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النشر الإلكتروني

POEMS

OF

HENRY BROOKE.

UNIVERSAL BEAUTY:

A PHILOSOPHICAL POEM,

IN SIX BOOKS.

TRITO

UNIVERSAL BEAUTY.

RITONIA! goddess of the new-born skies, Birth-day of Heav'n, wise daughter of th' Allwise;

Πάντα δι αυτῷ ἐγένετο· καὶ χωρὶς αυτᾶ ἐγένετο ἐδὲ ἕν, ὁ When from Jove's head in perfect sapience born,

γέγονεν.

Εν αυτῷ ζωη ἦν, καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἤν το φως των ανθρώπων.
Καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐν τῆ σκολίᾳ φαίνει, καὶ ἡ σκολία ἀυὸ ὦ καλέλαβεν.

BOOK I.

The author introduces his work with a general sur-
vey of the whole, in nature of the plan or argu-
ment; and then commences a-new with a de-
monstration, a priori, of the being and attributes
of God. Thence proceeds to creation, in which
he endeavours at an opinion of the manner, as
near as possible he may; as also of the nature
and difference of the substances of spirit and
matter; the economy of the universe; the as-
tronomic system, physics, anatomy, and most
branches of natural philosophy; in which the
technical terms are as few, and the whole ex-
plained and made as easy and obvious as pos-
sible. The connection, dependence, use, and
beauty, of the whole. Man considered; the na-
ture of his being; the manner of his attaining
knowledge; the analysis of the mind, faculties,
affections, and passions; how they consist in
each individual, and in the species. The nature
of freedom; that it is not in the will; what it

is, and wherein it consists, demonstrated. Of
vice, misery, virtue, and happiness; their na-
The whole being
ture and final tendency.
wrought into one natural and connected scheme,
the author rises whence he began, and ends with
a poetical rhapsody in the contemplation of the
beauty of the whole.

VOL. XVII.

Of Heaven you rose the first empyreal morn,
As erst descend-

To mortals thy immortal charms display,
And in our lake thy heavenly form survey!

11

Or rather thou, whom ancient prophet styles
Venus Urania! born the babe of smiles,
When from the deep thy bright emergence sprung,
And Nature on thy form divinely hung;
Whose steps, by Loves and Graces kiss'd, advance,
And laughing Hours lead on the sprightly dance;
While Time, within eternal durance bound,
Harmonious moves on golden hinges round-
Such, goddess! as when Silence wondering gaz'd,
And even thyself beheld thyself amaz'd;
Such haply by that Côon artist known,
Seated apparent queen on Fancy's throne;

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Such, goddess! through this virgin foliage shine; Let kindling beauties glow through every line, And every eye confess the work divine.

O say, while yet, nor time, nor place was found, And space immense in its own depth was drown'd; If nothing was, or something yet was not, Or though to be, e'erwhile was unbegot; If caus'd, then how?-if causeless, why effect? (No hand to form, nor model to direct) Why ever made?-so soon?-or why so late? What chance, what will, what freedom, or what fate?

30

Matter, and spirit, fire, air, ocean, earth;
All Nature born, nor conscious of its birth!.
Alike unconscious did the womb disclose,
And nothing wonder'd whence this something rose-
Then, by what power?-or what such power could
move?

38

Wisdom, or chance?-necessity, or love?
O, from what root could such high plenty grow?
From what deep fount such boundless oceans flow?
What fund could such unwearied wealth afford?
Subjects unnumber'd! where, O where's your lord?
Whence are your attributes of time and place
Won from eternity and boundless space?
Motion from rest? just order from misrule?
A world from nought?-all empty, now all full!
From silence harmony? from darkness light?
And beamy day from everlasting night?
Light, matter, motion, music, order, laws!
And silent dark nonentity the cause?

50

But chance, you'll say-I ask you, chance of what,
If nothing was?'t is answer'd, chance of nought.
Alike from matter mov'd, could Beauty rise,
The florid planets, and gay ambient skies;
Or painted skies, and rolling orbs, dispense
Perception, life, thought, reason, judgment, sense.
Mysterious Thought! swift angel of the mind!
By space unbounded, though to space confin'd,
How dost thou glow with just disdain, how scorn,
That thought could ever think thee earthly born?
Thou who canst distance motion in thy flight,
Wing with aspiring plume the wondrous height,
Swifter than light outspeed the flame of day,
Pierce through the dark profound, and shame the
darting ray;

61

70

Throughout the universal system range,
New form old systems, and new systems change;
Through nature traffic on, from pole to pole,
And stamp new worlds on thy dilated soul;
(By time unlimited, unbound by space)
Sure demonstration of thy heavenly race,
Deriv'd from that, which is deriv'd from none,
Which ever is-but of Himself alone! [in vain,
O could'st thou search-nor may'st thou search
Haply some glimpse, some dawning to obtain,
Some taste divine of thy eternal spring,
Above those Heliconian bards to sing-
How He who inaccessible remains,
Yet omnipresent through all nature reigns;

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80

Whose age blooms ever in eternal youth,
His substance, beauty, and essential truth,
Essential truth! and beauty's charm! in course,
Of boundless love the ever boundless source!
Of boundless love, which would not, could not miss,
To be the boundless source of boundless bliss!-
Beatitude, rejecting all access!

