FROM THE LIBRARY OF REV. LOUIS FITZGERALD BENSON. D. D. BEQUEATHED BY HIM TO THE LIBRARY OF PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY SCO Secti< Cfec Jfuder Mortbtes' f thar^. THE COMPLETE POEMS OF ROBERT SOUTHWELL, MEMORIAL-INTRODUCTION. ST. PETER'S COMPLAINT. MYRT.E, OR MTRTLE-WREATHS. M.«ONLE. MELOFOLIA, OR APPLES IN LEAVES. POEMATA LATINA. LONDON : ROBSON AND SONS, PRINTERS, PANCRAS ROAD, N.W. / mn iuKer Mortbics' f ibranr. THE COMPLETE POEMS ROBERT SOUTHWELL S.J. FOR THE FIRST TIME FULLY COLLECTED AND COLLATED WITH THE ORIGINAL AND EARLY EDITIONS AND MSS. AND ENLARGED WITH HITHERTO UNPRINTED AND INEDITED POEMS FROM MSS. AT STONYHURST COLLEGE, LANCASHIRE, AND ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATIONS AND FACSIMILES IN THE QUARTO FORM, EDITED, WITH MEMORIAL-INTRODUCTION AND NOTES, BY THE / REV. ALEXANDER B. GROSART, ST. GEORGE'S, BLACKBURN, LANCASHIRE. V -^NAV of PR/iV, NOV 20 m ^Cmi 8E1A' PRINTED FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION. 1872. 100 copies only. THE REV. JA]\[ES MARTINEAU, M.A. AS AUTHOR OF ' ENDEAVOURS AFTER THE CHRISTIAN LIFE,' TO WHICH, IN COMMON WITH MULTITUDES, I OWE MUCH, AND TO WHOM NOT ADMIRATION ONLY BUT LOVE IS FELT BY ALL OF US, I DEDICATE THIS EDITION OF A ' .^WEET SINGER ;' REMAINING VERY GRATEFULLY ALEXANDER B. GROSART. CONTENTS. I place on the left figures 1 , 2, 3, &c. in these Contents, in order to show the sequence of the Poems in the Author's Stonyhurst MS. volume. There is no title-page to it, and never has been. On the seventh page (three leaves blank) begins the Letter to his Father (pp. 29). Next three pages blank ; then the Triumphs ouer Death (pp. 33) — the last page and half containing the Latin and English poems as printed by us (pp. 18-.'-3). After the Latin and Enghsh verse on the Lady of the Howard family, there are other three pages blank, then comes the Preface, commencing ' Poets, by abusing,' &o. (2 pp.) Then, to the Reader, and the poems in succession as numbered. Tlie Poems occupy 36 leaves and part of a page = 72 or 73 pages, with five blank leaves. The Prose occupies 31^ pp. G. Dedication Preface ...... Memorial-Introduction. I. The Life II. The Writings . PAGE XXXV Ixvi I. St. Pkter's Compl.\int, 1-55 II. Myut-k, ok Myrtle-Wreaths, 57-112. 27. Mary Magdalen's Blushe • • 59 33. Mary Magdalen's Complaint at Christ's Deatli . . .62 44. Tymes goe by turnes ........ 64 43. Looke Home 65 4J>. Fortune's Falsehoode ........ 66 52. Scorne not the Leaste 68 15. A Childe my Choyse 70 51. Content and Ritche ........ 72 VUl 45. 46. 37. 39. 40. 41. 42. 47. 48. 50. 30. ■29. 19. 18. 17. 16. CONTENTS. Losse in Delaye . Love's Servile Lott Life is but Losse . I dye alive . What Joy to live Life's Death, Love's Life At Home in Heaven . Lewd Love is Losse Love's Gardyne Greife From Fortmie's Reach Dyer's Phancy turned to a S David's Peccavi . Synne's heavy Loade . New Prince, New Pompe The Burning Babe New Heaven, New Warre III. M.EONi.E, 1 13- if Note .... The Conception of our Ladie Our Ladle's Nativitye . Our Ladj-e's Spousalls . Our Ladle's Salutation Josephe's Amazement . The Visitation The Nativity of Chris'e The Circumcision The Epiphanye . The Presentation . The Flight into Egipt . Christe's Retome out of Egipt Christe's Childhoode . Christ's Bloody Sweate Christe's Sleeping Frendes The Virgin Marv to Christ ou tiie Crosse inner's Complainte TAGE 75 78 81 84 85 86 88 90 92 94 96 103 loS 107 109 no 114 116 117 119 120 122 126 128 130 134 13s 136 137 138 141 CONTENTS. 13. The Death of our Ladie 14. The Assumption of our Lady 23. Saint Thomas of Aquines Ilymne read on Daye 26. Saint Peter's Afflicted Mynde 28. Saint Peter's Remorse . Man to the Wound in Christ's Side Vpon the Image of Death . 31. A Vale of Teares .... 32. The Prodigall Chyld's Soule Wracke 3G. Man's Civill Warre 38. Seeke Flowers of Heaven . IV. Melo FOLIA, OR Apples in Leaves, 169- if 34. Decease, Release. Dum morior, orior . 35. I dye without Desert . . . • 24. Of the Blessed Sacrament of the Aulter Laments for a Noble Lady . To the Christian Reader of ' Short Rvles of Good Life' Corp IX PAGE . 142 • 143 IS Christy 144 149 150 153 155 158 162 16s 167 171 173 177 182 184 V. POEMATA LaTINA, 189-215. Poema de Assumptione B.V.M. . . . Filii Prodigi Porcos pascentis ad Patrem Epistola Fragment of a Series of Elegies .... Jesus. Marye Ad Sanctam Catherinam, Virginem et Marty rem In Renovationem Votorum, Festis Natalis Domini In Festum Pentecostes, Anno Dommi 1580, 21 Maii Additional Notes and Illustrations 191 199 206 212 213 214 214 216 X CONTENTS. Illustrations in the illustrated Quarto only. I, Jesus Christ, after Leonardo da Vinci . Fac'mff title-iMgu (See Preface, pages xxxii.-iii.) II, Fac-simUe of Title-page of 1596 edition . . . P- 2 (See Preface, page xiv.) III. Fac-similes from Stonyhurst Mss ^4 (See Preface, pages xxviii. and xxxii. .^.^ PREFACE. Vexed by the travesties on editing and mere careless- ness of Walter earlier (1817) and Turnbull later (1856) in their so-called editions of the Poems of Fa- ther Southwell — of both of which more, with specific proofs, in the sequel — I had long wished worthily to reproduce this 'sweet Singer;' and having fortunately come into possession of the original and early editions — each rarer and costlier than another — and a still more fortunate ^JimV of his own mss. in Stonyhurst College — all of which were cordially and unreservedly placed at my service by the Rector, the very Reverend Father Furbrick, S.J., — I am at last enabled to do so, not without a ' good hope' of grateful acceptance by competent students and lovers of our poetic Literature. I would now give account of previous editions, and thereafter show what we have tried to accomplish in ad- vance of them. As distinguished from some of his Prose Writings, which were furtively printed in his own house in Lon- don (1593-4), 1 the Poems of Southwell were wholly ' Father John Gerard, the Poet's friend, is our authority. His ■words are : ' P. Southwellus, qui in modo juvaudi et lucraudi animos excelluit, totus iirudens et pius, mansuetus etiam et am- abilis .... in domo sua Londini prelum hahuit ad imprimendos rosTHUMous, although, from the Epistles to his 'louing cosen' and to the Reader prefixed to St, Peter's Com- plaint and related pieces (1595 and in after-editions), it is clear that he had himself intended their publication. Our collation of the Poems in the Stonyhurst mss. re- veals that originally and continuously they have suffered from the ^Yant of the Author's own supervision : for over and over, as our Notes show, there are most an- noying misreadings and misprints, whereby epithets bright as dew are changed (so -to -say) into blotches of ink, and the meaning reversed, and delicacies not only missed but absolutely spoiled, as in rough handling of a moth's wing. Certainly his small and difficult hand- writing offers an excuse for the original Editors. The following is the title-page of the first edition (1595), from the Capell copy preserved in Trinity Col- lege, Cambridge : Saint Peters Complaint, IVii/i other Poancs. Printer's ornament. London Imprinted by lohn Wolfe. 1595- lihros suos, quos (luidem edidit egi-egios.' (ms. Autobiogi-aphy of Father Gerard, quoted by the very Reverend Dr. Oliver iu the Catholic Magazine for Septemher 1832.) PREFACE. XIU The collation is 38 leaves in forms — signatures A to K^ — ending witli ' From Fortune's Reach ;' and it may be noted that the two leaves C and C^ (pp. 11-14) of the undated [1596] edition, beginning ' Euill president' &c. and closing ' Darts of disdaine' &c. are omitted in that place and inserted after ' Come in, say they' &c. (p. 30 of 159 G edit.), so as to form sigs, E and E-. This thin quarto, which is identical with another of the same date, ' At London, Printed by I. R. for G. C. 1595' [ = James Roberts for Gabriel Cawood], contained St. Peter's Com- plaint and these shorter poems : Mary Magdalen's Blushe ; Mary Magdalen's Complaint at Christ's Death ; Tymes goe by Turns; Looke Home; Fortune's Falsehoode; Scorne not the Leaste; A Childe my Choice; Content and Ritche ; Losse in Delaye ; Love's servile Lott ; Life is but Losse ; I dye Alive ; What Joy to live ; Life's Death, Love's Life ; At Home in Heaven ; Lewd Love is Losse; Love's Gardyne Greife ; From Fortune's Reach ; The Nativity of Christe ; Christe's Childhoode, — the last two coming in between Scorne not the Leaste and aChylde my Choyse. With the exceptions above noted, the 1595 and 1596 editions correspond page for page as far as p. 46. Following this volume speedily was the ' Mjeoniaj' of the same year, 1595. Its title-page will be found at page 115, with relative Epistle by the Publisher (John Busbie) — not, be it noted, named as, but in all probabiUty really, the Publisher of ' St. Peter's Complaint and other Poems.' This volume, of which a beautiful copy is in Jesus College, Oxford, contained those additional Poems ever since printed under the title of ' Mseonia^.' It was a precious gift John Busbie gave in * Ma3onia3 :' for there can be no question that in these relatively minor Xiv PREFACE. poems we have Southwell at his deepest, tenderest, and best. Issued in 1595, these two volumes must have been read by those whose eyes were yet wet from weep- ing over their Author's tragic end. The next edition of the Poems is without date, but I assign it, after careful thought, to 1596 (early). Its title-page is given in fac-simile in our illustrated quarto edition : the ' wording' of it at page 3. It will be noticed that this edition bears to be ' Newly augmented with other Poems.' These augmentations were not 'Mfe- oniee' — which is not included in it even to the extent of a single poem — but the following : A Phancy turned to a Sinner's Complainte ; David's Peccavi ; Synne's heavy Loade; Josephe's Amazement; New Prince, new Pompe; The Burning Babe ; New Heaven, new Warre. The col- lation is 42 leaves : and throughout, this edition agrees in its contents with that of 1G15 (4to). My accomplished friend Deputy-Inspector-General Dr. Brinsley Nichol- son has favoured me with full notes on William Leake . the Publisher of this undated edition, whereby it appears that he was a somewhat humble and often- changing Bookseller from about 1594-5 (at latest) onward for a decade (at least). He has also called my attention to the head-pieces and tail-pieces ornamenting the volume, specially that ' bluff King Hal,' and early incidents of the Keformation, are (seemingly) introduced into them. But inasmuch as these were common to other contem- porary books, it is scarcely worth while recording the details, save that I invite critical readers to solve the meaning of the monogram in the title-page, as shown in our fac-simile. It has the look of a combination of R. S. as = RoiiEKT Southavell with L. = Leake ; but PREFACE. the numerals below, which at first I thought might indi- cate the Poet's age at death (32-3) scarcely yield this, unless the final X. be = II.^ as a cross. I assign Leake's edition to 1596, because it is so marked in a contem- porary hand in my copy and in another reported to me, and because there are certain misprints in it that are par- tially corrected in the edition of 1597 as also in those of 1599 and 1G02, which editions I merely name, as they are identical in their contents and of no special worth or aixthority, although as books they fetch extravagant prices in their ' few and far between' occurrence in Li- brary-sales and Book-catalogues. Dr. Hannah favoured me with the use of his copy (formerly Park's) of 1599 edit. Li the centre of its woodcut title-page is an ^scu- lapian device, with the mottoes ' Nosce teipsum, Ne qvid nimis' and ' Love and lyve.' As a bibliographic curiosity I give on the next page the title-page (which is within a border) of an early Scottish edition. David Laing, Esq. LL.D., has kindly forwarded me this, and he conjectures that its date was probably 1597 or 1598. From its incompleteness Cal- DECOTT supposed it to be the ^ first' edition, that is, pre- vious to the edition of 159-5: but this is most improbable. • As I pass this through the press, my excellent friend the Rev. S. Sole thus writes me : ' I was thinking whether Iesws Marte could not be made out of the mouogi-am. You will remember Southwell has prefixed these names to one of the Elegies. F. Haigh of Erdington Catholic Church, well known in the cu'cle of Archaeologists, showed me that it could be done, and suggests it as the explanation. Notice the lengthening of the upright line of the E in the monogi-am on the left of the page ; this may be the I of lesus ; which otherwise can be formed without much stretch. The monogi-am would thus read R. S. Jesus Marye.' PREFACE. Moreover, incompleteness is no evidence, inasmuch as the St. Peter's Complaint, with only ' Content and Ritche' of Edinburgh, bears the much later date 1G34, while 161G and 1G20 editions of London are exceedingly imper- fect. The exemplar now described is that of the Anglo- Poetica, where it was priced 211. The memorandum date of 1595 in Chalmers' copy I suspect was simply a note that it was a reprint of the 1595 edition. It would seem that Professor John Johnston of St. Andrews — a notable man, as shown in M'Crie's Life of Andrew Melville and Dr. Irving's ' Lives of Scottish Writers' — had some oversight of this edition. Saint Peters Com- With other Poems. Printer's ornament. Edinbvrgh Printed by Robert Walde-graue Printer to the Kings Majestie cum Privilegio Regis. A Sonnet bearing Johnston's initials is oddly inserted at page 30, at close of Saint Peter's Complaint. It may find place here, the more so that it has never since been reprinted : PREFACE. Sonnet : A Sinfull Soule to Christ. I lurk, I lowve iu dungeon deepe of mynd, In mourning moode, I run a restles race ; With wounding pangs my soule is sorelie pyn'd, My gi-iefe it gi-owes, and death drawes on a pace : What life can last except there come releace ? Feare threats, dispaire ; my siune infernall wage. I faint, I fall : most wofull is my cace ; Who can me helpe, who may this storme assuage ? O Lord of life, our peace, our only i^leaye, pica .' O blesful light, who life of death hast wix)ught. Of heau'nlie loue the hrightsome beame, and hage, hen/ ! Who by Thy death from death and hell vs brought, Reviue my soule ; my sinnes, my sores redresse, That liue I may with Thee in lasting blesse. I. I. The collation is in all 28 leaves : sigs. A to G : and the contents (except the addition of Johnston's sonnet) cor- respond with those of 1595, and follow the same order. The Epistles only are awanting. Another Scottish edition of Saint Peter's Complaint, with Content and Ilitche — already named — bears the imprint ' Edinbvrgh, Printed by lohn Wreittoun, Anno Dom. 1634' (4to, 19 leaves). That assigned to Robert Waldegrave, Edmbiirgh, 1600 (4to), by TuRNBULL, I suspect to be an imagination : at least I have failed to trace a copy anywhere. These are all the quarto editions known. Others are in duodecimo, and are combined with more or less full collections of the Prose Writings. On the next page is the title-page of the earliest smaller edition, of which the collation is: Title-page; Epistle- Dedicatory ' To my worthy good cosen, Maister W. S.' 2 pp.; The Avthovr to the Reader (izs), 2 pp.; St. Peter's Complaint, pp. 1-34; St. Peter's Peccaui [.?z'c, = David's Peccavi and Sin's Heavy Load], St. Peter's Rctnrne Home [ = Look XV 111 PREFACE. Homel, Saint Peter's Comfort [ = Scorn not the Least and Times go by turns], Saint Peter's Wish [ := Li e is but Loss], pp. 35-42 ; ' Finis' being placed on the last. Then follows Sainte Mary Magdalen's Fvnerall Teares rprose], pp. 43-157; 'Finis' again being placed on the last Then St. Mary Magdalen's Blvsh, No loy to Liue, St Mary Magdalen's Traunce [ = Lewd Love is LosseJ, Sainte Mary Magdalen's Farewell [ = From Fortunes Reach] At Home in Heauen, Christ's Natiuity, Christ s Childhood, and the Christian's Manna (of which more immediately), pp. 158-170, and 'Finis' once more on the last. The edition of 1G20 is identical throughout with the preceding. ^ S. Peters Complaint. And Saint Mary Magdalens Fvnerall Teares. With sundry other selected, and deuout Poems. By R. S. of the Society of lesvs. Is any among you sad 1 Let him pray. Is Iw of a cheerfiill hart ? Let him sing. lac. 5. [Doway] Permissu Superiorum. m.dc.xvi. PREFACE, Of ' The Christian's Manna' Turnbull thus speaks : ' This [edition 1620] has annexed to it "The Christian's Manna," a poem not in any other edition [a mistake, as it had previously appeared with the same heading in 161G edition]. But Mr. Park considers it "has no le- gitimate claim to be considered as his production." On this point I am neither able myself to form an opinion, nor give others an opportunity for doing so; since, in spite of every effort, I have been unable to find a copy of the edition' (Ritson, Bib. Poet, 341 n.) — (p. xxxvi.). Later, Mr. J. Payne Collier, in his ' Bibliographical Account' (s.n.), in recording the 1620 edition of London, which also contains the ' Short Eules of Good Life,' ob- serves : ' To the present copy is added a poem called " The Christian's Manna" not found elsewhere [a mistake, as with Turnbull], but which, though not reprinted by Mr. Turnbull, there is no sufficient reason for doubting to be by Southwell;' and then with high praise follows a quo- tation. Still later, Mr. W. Carew Hazlitt, in his ' Hand- book of Early English Literature' (1867), has this note under the 1616 edition: 'This edition and the next contain the very doubtful piece entitled The Christian's Manna, which was not included in the English and Scot- tish editions.' All have been misled by the Anglo-Poetica. After all this, our Readers will be amused to learn that ' The Christian's Manna' is only ' Of the blessed Sacra- ment of the Aulter' under a new title, as pointed out in our Notes and Illustrations in the place. Of course this establishes its genuineness, seeing that the poem is not only in Add!, ms. 10.422, but in our Stonyhurst ms. It was printed unknowingly by Turnbull (pp. 157-160). None of the other changes of headings in 1616 and 1620 XX PREFACE. have before been observed. There were enlarged editions — the additions being Prose — in 1G30 and 1634. That of 1030, ' London, printed by I. Haviland, and sonld by Robert Allott' (the same engraved title-page with the London edition of 1G20), has all the Poems of 159(J and of ' Majonige' 1595, and Marie Magdalen's Fvnerall Teares, Triumphs over Death and Short Rules of Good Life. Barrett the Publisher dedicates this edition ' To the right Honorable Richard, Earle of Dorset,' who was the third earl and second son of Robert Sackville, second earl, by his first wife Margaret, only daughter of Thomas Howard, fourth duke of Norfolk, on which ' fair lady's' death our Worthy wrote his 'Triumphs of Death.' He was also the patron-friend of Donne and Bishop Henry King. The Epistle follows : ' My Lord, — The entertainment which this worke in the seueral parts therof hath formerly found with men of exact iudgment, may be a sufficient testimony, that it is not (now) offered vnto your Lordship for that it stands in need of protection (the vsuall apologie of euery tri- uiall Painphletter), much lesse to emendicate any others suffrages, beyond the knowne worth thereof: the onely reason of this present boldnesse, and my excuse for thus presuming to recommend it to your honorable hands, being, that as the Author thereof had long since dedi- cated some peeces of the whole to sundrie particular branches of that noble stocke and familie whereof your Lordship is (and long may you be a strong and flourish- ing arme !), so now my selfe hauing first collected these dismembred parcels into one body, and published them in an entire edition, I held it a kinde of sacrilege to de- PREFACE. XXI fraud your noble name of the right which you may so justly challenge thereunto, which by the sunshine of your fauour shall bee as it were reanimated; and he en- couraged to further endeuours, who in the meane time is at your Lordship's seruice. « ^l Barret.' The allusions in this Epistle-dedicatory are explained by the Verse-dedication of the ' Triumphs over Death' to ' the WorshipfuU M. Richard Sackuile, Edward Sack- uile, Cicily Sackuile and Anne Sackuile, the hopefull issues of the honorable gentleman, Master Robert Sack- uile Esquire.' This verse-dedication follows : Most lines do not the best conceit containe ; Few words, well coucht, may comprehend much matter : Then as to use the fu-st is counted vaine, So is't jn-aise-worthy to conceit the latter. The gi-auest wits that most gi-aue works ex^Dect, The qualitie, not quantitie respect. The smallest sparke will cast a burning heat, Base cottages may harbour things of worth : Then though this volume be, nor gay nor great, Which under your protection I set forth : Do not with coy disdainefull ouersight Deny to read this well meant orphan's mite. And since his father in his infancy Prouided patrons to protect his heire : But now by Death's none-sparing crueltie, Is turnd an orphan to the open ayre : I, his unworthy foster-sire haue dar'd To make you Patronizer of this ward. You glorying issues of that glorious dame, Whose life is made the subiect of Death's will : To you, succeeding hopes of mother's fame, I dedicate this first of Southwel's quill : He for your unkle's comfort first it writ, I for your consolation print and send you it. PREFACE. Then daine in kindnesse to accept the worke, Which he in kindnesse writ I send to you : The which till now clouded, obscure did lurke : But now opposed to each Reader's view, May yeeld commodious fruit to every wight, That feeles his conscience prickt by Parens spight. But if in ought I haue presumptuous beene, My pardon-craning pen implores your fauour : If any fault in print be past unseene. To let it passe, the Printer is the crauer : So shall he thanke you and I by duty bound, Pray that in you may all good gifts abound. S. W. F. G. Waldron, who in 1783, in an appendix to an edition of Ben Jonson's ' Sad Shepherd,' gave a few pieces from Southwell, and which were reprinted by Headley in his ' Beauties,' supposed the above verse- dedication to have been composed by Southwell him- self, and the initials (S. W.) to denote S[outh] W[en]. TuRNBULL repeats this without correction. The suppo- sition is of the wildest. It is neither suggested nor sup- ported, but contradicted by the sense and style of the verses, and in the third and fourth stanzas his death is distinctly named. If I might hazard a more likely con- jecture, the S. W. is = W. S. the ' loving cosen' of the Epistle-dedicatory of the Poems of 1595, that is, in such case, his 'loving cosen' had something to do with the edition, and added his initials reversed. But of course the full signature of John Trussel in 1596 edition gives the Verses to him. Such were the original and early editions of the Poems of Southwell : and I have now to show that they all prove faulty in their text when collated with the Author's own mss. at Stonyhurst College. Taking Leake's PREFACE. XXIU edition (1596, though undated) as a basis, I submit these dozen examples of errors ; others are pointed out in our Notes and Illustrations : 1. ' Yet higher poures [ - powers] must think though they repine,' in 'Scorne not the Leaste' (st. i. line 5), mis- reads ' most' for ' must.' 2. ' Untowched of man, yet mother of a sonne,' in ' Our Ladye's Spousalls' (st. i. line 2), misreads ' Vntaught' for ' Untowched.' 3. 'Unwonted workes with wonted veyles to hide,' in the same poem (st. i. line G), misreads 'wiles' for 'veyles.' 4. ' blessed man, betroth'd to such a spouse,' in the same (st. ii. line 5), misreads ' betrothd too much' for ' to such.' 5. ' Thus had she virgins', wives' and widowes' crowns,' in the same (st. iii. line 5), misreads ' the' for ' she.' 6. ' In thee their joy and soveraigne they agnize,' in 'Our Ladie's Salutation' (st. ii. line 2), misreads ' they' for ' their.' 7. ' With weeping eyes His mother reu'd His smart, If hlood from Him, teares rann from her as fast,' in 'The Circumcision' (st. iii. lines 1-2), misreads ' his' for 'her;' and again in line 4, 'The payne that Jesus felt did Mary tast,' misreads ' set' for ' felt.' 8. ' And from a thorne nowe to a floure He fledd,' in ' Christe's Keturn out of Egipt' (st. ii. line 6), misreads ' throne' for ' thorne.' 9. ' His worthes all prayses farr exceed,' in ' Lauda Syon Sal.' (st. i. line 5), misreads 'workes' for 'worthes.' 10. 'The jjrme use of this mystery,' in the same poem. (st. iii. line 6), misreads ' prince' for ' prime,' 11. 'No heed of their deceivinge shiftes,' in ' The Pro- Xxiv PREFACE. digall Chylde's Soule Wracke' (st. xii. line 2), misreads ' receiuing' for ' deceivinge.' 12. ' The world with jesses of delight,' in ' Man's Civill Warre' (st. iii. line 3), misreads 'lesses'for 'jesses:' and in the same (st. v. Hne 3), ' Foes senses are to vertue's lore,' misreads ' and' for ' are:' and again (st, vi. line 4), ' Or truce of halves the whole betraye,' misreads ' trust' for 'truce.' I have selected these out of (Uterally) scores similar, because, with the exception of the egregious one of ' throne' for 'thorne' (No. 8), the first edition (1595) has the same blunders, and so the other early editions enumerated by us. Our Notes and Illustrations will supply abundantly more. Turnbull corrects none of these misreadings, save the very few corrected for him in his text of 1634, and, as we shall see, superadds as many of his own. It will be evident that none of the printed texts from 1595 to 1856 is to be regarded as accurate or authori- tative. This being so, I turned to the British Museum Manuscripts (Addl.Mss. 10.422 andHarleiannss. 6921): but after a laborious collation, these, while yielding by a happy chance better occasional readings — and which are confirmed by the Stonyhurst mss. — proved flagrantly blundering. The Addl. mss. 10,422 is unquestionably the superior : but taking St. Peter's Complaint, here are specimens of its misreadings : 1, St. i. line 2, ' Full fraught with teares' for ' full fraught with grief,' the ' teares' being caught from the preceding line. 2, St. ii. line 4, ' in penance wed' for ' to penance,' 3, St. xii. line 2, 'now leasf for ' now left.' PREFACE. 4. St. xiii. line 3, ' What trust to one' for ' in one.' 5. St. xviii. line 1, ' a sea of showi^es' for 'a sea of sours.' 6. St. xxii, line 4, ' With hellish dunge to fertill heavenly desires' for ^heaven's desires.' 7. St. xxiv. line 5, ' My other were stones . . .' for ' My oaths: 8. St. xxxviii. line 4, ' Soule's wilfull fame, synne's lost stealing face' for ' wilfull famine' and ' sq/i!-stealing.' 9. St. xliii. line 5, * unquanted hunger' for ' unac- quainted hunger.' 10. St. xlvi. line 1, ' ah ! that ever I saw it' for ' ah ! that I ever saw it.' 11. St. Ixii, 1. 3, ' You nectar'd amhrose' for ' ambries : 12. St, Ixviii. line G, ' all the skrikes' for * scribes: 13. St. Ixxii. line 2, ' God soone' for ' God, sun.' 14. St. xcvii. line 3, ' To iZame your babes' for Um- halm: 1 5. St. cxvii, 1. G, ' shop of share' for ' shop of slmme: It were endless to enumerate the dropping and misplac- ing of words and the uncouth orthography. The same result is obtained in collating the shorter poems. I ad- duce only half-a-dozen examples : 1 . ' Flye fortune's subtleties' for ' Sly,' in ' Fortune's Falsehood' (st. i. line 2). 2. '>S'o?«e- dying mirth' for ' sooue-dying mirth,' in ' Marie Magdalen's Blush' (st. i. line G). 3. ' Lett thy farewell guide thy thought' for \foreioit: in ' Losse in Delay' (st. ii. line 6). 4. ' Where pleasure's upshott is to denye accurst' for ' die accurst,' in ' What Joy to line' (st. v. line C). d XXVI PREFACE. ;'). ' Such hyde tlie light' for ' Sunne, hyde thy light' (' Death of our Ladie,' st. iii. line 5). 6. ' For sith no price can thy worth amount' for ' to thy worth; in ' The Presentation' (st. i- line 5). Similar errors might be exhibited to almost any extent, but it cannot be required. It was this ms. Walter and TuRNBULL consulted and used. It had formerly been in the Heber collection. From its contents and arrange- ment I was inclined to think it must have been the same Manuscript that is stated by Dr. Oliver (as before) to have been in the Catholic Church of Bury St. Ed- munds, and which has long been missing there : but the presence of St. Peter's Complaint in full in it seems to make this doubtful. Seeing that G921 (Harleian mss.) is of like and even faultier character, I do not deem it ne- cessary to record the result of our collation of it. Both swarm with mistakes of every conceivable sort, in addi- tion to a punctuation that is chaos. Yet, as our Notes and llhistrations show, both yield some admirable correc- tions of the printed edition. It is pleasant to turn from the printed texts and these MSS. to the Stonyhurst mss. The principal ms. of the Poems is a handsome volume, one plainly upon which the Jesuits set much store. It is daintily bound in vellum, with gilt edges, and written very beautifully throughout in one hand, with the exception of one poem, viz. The Prodigall Chylde's Soule Racke, which, though occur- ring in the body of the volume, is wholly in Southwell's autograph. The badge of the Society of Jesus is upon the cover. This ms. must have been prepared for the Author himself, inasmuch as while now and again self- PREFACE. XXvii correcting mistakes are left inadvertently, there are re- peated corrections in his own autograph, revealing care- ful reading and interest. Our fac-similes (in the illus- trated quarto) show both the ms. and a correction, and also from another autograph ms. the Poet's handwriting and signature. Besides this Volume, there are various separate mss. in Southwell's own autograph, notably the Latina Poemata, which it is my privilege to print for the first time. But as these, with the exception of the remarkable Latin poems, are in Prose, I reserve farther notice of them for our Memorial-Introduction. It may be well to give proof of the value and autho- rity of the Stonyhurst ms. Our waning space forbids enlargement : but in Notes and Illustrations other ex- amples will be found in plenty. I shall select instances that will at the same time serve to show Turnbull's er- roneous readings. Turning to the ' Visitation' (st. i. 1. 5), we read in the early editions and British Museum mss. ' Her youth to age, herself e to sicke she lends.' So it stood in the ori- ginal text of the Stonyhurst ms.; but Southwell has made it ' Her youth to age, her lielih to sicke she lends,' giving meaning to what was nonsense. Turnbull per- petuates the nonsense. Again, in ' David's Peccavi' (st. ii. line 4), the Stony- hurst MS. reads ' My garments gyve-^ [=fetters]. Turn- bull has * My garments give.'' Once more, in ' Seeke Flowers of Heaven' (st. v. lines 3-4) reads in Turnbull, ' Most glittering gold in lieu of glebe. These fragrant flowers do yield.' So also the Stonyhurst ms. originally, but corrected by the Author as the sense requires, ' doth yield.' XXVlll PREFACE. Yet again, in * Mary Magdalen's Complaint' (st. v. line 2), Turnbull reads, ' In the sunne of happiness :' the Stonyhurst ms. corrects ' In the summed Farther, in ' What Joy to live' (st. iii. 1. 1), Turnbull misreads, ' Here loan is lent :' the Stonyhurst ms. corrects ' loue' for * loan ;' and so in st. iv. line 5, for Turnbull's ' luring gain,'' Southwell corrects by ' ayme.' Again, in ' Love's servile Lot' (st. vi. line 2), Turn- bull reads haltingly, ' Yet doth draw it from thee :' the Poet fills-in in the Stonyhurst ms. * she' before ' draw.' Once more, in ' Love's servile Lot' (st. xii. line 1), Turnbull reads, ' With soothed words enthralled souls:' the Stonyhurst ms. corrects ' soothed' into ' soothing.' Farther, in ' Content and Eitche' (st. vi. line 3), Turn- bull reads, ' Effects attend, or not desire ;' the Stony- hurst MS. ' Effects aUeyn\l or not desired.^ Again, in Dyer's Phancy' (st. i. line 3), Turnbull reads, ' Whose hope is salve ;' the Stonyhurst ms. ' Whose hope is falne.^ Finally, in ' I die Alive' (st. iii. line 1), Turnbull reads, ' Thus still I dye, yet still I do remayne.^ So ori- ginally in the Stonyhurst ms. as in the Harleian ms. But in the former there has been study to make the line of which it is the final word accord in rhyme with the line which is balanced with it, and which ends in ' alive.' First of all the word ' rehjve! was substituted ; and that not satisfying, ' revive' was finally adopted. The radical changes and the study evinced reveal the Poet's own au- thority and care. Moreover, when we consider that the Harleian ms. has the word ' remayne' and the consequent defect of rhyme ; and that the same care which has ren- dered the Stonyhurst ms. superior here and in many PREFACE. XXIX similar cases, down to minute corrections of ortliography (and so in the Prose mss.), has been bestowed upon the whole work — not to speak of the fact that this Volume is and always has been in the hands of the Society of which Southwell was a member, and that the beauty of the MS. confirms one's expectation that to his own brethren he would have presented a copy of his own poems worthy of him and of them — the Stonyhurst ms. must {meo judicio) be assigned the highest, if not absolute authority. Accordingly I have taken it for my text, albeit in Notes and Illustrations I have pointed out the ' vari- ous readings' of the early printed editions, and adopted an occasional correction of the Stonyhurst mp. oversights. The Stonyhurst jis. is arranged as shown in our Con- tents, and includes all those in the British Museum mss. published by Walter and Turnbull, Curiously enough, St, Peter's Complaint is given only in an abbreviated form, as recorded in the preliminary Note to our reprint, and I have reports of various ms. copies of a similar kind.