ÁTOMOS

The Duchess to Her Readers

A Poet am I neither born nor bred,

But to a witty poet married:

Whose brain is fresh and pleasant as the SPRING,

Where Fancies grow and where the Muses sing.

There oft I lean my head, and listening, hark,

To catch his words and all his fancies mark:

And from that garden show of beauties take

Whereof a posy I in verse may make.

Thus I, that have no gardens of my own,

There gather flowers that are newly blown.

World made by atoms

Small Atoms of themselves a World may make,

as being subtle, and of every shape:

And as they dance about, fit places finde,

such Formes as best agree, make every kind.

For when we build a house of Bricke, and Stone,

we lay them even, every one by one:

And when we find a gap that’s big, or small,

we seek out Stones, to fit that place withall.

For when not fit, too big, or little be,

they fall away, and cannot stay we see.

So Atomes, as they dance, find places fit,

they there remain, lye close, and fast will sticke.

Those that unfit, the rest that rove about,

do never leave, until they thrust them out.

Thus by their several Motions, and their Formes,

as several work-men serve each other`s turns.

And thus, by chance, may a New World create:

Or else predestined to work my Fate.

Margaret Cavendish

1623-1673

Precioso descubrimiento

“Ninguna teoría hecha o por hacer puede modificar en un átomo las cualidades de ese precioso descubrimiento para curar la caída anormal y prematura del cabello”