Must　have　an　immortality　of　frame。
  And　into　these　must　each　thing　be　resolved；
  When　comes　its　supreme　hour；　that　thus　there　be
  At　hand　the　stuff　for　plenishing　the　world。
  。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。
  So　primal　germs　have　solid　singleness
  Nor　otherwise　could　they　have　been　conserved
  Through　aeons　and　infinity　of　time
  For　the　replenishment　of　wasted　worlds。
  Once　more；　if　nature　had　given　a　scope　for　things
  To　be　forever　broken　more　and　more；
  By　now　the　bodies　of　matter　would　have　been
  So　far　reduced　by　breakings　in　old　days
  That　from　them　nothing　could；　at　season　fixed；
  Be　born；　and　arrive　its　prime　and　top　of　life。
  For；　lo；　each　thing　is　quicker　marred　than　made；
  And　so　whate'er　the　long　infinitude
  Of　days　and　all　fore…passed　time　would　now
  By　this　have　broken　and　ruined　and　dissolved；
  That　same　could　ne'er　in　all　remaining　time
  Be　builded　up　for　plenishing　the　world。
  But　mark：　infallibly　a　fixed　bound
  Remaineth　stablished　'gainst　their　breaking　down；
  Since　we　behold　each　thing　soever　renewed；
  And　unto　all；　their　seasons；　after　their　kind；
  Wherein　they　arrive　the　flower　of　their　age。
  Again；　if　bounds　have　not　been　set　against
  The　breaking　down　of　this　corporeal　world；
  Yet　must　all　bodies　of　whatever　things
  Have　still　endured　from　everlasting　time
  Unto　this　present；　as　not　yet　assailed
  By　shocks　of　peril。　But　because　the　same
  Are；　to　thy　thinking；　of　a　nature　frail；
  It　ill　accords　that　thus　they　could　remain
  （As　thus　they　do）　through　everlasting　time；
  Vexed　through　the　ages　（as　indeed　they　are）
  By　the　innumerable　blows　of　chance。
  So　in　our　programme　of　creation；　mark
  How　'tis　that；　though　the　bodies　of　all　stuff
  Are　solid　to　the　core；　we　yet　explain
  The　ways　whereby　some　things　are　fashioned　soft…
  Air；　water；　earth；　and　fiery　exhalations…
  And　by　what　force　they　function　and　go　on：
  The　fact　is　founded　in　the　void　of　things。
  But　if　the　primal　germs　themselves　be　soft；
  Reason　cannot　be　brought　to　bear　to　show
  The　ways　whereby　may　be　created　these
  Great　crags　of　basalt　and　the　during　iron；
  For　their　whole　nature　will　profoundly　lack
  The　first　foundations　of　a　solid　frame。
  But　powerful　in　old　simplicity；
  Abide　the　solid；　the　primeval　germs；
  And　by　their　combinations　more　condensed；
  All　objects　can　be　tightly　knit　and　bound
  And　made　to　show　unconquerable　strength。
  Again；　since　all　things　kind　by　kind　obtain
  Fixed　bounds　of　growing　and　conserving　life；
  Since　Nature　hath　inviolably　decreed
  What　each　can　do；　what　each　can　never　do；
  Since　naught　is　changed；　but　all　things　so　abide
  That　ever　the　variegated　birds　reveal
  The　spots　or　stripes　peculiar　to　their　kind；
  Spring　after　spring：　thus　surely　all　that　is
  Must　be　composed　of　matter　immutable。
  For　if　the　primal　germs　in　any　wise
  Were　open　to　conquest　and　to　change；　'twould　be
  Uncertain　also　what　could　come　to　birth
  And　what　could　not；　and　by　what　law　to　each
  Its　scope　prescribed；　its　boundary　stone　that　clings
  So　deep　in　Time。　Nor　could　the　generations
  Kind　after　kind　so　often　reproduce
  The　nature；　habits；　motions；　ways　of　life；