^ I know not that the extension of the Poem has added to its value. Its absence from the Stonyhurst ms. in full would seem to argue that it was a later poem than the others. For the text of St. Peter's Complaint I have selected Leake's edition of 1596, with relative Notes and Illustrations at the close. Our Notes and Illustrations throughout will furnish sorrowful examples of the utter carelessness of Turnbull (in addition to the foregoing). I may farther refer to pp. 4G, 47, 48, 50, 53, 54, 55, 65, 70, 71, 75, 81, 86, 90, and so onwards ocZ nauseam. Of Walter's edit. (1817) ' Sec more ou the formatiou of St. Peter's Complaint in our Memorial- Introduction. XXX PREFACE. suffice it to say generally, that in the complete Poems (apart from our additions for the first time) there are in all 57, while Walter gives only 15, and 3 from Addl. Mss. 10.422. Specifically his manipulation of the ad- dress of the ' Author to the Reader' will be enough. In 1595 edition (his avowed text) st. ii. thus reads : If equities euen-hand the ballance held, Where Peters sinnes and ours were made the weightes : Ounce, for his Dramme : Pound, for his Ounce we yeeld : His ship would groane to feele some sinners frightes. So ripe is vice, so gi'eene is vertues bud : The world doth waxe in ill, but waine in good. In Walter we have this without a shred of authority : If Justice' even hand the balance held. Where Peter's sins and ours were made the weights. How S7nall hU share, cojupafd to what we yield! His ship would gi-oan, &c. He gives only three out of the four stanzas of this poem, and tacks on for the missing fourth stanza the closing one of the first address to the Reader, omitting the others there- in. Then in ' A Fancy turned to a Sinner's Complaint,' after stanza iv. no fewer than eight verses are omitted, and another, and other five, and again other three, and twice one; and so throughout. Turnbull said con- temptuously, ' I refrain from criticism on Mr. Walter's text :' severe but not undeserved, only his own is scarcely one whit better, and in places worse. I deplore the sad necessity laid on me thus to pronounce on one so labori- ous as Turnbull. Our finest Literature would get cor- rupted, if such editing were not exposed and censured. In basing my edition on the Stonyhurst mss., I can- not sufficiently utter my sense of indebtedness to the custodiers of them, seeing that they not only give us a PREFACE. XXxi superior and authoritative text, but the hitherto unprinted Latin Poems. J^or must I omit very cordially and grate- fully to acknowledge the loving and careful helpfulness of the Rev. S. Sole, of St. Mary's College, Oscott, Bir- mingham, in collating and recollating the text, and in re- reading our proofs with the mss. ' To err is human,' so that I cannot hope to have presented an immaculate edi- tion ; but I can in all honesty say no pains, no toil, has been spared to try to make it worthy of the Poet. It may be as well to state, that I may have failed to repro- duce literally an occasional ' u' for ' v' and ' v' for ' u,' and perhaps ' hee' for ' he,' and the like. I have also thought it expedient to introduce the apostrophe and the usual capitals in divine names and personifications (nouns and pronouns), and, as explained in relative Notes, have ad- opted our ' Tho?/' instead of ' Thow,' ' too' for ' to,' and ' thee' for ' the,' as in present usage. The Notes and Il- lustrations at close of each poem discuss various read- ings, punctuation, obscurities, &c. &c.; and here I wish most heartily to thank Deputy- Inspector-General Dr. Brinsley Nicholson for his varied and luminous com- munications in elucidation and illustration of the text. As in Vaughan and Crashaw, and as in Marvell, Donne and Sidney forthcoming, my editions owe much and will owe more to his affluent reading, rare insight, and most generous willinghood to aid us in our ' labour of love.' The Shakesperean Reader will thank Dr. NicuoLSON for putting us in the track of the Shake- speare allusions noted in our Memorial- Introduction, only one of many like services. As before, I have to thank my helpers on the otlier Worthies for continued and increasing interest in my PREFACE. books. To the authorities of Jesus College, Oxford, I am indebted for the use of the extremely rare 1595 edi- tions of St. Peter's Complaint and other Poems and Majonia;, and to the same at Stonyhurst College for use of other early editions ; and also to Dr. Hannah of Brighton, for scarce editions and some annotations and suggestions. In our illustrated quarto edition I have the satisfac- tion to present a photo-facsimile by Pouncey of Dor- chester of the Christ of Leonardo da Vinci's renowned fresco in the convent Maria delle Grazie, Milan, of ' The Last Supper.' It may be permitted me to state, that after days and days' study of the very best engravings {e.g. Morghen's) of this mighty picture, while seated before the original, I never have seen a faithful reproduction of it, emphatically never have seen even an approach to faithfulness in the face of The Lord. I must regard our photograph — specially taken for me and under my own eyes in Milan — as an infinite advance on the engravings. The sorrow-laden eyes, hds heavily, burningly, tearlessly pressed down in fathomless sorrow and shame under the coming Betrayal (how large-orbed if the lids were raised!) ; the quivering lips as the awful words are spoken, 'Verily / say unto you, that one of you shall betray Me ;' the wasted cheek, broad-shadowed; the ineffable sweetness of the mouth and dimpled chin ; the magnificent dome of brow — no nimbus there, and not needed, any more than is a crown needed to mark out the true king ; the thin, pre- maturely blanched, though abundant hair, — are brought out, as I think, with incomparable superiority in our fac- simile — all the more that the pathetic marks of ' Time's effacing fingers' are inevitably given. I have seen many Christs by the great Masters, but Leonardo da Vinci's conception abides unapproached and unapproachable. As an ilhistration of Southwell's poems, all so radiant with the light of His Face, every one will agree it is most fitting. Besides the Christ, as already named, I furnish two Fac-similes, by Wort, of New Oscott, Birmingham, of Southwell's mss. from Stonyhurst — (1), from the author's ms. of Poema de Assumptione B.V.M. ; (2), from the Stonyhurst ms. volume. With reference to the former, an examination of the >is. satisfies that the poem and signature were written by the same hand and at the same time as the latter and larger portion. One is a careful measured hand, suited to the writing of a poem in a complete form ; the other is his own signature, written freely as he naturally would write in signing his name. It is in the same dark ink. III. The same of the title-page of the 1596 edition of St. Peter's Com- plaint and other Poems. For other things I refer my Readers to our Memo- rial-Introduction and Notes and Illustrations. I feel it to be no common privilege to be really the first worthily and adequately and in integrity to present Southwell as a Poet. Alexander B. Grosart. 1.5 St. Alban's Place, Blackburn, Lancashire. February 27th, 1872. P.S. I add here the judgment of Edmund Bolton, whom Warton calls ' a sensible [old] Critic,' on South- well's works, from Hypercritica (Oxon. 1772, written before 1616): 'Never must be forgotten "St. Peter's e PREFACE. Complaint," and those other serious Poems, said to be Father Southwell's ; the English whereof, as it is most proper, so the sharpness and light of wit is very rare in them.' This quotation from Bolton was first used by Warton (H.E.P. iii. 230:" 1781), next by Headley (1787, p. Ixv.), and next by Park in a note to Cens. Lit. (ii. 78), whence Walter copied it (p. xviii.) almost in Park's own words, and Willmot (i. 15 note) has also secured it. Sir Egerton Brydges has it in his new edition of Philips (p. 219 note) and Ritson (Bibl. Poet. 342). Brydges also quotes it in his Adv. to the reprint of ' Triumphs of Death' — and so the hackneyed words go from critic to critic. I hope our edition will lead some to read for themselves. Dr. Bliss, in his edition of the Athenm Oxoniemis (s.n.), has corrected Wood's odd mis-assignation of South- well's Poems to John Davies of Hereford. We owe too much to Wood to deal hardly with him for occasional slips of this kind. G. MEMORIAL-INTKODUCTION I. The Life. The Life-story of Southwell beyond his Writings is a brief one on the earthly-side, albeit on the thither hea- venly-side, I do not doubt it fills many a page of the Great Biographer's ' Book of remembrance' — as does every beautiful and meek life. And so in Eternity, and through Eternity's audience, there ' remaineth' compensa- tion over-against the large and clamorous ' biographies' in Time and for contemporaries, of multitudes ' great' only in an unconsecrate use of the word. Sibbes' ' resurrec- tion' of saintly ' memories, as well as of bodies,' is of the certainties, and the demonstration that to be good, simply and quietly, is the most abiding greatness. We are far off from the Facts, and the Facts are few, of our Worthy's life ; but a fragrance sweeter than cere-cloth perfumes is blown to us across the centuries from it. So that, with all the dimness, we can discern that in him England held one who was of her truest, purest, bravest, lovingest, Christliest sons. Collins records of the Southwells that the ' antient and honourable family,' whence all came, derived its name from the town of Southwell, in Nottinghamshire, where he says, the * chief branch continued to reside until the XXXVl MEMORIAL-INTRODUCTION. reign of Henry VI.' The first ancestor, however, of the Norfolk house — our Worthy's — found in the Pedigrees ; and I have wearied myself over well-nigh ' endless gene- alogies' — was John Southwell, of Felix Hall in Essex, who was M.P. for Lewes in Sussex in 28 and 29 Henry VI. He had two sons, Robert and John. John was ancestor to the Southwells now represented by Vis- count Southwell in Ireland. Robert Southwell, the elder son, succeeded his father at Felix Hall. In 1415, according to Collins, he was made trustee to the Dukk OF Norfolk. He married Isabella, daughter of John Boys, Esq. of Norfolk, and had by her Richard, his son and heir, who in the Act of Resumption (3 and 4 Ed- ward IV.) had his grant from the King saved. This Richard's first wife was Amy, daughter and heiress of Sir Edmund Wychingham, of Wood-rising in Norfolk (by Alice, daughter and heiress of Sir John Falstolfe, ' a name to conjure with'). With her, he obtained the manor of Wood-rising, ' where — quitting Felix Hall — he fixed his residence, and there his posterity had a noble seat and fine park, which continued in the family for many generations.' There were two sons of this mar- riage ; but Sir Robert, the elder, died without issue in 1513. Francis Southwell, his brother, was Auditor of the Exchequer to Henry VIII. ; and by Dorothy, daughter and co-heir of William Tendring, Esq., had four sons — ] . Sir Richard Southwell, his heir. 2. Sir Robert, Master of the Rolls. 3. Francis. 4. An- thony. For the descendants of the latter three I must refer those curious in such matters to Blomefield's well- known county History. I limit myself, except in one memorable thing to be after-noted, to Sir Richard MEMORIAL-INTRODUCTION. XXXVU SouTHWELi, and his line. He was our Poet's grand- father. Of him Blomefield, under Wood Rysing, thus recounts his 'honours:' * He was a great favourite of King Henry VIII. ; one of the visitors appointed by him of the monasteries in Norfolk on their suppression ; of the Privy- council to that King, Edward VI., and Queen Mary ; master of the ordnance and armory ; one of the executors to Henry VIII. ; and high-steward of the Duchy of Lancaster.'^ Farther : ' In the reign of Queen Mary he made a remarkable speech (1554) in the House of Lords (sic) on that Queen's being with child, and an act of Parliament thereon passed ; about the government of the realm, and the person of the child, in case of that Queen's decease.'^ The county History also enumerates about thirty manors in Norfolk of which this Sir Richard Southwell was lord in 37 Henuy VIII. It also states, * Great part of his inheritance, with this lordship (Wood-rising), came to his nephew, Thomas Southwell, son of Sir Robert Southwell by Mar- garet his wife, daughter and sole heir of Thomas Nevill, fourth son of George, Lord Abergavenny. '^ Unhap- pily this Sir Richard Southwell introduced not a few bars sinister (if I may venture to use heraldic phraseo- logy) into the House.'* During the lifetime of his first ' Blomefield, vol. x. pp. 276-7, eel. 1809. - HoUiugshecl, p. 112-1. ^ Blomefield, as before. ■■ Blomefield refers, in his account of the illegitimate family of Sib Richard, to Su- Henry Spelman's History of Sacrilege, p. 270. I may remark in passing (with all reverence) that it was part of the ' humiliation' of The Lord to have in His human descent not gi'eat and holy ones merely, hut this record also : ' Salmon begat Booz of Rachah ; and Booz begat Ohed of Ruth' (St. Matthew i. 5). XXXVl MEMORIAL-INTRODUCTION. reign of Henry VI.' The first ancestor, however, of the Norfolk house — our Worthy's — found in the Pedigrees ; and I have wearied myself over well-nigh ' endless gene- alogies' — was John Southwell, of Felix Hall in Essex, who was M.P. for Lewes in Sussex in 28 and 29 Henry VI. He had two sons, Robert and John. John was ancestor to the SouTH^YELLS now represented by Vis- count Southwell in Ireland. Robert Southwell, the elder son, succeeded his father at Felix Hall. In 1415, according to Collins, he was made trustee to the Duke OF Norfolk. He married Isabella, daughter of John Boys, Esq. of Norfolk, and had by her Richard, his son and heir, v^ho in the Act of Resumption (3 and 4 Ed- ward IV.) had his grant from the King saved. This Richard's first wife was Amy, daughter and heiress of Sir Edmund Wychingham, of Wood-rising in Norfolk (by Alice, daughter and heiress of Sir John Falstolfe, *a name to conjure with'). With her, he obtained the manor of Wood-rising, ' where — quitting Felix Hall — he fixed his residence, and there his posterity had a noble seat and fine park, which continued in the family for many generations.' There were two sons of this mar- riage ; but Sir Robert, the elder, died without issue in 1513. Francis Southwell, his brother, was Auditor of the Exchequer to Henry VIII. ; and by Dorothy, (laughter and co-heir of William Tendring, Esq., had four sons — ]. Sir Richard Southwell, his heir. 2. Sir Robert, Master of the Rolls. 3. Francis. 4. An- thony. For the descendants of the latter three I must refer those curious in such matters to Blomefield's well- known county History. I limit myself, except in one memorable thing to be after-noted, to Sir Richard MEMORIAL-INTRODUCTION. XXXvii Southwell and his line. He was our Poet's grand- father. Of him Blomkfield, under Wood Rysing, thus recounts his 'honours:' 'He was a great favourite of King Heniiy VIII. ; one of the visitors appointed by him of the monasteries in Norfolk on their suppression ; of the Privy-council to that King, Edward VI., and Queen Mary ; master of the ordnance and armory ; one of the executors to Henry VIII. ; and high-steward of the Duchy of Lancaster.'^ Farther : ' In the reign of Queen Mary he made a remarkable speech (1554) in the House of Lords (sic) on that Queen's being with child, and an act of Parliament thereon passed ; about the government of the realm, and the person of the child, in case of that Queen's decease.'^ The county History also enumerates about thirty manors in J^^orfolk of which this Sir Richard Southwell was lord in 37 Henry VIII. It also states, ' Great part of his inheritance, with this lordship (Wood-rising), came to his nephew, Thomas Southwell, son of Sir Robert Southwell by Mar- garet his wife, daughter and sole heir of Thomas JSTevill, fourth son of George, Lord Abergavenny.'^ Unhap- pily this Sir Richard Southwell introduced not a few bars sinister (if I may venture to use heraldic phraseo- logy) into the House.^ Diirmg the lifetime of his first ' Blomefield, vol. x. pp. 276-7, ed. 1809. ■ Hollingshed, p. 112-1. ^ Blomefield, as before. * Blomefield refers, in his account of the illegitimate family of Sir Richard, to Sir Henry Spelman's History of Sacrilege, p. 270. I may remark in passing (with all reverence) that it was part of the ' humiliation' of The Lord to have in His human descent not gi-eat and holy ones merely, but this record also : ' Salmon begat Booz of Rachab ; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth' (St. Matthew i. 5). XXXVl MEMORIAL-INTRODUCTION. reign of Henry VI.' The first ancestor, however, of the Norfolk house — our Worthy's — found in the Pedigrees ; and I have wearied myself over well-nigh ' endless gene- alogies' — was John Southwell, of Felix Hall in Essex, who was M.P. for Lewes in Sussex in 28 and 29 Henry VI. He had two sons, Robert and John. John was ancestor to the Southwells now represented by Vis- count Southwell in Ireland. Robert Southwell, the elder son, succeeded his father at Felix Hall. In 1415, according to Collins, he was made trustee to the Dukk OF Norfolk. He married Isabella, daughter of John Boys, Esq. of Norfolk, and had by her Richard, his son and heir, vi^ho in the Act of Resumption (3 and 4 Ed- ward IV.) had his grant from the King saved. This Richard's first wife was Amy, daughter and heiress of Sir Edmund Wychingham, of Wood-rising in Norfolk (by Alice, daughter and heiress of Sir John Falstolfe, 'a name to conjure with'). With her, he obtained the manor of Wood -rising, ' where — quitting Felix Hall — he fixed his residence, and there his posterity had a noble seat and fine park, which continued in the family for many generations.' There were two sons of this mar- riage ; but Sir Robert, the elder, died without issue in 1513. Francis Southwell, his brother, was Auditor of the Exchequer to Henry VIII. ; and by Dorothy, (laughter and co-heir of William Tendring, Esq., had four sons — 1. Sir Richard Southwell, his heir. 2. Sir Robert, Master of the Rolls. 3. Francis. 4. An- thony. For the descendants of the latter three I must refer those curious in such matters to Blomefield's well- known county History. I limit myself, except in one memorable thing to be after-noted, to Sir Richard MEMORIAL-INTRODUCTION. XXXVll Southwell and his line. He was our Poet's grand- father. Of him Blomefikld, under Wood Rysing, thus recounts his 'honours:' * He was a great favourite of King Henry VIII. ; one of the visitors appointed by him of the monasteries in Norfolk on their suppression ; of the Privy-council to that King, Edward VI., and Queen Mary ; master of the ordnance and armory ; one of the executors to Henry VIII. ; and high-steward of the Duchy of Lancaster.'^ Farther : * In the reign of Queen Mary he made a remarkable speech (1554) in the House of Lords (sic) on that Queen's being with child, and an act of Parliament thereon passed ; about the government of the realm, and the person of the child, in case of that Queen's decease.'^ The county History also enumerates about thirty manors in ]^forfolk of which this Sir Richard Southwell was lord in 37 Henry VIII. It also states, ' Great part of his inheritance, with this lordship (Wood-rising), came to his nephew, Thomas Southwell, son of Sir Robert Southwell by Mar- garet his wife, daughter and sole heir of Thomas !N"evill, fourth son of George, Lord Abergavenny. '^ Unhap- pily this Sir Richard Southwell introduced not a few bars sinister (if I may venture to use heraldic phraseo- logy) into the House. ^ During the lifetime of his first ' Blomefield, vol. x. pp. 276-7, ed. 1809. 2 HoUingshed, p. 1124. ' Blomefield, as before. ^ Blomefield refers, in his account of the illegitimate family of Sir Richard, to Sir Henry Spelman's History of Sacrilege, p. 270. I may remark in passing (with all reverence) that it was part of the ' humiliation' of The Lord to have in His human descent not gi-eat and holy ones merely, hut this record also : ' Salmon begat Booz of Rachab ; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth' (St. Blatthew i. 5). XXXviii MEMORIAL-INTRODUCTION. wife, by Mary, daughter of Thomas Darcy, of Danbury — who eventually became his second wife — he had a num- ber of children. The first, Richard, was eldest son, of Horsham St. Faith's, Norfolk, who was Hving there 27 Elizabeth [1585-6]. He died a prisoner in the Fleet. He was Father of our Southwell by Bridget, daughter of Sir Roger Copley of Roughway, county Sussex (by Elizabeth, daughter of Sir WiUiam Shelley), his first wife — his second wife having been Margaret, daughter of John Styles, Parson of Ellingham. Of the first mar- riage — with which alone we are concerned — there were issue as follows : 1. Richard, eldest son, of Spixworth, county Norfolk, who married Alice, daughter of Sir Thomas Cornwallis of Brome, county Suffolk, whence descend the Southwells of Kinsale in Ireland, Barons de Clifford. 2. Thomas, second son. 3. Robert, our Poet. 4. Mary, who married Edward Banister of Idsworth, county Hants, Esq. (ms. 2d. 14.186 Coll. Armor.) 5, Other four daughters. I do not think it necessary to record other issue after the second marriage. Robert Southwell was thus the third son of Richard Southwell, Esq. of Horsham St. Faith's, which ' estate,' and its acquisition, is thus described by Blomefield (as before) : ' The site of this priory, with the lordship, lands, appropriated rectory, and the rectory and advowson of Horsford, were granted about the 36th of Henry VIII. to Sir Richard Southwell, of Wood-rising in Norfolk, and Edward Elrington (not Ebrington, as inadvertently misprinted by Turnbull). Richard Southwell, Esq. MEMORIAL-INTRODUCTION. XXXIX held it in 1588, who sold it to Sir Henry Hob art, the judge, and his son Sm John inherited it.' Turning back a moment, our Readers will have ob- served the occurrence of the name of Shelley in these genealogical details. It is to be remembered ; for Eliza- beth, daughter of Sir William Shelley, and mother of Bridget Copley, in turn mother of our Worthy, hnks the Poet of ' Mteoniai' and ' Myrtai' with the mightier Percy Bysshe Shelley. A short table shows this : John Shelley, Esq. = Elizabeth, d. and h. of John Michelgrove, I of Michelgrove, co. Sussex. Sir William Shelley, Edward Shelley, second son of the chief of the Knt., eldest son ; one House, settled at Worminghurst Park, co. Kent, of the Justices of the and from whom, says W. M. ROSSETTI, Esq., Court of Common in his Memoir of J. P. Shelley, ' descends Pleas. that branch of the family which has achieveil some fleeting distinction in the way of a peer- age and a second baronetcy (the first baronetcy, in the older line, dates fi-om 1611), and an eternal distinction iii giving birth to the " poet of poets." ' ( Works, vol. i. pp. xxx.-i. 1870.) In other lines there is like association with other his- toric names — Sidney, Newton, Howard, Paston, and William Lenthall, Speaker of the Long Parliament. But the family branches and twigs, marriages and inter- marriages, noble and base, renowned and commonplace, of the Southwell Family I must leave to be followed up by those wishful to do so. I place below helps and au- thorities.^ > Besides Blomefield, Collins, Burke and the usual autho- rities, I am indebted to my never-faUing friend, the Rev. J. H. Clark, M.A., of West Dereham, Norfolk, for full notes from, among others, the 'Visitation of Norfolk' (1563), published by the Norfolk ArchiT^ological Society, continued and enlarged by the late Rev. G. H. Dashwood, M.A. F.S.A., and other Norfolk genealogists (18G5). Harleian MS. 1178 is the basis. xl MEMORIAL-INTRODUCTION. Resident, as undoubtedly Richard Soutiiweli, was, at Horsham St. Faith's at the period, there seems no reasonable doubt that Robert was born there, and not in Suffolk, as Pits earlier, and Fuller copying him, stated. After-dates, that will come out in the sequel, enable us to fix his birth in 1560-1, or just about the time that Mary Queen of Scots — of whom he was destined to sing pathetically — ' landed' from France in her native Scot- land. A singular anecdote has been transmitted of him while an infant — curiously repeated in other Lives, as is familiar to all — viz. that he was stolen from his cradle by a vagabond woman or ' gipsy.' Being, however, speedily missed by his nurse, he was almost immediately recovered.^ This * deliverance' was tenderly and grate- fully remembered in after years. ' What,' exclaims he, ' if I had remained with the vagrant ? how abject I how destitute of the knowledge or reverence of God ! in what debasement of vice, in what great peril of crimes, in what indubitable risk of a miserable death and eternal punish- ment I should have been V- Where he began to * learn letters' has not been told : but he was sent over ' very young' to Douai. Inquiries there have resulted in the information that the French Revolution made havoc of the Books and Papers there, so that no memorial exists of its early * scholars.'"' In his ' TuKNBULL states that the vagrant ' substituted for him her own child,' and ' confessed to have been jiromi^ted to the crime for the sake of gain' (p. xiv.). ■•^ TuRNBULL, as before, quotes this p. xiv. ' From our correspondence with the Librarian of Douai we had hoped to find in the possession of H.E. the Archbishop of Westminster (Dr. Manning) an early ms. roll of alumni belong- ing to the College ; but, in a coiu-teous answer to my appli- MEMORIAL-INTRODUCTION. xli 15th year he passed to Pauis, where he came under the care, religiously and educationally, of a once famous Englishman, Father Thomas Darbyshire, who. Arch- deacon of Essex, for ' conscience' sake' made a sacrifice of all his preferments on the accession of Elizabeth.^ This ' Master' was among the earliest from England to 'join' the Society of Jesus ; and we cannot doubt that his per- fervid zeal and example quickened his pupil's desire to give himself to the same Order. In 1578 at Rome, be- fore he was 17, he was enrolled ' amongst the children' of St. Ignatius. The date of this event— so central in his short Life— is noticeable. It was on the vigil of St. Luke (17th October): and it is pleasant to conclude that as the vigil of St. Luke was also St. Faith's-day (Old style), he chose that day in honour of his native place, Horsham St. Faith's. The thing has not hitherto been pointed out ; but it seems to verify itself as well as confirm the birthplace. ^ Young as he was, he had thought of it long before he was ' received.' Here is his plaint, rather than com- plaint : ' Divulsum ab illo corpore, in quo posita sunt mea vita, mens amor, totum cor meum, omnesque ef- fectus.'-'^ He still pursued his ' studies,' and spent a con- cation, H.E. informed me that he had uo such ms. Suggest- ing that it might be preserved at Ushaw, I j^pplied there^also ; but Dr. Tate had to report that there was nothing of the kind there. ' See Dr. Oliver's 'Collections towards illustrating the Bio- gi-aphy of the Scotch, English, and Irish members of the Society of Jesus:' (184.5) p. 80, and references to Tanner and to Wood's A tliencB. - I am indebted to the very Reverend Dr. Husenbeth, Cossey, Norwich, for the interesting suggestion. • Mori, Hist. Prov. Angl. Soc. Jesu, p. 173. ./ xlii MEMOUIAL-INTRODTJCTION. siderable portion of his ' noviciate' at Tournay in Bel- gium, its climate being pronounced milder and more suited to his constitution. ^ The little Memoir in Bishop Challoneu's ' Memoirs of Missionary Priests, as well Secular as Regular, and of other Catholics of both sexes that have suffered death in England on Religious Ac- counts, from the year of our Lord 1577 to 1684' (1741, 8vo), thus summarises these years : ' He was sent over young to Doway, where he was, for some time, ahminus of the English College or Seminary in that University. From thence he went to Rome, and there was received into the Society of Jesus when he was but sixteen [in 17th] years of age. Having finish'd his noviceship, and gone thro' his course of Philosophy and Divinity with very great satisfaction of his Superiors, he was made Prefect of the Studies in the English College of Rome, and took that opportunity of applying himself to the study of his native language, in which he proved no small proficient, as the elegant pieces, both in Prose and Verse, which he has publish'd in print abundantly demonstrate.'^ The name of IUlAL-lXTR(Jl)rt'TI(>X. must discern thought of the Poet of ' Venus and Adonis' and ' Lucrece' in these words, which 1 give from the Stonyhurst autograph in the original spelling, not as in our reprint (in its place) from 159G : ' The devill as he affecteth deitye, and seeketh to have all the complementes of divine honor applied to his service, so hath he amonge the reste possessed also most Poetes with his idle phancies; for in liew of solemne and devoute matter, to which in dutye they owe their abilities, they now busy themselves in expressing such passions as onely serve for testimo- nies to howe unworthy affections they have wedded their willes. And because the best course to lett them see the error of their workes is to weave a newe webb in their owne loome, I have here laid a fewe course thredds to- gether to invite some skilfuUer wittes to goe forward in the same or to beginne some fyner peece, wherein it maye be scene how well verse and vertae suite together.' Then in St. Peter's Complaint (The Author to the Reader) we have this more express allusion : ' Still finest wits are 'stilling Venvs' rose, In Payuim toyes the sweetest vaines are spent.' We shall produce internal and external evidence imme- diately ; but at this point I observe that in ' Mary Mag- dalen's Fanerall Teares' there is like lamentation over the ' finest wits' given up to mere ' idle' love-verse, yet with a very clear recognition of the loftiest genius : e. g. in the Epistle-dedicatory, ' The Ji nest wits are now giuen to write passionate discourses;' and in 'To the Reader,' ' It may be that cotirteous skill will reckon, this though course in respect of others' exquisite labours, not unfit to entertaine well- tempered humours.' Be it remembered farther that at the })oriod ' St. Pe- MEMOltlAL-lNTHODUCTJON. XCl ter's Complaint' was written, ' Venus and Adonis' was one of the poems of the day, tabled and learnt by the gallants, and applied by them in complimentary address to their mistresses : also, that the stanza-form of the two poems is identical, and that ' Venus' is mentioned by name. Then more specifically in the next stanza (11. 2-4) and St. vi. of the ' Complaint' itself, reference is intended to the same chiefest Poets (and it need hardly be said that the modern theory of the non-appreciation of Shake- speare by his contemporaries is a baseless and ignorant vision); and that at a time when epithets were fixed upon each author of mark, and when ' sweef was a recognised appellative of the silver-tongued Meliceit — coming up later in Milton to the perplexity of the present Archbishop of Dublin (Trench), through his forgetfulness of the love and intensity that went as elements in the word * sweet,' as then and even still in the rapture of fellowship with the Lord Jesus. Hence I conclude that Shakespeare's 'ex- quizite labours' and ' finest wit' were included in ' the heavenly sparks of wit who spend their sweetest veins in Paynim toys.' Nor is this all. Turning to St. Peter's Complaint, st. Ivii.-ix. and part of the next, and especially the first two lines of the stanza next but one (st. Ixii.), and st. Ixv. 