Finally,  obtaining  a  grosser  vehicle,  they  descend
into  this  composite  body  of  the  earth,  which  we  now


NOTES  233

inhabit.  And  the  reascent  takes  place  through  the
same  media.  For  souls  which  have  lived  here  a  guilt
less  life,  but  without  philosophy,  proceed,  after  death,
to  the  upper  earth,  and  dwell  there  in  aerial  vehicles ;
but  being  not  yet  released  from  the  bonds  of  matter,
they  are  still  subject  to  death,  although  from  the
purity  of  the  elements  there,  they  are  far  longer  lived
than  we.  The  souls  which  have  attained  a  more
perfect  liberation  are  raised  to  their  kindred  star,  as
Plato  says  :  i.e.,  to  the  sethereal  vehicle  of  that  mun
dane  soul  under  which  they  are  arranged,  and  which
in  our  case  is  the  earth ;  and  they  dwell  there  with  luci-
form  vehicles.  And  those  which  are  completely  purified
may  rise  yet  higher,  proceeding,  beyond  time  itself,
to  the  intelligible  world  whence  they  were  derived.
O  leave  that  love  which  reacheth  but  to  dust  (line
197).  This  verse  is  borrowed  from  Sidney,  who  has
in  one  of  his  sonnets  the  following  line  : —

"  Leave  me,  O  Love,  which  reachest  but  to  dust."

To  THE  AUTHOR  (p.  133).
This  sonnet,  by  Sir  David  Murray  of  Gorthy,  is
printed  in  the  edition  of  1616  immediately  after
Urania  ;  but  as  it  relates  particularly  to  the  "  Poems,"
I  have  inserted  it  here.
URANIA,  OR  SPIRITUAL  POEMS  (p.  137).