Repletion, never to be more, nor less!
Why this ineffable, this inexpress'd,

93

This fulness in himself, past utterance bless'd,
Spontaneous pour'd these wondrous worlds around,
And fill'd with blessings this immense profound?
Swift roll'd the spheres to their appointed place,
Jocund through Heaven to run the various race;
Orb within orb in living circlets turn,
And central suns through every system burn;
Revolving planets on their gods attend,
And tow'rds each sun with awful reverence bend;
Still tow'rds the lov'd enliv'ning beam they wheel,
And pant, and tremble, like the amorous steel.
They spring, they revel in the blaze of day, [ray;
Bathe in the golden stream, and drink the orient
Their blithe satellites with lively glance, 101
Celestial equipage, around them dance;
All, distance due, and beauteous order keep,
And spinning soft, upon their centres sleep:
The eternal clue the mazy labyrinth guides,
While each in his appointed movement glides;
Transverse, elliptic, oblique, round they run;
Like atoms wanton in the morning Sun;
The seeming vagrants joy to cheat the view,
These turn, these change, these fly, and these pur-
Th' implicit discipline to order tends,
[sue;
And still in regular confusion ends—
Each to his native vortex is assign'd,
And magic circles every system bind;
A deeper charm each individual holds,
And firm within its atmosphere enfolds;
The secret spell, through every part, and whole,
Distinct, entire, invades it like a soul;
Its atoms at the amorous touch cohere,
And knit, in universal wedlock share.

109

120

130

All-teeming wedlock! on the genial hour, Space furnish'd out one boundless nuptial bow'r; Ten thousand thousand worlds, profusely gay, The pomp of bridal ornament displayHow modified, here needless to be told; Whether terrene, or of ethereous mould; Gross, porous, firm, opaque, condense, or rare; Or argent, with celestial tempering clear; Pellucid, to imbibe the streaming light; Or dun, but with reflected radiance bright; Or dazzling shrine, or of corporeal leaven, Terrestrial, that unfold an earthly Heaven Unspeakable! their landscape hill, and dale, The lowly sweetness of the flowery vale, The mount elate that rises in delight, The flying lawns that wanton from the sight, The florid theatres, romantic scenes, The steepy mountains, and luxuriant plains, 158 Delicious regions! plants, woods, waters, glades, Grots, arbours, flowrets, downs, and rural shades, The brooks that sportive wind the echoing hills, The pearly founts, smooth lakes, and murmuring Myriads of Edens! blissful, blissful seats! [rills— Arcadian groves, sweet Tempe's blest retreats,

Ver. 115. A deeper charm.] Attraction or gravitation.

Delightful Ennas, and Hesperian isles,

Nor such inelegant, nor less demand

219

And round, and round throughout, Elysium smiles-The curious texture of th' Almighty hand:
Consummate joy, peace, pleasure without end,
Through mansions numberless their guests attend,
Nor long inanimate-As when some cloud
Throws on the beamy noon her sable shroud, 150
Wide o'er the green a dusk and stillness creep,
And glittering swarms beneath the verdure sleep;
Quick, and at once, the drowsy shade gives way;
At once breaks forth the bright enlivening ray;
At once, the gay, the quickening insects rise,
And gilded squadrons strike our wond'ring eyes;
Music flies wanton from ten thousand wings,
And life and joy through every region rings-
Or when glad news some sudden transport start,
The flood swells instant in the labouring heart;
The limbs its lively energy attest,

Thrice happy all, and lords of wide domains,
Celestial vales and elemental plains!
One is the flood which universal flows;
And hence the reptile, hence the seraph glows:
Still equal, though inequal, that and this;
Since fulness bounds, and all are fill'd with bliss.
Now had the Eternal Architect supreme,
In amplitude stretch'd out this wondrous frame,
Equip'd magnificent the house of God, [abode!
Through height, and depth, his boundless, blest
One house, one world, one universe divine,
Where countless orbs through countless systems
shine;

161

And catch contagion from th' exulting breast;
Tumultuous, through our little world it flies,
Smiles in the dimpling cheek, and lightens from
the eyes-