'Oh eyes, whose glances!' — let the Shakesperean student compare them with the thesis maintained by Biron in Love's Labour Lost (iv. .3) : ' From women's eyes this doctrine I derive : — They sijarkle still the right Promethean /ire ; They are the booka, the arts, the acudemien. That shoiv, contain, and nourish all the world." Biron's speech being a humorously sophistical mainten- XCU MEMUHIAL-IXTKUDUCTION. ance of a thesis iu scholastic form — not noticing which the Commentators have gone astray. In our Notes and Ilhistrations I furnish other SnAKESPEARE-parallels and (probable or possible) allusions and elucidations : and I invite attention to them. By the way, it is worth recording that one unusual use of a word ('vaunt,' page 90) by Southwell, has a near parallel in the Prologue to Troilus and Cressida, ' leaps o'er the vaunt.' Then, as noted in the place (p. 49), ' the cold brook candied with ice' (Timon, act iv. sc. 3); if Shakespeare's, was not improbably borrowed from our Poet, for Timon in its present state is several years later than 1595. On the other hand, the words may be those of the older Play. Farther, in ' Of the Blessed Sacrament of the Aulter' = as we have seen, ' The Chris- tian's Manna,' stanza iii., smacks of Cu})id's prologue in the same Timon (i. 2). It is allowable to indulge in the ' pleasures of imagination' that the mightier Poet read the lesser, and that the lesser recognised the coming effulgence of England's supremest genius. One sentence in the Epistle to his ' loving cosen' reveals that play or stage-fetched metaphors were not accounted unhallowed by our Worthy, inasmuch as he applies such to the Tra- gedy and Pageant of Calvary. From Southwell's pos- session in (necessarily) ms. of Sir Edward Dyer's 'Phansie' (turned by him characteristically into a ' Sinner's Plaint'), it is plain he had access to circles where such Manuscripts were circulated, and it may be even Shakespeare's ' copies in MS.' of his ' sweet' poems similarly reached him. It does not appear that he had seen Lord Brooke's deeper original of Dyer's ' Phansie.' We have also pleasantly to remember that in his ' Conversations' with Drummond M EMORIAL-INTRODUCTION. of Hawthoniden, Ben Juns^on thus spoke of Southwell and one of his poems : ' That Southwell was hanged ; yet so he [Jonson] had written that piece of his, the Burning Babe, he would have been content to destroy many of his' (Laing's edit. p. 13) : and if Jqnson 'read' South- well, equally may ' gentle Will' have done so. Regarding the 'wording' of Southwell's poetry, it seems to me very pure English for the time, which is the more noticeable in that a Latinate style might have been expected. Occasionally there is a poetic-archaic word — of one or two of which he is extremely fond — and also in- tended or accidental provincialisms. In pronunciation the liquid syllables are generally elided, as is ' ow,' and words like ' orient' and ' period' are trisyllabic, ' spirit' gener-ally read as ' sprite,' ' haven' ' heaven,' ' even' (as adv.-verb, and in ' uneven') always monosyllabic, and ' evil' nearly always so — all as pointed out in our Notes and Illustrations. Now and then, by license and metri gratia, -ions and -ion are made dissyllables. He also makes over-use of a poetic license and affectation, and mars the sound of his verse by the too frequently recur- ring -ed. His sentences are short, especially so as com- pared with many writers of the period, and rhythmical, and he adds to the latter by a marked alliterativeness. In construction he is generally clear and English, and as with his words, less Latinate than might have been sup- posed, except that there is a great omission of the arti- cle, a great use of ellipses both regular and irregular, and far too frequent inversions, which sometimes obscure the sense, and in one instance imparts a dash of the ludicrous, e.g. 'of pearl the purest mother,' as = mother- of-pearl. As examples of irregular ellipses, we find ' thy Xciv MEMORIAL-INTRODUCTION. trespass' [being], which has to be taken out of ' be' (p, 11, line 17); fray [was] (p. 18, line 2); part [me from Christ] (p. 20, line 13); keep [me] (p. 29, line 2). The ' blind in seeing what' [was present] {p. 14, line 2) pro- bably comes rather under the head of a colloquial ellipse, and one of those many phrases in the old writers which are more or less obscure, because the Writers have writ- ten too much as they would have spoken, not allow- ing for the absence of other language, and for that sym- pathy and consentaneous knowledge which generally exist between the speaker and listener. Hence we find a difficulty at times in referring the pronoun to its pro- per noun, because the writer does not think so much of the word -construction as of the main idea or subject of his discourse, and writes too colloquially. Thus, at p. 39, lines 19-20, 'whose' refers to 'parts,' not to 'gripes;' and at p. .119, line 8, 'he' is not Joseph, but God ; and at p. 68, the ' they' of line 5 of ' Scorne not the Leaste' refers not to higher powers, but to ' feebler part.' There is another obscurity common to Southwell and writers of his day, in connection with the possessive pro- noun and case, which is dependent on the causes spoken of above, but which has sometimes been mis-explained. 'My injuries' meant, according to the context, either the injuries done by another to me, or the wrongs that I do or did to others ; in the one case the other person or persons are mainly thought of and considered agental ; in the other case I am the chief subject of my ideas and the agent. In such phrases as ' this box is my gift,' or ' this box is his gift,' the other circumstances alone in- terpret whether it is meant 'this box is the gift bestowed MEMORIAL-INTRODUCTION. on me' (or him), or 'this box is the gift bestowed by me' (or him). ' Angels' bread' might be, bread prepared by or brought by angels, or it might be the bread given to angels — according to whatever the context determines to be the agent. So in 'God is my gift' (p. 128, line 17), it is only the context that shows that 'gift' is that which CJod gave, and has only become mine through His agency, and that the 'God's gift am 1' means ' I have given my- self as a gift to God.' I cannot close these inadequate remarks on South - AVELL without expressing the profound regret and pain — in common with many of his warmest admirers — with which I read Professor Lowell's verdict on his Poetry, in his charming ' My Study Windows' (on Smith's ' Lib- rary of old Authors'). It seems to me harsh to brutal- ity on the man (meet follower of Him ' the first true gentleman that ever breathed') ; while on the Poetry it rests on self- evidently the most superficial acquaintance and the hastiest generalisation. To pronounce ' St. Pe- ter's Complaint' a ' drawl' of thirty pages of ' maudlin repentance, in which the distinctions between the north and north-east sides of a [sic] sentimentality are worthy of Duns Scotus,' shows about as much knowledge — that is ignorance — of the Poem as of the Schoolman, and as another remark does of St. Peter : for, with admitted tedium, St. Peter's Complaint sounds depths of penit- ence and remorse, and utters out emotion that flames into passion very unforgettably, while there are felicities of metaphor, daintinesses of word-painting, brilliancies of inner-portraiture scarcely to be matched in contemporary Verse. The ' paraphrase' of David (to wit, ' David's Peccavi') is a single short piece, and the ' punning' con- XCVUl MEMORIAL-INTRODUCTION. found tliat a man has, for the sole sake of self-abnega- tion, yielded homage, where, if his object had been perso- nal aggrandisement, he might have wielded authority. Southwell, if that which comes from within a man may be taken as the test of his character, was a devout and humble Christian. In the choir of our singers we only ask, " Dost thou lift up thine heart?" Southwell's song answers for him : " I lift it up unto the Lord." ' His chief poem is called St. Pcter^s Complaint. It is of considerable length — a hundred and thirty-two stanzas. It reminds us of the Countess of Pembroke's poem [' Our Saviour's Passion'] ; but is far more ar- ticulate and far superior in versification. Perhaps its chief fault is, that the pauses are so measured with the lines as to make every line almost a sentence, the effect of which is a considerable degree of monotony. Like all luriters of the time., he is of course fond of antithesis, and abounds in conceits and fancies ; whence he attributes a multitude of expressions to St. Peter, of which never possibly could the substantial ideas have entered the Apostle's mind, or probably any other than Southwell's own. There is also a good deal of sentimentalism in the poem; a fault from which I fear modern Catholic verse is rarely free. Probably the Italian poetry with which he must have been' familiar in his youth, during his re- sidence in Rome, accustomed him to such irreverences of expression as this sentimentalism gives occasion to, and which are very far from indicating a correspondent state of feeling. Sentiment [alism] is a poor ape of love; but the love is true, notwithstanding.' There follow six stanzas from St. Peter's Complaint, and 'two little stanzas worth preserving,' and ' New Prince, New Pomp,' the last MEMORIAL-INTRODUCTION, xcix thus introduced: ' The following poem, in style almost as simple as a ballad, is at once of the quaintest and truest. Common minds, which must always associate a certain conventional respectability with the forms of religion, will think it irreverent. I judge its reverence profound, and such none the less that it is pervaded by a sweet and delicate tone of holy humour. The very title has a glim- mer of the glowing heart of Christianity.' He continues: 'Another, on the same subject, he c&Wa New Heaven, New War. It is fantastic to a degree. One stanza, however, I like much : This little babe, so few days old, &c. There is profoundest truth in the symbolism of this.' I again intercalate, that Ben Jonson's insight was disclosed in his love for the kindred Burning Babe, and its mao-- nificent as simple symbolism. Dr. Macdonald concludes with the latter half of St. Peter's Remorse and Content and Rich.^ I believe, then, I shall not appeal in vain to Prof. Lowell to give a few hours behind his ' Study Win- dows' to a re-perusal of some of the poems of South^vell named by us and. these sufficiently-qualified Critics. And so I take from ' The Lady of La Garaye' a por- trait of a Prior, for which I fancy Father Southwell might have sate : He sits by Gertrude's couch and patieut listens To her wild gi-ieving voice ; bis dark eye glistens With tearful sympathy for that young wife, Telling the torture of her broken life ; And when he answers her she seeius to know The peace of resting by a river's flow. • Pp. 96-103. MEMORIAL-INTRODUCTION. Tender his words, and eloquently wise ; Mild the pure fervour of his watchful eyes ; Meek with serenity of constant prayer The luminous forehead, high and hroad and hare ; The thin mouth, though not passionless, yet still ; With a sweet calm that speaks an angel's will, Resolving service to his God's hehest, And ever musing how to serve Him hest. Not old, nor young ; with manhood's gentlest gi-ace ; Pale to transparency the pensive face, Pale not with sickness hut with studious thought. The hody tasked, the fine mind overwrought ; With something faint and fragile in the whole. As though 'twere but a lamp to hold a soul.' Alexander B. Grosart.- 1 By Hon. Mrs. Norton (1863), pp. 120-1. " At end of our Volume I add a few farther Notes and Blus- trations on points touched on in their places. ST. PETER'S COMPLAINT. NOTE. We place St. Peter's Complaint first, simply because it is the longest verse-production of its author, not at all as being his best. The only complete us. of this poem known, is that of Addl. Mss. 10.422 in British Museum ; but while furnishing a few good readings, it is, in common with the whole Manu- script, sorrowfully careless and corrupt ; as fully shown in our Preface. The Stonyhtjrst ms. and Hakleian ms. 6921 unfor- tunately contain only 12 stanzas out of the 132 ; viz. 10, 11, 28, 29, 14, 17, 30, 21, 22, 20, 23, and 131 of the completed poem. So that we have been obliged to fall back on the printed edi- tions. Again, unfortunately, we have most unsatisfactory texts to work on, even the original edition of 1595 and that assigned by us to 1596 being extremely faulty ; as also shown in our Preface. After an anxious collation of mss. and editions, we have taken for basis the edition of 1596 ; and in Notes and Il- lustrations at the close of the poem, record corrections and various readings, with their several authorities in ms. and print. Opposite is the title-page of 1596. It is placed within an engi-aved border of quaint device, and having in the centre an open book with an hour-glass set on it, and the motto, ' I line to dy : I dy to line' (in Jesus College, Oxford, copy there is this in a contemporary hand, ' Vt moriar vivo : vt viva morior'), and underneath a winged death's-head and a globe ; all as repro- duced in fac-simile in our illustrated quarto edition. For more on this edition, and certain significances in its ornaments, and others, see our Preface. The Notes and Illustrations are placed at the close of St. Peter's Complaint, and of each of the others, as throughout. Our Memorial-Introduction sheds light on the formation of the ' Complaint :' and thither the reader is referred. G. Saint PETERS COM- PLAINT, Newly augmented With other Poems. I line I dy to to dy liue London, Printed by H. L. for William Lcakc : and are to be sold at his shop in Paules Church- yard, at the signe of the holy Ghost. [n.d. 1596? 4to.] THE AUTHOR TO HIS LOUING COSIN. Poets, by abusing their talent, and making the follies and faynings of loue the customarie subiect of their base endeiiours, haue so discredited this facultie, that a poet, a louer, and a Iyer, are by many reckoned but three words of one signification. But the vanitie of men cannot counterpoyse the authoritie of God, Who deliuering many parts of Scripture in verse, and, by His Apostle willing vs to exercise our deuotion in hymnes and spiritual sonnets, warranteth the art to be good, and the vse allowable. And therefore not onely among the heathen, whose gods were chiefely canonized by their poets, and their paynim diuinitie oracled, in verse, but euen in the Olde and Newe Testament, it hath beene vsed by men of gi-eatest • Tliis forms the Author's preface to the volume of 1595, aud is repeated in that of 159G and after-editions. On the Stonyhukst MS. of this Epistle-dedicatory see our Memorial- Introduction. These corrections of Tuenbull's text may be noted : line 8, ' deliuering' for ' delivered :' line 10, ' sonnets' for ' songs :' line 22, ' and footed' dropped out: line 40, ' com- mend it' for 'he commended:' line 47, 'the mcane' for 'let them.' These readings are all in 1616, 1620 and 1630, as well as 1595 and 1596. G. THE AUTHOR TO HIS LOUING COSIiN:. 5 pietie, in matters of most deuotioii. Christ Himselfe, by making a liymne the condusion of His Last Sup- per, and the prologue to the first pageant of His Pas- sion, gaue His Spouse a methode to imitate, as in the office of the Church it appeareth ; and to all men a patterne, to know the true vse of this measured and footed stile. But the deuill, as he aflfecteth deitie and seeketh to haue all the complements of diuine honour applyed to his seruice, so hath he among the rest possessed also most Poets with his idle fansies. For in lieu of solemne and deuout matter, to which in duety they owe their abilities, they now busie themselues in express- ing such passions as onely serue for testimonies to what unworthy affections they haue wedded their wills. And, because the best course to let them see the er- rour of their Avorks is to weaue a new webbe in theu- owne loome, I haue heere laide a few course threds together, to inuite some skilfuller wits to goe forward in the same, or to begin some finer peece; wherein it may be scene how well verse and vertue sute to- gether. Blame me not (good Cosin) tliough I send you a blame -worthy present; in which the most that can commend it is the good wiU of the Writer ; neither arte nor invention giuing it any credite. If in me this be a fault, you cannot be faultlesse that did importune mc to commit it, and tlicrefore you must bcare part 6 THE AUTHOR TO HIS LOUING COSIN. of the penance when it shall please sharp censures to impose it. In the meane time, with many good wishes, I send you these fewe ditties; adde you the tunes, and let the Meane, I pray you, be still a part in all your musicke. mi^^sm THE AVTHOVR TO THE READER.^ Deare eye that doost peruse my Muses stile, i With easie censure deeme of my delight : Giue sobrest countenance leaue sometime to smile, And graucst wits to take a breathing flight : Of mirth to make a trade, may be a crime, 5 But tyred spirits for mirth must hauc a time. The loftie eagle soares not stiU aboue, High flights will force her from the wing to stoupe ; And studious thoughts at times men must remoue. Least by excesse before their time they droupe. i o In courser studies 'tis a sweet repose, With poets pleasing vaine to temper prose. Profane conceits and faining fits I flie, Such lawlesse stuffe doth lawlesse speeches fit : With Dauid, verse to Vertue I apply, 1 5 Whose measure best with measured words doth lit : It is the sweetest note that man can sing. When grace in Vertue's key tunes Nature's string. ' This and the next poem bflong to the whole vohime, and not merely to St. Petei-'s Complaint. G. THE AVTHOVR TO THE READER. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. St. i. line 2, ' deeme' is=pronounce judgment, as in ' deems- ter,' Dempster. ' Deemed' as a participial is similarly used in ' Life is but Losse' (line 5), 'where death is deemed gaine,' for adjudged or pronounced ' gain ;' at least this gives a stronger and better sense than if it betaken as merely =thought or con- sidered, or than if ' is deemed' be taken as a verb. St. ii. line 1, ' still' is = constantly, without reference, as now, to any particular moment of time. Such usfe was not unfre- quent contemporarily. St. ii. line 4, Tuenbull misprints ' the' for ' their,' and in st. iii. line 1, ' feigned' for ' feigning.' G. THE AVTHOVE TO THE READER.^ Deare eye, that day nest to let fall a looke i On these sad memories of Peter's plaints : Muse not to see some mud in clearest brooke ; They once were brittle mould that now are saints. Their weaknesse is no warrant to offend ; 5 Learne by their faidts what in thine owne to mend. If Equitie's even-hand the ballance held, "Where Peter's siunes and ours were made the weiglits, Ounce for his dramme, pound for his ounce we'd yield His sliip would gronetofeele some sinners' freights : 10 So ripe is Vice, so green is Vertue's bud : The world doth waxe in ill, but wane in good. This makes my mourning Muse resolue in teares, Tliis thcames my heauie penne to plaine in prose ; Christ's thorne is sharpe, no head His garland wcares ; Stil finest wits are 'stilling Yenvs' rose, t6 In Paynim toyes the sweetest vainesare spent; To Christian workes few haue their talents lent. Licence my single penne to seeke a pheere ; You heau(Mily sparkes of wit shew natiuo light ; 20 ' In 1030 iiud hiU-r cditious, nuil repeated by Turnbull, this is beaded ' Rvruvs iid Eviidcm.' G. 10 THE AVTHOVR TO THE READER. Cloud not with mistie loues your orient cleere, Sweet fliglits you shoote, learne once to leuell right. Fauour my wish, well-wishing workes no ill ; I moue the sute, the graunt rests in your Avill. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. St. ii. line 1, Tuknbull has 'Justice:' it is 'Eqwitie's' in 1595, 1596 and 1630. Lines 1-4. If we read these lines as punctuated in 1596 and by Tuknbull, the line ' Ounce yield' must be paren- thetical, and the sense and sentence ends at ' freights.' But {meo judicio) this sense is very like non-sense, and not in South- well's manner. The same punctuation, viz. in 1596, a comma (,) after 'held,' and colon (:) after ' weights,' and comma (,) after ' yeeld,' and period (.) after ' freights.' Or as in Turn- bull, comma after ' held' and , — after ' weights,' and , — after ' yield,' mingles metaphors, and represents one end of the bal- ance with its weights as in St. Peter's ship, which seems a somewhat ludicrous combination ; and the more so, that the difference of weight is given so exactly. But if we end with ' yield' ( ; or even :), and read ' we'd yield' instead of ' we yield,' and then suppose that the Poet's remembrance of St. Peter's draught and exclamation led him on to ' His ship . . . freights (:)' as a second and allied thought, we get clear sense and sent- ences, and a stanza after Southwell's wont. I have punctuated accordingly, and read ' we'd.' Line 6. In Addl. mss. 10.422, for ' ill' the reading is 'evill,' on which see onward on the frequent occurrence of ' evil' for 'ill' and its pronunciation (St. Peter's Complaint, st. ii. line 5 : relative note). St. iii. line 2, Tuknbull spoils the sense by misreading ' too' for ' to.' The reference in line 1 is to the Author's verse, in line 2 to hisin-ose, e.g. his ' Mary Magdalen's Funerall Teares.' ' Theames'^^ gives a theme or siibject. Lines 4-5, on a probable allusion to Shakespeare here — one of several — see our Memorial-Introduction. St. iv. line 1, ' phere' = husband or companion : line 4, Addl. MSS. 10.422 reads ' fleghts ;' query ' arrows' ? G. SAINT PETER'S CO-MPLAINT. 1. Launcu forth, iny soulc, into ;i maine of teares, Full fraught with griefe, the trafficke of thy mind; Torn sailes will serue, thoughts rent with guilty fcarcs : Giue Care the stcrne, vse sighs in lieu of wind : Remorse, thy pilot ; thy misdeede thy card ; Torment thy hauen, ship wrack thy best reward. II. Shun not the shelfe of most deserued shame ; Sticke in the sands of agonizing dread ; Content thee to be stormes' and hillowes' game ; Diuorct from grace, thy soule to pennanco wed; Fly not from forraine euils, fly from thy hart ; "Worse then the worst of euils is that thou art. in. Giue vent vnto the vapours of thy hrest, That thicken in the brimmes of cloudie eyes ; Where sinne Avas liatcht, let teares now wash the nest, Where life was lost, recouer life with cryes. Thy trespassc foule, let not thy teares be few, Baptize thy spotted soule in weeping dew. 12 SAINT Peter's complaint. IV. Fly mournfull plaints, the ecchoes of my ruth "Whose screeches in my frighted conscience ring ; Sob out my sorrowes, fruites of mine vntruth, lieport the smart of sinne's infernall sting ; Tell hearts that languish in the sorriest plight, There is on Earth a farre more sorry wight. V. A sorrie wight, the object of disgrace, The monument of feare, the map of shame, The mirrou.r of mishap, the staine of place, The scorne of Time, the infamy of Fame, An excrement of Earth, to heauen hatefuU, Iniurious to man, to God vngratefuU. VI. Ambitious heads, dreame you of Fortune's pride, Fill volumes with your forged goddesse' prayse ; You Fancie's drudges, plung'd in Follie's tide. Devote your fabling wits to louers' lays : Be you, sharpest griofes that euer wrung. Text to my thoughts, theame to my playning tung. VII. Sad subiect of my sinne hath stoard my minde, With euerlasting matter of complaint ; My threnes an endlesse alphabet doe finde, Beyond the pangs AvJiich leremie doth paint. That eyes with errors may iust measure kecpe, Most teares I wish, that haue most cause to weepe. SAINT Peter's complaint. 13 VIII. All weeping eyes resigne your teares to me, A sea will scantly rince my ordur'd soiile ; Huge liorours in high tides must drowned be : Of euery teare my crime exacteth tole. These staiiies are deepe : few drops take out no such ; Euen salue with sore, and most is not too much, IX. I fear'd with life, to die, by death to Hue ; I left my guide,— now left, and leaning God. To breath in blisse, I fear'd my breath to giue ; I fear'd for heauenly raigne an earthly rod. These feares I fear'd, feares feeling no mishaps : fond! faint! O false! faultie lapse! X. How can I Hue, that thus my Hfe deni'd 1 What can I hope, that lost my hope in feare ? What trust to one, that Truth it selfe defi'd ? What good in him, that did his God forsweare? sinne of sinnes ! of euils the very worst : matchlesse wretch ! O catilfe most accurst ! XI. Vaine in my vaunts, I vowd, if friends had fail'd, Alone Christ's hardest fortunes to abide : Giant in talke, Hke dwarfe in triall quaild : ExcelHng none, but in vntruth and pride. Such distance is betweene high words and deeds : In proofe, the greatest vaunter seldome speeds. li SAINT Peter's complaint. XII. Ah, rashnes ! liastie rise to murdering leape, Lauisli in vowing, blind in seeing what : Scone sowing shames that long remorse must reape: Nursing with teares that ouer-sight begat ; Scout of Repentance, harbinger of blame. Treason to wisedome, mother of ill name. XIII. The borne-blind begger, for received sight, Fast in his faith and loue to Christ remain'd ; He stooped to no feare, he fear'd no might, No change his choice, no threats his truth distain'd : One wonder wrought him in his dutie sure, I, after thousands, did my Lord abiure. XIV. Could seruile feare of rendring Nature's due. Which growth in yeeres was shortly like to claim e, So thrall my loue, that I should thus escliue A vowed death, and misse so faire an aymc 1 Die, die disloyall wretch, thy life detest : For sauing thine, thou hast forsworne the best. XV. Ah, life ! sweet drop, drownd in a sea of sowres, A flying good, posting to doubtfull end. Still loosing months and yeeres to gaine few howres : Faine, time to haue and spare, yet forc't to spend : Thy growth, decrease ; a moment all thou hast : That gone, ere knowne; the rest, to come, or past. SAINT Peter's complaint. 15 XVI. Ah, life ! the maze of countlesse straying waies, — Open to erring steps and strew'd with baits,— To winde weake senses into endlesse strayes, Aloofe from Vertue's rough, vnbeaten straights; A flower, a play, a blast, a shade, a dreame, A lining death, a never-turning streame. XVII. And could I rate so high a life so base ? Did feare with loue cast so vneven account, That for this goale I should runne ludas' race. And Caiphas' rage in crueltie surmount 1 Yet they esteemed tliirtie pence His price ; I, worse then both, for nought denyd Him thrice. Mat. 20. XVIII, The mother-sea, from ouerflowing deepes. Sends forth her issue by diuided vaines. Yet back her ofspring to their mother creepes. To pay their purest streames with added gaines ; But I, that drunke the drops of heauenly find, Bemyr'd the Giuer with returning mud. XIX. Is this the haruest of His sowing-toy le 1 Did Christ manure thy heart to breede Him briers 1 Or doth it neede, this vnaccustom'd soyle, With hellish dung to fertile heauen's desires ? ISTo, no, the marie that periuries do yeeld. May spoyle a good, not fat a barraine field. IG SAINT Peter's complaint. Was this for best deserts the duest nieede 1 Are highest worths well wag'd with spitefull hire 1 Are stoutest vowes repeal'd in greatest neede 1 Should friendship, at the first affront, retire 1 Blush, crauen sot, lurke in eternall night ; Crouch in the darkest caves from loathed light. XXI. Mat. 16. Ah, wretch ! why was I nam'd sonne of a done. Whose speeches voyded spiglit and breathed gall ? No kin I am unto the bird of loue : My stonie name much better siites my fall : My othes were stones, my cruell tongue the sling. My God the mark at which my spight did fling. XXII. Were all the Jewish tyranies too few To glut thy hungrie lookes with His disgrace 1 That thou more hatefuU tyrannies must shew. And spet thy poyson in thy Maker's face 1 Didst thou to spare His foes put vp thy sword, loiiii iG. To brandish now thy tongue against thy Lord 1 XXIII. Ah ! tongue, that didst His prayse and Godhead sound. How wert thou stain'd with such detesting Avords, That euerie word was to His heart a wound. And launct Him deeper then a thousand swords? What rage of man, yea what infernall spirit, Could haue disgorg'd more loathsome dregs of spite 1 SAINT Peter's complaint. 17 XXIV. Why did the j'eelding sea, like marble way, Mat. u. Support a wretch more wauering then the wauesl Whom doubt did plunge, why did the waters stay 1 Vnkind in kindnesse, murthering while it saues : Oh that this tongue had then been fishes' food, And I deuour'd, before this cursing mood ! XXV. There surges, depths and seas, vnfirmo by kind, Rough gusts, and distance both from ship and shoare. Were titles to excuse my staggering mind ; Stout feet might falter on that liquid floare : But heer no seas, no blasts, no billowes were, A puffe of woman's wind bred all my feare. XXVI. coward troups, far better arm'd then harted ! Whom angrie words, whom blowescouldnotprouoke; lohn is. Whom thogh I taught how sore my weapon smarted. Yet none repaide me with a wounding stroke. Oh no ! that stroke could but one moity kill ; 1 was reseru'd both halfes at once to spill. xxvii. Ah ! whether was forgotten loue exil'd ? Where did the truth of pledged promise sleepel What in my thoughts begat this vgly child, That could through rented soule thus fiercely creepe? O viper, feare their death by Avhom thou liuest; All good thy ruine's wreck, all euils thou giucst. -^g SAINT Peter's complaint. XXVIII. Threats threw me not, torments I none assayd : My fray Avith shades ; conceits did make me yeeld, Wounding my thoughts with feares ; selfely dismayd, I neither fought nor lost, I gaue the field : Infamous foyle ! a maiden's easie breath Did blow me downe, and blast my soule to death. XXIX. Mat. 16. Titles I make vntruths : am I a rucke, That with so soft a gale was ouerthrowne ? Am I fit pastor for the faithfuU flocke, To guide their soules that murdred thus mine owne 1 Mark 9. A rockc of ruiue, not a rest to stay, A pastor, not to feede but to betray. XXX. Fidelitie was flowne, when feare was hatched, Incompatible brood in Vertue's neast : Courage can lesse with cowardise be matched, Prowesse nor loue lodg'd in diuided breast. Adam's child, cast by a sillie Eue, Heire to thy father's foyles, and borne to grieue ! XXXI. Mat 17 In Thabor's ioyes I eger was to dwell : Mat! 11: An earnest friend while pleasures' light did shine, But when eclipsed glorie prostrate fell, These zealous heates to sleepe I did resigne ; And now, my mouth hath thrise His name defil'd. That cry'd so londe three dwellings there to builde. SAINT Peter's complaint. 19 XXXII. When Christ, attending the distressefull hovver, With His surchargM breast did blesse the ground, Prostrate in pangs, rayning a bleeding shower, Me, like myselfe, a drowsie friend He found. Thrice, in His care, sleepe clos'd my carelesse eye ; Presage how Him my tongue should thrise denie. XXXIII. Parted from Christ, my fainting force declin'd, With lingring foot I followed Him aloofe ; Base feare out of my hart His love vnshrin'd : Mark u. TT • 1 • 1 11- • n Luke 22. Huge in high words, but impotent m proofe, My vaunts did seeme hatcht vnder Sampson's locks. Yet woman's words did giue me murdring knocks. XXXIV. So farre lukewarm desires in crasie loue, Farre off, in neede with feeble foote they traine ; In tydes they swim, low ebbes they scorne to proue ; They seeke their frienrls' delights, but shun their Hire of a hireling minde is earned shame : [paine : Take now thy due, beare thy begotten blame. XXXV. Ah, coole remisnes ! Virtue's quartane feuer, Pyning of loue, consumption of grace ; Old in the cradle, languor dying euer, Soule's wilfull famine, sinne's soft-stealing pase ; The vndermining euill of zealous thought, Seeming to bring no harmes, till all be brought. 20 SAINT Peter's complaint. XXXVI. lohn 18. portresse of the doore of my disgrace, Whose tongue vnlockt the truth of vowed minde ; Whose words from coward's hart did courage chase, And let in deathfull feares my soule to blinde ; O hadst thou been the portresse to my toome. When thou wert portresse to that cursed roome ! XXXVII. Yet loue was loath to part, feare loath to die ; Stay, danger, life, did counterplead their causes; I, fauouring stay and life, bad danger flie, But danger did except against these clauses : Yet stay and Hue I would, and danger shunne, And lost myseKe while I my verdict wonne. XXXVIII. I stayde, yet did my staying farthest part ; I liv'd, but so, that sauing life, I lost it ; Danger I shunn'd, but to my sorer smart ; I gayned nought, but deeper damage crost it. What danger, distance, death, is worse then his That runnes from God and spoyles his soule of blisse 1 XXXIX. lohn 18, O lohn, my guide unto this earthly hell, Too well acquainted in so ill a Court, (Where raylmg mouthes with blasphemies did swell. With taynted breath infecting all resort,) Why didst thou lead me to this hell of euils. To shew my self e a fiend among the deuils ? V. 16. SAINT Peter's complaint. 21 XL. Euill president ! the tyde that wafts to vice ; Dumme orator, that wooes with silent deeds, "Writing in works lessons of ill aduise ; The doing-tale that eye in practise reedes ; Taster of ioyes to vnacquainted hunger, With leauen of the old seasoning the younger. XLI. It seemes no fault to doe that all haue done ; The number of offenders hides the sinne ; Coach drawne with many horse, doth easely runne, Soone followeth one where multitudes beginne. O had I in that Court much stronger bin, Or not so strong as first to enter in. XLII. Sharpe was the weather in that stormie place. Best suting hearts benumd with hellish frost, Whose crusted malice could admitte no grace : Where coales were kindled to the warmers' cost ; Where feare my thoughts canded with ysie cold, Heate did my tongue to periuries vnfold. XLIII. O hateful fire (ah ! that I euer saw it) ! Too hard my hart was frozen for thy force ; Farre hotter flames it did require to thaw it, Thy hell-resembling heate did freeze it worse. that I rather had congeal'd to yse, Then bought thy warmth at such a damning price ! 