Which；　waked　by　nimble　fingers；　on　the　strings
  The　sweet　musicians　fashion；　or　suppose
  That　same…shaped　atoms　through　men's　nostrils　pierce
  When　foul　cadavers　burn；　as　when　the　stage
  Is　with　Cilician　saffron　sprinkled　fresh；
  And　the　altar　near　exhales　Panchaean　scent；
  Or　hold　as　of　like　seed　the　goodly　hues
  Of　things　which　feast　our　eyes；　as　those　which　sting
  Against　the　smarting　pupil　and　draw　tears；
  Or　show；　with　gruesome　aspect；　grim　and　vile。
  For　never　a　shape　which　charms　our　sense　was　made
  Without　some　elemental　smoothness；　whilst
  Whate'er　is　harsh　and　irksome　has　been　framed
  Still　with　some　roughness　in　its　elements。
  Some；　too；　there　are　which　justly　are　supposed
  To　be　nor　smooth　nor　altogether　hooked；
  With　bended　barbs；　but　slightly　angled…out；
  To　tickle　rather　than　to　wound　the　sense…
  And　of　which　sort　is　the　salt　tartar　of　wine
  And　flavours　of　the　gummed　elecampane。
  Again；　that　glowing　fire　and　icy　rime
  Are　fanged　with　teeth　unlike　whereby　to　sting
  Our　body's　sense；　the　touch　of　each　gives　proof。
  For　touch…　by　sacred　majesties　of　Gods！…
  Touch　is　indeed　the　body's　only　sense…
  Be't　that　something　in…from…outward　works；
  Be't　that　something　in　the　body　born
  Wounds；　or　delighteth　as　it　passes　out
  Along　the　procreant　paths　of　Aphrodite；
  Or　be't　the　seeds　by　some　collision　whirl
  Disordered　in　the　body　and　confound
  By　tumult　and　confusion　all　the　sense…
  As　thou　mayst　find；　if　haply　with　the　hand
  Thyself　thou　strike　thy　body's　any　part。
  On　which　account；　the　elemental　forms
  Must　differ　widely；　as　enabled　thus
  To　cause　diverse　sensations。
  And；　again；
  What　seems　to　us　the　hardened　and　condensed
  Must　be　of　atoms　among　themselves　more　hooked；
  Be　held　compacted　deep　within；　as　'twere
  By　branch…like　atoms…　of　which　sort　the　chief
  Are　diamond　stones；　despisers　of　all　blows；
  And　stalwart　flint　and　strength　of　solid　iron；
  And　brazen　bars；　which；　budging　hard　in　locks；
  Do　grate　and　scream。　But　what　are　liquid；　formed
  Of　fluid　body；　they　indeed　must　be
  Of　elements　more　smooth　and　round…　because
  Their　globules　severally　will　not　cohere：
  To　suck　the　poppy…seeds　from　palm　of　hand
  Is　quite　as　easy　as　drinking　water　down；
  And　they；　once　struck；　roll　like　unto　the　same。
  But　that　thou　seest　among　the　things　that　flow
  Some　bitter；　as　the　brine　of　ocean　is；
  Is　not　the　least　a　marvel。。。
  For　since　'tis　fluid；　smooth　its　atoms　are
  And　round；　with　painful　rough　ones　mixed　therein；
  Yet　need　not　these　be　held　together　hooked：
  In　fact；　though　rough；　they're　globular　besides；
  Able　at　once　to　roll；　and　rasp　the　sense。
  And　that　the　more　thou　mayst　believe　me　here；
  That　with　smooth　elements　are　mixed　the　rough
  （Whence　Neptune's　salt　astringent　body　comes）；
  There　is　a　means　to　separate　the　twain；
  And　thereupon　dividedly　to　see
  How　the　sweet　water；　after　filtering　through
  So　often　underground；　flows　freshened　forth
  Into　some　hollow；　for　it　leaves　above
  The　primal　germs　of　nauseating　brine；
  Since　cling　the　rough　more　readily　in　earth。
  Lastly；　whatso　thou　markest　to　disperse
  Upon　the　instant…　smoke；　and　cloud；　and　flame…
