of the nature of things-第19章

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And　ere；　in　pounding　with　such　gaps　between；
They　clash；　combine　and　leap　apart　in　turn。
　　But　mind　is　more　the　keeper　of　the　gates；
Hath　more　dominion　over　life　than　soul。
For　without　intellect　and　mind　there's　not
One　part　of　soul　can　rest　within　our　frame
Least　part　of　time；　companioning；　it　goes
With　mind　into　the　winds　away；　and　leaves
The　icy　members　in　the　cold　of　death。
But　he　whose　mind　and　intellect　abide
Himself　abides　in　life。　However　much
The　trunk　be　mangled；　with　the　limbs　lopped　off；
The　soul　withdrawn　and　taken　from　the　limbs；
Still　lives　the　trunk　and　draws　the　vital　air。
Even　when　deprived　of　all　but　all　the　soul；
Yet　will　it　linger　on　and　cleave　to　life；…
Just　as　the　power　of　vision　still　is　strong；
If　but　the　pupil　shall　abide　unharmed；
Even　when　the　eye　around　it's　sorely　rent…
Provided　only　thou　destroyest　not
Wholly　the　ball；　but；　cutting　round　the　pupil；
Leavest　that　pupil　by　itself　behind…
For　more　would　ruin　sight。　But　if　that　centre；
That　tiny　part　of　eye；　be　eaten　through；
Forthwith　the　vision　fails　and　darkness　comes；
Though　in　all　else　the　unblemished　ball　be　clear。
'Tis　by　like　compact　that　the　soul　and　mind
Are　each　to　other　bound　forevermore。