22 SAINT Peter's compLxMnt. XLIV. Mat. 26. wakefull bird ! proclaimer of the day, Mark H. Whose pearcing note doth daunt the lion's rage ; Thy crowing did myselfe to me be\vray, My frights and brutish heates it did asswage : But in this alone, vnhappy cocke, That thou to count my foyles wert made the clocke ! XLV. O bird ! the iust rebuker of my crime, The faithfull waker of my sleeping feares, Be now the daily clocke to strike the time, Wlien stinted eyes shall pay their taske of teares ; Vpbraide mine eares with thine accusing crowe, To make me rew that first it made me knowe. XLVI. milde Eeuenger of aspiring pride ! Thou canst dismomit high thoughts to low effects ; Thou mad'st a cocke me for my fault to chide, My lofty boasts this lowely bird corrects. Well might a cocke correct me with a crowe. Whom hennish cackling first did ouerthrowe. XLVII. 1 Reg. 17. Weake weapons did Goliah's fumes abate. Whose storming rage did thunder threats in vaine ; His bodie huge, harnest with massie plate, Yet Dauid's stone brought death into his braine : With staff and sling as to a dog he came. And with contempt did boasting furie tame. SAINT Peter's complaint. 23 XLVIII. Yet Dauid had with beare and lyon fought, His skilful might excus'd Goliah's foile : The death is eas'd that worthy hand hath wrought, Some honour lives in honourable spoyle ; But I, on whom all infamies must light, Was hist to death with words of woman's spight. XLIX. Small gnats enforst th' Egyptian king to stoupe, Yet they in swarmes, and arm'd with pearcing stings ; Exod. 8. Smart, noyse, annoyance, made his courage droupe ; No small incombrance such small vermine brings : I quaild at words that neither bit nor stung. And those deliuered from a woman's tongue. L. Ah, Feare ! abortiue impe of drouping mind ; Selfe-ouerthrow, false friend, roote of remorse : Sighted, in seeing euils ; in shunning blind : Foil'd without field, by fancie not by force ; Ague of valour ; phrensie of the wise ; True honour's staine ; loue's frost, the mint of lies. LI. Can vertue, wisdome, strength, by women spild In Dauid's, Salomon's, and Samson's falls. With semblance of excuse my errour gild, Or lend a marble glosse to muddy walls? 2Rcff.ii. O no ! their fault had shew of some pretence : Ldgf le!' No veyle can hide the shame of my offence. 24 SAINT Peter's complaint. LII. The blaze of beautie's beames allur'd their lookes ; Their lookes, by seeing oft, conceiued loue ; Loue, by affecting, swallowed pleasure's hookes ; Thus beautie, loue, and pleasure them did moue. These Syrens' sugred tunes rockt them asleepe : Enough to damne, yet not to damne so deepe. LIII. But gracious features dazled not mine eyes ; Two homely droyles were authors of my death ; Not loue, but feare, my senses did surprize : Not feare of force, but feare of woman's- breath ; And those vnarm'd, ill grac't, despis'd, vnknowne : So base a blast my truth hath ouerthrowne. LIV. O women ! woe to men ; traps for their falls ; Still actors in all tragicall mischances ; Earth's necessarie euils, captiuing thralls, [glances ; Now murdring with your toungs, now with your Parents of life, and loue, spoylers of both. The theeues of harts ; false do you lone or loth. LV. In time, Lord ! Thine eyes with mine did meete, Luke 22. In them I read the mines of my fall ; Their chearing rayes, that made misfortune sweet. Into my guiltie thoughts pourd floods of gall : Their heauenly looks, that blest where they beheld, Darts of disdaine and angrie checks did yeeld. SAINT Peter's complaint. 25 LVI. sacred eyes ! the springs of lining light, The earthly heauens where angels ioy to dwell, How could you deigne to view my deathfull plight, Or let your heauenly beanies look on my hell t But those vnspotted eyes encountred mine. As spotlesse sunne doth on the dunghil shine. LVII. Sweet volumes, stoard with learning fit for saints, Where blissfull quires imparadize their minds; Wherein eternall studie neuer faints. Still finding all, yet seeking all it finds : How endlesse is your labyrinth of blisse, ^VTiere to be lost the sweetest finding is ! LVIII. Ah wretch ! how oft haue I sweet lessons read In those deare eyes, the registers of truth ! How oft haue I my hungrie wishes fed. And in their happy ioyes redrest my rutli ! Ah ! that they now are heralds of disdaine, That erst were euer pittiers of my paino ! LIX. You flames diuine, tliat sparkle out your heats, And kindle pleasing fires in mortall harts ; You nectar'd aumbryes of soule-feeding meates ; You gracefull quiuers of loiie's dearest darts ; You did vouchsafe to Avarme, to wound, to feast. My cold, my stony, my noAv famisht breast. E 26 SAINT petek's complaint. LX. Tlie matchlesse eyes, matcht onely each by other, Were pleas'd on my ill matched eyes to glaimce ; The eye of liquid pearle, the purest mother, Broach't teares in mine to weepe for my mischance; The cabinets of grace vnlockt their treasure, And did to my misdeed their mercies measure. LXI. These blazing comets, light'ning flames of loue, Made me their warming influence to knowe ; My frozen hart their sacred force did proue. Which at their looks did yeeld like melting snowe : They did not ioyes in former plentie carue. Yet sweet are crums where pined thoughts doe starue. LXII. lining mirrours ! seeing Whom you shew, Which equal shadows worths with shadowed things, Yea, make things nobler tlien in natiue hew, By being shap't in those life-giuing springs ; Much more my image in those eyes was grac't, Then in myselfe, whom sinne and shame defac't. Lxin. All-seeing eyes, more worth then all you see, Of which one is the other's onely price ; 1 worthlesse am, direct your beames on mee. With quickning vertue cure my killing vice. By seeing things, you make things worth the sight, You seeing, salue, and being seene, delight ! y. 3. SAINT feter's complaint. 27 LXIV. O pooles of Hesebon ; the baths of grace, Where happie spirits cliue in sweet desires, cant. 7, Where saints reioyce to glasse their glorious face. Whose banks make eccho to the angels' quires ; An eccho sweeter in the sole rebound, Then angels' musick in the fullest sound ! LXV. O eyes ! whose glaunces are a silent speach. In cipherd words high mysteries disclosing ; Which, with a looke, all sciences can teach, Whose textes to faithfuU harts need little glosing ; Witnesse vnworthie I, who in a looke Learn'd more by rote, then all the Scribes by book. LXVI. Though malice still possest their hardned minds, I, though too hard, learn'd softnes in Thine eye, Which yron knots of stubborne will vnbinds, Oflfring them loue, that loue with loue wil buy. This did I learne, yet they could not discerne it ; But woe, that I had now such neede to learne it ! LXVII. suunes ! all but youi'selues in Hght excelling, Whose presence, day, whose absence causeth night ; Whose neighbour-course brings Sommer, cold expelling. Whose distant periods freeze away delight. Ah ! that I lost your bright and fostring beames, To plung my soule in these congealed streames ! 28 SAINT Peter's complaint. LXVIII. O gratious spheres ! where loue the center is, A natiue place for our selfe-loaden soules ; The couipasse, loue, — a cope that none can mis, The motion, loue, — that round about vs rowles : spheres of loue, whose center, cope, and motion. Is loue of us, loue that inuites deuotion ! LXIX. little worlds ! the summes of all the best, Where glorie, heauen; God,sunne; allvertues, stars; Where fire, — a loue that next to heauen doth rest ; Ayre, — light of life that no distemper marres ; The water, — grace, whose seas, whose springs, whose Cloth Nature's earth with euerlasting flowers, [showers, LXX. What mixtures these sweet elements do yeeld, Let happie worldlings of these worlds expound ; Best simples are by compounds farre exceld, Both sute a place where all best things abound ; And if a banisht wretch ghesse not amisse. All but one compound frame of perfect blisse ! LXXI. I, out-cast from these worlds, exUM rome ; Poore saint, from heauen, from tire, cold salamander. Lost fish, from those sweet waters' kindly home, From land of life stray'd pilgrim still I Avander. 1 know the cause : these worlds had neuer hell. In which my faults haue liest deseru'd to dwell. SAINT Peter's complaint. 29 LXXII. Betlielem-cestems ! Dauid's most desire, 2neg.2a. From which my sinnes like fierce Philistims keep ; To fetch your drops what champion should I hire, That I therein my Avithered hart may steepe 1 1 would not shed them like that holy king : His were but types, these are the figured thing. LXXIII. O turtle-twins ! all bath'd in virgins milke, ^ant 5 v Vpon the margin of full-flowing banks, "' ^^• Whose gracefidl plume surmounts the finest silke, Whose sight enamoureth heauen's most happy ranks : Could I forsweare this heauenly payre of doues, That cag'd in care, for me were groning loues ! LXXIV. Twise Moses' wand did strike the stubborne rock, ^^^ j^ Ere stony veynes would yeeld their crystall blood; ■''•*^- Thine eyes' one looke seru'd as an onely knocke. To make my hart gush out a weeping flood ; "Wlierein my sinnes, as fishes, spawne their frie, To shew their inward shames, and then to die. LXXV. • But how long demurre I on His eyes ! Whose look did pearce my hart with healing wound, Launcing imposthumd sore of periur'd lyes, Which these two issues of mine eyes have found ; Where rimne it must, till death the issues stop, iVnd penall life hath piu-g'd the finall drop. 30 SAINT Peter's complaint. LXXVI. Like solest swan, that swims in silent deepe, And neuer sings but obsequies of death ; Sigh 'out thy plaints, and sole in secret weepe, In suing pardon, spend thy periur'd breath ; Attire thy soul in sorrowe's mourning weede, And at thine eyes let guiltie conscience bleede. LXXVII. 'Still in the limbecke of thy dolefull brest These bitter fruits that from thy sinnes doe grow; For fuell, selfe-accusing thoughts be best ; Vse feare as fire, the coals let penance blow ; And seeke none other quintessence but teares, That eyes may shed what entred at thine eares. LXXVIII. Come sorrowing teares, the ofspring of my griefe, Scant not your parent of a needfull ayde ; In you I rest the hope of wisht rehefe, By you my sinnefuU debts must be defrayd : Your power preuailes, your sacrifice is gratefidl. By loue obtaining life to men most hatefull. LXXIX. Come good effects of iU-deseruing cause. Ill-gotten imi^es, yet vertuously brought forth ; Selfe-blaming probates of infringed lawes, Yet blamed faults redeeming with your worth; The signes of shame in you each eye may read, Yet, while you guiltie proue, you pittie plead. SAINT Peter's complaint. 31 LXXX. beames of mercie ! beate on sorrowe's clowd, Poure suppling showres vpon my parched ground; Bring forth, the fruite to your due seruice vowde, Let good desires with like deserts be crownd : Water young blooming Vertue's tender flower, Sinne did all grace of riper growth deuoure. LXXXI. Weepe balme and myrrhe, you sweet Arabian trees, With purest gummes perfume and pearle your ryne ; Shed on your honey-drops, you busie bees ; I, barraine plant, must weepe vnpleasant bryne, Hornets I hyue, salt drops their labour plyes, Suckt out of sinne, and shed by showring eyes, LXXXII. If Dauid, night by night, did bathe his bed. Esteeming longest dayes too short to mone ; Inconsolable teares if Anna shed, Who in her sonne her solace had forgone ; Then I to dayes and weekes, to monthes and yeeres, Do owe the hourely rent of stintless teares. LXXXIII. If loue, if losse, if fault, if spotted fame. If danger, death, if wrath, or wreck of weale, Entitle eyes true heyres to earned blame, That due remorse in such euents conceale Then want of teares might well enroll my name, As chiefest saint in calender of shame. Ps. 6, V.7. 32 SAINT Peter's complaint. LXXXIV. Loue, where I lou'd, Avas due, and best deseru'd ; No loue could aynie at more loue- worthy niarke ; IS'o loue more lou'd then mine of Hhn I seru'd ; Large vse He gaue, a flame for euerie sparke. This loue I lost, this losse a life must rue ; Yea, life is short to pay the ruth is due. LXXXV. I lost all that I had, who had the most, The most that will can wish, or wit deuise : I least perform'd, that did most vainely boast, I staynd my fame in most infamous wise. What danger then, death, Avrath, or wreck can moue More pregnant cause of teares tlien this I proue 1 LXXXVI. G«n. 3,v. 7. If Adam sought a veyle to scarfe liis sinne, Taught by his fall to feare a scourging hand ; If men shall wish that hils should wrap them in. When crimes in finall doome come to be scand ; Wliat mount, what caue, what center can conceale ]\Iy monstrous fact, which euen the birds reueale ? LXXXVII. Come shame, the liuerie of offending minde. The vgly shroude that ouershadoweth blame ; The mulct at which foule faults are iustly fin'd ; The dampe of sinne, the common sluce of fame. By which iniposthum'd tongues their humours purge ; Light shame on me, I best deserue the scourge. SAINT Peter's complaint. 33 LXXXVIII. Caine's murdering liand imbrudc in brother's blood, . But, wretch, I feele more then was feard of thee ; Ah ! not my sonne, my soule it is that dyes. It dyes for drought, yet hath a spring in sight : Worthie to die, that would not line, and might. xci. Faire Absalon's foule faults, compar'd with mine, 2 ncs. 1 : Are brightest sands to mud of Sodome Lakes ; High aymes, yong spirits, birth of royall line. Made him play false where kingdoms were the stakes : He gaz'd on golden hopes, whose lustre winnes, Sometime the grauest wits to greeuous sinnes. 34 SAINT PETERS COMPLAINT. XCII. But I, whose crime cuts off the least excuse, A l^ingdome lost, but hop't no mite of gaine ; My highest marke was but the wortlxlesse vse Of some few lingring howres of longer paine. Vngratefull child, his parent he pursude, I, gyants' warre with God Himselfe renude. XCIII. Mat. 22. loy, infant saints, whom in the tender flower A happie storm did free from feare of sinne ! Long is their life that die in bhsfull hower ; loyfull such ends as endlesse ioyes begin : Too long they Hue that Hue till they be nought : Life sau'd by sinne, base purchase dearely bought ! xciv. This lot was mine ; your fate was not so fearce. Whom spotlesse death in cradle rockt asleepe ; Sweet roses, mixt with lilies, strow'd your hearce. Death virgin-white in martyrs' red did steepe ; Your downy heads, both pearles and rubies crownd My boarie locks, did female feares confound. xcv. You bleating ewes,— that wayle this woluish spoyle Of sucking lambs new-bought with bitter throwes,— T' inbalme your babes your eyes distill their oyle, Each hart to tombe her child wide rupture showes Itue not their death, whom death did but reuiut>,, Yeeld ruth to me that liu'd to die aliue. SAINT Peter's complaint. 35 xcvi. With easie losse sharpe wrecks did he escliew, That sindonlesso aside did naked slip : Once naked grace no outward garment knew ; Eiche are his robes whom sinne did neuer strip. 1, that in vaunts, displaid Pride's fayrest flags, Disrob'd of grace, am wrapp'd in Adam's rags. XCVII. When, traytor to the Sonne in mother's eyes I shall present my humble sute for grace, Wliat blush can paint the shame that will arise, Or write my inward feelings on my face ? Might she the sorrow with the sinner see, Though I despisde, my griefe might pittied bee ! XCVIII. But ah ! how can her eares my speech endure. Or sent my breath, still reeking hellish steeme 1 Can Mother like what did the Sonne abiure, Or hart deflowr'd a virgin's love redeeme ? The mother nothing loues that Sonne doth loath : Ah, lothsome wretch ! detested of them both. xcix. sister nymphes, the sweet renowned payre. That blesse Bethania bounds, with your aboade ! Shall I infect that sanctifikl ayre, Or staine those steps where lesus breath'd and trode? No ; let your prayers perfume that sweetned place ; Turne me with tygers to the wildest chase. 36 SAINT PETER'ii COMPLAINT. C. loim 11. Could I reuiued Lazarus behold, The third orf that sweet trinitie of saints, Would not astonisht dread my senses hold 1 Ah yes ! my hart euen with his naming, faints : I seeme to see a messenger from hell, That my prepared torments comes to tell. CI. Mat. 16. John ! James ! wee made a triple cord Of three most loumg and best loucd friends ; My rotten twist was broken with a word, Fit now to fuell fire among the fiends. It is not euer true though often spoken. That triple-twisted cord is hardly broken. CII. The dispossessed devils, that out I threw In Jesvs' name, — now impiously forsworne, — Triumph to see me caged in their mew. Trampling my mines with contempt and scorne : My periuries were musick to their daunce, And now they heape disdaines on my mischaunce. cm. Our rocke (say they) is riuen ; welcome howre ! Our eagle's wings are dipt that wrought so hie ; raught Our thundring cloude made noyse, but cast no showre : He prostrate lyes that would hane scal'd the skio; In woman's tongue our runner found a rub. Our cedar now is shrunke into a shrub. SAINT PETER S COMPLAINT. 37 CIV. These scornefuU words vpbraid my inward thought, Proofes of their damned prompters' neighbour-voice : Such vgly guests still wait vpon the nought : Fiends swarm to soules that swaruc from Vertue's For breach of plighted truth this true I trie ; [choise : Ah, that my deed thus gaue my word the lie ! cv. Once, and but once, too deare a once to twice it ! A heauen in earth, saints neere myselfe I saw : Sweet was the sight, but sweeter loues did spice it, But sights and loues did my misdeed withdraw. From heauen and saints, to hell and deuils estrang'd, Those sights to frights, those loues to hates are chang'd. cvi. Christ, as my God, was templed in my thought. As man, He lent mine eyes their dearest light ; But sinne His temple hath to ruine brought. And now He lighteneth terrour from His sight. Now of my lay vnconsecrate desires. Profaned wretch ! I taste the earnest hires. cvii. Ah, sinne ! the nothing that doth all things file, defile Outcast from heauen, Earth's curse, the cause of hell; Parent of death, author of our exile. The Avrecke of soules, the wares that fiends doe sell ; That men to monsters, angels turnes to deuils, Wrong of all rights, self-ruine, roote of euils. 38 SAINT Peter's complaint. CVIII. A thing most done, yet more then God can doe ; Daily new done, yet euer done amisse ; Friended of all, yet nnto all a foe ; Seeming a lieauen, yet banishing from blisse ; Serued with toyl, yet paying nought but paine, Man's deepest losse, though false-esteemed gaine. cix. Shot, without noyse ; wound, without present smart ; First, seeming light, prouing in fine a lode ; Entring with ease, not easily wonne to part. Far, in effects from that the showes abode ; Endorct with hope, subscribed with despaire, Vgly in death, though life did faine it faire. ex. 0, forfeiture of heauen ! eternall debt, A moment's ioy ending in endlesse fires ; Our nature's scum, the world's entangling net, Night of our thoughts, death of all good desires : Worse then al this, worse then all tongues can say ; Which man could owe, but onely God defray. CXI. This fawning viper, dum till he had wounded, With many mouthes doth now vpbraid my harnies ; My sight Avas vaild till I myselfe confounded. Then did I see the disinchanted charmes : Then could I cut th' anatomic of sinne. And search with linxes' eyes what lay within. 8AINT Peter's complaint. 39 ex 1 1. Bewitcliing euill, that liides deatli in deceits, Still borrowing lying shapes to maskc thy face, Now know I the deciphring of thy sleights ; A cunning, dearely bought with losse of grace : Thy sugred poyson now hath wrought so well. That thou hast made me to myselfe a hell. CXIII. My eye, reades mournfull lessons to my hart. My hart, doth to my thought the greefes expound ; My thought, the same doth to my tongue impart, My tongue, the message in the eares doth sound ; My eares, back to my hart their sorrowes send ; Thus circling griefes runne round without an end. cxiv. My guiltie eye still seemes to see my sinne. All things characters are to spell my fall ; What eye doth read without, hart rues within, What hart doth rue, to pensiue thought is gall. Which when the thought would by the tongue digest, The eare conueyes it backe into the brest. cxv. Thus gripes in all my parts doe neuer fayle, Whose onely league is now in bartring paines ; What I ingrosse they traffique by retayle. Making each others' miseries theu' gaines : All bound for euer prentices to care. Whilst I in shop of shame trade sorrowe's ware. 40 SAINT PETEU'S COMPLAIKT. CXVI. Pleasd with displeasing lot, I seek no change ; I wealthiest am when richest in remorse ; To fetch my ware no seas nor lands I range ; For customers to buy I nothing force : My home-bred goods at home are bought and sold, And still in me my interest I hold. CXVII. My comfort now is comfortlesse to Hue In orphan state, denoted to mishap : Eent from the roote that sweetest fruite did giue, 1 scorn'd to graffe in stock of meaner sap ; No iuyce can ioy me but of lesse floAver, Whose heavenly roote hath true reuiuing power. CXVIII. At Sorrowe's dore I knockt : they crau'd my name : I aunswered, one unworthy to be knowne : What one 1 say they. One worthiest of blame. But who 1 A wretch, not God's, nor yet his oAvne. A man 1 O no ! a beast ; much worse : what creature 1 A rocke : how call'd ? The rocke of scandale, Peter ! cxix. [there ? From whence 1 From Caiaphas' house. Ah ! dwell you Sinne's farme I rented there, bvit now would leaue it. Wliat rent 1 My soule. What gaine 1 Vnrest, and feare. Deare purchase ! Ah, too dear ! will you receiue it? What shall we giue 1 Fit teares and times to plaine mee : Come in, say they : Thus Griefes did entertaine me. SAINT Peter's complaint. 41 cxx. With them I rest true prisoner in their layle, Cliayn'd in the yron linkes of basest thrall ; Till (Irace, vouchsafing captiue soule to bayle, In wonted See degraded loues enstall. Dayes pass in plaints, the night without repose ; I wake to weepe, I sleepe in waking-woes. cxxi. Sleepe, Death's allye, obliuion of teares, Silence of passions, balme of angry sore, Suspence of loues, securitie of feares, Wrath's lenitue, heart's ease, storme's calmest shore; Senses' and soules' reprieuall from all cumbers, Benumning sense of ill, with quiet slumbers ! CXXII. Not such my sleepe, but whisperer of dreames. Creating strange chymeras, fayning frights ; Of day-discourses giuing fansie theames, To make dum-shewes with worlds of anticke sights; Casting true griefes in fansie's forging mold, Brokenly telling tales rightly foretold. CXXIII. This sleepe most fitly suteth Sorrowe's bed. Sorrow, the smart of euill, Sinne's eldest child ; Best, when vnkind in killing who it bred ; A racke for guiltie thoughts, a bit for Avild ; The scourge that whips, the salue that cures offence : Sorrow, my bed and home, while life hath sense. Ct 42 SAINT Peter's complaint. cxxiv. Here solitarie Muses nurse my griefes, In silent lonenesse burying worldly noyse ; Attentiue to rebukes, deafe to reliefes, Pensiue to foster cares, carelesse of ioyes ; Euing life's losse, vnder death's dreary roofes Solemnizing my funerall behoofes. cxxv. A selfe-contempt the shroude, my soule the corse. The beere, an humble hojie, the herse-cloth, feare ; The mourners, thoughts, in blacks of deepe remorse. The herse, grace, pitie, loue and mercie beare : My teares, my dole, the priest, a zealous will, Penance, the tombe, and dolefull sighes the knill. cxxvi. Christ ! health of feuer'd soule, heauen of the mind. Force of the feeble, nurse of infant loues. Guide to the wandring foote, light to the blind, Whom weeping winnes, repentant sorrow moues ; Father in care, mother in tender hart, Keuiue and saue me, slaine with sinnefull dart ! CXXVII. If King Manasses, sunke in depth of sinne, AVith plaints and teares recouered grace and crowne : A worthless worme some mild regard may winne, And lowly creepe, where flying threw it downe. A poore desire I haue to mend my ill, 1 sliould, I would, I dare not say, I will. SAINT PETER'8 COMPLAINT. 43 CXXVIII. I dare not say, I will, but wish I may; My pride is checkt, high words the speaker spilt. My good, Lord, Thy gift. Thy strength my stay ! Give what Thou bidst, and then bid what Thou wilt. Worke with me what Thou of me doos't request, Then will I dare the most and vow the best. cxxix. Prone looke, crost armes, bent knee and contrite hart, Deepe sighs, thick sobs, dew'd eyes and prostrate Most humbly beg release of earned smart, [prayers, And sauiug shroud in Mercie's sweet repaires. If iustice should my wrongs with rigor wage, Feares Avould despaires, ruth, breed a hopelesse rage. cxxx. Lazar at Pitie's gate I vlcer'd lye, Craning the reffuse crums of childrens' plate ; My sores I lay in view to Mercie's eye, My rags beares witnes of my poore estate : The wormes of conscience that within me swarme, Prone that my plaints are lesse then is my harme. cxxxi. With mildnes, lesu, measure mine offence ; Let true remorse Thy due reuenge abate ; Let teares appease when trespasse doth incense ; Let pittie temper Thy deserued hate ; Let grace forgiue, let loue forget my fall : With feare I craue, with hope I humblie call. 44 SAINT Peter's complaint. CXXXII. Eedeeme my lapse with raunsome of Thy loue, Traiierse th' inditenient, rigor's doome suspend ; Let frailtie fauour, sorrowes succour moue, Be I'Jiou Thyselfe, though changeling I oflfend. Tender my sute, cleanse this defiled denne, Cancell my debts, sweet lesu, say Amen ! The ende of Saint Peter's Complaint. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. St. i. line 1, maine = sea. Addl. ms. 10.422 spells 'maigue.' Line 4. Turnbdll modernises ' in lieu' into ' instead.' ,, 5. Card. Some have said that the ' card' or carta is a chart, others that it is the ' card' of the mariner's compass, and hence piit for the comiiass itself. While, however, the former sense, or rather that of map, is the more usual, there are passages which demand some one, and some the other, of these senses, and Halliwell is right in gi\Ting both. In Florio's World of Words (1611) we find ' Carta ; any paper, a leafe of a book. Also a carde, a map. Also a plaing card. Also &c.' Other dictionaries give the same, and Carte marine, Carta da nauicdrc (Fl.), Carta de marear (Minsheu), a sailing or sea-card. Sometimes, of course, the determinative adjective is omitted, as in Sylvester's translation of Du Bartas, quoted by Dyce in his Shakespeare Glossary : ' Sure, if my card and compass doe not fail Ware neer the Port.' (The Triumph of Faith.) Here the original is ' mon Quadi-ant et ma Carte marine,' and ' quadrant' answers to ' compass ;' for though Quadi-ant is not found in Cotgkave, yet Boussole is given as ' a Pilot's Dyall, Compass, or Quadrant.' See also quotations from Halduyt and Sir H. Mainwaring in Hunter's New Illustrations of Shake- speare. On the other hand, though I cannot find that the word is used for the card of the compass or compass itself, in Italian, French, or Spanish, or that it has these meanings attached to it in any English dictionary, or in the English part of any die- SAiXT Peter's complaint. 45 tiouary, yet there are passages which admit of no other. Nares quotes from Beaumont and Fletcher's Chances (i. 11), ' We're all like sea cards, All our endeavours and our motions, As they do to the north, still point at beauty.' And in Fletcher's Loyal Subject we find (iii. 2), ' I send ye With your own virtues season'd and my prayers ; The card of goodness in your minds, that shews ye Wlien ye sail false ; the needle touched with honour. That through the blackest storms still points at happiness. Your bodies,' Sac. And elsewhere, in Southwell (' Our Ladle's Natiuitye'), ' Loadstarr of all engolfd in woi'ldly wanes. The card and compasse tliat fi'om shipwracke saves ;' where the allusion to one person, the determining context ' loadstar,' and the verb in the singular, show that the words mean the compass -card and needle. In some passages the author's meaning may be doubtful ; as in Macbeth, i. 3, though from the word ' ports,' I am inclined to think that the seaman's card is his chart ; and this will appear, if, as perhaps we ought to do with the text, we transpose the two lines ending ' blow' and ' know.' It may also be doubtful in the present instance ; but as the misdeed is not so much a chart of his haven, or of the places to be avoided, or of his course, as the standing con- stant guide pointing to torment, his haven, and as ' card' is used by our i)oet, as above in ' Our Ladle's Natiuitye,' as the compass-card, so I believe it to be the same here. In Hamlet's ' speak by the card' the word is used in a third and very different sense. St. ii. line 1, shclfe = a ledge of rock. Lines 5-6. Turnbull mispi-ints ' ills' for ' euils.' I caU it a misprint ; for throughout in all the mss. and early editions, Southwell writes ' euill' not ' ill ;' and there is something no- ticeable herein, inasmuch as this constant use by him of ' euUl' as a monosyllable seems to i^rove that the contemporary jn-o- nunciation (in verse at least) was as if written 'e'il;' very much as in Scotland ' devil' is pronounced ' deU,' and as ' spirit' is pronounced ' sprite.' What if, after all the guesses of the Shakesperean commentators, the much-contested ' dram of eale'' (Hamlet, i. 4) be a misprint for ' di-am of e'il' = evil or ill ? It fits in with the context. See our Memoj-ial-Introduction for numerous examples of ' evill' requiring to be read as ' e'il.' Line 5. Turnbull misprints ' the' for ' thy.' 46 SAINT Peter's complaint. Line 10, penance =. penitence, as in st. 77, line 4 ; st. 125, line 6 ; St. Peter's Remorse, st. ii. line 1. So too in one at least of the B.C. versions. Wicklif (St. Luke xv. 7) and Chaucer also use it in the same sense. Cf. Kichaedson, s. n. St. iii. line 5, ' Tlnj trespasse foiile ;' an irregular ellipse, where (being), or perhaps (is), is taken out of the succeeding 'be.' St. iv. line 1, 'plaints;^ taking 'plaints' as the nominative to 'sob,' 'report,' and 'tell,' I have punctuated ruth not ruth, and, sorrows — fruits of mine untruth,. St. vii. line 3, ' Threnes ;' alluding to the ' threnes' or la- mentations c. i-iv., where the stanzas (and in c. iii. the lines) commence with a letter of the Hebrew ali^habet in succession, as in Psalm cxix. &c. Turnbull grossly misprints ' themes.' St. viii. line 6, etien, v. act. = equal or equalise. St. ix. lines 1-4, the construction is somewhat obscure. Is ' and leaving God' part of the second clause, ending with ' give' ? In such case God should either be followed by (,) or by no stop at all, while ' give' should have (;). Then is ' now left' to be taken as jiart of this second clause ? or should it close the first ? Either way there is no essential difference in the sense. If taken as part of the fii'st, the ellipse requii-es (and am) left &c. I have followed the punctuation of 1595 and 1596 here, though doubting. Line 4, Turnbull again badly misprints ' sign' for ' raigne.' For = for sake of. Line 5. ' Tliese fearcs ;' these are ' fears' in their objective sense, the substantival form of the causal verb, to fear, to make to fear =z these fear-causing things ; the second fears are fears subjective, or the fears felt and acted on, through the feeling or belief that the cause so determined avoided disaster. St. X. line 3, Turnbull misprints ' in' for ' to.' St. xiv. line 6, for = for sake of, as before. St. XV. line 3, I have ventured to read ' few' for ' new' of 1595 and 1596. St. xvi. line 1, ' Ah, life !' Turnbull now over-punctuates and now under and mis-punctuates, e.g. he puts (!) after ' Ah' and (,) after 'life;' and so throughout. I have put (!) after life, and (,) after ' Ah,' i.e. after the noun to which the descriptive sentence applies ; and so elsewhere. 1595 and 1596 punctuate simply ' Ah life,' SAINT PETER S COMPLAINT. 