Many　a　consolation；　lest　perchance；
  Still　bridled　by　religion；　thou　suppose
  Lands；　sun；　and　sky；　sea；　constellations；　moon；
  Must　dure　forever；　as　of　frame　divine…
  And　so　conclude　that　it　is　just　that　those；
  （After　the　manner　of　the　Giants）；　should　all
  Pay　the　huge　penalties　for　monstrous　crime；
  Who　by　their　reasonings　do　overshake
  The　ramparts　of　the　universe　and　wish
  There　to　put　out　the　splendid　sun　of　heaven；
  Branding　with　mortal　talk　immortal　things…
  Though　these　same　things　are　even　so　far　removed
  From　any　touch　of　deity　and　seem
  So　far　unworthy　of　numbering　with　the　gods；
  That　well　they　may　be　thought　to　furnish　rather
  A　goodly　instance　of　the　sort　of　things
  That　lack　the　living　motion；　living　sense。
  For　sure　'tis　quite　beside　the　mark　to　think
  That　judgment　and　the　nature　of　the　mind
  In　any　kind　of　body　can　exist…
  Just　as　in　ether　can't　exist　a　tree；
  Nor　clouds　in　the　salt　sea；　nor　in　the　fields
  Can　fishes　live；　nor　blood　in　timber　be；
  Nor　sap　in　boulders：　fixed　and　arranged
  Where　everything　may　grow　and　have　its　place。
  Thus　nature　of　mind　cannot　arise　alone
  Without　the　body；　nor　have　its　being　far
  From　thews　and　blood。　Yet　if　'twere　possible？…
  Much　rather　might　this　very　power　of　mind
  Be　in　the　head；　the　shoulders；　or　the　heels；
  And；　born　in　any　part　soever；　yet
  In　the　same　man；　in　the　same　vessel　abide
  But　since　within　this　body　even　of　ours
  Stands　fixed　and　appears　arranged　sure
  Where　soul　and　mind　can　each　exist　and　grow；
  Deny　we　must　the　more　that　they　can　dure
  Outside　the　body　and　the　breathing　form
  In　rotting　clods　of　earth；　in　the　sun's　fire；
  In　water；　or　in　ether's　skiey　coasts。
  Therefore　these　things　no　whit　are　furnished
  With　sense　divine；　since　never　can　they　be
  With　life…force　quickened。
  Likewise；　thou　canst　ne'er
  Believe　the　sacred　seats　of　gods　are　here
  In　any　regions　of　this　mundane　world；
  Indeed；　the　nature　of　the　gods；　so　subtle；
  So　far　removed　from　these　our　senses；　scarce
  Is　seen　even　by　intelligence　of　mind。
  And　since　they've　ever　eluded　touch　and　thrust
  Of　human　hands；　they　cannot　reach　to　grasp
  Aught　tangible　to　us。　For　what　may　not
  Itself　be　touched　in　turn　can　never　touch。
  Wherefore；　besides；　also　their　seats　must　be
  Unlike　these　seats　of　ours；…　even　subtle　too；
  As　meet　for　subtle　essence…　as　I'll　prove
  Hereafter　unto　thee　with　large　discourse。
  Further；　to　say　that　for　the　sake　of　men
  They　willed　to　prepare　this　world's　magnificence；
  And　that　'tis　therefore　duty　and　behoof
  To　praise　the　work　of　gods　as　worthy　praise；
  And　that　'tis　sacrilege　for　men　to　shake
  Ever　by　any　force　from　out　their　seats
  What　hath　been　stablished　by　the　Forethought　old
  To　everlasting　for　races　of　mankind；
  And　that　'tis　sacrilege　to　assault　by　words
  And　overtopple　all　from　base　to　beam；…
  Memmius；　such　notions　to　concoct　and　pile；
  Is　verily…　to　dote。　Our　gratefulness；
  O　what　emoluments　could　it　confer
  Upon　Immortals　and　upon　the　Blessed
  That　they　should　take　a　step　to　manage　aught
  For　sake　of　us？　Or　what　new　factor　could；
  After　so　long　a　time；　inveigle　them…
