Chapter 3

Chapter 33,818 wordsPublic domain

And if their kinds no man may reckon well, The summe of successive particulars No mind conceive nor tongue can ever tell. And yet this mist of numbers (as appears) Belongs to one of these opacous sphears. Suppose this _Earth_; what then will all those Rounds Produce? No _Atlas_ such a load upbears. In this huge endlesse heap o’rewhelmed, drownd, Choak’d, stifled, lo! I lie, breathlesse, even quite confound.

Yet give me space a while but to respire, And I my self shal fairly well out-wind; Keep this position true, unhurt, entire, That you no greater difficulty find In this new old opinion here defin’d Of infinite worlds, then one world doth imply. For if we do with steddy patience mind All is resolv’d int’ one absurdity, The grant of something greater then infinitie.

That God is infinite all men confesse, And that the Creature is some realty Besides Gods self, though infinitely lesse. Joyn now the world unto the Deity. What? is there added no more entitie By this conjunction, then there was before? Is the broad breasted earth? the spacious skie Spangled with silver light, and burning Ore? And the wide bellowing seas, whose boyling billows roar,

Are all these nothing? But you will reply; As is the question so we ought restrain Our answer unto Corporeity. But that the phantasie of the body’s vain I did before unto you maken plain. But that no man depart unsatisfi’d A while this Universe here will we feigne _Corporeall_, till we have gainly tride. If ought that’s bodily may infinite abide.

What makes a body saving quantity? 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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,

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.

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.

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.

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,

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.