47 Line 3, Turnbull misprints again ' bind' for ' wind' (of 1595 and 1596). Line 6, ' never-turning' not a misprint as might be supposed for ' ever-turning ;' but = never returning, which might have been wi-itten 'ne'er-returning.' Cf. useof ' turning' in quotation from Batman in our next note on st. xviii. lines 1-6. St. xviii. lines 1-6. The old philosophy believed that the ocean filtered back through narrow chinks, and re-appeared in springs ; e.g. Jerome saith (when wi-iting on Eccles. i. 7, and giving an erroneous interpretation), ' Philosophers tell, that sweete waters that runne into the Sea, be consumpt and wasted by heat of the sunne, or els they be foode and nourishing of ealtnesse of the sea. But our Ecclesiastes, the maker of waters, sayeth. That they come agayne by privie veynes of the earth, to the well-heades, and commeth out of the mother, that is the Sea, and walmeth and springeth out in well-heades' (Batman upon Bartholome, Ub. xiii. cap. 3). Some, however, if we may judge from Batman's quotations from Isidoee, combined the two views ; and this would appear from the word ' added' to have been that which Southwell had been taught. But besides the mother-sea or main-ocean, there had to be added, according to early Christian philosophy, the ahyssus, the ' deep' of South- well, and of the authorised version, Gen. i. 2 and vii. 11 : but the views as to its nature and position appear to have been vague and varied. According to some, ' abyssus' is ' deep- nesse of water unseene, and thereof come and spring wells and rivers ; for out of the deepnes come all waters, and turne againe thereto by priuy waies, as to the mother of water,' as Isidore saith, Ub. 13 : but according to Augustine, ' abyssus' is the primordial matter, made of naught, whereof 'all things that hath shape and forme should be shaped and formed,' and from which it would appear that either of the elements of earth or water were according to the onlination gift of God formed. Neither does it seem to have been settled whether this Abyss formed part of the general circulation spoken of above, or whether the hidden veins from the Sea to the well-heads were subsidiary to the hidden veins from the abyss or overflowing deep. Compare Batman, lib. xiii. cap. 3, 22 and 23. St. xix. line 3. The construction may be doubtful. Looking to the word ' unaccustomed,' and to the parallelism of ' unac- customed soil and barren field,' it would seem the heart is = the soil, and the construction, ' doth this unaccustomed soil need it,' 48 SAINT teter's complaint. viz. the fertilising with hellish dung. The very frequent in- versions in Southwell favour this view, and assuming it to he coiTect I have punctuated (,) after need. St. XX. line 1, Tuknbull misprints ' dii'est' for ' duest.' St. xxi. line 1. If 'lavu of St. Matthew xvi. 17 represent the Hebrew Jonah, Bar-Jonah is, as in the text, ' son of a dove ;' but by the analogy of the lxx. and the better reading 'Iwdfi'ov of St. John i. 42 is with gi-eater probability taken to represent Bar-Johannan = son of God's grace. St. xxii. line 3, 'That tJiou.'' Turnbull confuses all by mis- printing ' these' for ' thou.' St. XXV. line 1, ' There.' Turnbull once more loses the antithesis as between ' there' and ' here' by misprinting ' These.' St. xxvi. line 6, ' both halfes' = body and soul ; the ' two mites' of the old Puritans that all may give the Lord. St. xxvii. lines 3-6. A reference to the myth-simile of the ' viper' rending the womb of its mother shows that the reading is not ' mines' but ' ruine's :' = all good is the wreck of thy ruin or ruining ; just as a rock of ruin in next stanza is a rock of ruining, or rock causing ruin. ' Vipera is a manner kinde of Berpents that is full venemous. Of this serpent Isidore speaketh lib. xii. and saith, that Vipera hath that name, for she bringeth forth broode by strength : for when hir wombe draweth to the time of whelping, the whelpes abideth not covenable time nor kinde passing, but gnaweth and fretteth the sides of their dam, and they come so into this world with strength, and with the death of the breeder. It is said, that the male doeth his mouth into the mouth of the female .... and she wexeth woode [=wud] in lyking of increase, biteth off the head of the male, and so both male and female are slaine.' (Batman upon Bar- tholome, lib. xviii. cap. 117.) St. xxviii. line 5, 'Infamous,' and so inst. Ixxxv. line 4: but ' infamy' in st. xlviii. line 5, and elsewhere. St. xxix. line 5, rest = support : ' and he made narrowed rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house' (1 Kings vi. 6). To stay ^ to support restrain- iugly, as do the ' stays' of a ship's mast: in st. xxiv. 1. 3. it has more the simple sense of restraining (from the plunge) ; for a ' stay' in the sense of a restraining support is properly a side or inclined support, not an under-pinning or under-propping. SAINT Peter's complaint. 49 St. xxxii. line 5, Turnbull vcxatiously misprints ' by' for 'my.' St. xxxiii. line 1, Additional mss. 10.422 reads 'Parted:' and I prefer it to ' Parting' of 1595 and 1596. St. xxxiv. line 1, 'Fan-e' Turnbull obscures by misprinting ' Fare.' Line 4, Turnbull again misprints ' suck' for ' seeke.' St. xxxviii. line 1, ' part' i.e. me, from Cbrist. Line 4, Turnbull misprints ' danger' for ' damage :' 1595 spells ' domage.' Line 5. I have ventured to make two corrections in this line, viz. ' worse' for ' worst,' and ' his' for ' this.' In the latter the rhyme is not so good ; but cf. ' he is' and ' bliss' in A Child my Choice, st. v. ' That runnes' can hardly refer to danger or distance or death. St. xlii. line 5, ' canded,' as in Shakespeare, ' The cold brook candied with ice' (Timon, act iv. sc. 3). On this Shakespcrean parallel, see our Memorial-Introduction. St. xliv. line 5, ' alone' = in this only or alone did the ' crow- ing' assuage, that the cock thereby became his clock to reckon his task-duty of tears. St. xlv. line 4, ' stinted.' The sense is not eyes ' stinted' by any one ; but eyes in a state of ' stint' (as compared with the remorse due for so supreme a crime). This sense of the parti- ciple in -ed, in which it can hardly be called a participle of past time, allows and explains its use in Shakespeare and others, where we would rather employ the participle -ing. Thus BoLiNGBROKE uscs ' tottcr'd :' ' Let's march without the noise of threatening drums, That from the castle's toiter'd battlements Our fair appointments may be well perused.' King Richard If. act iii. sc. 3. We use the -ed form in a similar sense, but not so frequently ; and where the action appears to exist within the thing itself,' as in ' stint' and ' totter,' we prefer (though with less truth) to make the noun agental, and speak of ' stinting eyes' and ' tot- ter/n/7 walls.' If Bolingbroke had battered Flint Castle, he would probably have said ' totter /n/; walls,' as indicative of a newly present result. For more, see relative note on st. cxi. line 4, ' disenchantt'c?.' 50 SAINT PETERS COMPLAINT. St. xlvi. line 1, ' Revenger' = Christ, not the cock, as Tuen- bull's ' revenger' might suggest. St.xlviii. line 4, ' spoyle.' See general note onward. Lines 1-3, ' gnats :' Exodus viii. 16-18. The third plague (of lice, Auth. Vers.). The avicpfs and avlTres of the lxx., and the cyniphcs and scyniphes of the Vulgate— all taken hy the Egyp- tian and African authorities, Philo, Origen, Augustine, &c., to be gnat-lUie insects. St. 1. line 6, Turnbull misreads ' Fine' for ' True' of 1595 and 1596. Addl. mss. 10.422 spells ' Thrue,' the copyist being probably an Irishman. St. lii. line 3, Turnbull again obscin-es by misprinting ' ef- fecting.' St.- liii. line 2, ' di'oyles'= drudges. St. liv. line 3, ' captiuing ;' causal use : thralls— taldng cap- tive theii- masters or those who are free. Line 6, ' false.' By the usual jjunctuation false, (,) that in- terpretation is suggested and favoured which would read, ' do you false ones, when you seem to feel either of these emotions, love or loathe ?' Looking to Southwell's general style and use of inversion, I prefer to interpret false as =/a/s«= do you love or loathe falsehood ? Accordingly comma {,) omitted. St. Mi. 13 et seqq. On this passage see our Memorial-Intro- duction for a very remarkable Shakesperean parallel hitherto overlooked, and confirmatory of other Shakespeare allusions found in Southwell. St. lix. line 3, ' ambryes,' in Turnbull ' ambries.' Ambry = almonry, or the place where alms (and as here alms or doles of food) were kept. In Scotland still= a larder or pantry for cold and broken meats, ' aumry,' as in Fergusson's ' Caller Water.' St. Ixi. line 1, I have printed ' light'ning,' not ' lightning- flames :'=the blazing comets lighten flames of love. St. Ixii. line 2, ' shadows worths,' not, as Turnbull mis- prints, ' shadow worths.' In so doing the ' living mirrors' go beyond what ie natural ; for in Nature ' No shadow can with shadow'd things compare.' Letcd Love is Losse, st. 2. Line 6, ' Then in myselfe, whom sinne and shame defac't.' The thought is di-awn from Holy Scripture, and the expression characteristically elliptical. His ' image' showed itself in the SAINT Peter's complaint. 51 eyes of Christ as that of a man before the Fall made in the image of God, whereas in himself it appeared blurred and de- faced. ' My image' may in the first line have the ordinary sense of the 'image' of myself ; but in the second line it means as {ineo jiuUcio) in the first also, the image that is in me, much as ' my wrongs' and ' my injuries' might in the older writers be used to mean the wrongs or injuries done to me. St. Ixiv. line 1, ' Hesebon.' I place in margin, from 1595 edition (dropped in 1596), ' Cant. vii. 3.' Oculi tui sicut piscina) in Hesebon, qu^ sunt in portu filife multitudiuis (Vulg.) : ' Thine eyes like the fish-pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim' (Auth. Vers.), Cant. vii. 4. The ' baths of gi-ace' is a new epi- thet, and has nothing to do with the pools of Heshbon. Hence I punctuate Hesebon (;) not (,), and (,) not (;) after ' desires.' Line 3, Turnbull misreads ' delight' for ' i-eioyce.' St. Ixv. line 2, Tuknbull again obscures and nonsensifies by misprinting ' works' for ' words.' St. Ixvi. line 1, cf. St. Luke xxii. 61. St. Lxviii. line 3, ' compasse'^ circumference. St. Ixix. line 2, 1595 spells ' soone.' Line 3, Turnbull misjH-ints ' Whose' for ' Where :' and line 5, ' Whose' for ' The.' St. Ixx. line 3, I have ventured to read ' Best' for ' But.' The previous stanza and the word ' Both' in the next line war- rant the emendation. St. Ixxi. lines 1-4. At first sight it seems natural to make a division at salamander, thus reading [exiled] from heaven, [ex- iled] from fire ; lost fish [I wander] . Perhaps too the rhythm is rather improved thereby. But as heaven = air, fii-e, water, laud of life, reflect the enumeration in the last stanza but one, I have punctuated roam ; [thus ending the general clause, and then giving the elemental similes] .... salamander .... home .... wander. The ellipse is viore Southwell, ' Poor saint from heaven [I wander] .... from land of life I wander, &c. St. Ixxii. line 1, cf. 1 Chronicles ii. 17-18. Bethlehem is the Vulgate form, which Southwell has contracted. So too with Salomon (st. li. line 2) and Aman, &c. Line 2, ' keep.' A strangely elliptical omission of the ob- jective [me] . 52 SAINT Peter's complaint. St. Ixxiii. line 3, ' surmounts' := over-passes, excels — one sense of the French surmonter. St. Ixxiv. line 1, Acldl. mss. 10.422 reads ' Horehh rocke.' St. Ixxv. line 1, ' dcimirre .•'=:to delay by dwelling on, to dwell on, its pi-imary sense : French demeurer. St. Ixxvi. line 1, Southwell adds to the old myth of the dying swan's ' singing' solitariness or singleness ; a natural and pathetic inference. St. Ixxvii. line 4, ' penance' =:penitence, as before. St. Ixxviii. line 4, ' By'=through, by means of, as more fre- quently in our Poet's day than now. By love is here, through God's love. St. Ixxix. line 3, '2^?'0&flfes .•'=proofs, or perhaps provings, though it is diiScult to understand how this obsolete sense, or its legal sense, was derived from probatus. St. Ixxxv. line 4, ' infamous.' See relative note on st. xxviii. line 5. St. Ixxxvi. line 6, ' euen.' Here, like ' heauen,' monosyl- labic : but while oui- pronunciation of ' heaven' does not require ' heav'n,' the fulness of our ' even' requii-es ' e'en,' and so I note it (see also st. c. line 4). The student will have no difficulty in ijroperly reading such words in their jilaces by attention to the above rule, and so in the full -ed and -'d (apostrophe), e.g. ' Cain's murdering hand imbrued in brother's blood' (st. Ixxxviii. line 1), ' murdering' needs no more to be printed ' murd'ring' as dissyllabic, than ' heavens' and ' prayers' requii-e to be ' The heav'ns with pray'rs, her lap with tears she fill'd' (st. Ixxxix. line 5). In Southwell, er, en, and on, are almost constantly slurred, though he seizes every opportunity of syllabling -ed. Throughout, with one or two exceptions (duly noted in their places), that might lead to ambiguous readings, I adhere to the Stonyhuest mss. forms. St. Ixxxvii. line 4, ' sluce.' Tuenbull wi-etchedly misprints ' slime.' St. Ixxxix. line 1, ' pheare :' spelled in 1595 'phere' = hus- band (Abraham). Line 2, Tuenbull misprints ' In wilds Barsabian wandering alone'=the desert of Beth-sheba, Auth. Vers. ; Bi^pffafiet, Sojit., Bersabo, Vulg. 2>(i>v*v/-o ^Nrtrt«- yv^'>*vj^ 6v Vvirta* Un-oi*^^^^— _^/Xcr4w^*^f'^^^^ »-^\Bi^i\- -^-^-^r^ fre^^n--i ;^' \^l. i/er ■■ \^t y,t'l /ao- "^^ ;j\«^*o V;;'^ -.^»/» f^i- ^^^ 4^ <£r^'^ oc^©^ - 7 ^ ^ / WHAT JOY TO LIVE. I WAGE no waiT, yet peace I none enjoy ; I hope, I feare, I fry in freesing colde ; I mount in mirth, still prostrate in annoye ; I all the worlcle imbrace yet nothing holde. All welth is want Avhere chefest wishes fayle, Yea life is loath'd where love may not prevayle. For that I love I long, but that I lacke ; That others love I loath, and that I have ; All worldly fraightes to me are deadly wracke, Men present happ, I future hopes do crave : They, loving where they live, long life require, To live where best I love, death I desire. Here love is lent for loane of filthy gayne ; [shewe ; Most frendes befrende themselves Avith frendshipp's Here plenty perill, want doth breede disdayne ; Cares comon are, joyes falty, shorte and fewe ; Here honour envyde, meanesse is dispis'd ; Synn deemed solace, vertue Httle prisde. Here bewty is a bayte that, swallowed, choakes, A treasure sought still to the owner's harmes ; A light that eyes to murdring sightes provokes, A grace that soides enchaunts with mortall charmes ; 86 life's death, love's life. A luringe ayme to Cupid's fiery flightes, A LalefuU blisse that damnes wliere it delightes. who would live so many deaths to trye ? Where will doth wish that wisdome doth reprove, Where Kature craves that grace must nedes denye, Where sence doth like that reason cannot love, Where best in shewe in finall proofe is worste, Where pleasures uppshott is to dye accurste. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. TuRNBULL again has vexatious misprints in this poem: e.g. st. i. line 4, 'If for ' I :' st. ii. line 2, ' other' for ' others :' st. iii. line 1, nonsensically, ' Here loan is lent for love of filthy- gain :' St. iv. line 2, ' in' for ' to :' line 5, ' gain' for ' ayme,' and 'slights' for ' flightes.' 1596 agrees with our ms. In st. i. line 1, oui- MS. inadvertently reads 'nowe' for 'none.' G. LIFE'S DEATH, LOVE'S LIFE. Who lives in love, loves lest to live, least And longe delayes doth rue, If Him he love by Whome he lives, To Whome all love is dewe. Who for our love did choose to live, And was content to dye ; Who lov'd our love more then His life. And love with life did buy. life's death, love's life. 87 Let us in life, yea with our life. Requite His livinge love ; For best we live when lest we live, Imd If love our life remove. Where love is hott, life hatefull is. Their groundes do not agree ; Love where it loves, life where it lives, Desyreth most to bee. And sith love is not where it lives, Nor liveth where it loves, Love hateth life that holdes it backo. And death it best approves. For seldome is He woonn in life Whome love doth most desire ; If woonn by love, yet not enjoyde. Till mortall life expire. Life out of earth hath no abode. In earth love hath no place ; Love setled hath her joyes in heaven, In earth life all her grace. Mourne, therefore, no true lover's death, Life onely him annoy es ; And when he taketh leave of life, Then love beginns his joyes. 88 AT HOME IN HEAVEN. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. In st. i. line 1, ' lest' is=least, as in 1596. In st. iii. line 3, Tdrnbull mispiints ' best' for ' lest' = ' least,' as before. G. AT HOME IX HEAVEN". Fayre soule ! liow long shall veyles thy graces shroud 1 How long shall this exile withold thy right 1 Wlien will thy sunn disperse this mortall cloude, And give thy glories scope to blaze their light 1 that a starr, more fitt for angells' eyes, Should pyne in earth, not shyne ahove the skyes ! Thy ghostly beauty offred force to God ; It cheyned Him in the linckes of tender love ; It woonn His will with man to make aboade ; It staid His sword, and did His wrath remove : It made the rigour of His justice yelde. And crowned Mercy empresse of the feilde. This lul'd our heavenly Sampson fast asleepe, And laid Him in our feeble nature's lapp ; This made Him under mortall loade to creepe, And in our flesh His Godhead to enwrai:)p ; This made Him sojourne with us in exile, And not disdayne our titles in His style. AT HOME Ii\ HEAVEN. §9 This brought Him from the rancks of heavenly quires Into this vale of teares and cursed soyle ; From fioures of grace into a world of briers, From life to death, from blisse to balefull toyle. This made Him wander in our pilgrim-weede. And tast our tormentes to releive our neede. O soule ! do not thy noble thoughtes abase, To loose thy loves in any mortall wight ; Content thy eye at home with, native grace, Sith God Himself is ravisht with thy sight ; If on thy bewty God enamored be, Base be thy love of any lesse then He. Give not assent to muddy-mynded skill, That deemes the feature of a pleasing face To be the sweetest bayte to lure the will ; Not valewing right the worth of ghostly grace ; Let God's and angel Is' censure wynne beleife. That of all bewtyes judge our soules the cheife. Queue Hester was of rare and peerolesse hew. And Judith once for bewty bare the vaunt ; But he that could our soules' endowments vew. Would soone to soules the crowne of beuty graunt. soule ! out of thy self seeke God alone : Grace more then thyne, but God's, the world hath none. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. TuENBULL has one of his most careless misprints in st. ii. X 90 LEWD LOVE IS LUSSE. 1. 5, ' vigour' for ' rigour.' St. v. line 6, in 1596 reads ' is' for ' be.' In st. v'ii. line 2, ' bare the vaunt,' the sense answers to the saying of the Assja-ians in Judith xi. 19 : ' Non est talis mulier super terram in aspectu, in pulchritudine, et in sensu verborum.' It seems clear that ' vaunt' here is=the van or fore-front. Of. the parallel phi-ases, ' bear the bell,' and ' bear the mastership.' I have not met before or elsewhere with ' vaunt' as thus used. But see our Memorial-Introduction on Southwell and Shakespeare. G. LEWI) LOVE IS LOSSE. Misdeeming eye ! that stoopest to the lure Ofmortall worthes, not worth so worthy love; All beautye's base, all graces are impure, That do thy erring thoughtes from God remove. Sparkes to the fire, the bearaes yeld to the sunne, All grace to God, from Whome all graces runne. If picture move, more shoiild the paterne please ; 1^0 shadow can with shadowed thinge compare, And fayrest shapes, whereon our loves do ceaze, But sely signes of God's high beautyes are. Go, sterving sense, feede thou on earthly maste ; Trewe love, in heaven seeke thou thy sweete repast. Gleane not in ban-ayne soyle these ofFall-eares, Sith reape thou mayst whole harvests of delighte ; Base joyes -with greifes, bad hopes do end in feares, Lewd love with losse, evill peace with dedly fighte : LEWD LOVE IS LOSSE. 91 God's love alone doth end with endlesse ease, Whose joyes in hope, whose hope concludes in peace. Lett not the luringe trayne of phansies trapp. Or gracious features, proofes of Nature's skill, LuU Season's force asleepe in Error's laj^p, Or drawe thy witt to bent of wanton will. The fayrest floures have not the sweetest smell ; A seeminge heaven proves oft a damninge hell. Selfe-pleasing soules, that play with beautye's bayt, In shyning shroud may swallowe fatall hooke ; Where eager sight on semblant faire doth waitc, A locke it proves, that first was but a looke : The tishe with ease into the nett doth glyde, But to gett out the waie is not so wide. So long the fly doth dally with the flame, Untill his singed winges do force his fall ; So long the eye doth foUowe phancie's game, Till love hath left the hart in heavy thrall. Soone may the mynde be cast in Cupide's gaile, But hard it is imprisoned thoughtes to baylc. loath that love whose finall ayme is luste, Moth of the mind, eclipse of reason's lighte; The grave of grace, the mole of Nature's rust, The wrack of witt, the wronge of every right. In summe, an eviU whose harmes no tongue can tell ; In which to live is death, to die is hell. 92 love's gardyne greife. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. TuRNBULL, in St. ii. line 4, misprints ' folly' for ' sely ;' on the latter see our relative note on ' I die without desert' (st. i. line 4). He also makes nonsense of st. ii. line 6, by misprint- ing 'is' for 'in.' In st. v. line 3, our ms. miswrites 'or' for 'on.' In st. vii. line 3, ' inole of Nature's rust' is not inoles a heap, nor yet mole a body-stain, but the mola oi Pliny and French mole, a false conception, or shapeless, senseless mass of fleshy matter=the moon-calf of our ancestors. Marvell uses it in the same sense in Appletou House, ' What need of all this marble crust V impare the wanton mole of dust ;' and by early medical writers. This poem, in 1616 and 1620 editions, is headed ' S. Mary Magdalen's Traunce.' G. LOVE'S GAEDYN^E GEEIFE. Vaynb loves, avauiit ! infamous is your pleasure, Your joye deceite ; Your Jewells jestes, and worthies trash your treasure, Fooles' common baite. Your pallace is a prison that allureth To sweete mishapp, and rest that payne procureth. Your garden, greif hedgd in with thornes of envye And stakes of strife ; Your allies, errour gravelled with jelosye And cares of life ; Your bancks, are seates enwrapt with shades of sadnes; Your arbours, breed rough fittes of raging madnes. love's gardyne oueife. 93 Your Ledds, are sowen with seedus of all iui(iuitye And poysening weedes, Whose stalkes cvill thoughts, whose leaves words full of vanitye, Whose fruite misdeedes ; Whose sapp is synn, whose force and operacion, To banish grace and worke the soule's damnation. Your trees are dismall plants of pyning corrosives, Whose root is ruth, Whose bark is bale, whose tymber stubborne phantasies, Whose pith untruthe ; On which iia liew of birdes whose voyce deliteth, Of guilty conscience screching note affrighteth. Your coolest sommer gales are scalding syghinges, Your shoures are teares ; Your sweetest smell the stench of synnfull livinge, Your favoures feares ; Your gardener Satan, all you reape is misery. Your gayne remorse and losse of all felicitye. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. The heading is = Garden [House] Gx'eife. The Garden- House was the name of the country or suhurban retreat of well-to-do citizens or town-dwellers, and was often made a place of assignation and intrigue. On ' infamous' (st. i. line 1) see relative note on ' St. Peter's Complaint' (st. xxviii. line 5). In st. ii. line 3, ' t :' st. XXV. line 1, ib. ' have' for ' hate :' I have adopted ' Ne' for ' Nor' David's peccavi. 103 from 159G here : st. xxx. line 2, ib. ' has' for ' bare :' st. xlii. line 3, ' carefull'=full of cares, as in Piiinkas Flktcher: st. xliii. line 4=If his [lie] compare. I may be permitted to refer for more on the series of poems of which this forms one, to my Works of Lord Brooke, vol. iii. pp. 145-154, and to my collected Poems of Sir Edward Dyer in Fuller Worthies' Miscellanies, vol. iv. G. DAVID'S PECCAVI. In eaves sole sparowe sitts not more alone, Nov mourning pelican in desert wilde, Than sely I, that solitary mone, From highest hopes to hardest happ exild : Sometyme, blisfuU tyme ! was Vertue's meede Ayme to my thoughtes, guide to my word and deede. But feares now are my pheares, greife my delight, My teares my drinke, my famisht thoughtes my bredd ; Day full of dumpes, nurse of unrest the nighte, My garmentes gives, a bloody feilde my bedd ; My sleape is rather death then deathe's allye, Yet kil'd with murdring pangues I cannot dye. This is the change of my ill changed choise, Ruth for my rest, for comfortes cares I finde ; To pleasing tunes succeedes a playninge voyce, The dolefull eccho of my waylinge minde ; Which, taught to know the worth of Vertue's joyes, Doth hate it self, for lovinge phancie's toyes. 104 David's peccavi. If wiles of witt had overwroughte my will, Or sutle traynes misledd my steppes awrye, My foyle had founde excuse in want of skill, lU deede I might, though not ill dome, denye. But witt and will muste nowe confesse with shame. Both deede and dome to have deserved blame. I phancy deem'd fitt guide to leade my waie. And as I deem'd I did pursue her track, Witt lost his ayme and will was phancie's pray ; The rebell wonne, the ruler went to wracke. But now sith phancye did with foUye end, Witt bought with losse, wiU taught by witt, will mend. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. The title in 1620 edition is ' St. Peter's Complaint :' and with it may be compared that poem, st. xxviii. and others. St. ii. line 1, ' pheares'^ companions (as a husband). Line 4, 1596 speUs ' giues,' our ms. ' gives,' Additional ms. 10.422 ' gyves,' 1630 ' gj'ues.' Tuknbull blunderingly amends by reading ' give,' not seeing that the word is ' gyves'=man- acles or chains. St. iii. line 1, 1596 reads ' chaunce' for ' change ;' so 1630. St. iv. line 2, Turnbull again provokes us with misprinting ' away' for ' awrie.' St. V. line 2, ' deem'd'=judged, as before. Tuenbull mis- prints ' In' for ' I.' Line 4, 1596 reads ' rebels' and ' rulers.' In such case pro- bably ' faucyes,' not ' fancye,' was the author's word. G. SYNNE'S HEAVY LOADE. O Lord ! my sinne doth overchardge Thy breste, The poyse thereof doth force Thy knees to bowe ; Yea, flatt Thou fallest with my faultes oppreste, And bloody sweate runnestricklingefromThybrowe : But had they not to earth thus pressed Thee, Much more they woulde in hell have pestred me. This globe of earth doth Tliy one finger propp. The worlde Thou dost within Thy hand embrace ; Yet all this waight, of sweat drew not a dropp, Nor made Thee bowe, much lesse fell on Thy face ; But now Thou hast a loade so heavyc founde, That makes Thee bowe, yea flatt fall to the grounde. Synne ! howe huge and heavye is thy waight, That wayest more then all the worlde beside ; Of which when Christ had taken in His fraighte. The poyse thereof His flesh coulde not abide. Alas ! if God Himself sincke under synne, What will become of man that dies therein 1 p lOG synne's heavy loade. First flatt Thou fellst where earth did Thee receive, In closett pure of Marye's virgin breste ; And now Thou fallst, of earthe to take Thy leave, Thou kissest it as cause of Thy unreste : loving Lord ! that so dost love Thy foe As thus to kysse the grounds where he doth goe ! Thou, minded in Thy heaven our earth to weare, Dost prostrate now Thy heaven our earth to blisse ; As God to earth Thou often wert severe. As man Thou sealst a peace with bleedinge kisse : For as of soules Thou common father art. So is she mother of man's other parte. She shortly was to drincke Thy dearest bloode. And yelde Thy soule awaye to Satan's cave ; She shortly was Thy cors in tombe to shroude, And with them all thy Deitye to have ; Now then in one Thou joyntly yealdest all, That severally to earth should shortely fall. prostrate Christ ! erect my croked mynde ; Lord ! lett Thy fall my flight from earth obtayne ; Or if I still in Earth must nedes be shrynde. Then, Lord ! on Earth come fall yet once againe ; And ether yelde with me in earthe to lye, Or ols with Thee to take me to the skye ! NEW PRINCE, NEW POMPE. 107 NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. St. i. 1. 1, Addl. MS. 10.422 reads 'synnes,' as in 1596, &c. St. ii. line 4, Addl. ms. 10.422 reads ' Nee' for ' Nor,' and 1596 ' Ne.' I have adopted it in preference to ' Nor,' as in Turn- boll and our ms. St. iii. line 4, ' poyse' is =: poize. I note this, as ' poise' in the present day gives rather the idea of balance. St. V. line 6, our ms. inadvertently reads ' the' for ' she.' St. vi. line 1, Turnbull misprints ' the' for ' Thy.' Line 2, our ms. inadvertently reads 'awaye,' and Turnbull so misjirints. 1596 and 1630 properly have 'a way' = Earth is to yield a way or passage for thy soul to Satan's cave. Line 6, again Turnbull misprints ' several' for ' severally.' St. vii. line B, 1596 reads 'Or if I needes must still in eai*th ' G. NEW PEINCE, NEW POMPE. Behould a sely teuder Babe, In freesing winter nighte, In homely manger trembling lies ; Alas, a pitious sighte ! The inns are full, no man will yelde This little pilgrime bedd ; But forc'd He is with sely beastes In cribb to shroude His headd. Despise not Him for lyinge there, First "What He is enquire ; An orient perle is often founde In depth of dirty mire. 108 NEW PRINCE, NEW POMPE. Waye not His cribb, His wodden dislie, Nor beastes that by Him feede ; Way not His mother's poore attire, Nor Josephe's simple weede. This stable is a Prince's conrte, The cribb His chaire of State ; The beastes are parcell of Hin pompe, The wodden dishe His plate. The parsons in that poore attire His royall liveries weare ; The Prince Himself is come from heaven, This pompe is prised there. With joy approch, Christian wighte ! Do homage to thy Kinge ; And highly prise His humble pompe Which He from heaven doth bringe. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. Line 9, 1596 reads ' Despise Him not :' line 24, Tuenbull misprints ' praised' for ' prized :' line 27, Tuknbull, after 1630 and 1634, misprints ' praise' for ' prise.' I read ' His' for ' this ;' a frequent misprint. On ' siUy' (line 1) see relative note onward, on ' I die without dessert' (line 4). G. THE BUENING BABE. As I in hoary Winter's night stood shivermgo in the snowe, Surpris'd I was with sodaync heat, which made my hart to glowe ; And liftinge upp a fearefull eye to vewe what fire was « nere, A prety Babe all burninge bright, did in the ayre ap- peare, Who scorched with excessive heate, such floodes of teares did shedd, As though His floodes should quench His flames which with His teares were fedd ; Alas ! quoth He, but newly borne, in fiery heates I frye, Yet none approch to warme their hartes or feele my fire but I ! My faultles brest the fornace is, the fuell woundinge thornes. Love is the fire, and sighes the smoke, the ashes shame and scorn es ; The fuell Justice layeth on, and Mercy blowes the coales, The mettall in this fornace wrought are men's defiled soules. 110 NEW HEAVEN, NEW WARRE. For which, as nowe on fire I am, to worke them to their good, So will I melt into a bath to washe them in My bloode : With this He vanisht out of sight, and swiftly shroncke awaye, And straight I caRhd unto mynde that it was Christmas- daye. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. See our Meinorial-Introductiou for Ben Jonson's ' Conver- sation' with Drummond of Hawtliornden on this poem. Line 5, Turnbull misreads ' exceeding :' line 6, also mis- reads ' with what' for ' which with.' NEW HEAVEN, NEW WAEEE. Come to your heaven, yowe heavenly quu-es ! Earth hath the heaven of your desires ; Eemove your dwellinge to your God, A stall is nowe His beste aboade ; Sith men their homage do denye. Come, angells, all their fault supply. His chilling could doth heate requu-e. Come, seraphins, in liew of fire ; This little ark no cover hath, Let cherubs' winges His boody swath ; NEW HEAVEN, NEW WARRE. Ill Come, Raphiell, this babe must eate, Prouide our little Tobie meate. Let Gabriell be nowe His groome, That first tooke upp His earthly roome ; Let Michell stand in His defence, Whome love hath linckd to feeble sence ; Let Graces rocke, when He doth crye, And angells singe His lullybye. The same yow sawe in heavenly seate, Is He that now suckes Marye's teate ; Agnize your Kinge a mortall wighte. His borowed weede letts not your sight ; Come, kysse the maunger where He lies ; That is your blisse aboue the skyes. This little babe so fewe dales olde. Is come to rifle Satan's foulde ; All hell doth at His presence quake, Though He Him self for cold do shake ; For in this weake unarmed wise The gates of hell He will surprise. "With teares He fightes and wynnes the feild, His naked breste standes for a sheilde. His battering shott are babishe cryes, His arrowes, lookes of weepinge eyes, His martiall ensignes, colde and neede, And feeble fleshe His warrier's steede. 112 NEW HEAVEN, NEW WARRE. His campe is pitched in a stall, His bulwarke but a broken wall. The cribb His trench, hay-stalkes His stakes, Of shepeherdes He His muster makes ; And thus, as sure His foe to wounde, The angells' trumpes alarum sounde. My soule, with Christ joyne thow in fighte ; Sticke to the tents that He hath pight ; Within His cribb is sureste warde, This little babe will be thy garde ; If thow wilt foyle thy foes with joye. Then flitt not from this heavenly boye. