of the nature of things-第35部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


Last；　the　possession　of　those　instruments
Whereby　the　male　with　female　can　unite；
The　one　with　other　in　mutual　ravishments。
　　And　in　the　ages　after　monsters　died；
Perforce　there　perished　many　a　stock；　unable
By　propagation　to　forge　a　progeny。
For　whatsoever　creatures　thou　beholdest
Breathing　the　breath　of　life；　the　same　have　been
Even　from　their　earliest　age　preserved　alive
By　cunning；　or　by　valour；　or　at　least
By　speed　of　foot　or　wing。　And　many　a　stock
Remaineth　yet；　because　of　use　to　man；
And　so　committed　to　man's　guardianship。
Valour　hath　saved　alive　fierce　lion…breeds
And　many　another　terrorizing　race；
Cunning　the　foxes；　flight　the　antlered　stags。
Light…sleeping　dogs　with　faithful　heart　in　breast；
However；　and　every　kind　begot　from　seed
Of　beasts　of　draft；　as；　too；　the　woolly　flocks
And　horned　cattle；　all；　my　Memmius；
Have　been　committed　to　guardianship　of　men。
For　anxiously　they　fled　the　savage　beasts；
And　peace　they　sought　and　their　abundant　foods；
Obtained　with　never　labours　of　their　own；
Which　we　secure　to　them　as　fit　rewards
For　their　good　service。　But　those　beasts　to　whom
Nature　has　granted　naught　of　these　same　things…
Beasts　quite　unfit　by　own　free　will　to　thrive
And　vain　for　any　service　unto　us
In　thanks　for　which　we　should　permit　their　kind
To　feed　and　be　in　our　protection　safe…
Those；　of　a　truth；　were　wont　to　be　exposed；
Enshackled　in　the　gruesome　bonds　of　doom；
As　prey　and　booty　for　the　rest；　until
Nature　reduced　that　stock　to　utter　death。
　　But　Centaurs　ne'er　have　been；　nor　can　there　be
Creatures　of　twofold　stock　and　double　frame；
Compact　of　members　alien　in　kind；
Yet　formed　with　equal　function；　equal　force
In　every　bodily　part…　a　fact　thou　mayst；
However　dull　thy　wits；　well　learn　from　this：
The　horse；　when　his　three　years　have　rolled　away；
Flowers　in　his　prime　of　vigour；　but　the　boy
Not　so；　for　oft　even　then　he　gropes　in　sleep
After　the　milky　nipples　of　the　breasts；
An　infant　still。　And　later；　when　at　last
The　lusty　powers　of　horses　and　stout　limbs；
Now　weak　through　lapsing　life；　do　fail　with　age；
Lo；　only　then　doth　youth　with　flowering　years
Begin　for　boys；　and　clothe　their　ruddy　cheeks
With　the　soft　down。　So　never　deem；　percase；
That　from　a　man　and　from　the　seed　of　horse；
The　beast　of　draft；　can　Centaurs　be　composed
Or　e'er　exist　alive；　nor　Scyllas　be…
The　half…fish　bodies　girdled　with　mad　dogs…
Nor　others　of　this　sort；　in　whom　we　mark
Members　discordant　each　with　each；　for　ne'er
At　one　same　time　they　reach　their　flower　of　age
Or　gain　and　lose　full　vigour　of　their　frame；
And　never　burn　with　one　same　lust　of　love；
And　never　in　their　habits　they　agree；
Nor　find　the　same　foods　equally　delightsome…
Sooth；　as　one　oft　may　see　the　bearded　goats
Batten　upon　the　hemlock　which　to　man
Is　violent　poison。　Once　again；　since　flame
Is　wont　to　scorch　and　burn　the　tawny　bulks
Of　the　great　lions　as　much　as　other　kinds
Of　flesh　and　blood　existing　in　the　lands；
How　could　it　be　that　she；　Chimaera　lone；
With　triple　body…　fore；　a　lion　she；
