Philosophy in Poetry Volume 4; A Study of Sir John Davies's Poem Nosce Teipsum, by E. Hershey Sneath (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1903 Excerpt: ... of his Reasonable part he communicates with Substances which are bodilesse (or spirituall) as hath been said before."2... "These things considered, Moses in expressing the Creation of the World, did very properly affirme that Man was last made. Not only, because all things being made for Man, it was most convenient, that all such things ought first to bee provided, which were necessarily pertinent to his use; and that he who was to have the use of them, should afterward be created: But, in respect both intellectuall and visible substances, were created, it seemed also convenient that One should be made, by whom those two Natures should be so united together, that the whole World might become ONE; and be in its owne selfe so agreeable, that the same might not bee at variance, or estranged from it selfe. Even to this end, was Man made such a living-creature, as might joyne together both Natures, and (to summe up all in a word) therein was manifested the admirable wisdome of the universall CREATOR." 1 Again, referring to the fact that man is a microcosm, Nemesius says: "These things considered, who is able to commend sufficiently the nobility of this living-creature? Behold, he bindeth together in himself things mortall and immortal I; and knitteth up in One, things reasonable and unreasonable. In his owne nature, hee beareth 1 Op. cit., pp. 19-20. the image of all creatures, and from thence is rightly called A little world."1 In the following words Davies also makes man a microcosm, and says that this is the purpose of the union of soul and body: --"This substance, and this spirit of God's owne making, Is in the body plact, and planted heere; That both of God, and of the world partaking, Of all that is, Man might the image beare....