excerpt from the Temple of Nature, or the origin of society by Arasmus Darwin, 1731 to 1800 and 2. Read for Leap Revacts.org First, if you can celestial guide, disclose from what fair fountain mortal life arose, which define nerve to move and feel assigned, contractile fiber and ethereal mind. How love and sympathy the booze of war allure with pleasure and with pain alarm, with soft affections weave the social plan and charm the listening savage into man. God, the first cause, in this terine abode young nature lists, she is the child of God. From embryon bursts her changeful forms improve, grow as they live and strengthen as they move. Eritreine began from flaming chaos hurled, rose the bright spheres which form the circling world, earth from each sun with quick explosions burst and second planets issued from the first. Then, whilst the sea at their coeval birth surge over surge involved the shoreless earth, nursed by warm sunbeams in primeval caves organic life began beneath the waves. First heat from chemical solution springs and gives to matter its eccentric wings. With strong repulsion, parts the exploding mass melts into lymph or kindles into gas. Attraction next as earth or air subsides, the pondress atoms from the light divides, approaching parts with quick embrace combines swells into spheres and lengthens into lines. Last, as fine goads the gluten threads excite, cords grapple cords and webs with webs unite and quick contraction with ethereal flame lights into life the fiber woven frame. Hence, without parent by spontaneous birth rise the first specks of animated earth, from nature's womb the plant or insect swims and buds or breeze with microscopic limbs. In earth's sea air around below above life's subtle woof in nature's womb is wolf, points glued to points a living line extends touched by some gold approach the bending ends. Rings joined to rings and irritated tubes clasp with young lips, the nutrient globes or cubes, and urged by appetencies new select and by retained digest secret eject. In branching combs the living web expands lymphatic ducts and confoluted glands. A ordo tubes propelled the nascent blood and lengthening veins absorb the refluent flood. Leaves, lungs and gills the vital ether breathe on earth's green surface or the waves beneath. So life's first powers arrest the winds and floods to bones convert them or to shells or woods, stretch the vast beds of argol, lime and sand and from diminished oceans form the land. Next, the long nerves unite their silver train the young sensation permeates the brain, through each new sense the keen emotions dart, flush the young cheek and swell the throbbing heart. From pain and pleasure quick volition rise lift the strong arm or point the inquiring eyes. With reasons light bewildered man direct and right and wrong with balance nice detect. Last in thick swarms association spring thoughts join to thoughts to motions motions plane, when send long trains of catenation flow imagine joy in voluntary woe. So viewed through crystal spheres in drop say line quick shooting salts in chemical forms combine or mucus stems of vegetative tribe spread their fine roots the tremulous wave imbibe. Next to our wandering eyes the focus brings self moving lines and animated rings. First monos move and unconnected point plays round the drop without a limb or joint then vibrio waves with capillary eels and vorticella worlds are living wheels while insect proteus sports with chain full form through the bright tide a globe a cube a worm. Last over the field the mighty enormous swims swells his red heart and riz his giant limbs. End of poem this recording is in the public domain.