What quantitie unlesse extension?
Extension if ’t admit infinity
Bodies admit boundlesse dimension.
That some extension forward on doth run
Withouten limits, endlesse, infinite
Is plane from Space, that ever paceth on
Unstop’d, unstaid, till it have filled quite
That immense infinite Orb where God himself doth sit.
37
But yet more sensibly this truth to show
If space be ended set upon that end
Some strong arm’d Archer with his Parthian bow,
That from that place with speedy force may send
His fleeter shafts, and so still forward wend.
Where? When shall he want room his strength to trie?
But here perversly subtill you’l contend
Nothing can move in mere vacuity,
And space is nought, so not extended properly.
38
To solve these knots I must call down from high
Some heavenly help, feather with angels wing
The sluggish arrow. If it will not flie,
Sent out from bow stiff-bent with even string,
Let angels on their backs it thither bring
Where your free mind appointed had before,
And then hold on, till in your travelling
You be well wearied, finding ever more
Free passage for their flight, and what they flying bore.
39
Now to that shift that sayes Vacuity
Is nought, and therefore not at all extent
We answer thus: There is a distancy
In empty space, though we be well content
To balk that question (for we never meant
Such needlesse niceties) whether that it be
A reall being; yet that there’s parts distent
One from another, no mans phantasie
Can e’re reject if well he weigh’t and warily.
40
For now conceive the aire and azure skie
All swept away from Saturn to the Sunne,
Which each is to be wrought by him on high.
Then in this place let all the Planets runne
(As erst they did before this feat was done)
If not by nature, yet by divine power,
Ne one hairs breadth their former circuits shun
And still for fuller proof, th’ Astronomer
Observe their hights as in the empty heavens they scoure.
41
Will then their Parallaxes prove all one
Or none, or different still as before?
If so, their distances by mortall men
Must be acknowledg’d such as were of yore,
Measur’d by leagues, miles, stades, nor lesse nor more
From circuit unto circuit shall be found
Then was before the sweeping of the floor.
That distance therefore hath most certain ground
In emptinesse we may conclude with reason sound.
42
If distance now so certainly attend
All emptinesse (as also mensuration
Attendeth distance) distance without end
Is wide disperst above imagination
(For emptinesse is void of limitation)
And this unbounded voidnesse doth admit
The least and greatest measures application;
The number thus of the greatest that doth fit
This infinite void space is likewise infinite.
43
But what so e’re that infinite number be,
A lesser number will a number give
So farre exceeding in infinity
That number as this measure we conceive
To fall short of the other. But I’ll leave
This present way and a new course will trie
Which at the same mark doth as fully drive
And with a great deal more facility.
Look on this endlesse Space as one whole quantity.
44
Which in your mind int’ equall parts divide,
Tens, hundreds, thousands or what pleaseth best.
Each part denominate doth still abide
An infinite portion, else nor all the rest
Makes one infinitude.
For if one thousandth part may be defin’d
By finite measures eas’ly well exprest,
A myriad suppose of miles assign’d
Then to a thousand myriads is the whole confin’d.
45
Wherefore this wide and wast Vacuity,
Which endlesse is outstretched thorough all,
And lies even equall with the Deity,
Nor is a thing meerly imaginall,
(For it doth farre mens phantasies forestall
Nothing beholden to our devicefull thought)
This inf’nite voidnesse as much our mind doth gall
And has as great perplexities ybrought
As if this empty space with bodies were yfraught.
46
Nor have we yet the face once to denie
But that it is although we mind it not;
For all once minded such perplexity
It doth create to puzzled reason, that
She sayes and unsayes, do’s she knows not what.
Why then should we the worlds infinity
Misdoubt, because when as we contemplate
Its nature, such strange inconsistency
And unexpected sequels, we therein descry?
47
Who dare gainsay but God is every where
Unbounded, measurelesse, all infinite;
Yet the same difficulties meet us here
Which erst us met and did so sore affright
With their strange vizards. This will follow right
Where ever we admit infinity
Every denominated part proves streight
A portion infinite, which if it be,
One infinite will into myriads multiply.
48
But with new argument to draw more near
Our purpos’d end. If God’s omnipotent
And this omnipotent God be every where,
Where e’re he is then can he eas’ly vent
His mighty virtue thorough all extent.
What then shall hinder but a roscid aire
With gentle heat each where be ’sperst and sprent.
Unlesse omnipotent power we will empair,
And say that empty space his working can debarre.
49
Where now this one supposed world is pight
Was not that space at first all vain and void?
Nor ought said; no, when he said, _Let ’t be light_.
