thing
May　have　sensation；　needful　'tis　to　assign
Sense　also　to　its　elements；　what　then
Of　those　fixed　elements　from　which　mankind
Hath　been；　by　their　peculiar　virtue；　formed？
Of　verity；　they'll　laugh　aloud；　like　men；
Shaken　asunder　by　a　spasm　of　mirth；
Or　sprinkle　with　dewy　tear…drops　cheeks　and　chins；
And　have　the　cunning　hardihood　to　say
Much　on　the　composition　of　the　world；
And　in　their　turn　inquire　what　elements
They　have　themselves；…　since；　thus　the　same　in　kind
As　a　whole　mortal　creature；　even　they
Must　also　be　from　other　elements；
And　then　those　others　from　others　evermore…
So　that　thou　darest　nowhere　make　a　stop。
Oho；　I'll　follow　thee　until　thou　grant
The　seed　（which　here　thou　say'st　speaks；　laughs；　and
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　thinks）
Is　yet　derived　out　of　other　seeds
Which　in　their　turn　are　doing　just　the　same。
But　if　we　see　what　raving　nonsense　this；
And　that　a　man　may　laugh；　though　not；　forsooth；
Compounded　out　of　laughing　elements；
And　think　and　utter　reason　with　learn'd　speech；
Though　not　himself　compounded；　for　a　fact；
Of　sapient　seeds　and　eloquent；　why；　then；
Cannot　those　things　which　we　perceive　to　have
Their　own　sensation　be　composed　as　well
Of　intermixed　seeds　quite　void　of　sense？

　INFINITE　WORLDS

　　Once　more；　we　all　from　seed　celestial　spring；
To　all　is　that　same　father；　from　whom　earth；
The　fostering　mother；　as　she　takes　the　drops
Of　liquid　moisture；　pregnant　bears　her　broods…
The　shining　grains；　and　gladsome　shrubs　and　trees；
And　bears　the　human　race　and　of　the　wild
The　generations　all；　the　while　she　yields
The　foods　wherewith　all　feed　their　frames　and　lead
The　genial　life　and　propagate　their　kind；
Wherefore　she　owneth　that　maternal　name；
By　old　desert。　What　was　before　from　earth；
The　same　in　earth　sinks　back；　and　what　was　sent
From　shores　of　ether；　that；　returning　home；
The　vaults　of　sky　receive。　Nor　thus　doth　death
So　far　annihilate　things　that　she　destroys
The　bodies　of　matter；　but　she　dissipates
Their　combinations；　and　conjoins　anew
One　element　with　others；　and　contrives
That　all　things　vary　forms　and　change　their　colours
And　get　sensations　and　straight　give　them　o'er。
And　thus　may'st　know　it　matters　with　what　others
And　in　what　structure　the　primordial　germs
Are　held　together；　and　what　motions　they
Among　themselves　do　give　and　get；　nor　think
That　aught　we　see　hither　and　thither　afloat
Upon　the　crest　of　things；　and　now　a　birth
And　straightway　now　a　ruin；　inheres　at　rest
Deep　in　the　eternal　atoms　of　the　world。
　　Why；　even　in　these　our　very　verses　here
It　matters　much　with　what　and　in　what　order
Each　element　is　set：　the　same　denote
Sky；　and　the　ocean；　lands；　and　streams；　and　sun；
The　same；　the　grains；　and　trees；　and　living　things。
And　if　not　all　alike；　at　least　the　most…
But　what　distinctions　by　positions　wrought！
And　thus　no　less　in　things　themselves；　when　once
Around　are　changed　the　intervals　between；
The　paths　of　matter；　its　connections；　weights；
Blows；　clashings；　motions；　order；　structure；　shapes；
The　things　themselves　must　likewise　changed　be。
　　Now　to　true　reason　give　thy　mind　for　us。
Since　here　strange　truth　is　putting　forth　its　might
To　hit　thee　in　thine　ears；　a　new　aspect
Of　things　to　show　its　front。　Yet　naught　there　is
So　easy　that　it　standeth　not　at　first
More　hard　to　credit　than　it　after　is；
And　naught　soe'er　that's　great　to　such　degree；
Nor　wonderful　so　far；　but　all　mankind
Little　by　little　abandon　their　surprise。
Look　upward　yonder　at　the　bright　clear　sky
And　what　it　holds…　the　stars　that　wander　o'er；
The　moon；　the　radiance　of　the　splendour…sun：
Yet　all；　if　now　they　first　for　mortals　were；
If　unforeseen　now　first　asudden　shown；
What　might　there　be　more　wonderful　to　tell；
What　that　the　nations　would　before　have　dared
Less　to　believe　might　be？…　I　fancy；　naught…
So　strange　had　been　the　marvel　of　that　sight。
The　which　o'erwearied　to　behold；　to…day
None　deigns　look　upward　to　those　lucent　realms。
Then；　spew　not　reason　from　thy　mind　away；
Beside　thyself　because　the　matter's　new；
But　rather　with　keen　judgment　nicely　weigh；
And　if　to　thee　it　then　appeareth　true；
Render　thy　hands；　or；　if　'tis　false　at　last；
Gird　thee　to　combat。　For　my　mind…of…man
Now　seeks　the　nature　of　the　vast　Beyond