  Must　not　（even　though　not　all　of　smooth　and　round）
  Be　yet　co…linked　with　atoms　intertwined；
  That　thus　they　can；　without　together　cleaving；
  So　pierce　our　body　and　so　bore　the　rocks。
  Whatever　we　see。。。
  Given　to　senses；　that　thou　must　perceive
  They're　not　from　linked　but　pointed　elements。
  The　which　now　having　taught；　I　will　go　on
  To　bind　thereto　a　fact　to　this　allied
  And　drawing　from　this　its　proof：　these　primal　germs
  Vary；　yet　only　with　finite　tale　of　shapes。
  For　were　these　shapes　quite　infinite；　some　seeds
  Would　have　a　body　of　infinite　increase。
  For　in　one　seed；　in　one　small　frame　of　any；
  The　shapes　can't　vary　from　one　another　much。
  Assume；　we'll　say；　that　of　three　minim　parts
  Consist　the　primal　bodies；　or　add　a　few：
  When；　now；　by　placing　all　these　parts　of　one
  At　top　and　bottom；　changing　lefts　and　rights；
  Thou　hast　with　every　kind　of　shift　found　out
  What　the　aspect　of　shape　of　its　whole　body
  Each　new　arrangement　gives；　for　what　remains；
  If　thou　percase　wouldst　vary　its　old　shapes；
  New　parts　must　then　be　added；　follows　next；
  If　thou　percase　wouldst　vary　still　its　shapes；
  That　by　like　logic　each　arrangement　still
  Requires　its　increment　of　other　parts。
  Ergo；　an　augmentation　of　its　frame
  Follows　upon　each　novelty　of　forms。
  Wherefore；　it　cannot　be　thou'lt　undertake
  That　seeds　have　infinite　differences　in　form；
  Lest　thus　thou　forcest　some　indeed　to　be
  Of　an　immeasurable　immensity…
  Which　I　have　taught　above　cannot　be　proved。
  。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。
  And　now　for　thee　barbaric　robes；　and　gleam
  Of　Meliboean　purple；　touched　with　dye
  Of　the　Thessalian　shell。。。
  The　peacock's　golden　generations；　stained
  With　spotted　gaieties；　would　lie　o'erthrown
  By　some　new　colour　of　new　things　more　bright；
  The　odour　of　myrrh　and　savours　of　honey　despised；
  The　swan's　old　lyric；　and　Apollo's　hymns；
  Once　modulated　on　the　many　chords；
  Would　likewise　sink　o'ermastered　and　be　mute：
  For；　lo；　a　somewhat；　finer　than　the　rest；
  Would　be　arising　evermore。　So；　too；
  Into　some　baser　part　might　all　retire；
  Even　as　we　said　to　better　might　they　come：
  For；　lo；　a　somewhat；　loathlier　than　the　rest
  To　nostrils；　ears；　and　eyes；　and　taste　of　tongue；
  Would　then；　by　reasoning　reversed；　be　there。
  Since　'tis　not　so；　but　unto　things　are　given
  Their　fixed　limitations　which　do　bound
  Their　sum　on　either　side；　'tmust　be　confessed
  That　matter；　too；　by　finite　tale　of　shapes
  Does　differ。　Again；　from　earth's　midsummer　heats
  Unto　the　icy　hoar…frosts　of　the　year
  The　forward　path　is　fixed；　and　by　like　law
  O'ertravelled　backwards　at　the　dawn　of　spring。
  For　each　degree　of　hot；　and　each　of　cold；
  And　the　half…warm；　all　filling　up　the　sum
  In　due　progression；　lie；　my　Memmius；　there
  Betwixt　the　two　extremes：　the　things　create
  Must　differ；　therefore；　by　a　finite　change；
  Since　at　each　end　marked　off　they　ever　are
  By　fixed　point…　on　one　side　plagued　by　flames
  And　on　the　other　by　congealing　frosts。
  The　which　now　having　taught；　I　will　go　on
  To　bind　thereto　a　fact　to　this　allied