Was this one space better then all beside,
And more obedient to what God decreed?
Or would not all that endlesse emptinesse
Gladly embrac’d (if he had ever tride)
His just command? and what might come to passe
Implies no contradictious inconsistentnesse.
50
Wherefore this precious sweet Ethereall dew
For ought we know God each where did distill,
And thorough all that hollow voidnesse threw
And the wide gaping drought therewith did fill,
His endlesse overflowing goodnesse spill
In every place; which streight he did contrive
Int’ infinite severall worlds, as his best skill
Did him direct and creatures could receive
For matter infinite needs infinite worlds must give.
51
The Centre of each severall world’s a sunne
With shining beams and kindly warming heat,
About whose radiant crown the Planets runne,
Like reeling moths around a candle light,
These all together, one world I conceit.
And that even infinite such worlds there be,
That inexhausted Good that God is bight
A full sufficient reason is to me,
Who simple Goodnesse make the highest Deity.
52
Als make himself the key of all his works
And eke the measure of his providence;
The piercing eye of truth to whom nought lurks
But lies wide ope unbar’d of all pretense.
But frozen hearts! away! flie farre from hence,
Unlesse you’l thaw at this celestiall fire
And melt into one minde and holy sense
With Him that doth all heavenly hearts inspire,
So may you with my soul in one assent conspire.
53
But what’s within, uneath is to convey
To narrow vessels that are full afore.
And yet this truth as wisely as I may
I will insinuate, from senses store
Borrowing a little aid. Tell me therefore
When you behold with your admiring eyes
Heavens Canopie all to bespangled o’re
With sprinkled starres, what can you well devize
Which causen may such carelesse order in the skies?
54
A peck of peasen rudely poured out
On plaister flore, from hasty heedlesse hond
Which lie all carelesse scattered about,
To sight do in as seemly order stond,
As those fair glistering lights in heaven are found.
If onely for this world they were intended,
Nature would have adorn’d this azure round
With better art, and easily have mended
This harsh disord’red order, and more beauty lended.
55
But though these lights do seem so rudely thrown
And scattered throughout the spacious skie,
Yet each most seemly sits in his own Throne
In distance due and comely Majesty;
And round their lordly seats their servants hie
Keeping a well-proportionated space
One from another, doing chearfully
Their dayly task. No blemmish may deface
The worlds in severall deckt with all art and grace.
56
But the appearance of the nightly starres
Is but the by-work of each neighbour sun;
Wherefore lesse marvell if it lightly shares
Of neater Art; and what proportion
Were fittest for to distance one from one
(Each world I mean from other) is not clear.
Wherefore it must remain as yet unknown
Why such perplexed distances appear
Mongst the dispersed lights in Heaven thrown here & there.
57
Again, that eminent similitude
Betwixt the starres and Phœbus fixed light,
They being both with steddinesse indu’d,
No whit removing whence they first were pight,
No serious man will count a reason slight
To prove them both, both fixed suns and starres
And Centres all of severall worlds by right,
For right it is that none a sun debarre
Of Planets which his just and due retinue are.
58
If starres be merely starres not centrall lights
Why swell they into so huge bignesses?
For many (as Astronomers do write)
Our sun in bignesse many times surpasse.
If both their number and their bulks were lesse
Yet lower placed, light and influence
Would flow as powerfully, and the bosome presse
Of the impregned Earth, that fruit from hence
As fully would arise, and lordly affluence.
59
Wherefore these fixed Fires mainly attend
Their proper charge in their own Universe,
And onely by the by of court’sie lend
Light to our world, as our world doth reverse
His thankfull rayes so farre as he can pierce
Back unto other worlds. But farre aboven
Further then furthest thought of man can traverse,
Still are new worlds aboven and still aboven.
In the endlesse hollow Heaven, and each world hath his sun.
60
An hint of this we have in winter-nights,
When reason may see clearer then our eye,
Small subtil starres appear unto our sights
As thick as pin-dust scattered in the skie.
Here we accuse our seeing facultie
Of weaknesse, and our sense of foul deceit,
We do accuse and yet we know not why.
But the plain truth is, from a vaster hight
The numerous upper worlds amaze our dazzled sight.
61
Now sith so farre as sense can ever trie
We find new worlds, that still new worlds there be,
And round about in infinite numbers lie,
Further then reach of mans weak phantasie
(Without suspition of temeritie)
We may conclude; as well as men conclude
That there is aire farre ’bove the mountains high,
Or that th’ Earth a sad substance doth include
Even to the Centre with like qualities indu’d.