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. In St. i. line 6, Turnbull misprints ' faults,' emptying the expressiveness : st. ii. line 5, Tobit vi. 3-5 : in st. iii. line G, I adopt 'his' for 'this' from 1596: in st. iv. line 3, 'agnize' is ^acknowledge or recognize: line 4, letts not = hinders not: in st. vii. line 2 there is a B placed opposite in our ms.— why, I know not : in same, line 3, Turnbdll misprints ' His' for ' The :' ih. stakes = used defensively in the manner of palisades and the like : in st. viii. line 2, 1596 reads ' dight' for ' pight;' the latter = pitched : line 6 in 1596 reads ' the' for ' this.' G. in. M^ONI^. NOTE. The original title-page of Maeoniae is given opposite this ; and for our exemplar of the exceedingly rare volume, I owe thanks to the authorities of Jesus College, Oxford. For the bihliography of MiTBoniae see our Preface. As before in MjTtae, I continue the arrangement of 1596, save that under Mgeoniae will be found certain poems that be- long to this division rather than to the other ; as pointed out in relative notes, and in the Epistle below. The basis of our text is the Stonyhuest ms. : and in Notes and Illustrations at the close of each poem, as in the others, are various readings, &c. The following Epistle from 1595 Mseoniaj will best find place here : ' The Printer to the Gentlemen Readers. — Hauing beheld (kind Gentlemen) the numberlesse ludges of not to be reckoned labom's, with what kind admiration you haue entertained the Diuine Complaint of holy Peter ; and hauing in my hands cer- taine especiall Poems and diuine Meditations, full as woorthie, belonging to the same, I thought it a charitable deede to giue them life in your memories, which els should die in an obscure sacrifice. Gently imbrace them, gentle censurers of gentle in- deuors : so shall you not be fantastike in diuersity of opinions, nor contradict your resolues by denying your former iudgements, but stiU bee your selues discreetely vertuous : nor could I other wish but that the courteous reader of these labors, not hauing already bought Peter's Complaint, would not for so small a mite of money loose so rich a treasure of heauenly wisdome as these two treatises should minister unto him, the one so needfully depending vpon the other. One thing amongst the rest I am to admonish thee of, that hauing in this treatise read Marie's Visitation, the next that should follow is Christ's Natiuity; but being afore printed in the end of Peter's Complaint, we haue heere of purpose omitted : that thoii shouldest not be abridged of that and the other like comforts which that other treatise profereth thee. Your's (kind Gentlemen) in all his abilities. I[ohn] B[usbie].' Collation: title-page and epistle, 4 pp. ; Poems, pp. 32 (4to). G. MceonicB. CERTAINE excellent Poems and Spiri- tual! Hymnes : Omitted in the last Impression of Peters Complaint; being fieedefull there- vnto to be annexed, as being both Di- uine a?id Wittie. All composed by R. S. Printer's ornament. London Printed by Valentine Sims, for John Biisbie. 1595- THE CONCEPTION OF OUR LADIE. Our second Eve putts on her mortall shrowde, Earth breedes a heaven for God's new dwelling- place ; Nowe ryseth upp Elias' little cloude, That growing shall distill the shoure of grace ; Her being now begins, who, ere she ende, Shall bringe the good that shall our evill amende. Both Grace and Nature did their force unite To make this babe the summ of all their best ; Our most, her lest, our million, but her mite, least She was at easyest rate worth all the reste : What Grace to men or angeUs God did part, Was all united in this infant's hart. Fower onely wightes bredd without fault are nam'd. And all the rest conceived were in synne ; Without both man and wife was Adam fram'd, Of man, but not of wife, did Eve beginne ; Wife without touch of man Christ's mother was, Of man and wife this babe was bredd in grace. OUR LADIe's NATIVITYE. 117 NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. In 1596 this is headed ' The Virgine Marie's Conceptiou.' St. i. line 4, Turnbull misprints ' showers' for ' shoure ;' and line 6, 'oitr good' for 'the good.' Cf. on 11. ,3 4 : Quot latent miracula Fiet haic iiubicula In vim magiiam pluvia;. Hy. Gaudii primordium, used on Nat. B.V. The themes of each of the next stanzas are contained in two lines of a later stanza of the same hymn : line 7, ' Tota plena gratia:' line 13, ' Tota sine macula.' St. ui. line 6, ' hredd :' 1596 reads ' home.' G. OUE LADIE'S NATIVITYE. Jo YE in the risinge of our orient starr, That shall bringe forth the Sunne that lent her light ; Joy in the peace that shaU conclude our warr, And soone rebate the edge of Saton's spight ; Load-starr of all engolfd in worldly waves> The card and compasse that from shipwracke saves. The patriark and prophettes were the floures Which Tynie by course of ages did distill, And cidld into this little cloude the shoures Whose gracious droppes the world with joy shall fill ; Whose nioysture suppleth every soule with grace, And bringeth life to Adam's dyinge race. 118 OUR LADIe's NATIVITYE. For God, on Earth, she is the royall throne, The chosen cloth to make His niortall weede ; The quarry to cutt out our Corner-stone, Soyle fuU of fruite, yet free from mortall seede ; For heavenly floure she is the Jesse redd The childe of man, the parent of a God. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. St. i. line 1, ' Ave maris stella,' hymn at VeBpers of F. of the Holy Rosary, &c. : ' Stella maris,' of hymn ' Alma Redemptoris :' ' Stella matutina,' Litany of B.V. or Litany of Loretto ; the ' steUa maris' being = stella matutina, or the morning-star in the East, with a people who had the sea eastward of them. Line 2, cf. Domum quam inhabitet Moxe qua nos visitet, Ornat sol justitice, Quot micat luminlbus Snis Deiis usibus, Quod vas fingit glorije. Hy. Gaudii, &c. Line 3, cf. Punda nos in pace, Mutans Evse nomen. Hy. Ave maris stella. Line 4, ' rebate' =hlunt. ,, 5, 1596 reads 'inclosed' for ' engolfed:' so 1630 also. „ 6, cf. St. Peter's Complaint, st. i. line 5, and relative note : 1596 and 1630 misprint ' care' for ' card.' Line 9, see relative note on the Conception of our Ladie, st. i. lines 3-4. St. ii. line 3, 1630 and 1634 misprint after 1596 ' call'd,' which TuRNBULL repeated. Line 11, cf. St. Peter's Complaint, st. Ixxx. line 2. St. iii. line 2, our ms. reads ' this ;' but as ' His' is better, and is in 1596, I prefer it : 1596 in line 3 reads ' his little.' Line 4, 1634, misreads blunderingly, ' Soile full of, yet free from, aU mortaU seed ;' and again Tuenbull perpetuates. Mortal=deadly. OUR ladye's spousalls. 119 Line 5, in AdcU. mss. 10.422 ' Jesse's :' in 1596 and 1630 ' lessa.' Cf. Isaiah xi. It may be noted, that while Auth. Vers, reads here ' Branch,' the Vulg. has ' flower,' — ' etjlos de radice ascendet.' In 1596 the poem is not divided into stanzas, and so through- out in this series. The heading is simply ' Her Natiuitie.' G. OUR LADYE'S SPOUSALLS. Wife did she live, yet virgin did she die, XJntovy^chd of man, yet mother of a sonne ; To save herself and childe from fatall lye, To end the webb whereof the thredd was spoone, In mariage knottes to Josephe she was tyde. Unwonted workes with wonted veyles to hide. God lent His paradice to Josephe's care, Wherein He was to plante the tree of life ; His Sonne, of Joseph's childe the title bare, Just cause to make the mother Josephe's wife. blessM man ! betrothd to such a spouse, More blessd to Hve with such a childe in house ! Noe carnall love this sacred league procurde, All vayne delites Avere farre from their assent ; Though both in wedlock bands them selves assurde. Yet strait by vow they seald their chast entent : Thus had she virgins', wives', and widowes' crowne, And by chast childbirth doubled her renowne. 12U OUR ladie's salutation. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. St. i. line 2, 1596 misreads ' Vntaught' for ' Untowchd.' Line 6, 1596 misreads ' wiles' for ' veyles,' and so 1680. St. ii. line 5, 1596 reads badly ' betrotb'd too much.' St. iii. line 1, 1596 reads ' bis' for ' tbis.' Line 3, 1596 reads ' Tbougb both tbemselues,' and so 1630. 4, 1.596, 1630 and 1634 read ' cbaste' for ' strait ;' and so TCRNBULL. Line 5, 1596 and 1630 read ' tbe' for ' sbe.' In 1596 tbe heading is simply ' Her Spousalls.' G. OUR LADIE'S SALUTATION. Spell Eva backe and Ave shall yowe finde, Tlie first beganne, the last reversd our harmes ; An angell's witching wordes did Eva blynde, An angell's Ave disinchauntes the charmes : Death first by woeman's weakenes entred in, In woeman's vertue life doth nowe beginn. vhgin brest ! the heavens to thee inclyne, In thee their joy and soveraigne they agnize ; Too meane their glory is to match with thyne, Whose chaste receite God more then heaven did prize. Hayle fayrest heaven, that heaven and earth dost blisse. Where vertewes starres, God sonne of justice is ! sv,n OUR ladie's salutation. 121 "With hauty mynd to Godhead man aspird, And was by pride from place of pleasure chasd ; Witli lovinge mind our manhead God desird, And us by love in greater pleasure placd ; Man labouring to ascend procurd our fall, God yelding to descend cut off our thrall. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. St. i. line 1, see relative note on Our Ladie's Natiuitie, St. i. line 3, and also Coventry Mysteries, p. 112, line IG (Sliaks. Soc), ' Here this name Eva is turned Ave,' and Halliwell's note, 11. 412. The quotation from Coventry Mysteries is given incor- rectly in Collier, Hist. Dram. p. ii. 176. Cf . also Audaeni Epigi-. ill. 46. St. ii. lines 1-2, our ms. here and elsewhere reads ' the' for ' thee,' and ' to' for ' too.' Throughout I give the present forms, as in 1596 and other early and later editions. Line 2, 1596 misreads 'In thee they joy;' and so 1630 in error. ' Agnize'=acknowledge. Line 5, 1596, 1630 and 1634 read ' did' for ' dost.' ,, 6, our MS. reads ' starres' inadvertently. St. iii. line 4, Tubnbull misprints 'And as by love' for ' us.' In 1596 the heading is ' The Virgin's Salutation.' This poem bears throughout, as does The Visitation, recollections of the hymn ' Gaudii,' &c. as elsewhere. JOSEPHE'S AMAZEMENT. When Christ, by grouth, disclosed His descent Into the pure receite of Marye's breste, Poore Joseph, straunger yet to God's intent, "With doubtes of jelious thoughtes was sore opprest ; And, Avrought with divers fittes of feare and love, He nether can her free nor fanltye prove. N"ow Sence, the wakefull spie of jelious mynde, By stronge conjectures deemeth her defilde ; But Love, in dome of thinges best loved, blynde, Thinkes rather Sence deceiv'd then her with child ; Yet procfes so pregnant were, that no pretence Could cloake a thinge so cleare and playne to sence. Then Joseph, daunted with a deadly wounde, Let loose the reynes to undeserved greife ; His hart did throbb, his eyes in teares were drounde. His life a losse, death seem'd his best releife ; The pleasing relis of his former love reli-^h In gallish thoughtes to bitter tast doth prove. josephe's amazement. 123 One foote lie often setteth forth of doore, But t'other's loth uncerten wayes to treade ; He takes his fardell for his needefull store, He casts his inn, where first he meanes to bead ; But still ere he can frame his feete to goe, Love Avynneth tyme till all conclude in noe. Sometyme, greif addinge force, he doth depart, He will, against his will, keepe on his pace ; But straight remorse so rackes his ruing hart, That hasting thoughtes yeld to a pawsing space ; Then mighty reasons presse him to remayne, She whome he flyes doth winne him home againe. But when his thought, by sight of his aboade, Presentes the signe of mysesteemed shame, Eepenting every step]) that backe he trode, Teares drowne the guides, the tongue the feete doth blame ; Thus warring with himself, a feilde he fightes. Where every wounde upon the giver lightes. And was (quoth he) my love so lightly prysed 1 And was our sacred league so soone forgott 1 Could vowes be voyde, could vertues be despisd 1 Could such a spouse be staynd with such a spott 1 wretched Joseph ! that hast livd so longe, Of faithfull love to reape so grevous wronge ! 124 ' josephb's amazement. Could such a worme breede in so sweete a Avood 1 Coulde ill so chast demeanure lincke untruth 1 Could Vice lye hidd where Vertue's image stoode 1 Where hoary sagenes graced tender youthe 1 Where can afFyance rest, to rest secure ] In Vertue's fayrest seat faithe is not sure. All proofes did promise hope a pledge of grace, AVliose good might have repaide the deepest ill ; Sweete signes of purest thoughtes in saintly face Assurd the eye of her unstayned will. Yett, in this seeminge lustre, seeme to lye Such crymes for which the lawe condemns to die. But Josephe's word shall never worke her woe : I -vvishe her leave to live, not dome to dye ; Though fortune myne, yett am I not her foe, She to her self lesse lovinge is then I : The most I will, the lest I can, is this, least Sithe none may salve, to shunne that is amisse. Exile my home, the wildes shall be my walke, Complainte my joye, my rausicke mourninge layes ; With pensive greives in silence will I talke, Sad thoughtes shalbe my guides in sorowe's wayes : This course best suites the care of curelesse mynde, That seekes to loose what raoste it joy'd to finde. josephe's amazement. 125 Like stocked tree whose braunches all do fade, Whose leaves do fall and perisht fruite decaie ; Like herb that growes in colde and barrayne shade, Where darkenes drives all qnickninge heate away ; So dye must I, cutt from my roote of joye, And throwen in darkest shades of deepe annoye. But who can fly from that his harte doth feele 1 What chaunge of place can change implanted payne? Kemovinge moves no hardnes from the Steele ; Sicke hartes, that shift no fittes, shift roomes in vayne. Where thought can see, what helpes the closed eye ? Where hart pursues, what gaynes the foote to'Sye? Yett still I tredd a maze of dovibtfull end ; I goe, I come, she drawes, she drives away ; She woundes, she heales, she doth both marr and mend. She makes me seeke and shunn, depart and stay ; She is a frende to love, a foe to loathe, And in suspence I hange betwene them both. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. St. i. line 2, ' receite'=place of receipt, as in sitting at the receipt of custom, St. Matthew ix. 9, &c. Cf. The Visitation, St. iii. line 3, and Sinne's Heavy Load, st. iv. line 2. See also with relation to the meaning of ' receipt' and ' brest,' Joseph's Amazement, st. i. line 2. St. ii. line 3, ' dome' = doom or judgment. St. iii. line 6, the word ' gallish' shows that our text from our MS., and as in 1596 as well as in Addl. iiss. 10.422, is right, and the emendation in Turnbull, an impertinence and wrong. 126 THE VISITATION. which reads ' in taste doth bitter prove.' Our Poet was thinking of ' it was in my mouth as sweet as honey, and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter,' — amaricatus est venter meus. Apoc. x. 10. St. iv. line 3, fardell =: burden. Line 4, casts ^ determines in his mind. Richardson s. v. derives this sense of it from wi-estling ; but it is simpler to con- sider it as either a soothsaying or gaming sense, taken from the casting of lots or dice, or from the ' casting' of nativities. Bead is = bed, i.e. sleep. St. V. line 3, 1596 reads ' raging' for ' ruing.' St. vi. line 4, 1596 reads stupidly ' done the guide.' St. ix. line 5. Our ms. is corrected by S. It originally stood as a word of five letters, probably 'luste,' and is changed to ' lustre' (apparently) as in 1596. St. X. line 3, perhaps we have here a reference, if not a quo- tation, from the song ' Fortune my foe, why dost thou frown on me ?' and it is the more applicable that this song ' is a sweet sonnet, wherein the lover exclaims against Fortune for the loss of his lady's favour, almost past hope to get it again.' Line 5, Tuenbull misiwints ' less :' lest =: least. St. xii. line 1, to ' stock" a tree is to cut it down, so as to leave a ' stock' on which to gi-aff some other, and the reference here is to that part of the stock and branches so cut off. Line 5, Tuenbull misreads ' So must I die.' G. THE VISITATION. Proclaym^d queene and mother of a God, The light of Earth, the soveraigne of saintes. With pilgrimm foote upp tyring hills she trodd, And heavenly stile vpith handmayds' toyle acquaints : Her youth to age, her helth to sicke she lends. Her hart to God, to neighhour hand she bendes. THE VISITATION. 127 A prince she is, and mightier prince doth beare, Yet pompe of princely trayne she would not have ; But doubtles heavenly quires attendant were, Her child from harme, her self from fall to save : Worde to the voyce, songe to the tune she bringes, The voyce her word, the tune her ditye singes. Eternall lightes inclosed in her breste Shott out such percing beames of burning love, That when her voyce her cosen's eares possest The force thereof did force her babe to move : With secreet signes the children greete ech other, But open praise ech leaveth to his mother. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. St. i. line 3, St. Luke i. 39. Line 5, 1630 and 1634 misread ' her selfe' for ' her helth :' and TuRNBULL repeats the blunder. Line 6, St. Luke i. 56. St. ii. line 1, 'prince.^ So in the Assumption of our Ladie, st. iii. line 2 : a usage not infrequent. Lines 5-6, St. Luke i. 42. She 'themes' or gives the words in which the voice of Elizabeth finds expression, and thus gives articulate song to the joyful time. ' Word' in line 5 is probably used in a double sense — Southwell being al- most as fond of such double uses as Shakespeare — and her ' ditty' is both her song- words and the song about her, or made in her praise. St. iii. line 1, see relative note on Our Ladle's Salutation, st. i. line 2. Addl. Mss. 10.422 differs only in orthographic changes. G. THE NATIVITY OF CHEISTE. Eehould the father is His daughter's sonne, The bird that built the nest is hatchd therein, The old of yeres an hower hath not outrunne, Eternall life to live doth nowe beginn, The Worde is dunim, the Mirth of heaven doth weepe, Mighte feeble is, and Force doth fayntely creepe. dyinge soules ! behould your living springe ! dazeled eyes ! behould your sunne of grace ! Dull eares, attend what word this Word doth bringe ! Upp, heavy hartes, with joye your joy embrace ! From death, from darke, from deaphnesse, from des- payres, This Life, this Light, this Word, this Joy repaires. Gift better then Him self God dotli not knowe. Gift better then his God no man can see ; This gift doth here the giver given bestowe. Gift to this gift lett ech receiver bee : God is my gift, Him self He freely gave me, God's gift am I, and none but God shall have me. THE NATIVITY OF GHRISTE. 129 Man altred was by synn from man to best ; ■ heast Beste's foode is haye, haye is all mortall fleslie ; Now God is fleshe, and lyes in mannger prest, As haye the brutest synner to refreshe : happy feilde wherein this foder grewe, Wliose taste doth us from beastes to men renewe ! NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. In his Epistle ' To the Gentlemen Readers' the printer (John BusWe), introducing Maeonic-e (1595), says, ' One thing amongst the rest I am to admonish thee of, that hauing in this treatise read Marie's Visitation, the next that should follow is Christ's Natuity ; hut being afore printed in the end of Peter's Complaint, we have heere of purpose omitted ; that thou should- est not he abridged of that and the other like comforts, which that other treatise profereth thee.' Tuenbtill so places the present poem ; but in so doing reveals he had never seen, or at least never used, the 1595 edition. In st. ii. line 2, our ms. inadvertently reads ' summe' for ' sunne' of 1596, &c. St. iii. lines 17-18, that is the gift bestowed on me— that which is mine now, but is essentially a gift from another ; and so next line — God's gift am I — is, I am the gift which I have given to God. So elsewhere, ' His angels' gifts' = His gifts to angels, as noted in the place. St. iv. line 2, ' Omnis caro fenum,' Is. xl. 6 and Ps. cii. 15 (ciii. Auth. Vers.), and all the parallel passages, give 'hay,' ex- cept Ps. Ixxxix. (xc.) 5, which has ' herba,' as there required. Line 3, Turnbull similarly misprints ' lives' for ' lyes.' G. THE cmCUMSISION. The head is launc'd to worke the bodie's cure, With angring salve it smartes to healc our wounde ; To faltlesse Sonne, from all offences pure, The falty vassall's scourges do redounde ; The judge is cast, the guilty to acquite. The Sonne defac'd, to lende the starre his lighte. The Vine of life distilleth droppes of grace, Our rock gives yssue to a heavenly springe ; Teares from His eyes, blood runnes from wounded place, Wliich showers, to heaven, of joy a harvest bringe : This sacred deaw let angells gather upp, Such deynty droppes best fitt their nectared cupp. With weeping eyes His mother reu'd His smart, If bloode from Him, teares rann from her as fast ; The knife that cutt His fleshe did perce her hart, The payne that Jesus felt did Marye tast ; His .life and her's hunge by one fatall twiste. No blowe that hitt the Sonne the mother miste. THE EPIPHANYE. 131 NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. St. i. lines 1-4, said, perhaps, with reference to the earthly- royal custom by which a vassal whipping-boy was scourged for the faults of the heir. St. ii. line 1, 1590 ed. coiTects our ms. and 1634 — the latter blindly followed by Tuknbull — in reading, as in 1630 also, ' Vine' for ' vein.' Line 3, 1634, and so Turnbull, reads ' streames' for ' runnes.' ,, 4, With = whose or which. St. iii. lines 2-4, in 1596 are very inaccurate, reading ' came' for ' rann,' ' his' for ' her heart,' and ' set' for ' felt.' Line 5, fatal. Latinate, in so far as it contains the sense of appointed (or spun) by destiny. So in Virgil and Cicero. In 1596 the heading is ' His Circumcision.' G. THE EPIPHANYE. To blase the rising of this glorious sunne, A glittringe starre appeareth in the Easte, Whose sight to pilgrimm-toyles three sages wunne To seeke the light they long had in requeste ; And by this starre to nobler starr they pase, Whose armes did their desired sunne embrace. Stall was the skye wherein these pianettes shynde, And want the cloude that did eclipse their rayes ; Yet tlirough this cloude their light did passage finde, And percd these sages' harts by secrett waies, Which made them knowe the Ruler of the skyes, By infant tongue and lookes of babish eyes. 132 THE EPIPHANYE. Heaven at her light, Ejxrth bhisheth at her pride, And of their pompe these peeres ashamed he ; Their crownes, their robes, their trayne they sett aside, When God's poore cotage, clowtes, and crewe, they All glorious thinges their glory nowe dispise, [see ; Sith God contempt, doth more then glory prize. Three giftes they bringe, three giftes they beare awaye ; For incense, myrrho and gould, faith, hope and love ; And with their giftes the givers' hartes do staye, Their mynde from Christ no parting can remove ; Ilis humble state, his stall, his poore retynewe, They phansie more then all theire ritch revenewe. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. In Bt. i. line 1, blase = to blaze, or to blaze abroad or pub- lish, is probably drawn from the use of beacou-fires and the like as messengers of news: line 3, 1596 reads 'pilgi-ims' toile:' line 7, the transition to this thought is so natural, that South- well may or may not have had in his mind that legend several times repeated in the apocryphal Gospels, that a bright light filled the cave when Jesus was born, especially in the Gospel of James, where it is said ' a bright cloud overshadowed the cave . . .and suddenly the cloud withdi-ew, and there appeared a great light in the cave, so that their eyes could not bear it.' As a Protestant, it is noticeable to me that Southwell is ex- ceptionally free from references to legends. In st. ii. line 6, TuKNBULL misprints 'infant's:' in st. iv. line 1, 'brought' for ' b)-inge ;' and line 2, actually ' mirth' for ' myrrhe.' Lines 5-6, ' re- venewe.' There seem to have been two pronunciations of ' re- venue' in Southwell's time, and probably two of ' retinue.' In Midsummer Night's Dream ' revenue' and ' revenue' occur in the same scene (i. 1) ; and in the verse of his plays 'revenue' occurs ten times, and ' ri'venue" six ; nor is there any change in his THE PRESENTATION. 133 earlier or later usage, nor anything to indicate that one was more courtly or more impressive or poetic than the other. In the one case in which he uses 'retinue' in verse (Lear, i. -4) the emphasis on ' insolent' requires ' retinue' or ' ret'nue.' The penultimate accentuation is from the older and fuller French forms 'revenue' and 'retenue,' and both nations in adopting the shorter forms have thrown back the accent. G. THE PRESENTATION. To Le redeeni'd the world's Eedeenier brought, Two selye turtle-doves, for ransome payes ; Oh ! ware with empyres worthy to be bought, This easye rate doth sounde, not drowne Thy praise ! For sith no price can to Thy worth amounte, A dove, yea love, dew price Thou dost accountc. Old Simeon cheap penyworth and sweete Obteyn'd, when Thee in armes he did embrace ; His weeping eyes Thy smyling lookes did meete. Thy love his hart, Thy kisses blissd his face : eyes ! hart ! meane sightes and loves avoyde, 'Base not your selves, your best you have enjoy'd ! virgin pure ! tho\i dost these doves presente As due to lawe, not as an equall price ; To buy such ware thou would'st thy life have spente ; The worlde to reach His worth coulde not suffice ; If God were to be bought, not worldly pelfe, But thou, wert fittest price next God Him self. 134 THE FLIGHT INTO EGIPT. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. In St. i. line 3, 1596 reads ' wares :' in st. iii. line 3, ' thy self for ' thy life.' In st. ii. line 1, ' cheap pennyworth' was an ordinary and usual phrase for a cheap or good cheap bargain. St. i. lines 1-2 = the world's Redeemer brought to be redeemed, payes two selye turtle-doves for ransome. G. THE FLIGHT INTO EGIPT. Alas ! our Day is forc'd to flye by iiighte ! Light "without light, and sunne by silent shade. O Nature, blushe ! that suffrest such a wighte, That in thy sunne this dark eclipse hath made ; Day to his eyes, light to his steppes denye. That hates the light which graceth every eye. Sunne being fledd the starres do leese their light, And shyninge beanies in bloody streames they A cruell storme of Herod's mortall spite [drenche ; Their lives and lightes with bloody shoures doth The tiran to be sure of murdringe one, [quench : For feare of sparinge Him doth pardon none. blessed babes ! first flowers of Christian Springe, Who though untymely cropt fayre garlandes frame, With open throates and silent mouthes you singe His praise, Whome age permitts you not to name ; Your tunes are teares, your instrumentes are swordes, Your ditye death, and bloode in Hew of wordes ! christe's retorne out of egipt. 135 NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. In St. i. line 3, ' wight' = Herod. Line 4, 1596 reads ' hast:' st. ii. line 1, ' loose' for ' leese;' probably therefore — ' lease,' i. e. ' to lose,' for in the old philosophy all the stars re- ceived their light from the sun. The metaphor scarcely applies if ^ less: line 4, I have adopted 'do' for 'doth:' st. iii. line 3, both followed the conceits of their ago, but cf. Antony in Julius Cajsar, iii. 1 and iii. 2. G. CHEISTE'S RETORNE OUT OF EGIPT. When Death and Hell their right in Herode clayme, Clirist from exile returnes to natyve soyle, There with His life more deepely Death to may me, Then Death did life by all the infantes spoyle. He shewd the parentes that their babes did mone, That all their lives were lesse then His alone. But hearing Herod's sonne to have the crowne ; An impious offspring of a bloodye syre ; To Nazareth (of heaven beloved) towne, Flower to a floure, He fittly doth retyre ; For floure He is and in a floure He bredd, And from a thorne nowe to a floure He fledd. And well deservd this floure His fruite to vew, Where He invested was in mortal! weede ; Wliere first unto a tender budd He grewe, In virgin branch unstaynd with mortall seede : 136 christe's childhoode. Yonge floure, with floures in floure well may He be, Ripe fruitc, He must with thornes hange on a tree. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. In St. i. line 4, ' spoyle' = rob : line 5, 1596 badly mis- prints ' the' for ' tlieii- :' st. ii. line 2, reads ' The' for ' An :' line 5, 'For He is a flower:' very badly, and followed by Tuen- BULL, 'throne' for ' thorne:' st. iii. line 3, ' into' for 'unto.' In our MS. in the margin explanatory of the play on the word ' flower' is this note, ' Nazareth signifieth a flower.' So Isaiah xii. in Vulg. as before noted. Nazareth has been supposed to be derived from some dialectic variation of Nitza or Netzer, Hebrew for ' flower,' the town being situated in the most fertile and beautiful part of Judea. The Virgin is called a ' flower' ac- cording to the name ' Kosa mystica' in the Litany of B.V. G. CHRISTE'S CHILDHOODE. Till twelve yeres' age, how Christ His childhood spent All eartlily pennes unworthy were to write ; Such actes to mortall eyes He did presente, Whose Avorth not men but angells must recite : No nature's blottes, no childish faultes defilde. Where Grace was guide, and God did play the cliilde. In springing lockes lay couched hoary witt, In semblance younge, a grave and auncient port ; In lowly lookes high maiestie did sitt. In tender tunge, sound sence of sagest sort : Nature imparted all that she could teache, And God supply d where Nature coulde not reach. Christ's bloody sweate. 137 His mirth, of modest meane a mirrhour was, His sadnes, tempred with a mylde aspecte ; His eye, to trye ech action was a glasse, "Whose lookes did good approue and bad correct ; His nature's giftes. His grace. His word, and deede. Well shew'd that all did from a God proceede. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. TuRNBULL in St. ii. line 1 wi-etchecUy misprints ' crouched' for ' couched:' line 2, I adopt ' semhlance' from 1596 for ' scm- blant.' G. CHRIST'S BLOODY SWEATE. Fatt soyle, full springe, sweete olive, grape of blesse, That yeldes, that streames, that poures, that dost distill, ITntild, undrawne, unstampde, untouchd of presse, Deere fruit, clere brookes, fayre oyle, sweete wine at will ! Thus Christ unforcd preventes, in shedding bloode, The whippes, the thornes, the nayles, the speare, and roode. He pelican's, he phoenix' fate doth prove, [die : Wliome flames consume, whome streames enforce to How burneth blood, how bleedeth burninge love, Can one in flame and streame both bathe and frye 1 How coidde He joyne a phoenix' fyerye paynes In faynting pelican's still bleeding vaynes ? T 138 christe's sleeping frendes. Elias once, to prove God's soveraigne poure, By praire procurd a fier of wondrous force, That blood and wood and water did devoure, Yea stones and dust beyonde all I^ature's course : Such fire is love, that, fedd with gory bloode, Doth burno no lesse then in the dryest woode. sacred fire ! come shewe thy force on me, That sacrifice to Christe I maye retorne : If withered wood for fuell fittest bee, If stones and dust, yf fleshe and bloode will burne, 1 withered am, and stonye to all good, A sacke of dust, a masse of fleshe and bloode. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. St. i. line 5, 'prevents' ^forestalls. St. ii. line 4. On ' frye,' see our Crashaw, vol. i. p. 118, and relative note. G. CHEISTE'S SLEEPING FRENDES. When Christ, with care and pangues of death opprest, From frighted fleshe a bloody sweate did rayne, And, full of feare, without repose or reste, In agonye did praye and watche in payne ; Three sundry tymes He His disciples findes With heavy eyes, but farre more heavy myndes. christe's sleeping frendes. 139 With milde rebuke He warned them to wake, Yet sleepe did still their drowsy sences hoiild, As when the sunne the brightest shewe doth make, In darkest shroudes the night-birdes them infold : His foes did watehe to Avorke their cruell spight, His drowsye frendes slept in His hardest plighte. As Jonas sayled once from Joppe's shoare A boystrous tempest in the ayre did broyle, The waves did rage, the thundring heavens did rore, The stormes, the rockes, the lightninges threatned spoyle ; The shipp was billowes' game and chaunce's prayc, Yet careles Jonas mute and sleepinge laye. So now, though Judas, hke a blustringe gust. Do stirre the furious sea of Jeweshe ire. Though storming troopes, in quarrells most unjust, Against the barke of all our blisse conspire, Yett these disciples sleepinge lie secure, As though their wonted calme did still endure. So Jonas once, his weary lymmes to reste. Did shroude him self in pleasant ivy shade, But loe ! while him a heavye sleepe opprest. His shadowy boure to withered stalke did fade ; A canckered worme had gnawen the roote away. And brought the glorious brannches to decaye. 