T. Lucretius Carus, Of the nature of things

1714·33.8 MB·English

by  Lucretius Carus, Titus

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T. Lucretius
Cafus^
OF THE
Nature
of Things.
Tranflated into Englilh Verfe by
Thomas Creech, A. M. and
Fellow of Wadham College
Oxford.
in
Volume
IL
Containing the Fifth and Sixth Books.'
Explain'd and Illuftrated with Notes
and Animadverfions.
Felix qui ptuit rerum&cognofcere cattfof,
Attfue mettts omnes, inexorabile Fatum
Suhjecit jedibus, finphunujue Acherontisavan.
Virg.
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Printed by John Matthews, for George
Sawb
RIDGE,
at the Jy&r^g Fkurs de Ljs in
Link MdccxiV-
Britain.
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THE
PREFACE
AVING
in the Vreface to the
fir/i-
VGlume given 4he Vublick fo full and
ample an Account ofmy Defign^ in pub-
lining thefe Notes and Animadverfions
on this Englijh Tranjlation ofLucretius^
as likewije ofthe Helps I made ufe ofy
and of the Method I have ohferv^d^ in
this Undertakings which I take to be the chiefBnfinefs of
a Frefacer^ IJliall not long detain my Header by Way of
Introdu^ionto thisfecond Volume^ that contains onlythe two
laft Books of my Authour ^ who^ having in thefe two
Books treated of a great Variety of noble SubjeBs, has
afforded me ajufi Occafionoffwelling this Volume to almojh
an equal Number of Sheets with the former, tho^ compu^
ting the Number ofVerfes, it contain but little more than
one Third of the whole Foem of Lucretim ; The Length
however, if1 may judge ofthe Readers SatisfaBion in the
Ferufaly by my own in the compilings 72^ill not, I hope,
feem tedious to him ; andIflatter my felf, that Ifljall not
weary andgrow irkfome to thofe,whom it has bemmyprin-
(ipal Study and ^^fg^ ^^ ^^^^ ^0 inflruB and divQrt.
t a 2 ] wi^^^
yy
Preface.
The
When the SuhjeSi of which my Authour was treating
was nUtmally cirahhed and ahfirufe, as in the two firfi
Books^ in which he diffutes chiefly ofthe Nature and Fro-
ferties ofhis APoms ; I thought it not convenient to dwell
too long upon it ; hut endeavourd only to render it flain
and intelligible with as much Brevity as the Province of
an Interpretery which I had undertakeny would allow:
But when he came to treat ofThings which Ijudged would
he more entertaining^ as ofthe Origine ofthe JVorld ^ ofthe
Motion ofthe Heavens ; of fhe Sun^ Moon and Stars • of
the firfi Meny and oftheir Manners and Way of Life ; of
thefirft Infiitution ofKingsy Magiflrates and Laws • of
thefirB Invention ofArts and Sciences ;> ofthe Things we
call Meteorsy as Thundery Lightningy Whirlwindsy Earth-
quakes ^c. Ofthe Caufes ofRainy Windy Haily SnoWy
y
and Froft Ofthe Flames that are ejeBedfrom the Bowels
^
of Mount z^tna ; Of the annual Increafe of the River
Nile Ofthe Averni Of certain miraculous Fountains
; ^ ;
Ofthe Load[tone and of the Caufe and Origine ofFlagues
'j
^nd Difeafes Of all whichy as well as of many other
;
SuhjeBs ofthe like Naturey Lucretius has difputed in thefe
two last Books ; when he camey I fajy to treat of thefe
Mattersy he afforded me a wider Field to inlarge and ex-
patiate upon; and I have laid hold of the Opportunity he
gave mey to illufirate all thofe feveral Suhjeltsy with the
Opinions of all the moft celehratedy as well antient as
moderny FhilofopherSy concerning them : In which I pre*
fume I fi]all not be deernd to have tranfgrejs^d the Bounds
which wereformerly prefcrih'd to an Interpretery whoy as
Amr^onim allowsy Ne^jue henevolentia duBus conari debet
^ua perperam dicuntur confentaneafacerCy eaque veluti a
tripode exciperey neque reBe prodita pravo fenju per odium
carpere fed eorum effe incorruptus judexy atque auBoris
^
fenfum aperire imprimisy -illiufque placita interpretari ^
turn quod alijy €^ ipfefentiat afferre. Befides 'y i can not
apprebendy hut that it will be acceptable tothe Publick tofee
at one View the different Opinions of the Learned Men in
fill Aies. on the above SuhkUs \ and this is what I have en-
aeavoiir d