On the Honourable Robert Boyl's, Notion of Nature. Sarah Fyge Egerton Alexander Huber Editor Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
Broad Street Oxford OX1 3BG UK
Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive
Taylor Institution Library St Giles' Oxford OX1 3NA UK info@eighteenthcenturypoetry.org https://www.eighteenthcenturypoetry.org/
Oxford This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. T125148 Egerton, Sarah Fyge, 1668-1723. Poems on Several Occasions, Together with a Pastoral. By Mrs. S. F. [poems only] London printed, and are to be sold by J. Nutt, near Stationers-Hall 1703 pp. 11-14. [20],117,[3],15,[1]p.; 8⁰.

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On the Honourable Robert Boyl's , Notion of Nature . Tis bravely done , great Boyle has disenthron'd . The Goddess Nature , so unjustly Crown'd , And by the Learn'd so many Ages own'd . Refuge of Atheists , whose supine desire , Pleas'd with that Stage , no farther will aspire : It damps the Theists too , while they assign , To Nature , what's done by a Power divine . We know not how , nor where , to ascribe events , While she's thus Rival to Omnipotence ; Sure that alone , the mighty Work can do , The Power that did create , can Govern too : It is not like our sublunary Kings , That must be circumscrib'd to place , and things , Whose straighten'd Power , doth Ministers Elect , That must for them remoter business act , The Omnipresence , of the Power Divine , Argues it need no Deputies assign ; Nor is't beneath the Glory of his State , To Rule , Protect the Beings he create : But stop my Pen , blush at thy weak pretence , Tis Boyle , not thee , that must the World convince ; Boyle the great Champion of Providence . Whose conquering Truths in an Inquiry drest , Have celebrated Nature dispossest ; Not the Vice gerent of Heavens settled Rules , But nice Idea of the erring Schools . Fate , Fortune , Chance , all notional and vain , The floating Fictions of the Poet's brain ; The World rejects , yet stupidly prefers , This wild Chimera of Philosophers : This more insinuating Notion lay , Unquestion'd till you made your brave Assay , Which doth the daring Sceptick more confute , Than a suspected Orthodox dispute . They can't pretend Int'rest , thy Lines doth Bribe With which they censure , the Canonick Tribe : 'Twas Love of Truth alone , thy Pen did move , Nor none but thee , could so successful prove . Methinks I all the School-mens Shades espy , Tending thy Tryumphs of Philosophy , And all the pregnant Naturist of Yore , From the Great Stagarite , to Des-Cartes , More , Resigning their Gigantick Notions now , And only what you write for Truth allow . See they have all their renounc'd Volumes brought , ( Bidding Mankind believe , what you have Taught ; ) Asham'd they've been , renown'd so many Years , Each from his blushing Brow his Laurel tares : With their own Hands , in one just Wreath they twine , Adorning that victorious Head of thine . And shall my Female Pen , thy Praise pretend , When Angels only , can enough commend , In Songs , which like themselves , can know no End .