140 christe's sleeping frendes. O gratious plante ! tree of heavenly sj^ringe ! The paragon for leafe, for fruite and floure, How sweete a shadow did Thy braunches bringe To shroude these soules that chose Thee for their boure ! But now while they with Jonas fall asleepe, To spoyle their plant an envious worme doth creepe. Awake, ye slumbring Avightes ! lift upp your eyes, Marke Judas, how to teare your roote he strives ; Alas ! the glory of your arbour dyes, Arise and gard the comfort of your lives ; No Jonas' ivye, no Zacheus' tree, Were to the world so greate a losse as Hee. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. St. ii. line 4, Tuknbull misprints ' darkness' for ' darkest.' Line 6, 1596 reads ' night' for ' plight,' and so 1630. St. iii. Hue 5. Our ms. misreads ' gaiue' for ' game' of 1596 : latter adopted. St. iv. line 4, one of Turnbull's most vexatious misprints is ' backe' for ' barke.' St. V. line 1, 1596 reads ' heauy' for ' weary.' Line 2, 1596 reads ' in iuy pleasant.' Jerome translated Jonah's kikayon as hedera (though he did not put it forth as an exact rendering), and he thereby raised a storm in one diocese at least, where' the older ciiciirbita was upheld as orthodox against the new heretical upstart. However, ' hedera' is retained in the present Vulgate. It is perhaps needless to add that the now commonly received opinion is, that it is the castor-oil plant, or ti"ee as it may be sometimes called. Line 5, Tuknbull reads ' A canker-worm :' 1596, ' did' for ' had.' G. THE VIRGIN MARY TO CHRIST ON THE CR0SSE.1 What mist hath dimd that glorious face? what seas of griefe my sun doth tossel The golden raies of heauenly grace Hes now ecclips^d on the crosse. lesus! my loue, my Sonne, my God, behold Thy mother washt in teares : Thy bloudie woundes he made a rod to chasten these my latter yearcs. You cruell lewes, come worke your ire, vpon this worth- lesse flesh of mine : And kindle not eternall fire, by wounding Him which is diuine. Thou messenger that didst impart His first discent into my wombe, Come helpe me now to cleaue my heart, that there I may my Sonne intombe. . Curiously enousli this poem is cot in our MS. nor in AdJl. Mss. 10.422 or Haeleian ms. 6921. Our text is from 1596. Cx. 142 THE DEATH OF OUR LADIE. You angels all, that present were, to shew His birth with harmonie; Whj are you not now readie here, to make a mourning symphony 1 The cause I know, you waile alone and shed your teares in secresie, Least I should moued be to mone, by force of heauie companie. But waile my soule, thy comfort dies, my wofull wombe, lament thy fruit; My heart, giue teares unto my eies, let Sorrow string my heauy lute. THE DEATH OF OUE LADIE.i Weepe, living thinges, of life the mother dyes ; The world doth loose the summ of all her blisse. The queue of Earth, the empresse of the skyes ; By Marye's death mankind an orphan is : Lett Nature weepe, yea, lett all graces mone. Their glory, grace, and giftes dye all in one. ' TuENBULL printed this poem from Atlcll. mss. 10.422, biit showed his usual incapacity even to transcribe, by reading st. iii. line 5, ' Such eyed the Hght thy beams mitimely shine ;' the nonsense of which he discerned not. The ms. 10.422 differs only orthogi-aphically (slightly). I place this poem here, as belonging to the series on Mary. G. THE ASSUMPTION OF OUR LADY. 143 It was no death to he^, but to her woe, By which her joyes beganne, her greives did end ; Death was to her a frende, to us a foe, Life of whose lives did on her life depende : l^ot pray of death, but praise to death she was, Whose uglye shape seemd glorious in her face. Her face a heaven, two pianettes were her eyes, Whose gracious hght did make our clearest day ; But one such heaven there was and loe ! it dyes, Deathe's darke eclipse hath dymmed every ray : Sunne, hide thy light, thy beames untymely shine ! Trew light sith wee have lost, we crave not thine. THE ASSUMPTION OF OUE LADY.i If sinne be captive, grace must finde release ; From curse of synne the innocente is free ; Tombe, prison is for sinners that decease, No tombe, but throne to guiltles doth agree : Though thralles of sinne lye lingring in their grave. Yet faultles cors, with soide, rewarde must have. ' TuKNBULL printed this from Addl. iiss. 10.422. Our ms. differs only in orthogi-aphy, and st. i. line 5 reads ' theii-' for ' the.' As with the preceding, I give this poem here as lis fit- ting place. G. 144 SAINT THOMAS OF AQUINES HYMNE. The daseled eye doth dynimcd light require, And dying sightes repose in shrowdinge shades ; But eagles' eyes to brightest light aspire, And living lookes delite in loftye glades : Faynte winged foule hy ground doth fayntly flye, Our princely eagle mountes unto the skye. Gemm to her worth, spouse to her love ascendes, Prince to her throne, queene to her heavenly Kinge, Whose court with solemne pompe on her attends. And quires of saintes with greeting notes do singe ; Earth rendreth upp her undeserved praye, Heaven claymes the right, and beares the prize awaye. SAINT THOMAS OF AQUINES HYMNE EEAD ON COEPUS CHPJSTY DAYE. Laiida Sion Salvatorem. Praise, O Syon ! praise thy Saviour, Praise thy captayne and thy pastour, With hymnes and solemne harmony. What pour affordes, performe in dede ; j30?;w/' His worthes all prayses farre exceede, No praise can reach His dignity e. SAINT THOMAS OF AQUINES IIYMNE. Hi) A speciall theme of praise is redd, A livingc and life-givinge bredd, Is on this day exhibited ; Which in the Supper of our Lorde, To twelve disciples at His borde, None doubtes but was delivered. Lett our praise be loude and free, Full of joye and decent glee, With myndes' and voyces' melodye ; For now solemnize wee that daye, Which doth with joye to us displaye The prime use of this mistery. At this borde of our newe Ruler Of newe lawe, newe paschall order The auncient rite abolisheth ; Old decrees by newe anulled, Shadowes are in truthes fullfilled, Day former darkenes finisheth. That at Supper Christ performed, To be donne He straightly charged For His eternall memorye. Guided by His sacred orders, Bredd and wyne upon our alters To savin" boast we sanctifie. 146 SAINT THOMAS OF AQUINES HYMNE. Christians are by faithe assured That to flesh the bredd is chaunged, The Avyne to bloode most pretious : That no witt nor sence conceiveth, Firnie and grounded faithe beleeveth, In strange effects not curious. Under kyndes two in appearance, Two in shewe but one in substance, Lye thinges beyond comparison ; Flesh is meate, bloode drinck most heavenly, Yett is Christe in eche kynde wholye, Most free from all division. None that eateth Him doth chewe Him, None that takes Him doth devide Him^ Eeceivd, He whole persevereth. Be there one or thowsandes housled, One as much as all received, HE by no eating perisheth. Both the good and badd receive Him, But efifectes are divers in them, Trew life or dewe distruction. Life to the good, death to the wicked, Marke how both alike received With farre unlike conclusion. SAINT THOMAS OP AQUTNES HYMNE. 147 When the preiste the hoaste devideth, Knowe that in ecli parte abideth All that the whole hoast covered. Forme of bredd, not Christ is broken, Not of Christ, but of His token, Is state or stature altered. Angells' bredd made pilgrims feedinge, Trewly bread for childrens eatinge. To doggs not to be offered. Signed by Isaake on the alter. By the lambe and paschall supper. And in the manna figured. Jhesu, foode and feeder of us, Here with mercy, feed and frend us, Then graunt in heaven felicity ! Lord of all, Avhome here Thou feedest, Fellowes, lieyres, guestes with Thy dearest, Make us in heavenly companye ! Amen. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. In 1596 the title is simply 'A holy Hymne :' in 1630 'Au holy Hymne.' St. i. line 5, 1596 reads ' workes' for ' worthes :' so 1630. St. ii. line 4, 1596 and 1630 read ' Within' for ' Which in.' Line 6, ib. read ' As doubtlesse 'twas deliuered.' St. iii. line 2, ' decent.' Line 6, 1596 misprints ' priuie' and 1630 ' secret' for ' prime use.' TuRNBULL strangely reads ' prince.' See below. 148 SAINT THOMAS (IF AQUINES HYMNE. St. iv. line 4, 1596 aud 1630 spell ' annill'iV and ' aunil'd.' TuRNBULL misprints ' be' for 'by.' St. vi. line 6, 1596 spells ' affects.' In 1G30 the following lines are substituted for the next stanzas : ' As staffe of bread thy lieart sustaines, And clieai'efull wine thy strength regaines, By power and vertue natural 1 : So dotli this consecrated food, Tlie symbol of Christ' flesh and blond By vertue supernaturall. Tlie mines of thy soule repaire, Banisli sinne, liorrour and despaire, And feed faith, by faith receiued : Angels' bread,' &c. St. vii. line 3, 1596 reads ' Be' for ' Lye.' St. viii. line 3, ' persevereth' used in a kind of reflective sense. Line 4, our ms. reads 'hous'led;' Addl. mss. 10.422 'housled,' and 1596 ' housoled.' Turnbull reads ' hosted' = given the host. Is ' hous'led' = in the house (of God) and at the Supper? Or is it parallel (in part) with Shakespeare's ' unhouseled' of Hamlet (i. 5) ? St. ix. line 3, 1596 reads ' true' for ' dewe.' St. X. line 2, 1596 inadvertently drops ' in.' St. xi. line 3, cf. St. Matthew vii. 6 and xv. 27. Line4, ' signed' =:' prresiguatur,' presigned, foreshadowed or prefigured, just as shadowed and figured are used. It will be observed that our ms. supplies the lacking syllable (' but') in st. ii. line 6, and by its reading makes st. iii. line 6 agree with the rest. Turnbull blindly printed the former ' None doubts was delivered,' and the latter ' The prince of this mystery,' to the destruction of the measure aud meaning. G. SAINT PETEK'S AFFLICTED MYNDE.i If that the siclce may grone, Or orphane mourne his losse ; If wounded wretch may rue his harnies, Or caytif shewe his crosse ; If hart consumd with care, May utter signes of payne ; Then may my brest he Sorowe's home, And tongue with cause complayne. My nialidye is synne And languor of the mynde ; My body but a lazar's couche Wherein my soule is pynde. The care of heavenly kynne, Is ded to my releife ; Forlorne, and left like orphane child, With sighes I fecde my greife. I Copy ill Addl. mss. 10.422, only usual ortho^i'iiphic (lillcr- euces. G. 150 SAINT Peter's remorse. My woundes, Avitli mortall smarte My dying soule tonnente, And, prisoner to myue owne misliapps, My foUyes I rejiente. My hart is but the haunte Where all dislikes do keepe ; And who can blame so lost a wretche, Though teares of bloode he weepe 1 SAINT PETEK'S EEMOESE. Eemorse upbraides my faultes ; Selfe-blaming conscience cries ; Synn claymes the hoast of humbled thoughtes And streames of weej^ing eyes : Let penance, Lorde, prevayle ; Lett sorowe sue release ; Lett love be unipier in my cause, And passe the dome of peace. If dome goe by deserte, My lest desert is death ; least That robbes from soule, immortall joyes. From bodye, murtall bruatlie. SAINT PETER'S REMORSE. ^^^^ But in SO highe a God, So base a worme's annoy Can add no praise unto Thy poure, No blisse unto Thy joye. Well may I frye in flames, Due fuell to hell-fire ! But on a wretch to wrcake Thy wrath Cannot be worth Thyne ire. Yctt sith so vile a worrae Hath wrought his greatest spite, Of highest treasons well Thou mayst In rigour him endite. Butt Mercye may relente, And temper Justice' rodd, For mercy doth as much belonge As justice to a Godd. If former tyme or place More right to mercy wynne, Thou first wert author of my self. Then umpier of my synne. Did Mercye spynn the thredd, To weave in Justice' loome 1 Wert thou a Father, to conclude With dreadfull judge's doome ] 152 SAINT Peter's remorse. It is a small releife To say I was Thy childe, If, as an evell-deserving foe, From grace I be exilde. I was, I had, I coulde, All wordes importing wante ; They are Init dust of dead supplies, Where needfull helpes ar scaute. Once to have bene in blisse That hardly can retorne, Doth but bewray from whence I fell, And wherefore now I mourne. All thoughtes of passed hopes Encrease my present crosse ; Like ruynes of decayed joyes, They still upbraide my losse. mylde and mighty e Lorde ! Amend that is amisse ; My synn my sore, Thy love my salve, Thy cure my comfort is. Confirme Thy former deede, Reforme that is defild ; 1 was, I am, I will remayne Thy charge, Thy choise, Thy childe. MAN TO THE WOUND IN CHRIST's STDE. IHS NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. St. i. line 3, ' host'=:hostia, sacrifice. St. iii. line 3, Tuenbull misprints ' souls,' losing the anti- thesis. St. iv. line 2, :=hurt inflicted by God on the worm. St. vi. line 3, 1596 ' treason.' St. ix. line 3, Tuenbull misprints ' then' for 'thou.' St. X. line 3, on ' ill' and ' evill,' see relative note on St. Peter's Comx^laint, st. ii. line 5. Line 4, 1596, ' am' for ' be.' St. XV. 1. 1, 1596 ' deedes.' On st. xi. ' I was [Thy child] , I had [Thy gi'ace,] I could [have been a rock] , or I could [have attained to bliss] , see St. Matthew xvi. 17. G. MAN TO THE WOUND IN CHRIST'S SIDE PLEASANT port ! O placc of rest ! royal rift ! worthy Avouiid ! Come harbour me, a weary guest, That in the world no ease haue found ! 1 lie lamenting at Thy gate, Yet dare I not aduenture in : I heare Avith me a troublous mate, And cumbred am with heape of sinne. Discharge me of this heauy loade, That easier passage I may find, Within this bowre to make aboade. And in this glorious toomb be shrin'd, X 154 MAN TO THE WOUND IN CHRIST's SIDE. Here must I Hue, here must I die, Here would I vtter all my griefe ; Here would I all those paines descrie. Which here did meete for my releefe. Here would I view that bloudy sore, Which dint of spiteful speare did breed The bloudy woundes laid there in store, Would force a stony heart to bleede. Here is the spring of trickling teares. The mirror of all mourning wights, With dolefull tunes for dumpish eares. And solemne shewes for sorrowed sights (Jli, happie soul, that flies so hie As to attaine this sacred caue ! Lord, send me wings, that I may flie, And in this harbour quiet haue ! NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. This poem is not in our lis. nor in Adtll. Jiss. 10.422, noi' Harleian MS. 0021. Our text is 1596, which corrects Turn- bull's unhappy misprint of ' spot' for ' port' (st. i. line 1). Wo correct 'me' for 'we' (st. vii. line 3). I question if the title given to this poem had Southwell's authority. The Poet speaks of having 'a troublous mate,' i.r. the body, and the poem ends, ' Oh, happie soul :' whence I think the truer title were ' Man's Soul.' Moreover this would he more in accord with the conceits of the time, as the wound was made with intent to let out Christ's life, and the blood and water were deemed VFUN THE IMAGE OF DEATH. 155 emblematic of life given to man, as alluded to in stanza iv., and there, therefore, man's soul would enter and lodge. St. vi. line 4, ' sorrowed sights,' eyes in a state of sorrow. Cf. St. Peter's Complaint, st. cviii. line 4, ' terror from His sight'^eyes. VPON THE IMAGE OF DEATH. Before my face the picture hangs, That daily should put me in mind Of those cold names and bitter pangs, That shortly I am like to find : But yet, alas ! full little I Do thinke hereon, that I must die. 1 often looke upon a face Most vgly, grisly, bare and thinne ; I often view the hollow place, Where eyes and nose, had sometimes bin : I see the bones acrosse that lie. Yet little think that I must die. I reade the labell vnderneath. That telleth me whereto I must ; I see the sentence eake that saith, Remember, man, that thou art dust : But yet, alas ! but seldomc, I Doe thinko indcedc that I must die. 15G VPON THE IMAGE OF DEATH. Continually at my bed's head A hearse doth hang, which doth me tel That I ere morning may be dead, Though now I feele my selfe ful well : But yet, alas ! for all this, I Haue little minde that I must die. The goAvne which I do vse to weare, ■ Tlie knife wherewith I cut my meate. And eke that old and ancient chaire "Which is my onely vsuall seate : All these do tel me I must die. And yet my life amend not I. My ancestors are turnd to clay, And many of my mates are gone ; My yongers daily drop away, And can I thinke to 'scape alone 1 No, no, I know that I must die, And yet my life amend not I. Not Salomon, for all his wit, Nor Samson, though he were so strong, No king nor person euer yet Could 'scape, but Death laid him along AVherefore I know that I must die, And vet mv life amend not I. VPON THE IMAGE OF DEATH. 15 < Though all tlie East did quake to lieare Of Alexander's dreadfull name, And all the West did likewise feare To heare of lulius Csesar's fame, Yet hoth by Death in dust now lie ; Who then can 'scape, but he must die I If none can 'scape Death's dreadfull dart, If rich and poore his becke obey ; If strong, if wise, if all do smart, Then I to 'scape shall haue no way. Oh ! grant me grace, O God ! that I My life may mend, sith I must die. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. This poem, Uke the preceding, is not in our ms. nor in Addl. Mss 10 122 nor Hakleun ms. 6t)21. Our text is 159^, which in St 'iii line i corrects Tuknbull's misprint, ' Rememher man, thou art hut dust.' St. u. line 4, the cross-hones or thigh-hones, BO called hecause they were generally put cross-^vlse henca h the skull. St. iv. line 1, ' head'=cauopy of the hed. bt. vi i. line 2, Hamlet couples the same names in a similar thought (V. 1).' G. A VALE OF TEAEES. A VALE there is, enwrapt with clreadfull shades, "Which thicke, of mourning pynes, shrouds from the sunne, Where hanging clyftes yelde shorte and dumpish glades, And snowye fludd witli broken streames doth runne. Wliere eye rome is from rockes to clowdye skye, From thence to dales with stony ruyns strowd. Then to the crushed water's frothy frye, AVTiich tumbleth from the toppes where snowe is thowde. Where eares of other sounde can have no choise, But various blustringe of the stubborne wynde In trees, in caves, in strayts with divers noyse ; Which now doth hisse, now howle, now roare by kinde. Where waters wrastle with encountringe stones, That breake their streames and turne them into fome. The hoUowe cloudes full fraught with thundring grones, With liideous thumpes discharge their pregnant wome. A VALE OF TEARES. 159 And in the horrour of this fearcfull quire Consistes the musickc of this dolefull place ; All pleasant birdes their tunes from thence retyre, Where none but heavy notes have any grace. Resort there is of none but pilgrimm wightes, That passe vi^ith trembling foote and panting hart ; With terrour cast in colde and shuddring frightes, They judge the place to terror framed by art. Yett K"ature's worke it is, of art untoAvch't, So straite in deede, so vast unto the eye, With such disordred order strangely cowcht. And so with pleasing horrour low and hye, That who it vewes must needes remayne agaste, Much at the worke, more at the Maker's mighte ; And muse how Nature suche a plott coulde caste Where nothing seemed wronge, yett nothinge right. A place for mated myndes, an onely boure Where everye tliinge doth sooth a dumpish moode ; Earth Ij'es forlorne, the clowdy skye doth lowrc, The wind here weepes, here sighes, here cryes alowde. The strugling floode betwene the marble grones, Then roaring beates uppon the craggy sides ; A little off, amids the pible stones. With bubling streames and purling noyse it glides. IGO A VALE OF TEARES. Tlie pynes thicke sett, highe growen and ever greene, Still cloath the place with sadd and mourning vayle ; Here gapinge cliffe, there mossy playne is seene, Here hope doth springe, and there agayne doth quaile. Hnge massy stones that hange by tide staye, Still threaten fall, and seeme to hange in feare ; Some withered trees, ashamd of their decaye, Besett with greene are forc'd gray coates to weare. Here christall springes crept out of secrete veyne, Strait finde some envious hole that hides their grace ; Here seared tuftes lament the wante of rayne, There thunder-wrack gives terrour to the place. All pangues and heavy passions here may finde A thowsand motives sutely to theire greifes, To feed the sorrowes of their troubled mynde, And chase away dame Pleasure's vayne releifes. To playninge thoughtes this vale a rest may bee, To which from worldly joyes they may retire ; Where Sorowe springes from water, stone and tree ; Where every thinge with mourners doth conspire. Sett here, my soule, mayn streames of teares aflote, Here all thy synnfull foyles alone recounte ; Of solemne tunes make thou the dollfullst note, That, to thy dityes, dolour maye amounte. A VALE OF TEARES. 161 When eccho doth repeate thy playnefull cryes, Thinck that the very stones thy synnes bewray, And nowe accuse thee with their sadd replyes, As heaven and earth shall in the later day. Lett former faultes be fuell of the fire, For greife, in lymbeck of thy hart, to 'still Thy pensive thoughtes and dumpes of thy desire, And vapour teares upp to thy eyes at will. Lett teares to tunes, and paynes to playnts be prest, And lett this be the burden of thy songe — Come, deepe Eemorse, possesse my synfull brest ; Delightes, ailiew ! I harboured yowe too longe. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. In 1596 this poem is not divided into stanzas. Addl. ms. 10.422 and Harleian ms. 6921 agi-ee with oiu- ms. save in usual orthocfiaphic differences. St. i. line 4, in 1596 reads ' flouds do.' St. ii. line 2, ib. misreads ' which stormy ruines shroud :' so 1630. St. V. line 2, consists = agrees with, harmonises with. St. \i. line 3, 1 have adopted ' shuddring' from 1596 and 1630 for 'shivering:' but 1596 misreads here 'With terrour cast. . . . And all the place. . .' So also 1630. Line 4, 'to terror:' Latinate ad tcrrorem, and perhaps as dedicated to terror. St. vii. line 4, Turnbull misprints ' with' for ' so.' St. viii. line 3, ' plot' in a double sense of a conspiracy and plot of ground. Line 4, 1596 misprints 'her' for 'here' {his). St. ix. line 2, Turnbuli, misprints ' do' for ' doth :' ib. sooth = not allay, but assent to, agree with ; and hence soothed is — 162 THE PRODIGALL CHYLd's SOULE WRACKE. flattered by, in st. xiv. line 2 of ' The ProcUgall Chyld's Soule Wi'acke.' St. X. line 4, 1596 misreads ' a purling :' so 1630. See on this word relative note in our Hem-y Vaughan s. v. St. xi. line 4, 1596 reads ' mosse gi-owne :' so 1630. St. xii. line 2, 1596 and 1630 spell ' foule.' Line 4, Turnbull blunderingly amends ' Bereft of for ' Be- sett with,' missing the pathos of the blanched trunk ringed with living gi-een trees. St. xiii. line 3, 1596 misprints ' wants of gi-ace :' so 1630. St. xvi. line 1, 1596 reads ' Sit' for ' Sett :' so 1630. St. xvii. line 1, 1596 and 1630 have 'doth' for ' shall.' St. xix. line 2, 1596 reads ' burthen to.' See our Memorial- Introduction for the relation of the ' Vale of Tears' to Hood's ' Haunted House.' G. THE PEODIGALL CHYLD'S SOULE WRACKE. DiSANCRED from a blisfull shore, And lanch'd into the niaygne of cares ; Groune rich in vice, in vertewe pore, From freedome falne in fatall snares ; I founde my selfe on every syde Enwrapped in the waves of woe, And, tossed with a toylsome tyde, Coukl to no port for refuge goe. The wrastling wyndes with raging blasts, Still holde me in a creAvell chase ; They breake my ankers, sayles and mastes, Permitting no reposing place. THE PRODIGALL CHYLU's SOULE WRACKK. 163 The boystrous seas, with swelling fludds, On every syde did worke theire spyte, Heaven, overcast with stormy cloudes, Deny'd the planets' guyding lyght. The hellishe furyes laye in wayte To wynn my soule into theire poure, To make me byte at everye bayte, Wherein my bane I might devoure. Thus heaven and hell, thus sea and land, Thus stormes and tempests did conspire. With just revenge of scourging hand, To witnesse God's deserved ire. I, plunged in this heavy e plyght, Founde in my faltes just cause of feare ; By darkness taught to knowe my light, The loss thereof enforced teares. I felt my in\Yarde-bleeding soares, My festred wounds beganne to smart, Stept farr within deathe's fatall dores. The pangues thereof were neere my hart. I cryed truce, I craved peace, A league with death I woulde conclude ; But vaine it was to sue release, Subdue I must or bee subdude. 164 THE PKODIGALL CHYLD's SOULE WRACKE. Death and deceite had pitch'd theire snares, And putt theire wicked proofes in ure, To sincke me in despayring cares, Or make me stoupe to pleasure's lure. They sought by theire bewitching charmes So to enchant my erring sense. That when they sought my greatest harmes, I might neglect my best defense. My dazeled eyes coulde take no vew, ISTo heed of theire deceiving shiftes, So often did they alter hew, And practise new-devised driftes. With Syren's songs they fedd my eares, Till, lul'd asleepe in Error's lapp, I found these tunes turn'd into teares, And short delightes to long mishapp. For I entysed to theire lore. And soothed with theire idle toyes, "Was trayned to theire prison dore — The end of all such flying joyes. Where cheyn'd in synn I lay in thrall, Next to the dungeon of despaire, Till Mercy raysd me from my fall, And Grace my ruines did repairs. MAN S CIVILE WARRE. •165 NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. In 1596 this poem is printed in long lines continuously, not in stanzas. St. i. line 2, 1596 misprints ' meane' for ' maine.' St. iii. line 3, I adopt ' breake' from 1596 for ' broke.' St. ix. line 1, Turnbull mis-inserts ' a' (bis). St. X. line 2, ' ure' = use. St. xii. line 2, 1596 misprints ' receiving.' St. xiii. line 3, 1596 reads ' theii-' for ' these.' G. MAN'S CIVILL WAERE. My hoveringe thoughtes would fly to heaven, And quiet nestle in the skye; Fayne would my shipp in Vertue's shore Without remove at anker lye ; But mounting thoughtes are haled downe With heavy poyse of mortall loade ; And blustringe stormes denye my shipp In Vertue's haven secure aboade. hauled poise When inward eye to heavenly sightes Doth drawe my longing hart's desire, The world with jesses of delightes Would to her perch my thoughtes retyre. 166 man's civill warre. Fonde Phancy traynes to Pleasure's lure, Though Eeason stiffly do repine ; Thoughe Wisdome woe me to the sainte, Yet Sense would Avynne me to the shrine. Wheare Eeason loathes, there Phancy loves, And overrules the captive will ; Foes sences are to Vertue's lore, They drawe the witt their wish to fill. Need craves consent of soule to sence, Yett divers bents breed civill fraye ; Hard happ where halves must disagree, Or truce of halves the whole betraye ! O crueU fight ! wliere fightinge frende With love doth kill a favoringe foe ; Where peace with sence is warr with God, And self-delite the seede of woe ! Dame Pleasure's drugges are steept in synne, Their sugred tast doth breed annoye ; fickle Sence ! beware her gynn, Sell not thy soule to brittle joye ! NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. In 1596 this poem is printed in long continuous lines — a avourite form. St. ii. line 1, 1596 reads ' mounted' and ' hailed.' SBEKE FLOWERS OF HEAVEN. 167 Line 4, our ms. and Addl. ms. 10.422 read ' secure :' the reading of 1596, ' sure,' is needed by the rhythm, unless ' haven' be read as one syllable. St. iii. line 3, 1596 misprints ' lesses." St. iv. line 3, 1596 reads here ' Reason' for ' Wisdome,' and next st. line 1, ' wisdome' for ' reason.' St. V. line 2, 1596 reads ' euer rules.' Line 3, 1596 misprints ' and' for ' are.' St. vi. hue 3, happ is here = chance or lot. So in 'Decease, Release,' st. iii. line 3 ; and ' I die without Desert,' st. ii. line 6. Line 4, reads ' trust' for ' truce.' St. viii. lines 9-10. Pi'obably in allusion to a house-dame's gin, where flies are enticed to sugared and poisoned water. G. SEEKE FLOWERS OF HEAVEN, SoARE upp, my soule, unto thy reste, Cast off this loathsome loade ; Long is the date of thy exile, Too long thy straite aboade, Grase not on worldly withered weede, It fitteth not thy taste ; The floures of everlastinge Springe Do growe for tliy repaste. Their leaves are stayn'd in hewtye's dye, And biased with their beames. Their stalkes enameld with delight, And lymm'd with glorious gleames. 168 SEEKE FLOWERS OF HEAVEN. Life-giving juce of livinge love Their siigred veynes doth fill, And watered with eternall shoures They nectared dropps distill. These floures do spring from fertile soyle, Though from unmanur'd feilde ; Most glittering goulde in lewe of glebe, These fragrant flowers, doth yelde. Whose soveraigne sent surpassing sense So ravisheth the niynde, That worldly weedes needes must he loath That can these floweres finde. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. TuRNBULL lias some annoying misprints in this poem : e.g. St. i. line 3, ' death' for ' date ;' line 4, ' strict' for ' straite' = narrow, confined : st. ii. line 1, ' wood' for ' weede :' st. iii. line 2, 'her' for 'their' (=the leaves not Beauty). St. v. line 2, note the accentuation of ' unmanur'd,' on which there has been recently an exchange of Notes and Queries in N. and Q. While Dyche's Dictionary (7th edition, 1752) gives ' manure' sub- stantive, and ' manfire' verb, and so bears out for that later date, Mr. Earle's conjecture, our text until farther evidence be obtained, renders it doubtful whether Southwell has taken a poetic license, or whether the word, like revenue, had a double pronunciation. Lines 3-4 : construction — gold not glebe does yield these flowers. The ' do' (of 1596) hitherto printed, which in part causes the confusion, is ' doth' properly in our ms., the correction being in S.'s own handwriting. St. vi. line 3 explains St. ii. line 1, as not worldly-withered but worldly withered. G. MELOFOLIA, OR APPLES IN LEAVES. NOTE. I brine; together here, under the title of Melofolia, such Poems as were not induded in 1595, 1596 or any of the early editions. Those printed by Walter, and with his ineradicable careless- ness by TuRNBULL, from mss. in the British Museum, are also preserved among the Stoxyhurst mss. and with a superior text. As before, I reproduce the Stonyhurst text ; but in Notes and Illustrations at close of each poem will be found various readings and authorities for the others. G. ^r^^r^s DECEASE, EELEASE. DUM MOKIOR, ORIOR. The pounded spice both ta.st and sent doth please, In fading smoke the force doth incense shewe ; The perisht kernell springeth Avith increase, The lopped tree doth best and soonest growe. God's spice I was, and pounding was my due, In fadinge breath my incense savored best ; Death was the meane, my kyrnell to renewe, By loppinge shott I upp to heavenly rest. Some thinges more perfect are in their decaye, Like sparke that going out gives clerest light ; Such was my happ, whose dolefull dying daye Beganne my joy and termed Fortune's spite. Alive a Queene, now dead I am a saiute ; Once Mary called, my name nowe Martyr is ; From earthly raigne debarred by restraint, In liew wliereof I raigne in heavenly blisse. My life my greife, my death hath wrought my joye. My frendes my foyle, my foes my weale procur'd ; My speedy death hath shortncd longe annoye. And losse of life an endles life assur'd. 172 DECEASE, RELEASE. My skaffold was the bedd where ease I founde, The blocke a pillowe of eteriiall reste ; My hedman cast me in a blisfull swounde, His axe cutt off my cares from combred breste. Rue not my death, rejoyce at my repose ; It was no death to me, but to my woe ; The budd was opened to lett out the rose, The cheynes unloos'd to let the captive goe. A prince by birth, a prisoner by mishappe. From crowne to crosse, from throne to thrall I fell ; My right my ruthe, my titles wrought my trapp. My weale my woe, my worldly heaven my hell. By death from prisoner to a prince enhaunc'd, From crosse to crowne, from thrall to throne againe; . My ruth my right, my trapp my stile advauncd From woe to weale, from hell to heavenly raigne. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. Walter was the first to print this poem from Addl. ms. 10.422, and to entitle it ' On the unfortunate Mary Queen of Scots :' but his text is mere carelessness. Tuenbull followed, but in st. ii. line 2 mis-read ' favour'd' for ' savor'd,' &c. &c. &c. Our MS. corrects in st. v. line 3, by reading ' shortned' for ' scorned,' and line 4 ' an' for ' and.' In our ms. the Poet has left the name of ' Mary' (st. iv.) unfilled in— a suggestive fact. The ' Mary' was unquestionably Mary Queen of Scots. See Notes at close of next poem. In st. i. line 2 =' It is in fading smoke that incense shows its foi'ce' (as in fading life did Mary) : in st. iii. line 4, 'termed,' causal sense of verb — made a tei-m or limit of, ended: in st. viii. line 1, 'prince:' see relative note on ' The Visitation,' st. ii. line 1. G. ^wi^^^^ I DYE WITHOUT DESERT. If orphane cliilde, eiiwrapt in swathing bands, Doth move to mercy when forlorne it lyes ; If none without remorse of love withstands The pitioiis noyse of infante's selye cryes ; Then hope, my helpelesse hart, some tender eares Will rue thy orphane state and feeble tea res. Eelinquisht lamb, in solitarye wood, With dying bleat doth move the toughest mynde ; The grasping pangues of new engendred brood, Base though they be, compassion use to iinde : Why should I then of pitty doubt to speede, Whose happ would force the hardest hart to bleede 1 Left orphane-like in helpelesse state I rue, With onely sighes and teares I pleade my case ; My dying plaints I daylie do renewe. And fill with heavy noyse a desert place : Some tender hart will weepe to here me mone ; Men pitty may, but helpe me God alone ! 