  Of　their　progenitors。
  And　then　again；
  Since　there　is　ever　an　extreme　bounding　point
  。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。
  Of　that　first　body　which　our　senses　now
  Cannot　perceive：　That　bounding　point　indeed
  Exists　without　all　parts；　a　minimum
  Of　nature；　nor　was　e'er　a　thing　apart；
  As　of　itself；…　nor　shall　hereafter　be；
  Since　'tis　itself　still　parcel　of　another；
  A　first　and　single　part；　whence　other　parts
  And　others　similar　in　order　lie
  In　a　packed　phalanx；　filling　to　the　full
  The　nature　of　first　body：　being　thus
  Not　self…existent；　they　must　cleave　to　that
  From　which　in　nowise　they　can　sundered　be。
  So　primal　germs　have　solid　singleness；
  Which　tightly　packed　and　closely　joined　cohere
  By　virtue　of　their　minim　particles…
  No　compound　by　mere　union　of　the　same；
  But　strong　in　their　eternal　singleness；
  Nature；　reserving　them　as　seeds　for　things；
  Permitteth　naught　of　rupture　or　decrease。
  Moreover；　were　there　not　a　minimum；
  The　smallest　bodies　would　have　infinites；
  Since　then　a　half…of…half　could　still　be　halved；
  With　limitless　division　less　and　less。
  Then　what　the　difference　'twixt　the　sum　and　least？
  None：　for　however　infinite　the　sum；
  Yet　even　the　smallest　would　consist　the　same
  Of　infinite　parts。　But　since　true　reason　here
  Protests；　denying　that　the　mind　can　think　it；
  Convinced　thou　must　confess　such　things　there　are
  As　have　no　parts；　the　minimums　of　nature。
  And　since　these　are；　likewise　confess　thou　must
  That　primal　bodies　are　solid　and　eterne。
  Again；　if　Nature；　creatress　of　all　things；
  Were　wont　to　force　all　things　to　be　resolved
  Unto　least　parts；　then　would　she　not　avail
  To　reproduce　from　out　them　anything；
  Because　whate'er　is　not　endowed　with　parts
  Cannot　possess　those　properties　required
  Of　generative　stuff…　divers　connections；
  Weights；　blows；　encounters；　motions；　whereby　things
  Forevermore　have　being　and　go　on。
  CONFUTATION　OF　OTHER　PHILOSOPHERS
  And　on　such　grounds　it　is　that　those　who　held
  The　stuff　of　things　is　fire；　and　out　of　fire
  Alone　the　cosmic　sum　is　formed；　are　seen
  Mightily　from　true　reason　to　have　lapsed。
  Of　whom；　chief　leader　to　do　battle；　comes
  That　Heraclitus；　famous　for　dark　speech
  Among　the　silly；　not　the　serious　Greeks
  Who　search　for　truth。　For　dolts　are　ever　prone
  That　to　bewonder　and　adore　which　hides
  Beneath　distorted　words；　holding　that　true
  Which　sweetly　tickles　in　their　stupid　ears；
  Or　which　is　rouged　in　finely　finished　phrase。
  For　how；　I　ask；　can　things　so　varied　be；
  If　formed　of　fire；　single　and　pure？　No　whit
  'Twould　help　for　fire　to　be　condensed　or　thinned；
  If　all　the　parts　of　fire　did　still　preserve
  But　fire's　own　nature；　seen　before　in　gross。
  The　heat　were　keener　with　the　parts　compressed；
  Milder；　again；　when　severed　or　dispersed…
  And　more　than　this　thou　canst　conceive　of　naught
  That　from　such　causes　could　become；　much　less
  Might　earth's　variety　of　things　be　born
  From　any　fires　soever；　dense　or　rare。
  This　too：　if　they　suppose　a　void　in　things；
  Then　fires　can　be　condensed　and　still　left　rare；
