Category: PART I

’Tis several figured atoms that make change,
When several bodies meet as they do range.
For if they sympathize and do agree,
They join together, as¹ one body be.
But if they meet,² like to a rabble rout,               5
Without all order running in and out,
Then disproportionable things they make,
Because they did not their right places take.

Atoms which loosely join¹ do not remain
So long as those which closeness do maintain.
Those make all things i’th’world to ebb² and flow,
According as the moving atoms go.
Others in bodies, they do join so close,                  5
As in long time, they never stir nor loose.
And some will join so close and knit so fast,
As if unstirred they would forever last.
In smallest vegetables, loosest atoms³ lie,
Which is the reason they so quickly die.               10
In animals, much closer they are laid,
Which is the cause their life is longer⁴ stayed.
Some vegetables and animals do join
In equal strength, if atoms so combine.
But animals, where atoms close lie⁵ in,                15
Are stronger than some vegetables thin.
But in vegetables, where atoms do stick⁶ fast,
As in⁷ strong trees, the longer they do last.⁸
In minerals, they so together cleave,⁹
As they not any space for motion leave.¹⁰            20
Being pointed all, the closer they do lie,
Which makes¹¹ them not like vegetables die.
Those bodies where¹² loose atoms most move in,
Are soft and porous, and many times thin;
Those porous¹³ bodies never do live long.            25
Why so?¹⁴ Loose atoms never can be strong.
For motion’s power tosseth¹⁵ them about,
Keeps them¹⁶ from their right places:¹⁷ so life goes out.

In every brain there do loose atoms lie,¹
Those which are sharp, from them do fancies fly.
Long airy atoms nimble are, and free,²
But atoms round and square are dull and sleepy.³

¹

If atoms all are of the selfsame matter,²
As fire, air, earth, and water,³
Then must their several figures make all change
By motion’s help, which orders as they range.

Motion the sharpest atoms doth mount high,¹
And like to arrows swift, doth² make them fly.
And being sharp and swift, they pierce so deep,³
As they pass through all atoms as they meet.⁴
By their swift motion, to bright fire they turn,⁵      5
And being sharp, they pierce, which we call “burn.”

¹

Those atoms which are long, sharp at each end,²
Stream forth like air in flame, which light doth send.³
For flame doth flow⁴ as if it fluid were,
Which shows part of that figure is like air.
Thus flame is joined, two figures into one,                        5
But fire without flame⁵ is sharp alone.

Although we at a distance stand, if great
A fire be, the body through will¹ heat.
Yet those sharp atomes we do not perceive,
How they fly out, nor how to us they² cleave.
Nor do they³ flame, nor shine they clear and bright       5
When they fly out and on our bodies strike.⁴
The reason is they loose and scattered fly,
And not in troops, nor do they on heaps lie.
Like small dust rais’d, which,⁵ scatter’d all about,
We see it not, nor doth it light keep⁶ out.                         10
But gathered up thick⁷ to a mountain high,
We then see they in solid earth do⁸ lie.
Just so do atoms sharp look, clear and bright,
When in heaps lie,⁹ or in a streaming flight.

The reason fire lies¹ in flint unseen
Is other figured atoms lie² between.
For being bound and overpowered by
A multitude, they do in prison lie.
Unless motion do come and let³ them out                           5
With a strong power, which make them⁴ fly about.
But if that flint be beat to powder small,
To separate the grossest,⁵ released are all.
And⁶ when they once are out, they ne’er come back,⁷
But seek about another form to make.⁸                               10

¹

Atoms by sympathy² are fixèd so,
As past some principles they do not go.
For count the³ principles of all their works,⁴
You’ll find there are not many several sorts.⁵
For when they do dissolve and new forms⁶ make,      5
They still to their first principles do take.
All creatures, howsoe’er they may be named,⁷
Are of long, square, flat, or sharp atoms framed.⁸

¹

Such sympathy there is in every figure,²³
That every several sort do flock together,⁴
As air, water, earth, and⁵ fire,
Which make each element to be entire.
Not but loose atoms like sheep stray⁶ about,          5
And into⁷several places go in⁸ and out,
And some as sheep and kine do mix⁹ together,
Which¹⁰ when they mix, ’tis several change of weather.
But Motion as their shepherd drives them so,
As not to let them out of order go.                             10