  The　hitherto　reposeful…　to　desire
  To　change　their　former　life？　For　rather　he
  Whom　old　things　chafe　seems　likely　to　rejoice
  At　new；　but　one　that　in　fore…passed　time
  Hath　chanced　upon　no　ill；　through　goodly　years；
  O　what　could　ever　enkindle　in　such　an　one
  Passion　for　strange　experiment？　Or　what
  The　evil　for　us；　if　we　had　ne'er　been　born？…
  As　though；　forsooth；　in　darkling　realms　and　woe
  Our　life　were　lying　till　should　dawn　at　last
  The　day…spring　of　creation！　Whosoever
  Hath　been　begotten　wills　perforce　to　stay
  In　life；　so　long　as　fond　delight　detains；
  But　whoso　ne'er　hath　tasted　love　of　life；
  And　ne'er　was　in　the　count　of　living　things；
  What　hurts　it　him　that　he　was　never　born？
  Whence；　further；　first　was　planted　in　the　gods
  The　archetype　for　gendering　the　world
  And　the　fore…notion　of　what　man　is　like；
  So　that　they　knew　and　pre…conceived　with　mind
  Just　what　they　wished　to　make？　Or　how　were　known
  Ever　the　energies　of　primal　germs；
  And　what　those　germs；　by　interchange　of　place；
  Could　thus　produce；　if　nature's　self　had　not
  Given　example　for　creating　all？
  For　in　such　wise　primordials　of　things；
  Many　in　many　modes；　astir　by　blows
  From　immemorial　aeons；　in　motion　too
  By　their　own　weights；　have　evermore　been　wont
  To　be　so　borne　along　and　in　all　modes
  To　meet　together　and　to　try　all　sorts
  Which；　by　combining　one　with　other；　they
  Are　powerful　to　create；　that　thus　it　is
  No　marvel　now；　if　they　have　also　fallen
  Into　arrangements　such；　and　if　they've　passed
  Into　vibrations　such；　as　those　whereby
  This　sum　of　things　is　carried　on　to…day
  By　fixed　renewal。　But　knew　I　never　what
  The　seeds　primordial　were；　yet　would　I　dare
  This　to　affirm；　even　from　deep　judgments　based
  Upon　the　ways　and　conduct　of　the　skies…
  This　to　maintain　by　many　a　fact　besides…
  That　in　no　wise　the　nature　of　all　things
  For　us　was　fashioned　by　a　power　divine…
  So　great　the　faults　it　stands　encumbered　with。
  First；　mark　all　regions　which　are　overarched
  By　the　prodigious　reaches　of　the　sky：
  One　yawning　part　thereof　the　mountain…chains
  And　forests　of　the　beasts　do　have　and　hold；
  And　cliffs；　and　desert　fens；　and　wastes　of　sea
  （Which　sunder　afar　the　beaches　of　the　lands）
  Possess　it　merely；　and；　again；　thereof
  Well…nigh　two…thirds　intolerable　heat
  And　a　perpetual　fall　of　frost　doth　rob
  From　mortal　kind。　And　what　is　left　to　till；
  Even　that　the　force　of　nature　would　o'errun
  With　brambles；　did　not　human　force　oppose；…
  Long　wont　for　livelihood　to　groan　and　sweat
  Over　the　two…pronged　mattock　and　to　cleave
  The　soil　in　twain　by　pressing　on　the　plough。
  。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。
  Unless；　by　the　ploughshare　turning　the　fruitful　clods
  And　kneading　the　mould；　we　quicken　into　birth；
  ＇The　crops＇　spontaneously　could　not　come　up
  Into　the　free　bright　air。　Even　then　sometimes；
  When　things　acquired　by　the　sternest　toil
  Are　now　in　leaf；　are　now　in　blossom　all；
  Either　the　skiey　sun　with　baneful　heats
  Parches；　or　sudden　rains　or　chilling　rime
  Destroys；　or　flaws　of　winds　with　furious　whirl
  Torment　and　twist。　Beside　these　matters；　why