THE　SOUL　IS　MORTAL

　　Now　come：　that　thou　mayst　able　be　to　know
That　minds　and　the　light　souls　of　all　that　live
Have　mortal　birth　and　death；　I　will　go　on
Verses　to　build　meet　for　thy　rule　of　life；
Sought　after　long；　discovered　with　sweet　toil。
But　under　one　name　I'd　have　thee　yoke　them　both；
And　when；　for　instance；　I　shall　speak　of　soul；
Teaching　the　same　to　be　but　mortal；　think
Thereby　I'm　speaking　also　of　the　mind…
Since　both　are　one；　a　substance　inter…joined。
First；　then；　since　I　have　taught　how　soul　exists
A　subtle　fabric；　of　particles　minute；
Made　up　from　atoms　smaller　much　than　those
Of　water's　liquid　damp；　or　fog；　or　smoke；
So　in　mobility　it　far　excels；
More　prone　to　move；　though　strook　by　lighter　cause
Even　moved　by　images　of　smoke　or　fog…
As　where　we　view；　when　in　our　sleeps　we're　lulled；
The　altars　exhaling　steam　and　smoke　aloft…
For；　beyond　doubt；　these　apparitions　come
To　us　from　outward。　Now；　then；　since　thou　seest；
Their　liquids　depart；　their　waters　flow　away；
When　jars　are　shivered；　and　since　fog　and　smoke
Depart　into　the　winds　away；　believe
The　soul　no　less　is　shed　abroad　and　dies
More　quickly　far；　more　quickly　is　dissolved
Back　to　its　primal　bodies；　when　withdrawn
From　out　man's　members　it　has　gone　away。
For；　sure；　if　body　（container　of　the　same
Like　as　a　jar）；　when　shivered　from　some　cause；
And　rarefied　by　loss　of　blood　from　veins；
Cannot　for　longer　hold　the　soul；　how　then
Thinkst　thou　it　can　be　held　by　any　air…
A　stuff　much　rarer　than　our　bodies　be？
　　Besides　we　feel　that　mind　to　being　comes
Along　with　body；　with　body　grows　and　ages。
For　just　as　children　totter　round　about
With　frames　infirm　and　tender；　so　there　follows
A　weakling　wisdom　in　their　minds；　and　then；
Where　years　have　ripened　into　robust　powers；
Counsel　is　also　greater；　more　increased
The　power　of　mind；　thereafter；　where　already
The　body's　shattered　by　master…powers　of　eld；
And　fallen　the　frame　with　its　enfeebled　powers；
Thought　hobbles；　tongue　wanders；　and　the　mind　gives　way；
All　fails；　all's　lacking　at　the　selfsame　time。
Therefore　it　suits　that　even　the　soul's　dissolved；
Like　smoke；　into　the　lofty　winds　of　air；
Since　we　behold　the　same　to　being　come
Along　with　body　and　grow；　and；　as　I've　taught；
Crumble　and　crack；　therewith　outworn　by　eld。
　　Then；　too；　we　see；　that；　just　as　body　takes
Monstrous　diseases　and　the　dreadful　pain；
So　mind　its　bitter　cares；　the　grief；　the　fear；
Wherefore　it　tallies　that　the　mind　no　less
Partaker　is　of　death；　for　pain　and　disease
Are　both　artificers　of　death；…　as　well
We've　learned　by　the　passing　of　many　a　man　ere　now。
Nay；　too；　in　diseases　of　body；　often　the　mind
Wanders　afield；　for　'tis　beside　itself；
And　crazed　it　speaks；　or　many　a　time　it　sinks；
With　eyelids　closing　and　a　drooping　nod；
In　heavy　drowse；　on　to　eternal　sleep；
From　whence　nor　hears　it　any　voices　more；
Nor　able　is　to　know　the　faces　here
Of　those　about　him　standing　with　wet　cheeks
Who　vainly　call　him　back　to　light　and　life。
Wherefore　mind　too；　confess　we　must；　dissolves；
Seeing；　indeed；　contagions　of　disease
Enter　into　the　same。　Again；　O　why；
When　the　strong　wine　has　entered　into　man；
And　its　diffused　fire　gone　round　the　veins；
Why　follows　then　a　heaviness　of　limbs；
A　tangle　of　the　legs　as　round　he　reels；
A　stuttering　tongue；　an　intellect　besoaked；
Eyes　all　aswim；　and　hiccups；　shouts；　and　brawls；
And　whatso　else　is　of　that　ilk？…　Why　this？…
If　not　that　violent　and　impetuous　wine
Is　wont　to　confound　the　soul　within　the　body？
But　whatso　can　confounded　be　and　balked；
Gives　proof；　that　if　a　hardier　cause　got　in；
'Twould　hap　that　it　would　perish　then；　bereaved
Of　any　life　thereafter。　And；　moreover；
Often　will　some　one　in　a　sudden　fit；
As　if　by　stroke　of　lightning；　tumble　down
Before　our　eyes；　and　sputter　foam；　and　grunt；
Blither；　and　twist　about　with　sinews　taut；
Gasp　up　in　starts；　and　weary　out　his　limbs
With　tossing　round。　No　marvel；　since　distract
Through　frame　by　violence　of　disease。
　　　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。
Confounds；　he　foams；　as　if　to　vomit　soul；
As　on　the　salt　sea　boil　the　billows　round
Under　the　master　might　of　winds。　And　now
A　groan's　forced　out；　because　his　limbs　are　griped；
But；　in　the　main；　because　the　seeds　of　voice
Are　driven　forth　and　carried　in　a　mass
Outwards　by　mouth；　where　they　are　wont　to　go；
And　have　a　builded　highway。　He　becomes
Mere　fool；　since　energy　of　mind　and　soul
Confounded　is；　and；　as　I've　shown；　to…riven；
Asunder　thrown；　and　torn　to　pieces　all
By　the　same　venom。　But；　again；　where　cause
Of　that　disease　has　faced　about；　and　back
Retreats　sharp　poison　of　corrupted　frame
Into　its　shadowy　lairs；　the　man　at　first
Arises　reeling；　and　gradually　comes　back
To　all　his　senses　and　recovers　soul。
Thus；　since　within　the　body　itself　of　man
The　mind　and　soul　are　by　such　great　diseases
Shaken；　so　miserably　in　labour　distraught；
Why；　then；　believe　that　in　the　open　air；
Without　a　body；　they　can　pass　their　life；
Immortal；　battling　with　the　master　winds？
And；　since　we　mark　the　mind　itself　is　cured；
Like　the　sick　body；　and　restored　can　be
By　medicine；　this　is　forewarning　too
That　mortal　lives　the　mind。　For　proper　it　is
That　whosoe'er　begins　and　undertakes
To　alter　the　mind；　or　meditates　to　change
Any　another　nature　soever；　should　add
New　parts；　or　readjust　the　order　given；
Or　from　the　sum　remove　at　least　a　bit。
But　what's　immortal　willeth　for　itself
Its　parts　be　nor　increased；　nor　rearranged；
Nor　any　bit　soever　flow　away：
For　change　of　anything　from　out　its　bounds
Means　instant　death　of　that　which　was　before。
Ergo；　the　mind；　whether　in　sickness　fallen；
Or　by　the　medicine　restored；　gives　signs；
As　I　have　taught；　of　its　mortality。
So　surely　will　a　fact　of　truth　make　head
'Gainst　errors'　theories　all；　and　so　shut　off
All　refuge　from　the　adversary；　and　rout
Error　by　two…edged　confutation。
　　And　since　the　mind　is　of　a　man　one　part；
Which　in　one　fixed　place　remains；　like　ears；
And　eyes；　and　every　sense　which　pilots　life；
And　just　as　hand；　or　eye；　or　nose；　apart；
Severed　from　us；　can　neither　feel　nor　be；
But　in　the　least　of　time　is　left　to　rot；
Thus　mind　alone　can　never　be；　without
The　body　and　the　man　himself；　which　seems；
As　'twere　the　vessel　of　the　same…　or　aught
Whate'er　thou'lt　feign　as　yet　more　closely　joined：
Since　body　cleaves　to　mind　by　surest　bonds。
　　Again；　the　body's　and　the　mind's　live　powers
Only　in　union　prosper　and　enjoy；
For　neither　can　nature　of　mind；　alone　of　self
Sans　body；　give　the　vital　motions　forth；
Nor；　then；　can　body；　wanting　soul；　endure
And　use　the　senses。　Verily；　as　the　eye；
Alone；　up…rended　from　its　roots；　apart
From　all　the　body；　can　peer　about　at　naught；
So　soul　and　mind　it　seems　are　nothing　able；
When　by　themselves。　No　marvel；　because；　commixed
Through　veins　and　inwards；　and　through　bones　and　thews；
Their　elements　primordial　are　confined
By　all　the　body；　and　own　no　power　free
To　bound　around　through　interspaces　big；
Thus；　shut　within　these　confines；　they　take