And　aft；　a　dragon；　and　betwixt；　a　goat…
Might　at　the　mouth　from　out　the　body　belch
Infuriate　flame？　Wherefore；　the　man　who　feigns
Such　beings　could　have　been　engendered
When　earth　was　new　and　the　young　sky　was　fresh
（Basing　his　empty　argument　on　new）
May　babble　with　like　reason　many　whims
Into　our　ears：　he'll　say；　perhaps；　that　then
Rivers　of　gold　through　every　landscape　flowed；
That　trees　were　wont　with　precious　stones　to　flower；
Or　that　in　those　far　aeons　man　was　born
With　such　gigantic　length　and　lift　of　limbs
As　to　be　able；　based　upon　his　feet；
Deep　oceans　to　bestride　or　with　his　hands
To　whirl　the　firmament　around　his　head。
For　though　in　earth　were　many　seeds　of　things
In　the　old　time　when　this　telluric　world
First　poured　the　breeds　of　animals　abroad；
Still　that　is　nothing　of　a　sign　that　then
Such　hybrid　creatures　could　have　been　begot
And　limbs　of　all　beasts　heterogeneous
Have　been　together　knit；　because；　indeed；
The　divers　kinds　of　grasses　and　the　grains
And　the　delightsome　trees…　which　even　now
Spring　up　abounding　from　within　the　earth…
Can　still　ne'er　be　begotten　with　their　stems
Begrafted　into　one；　but　each　sole　thing
Proceeds　according　to　its　proper　wont
And　all　conserve　their　own　distinctions　based
In　nature's　fixed　decree。

　ORIGINS　AND　SAVAGE　PERIOD　OF　MANKIND

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　But　mortal　man
Was　then　far　hardier　in　the　old　champaign；
As　well　he　should　be；　since　a　hardier　earth
Had　him　begotten；　builded　too　was　he
Of　bigger　and　more　solid　bones　within；
And　knit　with　stalwart　sinews　through　the　flesh；
Nor　easily　seized　by　either　heat　or　cold；
Or　alien　food　or　any　ail　or　irk。
And　whilst　so　many　lustrums　of　the　sun
Rolled　on　across　the　sky；　men　led　a　life
After　the　roving　habit　of　wild　beasts。
Not　then　were　sturdy　guiders　of　curved　ploughs；
And　none　knew　then　to　work　the　fields　with　iron；
Or　plant　young　shoots　in　holes　of　delved　loam；
Or　lop　with　hooked　knives　from　off　high　trees
The　boughs　of　yester…year。　What　sun　and　rains
To　them　had　given；　what　earth　of　own　accord
Created　then；　was　boon　enough　to　glad
Their　simple　hearts。　Mid　acorn…laden　oaks
Would　they　refresh　their　bodies　for　the　nonce；
And　the　wild　berries　of　the　arbute…tree；
Which　now　thou　seest　to　ripen　purple…red
In　winter　time；　the　old　telluric　soil
Would　bear　then　more　abundant　and　more　big。
And　many　coarse　foods；　too；　in　long　ago
The　blooming　freshness　of　the　rank　young　world
Produced；　enough　for　those　poor　wretches　there。
And　rivers　and　springs　would　summon　them　of　old
To　slake　the　thirst；　as　now　from　the　great　hills
The　water's　down…rush　calls　aloud　and　far
The　thirsty　generations　of　the　wild。
So；　too；　they　sought　the　grottos　of　the　Nymphs…
The　woodland　haunts　discovered　as　they　ranged…
From　forth　of　which　they　knew　that　gliding　rills
With　gush　and　splash　abounding　laved　the　rocks；
The　dripping　rocks；　and　trickled　from　above
Over　the　verdant　moss；　and　here　and　there
Welled　up　and　burst　across　the　open　flats。
As　yet　they　knew　not　to　enkindle　fire
Against　the　cold；　nor　hairy　pelts　to　use
And　clothe　their　bodies　with　the　spoils　of　beasts；
