of the nature of things-第15章

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Craves　to　go　out；　and　from　the　frame　entire
Loosened　to　be；　the　countenance　becomes
Flaccid；　as　if　the　supreme　hour　were　there；
And　flabbily　collapse　the　members　all
Against　the　bloodless　trunk…　the　kind　of　case
We　see　when　we　remark　in　common　phrase；
〃That　man's　quite　gone；〃　or　〃fainted　dead　away〃；
And　where　there's　now　a　bustle　of　alarm；
And　all　are　eager　to　get　some　hold　upon
The　man's　last　link　of　life。　For　then　the　mind
And　all　the　power　of　soul　are　shook　so　sore；
And　these　so　totter　along　with　all　the　frame；
That　any　cause　a　little　stronger　might
Dissolve　them　altogether。…　Why；　then；　doubt
That　soul；　when　once　without　the　body　thrust；
There　in　the　open；　an　enfeebled　thing；
Its　wrappings　stripped　away；　cannot　endure
Not　only　through　no　everlasting　age；
But　even；　indeed；　through　not　the　least　of　time？
　　Then；　too；　why　never　is　the　intellect；
The　counselling　mind；　begotten　in　the　head；
The　feet；　the　hands；　instead　of　cleaving　still
To　one　sole　seat；　to　one　fixed　haunt；　the　breast；
If　not　that　fixed　places　be　assigned
For　each　thing's　birth；　where　each；　when　'tis　create；
Is　able　to　endure；　and　that　our　frames
Have　such　complex　adjustments　that　no　shift
In　order　of　our　members　may　appear？
To　that　degree　effect　succeeds　to　cause；
Nor　is　the　flame　once　wont　to　be　create
In　flowing　streams；　nor　cold　begot　in　fire。
　　Besides；　if　nature　of　soul　immortal　be；
And　able　to　feel；　when　from　our　frame　disjoined；
The　same；　I　fancy；　must　be　thought　to　be
Endowed　with　senses　five；…　nor　is　there　way
But　this　whereby　to　image　to　ourselves
How　under…souls　may　roam　in　Acheron。
Thus　painters　and　the　elder　race　of　bards
Have　pictured　souls　with　senses　so　endowed。
But　neither　eyes；　nor　nose；　nor　hand；　alone
Apart　from　body　can　exist　for　soul；
Nor　tongue　nor　ears　apart。　And　hence　indeed
Alone　by　self　they　can　nor　feel　nor　be。
　　And　since　we　mark　the　vital　sense　to　be
In　the　whole　body；　all　one　living　thing；
If　of　a　sudden　a　force　with　rapid　stroke
Should　slice　it　down　the　middle　and　cleave　in　twain；
Beyond　a　doubt　likewise　the　soul　itself；
Divided；　dissevered；　asunder　will　be　flung
Along　with　body。　But　what　severed　is
And　into　sundry　parts　divides；　indeed
Admits　it　owns　no　everlasting　nature。
We　hear　how　chariots　of　war；　areek
With　hurly　slaughter；　lop　with　flashing　scythes
The　limbs　away　so　suddenly　that　there；
Fallen　from　the　trunk；　they　quiver　on　the　earth；
The　while　the　mind　and　powers　of　the　man
Can　feel　no　pain；　for　swiftness　of　his　hurt；
And　sheer　abandon　in　the　zest　of　battle：
With　the　remainder　of　his　frame　he　seeks
Anew　the　battle　and　the　slaughter；　nor　marks
How　the　swift　wheels　and　scythes　of　ravin　have　dragged
Off　with　the　horses　his　left　arm　and　shield；
Nor　other　how　his　right　has　dropped　away；
Mounting　again　and　on。　A　third　attempts
With　leg　dismembered　to　arise　and　stand；
Whilst；　on　the　ground　hard　by；　the　dying　foot
Twitches　its　spreading　toes。　And　even　the　head；
When　from　the　warm　and　living　trunk　lopped　off；
Keeps　on　the　ground　the　vital　countenance
And　open　eyes；　until　't　has　rendered　up
All　remnants　of　the　soul。　Nay；　once　again：
If；　when　a　serpent's　darting　forth　its　tongue；
And　lashing　its　tail；　thou　gettest　chance　to　hew
With　axe　its　length　of　trunk　to　many　parts；
Thou'lt　see　each　severed　fragment　writhing　round
With　its　fresh　wound；　and　spattering　up　the　sod；
And　there　the　fore…part　seeking　with　the　jaws
After　the　hinder；　with　bite　to　stop　the　pain。
So　shall　we　say　that　these　be　souls　entire
In　all　those　fractions？…　but　from　that　'twould　follow
One　creature'd　have　in　body　many　souls。
Therefore；　the　soul；　which　was　indeed　but　one；
Has　been　divided　with　the　body　too：
Each　is　but　mortal；　since　alike　is　each
