Or；　having　entered；　the　seed　is　weakly　mixed
  With　seed　of　the　woman：　harmonies　of　Venus
  Are　seen　to　matter　vastly　here；　and　some
  Impregnate　some　more　readily；　and　from　some
  Some　women　conceive　more　readily　and　become
  Pregnant。　And　many　women；　sterile　before
  In　several　marriage…beds；　have　yet　thereafter
  Obtained　the　mates　from　whom　they　could　conceive
  The　baby…boys；　and　with　sweet　progeny
  Grow　rich。　And　even　for　husbands　（whose　own　wives；
  Although　of　fertile　wombs；　have　borne　for　them
  No　babies　in　the　house）　are　also　found
  Concordant　natures　so　that　they　at　last
  Can　bulwark　their　old　age　with　goodly　sons。
  A　matter　of　great　moment　'tis　in　truth；
  That　seeds　may　mingle　readily　with　seeds
  Suited　for　procreation；　and　that　thick
  Should　mix　with　fluid　seeds；　with　thick　the　fluid。
  And　in　this　business　'tis　of　some　import
  Upon　what　diet　life　is　nourished：
  For　some　foods　thicken　seeds　within　our　members；
  And　others　thin　them　out　and　waste　away。
  And　in　what　modes　the　fond　delight　itself
  Is　carried　on…　this　too　importeth　vastly。
  For　commonly　'tis　thought　that　wives　conceive
  More　readily　in　manner　of　wild…beasts；
  After　the　custom　of　the　four…foot　breeds；
  Because　so　postured；　with　the　breasts　beneath
  And　buttocks　then　upreared；　the　seeds　can　take
  Their　proper　places。　Nor　is　need　the　least
  For　wives　to　use　the　motions　of　blandishment；
  For　thus　the　woman　hinders　and　resists
  Her　own　conception；　if　too　joyously
  Herself　she　treats　the　Venus　of　the　man
  With　haunches　heaving；　and　with　all　her　bosom
  Now　yielding　like　the　billows　of　the　sea…
  Aye；　from　the　ploughshare's　even　course　and　track
  She　throws　the　furrow；　and　from　proper　places
  Deflects　the　spurt　of　seed。　And　courtesans
  Are　thuswise　wont　to　move　for　their　own　ends；
  To　keep　from　pregnancy　and　lying　in；
  And　all　the　while　to　render　Venus　more
  A　pleasure　for　the　men…　the　which　meseems
  Our　wives　have　never　need　of。
  Sometimes　too
  It　happens…　and　through　no　divinity
  Nor　arrows　of　Venus…　that　a　sorry　chit
  Of　scanty　grace　will　be　beloved　by　man；
  For　sometimes　she　herself　by　very　deeds；
  By　her　complying　ways；　and　tidy　habits；
  Will　easily　accustom　thee　to　pass
  With　her　thy　life…time…　and；　moreover；　lo；
  Long　habitude　can　gender　human　love；
  Even　as　an　object　smitten　o'er　and　o'er
  By　blows；　however　lightly；　yet　at　last
  Is　overcome　and　wavers。　Seest　thou　not；
  Besides；　how　drops　of　water　falling　down
  Against　the　stones　at　last　bore　through　the　stones？
  BOOK　V
  PROEM
  O　WHO　can　build　with　puissant　breast　a　song
  Worthy　the　majesty　of　these　great　finds？
  Or　who　in　words　so　strong　that　he　can　frame
  The　fit　laudations　for　deserts　of　him
  Who　left　us　heritors　of　such　vast　prizes；
  By　his　own　breast　discovered　and　sought　out？…
  There　shall　be　none；　methinks；　of　mortal　stock。
  For　if　must　needs　be　named　for　him　the　name
  Demanded　by　the　now　known　majesty
  Of　these　high　matters；　then　a　god　was　he；…
  Hear　me；　illustrious　Memmius…　a　god；
  Who　first　and　chief　found　out　that　plan　of　life
  Which　now　is　called　philosophy；　and　who
  By　cunning　craft；　out　of　such　mighty　waves；
