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THE SECOND BOOKE 301
of alteration to which the soule is prepared, having
no paines nor rewards in the other world but temporally
as her life in this is hut temporally concludeth in her a
singular knowledge of the affaires of Heaven, of Hell,
and here below, where she hath passed, repassed, and
sojourned in many voyages, a matter in his remembrance.
Beholde her progresse elsewhere : he that
hath lived well reconjoyneth himself unto that Star
or Planet to which he is assigned: who evill, passeth
into a woman : and if then he amend not himself, he
trans-changeth himselfe into a beast of condition agreeing
to his vicious customes, and shall never see an end
of his punishments untill he returue to his naturall
condition, and by virtue of reason he have deprived
himselfe of those grose, stupide, and elementarie
qualities that were in him. But I will not forget the
objection which the Epicureans make unto this transmigration
from one body to another : which is very
pleasant. They demand what order there should be
if the throng of the dying should be greater than that
of such as be borne. For the soules removed from their
abode would throng and strive together who should get
the best seat in this new case: and demand besides
what they would pass their time about, whilst they
should stay untill any other mansion were made ready
for them: Or contrary-wise, if more creatures were
borne than should dye, they say bodies shall be in an
ill taking, expecting the infusion of their soule, and
it would come to passe that some of them should dye
before they had ever been living.
Denique connubia ad veneris, partusqueferarum,
Esse animas preesto dendiculum esse videtur,
Et spcctare immortales mortalia membra
Innumero numero, ceitaicqueprcepropeiantcr
Inter sc, qua: prima potissimaque insinuetur, 1
Lastly, ridiculous it is, soules should be prest
To Venus meetings, and begetting of a beast:
That they to mortall lims mimortall be addrest
In number numberlesse, and over-hasty strive,
Which of them first and chiefe should get in there to live.
¹ LUCR. 1. iii. 802.