登陆注册
15687200000014

第14章 BOOK II(4)

For naught gives increase and naught takes away;On which account, just as they move to-day, The elemental bodies moved of old And shall the same hereafter evermore.

And what was wont to be begot of old Shall be begotten under selfsame terms And grow and thrive in power, so far as given To each by Nature's changeless, old decrees.

The sum of things there is no power can change, For naught exists outside, to which can flee Out of the world matter of any kind, Nor forth from which a fresh supply can spring, Break in upon the founded world, and change Whole nature of things, and turn their motions about.

ATOMIC FORMS AND THEIR COMBINATIONS

Now come, and next hereafter apprehend What sorts, how vastly different in form, How varied in multitudinous shapes they are-These old beginnings of the universe;

Not in the sense that only few are furnished With one like form, but rather not at all In general have they likeness each with each, No marvel: since the stock of them's so great That there's no end (as I have taught) nor sum, They must indeed not one and all be marked By equal outline and by shape the same.

. . . . . .

Moreover, humankind, and the mute flocks Of scaly creatures swimming in the streams, And joyous herds around, and all the wild, And all the breeds of birds- both those that teem In gladsome regions of the water-haunts, About the river-banks and springs and pools, And those that throng, flitting from tree to tree, Through trackless woods- Go, take which one thou wilt, In any kind: thou wilt discover still Each from the other still unlike in shape.

Nor in no other wise could offspring know Mother, nor mother offspring- which we see They yet can do, distinguished one from other, No less than human beings, by clear signs.

Thus oft before fair temples of the gods, Beside the incense-burning altars slain, Drops down the yearling calf, from out its breast Breathing warm streams of blood; the orphaned mother, Ranging meanwhile green woodland pastures round, Knows well the footprints, pressed by cloven hoofs, With eyes regarding every spot about, For sight somewhere of youngling gone from her;And, stopping short, filleth the leafy lanes With her complaints; and oft she seeks again Within the stall, pierced by her yearning still.

Nor tender willows, nor dew-quickened grass, Nor the loved streams that glide along low banks, Can lure her mind and turn the sudden pain;Nor other shapes of calves that graze thereby Distract her mind or lighten pain the least-So keen her search for something known and hers.

Moreover, tender kids with bleating throats Do know their horned dams, and butting lambs The flocks of sheep, and thus they patter on, Unfailingly each to its proper teat, As nature intends. Lastly, with any grain, Thou'lt see that no one kernel in one kind Is so far like another, that there still Is not in shapes some difference running through.

By a like law we see how earth is pied With shells and conchs, where, with soft waves, the sea Beats on the thirsty sands of curving shores.

Wherefore again, again, since seeds of things Exist by nature, nor were wrought with hands After a fixed pattern of one other, They needs must flitter to and fro with shapes In types dissimilar to one another.

. . . . . .

Easy enough by thought of mind to solve Why fires of lightning more can penetrate Than these of ours from pitch-pine born on earth.

For thou canst say lightning's celestial fire, So subtle, is formed of figures finer far, And passes thus through holes which this our fire, Born from the wood, created from the pine, Cannot. Again, light passes through the horn On the lantern's side, while rain is dashed away.

And why?- unless those bodies of light should be Finer than those of water's genial showers.

We see how quickly through a colander The wines will flow; how, on the other hand, The sluggish olive-oil delays: no doubt, Because 'tis wrought of elements more large, Or else more crook'd and intertangled. Thus It comes that the primordials cannot be So suddenly sundered one from other, and seep, One through each several hole of anything.

And note, besides, that liquor of honey or milk Yields in the mouth agreeable taste to tongue, Whilst nauseous wormwood, pungent centaury, With their foul flavour set the lips awry;Thus simple 'tis to see that whatsoever Can touch the senses pleasingly are made Of smooth and rounded elements, whilst those Which seem the bitter and the sharp, are held Entwined by elements more crook'd, and so Are wont to tear their ways into our senses, And rend our body as they enter in.

In short all good to sense, all bad to touch, Being up-built of figures so unlike, Are mutually at strife- lest thou suppose That the shrill rasping of a squeaking saw Consists of elements as smooth as song Which, waked by nimble fingers, on the strings The sweet musicians fashion; or suppose That same-shaped atoms through men's nostrils pierce When foul cadavers burn, as when the stage Is with Cilician saffron sprinkled fresh, And the altar near exhales Panchaean scent;Or hold as of like seed the goodly hues Of things which feast our eyes, as those which sting Against the smarting pupil and draw tears, Or show, with gruesome aspect, grim and vile.

For never a shape which charms our sense was made Without some elemental smoothness; whilst Whate'er is harsh and irksome has been framed Still with some roughness in its elements.

Some, too, there are which justly are supposed To be nor smooth nor altogether hooked, With bended barbs, but slightly angled-out, To tickle rather than to wound the sense-And of which sort is the salt tartar of wine And flavours of the gummed elecampane.

Again, that glowing fire and icy rime Are fanged with teeth unlike whereby to sting Our body's sense, the touch of each gives proof.