  Out　of　such　mighty　darkness；　moored　life
  In　havens　so　serene；　in　light　so　clear。
  Compare　those　old　discoveries　divine
  Of　others：　lo；　according　to　the　tale；
  Ceres　established　for　mortality
  The　grain；　and　Bacchus　juice　of　vine…born　grape；
  Though　life　might　yet　without　these　things　abide；
  Even　as　report　saith　now　some　peoples　live。
  But　man's　well…being　was　impossible
  Without　a　breast　all　free。　Wherefore　the　more
  That　man　doth　justly　seem　to　us　a　god；
  From　whom　sweet　solaces　of　life；　afar
  Distributed　o'er　populous　domains；
  Now　soothe　the　minds　of　men。　But　if　thou　thinkest
  Labours　of　Hercules　excel　the　same；
  Much　farther　from　true　reasoning　thou　farest。
  For　what　could　hurt　us　now　that　mighty　maw
  Of　Nemeaean　Lion；　or　what　the　Boar
  Who　bristled　in　Arcadia？　Or；　again；
  O　what　could　Cretan　Bull；　or　Hydra；　pest
  Of　Lerna；　fenced　with　vipers　venomous？
  Or　what　the　triple…breasted　power　of　her
  The　three…fold　Geryon。。。
  The　sojourners　in　the　Stymphalian　fens
  So　dreadfully　offend　us；　or　the　Steeds
  Of　Thracian　Diomedes　breathing　fire
  From　out　their　nostrils　off　along　the　zones
  Bistonian　and　Ismarian？　And　the　Snake；
  The　dread　fierce　gazer；　guardian　of　the　golden
  And　gleaming　apples　of　the　Hesperides；
  Coiled　round　the　tree…trunk　with　tremendous　bulk；
  O　what；　again；　could　he　inflict　on　us
  Along　the　Atlantic　shore　and　wastes　of　sea？…
  Where　neither　one　of　us　approacheth　nigh
  Nor　no　barbarian　ventures。　And　the　rest
  Of　all　those　monsters　slain；　even　if　alive；
  Unconquered　still；　what　injury　could　they　do？
  None；　as　I　guess。　For　so　the　glutted　earth
  Swarms　even　now　with　savage　beasts；　even　now
  Is　filled　with　anxious　terrors　through　the　woods
  And　mighty　mountains　and　the　forest　deeps…
  Quarters　'tis　ours　in　general　to　avoid。
  But　lest　the　breast　be　purged；　what　conflicts　then；
  What　perils；　must　bosom；　in　our　own　despite！
  O　then　how　great　and　keen　the　cares　of　lust
  That　split　the　man　distraught！　How　great　the　fears！
  And　lo；　the　pride；　grim　greed；　and　wantonness…
  How　great　the　slaughters　in　their　train！　and　lo；
  Debaucheries　and　every　breed　of　sloth！
  Therefore　that　man　who　subjugated　these；
  And　from　the　mind　expelled；　by　words　indeed；
  Not　arms；　O　shall　it　not　be　seemly　him
  To　dignify　by　ranking　with　the　gods？…
  And　all　the　more　since　he　was　wont　to　give；
  Concerning　the　immortal　gods　themselves；
  Many　pronouncements　with　a　tongue　divine；
  And　to　unfold　by　his　pronouncements　all
  The　nature　of　the　world。
  ARGUMENT　OF　THE　BOOK　AND　NEW　PROEM
  AGAINST　A　TELEOLOGICAL　CONCEPT
  And　walking　now
  In　his　own　footprints；　I　do　follow　through
  His　reasonings；　and　with　pronouncements　teach
  The　covenant　whereby　all　things　are　framed；
  How　under　that　covenant　they　must　abide
  Nor　ever　prevail　to　abrogate　the　aeons'
  Inexorable　decrees；…　how　（as　we've　found）；
  In　class　of　mortal　objects；　o'er　all　else；
  The　mind　exists　of　earth…born　frame　create
  And　impotent　unscathed　to　abide
  Across　the　mighty　aeons；　and　how　come
  In　sleep　those　idol…apparitions；
  That　so　befool　intelligence　when　we
  Do　seem　to　view　a　man　whom　life　has　left。
