On　every　side；　whatever　sum　of　a　world
  Has　been　united　in　a　whole。　They　can
  Indeed；　by　frequent　beating；　check　a　part；
  Till　others　arriving　may　fulfil　the　sum；
  But　meanwhile　often　are　they　forced　to　spring
  Rebounding　back；　and；　as　they　spring；　to　yield；
  Unto　those　elements　whence　a　world　derives；
  Room　and　a　time　for　flight；　permitting　them
  To　be　from　off　the　massy　union　borne
  Free　and　afar。　Wherefore；　again；　again：
  Needs　must　there　come　a　many　for　supply；
  And　also；　that　the　blows　themselves　shall　be
  Unfailing　ever；　must　there　ever　be
  An　infinite　force　of　matter　all　sides　round。
  And　in　these　problems；　shrink；　my　Memmius；　far
  From　yielding　faith　to　that　notorious　talk：
  That　all　things　inward　to　the　centre　press；
  And　thus　the　nature　of　the　world　stands　firm
  With　never　blows　from　outward；　nor　can　be
  Nowhere　disparted…　since　all　height　and　depth
  Have　always　inward　to　the　centre　pressed
  （If　thou　art　ready　to　believe　that　aught
  Itself　can　rest　upon　itself　）；　or　that
  The　ponderous　bodies　which　be　under　earth
  Do　all　press　upwards　and　do　come　to　rest
  Upon　the　earth；　in　some　way　upside　down；
  Like　to　those　images　of　things　we　see
  At　present　through　the　waters。　They　contend；
  With　like　procedure；　that　all　breathing　things
  Head　downward　roam　about；　and　yet　cannot
  Tumble　from　earth　to　realms　of　sky　below；
  No　more　than　these　our　bodies　wing　away
  Spontaneously　to　vaults　of　sky　above；
  That；　when　those　creatures　look　upon　the　sun；
  We　view　the　constellations　of　the　night；
  And　that　with　us　the　seasons　of　the　sky
  They　thus　alternately　divide；　and　thus
  Do　pass　the　night　coequal　to　our　days；
  But　a　vain　error　has　given　these　dreams　to　fools；
  Which　they've　embraced　with　reasoning　perverse
  For　centre　none　can　be　where　world　is　still
  Boundless；　nor　yet；　if　now　a　centre　were；
  Could　aught　take　there　a　fixed　position　more
  Than　for　some　other　cause　'tmight　be　dislodged。
  For　all　of　room　and　space　we　call　the　void
  Must　both　through　centre　and　non…centre　yield
  Alike　to　weights　where'er　their　motions　tend。
  Nor　is　there　any　place；　where；　when　they've　come；
  Bodies　can　be　at　standstill　in　the　void；
  Deprived　of　force　of　weight；　nor　yet　may　void
  Furnish　support　to　any；…　nay；　it　must；
  True　to　its　bent　of　nature；　still　give　way。
  Thus　in　such　manner　not　at　all　can　things
  Be　held　in　union；　as　if　overcome
  By　craving　for　a　centre。
  But　besides；
  Seeing　they　feign　that　not　all　bodies　press
  To　centre　inward；　rather　only　those
  Of　earth　and　water　（liquid　of　the　sea；
  And　the　big　billows　from　the　mountain　slopes；
  And　whatsoever　are　encased；　as　'twere；
  In　earthen　body）；　contrariwise；　they　teach
  How　the　thin　air；　and　with　it　the　hot　fire；
  Is　borne　asunder　from　the　centre；　and　how；
  For　this　all　ether　quivers　with　bright　stars；
  And　the　sun's　flame　along　the　blue　is　fed
  （Because　the　heat；　from　out　the　centre　flying；
  All　gathers　there）；　and　how；　again；　the　boughs
  Upon　the　tree…tops　could　not　sprout　their　leaves；
  Unless；　little　by　little；　from　out　the　earth
  For　each　were　nutriment。。。
  。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。
