Bodies are fed with things of mortall kind, And so are subiect to mortalitie; But _Truth_ which is eternall, feeds the mind; The _Tree of life_, which will not let her die. VIOLENCE CANNOT DESTROY HER. _Yet violence_, perhaps the _Soule_ destroyes: As lightning, or the _sun-beames_ dim the sight; Or as a thunder-clap, or cannons' noyse, The power of hearing doth astonish quite. But high perfection to the _Soule_ it brings, T' encounter things most excellent and high; For, when she views the best and greatest things They do not hurt, but rather cleare her[149] eye, Besides,--as _Homer's gods_ 'gainst armies stand,-- Her subtill forme can through all dangers slide; _Bodies are captiue_, _minds_ endure no band, "And Will is free, and can no force abide. TIME CANNOT DESTROY HER. _But lastly_, _Time_ perhaps at last hath power To spend her liuely powers, and quench her light; But old god _Saturne_ which doth all deuoure, Doth cherish her, and still augment her might. Heauen waxeth old, and all the _spheres_ aboue Shall one day faint, and their swift motion stay; And _Time_ it selfe in time shall cease to moue; _Onely the Soule suruives_, and liues for aye. "Our Bodies, euery footstep that they make, "March towards death, vntill at last they die; "Whether we worke, or play, or sleepe, or wake, "Our life doth passe, and with _Time's_ wings doth flie: But to the _Soule_ Time doth perfection giue, And ads fresh lustre to her beauty still; And makes her in eternall youth to liue, Like her which nectar to the gods doth fill.[150] The more she liues, the more she feeds on _Truth_; The more she feeds, her _strength_ doth more increase: And what is _strength_, but an effect of _youth_? Which if _Time_ nurse, how can it euer cease? [Footnote 149: Thomas Davies and Southey, as before, misread 'the.' G.] OBJECTIONS AGAINST THE IMMORTALITIE OF THE SOULE. _But now_ these _Epicures_ begin to smile, And say, my doctrine is more false then true; And that I fondly doe my selfe beguile, While these receiu'd opinions I ensue. [Footnote 150: Hebe. G.] OBJECTION I. For what, say they, doth not the _Soule_ waxe old? How comes it then that agèd men doe dote; And that their braines grow sottish, dull and cold, Which were in youth the onely spirits of note? What? are not _Soules_ within themselues corrupted? How can there idiots then by nature bee? How is it that some wits are interrupted, That now they dazeled are, now clearely see? ANSWERE. _These questions_ make a subtill argument, To such as thinke both _sense_ and _reason_ one; To whom nor agent, from the instrument, Nor power of working, from the work is known.