Hewn　into　many　parts。　Again；　how　often
We　view　our　fellow　going　by　degrees；
And　losing　limb　by　limb　the　vital　sense；
First　nails　and　fingers　of　the　feet　turn　blue；
Next　die　the　feet　and　legs；　then　o'er　the　rest
Slow　crawl　the　certain　footsteps　of　cold　death。
And　since　this　nature　of　the　soul　is　torn；
Nor　mounts　away；　as　at　one　time；　entire；
We　needs　must　hold　it　mortal。　But　perchance
If　thou　supposest　that　the　soul　itself
Can　inward　draw　along　the　frame；　and　bring
Its　parts　together　to　one　place；　and　so
From　all　the　members　draw　the　sense　away；
Why；　then；　that　place　in　which　such　stock　of　soul
Collected　is；　should　greater　seem　in　sense。
But　since　such　place　is　nowhere；　for　a　fact；
As　said　before；　'tis　rent　and　scattered　forth；
And　so　goes　under。　Or　again；　if　now
I　please　to　grant　the　false；　and　say　that　soul
Can　thus　be　lumped　within　the　frames　of　those
Who　leave　the　sunshine；　dying　bit　by　bit；
Still　must　the　soul　as　mortal　be　confessed；
Nor　aught　it　matters　whether　to　wrack　it　go；
Dispersed　in　the　winds；　or；　gathered　in　a　mass
From　all　its　parts；　sink　down　to　brutish　death；
Since　more　and　more　in　every　region　sense
Fails　the　whole　man；　and　less　and　less　of　life
In　every　region　lingers。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　besides；
If　soul　immortal　is；　and　winds　its　way
Into　the　body　at　the　birth　of　man；
Why　can　we　not　remember　something；　then；
Of　life…time　spent　before？　why　keep　we　not
Some　footprints　of　the　things　we　did　of；　old？
But　if　so　changed　hath　been　the　power　of　mind；
That　every　recollection　of　things　done
Is　fallen　away；　at　no　o'erlong　remove
Is　that；　I　trow；　from　what　we　mean　by　death。
Wherefore　'tis　sure　that　what　hath　been　before
Hath　died；　and　what　now　is　is　now　create。
　　Moreover；　if　after　the　body　hath　been　built
Our　mind's　live　powers　are　wont　to　be　put　in；
Just　at　the　moment　that　we　come　to　birth；
And　cross　the　sills　of　life；　'twould　scarcely　fit
For　them　to　live　as　if　they　seemed　to　grow
Along　with　limbs　and　frame；　even　in　the　blood；
But　rather　as　in　a　cavern　all　alone。
（Yet　all　the　body　duly　throngs　with　sense。）
But　public　fact　declares　against　all　this：
For　soul　is　so　entwined　through　the　veins；
The　flesh；　the　thews；　the　bones；　that　even　the　teeth
Share　in　sensation；　as　proven　by　dull　ache；
By　twinge　from　icy　water；　or　grating　crunch
Upon　a　stone　that　got　in　mouth　with　bread。
Wherefore；　again；　again；　souls　must　be　thought
Nor　void　of　birth；　nor　free　from　law　of　death；
Nor；　if；　from　outward；　in　they　wound　their　way；
Could　they　be　thought　as　able　so　to　cleave
To　these　our　frames；　nor；　since　so　interwove；
Appears　it　that　they're　able　to　go　forth
Unhurt　and　whole　and　loose　themselves　unscathed
From　all　the　thews；　articulations；　bones。
But；　if　perchance　thou　thinkest　that　the　soul；
From　outward　winding　in　its　way；　is　wont
To　seep　and　soak　along　these　members　ours；
Then　all　the　more　'twill　perish；　being　thus
With　body　fused…　for　what　will　seep　and　soak
Will　be　dissolved　and　will　therefore　die。
For　just　as　food；　dispersed　through　all　the　pores
Of　body；　and　passed　through　limbs　and　all　the　frame；
Perishes；　supplying　from　itself　the　stuff
For　other　nature；　thus　the　soul　and　mind；
Though　whole　and　new　into　a　body　going；
Are　yet；　by　seeping　in；　dissolved　away；
Whilst；　as　through　pores；　to　all　the　frame　there　pass
Those　particles　from　which　created　is
This　nature　of　mind；　now　ruler　of　our　body；
Born　from　that　soul　which　perished；　when　divided
Along　the　frame。　Wherefore　it　seems　that　soul
Hath　both　a　natal　and　funeral　hour。
　　Besides　are　seeds　of　soul　there　left　behind
In　the　breathless　body；　or　not？　If　there　they　are；
It　cannot　justly　be　immortal　deemed；
Since；　shorn　of　some　parts　lost；　'thas　gone　away：
But　if；　borne　off　with　members　uncorrupt；