  Lest；　after　the　manner　of　the　winged　flames；
  The　ramparts　of　the　world　should　flee　away；
  Dissolved　amain　throughout　the　mighty　void；
  And　lest　all　else　should　likewise　follow　after；
  Aye；　lest　the　thundering　vaults　of　heaven　should　burst
  And　splinter　upward；　and　the　earth　forthwith
  Withdraw　from　under　our　feet；　and　all　its　bulk；
  Among　its　mingled　wrecks　and　those　of　heaven；
  With　slipping　asunder　of　the　primal　seeds；
  Should　pass；　along　the　immeasurable　inane；
  Away　forever；　and；　that　instant；　naught
  Of　wrack　and　remnant　would　be　left；　beside
  The　desolate　space；　and　germs　invisible。
  For　on　whatever　side　thou　deemest　first
  The　primal　bodies　lacking；　lo；　that　side
  Will　be　for　things　the　very　door　of　death：
  Wherethrough　the　throng　of　matter　all　will　dash；
  Out　and　abroad。
  These　points；　if　thou　wilt　ponder；
  Then；　with　but　paltry　trouble　led　along。。。
  。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。
  For　one　thing　after　other　will　grow　clear；
  Nor　shall　the　blind　night　rob　thee　of　the　road；
  To　hinder　thy　gaze　on　nature's　Farthest…forth。
  Thus　things　for　things　shall　kindle　torches　new。
  BOOK　II
  PROEM
  'Tis　sweet；　when；　down　the　mighty　main；　the　winds
  Roll　up　its　waste　of　waters；　from　the　land
  To　watch　another's　labouring　anguish　far；
  Not　that　we　joyously　delight　that　man
  Should　thus　be　smitten；　but　because　'tis　sweet
  To　mark　what　evils　we　ourselves　be　spared；
  'Tis　sweet；　again；　to　view　the　mighty　strife
  Of　armies　embattled　yonder　o'er　the　plains；
  Ourselves　no　sharers　in　the　peril；　but　naught
  There　is　more　goodly　than　to　hold　the　high
  Serene　plateaus；　well　fortressed　by　the　wise；
  Whence　thou　may'st　look　below　on　other　men
  And　see　them　ev'rywhere　wand'ring；　all　dispersed
  In　their　lone　seeking　for　the　road　of　life；
  Rivals　in　genius；　or　emulous　in　rank；
  Pressing　through　days　and　nights　with　hugest　toil
  For　summits　of　power　and　mastery　of　the　world。
  O　wretched　minds　of　men！　O　blinded　hearts！
  In　how　great　perils；　in　what　darks　of　life
  Are　spent　the　human　years；　however　brief！…
  O　not　to　see　that　nature　for　herself
  Barks　after　nothing；　save　that　pain　keep　off；
  Disjoined　from　the　body；　and　that　mind　enjoy
  Delightsome　feeling；　far　from　care　and　fear！
  Therefore　we　see　that　our　corporeal　life
  Needs　little；　altogether；　and　only　such
  As　takes　the　pain　away；　and　can　besides
  Strew　underneath　some　number　of　delights。
  More　grateful　'tis　at　times　（for　nature　craves
  No　artifice　nor　luxury）；　if　forsooth
  There　be　no　golden　images　of　boys
  Along　the　halls；　with　right　hands　holding　out
  The　lamps　ablaze；　the　lights　for　evening　feasts；
  And　if　the　house　doth　glitter　not　with　gold
  Nor　gleam　with　silver；　and　to　the　lyre　resound
  No　fretted　and　gilded　ceilings　overhead；
  Yet　still　to　lounge　with　friends　in　the　soft　grass
  Beside　a　river　of　water；　underneath
  A　big　tree's　boughs；　and　merrily　to　refresh
  Our　frames；　with　no　vast　outlay…　most　of　all
  If　the　weather　is　laughing　and　the　times　of　the　year
  Besprinkle　the　green　of　the　grass　around　with　flowers。
  Nor　yet　the　quicker　will　hot　fevers　go；