  Doth　nature　feed　and　foster　on　land　and　sea
  The　dreadful　breed　of　savage　beasts；　the　foes
  Of　the　human　clan？　Why　do　the　seasons　bring
  Distempers　with　them？　Wherefore　stalks　at　large
  Death；　so　untimely？　Then；　again；　the　babe；
  Like　to　the　castaway　of　the　raging　surf；
  Lies　naked　on　the　ground；　speechless；　in　want
  Of　every　help　for　life；　when　nature　first
  Hath　poured　him　forth　upon　the　shores　of　light
  With　birth…pangs　from　within　the　mother's　womb；
  And　with　a　plaintive　wail　he　fills　the　place；…
  As　well　befitting　one　for　whom　remains
  In　life　a　journey　through　so　many　ills。
  But　all　the　flocks　and　herds　and　all　wild　beasts
  Come　forth　and　grow；　nor　need　the　little　rattles；
  Nor　must　be　treated　to　the　humouring　nurse's
  Dear；　broken　chatter；　nor　seek　they　divers　clothes
  To　suit　the　changing　skies；　nor　need；　in　fine；
  Nor　arms；　nor　lofty　ramparts；　wherewithal
  Their　own　to　guard…　because　the　earth　herself
  And　nature；　artificer　of　the　world；　bring　forth
  Aboundingly　all　things　for　all。
  THE　WORLD　IS　NOT　ETERNAL
  And　first；
  Since　body　of　earth　and　water；　air's　light　breath；
  And　fiery　exhalations　（of　which　four
  This　sum　of　things　is　seen　to　be　compact）
  So　all　have　birth　and　perishable　frame；
  Thus　the　whole　nature　of　the　world　itself
  Must　be　conceived　as　perishable　too。
  For；　verily；　those　things　of　which　we　see
  The　parts　and　members　to　have　birth　in　time
  And　perishable　shapes；　those　same　we　mark
  To　be　invariably　born　in　time
  And　born　to　die。　And　therefore　when　I　see
  The　mightiest　members　and　the　parts　of　this
  Our　world　consumed　and　begot　again；
  'Tis　mine　to　know　that　also　sky　above
  And　earth　beneath　began　of　old　in　time
  And　shall　in　time　go　under　to　disaster。
  And　lest　in　these　affairs　thou　deemest　me
  To　have　seized　upon　this　point　by　sleight　to　serve
  My　own　caprice…　because　I　have　assumed
  That　earth　and　fire　are　mortal　things　indeed；
  And　have　not　doubted　water　and　the　air
  Both　perish　too　and　have　affirmed　the　same
  To　be　again　begotten　and　wax　big…
  Mark　well　the　argument：　in　first　place；　lo；
  Some　certain　parts　of　earth；　grievously　parched
  By　unremitting　suns；　and　trampled　on
  By　a　vast　throng　of　feet；　exhale　abroad
  A　powdery　haze　and　flying　clouds　of　dust；
  Which　the　stout　winds　disperse　in　the　whole　air。
  A　part；　moreover；　of　her　sod　and　soil
  Is　summoned　to　inundation　by　the　rains；
  And　rivers　graze　and　gouge　the　banks　away。
  Besides；　whatever　takes　a　part　its　own
  In　fostering　and　increasing　＇aught＇。。。
  。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。
  Is　rendered　back；　and　since；　beyond　a　doubt；
  Earth；　the　all…mother；　is　beheld　to　be
  Likewise　the　common　sepulchre　of　things；
  Therefore　thou　seest　her　minished　of　her　plenty；
  And　then　again　augmented　with　new　growth。
  And　for　the　rest；　that　sea；　and　streams；　and　springs
  Forever　with　new　waters　overflow；
  And　that　perennially　the　fluids　well；
  Needeth　no　words…　the　mighty　flux　itself
  Of　multitudinous　waters　round　about
  Declareth　this。　But　whatso　water　first
  Streams　up　is　ever　straightway　carried　off；
  And　thus　it　comes　to　pass　that　all　in　all
  There