Giordano Bruno
HOME
|
Giordano Bruno
On the Infinite, the Universe and
the Worlds:
Five Cosmological Dialogues
excerpts
“The ancient observed, and we also observe, that
sometimes things fall to earth, or some things leave the
earth, or whatever parts we may be near. Whence, he
says, and we may also say if we like, that something has
moved either upward or downward, but only with
regard to a certain region, or in a certain perspective,
something passing from us to the moon would look the
opposite to those across from us on the moon; where
we would say, something has ascended, those moon
people, our anticephali, would say that something has
descended. Such motions, therefore, make no
distinction between up and down, hither and thither
with respect to the infinite universe, but only the finite
world in which we are, or within the boundaries of the
infinite worlds' horizons, or according to the
calculations of the innumerable stars; hence, the same
thing, with the same motion, can be regarded
differently and called at the same time "rising" and
"falling". Determinate bodies, therefore, do not have
infinite motion, but finite and determinate calculation
within their own limits. But that which is indeterminate
and infinite has neither finite nor infinite motion, and
knows no differentiation of space or time.”
[…]
Of all men they alone are at leisure who take time for
philosophy, they alone really live; for they are not
content to be good guardians of their own lifetime only.
They annex ever age to their own; all the years that
have gone ore them are an addition to their store.
Unless we are most ungrateful, all those men, glorious
fashioners of holy thoughts, were born for us; for us
they have prepared a way of life. By other men's
labours we are led to the sight of things most beautiful
that have been wrested from darkness and brought into
light; from no age are we shut out, we have access to all
ages, and if it is our wish, by greatness of mind, to pass
beyond the narrow limits of human weakness, there is a
great stretch of time through which we may roam. We
may argue with Socrates, we may doubt with
Carneades, find peace with Epicurus, overcome human
nature with the Stoics, exceed it with the Cynics. Since
Nature allows us to enter into fellowship with every
age, why should we not turn from this paltry and
fleeting span of time and surrender ourselves with all
our soul to the past, which is boundless, which is
eternal, which we share with our betters?”
[…]
“Unless you make yourself equal to God, you cannot
understand God: for the like is not intelligible save to
the like. Make yourself grow to a greatness beyond
measure, by a bound free yourself from the body; raise
yourself above all time, become Eternity; then you will
understand God. Believe that nothing is impossible for
you, think yourself immortal and capable of
understanding all, all arts, all sciences, the nature of
every living being. Mount higher than the highest
height; descend lower than the lowest depth. Draw into
yourself all sensations of everything created, fire and
water, dry and moist, imagining that you are
everywhere, on earth, in the sea, in the sky, that you are
not yet born, in the maternal womb, adolescent, old,
dead, beyond death. If you embrace in your thought all
things at once, times, places, substances, qualities,
quantities, you may understand God.”
Life Well Lost
Winged by desire and thee, O dear delight!
As still the vast and succoring air I tread,
So, mounting still, on swifter pinions sped,
I scorn the world, and heaven receives my flight.
And if the end of Ikaros be nigh,
I will submit, for I shall know no pain:
And falling dead to earth, shall rise again;
What lowly life with such high death can vie?
Then speaks my heart from out the upper air,
"Whither dost lead me? sorrow and despair
Attend the rash." and thus I make reply:--
"Fear thou no fall, nor lofty ruin sent;
Safely divide the clouds, and die content,
When such proud death is dealt thee from on high."
|