'Thas　fled　so　absolutely　all　away
It　leaves　not　one　remainder　of　itself
Behind　in　body；　whence　do　cadavers；　then；
From　out　their　putrid　flesh　exhale　the　worms；
And　whence　does　such　a　mass　of　living　things；
Boneless　and　bloodless；　o'er　the　bloated　frame
Bubble　and　swarm？　But　if　perchance　thou　thinkest
That　souls　from　outward　into　worms　can　wind；
And　each　into　a　separate　body　come；
And　reckonest　not　why　many　thousand　souls
Collect　where　only　one　has　gone　away；
Here　is　a　point；　in　sooth；　that　seems　to　need
Inquiry　and　a　putting　to　the　test：
Whether　the　souls　go　on　a　hunt　for　seeds
Of　worms　wherewith　to　build　their　dwelling　places；
Or　enter　bodies　ready…made；　as　'twere。
But　why　themselves　they　thus　should　do　and　toil
'Tis　hard　to　say；　since；　being　free　of　body；
They　flit　around；　harassed　by　no　disease；
Nor　cold　nor　famine；　for　the　body　labours
By　more　of　kinship　to　these　flaws　of　life；
And　mind　by　contact　with　that　body　suffers
So　many　ills。　But　grant　it　be　for　them
However　useful　to　construct　a　body
To　which　to　enter　in；　'tis　plain　they　can't。
Then；　souls　for　self　no　frames　nor　bodies　make；
Nor　is　there　how　they　once　might　enter　in
To　bodies　ready…made…　for　they　cannot
Be　nicely　interwoven　with　the　same；
And　there'll　be　formed　no　interplay　of　sense
Common　to　each。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Again；　why　is't　there　goes
Impetuous　rage　with　lion's　breed　morose；
And　cunning　with　foxes；　and　to　deer　why　given
The　ancestral　fear　and　tendency　to　flee；
And　why　in　short　do　all　the　rest　of　traits
Engender　from　the　very　start　of　life
In　the　members　and　mentality；　if　not
Because　one　certain　power　of　mind　that　came
From　its　own　seed　and　breed　waxes　the　same
Along　with　all　the　body？　But　were　mind
Immortal；　were　it　wont　to　change　its　bodies；
How　topsy…turvy　would　earth's　creatures　act！
The　Hyrcan　hound　would　flee　the　onset　oft
Of　antlered　stag；　the　scurrying　hawk　would　quake
Along　the　winds　of　air　at　the　coming　dove；
And　men　would　dote；　and　savage　beasts　be　wise；
For　false　the　reasoning　of　those　that　say
Immortal　mind　is　changed　by　change　of　body…
For　what　is　changed　dissolves；　and　therefore　dies。
For　parts　are　re…disposed　and　leave　their　order；
Wherefore　they　must　be　also　capable
Of　dissolution　through　the　frame　at　last；
That　they　along　with　body　perish　all。
But　should　some　say　that　always　souls　of　men
Go　into　human　bodies；　I　will　ask：
How　can　a　wise　become　a　dullard　soul？
And　why　is　never　a　child's　a　prudent　soul？
And　the　mare's　filly　why　not　trained　so　well
As　sturdy　strength　of　steed？　We　may　be　sure
They'll　take　their　refuge　in　the　thought　that　mind
Becomes　a　weakling　in　a　weakling　frame。
Yet　be　this　so；　'tis　needful　to　confess
The　soul　but　mortal；　since；　so　altered　now
Throughout　the　frame；　it　loses　the　life　and　sense
It　had　before。　Or　how　can　mind　wax　strong
Coequally　with　body　and　attain
The　craved　flower　of　life；　unless　it　be
The　body's　colleague　in　its　origins？
Or　what's　the　purport　of　its　going　forth
From　aged　limbs？…　fears　it；　perhaps；　to　stay；
Pent　in　a　crumbled　body？　Or　lest　its　house；
Outworn　by　venerable　length　of　days；
May　topple　down　upon　it？　But　indeed
For　an　immortal　perils　are　there　none。
　　Again；　at　parturitions　of　the　wild
And　at　the　rites　of　Love；　that　souls　should　stand
Ready　hard　by　seems　ludicrous　enough…
Immortals　waiting　for　their　mortal　limbs
In　numbers　innumerable；　contending　madly
Which　shall　be　first　and　chief　to　enter　in！…
Unless　perchance　among　the　souls　there　be
Such　treaties　stablished　that　the　first　to　come
Flying　along；　shall　enter　in　the　first；
And　that　they　make　no　rivalries　of　strength！
　　Again；　in　ether　can't　exist　a　tree；
Nor　clouds　in　ocean　deeps；　nor　in　the　fields
Can　fishes　live；　nor　blood　in　timber　be；
Nor　sap　in　boulders：　fixed　a