All these be knots of th’ universall stole Of sacred _Psyche_; which at first was fine, Pure, thin, and pervious till hid powers did pull Together in severall points and did encline The nearer parts in one clod to combine. Those centrall spirits that the parts did draw The measure of each globe did then define, Made things impenetrable here below, Gave colour, figure, motion, and each usuall law. 13 And what is done in this Terrestriall starre The same is done in every Orb beside. Each flaming Circle that we see from farre Is but a knot in _Psyches_ garment tide. From that lax shadow cast throughout the wide And endlesse world, that low’st projection Of universall life each thing’s deriv’d What e’re appeareth in corporeall fashion; For body’s but this spirit, fixt, grosse by conspissation. 14 And that which doth conspissate active is; Wherefore not matter but some living sprite Of nimble Nature which this lower mist And immense field of Atoms doth excite, And wake into such life as best doth fit With his own self. As we change phantasies The essence of our soul not chang’d a whit, So do these Atoms change their energies Themselves unchanged into new Centreïties. 15 And as our soul’s not superficially Colourd by phantasms, nor doth them reflect As doth a looking-glasse such imag’rie As it to the beholder doth detect: No more are these lightly or smear’d or deckt With form or motion which in them we see, But from their inmost Centre they project Their vitall rayes, not merely passive be, But by occasion wak’d rouze up themselves on high. 16 So that they’re life, form, sprite, not matter pure, For matter pure is a pure nullitie, What nought can act is nothing, I am sure; And if all act, that is they’ll not denie But all that is is form: so easily By what is true, and by what they embrace For truth, their feigned Corporalitie Will vanish into smoke, but on I’ll passe, More fully we have sung this in another place. 17 Wherefore more boldly now to represent The nature of the world, how first things were How now they are: This endlesse large Extent Of lowest life (which I styled whileere The _Cuspis_ of the _Cone_ that’s every where) Was first all dark, till in this spacious Hall Hideous through silent horrour torches clear And lamping lights bright shining over all Were set up in due distances proportionall. 18