For touch- by sacred majesties of Gods!-

Touch is indeed the body's only sense-

同类推荐
  • 佛说八种长养功德经

    佛说八种长养功德经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 宪宗章武孝皇帝挽歌

    宪宗章武孝皇帝挽歌

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 兵典

    兵典

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 正朝摘梅

    正朝摘梅

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • Prior Analytics

    Prior Analytics

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 我是天秤座女孩

    我是天秤座女孩

    天秤座女孩陈雨萌是一个天真活泼的女孩,在上学期中她表现的十分大度,一次竞选班长的竞选会上,她把班长一职让给了周燕玲,因此班上的同学对她都愿意和她做好朋友。另一方面,欧阳天天是一个留守儿童,父母都在外地打工,因此变得的稳重和学习方面的优秀,陈雨萌对他格外关注。下学期转来了一个家境殷实,学习更为优秀的女生刘欣悦。刘欣悦为人大方,总是把自己父亲从国外带回的小礼品转赠给其他同学,博得了全班同学的好评。陈雨萌的几个好朋友都和刘欣悦成为了好朋友,而陈雨萌却以为是刘欣悦从她的身边夺走了朋友对她的关注和关心,于是她决定报复刘欣悦,天秤座的两端不在平衡......
  • 冷情校花PK霸道少爷

    冷情校花PK霸道少爷

    伊朵,你终于回来了,这次,我再也不会放手了!笑话,你以为你是谁,你以为我还是当时那个软弱无能的小女孩,看清楚了,现在站在你面前的,是5年后破茧成蝶的伊朵,不是你以前的伊朵!5年前,他们曾相爱;5年后,他在她眼里读到冷漠可是,就算5年,10年,他依旧爱她。他已错过她5年,这次,他再也不会让她从他身边逃开。
  • 错婚成瘾:恶少,有鬼啊!

    错婚成瘾:恶少,有鬼啊!

    她是不祥之人,从小被遗弃,却被威胁代姐出嫁。他是韩氏总裁,命中克妻无子,冷酷而腹黑。“老公,宝宝是怎么生出来的……”“闭嘴!”她成了恶少的小女佣,没事还得斗斗白莲。“呀,老公,你身后有只鬼!”“……赶走!”两人联手查命案,渡亡灵,只为破解七大劫魔咒。“老婆快上来!老公教你生宝宝~”她囧红脸,默默盯着他像站~街似的卖力吆喝……
  • 朝朝暮暮相见欢

    朝朝暮暮相见欢

    晏欢觉得慕朝朝就是他完美人生的BUG无论是游戏还是现实她总会出人意表,给他带来不一样的意外晏欢大神的心安定不下来了,所以他决定要修复这个BUG很久之后,慕朝朝听闻这个说法,一脸懵然的问晏欢:“你修复的方式就是不管游戏还是现实睡我睡我再睡我吗?”
  • 守护甜心之心的破碎

    守护甜心之心的破碎

    圣夜学园的日奈森亚梦被谣传为十分厉害的小学生,所有人(包括她的亲人)都认为她是个酷毙火辣的女孩。实际上外表冷漠、酷毙火辣、帅气的她是个善良的女孩,为了掩饰自己的怯弱而失去自己。终于,亚梦祈求守护灵能赐予她变成真实自己的勇气。令她吃惊的是第二天床上出现了三只蛋。另一方面,学校有一支队伍——守护者......
  • 刘墉传奇

    刘墉传奇

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 李雷和韩梅梅的失败与伟大

    李雷和韩梅梅的失败与伟大

    和你结婚的是不是最初的李雷?你的梦想落空了吗?你要的未来还会来吗?你说,你出人头地的时候,要给我一栋面朝大海的房,让我在涨潮声中醒来。我说,如果爱上一个浪子就陪他浪迹天涯和海角。可是,谁的青春有一张永远不老的脸?或者你也和我一样,笑着说来日方长,蓦然回首,却只看到昨日的人海茫茫……【本书出版方只授权部分章节供您免费阅读,请购买正版实体书阅读全部内容】
  • 乱世邪君:独宠逆天弃妃

    乱世邪君:独宠逆天弃妃

    她是21世纪的金牌杀手!一朝穿越,不到一日就被打入冷宫。小小冷宫,她并不放在眼里,想出就出,想进就进。欺她者,百倍还之!害她者,百倍虐之!“卿本佳人,奈何是这么的桀骜不驯。”"难道女子就该温柔似水吗?这是哪门子的歪理!"“歪理也是理,成为朕的女人,朕会守护你一生一世!”他是乱世之中的腹黑帝王,冷血无情,杀伐果断,却因一人而改变,明明深爱,却又不能爱,既然如此就将你此生禁锢在我的身边。就这样看着,足以!本文1v1宠文,大家可以放心追文!本书读者群:562361487
  • 端木乑传奇

    端木乑传奇

    一男子因被出卖,造成万劫不复的处境,但又大难不死,被一强盗救起,后体验人生的,种种不满和悲伤,悟出人生人理,一场一样的江湖就此来临,故事也就此开始,江湖恩怨,生生不息,只因为心中还有一份豪情,从而浪迹天涯,解得千万苦民深渊。
  • 巫灵蛊师

    巫灵蛊师

    武城人士佟飒柯为救身患重疾的妻子,不辞辛苦来到传说中可医治百病的墨玉道观求药。巧遇了被禁锢在墨玉山上的自称是蛊师的言沐,这个失忆的蛊师以搭救佟飒柯之妻为条件,在佟飒柯身上施了巫蛊缚术咒,使得自己脱困,于佟飒柯一同下山。为寻找丢失的记忆,蛊师重返世间。贪财好色的江湖药师,痴情多才的蛊女,还有那不知可否唤醒的睡梦人,蛊师和他们的命运奇迹般的交织在一起,开启了他们另一种生命的历程。