There　on　the　other　side；　that　boundless　sum
Which　lies　without　the　ramparts　of　the　world；
Toward　which　the　spirit　longs　to　peer　afar；
Toward　which　indeed　the　swift　elan　of　thought
Flies　unencumbered　forth。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Firstly；　we　find；
Off　to　all　regions　round；　on　either　side；
Above；　beneath；　throughout　the　universe
End　is　there　none…　as　I　have　taught；　as　too
The　very　thing　of　itself　declares　aloud；
And　as　from　nature　of　the　unbottomed　deep
Shines　clearly　forth。　Nor　can　we　once　suppose
In　any　way　'tis　likely；　（seeing　that　space
To　all　sides　stretches　infinite　and　free；
And　seeds；　innumerable　in　number；　in　sum
Bottomless；　there　in　many　a　manner　fly；
Bestirred　in　everlasting　motion　there）；
That　only　this　one　earth　and　sky　of　ours
Hath　been　create　and　that　those　bodies　of　stuff；
So　many；　perform　no　work　outside　the　same；
Seeing；　moreover；　this　world　too　hath　been
By　nature　fashioned；　even　as　seeds　of　things
By　innate　motion　chanced　to　clash　and　cling…
After　they'd　been　in　many　a　manner　driven
Together　at　random；　without　design；　in　vain…
And　as　at　last　those　seeds　together　dwelt；
Which；　when　together　of　a　sudden　thrown；
Should　alway　furnish　the　commencements　fit
Of　mighty　things…　the　earth；　the　sea；　the　sky；
And　race　of　living　creatures。　Thus；　I　say；
Again；　again；　'tmust　be　confessed　there　are
Such　congregations　of　matter　otherwhere；
Like　this　our　world　which　vasty　ether　holds
In　huge　embrace。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Besides；　when　matter　abundant
Is　ready　there；　when　space　on　hand；　nor　object
Nor　any　cause　retards；　no　marvel　'tis
That　things　are　carried　on　and　made　complete；
Perforce。　And　now；　if　store　of　seeds　there　is
So　great　that　not　whole　life…times　of　the　living
Can　count　the　tale。。。
And　if　their　force　and　nature　abide　the　same；
Able　to　throw　the　seeds　of　things　together
Into　their　places；　even　as　here　are　thrown
The　seeds　together　in　this　world　of　ours；
'Tmust　be　confessed　in　other　realms　there　are
Still　other　worlds；　still　other　breeds　of　men；
And　other　generations　of　the　wild。
　　Hence　too　it　happens　in　the　sum　there　is
No　one　thing　single　of　its　kind　in　birth；
And　single　and　sole　in　growth；　but　rather　it　is
One　member　of　some　generated　race；
Among　full　many　others　of　like　kind。
First；　cast　thy　mind　abroad　upon　the　living：
Thou'lt　find　the　race　of　mountain…ranging　wild
Even　thus　to　be；　and　thus　the　scions　of　men
To　be　begot；　and　lastly　the　mute　flocks
Of　scaled　fish；　and　winged　frames　of　birds。
Wherefore　confess　we　must　on　grounds　the　same
That　earth；　sun；　moon；　and　ocean；　and　all　else；
Exist　not　sole　and　single…　rather　in　number
Exceeding　number。　Since　that　deeply　set
Old　boundary　stone　of　life　remains　for　them
No　less；　and　theirs　a　body　of　mortal　birth
No　less；　than　every　kind　which　here　on　earth
Is　so　abundant　in　its　members　found。
　　Which　well　perceived　if　thou　hold　in　mind；
Then　Nature；　delivered　from　every　haughty　lord；
And　forthwith　free；　is　seen　to　do　all　things
Herself　and　through　herself　of　own　accord；
Rid　of　all　gods。　For…　by　their　holy　hearts
Which　pass　in　long　tranquillity　of　peace
Untroubled　ages　and　a　serene　life！…
Who　hath　the　power　（I　ask）；　who　hath　the　power
To　rule　the　sum　of　the　immeasurable；
To　hold　with　steady　hand　the　giant　reins
Of　the　unfathomed　deep？　Who　hath　the　power
At　once　to　roll　a　multitude　of　skies；
At　once　to　heat　with　fires　ethereal　all
The　fruitful　lands　of　multitudes　of　worlds；
To　be　at　all　times　in　all　places　near；
To　stablish　darkness　by　his　clouds；　to　shake
The　serene　spaces　of　the　sky　with　sound；
And　hurl　his　lightnings；…　ha；　and　whelm　how　oft
In　ruins　his　own　temples；　and　to　rave；
Retiring　to　the　wildernesses；　there
At　practice　with　that　thunderbolt　of　his；
Which　yet　how　often　shoots　the　guilty　by；
And　slays　the　honourable　blameless　ones！
　　Ere　since　the　birth…time　of　the　world；　ere　since
The　risen　first…born　day　of　sea；　earth；　sun；
Have　many　germs　been　added　from　outside；
Have　many　seeds　been　added　round　about；
Which　the　great　All；　the　while　it　flung　them　on；
Brought　hither；　that　from　them　the　sea　and　lands
Could　grow　more　big；　and　that　the　house　of　heaven
Might　get　more　room　and　raise　its　lofty　roofs
Far　over　earth；　and　air　a