  And　drawing　from　this　its　proof：　those　primal　germs
  Which　have　been　fashioned　all　of　one　like　shape
  Are　infinite　in　tale；　for；　since　the　forms
  Themselves　are　finite　in　divergences；
  Then　those　which　are　alike　will　have　to　be
  Infinite；　else　the　sum　of　stuff　remains
  A　finite…　what　I've　proved　is　not　the　fact；
  Showing　in　verse　how　corpuscles　of　stuff；
  From　everlasting　and　to…day　the　same；
  Uphold　the　sum　of　things；　all　sides　around
  By　old　succession　of　unending　blows。
  For　though　thou　view'st　some　beasts　to　be　more　rare；
  And　mark'st　in　them　a　less　prolific　stock；
  Yet　in　another　region；　in　lands　remote；
  That　kind　abounding　may　make　up　the　count；
  Even　as　we　mark　among　the　four…foot　kind
  Snake…handed　elephants；　whose　thousands　wall
  With　ivory　ramparts　India　about；
  That　her　interiors　cannot　entered　be…
  So　big　her　count　of　brutes　of　which　we　see
  Such　few　examples。　Or　suppose；　besides；
  We　feign　some　thing；　one　of　its　kind　and　sole
  With　body　born；　to　which　is　nothing　like
  In　all　the　lands：　yet　now　unless　shall　be
  An　infinite　count　of　matter　out　of　which
  Thus　to　conceive　and　bring　it　forth　to　life；
  It　cannot　be　created　and…　what's　more…
  It　cannot　take　its　food　and　get　increase。
  Yea；　if　through　all　the　world　in　finite　tale
  Be　tossed　the　procreant　bodies　of　one　thing；
  Whence；　then；　and　where　in　what　mode；　by　what　power；
  Shall　they　to　meeting　come　together　there；
  In　such　vast　ocean　of　matter　and　tumult　strange？…
  No　means　they　have　of　joining　into　one。
  But；　just　as；　after　mighty　ship…wrecks　piled；
  The　mighty　main　is　wont　to　scatter　wide
  The　rowers'　banks；　the　ribs；　the　yards；　the　prow；
  The　masts　and　swimming　oars；　so　that　afar
  Along　all　shores　of　lands　are　seen　afloat
  The　carven　fragments　of　the　rended　poop；
  Giving　a　lesson　to　mortality
  To　shun　the　ambush　of　the　faithless　main；
  The　violence　and　the　guile；　and　trust　it　not
  At　any　hour；　however　much　may　smile
  The　crafty　enticements　of　the　placid　deep：
  Exactly　thus；　if　once　thou　holdest　true
  That　certain　seeds　are　finite　in　their　tale；
  The　various　tides　of　matter；　then；　must　needs
  Scatter　them　flung　throughout　the　ages　all；
  So　that　not　ever　can　they　join；　as　driven
  Together　into　union；　nor　remain
  In　union；　nor　with　increment　can　grow…
  But　facts　in　proof　are　manifest　for　each：
  Things　can　be　both　begotten　and　increase。
  'Tis　therefore　manifest　that　primal　germs；
  Are　infinite　in　any　class　thou　wilt…
  From　whence　is　furnished　matter　for　all　things。
  Nor　can　those　motions　that　bring　death　prevail
  Forever；　nor　eternally　entomb
  The　welfare　of　the　world；　nor；　further；　can
  Those　motions　that　give　birth　to　things　and　growth
  Keep　them　forever　when　created　there。
  Thus　the　long　war；　from　everlasting　waged；
  With　equal　strife　among　the　elements
  Goes　on　and　on。　Now　here；　now　there；　prevail
  The　vital　forces　of　the　world…　or　fall。
  Mixed　with　the　funeral　is　the　wildered　wail
  Of　infants　coming　to　the　shores　of　light：
  No　night　a　day；　no　dawn　a　night　hath　followed
  That　heard　not；　mingling　with　the　small　birth…cries；
  The　wild　laments；　companions　old　of　death
  And　the　black　rites。