170

Or-or yet beyond compare-as wide
As spaces endless from some point divide,
Sudden the universal world conceives;
As sudden, Nature with her. burden heaves;
Quick pulses through each throbbing art'ry beat,
And all the matron glows with genial heat;
At once reveals her offspring to the sight;
Up spring the numbers numberless, to light!
The one, the various, blessed, glorious birth,
Of every world, Heaven, ocean, air, and earth-
Diverse, throughout their infinite abodes;
Their essence, nature, virtues, forms, and modes
Ineffable! that mock where fancy soars,
Or what the deep of deepest thought explores,
By visionary semblance, quaint device,

By gloss, trope, type abstruse, or emblem nice-
Ideal, how untoward to convey,

Or reach conception by the dark assay.
All perfect, yet alike not perfect found,

181

190

With differing virtues, differing glories crown'd;
The prime pre-eminent, and heavenly boru,
Whom splendours next to deity adorn,
Lightnings divine, endued with native right
Of regal sceptre and transcending might,
Such, whom eternal Prescience might invest
Far blazing, with monarchal titles grac'd;
Of bright, the brightest; pure, the most refin'd;
All intellect, quintessence of the mind;
Cherubic harmonies, seraphic flames,
Empyreal natures with empyreal names,
Natives of Heaven!-Nor want the lucid spheres,
Of bless'd inheritance the blissful heirs ;
Angelic shapes that wing th' ethereal space,
And scarce inferior to the heavenly race;
An incompounded radiant form they claim,
Nor spirit all-nor yet corporeal frame;
Than one, more dense-than t'other, more refin'd;
If spirit, organiz'd—if matter, mind:
Their essence one, imperishable, bright,
Vital throughout, all heart, ear, sense, and sight.
Through various worlds still varying species
range,

200

While order knits, and beautifies by change;
While from th' Unchangeable, the One, the Wise
Still changing endless emanations rise,
Of substance duplicate, or triple, mix'd,
Single, ambiguous, or free, or fix'd;

210

From those array'd in Heaven's resplendent robes,
To the brute essence on terrestrial globes;

Systems, which, view'd throughout the circuit wide,
Or lost, or scarce the pointed sight abide,
(Through space immense with diminution seen)
Yet boundless to those worlds that roll within; 230
Each world as boundless to its native race,
That range and wanton through its ample space,
Frequent, through fields, through clouds of fra-
grance stray,

Or skim the wat'ry or ethereal way:

240

For now, with vivid action, nature swarms,
And life's dear stream the purpling conduit warms
The continent, blithe air, and floating seas,
The smiling lakes, swift floods, and winding bays,
The nooks, the crannies, nurse a numerous brood,
And aptly yield their alimental food,
Adjusted to the trunk's unwieldy size,
As nice proboscis of luxurious flies,
Or azure tribes that o'er the damson bloom,
And paint the regions of the ripening plum.
From every root, the lavish plenty grows;
In every stream, perpetual pleasure flows;
Each ravish'd sense with endless bounty feast,
The soul, and ear, and eye, and smell, and touch,
and taste.
[queath;

250

Their sweets, the blossoms plants and flowers be-
Elixirs from the steaming vapours breathe;
In balm imbosom'd every region lies,
Of ambient ether and infolding skies;

As the great Mover wrap'd each wheeling sphere
In the soft down of elemental air
Transparent, to imbibe the golden beam,
And wide around spun out th' ethereal stream,
Where worlds in endless revolutions move,
And swim on the abyss of endless Love.

Urania! Nature! from thy heights descend,
And low to Earth thy bright irradiance bend; 260
Dispell the clouds that round our fancy stray,
The mist that damps our intellectual ray;
And show what power all height of power transcends,
And in one act performs ten thousand ends.
Say, why this globe has its appointed place,
And why not vagrant through the boundless space?
Why here preferr'd, sagacious to refuse
What thwarts propriety, convenience, use?
Why not more neighbour to the burning ray,
Or more remote from the declining day?
Or here, not sedentary fix'd and still,
Admonish'd by no voice, obsequious to no will?
Or moving, why in circling eddies round,
And not progressive through th' immense profound?

