Category: PART I

Some learnèd men, which think¹ to reason well,
Say light and color in the brain do dwell,
That motion in the brain doth light beget,²
And if no brain, the world in darkness shut.³
But be it⁴ that the brain hath eyes to see,                           5
Then⁵ eyes and brain would⁶ make the light to be.
If so, poor Donne was out when he did say
If all the world were blind, ’twould still be day.
Say they, light would not in the air⁷ reign,
Unless you’ll grant⁸ the world were one great brain.     10
Some ages in some opinions all agree;⁹
The next doth strive to make them false to be.
But¹⁰ what is new doth all so pleasing sound,¹¹
That reasons old are as mere nonsense found.¹²
But all opinions are by fancy fed,                                        15
And truth lies under those opinions,¹³ dead.

Some think no light would be without the eye;
’Tis true, a light our brain could not descry.
But¹⁴ if the eye makes light, and not the sun,¹⁵
As well our touch may make the fire to burn.¹⁶

A shadow fell in love with the¹⁷ bright light,
Which makes her walk perpetually¹⁸ in his¹⁹ sight.
And when he’s absent, then, poor soul, she dies,
But when he shows himself, her life revives.
She sister is to Echo loud and clear,                           5
Whose voice is heard, but no body²⁰ appear.
She hates to see or show herself to men,
Unless Narcissus could live once²¹ again.
But these two souls (for they no bodies have)²²
Do wander in the air to seek a grave.                       10
Silence would bury one,²³ the other night;
Both are²⁴ denied by Repercussion’s²⁵ spite.
And each of these are subject to the sense:²⁶
One strikes the ear, shadow the eye presents.²⁷

²⁸

A sound²⁹ seems nothing, yet a while it lives,³⁰
And like a wanton lad, mock answers gives,³¹
Not like the souls that from the bodies³² go,
For echo hath a body³³ of air, we know.
But³⁴ strange it³⁵ is that sounds³⁶ so strong and clear              5
Resisting bodies have, yet³⁷ not appear,
But³⁸ air, which subtle is, encounter may:
Thus words as sounds may with self-echo³⁹ play.
But they grow weary soon, hold not⁴⁰ out long,
Seem⁴¹ out of breath, and falter with the tongue.               10

⁴²

Rebounds resisting substance must work on,⁴³
Both in itself, and what it beats upon,⁴⁴
For yielding bodies which do bow or break
Can ne’er rebound, nor like an⁴⁵ echo speak.
Then every word of aïr forms⁴⁶ a ball,                                      5
And every letter like a ball doth fall.
Words are condensèd air, which heard, do grow
As water which by cold doth turn to snow.
And as when snow is pressed hard balls become,⁴⁷
So words being pressed as balls do backward run.⁴⁸           10

The same motion which from the mouth doth move⁴⁹
Runs through the air, which we by echo prove.⁵⁰
As several letters in one word do join,⁵¹
So several figures through the air combine.
The air is wax, words seal, and give the print,           5
And so⁵² an echo in the air do mint.
And while those figures last, they life⁵³ maintain;
When motion wears them out, echo is⁵⁴ slain.
As sugar in the mouth doth melt with⁵⁵ taste,
So echo in the air itself doth waste.                             10

⁵⁶
Although⁵⁷ the Earth to all gives form and feature,
Yet is the sun the⁵⁸ nurse to every creature.
For none could live unless the sun give⁵⁹ heat,
Which is to them as nourishing as⁶⁰ meat.
Just as⁶¹ a child is⁶² got and born of man,                         5
It must be fed, or ’twill soon die again.

⁶³
As heat about the heart always⁶⁴ keeps nigh,
So doth a fire about the⁶⁵ center lie.
This heat disperses⁶⁶ through the body round,
And when that heat is not,⁶⁷ no life is found.
So this heat⁶⁸ makes all things to bud⁶⁹ and bear,                  5
Although the sun’s hot beams do ne’er come there.
Yet doth the sun nourish all things⁷⁰ without,
Though⁷¹ fire within the Earth gives life, no doubt.
Thus⁷² heat within begets with child the Earth,
And heat without is midwife to her birth.                           10

The sun doth not to the Earth’s center⁷³ go;
He cannot shoot his beams so deep and low.
For a thick wall will break⁷⁴ his arrows small,⁷⁵
So that his heat can do no hurt at all.⁷⁶
And Earth hath arms so thick, to keep out all                  5
His fiery darts which he on her lets fall.

 

Sometimes we find it hot, and sometimes cold,
Yet equal in degrees the sun⁷⁷ doth hold.
And in a winter’s day more heat have⁷⁸ found
Than summer, when the sun should parch the ground.
For if this⁷⁹ heat doth make him gallop fast,                         5
’T must⁸⁰ ever equal be, or stay his haste.
If so, then seas which send up vapor may⁸¹
His fiery courage cool in the midway.⁸²
Besides, the middle region, which is cold
And full of ice, will of his strength take hold.                     10
Then ’tis not heat that makes him run so fast,
But running fast doth heat upon Earth⁸³ cast,
And Earth sends vapors cold to quench his heat,⁸⁴
Which break his strength, and make⁸⁵ his beams so weak.