  If　on　a　pictured　tapestry　thou　toss；
  Or　purple　robe；　than　if　'tis　thine　to　lie
  Upon　the　poor　man's　bedding。　Wherefore；　since
  Treasure；　nor　rank；　nor　glory　of　a　reign
  Avail　us　naught　for　this　our　body；　thus
  Reckon　them　likewise　nothing　for　the　mind：
  Save　then　perchance；　when　thou　beholdest　forth
  Thy　legions　swarming　round　the　Field　of　Mars；
  Rousing　a　mimic　warfare…　either　side
  Strengthened　with　large　auxiliaries　and　horse；
  Alike　equipped　with　arms；　alike　inspired；
  Or　save　when　also　thou　beholdest　forth
  Thy　fleets　to　swarm；　deploying　down　the　sea：
  For　then；　by　such　bright　circumstance　abashed；
  Religion　pales　and　flees　thy　mind；　O　then
  The　fears　of　death　leave　heart　so　free　of　care。
  But　if　we　note　how　all　this　pomp　at　last
  Is　but　a　drollery　and　a　mocking　sport；
  And　of　a　truth　man's　dread；　with　cares　at　heels；
  Dreads　not　these　sounds　of　arms；　these　savage　swords
  But　among　kings　and　lords　of　all　the　world
  Mingles　undaunted；　nor　is　overawed
  By　gleam　of　gold　nor　by　the　splendour　bright
  Of　purple　robe；　canst　thou　then　doubt　that　this
  Is　aught；　but　power　of　thinking？…　when；　besides
  The　whole　of　life　but　labours　in　the　dark。
  For　just　as　children　tremble　and　fear　all
  In　the　viewless　dark；　so　even　we　at　times
  Dread　in　the　light　so　many　things　that　be
  No　whit　more　fearsome　than　what　children　feign；
  Shuddering；　will　be　upon　them　in　the　dark。
  This　terror　then；　this　darkness　of　the　mind；
  Not　sunrise　with　its　flaring　spokes　of　light；
  Nor　glittering　arrows　of　morning　can　disperse；
  But　only　nature's　aspect　and　her　law。
  ATOMIC　MOTIONS
  Now　come：　I　will　untangle　for　thy　steps
  Now　by　what　motions　the　begetting　bodies
  Of　the　world…stuff　beget　the　varied　world；
  And　then　forever　resolve　it　when　begot；
  And　by　what　force　they　are　constrained　to　this；
  And　what　the　speed　appointed　unto　them
  Wherewith　to　travel　down　the　vast　inane：
  Do　thou　remember　to　yield　thee　to　my　words。
  For　truly　matter　coheres　not；　crowds　not　tight；
  Since　we　behold　each　thing　to　wane　away；
  And　we　observe　how　all　flows　on　and　off；
  As　'twere；　with　age…old　time；　and　from　our　eyes
  How　eld　withdraws　each　object　at　the　end；
  Albeit　the　sum　is　seen　to　bide　the　same；
  Unharmed；　because　these　motes　that　leave　each　thing
  Diminish　what　they　part　from；　but　endow
  With　increase　those　to　which　in　turn　they　come；
  Constraining　these　to　wither　in　old　age；
  And　those　to　flower　at　the　prime　（and　yet
  Biding　not　long　among　them）。　Thus　the　sum
  Forever　is　replenished；　and　we　live
  As　mortals　by　eternal　give　and　take。
  The　nations　wax；　the　nations　wane　away；
  In　a　brief　space　the　generations　pass；
  And　like　to　runners　hand　the　lamp　of　life
  One　unto　other。
  But　if　thou　believe
  That　the　primordial　germs　of　things　can　stop；
  And　in　their　stopping　give　new　motions　birth；
  Afar　thou　wanderest　from　the　road　of　truth。
  For　since　they　wander　through　the　void　inane；
  All　the　primordial　germs　of　things　must　needs
  Be　borne　along；　either　by　weight　their　own；
  Or　haply　by　another's　blow　without。
  For；　when；　in　their　incessancy　so　oft
  They　meet　and　clash；　it　comes　to　pass　a