62
For who did ever the Earths Centre pierce,
And felt or sand or gravell with his spade
At such a depth? what Histories rehearse
That ever wight did dare for to invade
Her bowels but one mile in dampish shade?
Yet I’ll be bold to say that few or none
But deem this globe even to the bottome made
Of solid earth, and that her nature’s one
Throughout, though plain experience hath it never shown.
63
But sith sad earth so farre as they have gone
They still descrie, eas’ly they do inferre
Without all check of reason, were they down
Never so deep, like substance would appear,
Ne dream of any hollow horrour there.
My mind with like uncurb’d facilitie
Concludes from what by sight is seen so clear
That ther’s no barren wast vacuitie
Above the worlds we see, but still new worlds there lie,
64
And still and still even to infinitie.
Which point since I so fitly have propos’d,
Abating well the inconsistencie
Of harsh infinitude therein supposd
And prov’d by reasons never to be loos’d
That infinite space and infinite worlds there be;
This load laid down, I’m freely now dispos’d
Awhile to sing of times infinitie,
May infinite Time afford me but his smallest fee.
65
For smallest fee of time will serve my turn
This part for to dispatch, sith endlesse space
(Whose perplext nature well mans brains might turn,
And weary wits disorder and misplace)
I have already passed: for like case
Is in them both. He that can well untie
The knots that in those infinite worlds found place,
May easily answer each perplexitie
Of these worlds infinite matters endlesse durancie.
66
The _Cuspis_ and the _Basis_ of the _Cone_
Were both at once dispersed every where;
But the pure _Basis_ that is God alone:
Else would remotest sights as bigge appear
Unto our eyes as if we stood them near.
And if an Harper harped in the Moon,
His silver sound would touch our tickled eare:
Or if one hollowed from highest Heaven aboven,
In sweet still Evening-tide, his voice would hither roam.
67
This all would be if the _Cuspe_ of the _Cone_
Were very God. Wherefore I rightly ’t deem
Onely a Creaturall projection,
Which flowing yet from God hath ever been,
Fill’d the vast empty space with its large streem.
But yet it is not totall every where
As was even now by reason rightly seen:
Wherefore not God, whose nature doth appear
Entirely omnipresent, weigh’d with judgement clear,
68
A reall infinite matter, distinct
And yet proceeding from the Deitie
Although with different form as then untinct
Has ever been from all Eternitie.
Now what delay can we suppose to be,
Since matter alway was at hand prepar’d
Before the filling of the boundlesse skie
With framed Worlds; for nought at all debar’d,
Nor was His strength ungrown, nor was His strength empair’d.
69
How long would God be forming of a flie?
Or the small wandring moats that play i’ th’ sun?
Least moment well will serve none can denie,
His _Fiat_ spoke and streight the thing is done.
And cannot He make all the World as soon?
For in each Atom of the matter wide
The totall Deitie doth entirely won,
His infinite presence doth therein reside,
And in this presence infinite powers do ever abide.
70
Wherefore at once from all eternitie
The infinite number of these Worlds He made,
And will conserve to all infinitie,
And still drive on their ever-moving trade,
And steddy hold what ever must be staid;
Ne must one mite be minish’d of the summe,
Ne must the smallest atom ever fade,
But still remain though it may change its room;
This truth abideth strong from everlasting doom.
71
Ne fear I what hard sequel after-wit
Will draw upon me; that the number’s one
Of years, moneths, dayes, houres, and of minutes fleet
Which from eternitie have still run on.
I plainly did confesse awhile agone
That be it what it will that’s infinite
More infinites will follow thereupon,
But that all infinites do justly fit
And equall be, my reason did not yet admit.
72
But as my emboldened mind, I know not how,
In empty Space and pregnant Deitie
Endlesse infinitude dares to allow,
Though it begets the like perplexitie:
So now my soul drunk with Divinitie,
And born away above her usuall bounds
With confidence concludes infinitie
Of Time of Worlds, of firie flaming Rounds;
Which sight in sober mood my spirits quite confounds.
73
And now I do awhile but interspire
A torrent of objections ’gainst me beat,
My boldnesse to represse and strength to tire.
But I will wipe them off like summer sweat,
And make their streams streight back again retreat.
If that these worlds, say they, were ever made
From infinite time, how comes ’t to passe that yet
Art is not perfected, nor metalls fade,
Nor mines of grimie coal low-hid in griesly shade.
74
But the remembrance of the ancient Floud
With ease will wash such arguments away.
Wherefore with greater might I am withstood.
