For whatsoever that their number be
Whether by seavens, or eighths, or fives, or nines,
They round each fixed lamp; Infinity
Will be redoubled thus by many times.
Besides each greater Planet th’ attendance finds
Of lesser. Our _Earths_ handmaid is the Moon,
Which to her darkned side right duly shines,
And _Jove_ hath foure, as hath been said aboven,
And _Saturn_ more then foure if the plain truth were known.
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And if these globes be regions of life
And severall kinds of plants therein do grow,
Grasse, flowers, hearbs, trees, which the impartiall knife
Of all consuming Time still down doth mow,
And new again doth in succession show:
Which also ’s done in flies, birds, men and beasts;
Adde sand, pearls, pebbles, that the ground do strow
Leaves, quills, hairs, thorns, blooms, you may think the rest
Their kinds by mortall penne can not well be exprest:
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And if their kinds no man may reckon well,
The summe of successive particulars
No mind conceive nor tongue can ever tell.
And yet this mist of numbers (as appears)
Belongs to one of these opacous sphears.
Suppose this _Earth_; what then will all those Rounds
Produce? No _Atlas_ such a load upbears.
In this huge endlesse heap o’rewhelmed, drownd,
Choak’d, stifled, lo! I lie, breathlesse, even quite confound.
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Yet give me space a while but to respire,
And I my self shal fairly well out-wind;
Keep this position true, unhurt, entire,
That you no greater difficulty find
In this new old opinion here defin’d
Of infinite worlds, then one world doth imply.
For if we do with steddy patience mind
All is resolv’d int’ one absurdity,
The grant of something greater then infinitie.
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That God is infinite all men confesse,
And that the Creature is some realty
Besides Gods self, though infinitely lesse.
Joyn now the world unto the Deity.
What? is there added no more entitie
By this conjunction, then there was before?
Is the broad breasted earth? the spacious skie
Spangled with silver light, and burning Ore?
And the wide bellowing seas, whose boyling billows roar,
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Are all these nothing? But you will reply;
As is the question so we ought restrain
Our answer unto Corporeity.
But that the phantasie of the body’s vain
I did before unto you maken plain.
But that no man depart unsatisfi’d
A while this Universe here will we feigne
_Corporeall_, till we have gainly tride.
If ought that’s bodily may infinite abide.
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