(Poems by Margaret Cavendish, Poems and Fancies, 1653, spelling modernized by me)
The Circle of the Brain Cannot be Squared
A Circle Round divided in four Parts
Hath been a Study amongst Men of Arts;
Ere since Archimedes, or Euclid’s time,
Hath ever Brain been stretched upon a Line.
And every Thought hath been a Figure set,
Doubts Cyphers are, Hopes as Triangulars meet.
There is Division, and Subtraction made,
And Lines drawn out, and Points exactly laid.
But yet None can demonstrate it plain,
Of Circles round, a just Four Square remain.
Thus while the Brain is round, no Squares will be,
While Thoughts are in Divisions, no Figures will agree.
Another to the Same Purpose
And thus upon the same account,
Doubling the Cube must mount;
And the Triangular must be cut so small,
Till into Equal Atoms it must fall.
For such is Mans Curiosity, and mind,
To seek for that, which hardest is to find.