The strongest stroke wherewith they can assay
To vanquish me is this; The Date or Day
Of the created World, which all admit;
Nor may my modest Muse this truth gainsay
In holy Oracles so plainly writ.
Wherefore the Worlds continuance is not infinite.
75
Now lend me, _Origen_! a little wit
This sturdy stroke right fairly to avoid,
Lest that my rasher rymes, while they ill fit
With _Moses_ pen, men justly may deride
And well accuse of ignorance or pride.
But thou, O holy Sage! with piercing sight
Who readst those sacred rolls, and hast well tride
With searching eye thereto what fitteth right
Thy self of former Worlds right learnedly dost write:
76
To weet that long ago these Earths have been
Peopled with men and beasts before this Earth,
And after this shall others be again
And other beasts and other humane birth.
Which once admit, no strength that reason bear’th
Of this worlds Date and Adams efformation,
Another Adam once received breath
And still another in endlesse repedation,
And this must perish once by finall conflagration.
77
Witnesse ye Heavens if what I say’s not true,
Ye flaming Comets wandering on high,
And new fixt starres found in that Circle blue,
The one espide in glittering _Cassiopie_,
The other near to _Ophiuchus_ thigh.
Both bigger then the biggest starres that are,
And yet as farre remov’d from mortall eye
As are the furthest, so those Arts declare
Unto whose reaching sight Heavens mysteries lie bare.
78
Wherefore these new-seen lights were greater once
By many thousand times then this our sphear
Wherein we live, ’twixt good and evil chance.
Which to my musing mind doth strange appear
If those large bodies then first shaped were.
For should so goodly things so soon decay?
Neither did last the full space of two year.
Wherefore I cannot deem that their first day
Of being, when to us they sent out shining ray.
79
But that they were created both of old,
And each in his due time did fair display
Themselves in radiant locks more bright then gold,
Or silver sheen purg’d from all drossie clay.
But how they could themselves in this array
Expose to humane sight, who did before
Lie hid, is that which well amazen may
The wisest man and puzzle evermore:
Yet my unwearied thoughts this search could not give o’re.
80
Which when I’d exercis’d in long pursuit
To finden out what might the best agree
With warie reason, at last I did conclude
That there’s no better probabilitie
Can be produc’d of that strange prodigie,
But that some mighty Planet that doth run
About some fixed starre in _Cassiopie_
As _Saturn_ paceth round about our Sun,
Unusuall light and bignesse by strange fate had wonne.
81
Which I conceive no gainer way is done
Then by the siezing of devouring fire
On that dark Orb, which ’fore but dimly shone
With borrowed light, not lightened entire,
But halfed like the Moon.
And while the busie flame did sieze throughout,
And search the bowels of the lowest mire
Of that _Saturnian_ Earth; a mist broke out,
And immense mounting smoke arose all round about.
82
Which being gilded with the piercing rayes
Of its own sun and every neighbour starre,
It soon appear’d with shining silver blaze,
And then gan first be seen of men from farre.
Besides that firie flame that was so narre
The Planets self, which greedily did eat
The wastning mold, did contribute a share
Unto this brightnesse; and what I conceit
Of this starre doth with that of _Ophiuchus_ sit.
83
And like I would adventure to pronounce
Of all the Comets that above the Moon,
Amidst the higher Planets rudely dance
In course perplex, but that from this rash doom
I’m bett off by their beards and tails farre strown
Along the skie, pointing still opposite
Unto the sun, however they may roam;
Wherefore a cluster of small starres unite
These meteors some do deem, perhaps with judgement right.
84
And that these tayls are streams of the suns light
Breaking through their near bodies as through clouds.
Besides the Optick glasse has shown to sight
The dissolution of these starrie crouds.
Which thing if ’t once be granted and allow’d,
I think without all contradiction
They may conclude these Meteors are routs
Of wandring starres, which though they one by one
Cannot be seen, yet joyn’d, cause this strange vision.
85
And yet methinks, in my devicefull mind
Some reasons that may happily represse
These arguments it’s not uneath to find.
For how can the suns rayes that be transmisse
Through these loose knots in Comets, well expresse
Their beards or curld tayls utmost incurvation?
Beside, the conflux and congeries
Of lesser lights a double augmentation
Implies, and ’twixt them both a lessening coarctation.
86
For when as once these starres are come so nigh
As to seem one, the Comet must appear
In biggest show, because more loose they lie
Somewhat spread out, but as they draw more near
The compasse of his head away must wear,
Till he be brought to his least magnitude;
And then they passing crosse, he doth repair
Himself, and still from his last losse renew’d
Grows till he reach the measure which we first had view’d.