  Thus　far　we've　gone；　the　order　of　my　plan
  Hath　brought　me　now　unto　the　point　where　I
  Must　make　report　how；　too；　the　universe
  Consists　of　mortal　body；　born　in　time；
  And　in　what　modes　that　congregated　stuff
  Established　itself　as　earth　and　sky；
  Ocean；　and　stars；　and　sun；　and　ball　of　moon；
  And　then　what　living　creatures　rose　from　out
  The　old　telluric　places；　and　what　ones
  Were　never　born　at　all；　and　in　what　mode
  The　human　race　began　to　name　its　things
  And　use　the　varied　speech　from　man　to　man；
  And　in　what　modes　hath　bosomed　in　their　breasts
  That　awe　of　gods；　which　halloweth　in　all　lands
  Fanes；　altars；　groves；　lakes；　idols　of　the　gods。
  Also　I　shall　untangle　by　what　power
  The　steersman　nature　guides　the　sun's　courses；
  And　the　meanderings　of　the　moon；　lest　we；
  Percase；　should　fancy　that　of　own　free　will
  They　circle　their　perennial　courses　round；
  Timing　their　motions　for　increase　of　crops
  And　living　creatures；　or　lest　we　should　think
  They　roll　along　by　any　plan　of　gods。
  For　even　those　men　who　have　learned　full　well
  That　godheads　lead　a　long　life　free　of　care；
  If　yet　meanwhile　they　wonder　by　what　plan
  Things　can　go　on　（and　chiefly　yon　high　things
  Observed　o'erhead　on　the　ethereal　coasts）；
  Again　are　hurried　back　unto　the　fears
  Of　old　religion　and　adopt　again
  Harsh　masters；　deemed　almighty；…　wretched　men；
  Unwitting　what　can　be　and　what　cannot；
  And　by　what　law　to　each　its　scope　prescribed；
  Its　boundary　stone　that　clings　so　deep　in　Time。
  But　for　the　rest；…　lest　we　delay　thee　here
  Longer　by　empty　promises…　behold；
  Before　all　else；　the　seas；　the　lands；　the　sky：
  O　Memmius；　their　threefold　nature；　lo；
  Their　bodies　three；　three　aspects　so　unlike；
  Three　frames　so　vast；　a　single　day　shall　give
  Unto　annihilation！　Then　shall　crash
  That　massive　form　and　fabric　of　the　world
  Sustained　so　many　aeons！　Nor　do　I
  Fail　to　perceive　how　strange　and　marvellous
  This　fact　must　strike　the　intellect　of　man；…
  Annihilation　of　the　sky　and　earth
  That　is　to　be；…　and　with　what　toil　of　words
  'Tis　mine　to　prove　the　same；　as　happens　oft
  When　once　ye　offer　to　man's　listening　ears
  Something　before　unheard　of；　but　may　not
  Subject　it　to　the　view　of　eyes　for　him
  Nor　put　it　into　hand…　the　sight　and　touch；
  Whereby　the　opened　highways　of　belief
  Lead　most　directly　into　human　breast
  And　regions　of　intelligence。　But　yet
  I　will　speak　out。　The　fact　itself；　perchance；
  Will　force　belief　in　these　my　words；　and　thou
  Mayst　see；　in　little　time；　tremendously
  With　risen　commotions　of　the　lands　all　things
  Quaking　to　pieces…　which　afar　from　us
  May　she；　the　steersman　Nature；　guide：　and　may
  Reason；　O　rather　than　the　fact　itself；
  Persuade　us　that　all　things　can　be　o'erthrown
  And　sink　with　awful…sounding　breakage　down！
  But　ere　on　this　I　take　a　step　to　utter
  Oracles　holier　and　soundlier　based
  Than　ever　the　Pythian　pronounced　for　men
  From　out　the　tripod　and　the　Delphian　laurel；
  I　will　unfold　for　thee　with　learned　words
  Many　a　consolation；　lest　perchance；
  Still　bridled　by　religion；　thou　suppose
  Lands；　sun；　and　sk