But　huddled　in　groves；　and　mountain…caves；　and　woods；
And　'mongst　the　thickets　hid　their　squalid　backs；
When　driven　to　flee　the　lashings　of　the　winds
And　the　big　rains。　Nor　could　they　then　regard
The　general　good；　nor　did　they　know　to　use
In　common　any　customs；　any　laws：
Whatever　of　booty　fortune　unto　each
Had　proffered；　each　alone　would　bear　away；
By　instinct　trained　for　self　to　thrive　and　live。
And　Venus　in　the　forests　then　would　link
The　lovers'　bodies；　for　the　woman　yielded
Either　from　mutual　flame；　or　from　the　man's
Impetuous　fury　and　insatiate　lust；
Or　from　a　bribe…　as　acorn…nuts；　choice　pears；
Or　the　wild　berries　of　the　arbute…tree。
And　trusting　wondrous　strength　of　hands　and　legs；
They'd　chase　the　forest…wanderers；　the　beasts；
And　many　they'd　conquer；　but　some　few　they　fled；
A…skulk　into　their　hiding…places。。。
　　　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。
With　the　flung　stones　and　with　the　ponderous　heft
Of　gnarled　branch。　And　by　the　time　of　night
O'ertaken；　they　would　throw；　like　bristly　boars；
Their　wildman's　limbs　naked　upon　the　earth；
Rolling　themselves　in　leaves　and　fronded　boughs。
Nor　would　they　call　with　lamentations　loud
Around　the　fields　for　daylight　and　the　sun；
Quaking　and　wand'ring　in　shadows　of　the　night；
But；　silent　and　buried　in　a　sleep；　they'd　wait
Until　the　sun　with　rosy　flambeau　brought
The　glory　to　the　sky。　From　childhood　wont
Ever　to　see　the　dark　and　day　begot
In　times　alternate；　never　might　they　be
Wildered　by　wild　misgiving；　lest　a　night
Eternal　should　possess　the　lands；　with　light
Of　sun　withdrawn　forever。　But　their　care
Was　rather　that　the　clans　of　savage　beasts
Would　often　make　their　sleep…time　horrible
For　those　poor　wretches；　and；　from　home　y…driven；
They'd　flee　their　rocky　shelters　at　approach
Of　boar；　the　spumy…lipped；　or　lion　strong；
And　in　the　midnight　yield　with　terror　up
To　those　fierce　guests　their　beds　of　out…spread　leaves。
　　And　yet　in　those　days　not　much　more　than　now
Would　generations　of　mortality
Leave　the　sweet　light　of　fading　life　behind。
Indeed；　in　those　days　here　and　there　a　man；
More　oftener　snatched　upon；　and　gulped　by　fangs；
Afforded　the　beasts　a　food　that　roared　alive；
Echoing　through　groves　and　hills　and　forest…trees；
Even　as　he　viewed　his　living　flesh　entombed
Within　a　living　grave；　whilst　those　whom　flight
Had　saved；　with　bone　and　body　bitten；　shrieked；
Pressing　their　quivering　palms　to　loathsome　sores；
With　horrible　voices　for　eternal　death…
Until；　forlorn　of　help；　and　witless　what
Might　medicine　their　wounds；　the　writhing　pangs
Took　them　from　life。　But　not　in　those　far　times
Would　one　lone　day　give　over　unto　doom
A　soldiery　in　thousands　marching　on
Beneath　the　battle…banners；　nor　would　then
The　ramping　breakers　of　the　main　seas　dash
Whole　argosies　and　crews　upon　the　rocks。
But　ocean　uprisen　would　often　rave　in　vain；
Without　all　end　or　outcome；　and　give　up
Its　empty　menacings　as　lightly　too；
Nor　soft　seductions　of　a　serene　sea
Could　lure　by　laughing　billows　any　man
Out　to　disaster：　for　the　science　bold
Of　ship…sailing　lay　dark　in