270

Ver. 265. Say, why this globe.] The advantage of the Earth's situation

Ver. 271. Or here.] of its motions

Or endless while the dizzy drunkard reels,
And round the Sun its annual motion wheels,
Whence that innate and delegated pow'r,
Central to spin the swift diurnal tour?
Not self-revolv'd, throughout its airy race,
It might expose one constant sultry face,
Damn its antipodes with endless night,
And curse with fire the restless sons of light;
These ne'er to slumber on the dewy lawn,
Nor those to rise and bless the golden dawn.
Or though rotation duplicate endears
Sweet change of days and nights and rolling years;
What new vicissitudes of motion bring
The seasons, circling, to the vernal spring?
Whether through Heav'n thewinding compass steers,
Or pendulous by mutual balance veers? 290
What Secret Hand the trepidation weighs,
Or through the zodiac guides the spiral pace?
What magic wand the floating orb confines
With polar circles and the tropic lines?
Or does some Voice the potent charm command?
Too potent for unwieldy worlds to stand!--
"Here, nor elsewhere, thou Earth, thy station keep;
Here, roll thy progress through the boundless deep!
My word 's the bias, and my will 's the way, 299
That wheels thy circlet round the lord of day;
That round thy axis spins thy cumbrous frame;
That cheers thee with the still-returning beam;
That whirls thy wondrous motions, one in three,
Where time and place, still varying, still agree."
Omniscience here no lower mean admits;
One slip had maim'd ten thousand thousand hits,
Where to one point unnumber'd causes tend,
Concurring to effect one destin'd end,

How apt for time, place, circumstance, and use,
She culls all means, that to all ends conduce!
Nice to a point, each benefit selects;

As prudent, every mischief she rejects;
In due proportions, time and motion, metes, 330
280 Advances to a hair, and to a hair retreats:
Constant to good, for that alone she veers,
And with the varying beam her offspring cheers;
Cools all beneath her equinoctial line,
And gives the day throughout the world to shine;
The nitre from the frozen pole unseals,
And to the tropic speeds the pregnant gales;
Here, leaves th' exhausted fallow to recruit;
Here, plumps and burnishes the ripening fruit;
Superfluous hence withdraws the sultry beam, 340
Here drinks anew the vivifying flame;
Returns, still faithful to the labouring steer-
Wide waves the harvest of the golden year;
Trades universal on from pole to pole,
Inspires, revives, and cultivates the whole;
Frugal, where lack, supplies with what redounds,
And here bestows what noxious there abounds;
This with the gift, and that with giving, bless'd,
Alike throughout, of every wish possess'd.
Wrap'd in her airy car the matron glides,
And o'er the firmament ascending rides;
The subtile mass its copious mantle spreads,
Its mantle wove of elemental threads;
Th' elastic flue of fluctuating air,
Transfus'd invisible, enfolds the sphere;
With poinance delicate pervades the whole,
Its ear, eye, breath, and animating soul;
Active, serene, compress'd, rare, cool'd, or warm'd,
For life, health, comfort, pleasure, business,
form'd;

Which once attain'd pours forth ten thousand more;
A blessed sea, that never knows a shore!

310

"Ye learn'd! who wisely can deny your God,
And banish Omnipresence with a nod;
In shrewd contempt, at final causes sneer;

In wilful deafness shut the tortuous ear,
Nor think it suited to the sounds ye hear;
Who, in your wisdoms, negatively spy
How vain 's the texture of the useless eye;
While fondly thus prime reasoners you'd commence,
By literally exploding common sense,
And plead for one concession (only due)
That Nature must have err'd-in forming you-
Approach, ye sages, to your parent Earth,
Much wiser than the clods on whom she lavish'd

birth!"

With deepest art, her skilful plan she lays; With equal scale, the least advantage weighs;

320

Useful around, throughout, above, beneath!
By this, the quadrupeds, the reptiles breath;
This gives the bloom of vegetative life;
Corrects the seeds of elemental strife;

350

360

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Ver. 357. Its ear.] by which it is as it were one universal sense to this our globe

Ver. 358. Active, serene.] its modification, admitting various, contrary, and even seemingly inconsistent qualities, suited as well to the single and separate interests of every individual, as to the entire and uniform weal of the whole

Ver. 277. Whence that innate.] Diurnal, giving to its inhabitants the grateful vicissitude of day and night, adjusted to the times of labour and rest. Ver. 287. What new vicissitudes.] The manner of its annual motion, calculated for the useful and delightful variety of the seasons; the mutual allay Ver. 361. Py this, the quadrupeds.] communiof immoderate heat and cold; as also for the suc-cating and continuing respiration to the animal cessive growth and recruit of vegetative nature.

Ver. 311. Ye learn'd.] The stupidity of those who will not perceive.

Ver. 324. With deepest art.] How, even to the extent of infinite wisdom, as nothing less could be the author, (vide supra, l. 305) all is formed and contrived, and in that contrivance adapted, and in that adaption directed, and in that direction extended distinctly, and in that distinction entirely,

creation-

Ver. 362. This gives the bloom.] as also an inferior or analagous respiration to all plants and vegetables

Ver. 363. Corrects the seeds.] raising harmony from disorder, and friendship from enmity, by fermenting and reconciling heat and cold, the fiery and watery particles, for the better conception and genial production of the beauties of nature.

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