Author: Poems and Fancies Research Assistant

When dull flat atoms do together¹ join,
And with each other in a heap combine,
This body thick doth stop all passage so,
Keeps motion out, and makes² the body grow
Numbed. For sharp atoms,³ in which heat doth live,      5
Being close and smothered up⁴ no heat can give,
But if these⁵ atoms flat meet in the brain,
The spirits are choked and can⁶ no heat obtain.  

¹

In² all other diseases they are mixed,
And not in one united³ body fixed.
But do in factions part, and when they rise,⁴
Striving to beat each other out, man dies.

Thus life and death, and young and old,
Are as the several atoms hold.
Wit, understanding¹ in the brain
Are as the several atoms reign,
And dispositions² good or ill                                5
Are as the several atoms still.
And every passion which doth rise
Is as the several³ atoms lie.⁴
Thus sickness, health, and peace and war
Are⁵ as the several atoms are.                             10

¹

Some factious atoms ’mongst themselves² combine,
And³ strive some formed body to unjoin.⁴
Round atoms do beat out⁵ the sharp; the long
With flat atoms do fight:⁶ thus all go wrong.
Those which make Motion general in their war      5
By his directions, they much⁷ stronger are.

When Motion and all atoms disagree,
Thunder in skies¹ and sickness in men be.
Earthquakes and winds, which make disorder great,
Are when as Motion doth all atoms² beat.
In this confusion, a horrid noise they make,³                5
For Motion lets them not their places⁴ take,
Like frighted flocks that do together keep,⁵
Which Motion worries, as a wolf doth sheep.⁶

¹

Some Motion with some atoms doth² agree,
Fitting them to their place, as just³ may be,
Where they by Motion’s help so strong do grow,⁴
That hardly Motion shall⁵ again undo.
Motion’s inconstancy oft gives such power           5
To atoms, as they can Motion⁶ devour.

Atoms will in just measures dance, and join¹
All one by one in a² round circle-line,³
Run in and out, as we do dance the hay,
Crossing about, yet keep just time and way,
While⁴ Motion doth direct. And thus they dance,⁵     5
And meet all by consent, not by mere chance.⁶
This harmony is health, makes life live long,⁷
But when they’re out,⁸ ’tis death, so dancing’s done.

In all things which are young, Motion is swift,¹
But moving long, is² tired and groweth stiff.³
So⁴ atoms are in youth more nimble, strong⁵
Than⁶ in old age, but apt more⁷ to go wrong.
Thus youth by false notes and wrong steps doth die;     5
In age atoms and Motion weary lie.⁸
Motion’s ease is change, weary soon doth grow,⁹
If in one figure she doth often go.¹⁰

Did not wild Motion, with his subtle wit,¹
Make atoms as his bawd, new forms to get,²
They still would constant be in one figure,³
And as they place themselves, would last forever.⁴
But Motion, he persuades new forms to make,           5
Because he⁵ doth in change great pleasure take,
And makes all atoms run from place to place,
That figures young he might have to embrace.
For some short time he loves to make a stay,⁶
But after he is tired, he’ll run away.⁷                            10
And by his change most figures are⁸ undone,
For young take place of th’old when they are gone.⁹
Yet ’tis but like a batch of bread, which still¹⁰
Is of the same flower and seed. Thus will¹¹
Inconstant Motion a new figure bake,¹²                       15
Only that he may¹³ have a new hot cake.

¹

A figure spherical, the motion’s so;²
Straight figures in a darting motion go:³
As several figures in small atoms be,
So several motions are, if we could see.
If atoms join, meet in another form,⁴                      5
Then motion alters as the figures turn,⁵
For if the bodies weighty are and great,⁶
Then motion’s slow, and goes upon less feet.⁷
Out of a shuttlecock a feather pull,
And flying strike it, as when it was full,                 10
The motion of it alters, which seems strange,⁸
When th’motion of the hand doth no ways change.⁹
Yet motion, matter,¹⁰ can new figures find,
And the substantial figures turn and wind.
Thus several figures several motions take,             15
And several motions several figures make.
But figure, matter, motion, all is one,
Can never¹¹ separate, nor be alone.