Objections to this curious search answered
Why bother looking up? Because reason can climb the sky. Book IV ends on a high.
[p. 39] But what avail my Songs, if all refuseThe profer'd Aid of my obliging Muse?If puny fear forbids our Hopes to rise,To enter boldly, and enjoy the Skies?What Nature hides, (for thus Objections teach)Is deeply hid, too deep for Man to reach.Vast the Recess! Though stubborn Fate should Reign,And we know this, yet all the search were vain,Since none can find the Links that make the Chain.
[p. 40] Fond Mortals! why should we our selves abuse?Nor use those Powers which God permits to use?Basely detract from the Celestial mind;And close our Eyes, endeavouring to be blind?We see the Skies; then why should we despairTo know the Fatal Office of each Star?To open Nature, to unvail her Face,Go in, and tread the Order of the Maze?Why should we not employ the Gifts bestow'dBy Heaven, in knowing the kind Author of the Good?
Our Work grows short, we may surround the Ball,Make the whole World our own, and live in all:Through what remains, we now with Ease may pierce,Take, and enjoy the Captive Universe:Our Parent Nature we, her parts, descry,And Heaven-born Souls affect their Father Skie:For who can doubt that God resides in Man,That Souls from Heaven descend, and when the ChainOf Life is broke, return to Heaven again?
As in the Greater World aspiring Flame,Earth, Water, Air, make the Material Frame;But through these Members a Commanding SoulInfus'd, directs the Motions of the whole;So 'tis in Man, the lesser World, the CaseIs Clay, unactive, and an Earthly Mass;Bloods Circling Streams the Purple Soul convey,The Ruling Mind uniting to the Clay:Then who can wonder that the World is knownSo well by Man, since he himself is One?The same Composure in his Form is shew'd,And Man's the little Image of the God.
[p. 41] Now other Creatures view, how mean their Birth,The Rubbish, and the Burdens of the Earth:Some hang in Air, some float upon the Waves,Born for our use, and bred to be our Slaves.All their Enjoyments are confin'd to Sense,The easie Works of wary Providence.But since they Reason want, their Tongues are mute,How mean, how low a Creature is a Brute?No Mysteries disclos'd, commend their Parts,Nor are they Subjects capable of Arts;How hard the Labour, yet how often vainTo bring them foolishly to Ape a Man?
But ruling Man extends his larger swayBeyond himself, and makes the World obey;Wild Beasts are tam'd, The Fields are forc't to bear,And Recompence the Labours of the Share.In vain the Sea disjoyns the distant Shores,His Sails the Winds command, the Floods his Ores.Alone erect his Form doth nobly rise,Up to the Stars he lifts his Starry Eyes,And takes a nearer Prospect of the Skies:He searches Jove, and whilst his Thoughts do traceHis kindred Stars, in them he finds his Race.No outside Knowledge fills his vast Desires,The more he riseth, he the more aspires.
We think it Reason that in AuguryWe should on Birds, and slaughter'd Beasts rely;And can the Fates be less in Stars exprest,Than in a Bird, or Entrails of a Beast?When God his Mind in meaner things declares,Should he neglect the Glory of the Stars?Besides, the World is eager to be known,Our search provoking still; for rouling onIt shews us all its parts, displays its Light,And continually intrudes on our Sight:He draws our Eyes, nor doth our search forbid;What Powers he hides not, he would not have hid:Then who can think it impiously boldTo search what we're encourag'd to behold?
[p. 42] Nor think thy force too small, too weak thy Mind,Because to Clay unequally confin'd;Its Power is wondrous Great; how small a MassOf Gold or Gems, exceeds vast Heaps of Brass?How little is the Apple of the Eye?And yet at once, he takes in half the Sky:Nor dreads the disproportion to the Sense,The Organ small, the Object is immense:And from the narrow limits of the Heart,The Active Soul doth vigorous Life impartTo all the Limbs, its Sway the Members own,Wide is its Empire from its petty Throne.
Man know thy Power, and not observe thy Size;Thy noble Power in piercing Reason lies,And Reason conquers all, and rules the Skies.Nor should we vainly doubt that Man's allow'dTo know Heaven's mind, since Man can make a God:A Star ³⁹new-rais'd, the Skie enlarg'd contains,And Heaven will more encrease whilst Caesar Reigns.
The notes
³⁹ Alluding to Julius Caesar, Deify'd by Agustus. (Creech’s note, 1697)
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The text is Thomas Creech's 1697 verse translation, checked word by word between three scans of the same type (the 1697 printing, the 1700 printing and a third copy). The long s is printed as s; every other spelling is Creech's. Pages are cited as the 1697 printing numbers them. The portrait is William Marshall’s engraving of Lilly from the front of the 1659 printing (Wellcome Library, public domain).