  But　since　they　see　such　opposites　of　thought
  Rising　against　them；　and　are　loath　to　leave
  An　unmixed　void　in　things；　they　fear　the　steep
  And　lose　the　road　of　truth。　Nor　do　they　see；
  That；　if　from　things　we　take　away　the　void；
  All　things　are　then　condensed；　and　out　of　all
  One　body　made；　which　has　no　power　to　dart
  Swiftly　from　out　itself　not　anything…
  As　throws　the　fire　its　light　and　warmth　around；
  Giving　thee　proof　its　parts　are　not　compact。
  But　if　perhaps　they　think；　in　other　wise；
  Fires　through　their　combinations　can　be　quenched
  And　change　their　substance；　very　well：　behold；
  If　fire　shall　spare　to　do　so　in　no　part；
  Then　heat　will　perish　utterly　and　all；
  And　out　of　nothing　would　the　world　be　formed。
  For　change　in　anything　from　out　its　bounds
  Means　instant　death　of　that　which　was　before；
  And　thus　a　somewhat　must　persist　unharmed
  Amid　the　world；　lest　all　return　to　naught；
  And；　born　from　naught；　abundance　thrive　anew。
  Now　since　indeed　there　are　those　surest　bodies
  Which　keep　their　nature　evermore　the　same；
  Upon　whose　going　out　and　coming　in
  And　changed　order　things　their　nature　change；
  And　all　corporeal　substances　transformed；
  'Tis　thine　to　know　those　primal　bodies；　then；
  Are　not　of　fire。　For　'twere　of　no　avail
  Should　some　depart　and　go　away；　and　some
  Be　added　new；　and　some　be　changed　in　order；
  If　still　all　kept　their　nature　of　old　heat：
  For　whatsoever　they　created　then
  Would　still　in　any　case　be　only　fire。
  The　truth；　I　fancy；　this：　bodies　there　are
  Whose　clashings；　motions；　order；　posture；　shapes
  Produce　the　fire　and　which；　by　order　changed；
  Do　change　the　nature　of　the　thing　produced；
  And　are　thereafter　nothing　like　to　fire
  Nor　whatso　else　has　power　to　send　its　bodies
  With　impact　touching　on　the　senses'　touch。
  Again；　to　say　that　all　things　are　but　fire
  And　no　true　thing　in　number　of　all　things
  Exists　but　fire；　as　this　same　fellow　says；
  Seems　crazed　folly。　For　the　man　himself
  Against　the　senses　by　the　senses　fights；
  And　hews　at　that　through　which　is　all　belief；
  Through　which　indeed　unto　himself　is　known
  The　thing　he　calls　the　fire。　For；　though　he　thinks
  The　senses　truly　can　perceive　the　fire；
  He　thinks　they　cannot　as　regards　all　else；
  Which　still　are　palpably　as　clear　to　sense…
  To　me　a　thought　inept　and　crazy　too。
  For　whither　shall　we　make　appeal？　for　what
  More　certain　than　our　senses　can　there　be
  Whereby　to　mark　asunder　error　and　truth？
  Besides；　why　rather　do　away　with　all；
  And　wish　to　allow　heat　only；　then　deny
  The　fire　and　still　allow　all　else　to　be？…
  Alike　the　madness　either　way　it　seems。
  Thus　whosoe'er　have　held　the　stuff　of　things
  To　be　but　fire；　and　out　of　fire　the　sum；
  And　whosoever　have　constituted　air
  As　first　beginning　of　begotten　things；
  And　all　whoever　have　held　that　of　itself
  Water　alone　contrives　things；　or　that　earth
  Createth　all　and　changes　things　anew
  To　divers　natures；　mightily　they　seem
  A　long　way　to　have　wandered　from　the　truth。
  Add；　too；　whoever　make　the　primal　stuff
  Twofold；　by　joining　air　to　fire；　and　earth
  To　water；　add　who　deem　that　things　can　grow
  Out　of　the　four…　fire；　e