87
And then farre distanc’d they bid quite adiew,
Each holding on in solitude his way.
Ne any footsteps in the empty Blew
Is to be found of that farre-shining ray.
Which processe sith no man did yet bewray,
It seems unlikely that the Comets be
Synods of starres that in wide Heaven stray.
Their smallnesse eke and numerositie
Encreaseth doubt and lessens probabilitie.
88
A cluster of them makes not half a Moon,
What should such tennis-balls do in the skie?
And few ’ll not figure out the fashion
Of those round firie meteors on high.
Ne ought their beards much move us, that do lie
Ever cast forward from the Morning sunne,
Nor back cast tayls turn’d to our Evening-eye,
That fair appear when as the day is done.
This matter may lie hid in the starres shadowed Cone.
89
For in these Planets conflagration,
Although the smoke mount up exactly round,
Yet by the suns irradiation
Made thin and subtil no where else its found
By sight, save in the dim and duskish bound
Of the projected Pyramid opake,
Opake with darknesse, smoke and mists unsound.
Yet gilded like a foggie cloud doth make
Reflection of fair light that doth our senses take.
90
This is the reason of that constant site
Of Comets tayls and beards: And that their show’s
Not pure Pyramidall, nor their ends seem streight
But bow’d like brooms, is from the winds that blow,
I mean Ethereall winds, such as below
Men finden under th’ Equinoctiall line.
Their widend beards this aire so broad doth strow
Incurvate, and or more or lesse decline:
If not, let sharper wits more subtly here divine.
91
But that experiment of the Optick glasse
The greatest argument of all I deem,
Ne can I well encounter nor let passe
So strong a reason if I may esteem
The feat withouten fallacie to been,
Nor judge these little sparks and subtile lights
Some auncient fixed starres though now first seen,
That near the ruin’d Comets place were pight,
On which that Optic instrument by chance did light.
92
Nor finally an uncouth after-sport
Of th’ immense vapours that the searching fire
Had boyled out, which now themselves consort
In severall parts and closely do conspire,
Clumper’d in balls of clouds and globes entire
Of crudled smoke and heavy clunging mists;
Which when they’ve staid awhile at last expire;
But while they stay any may see that lists
So be that Optick Art his naturall sight assists.
93
If none of these wayes I may well decline
The urging weight of this hard argument,
Worst is but parting stakes and thus define:
Some Comets be but single Planets brent,
Others a synod joyn’d in due consent:
And that no new found Meteors they are:
Ne further may my wary mind assent
From one single experience solitaire,
Till all-discovering Time shall further truth declare.
94
But for the new fixt starres there’s no pretence,
Nor beard nor tail to take occasion by,
To bring in that unluckie inference
Which weaken might this new built mysterie.
Certes in raging fire they both did frie.
A signe whereof you rightly may aread
Their colours changeable varietie
First clear and white, then yellow, after red,
Then blewly pale, then duller still, till perfect dead.
95
And as the order of these colours went,
So still decreas’d that Cassiopean starre,
Till at the length to sight it was quite spent:
Which observations strong reasons are,
Consuming fire its body did empare
And turn to ashes. And the like will be
In all the darksome Planets wide and farre.
Ne can our Earth from this state standen free
A Planet as the rest, and Planets fate must trie.
96
Ne let the tender heart too harshly deem
Of this rude sentence: for what rigour more
Is in consuming fire then drowning stream
Of Noahs floud which all creaturs choak’d of yore,
Saving those few that were kept safe in store
In that well builded ship? All else beside
Men, birds, and beasts, the lion, buck, and bore
Dogs, kine, sheep, horses all that did abide
Upon the spacious earth, perish’d in waters wide.
97
Nor let the slow and misbelieving wight
Doubt how the fire on the hard earth may seize;
No more then how those waters erst did light
Upon the sinfull world. For as the seas
Boyling with swelling waves aloft did rise,
And met with mighty showers and pouring rain
From Heavens spouts; so the broad flashing skies
Thickned with brimstone and clouds of fiery bain
Shall meet with raging Etna’s and Vesuvius flame.
98
The burning bowels of this wasting ball
Shall gullup up great flakes of rolling fire,
And belch out pitchie flames, till over all
Having long rag’d, Vulcan himself shall tire
And (th’ earth an ashheap made) shall then expire:
Here Nature laid asleep in her own Urn
With gentle rest right easly will respire,
Till to her pristine task she do return
As fresh as Phenix young under th’ Arabian Morn.
99