174 I DYE WITHOUT DESERT. Eayne downe, yee heavens, your teares this case requires ; Man's eyes unhable are enough to shedd ; If sorow could have place in heavenly quires, A juster ground the world hath seldome bredd : For Right is Avrongd and Vertue wagd with blood ; The badd are blissd, God murdred in the good. A gracious plant for fruite, for leafe and flower, A peereles gemm for vertue, proofe and price, A noble peerc for prowesse, witt, and pourfe, A frend to truth, a foe I was to vice ; And Ice, alas ! nowe innocente I dye, A case that might even make the stones to crye. e'en Thus Fortune's favors still are bent to flight. Thus worldly blisse in finall bale doth end ; Tims Yertue still pursued is with spight. But let my fall, though ruefull, none offend : God doth sometymes first cropp the sweetest floure. And leaves the weede till Tyme do it devoure. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. Waltek again first printed this from Acldl. MS. 10.422, Lnt again very badly. So too Tuknbull, who mis-read in st. i. line 5 ' cares' for ' eares,' &c. &c. Our ms. corrects st. iv. line 5, by reading ' wrongd' for 'wrong;' and in st. vi. line 4, 'fall' for ' fate.' Probably Mary Queen of Scots is the supposed speaker, as in the preceding poem. See also the Latin Elegy, first printed by us, in which the Shade (' Umbra') of Mary laments her hap- less fate. In st. i. line 3, remorse of love is =; loving pity. ' Sely' = silly (st. i. line 4) is so frequently-used a word in I DYE WITHOUT DESERT. 175 Southwell, that I gladly avail myself of the present opportunity of bringing together a number of memoranda on it, the more readily that my invaluable friend Dr. Brinsley Nicholson has here specially enriched me from his rare stores. Besides the meaning now attached to ' silly,' there is no question but it had those of innocent, harmless, plain, and simi^le, and the like, much as simple and innocent have similar shades of mean- ing at the present time, and, as they are substantively used, not without touch of pathos, for ' silly' persons or idiots. Nor is it necessary to enter into its real or supposed derivation from f!elig, blessed or holy, to understand the connection between these several meanings. Southwell's ' silly shroud' (Content and Rich, st. ii. line 3) may with Shakespeare's ' silly habit' (Cymbeline, v. 3) mean simple or plain clothing; and the 'silly women' of the Two Gentlemen of Verona (iv. 1), and the ' silly sheep' of 3 Henry VI. (ii. 5), and the 'silly beasts' of 'New Prince, New Pompe' (st. ii. line 3), are so called as innocent, hai-mless, and inoffensive, as in part at least the doves of ' The Presentation' (st. i. line 2) are silly or innocent. But there is a now provincial North-country use of ' silly' in the sense of ' sickly' or ' weakly' (Halliwell's Ar. Diet. s. v.) de- rived from the stronger sense of sillies, simples, or innocents, because they are not only weakly of mind, but frequently weakly in body and constitution, so much so that from their increased desire for warmth comes the sarcastic proverbial saying — ' Yea, wit enough to keep himself loarm.' Now, as'svith other provincial words and meanings, this provincialism is but the shrunken remnant of a more mdely-spread usage. No other sense can, I think, be given it in Mary Magdalen's Complayut at Christ's Death in st. ii. line 1, and Lewd Love is Losse (st. ii. 1. 4— so stupidly misprinted ' folly' by Tuenbull), nor can the ' silly beg- gars' of Richard II. (v. 5) be anything but poor beggars; for there is no reason why Richard should call them ' harmless.' Nor could the beggars and vagabonds of Shakespeare's time be as a class so called; the representatives of them give them the very opposite character, and we know that they were hung by thousands in Henry VIII. 's time : ' Tlioughts tending to content, flatter themselves That they are not tlie first of Fortune's slaves. Nor shall not be the last ; like silly beggars, ^\'>lO sitting in the stocks, refuge their shame. That many have, and others must sit there.' So in 1 Henry VI. (ii. 3) it is tolerably clear from the context 17G I DYE WITHOUT DESERT. that the Countess does not mean to call Talbot an inoffensive but a ' silly' weakly dwarf : ' Alas, this is a child, a silly dwarf ! It cannot be this weak and writheld shrimp Should strike snch terror to his enemies.' And in Cymbeline (v. 3) ' poor habit' is a better gloss than plain, both from the context and from the passage (v. 1), where Posthumus says he will ' habit' himself as a Breton peasant, and lead the fashion of less without and more within. From ' weakly' we easily arrive at ' poor' or ' insignificant,' and one of the three meanings must be given to two of the quotations in Richard- son's Dictionary, from Hall's. Satii-es (vi. 1) and Beowne's Pas- torals, as to the ' silly ant' or other insect compared with an elephant, or silly canoe of wood or bark as compared with builded vessels ; while weakly, if not the main sense, is certainly involved in a thii'd quotation from Chapman (Iliad, b. viii.), ' fools, to raise such silly forts,' &c. In other passages also where this sense is not a necessity, it still seems to be involved and to give a much fuller meaning. The ' siUy turtle doves' of The Presentation (st. i. line 2) are contrasted with ' empires ware,' and the infant's silly or weakly plaintive cries with the feeble tears of the next and parallel line of ' I die without Desert' (as before). Palsgeave also, as quoted by Halliwell, gives 'sely' as 'pavoreux;' and with this we may take ' she sighit sely sore,' and, against Ellis and Jamieson's ' wonderfully sore,' gloss it as '■piteously sore,' and regard it as akin to Palsgeave's ' sely,' ' wi-etehed' or ' meschant.' ' SiUy' (' sely') in David's Peccavi (st. i. line 3) seems to be best glossed by ' pavoreux,' as indicated by the first line of next stanza. In st. iv. line 5, ' wag'd' = recompensed. G. OF THE BLESSED SACEAMENT OF THE AULTER. In pascliall feast, the end of auncient rite, An entraunce was to never-endinge grace ; Tipes to the truth, dymm glymses to the hght ; Perforniinge deed presaging signes did chase : Christe's final nieale was fountayne of our good, For niortall meate He gave immortall foode. That which He gaue. He was : peerelesse gifts ! Both God and man He was, and both He gaue. He in His handes Himself did trewlye lifte, Farre off they see whome in them selves they have; Twelve did He feede, twelve did their feeder eate, He made. He dressd. He gave. He was their meate. They sawe, they harde, they felt Him sitting nere, Unseene, unfelt, unhard, they Him receivd ; No diverse thinge, though divers it appeare ; Though sences faile, yet faith is not deceiv'd ; And if the Avonder of the worke be newe, Beleive the worke because His worde is trewe. Here truth beleefe, beleefe inviteth love. So sweete a truth Love never yett enjoy'd ; A A 178 OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT OF THE AULTER. Wliat thoixght can thiiicke, what will doth hest approve, Is here obteyn'd where no desire ys voyde : The grace, the joy, the treasure here is such, No witt can wishe, nor will emhrace so much. Self-love here cannot crave more then it fyndes ; Ambition to noe higher worth aspire ; Tlie eagrest famyn of most hungry myndes May fill, yea farre exceede their owne desire : In suram here is all in a summ expressd, Of much the most, of every good the best. To ravishe eyes here heavenly bewtyes are ; To winne the eare sweete nmsick's sweetest sound ; To lure the tast the angells' heavenly fare ; To sooth the sent divine perfumes abounde ; To please the touch. He in our hartes doth bedd, AVhose touch doth cure the dephe, the dumm, the dedd. Here to delight tlie witt trewe wisdome is, To wooe the will — of every good the choise ; For memory, a mirrhor showing blisse ; Here's all that can both sence and soule rejoyce ; And if to all, all this it do not bringe. The fault is in the men, not in the thinge. Though blynde men see no light, the sunne doth shyne; Sweete cates are sweete, though fevered tastes deny it; Perles pretious are, though trodden on by swyne ; Ech truth is trewe, though all men do not trye it ; OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT OF THE AULTER. 179 The best still to the badd doth worke the worste ; Thinges bredd to blisse do make them more accurst. The angells' eyes, whome veyles cannot deceive, Might best disclose that best they do descerne ; Men must with sounde and silent faith receive More then they can by sence or reason lerne ; God's poure bur proofes, His workes our vntt exceede, The doer's might is reason of His deede. A body is endew'd with ghostly rightes ; And ligature's worke from I^ature's law is free ] In heavenly sunne lye hidd eternall lightes, Lightes cleere and neere, yet them no eye can see : Dedd formes a never-dyinge life do shroude ; A boundlesse sea lyes in a little cloude. The God of hoastes in slender hoste doth dwell, Yea, God and man with all to ether dewe. That God that rules the heavens and rifled hell. That man whose death did us to life renews : That God and man that is the angells' blisse, In forme of bredd and wyne our nurture is. Whole may His body be in smallest breadd. Whole in the whole, yea whole in every crumme • With which be one or be tenn thowsand fedd. All to ech one, to all but one doth cunime ; And though ech one as much as all receive, Not one too much, nor all too little have. 1 80 OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT OF THE AULTER. One soule in man is all in everye part ; One face at once in many mirrhors sliynes ; One fearefuU noyse cloth make a tliowsand start ; One eye at once of countlesse thinges defynes ; If proofes of one in many, Nature frame, God may in straunger sort performe the same. God present is at once in everye place, Yett God in every place is ever one ; So may there be by giftes of ghostly grace, One man in many roomes, yett filling none ; Sith angells may effects of bodyes shewe, God angells' giftes on bodyes may bestowe. What God as auctour made He alter may ; No change so harde as making all of nought ; If Adam framed were of slyniye claye, Bredd may to Christe's most sacred flesh be wrought : He may do this that made with mighty hande Of water wyne, a snake of Moyses' wande. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. We give the above iioem from our ms. (Stonyhurst) with Blight exceptions, noted in the places below. Tubnbull printed it with such errors as really turn it into nonsense, and prove him to have been incapable of so much as reading an old ms., even so plain a one as Addl. ms. 10.422. Walter included it in his volume (1817), pp. 90-95. But a curious circumstance has now for the first time to be -mentioned. This poem proves to be none other than ' The Christian's Manna,' which was ori- OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT OF THE AULTER. 181 ginally published in the edition of 1616, and repeated in that of 1620 ; but over which Editors and Bibliographers alike shook their heads doubtfully; 'Mister Park' (to adopt Ritson's form) pronouncing em^jhatically against it, and so after-editors and bibliogi-aphers followed blindly. It is now sufficiently plain that its presence in the Stonyhurst ms. (as before in Addl. ms. 10.422) establishes its authenticity and vindicates the integi-ity of the Douai editors. The texts of 1616 and 1620 present some various readings that I have adopted, as noted. Addl. MS. 10.422 differs from our ms. only orthogi-aphically, except in the following : st. i. line 2, ' was' dropped : line 3, ' glymes' ( = gleams) for 'glymses;' inl616 and 1620 'glimpses,' which gives the lacking syllable, and on which cf . St. John i. 9 : st. iii. line 5, misreads ' workes' for ' worke :' st. v. line 6, mis- reads ' which' for ' much :' st. vii. line 1, ' will' for ' witt :' st. xii. line 3, di-ops ' be' before ' tenn" — all faithfully continued by TuRNBDLL, and in the last ' even,' ill supplied by him. St. i. contains reminiscences of Southwell's favourite hymn, 'Lauda Sion Salvatorem' (st. iv.), with the sequence of the thoughts reversed. On another Shakesperean parallel in st. vi. see our Memorial-Introduction. In st. x. line 2, ' Nature's work . . . .' = the wafer of the host : st. xi. line 6, ' angells' gifts' = His gifts to angels. I have adopted the following from 1616 and 1620 : St. vii. line 4, 'Here's' for 'Here:' st. x. line 2, 'And' for 'A Nature's.' I record, but do not accept, the following : st. iii. line 6, ' the' for ' His :' st. iv. line 1, ' Here true beliefe of force inuiteth love :' st. vi. does not appear in either edition : st. x. line 1, ' indued :' st. xiii. line 2, 'glasses': lines 5-6, ' If proofe of one in many, Nature forme, Why may not God much more perforine the same ?' St. XV. lines 5-6, ' He still doth this, that made with mighty hand Of water wine, a suake of Moyses' wand.' G. LAMENTS FOR A NOBLE LADY. Clara Ducum soboles, superis nova sedibus liospes, Clausit inoffenso tramite pura diem : Dotibus ornavit, superavit moribus ortiim, Omnibus vma prior, parfuit vna sibi : Lux genus ingenio, generi lux inclita virtus, Virtutique fuit mens generosa decus. Mors minuit, properata dies orbamque reliquit, Prolem matre, virum conjuge, flore genus. Occidit, ast alium tulit hie occasus in ortum, Vivit, ad occiduas non reditura vices. Of Howarde's stemm a glorious braunch is dead, Sweete liglites eclipsed were at her decease ; In Buckhurst' lyne, she gracious yssue spredd. She heaven with two, with fower did Earth encrease ; Fame, honour, grace, gave ayre unto her breathe, Rest, glory, joyes, were sequelles of her deathe. Death aymd too highe, he hitt too choise a wighte, Eenownde for birth, for life, for lovely partes ; He kilde her cares, he brought her worthes to light, He rubd our eyes, but hath enrichd our liartes : LAMENTS FOR A NOBLE LADY. 183 He lett out of the arke a Noe's dove, But many hartes are arkes unto lier loue. Grace, Nature, Fortune, did in liir conspire To shewe a proofe of their united skill : Slye Fortune, ever false, did soone retyre. But double grace supplid false Fortune's ill : And though she wrought not to her Fortune's pitch. In Grace and nature fewe were founde so ritche. Heaven of this heavenly perle is now possest, Whose lustre, was the blaze of Honnor's lighte ; Whose substance pure, of every good the best. Whose price, the crowne of Vertue's highest right ; Whose praise, to be her self; whose greatest blisse. To live, to love, to be where nowe she is. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. I have given a heading to these two poems, which appeared originally at close of Southwell's prose treatise in the form of 'A consolatorie Epistle,' entitled ' The Triumphs ouer Death.' Our text is that of the Stonyhurst MS., which is superior to that of 1596. Latin, line 7 in 1596 is ' Mors muta at :' line 9, ' a se alium :' English, in Addl. ms. 10.422, st. i. line 2, ' in' for ' at :' st. ii. line 5, note also the very important reading of ' Hee' for the nonsensical ' Lot' of 1596 hlindly repeated by Turnbull : st. iii. line 5, 'raught' in 1596 = ' wrought' (see relative note on St. Peter's Comj^laint, st. ciii. line 2) : ' her' di-opped out by Turn- bull : line 6, ' nature,' adopted for ' vertue :' st. iv. line 4, ' Ver- tue's' dropped in 1596, and ill-filled by Turnbull's ' every.' G. TO THE CHEISTIAN READER OF ' SHORT RVLES OF GOOD LIFE.'i If Vertue be thy guide, True comfort is thy path, And thou secure from erring steps, That leade to vengeance' wrath. Not widest open doore, Nor spacious wayes she goes ; To straight and narrow gate and way, She cals, she leads, she shewes. She cals, the fcAvest come : She leades, the humble sprited ; She shews them rest at race's end, Soule's rest to heauen inuited. 'Tis she that offers most ; 'Tis she that most refuse ; 'Tis she preuents the broad-way plagues, Which most do wilfull chuse ; ' Our text of this and three followiug is that of 1080. One obvious misprint, ' dog' for ' do,' in st. iv. line 4, is corrected. G. TO THE READER OF SHORT RVLES OP GOOD LIFE. 185 Doe choose the wide, the broad, The left-hand way and gate : These Vice applauds, these Vertue loaths And teacheth hers to hate. Her waies are pleasant waies, Vpon the right-hand side ; And heauenly-happy is that soule Takes Vertue for her guide. A Preparatiue TO Prayer. When thou doest talke with God, by prayer I meane,i Lift vp pure hands, lay downe all Lust's desires : Fix thoughts on heauen, present a conscience cleane : Such holy balme, to mercie's throne aspires. Confesse faults' guilt, craue pardon for thy sinne ; Tread holy paths, call grace to guide therein. ' TuRNBULL grossly misprints ' clear' for ' cleane,' notwith- standing the rhyme with ' meane,' line 3; and in st. iv. line 2, ' servant' for ' seruants.' I have corrected ' blame' (st. i. line 4) by ' balme,' which vindicates itself. St. iii. line 6, ' converts,' verb neut. reflective=z: turns, changes: st. iv. Iine4, 'impeach' (Fr. empt'cher)=hindrance, the literal and, in that day, com- mon meaning: line 6 seems corrupted — qy. 'salvation's hill on Mercie's wings' ? I am not sure that I do right in adhering to the divisions and separate headings of 1630 in what must have been meant by its Author to be one poem on prayer. In reading let these separate headings be ignored, and thereby the reader will be BB 186 TO THE READER OF SHORT RVLES OF GOOD LIFE. It is the spirit with reuerence must obey Our Maker's will, to practise what He taught ; Make not the flesh thy counsell when thou pray : 'Tis enemie to euery vertuous thought : It is the foe we daily feed and cloath : It is the prison that the soule doth loath. Euen as Elias, mounting to the skie, e'e?'- Did cast his mantle to the Earth behind : So, when the heart presents the prayer on high, Exclude the world from traflike with the mind. Lips neere to God, and ranging heart within. Is but vaine babbling and conuerts to sinne. Like Abraham, ascending vp the hill To sacrifice ; his seruants left below. That he might act the great Commander's will, Without impeach to his obedient blow ; Euen so the soule, remote from earthly things ; Should mount saluation's shelter, Mercie's wings. relieved of the misconception which otherwise is inevitable as to 'Oh,fortresseofthefaithfull,' &c. (Ensamples, st.ii. line 1). At present no one, till he reails farther and reconsiders, can avoid taking it as an epithet of what is now the opening of the poem and the subject of the first stanza, namely, our Sa- viour. G. TO THE READER OF SHORT RVLES OF GOOD LIFE, 187 The Effects of Prayer. The suiine by prayer did cease his course, and staid ; The hungrie lions fawnd vpon their prey ; A walled passage tlirough the sea it made ; From foiious fire it banisht heat away ; It shut the heauens three yeares from giuing raine, It opened heauens, and clouds powrd downe againe. Ensamples of OUR Saviour. OvR Sauiour, (patterne of true holinesse,) Continuall praid, vs by ensample teaching, — When He was baptized in the wildernesse, In worldng miracles and in His preaching ; Vpon the mount, in garden-groues of death. At His Last Supper, at His parting breath. Oh ! fortresse of the faithfull, sure defence. In which doth Christians' cognizance consist ; Their victorie, their triumph comes from thence, So forcible, hell-gates cannot resist : A thing whereby both angels, clouds and starres, At man's request fight God's reuengefull warres. I^othing more gratefull in the Highest eyes, Nothing more firme in danger to protect us. 188 TO THE READER OF SHORT RVLES OF CxOOD LIFE. Nothing more forcible to pierce the skies, And not depart till Mercy doe respect vs : And, as the soule life to the body giues, So prayer reuiues the soule, by prayer it Hues. NOTES. St. ii. line 1, ' fovtresse'= prayer : st. iii. liue 4, 'respect' =to look back upon or again, hold in view, look upon consider- ately. Part of one of these (the Preparation to Prayer) was pre- fixed to Bp. Cosis's Hora: but with some variations (pp. 16-18, Oxford reprint). Some of the Prayers in that book are taken from Southwell (which rathe)' modifies what is said in the Ox- ford Preface from Evelyn, p. xii.) : for example, on pp. 68-72, which is altered from one in Southwell's Rules of Good Life (latter part of sheet y, ed. 1630). G. POEMATA LATIN A. FROM THE MSS. OP THE AUTHOR. Never before printed. NOTE. The whole of the following hitherto unprinted Latin Poems by Southwell are from his own mss. now preserved in Stony- HUKST College, near Blackburn. They are wi-itten in fasci- culi distinct from the English Poems' ms. (on which see our Preface). The first two pieces explain themselves— and for remarks on them and the others, i-eference may be made to our Me- morial-Introduction ; but it may be well to note here, that the first of the Fragment of a Series of Elegies seems to relate to some disaster to the Spanish arms, probably the Armada collapse of 1588 ; that ' Elegia VIII.' is the lament of a husband for the death of his wife, in which there is a conceit running throughout, founded upon the idea of the one being ' alter ego' of the other; and that 'Elegia IX.' is historically interesting as being put into the ' fail- lips' of the ' Shade' of Mary, Queen of Scots, and so a fitting companion to his English poem, ' Decease, Release. Dum morior, orior.' The shorter sacred poems are elucidated by their headings. Even with the anxious assistance of the Rev. S. Sole of St. Mary's College, Oscott, Birmingham, and the cooperation of the Rev. Joseph Stevenson of the same College — to the latter of whom the whole of the Southwell mss. of Stonyhurst had been sent for calendaring in the Report of the Government Com- mission on (private) Historical mss. — I cannot hope to have furnished an immaculate text. But no pains have been spared to make out the small and difiicult handwriting, and it is believed few or no important errors will be found. Some words have been conformed to classical usage in the orthogi-aphy. G. POEMA DE ASSUMPTIONE B.V.M. Cum ccelum et tellus et vasti macliina miindi, i Ponderibus librata suis, basis inscia, firmas Sortita est sedes, et legibus omnia certis In propriis digesta locis jam fixa manerent, Extremum Deus urget opus, priniosque parentes 5 Cunctarum format veluti compendia rerum. Hos orbis statuit dominos, atque omnibus ornans Deliciis, sacra paradisi in sede locavit. Hie locus a primo mundi memorabilis ortu, Consitus arboribus, leni quas aura susurro 10 Murmureque interflat molli, labensque per herbas Dulcisonos ciet iinda modos, paribiisque recurrens Flexibus, in varios per gramina finditur arcus. Hie vagus incerto discurrens tramite piscis Plurimus ignoti generis, dum lusibus instat 1 5 Decipit, et placide fallendo lumina mulcet. Per ripas diffusa patet cum floribus herba, Luxuriansque viget vario Iretissima partu, Quem sponte effudit curvo sine vomere tellus. Hie rosa cum violis, cum calthis lilia certant ; 20 Hie casia^ narcissus adest, hyacinthus acantho ; 192 POEMA DE ASSUMPTIONE 13.V.M. Hie crocus et mixtis crescunt vaccinia bacis. Quis dulces avium modulos, genus omne ferarum Quis memoret, quis cuncta loci miracula narret ? Quicquid in itnmenso pulcliri diifunditur orbe, 25 Et sparsum solumque alias aliasque per oras Cernitur, hoc uno totum concluditur horto. Hjec sedes antiqua fuit, quam Lucifer Ada; Invidit, tetrumque Erebi detrusus in antrum Et cjelo extorris, diro molimine fraudes 30 Intulit, et tectis veri sub imagine verbis Lethiferum suasit morsum, ca^loque rebelles Reddidit, et victis Stygia- cervicibus Aulse Imposuit servile jugum, placidisque fugatos Sedibus, exilio gravibusque doloribus anxit. 35 Hie primum sua signa ferox victricia Pluto Extulit, hie ultrix morbi mortisque potestas Coepit, et humanum genus in sua jura vocavit. Mox variis grassata modis mors tempore vires CoUigit, et cunctos nullo discrimine mactans 40 Imperat, et toto late dominatur in orbe. Non minus beroas, proceres, mundique dynastas Sceptrigerumque genus, quam vili stirpe creatos Abripit, atque omnes vineens invicta triumphat ; Donee virgo, suae vindex generosa parentis, 45 Se rabido victrix objecit prima furori Mortis, et imperii sa3vas eonvellere leges Orsa, satellitium mortis superavit, et ipsi Terrorem incussit dominie, quod corporis a^qua POEMA DB ASSUMPTIONE B.V.M. 193 Temperies, vegetique artus, et vivida virtus 50 Lethiferis adituni prtecluderet Integra morbis. Mors mirata suos contra lianc nil posse ministros, Provectamque niliQ solitis concedere telis, Extremam imperio timet impendere ruinam. Principiis igitur cupiens obsistere, totas 55 Intendit vires, atque omnia mente volutans, Tartarei cogit proceres, monstra impia, regni. Est vastum scabris sinuosum anfractibus antrum, Solis inaccessum radiis, fundoque dehiscens, Et ruptas reserans inimani borrore cavernas. 60 Propatulo hie fluvius surgit Letba^us biatu, Ingentique mens per concava saxa fragore, Prsecipitante rotat limosa volumina cursu, Et dirum aggeribus spunians freuiit unda repertis, Hinc atque bine atrata patent fuligine tecta, . 65 Et loca senta situ, varies spirantia morbos, iEternum spissae squalent caligine mortis. In medio solium, nulla spectabile pom pa, Informi obductum limo, sanieque perunctum, Eminet, exesis diuturna a^rugine fulcris. 70 Hie annosa sedet canis mors horrida saitis, Os macie, taboque genas confecta, cavisque Immersos fossis oculos et livida ciiTum Dentes labra gerens turpique patentia rictu. Htec jubet : et raucis prasco clamoribus aiu'as 75 Personat, et medio manes compellat ab antro. Excita turba ruit c?ecas furibunda per umbras, cc 194 POEMA DE ASSUMPTIONE B.V.M. Insolitos mirata sonos, atque ocius una Conglonierata capit certas ex orcline sedes. Fatales primum pariter sedere sorores, 80 Quai levibus vitse deducunt stamina fusis.^ Decrepita has sequitur baculoque innixa senectus, Incultas diffusa comas, et membra caducis Vix pedibus moribunda regens. Turn languida febris, Et tussis, pituita, hydrops, et hirida pestis, 85 Phrenesis, cancer, porrigo, tormina, spasmus, Et genus id, numerosa manus ; quibus undique septa Mors spirans iiumane, oculis jaculantibus ignes, Atque olidum truncis fumum de naribus efflans, Terribiles ructat fremitus ; dein talia fatur. 90 Atra cohors, nostris semjDer fidissima sceptris, Olim quanta fuit Lethei gloria regni Qua Phoebus, qua luna suos agit aurea currus, Quas bello edidimus strages, quot funere reges Mersimus, et totum quoties consumpsimus orbem 95 Non latet, et vestris cecidit pars maxima telis. Vos etenim spissos animarum ad Tartara nimbos Prtecipites egisse subit, jjlenisque voracem Exsatiasse hominum functorum messibus Orcum. Numquid tanta ruet virtus ingioria, et uni roo Jfoster cedet honos 1 Sic formidabile numen Imperiumque ruet, sic nostris hostia templis Deficiet, tantique cadent fastigia regni 1 Est mulier, mulier nostris contraria fatis, ' In margin ' vel mensurant.' G. POEM A DE ASSUMPTION E B.V.M. 195 Omni labe carens, iiuUiTeque obnoxia culpai : 105 Illius hti3C genetrix Christi est, qui immanibus ausis Tartareos subiit fines, et victor opimis Ditatus spoliis, superas evasit ad auras, Et raptam aethereis praedam celer intulit astris. Queni timeo, nostrse ne forte injurius aula3 no Antiquas violet leges, matremque (quod absit) Viribus eripiat nostris, animosque ministret, Ut prpedas actura istis sine sole cavernis Succedat, manesque suis exturbet ab antris. Nee timor hie ratione caret, nam vidimus ilium 1 1 5 Qui velut lieec sine labe fait, victricibus armis Tartareos superasse deos. Pro dicite, cives. Quid sit opis, quid consilii, qua hoc arte queamus Propulsare malum. Vos ista pericula tangunt. Cernitis ut nullos admittat corpore morbos, 120 Et vestras ludat vires 1 Proh sola revellet Jura per innumeros annorum fixa recursus Eemina 1 Sic omnes coepto desistere victos Post tot ssecla decet 1 Scelus est . . . Hie plura volentem Dicere, non patitur rabies, et marcida circuni 125 Fauces spuma fluens, imis quam saeva medullis Ira furorque ciet. Veluti cum verbere tactus Stat sonipes, pressisque furens detentus habenis, Frena ferox pleno spumantia mergit in ore. Mox varias edit confuso murmure voces 130 Circumposta cohors, strcpitu reboante per auras ; Qualis ad excussos sequitur de nubibus ignes. 196 rOEMA DE ASSUMPTIONE B.V.M, Subjectis ardent irarum pectora taedis, Atqiie odiis fervent aninii, crudusque per artus Livor et ossa ruit; caeciis rapit impetus omnes. 135 Arma fremunt, saevit belli scelerata cupido, Certatinique feras sese exhortantur in iras, Et patrias jurant tutari sanguine sedes. Non secus ac subitis populus temerarius ausis, Audito belli sonitu, furit undique prseceps, 1 40 Atque omni sine lege ruit, nil mente retractans Quid fieri expediat, sed quid novus ingerat ardor, Verum ita concussos animis grandieva senectus, Longe aliud secum meditans, sic ore nioratur : Siste gradum, generosa coliors, baud irrita f orsan 1 4 5 Verba loquar, nostris aures advortite dictis. Nobilis ut video vobis vigor insidet, altum Mens agitat bellum, claris crebrescere factis Fert animus, juvat et superis indicere divis Proelia; nos etiam votis si cetera nostris 150 Congruerent, avidi tantos ambimus honores. Sed frustra hoc temptamus opus. Quibus sethera telis Pervia censetis 1- qufe non molimina vincet Qui potis est totum delere et condere mundum 1 Jampridem sensere immanes mole gigantes 155 In superos quid bella queant. Et Lucifer ille, Orbe sub empireo rutilanti in sede refulgens, Cum sibi divinos temere^ poscebat bonores, 1 ' Temen"' is an oversight, but we must leave it, as with ' uisi," &c. G. POEMA DE ASSUMPTIONE B.V.M. 107 Haud potuit retinere suos, sed, pulsus iu imas Terrarum latebras, poenas exsolvit acerbas. i6o His pra3stat didicisse malis, quam vana furentes In caelum temptare nefas, et cedere victos. Consilium rursus capitote, expendite causas, In melius mutasse animos prudentia summa est. Si mea canities, mea si sententia pondus 165 Momentumque habeat, belloruiu insana cupido Cesset, et in summi referamus verba Tonantis Judicium, qui nee Stygiis injurius unquam Sedibus esse potest, cujusque in numine lis est. Hffic ubi dicta dedit, torpent in proilia vires, 1 70 Infractique cadunt animi, mentesque coacta Pax tenet, et junctis rata fit sententia votis. ISTuntius extemplo liquidas subMmis in auras Tollitur, et facili tranans per inane volatu Arduus insurgit, Letbajique acta Senatus 175 Exponens superis, avidus responsa requirit. Tunc Deus, ostentans a?quato examine lances, Esto, ait, a3quus ero, causa exagitetur utrinque : Cui ratio, cui jura favent, victoria cedat. Mox partes actura suas mors ferrea pra3sto est, 180 Et Scevum frendens rabido sic intonat ore : rerum qui summa tenes, quid jura revellis, Et male nil meritam dubiis terroribus angis ? Quid merui, quid commisi, qure crimina tandem Sic multanda vides, nostris ut legibus istam 185 Eripias, et prisca ruat labefacta potestas 1 198 POEMA DE ASSUMPTIONE B.V.M. Mortalis nata est, et carnis credita moles Communem redolet massam ; caro terrea terrae Eeddatur, maneat^ simili sub pulvere pulvis. Adamo ex patre est, cujus cum cetera proles 1 90 Illius oL culpam parcis obnoxia sumat Corpora, cur mortem hsec et ineluctabile fatum Effugiat, cur funereas transire per umbras Abnuat, et victrix reliquis magis una triumphet 1 Hsec ait, at Gabriel causam contrarius u.rget 195 Virginis, adversoque potens sermone tuetur. l^osti, ait, alme Pater, quos mors tellure repostos In sua jura rapit, primi contracta parentis Aspergit maculosa lues ; et cedere fatis Culpae poena fuit. Sed virgo lisec, criminis exors, 200 Cur luat immeritas omnino innoxia pamas 1 Id Christi genetricis erat sponsa^que tonantis, Ut pura infectos transiret sola per artus, Communique carens culpa, mala debita culpse Haud ferret. Nullis Deus est nisi sontibus ultor. 205 His ita respondet solio Deus orsus ab alto : Judicium hoc esto. Venerandte virginis almus Spiritus astra petat, sanoque e corpore migret Non mortis sed amoris ope, et violenta doloris Vis nulla impediat, sit summa exire voluptas. 210 Tunc mors dira fremit, lapsumque in viscera torquet Invidite furiale malum, disrumpitur ira ' Above ' maneat' is written ' recleat ;' but as ' maneat' is not erased, we retain it. G. FILII PRODIGI AD PATREM EPISTOLA. 199 Morborum infelix acies, et inutile frendens Vipeream expirat rabiem. Deinum acrius instat Ut saltern extinctuin liceat dissolvere corpus. 2 1 5 Ast superi contra insurgunt, et nescia labis Cailo membra petunt, animae decora alta beats). Annuit Omnipotens. Divum sonat aula triumphis. Virgo poli regina sedet, mors victa fugatur. 2 1 9 FILII PRODIGI PORCOS PASCENTIS AD , PATREM EPISTOLA. Si tarn longinquis rogites quis scripsit ab oris, Vel ferat unde rudes sordida cbarta notas, Inspice, suffusis quamvis maculosa lituris Littera scriptoris nomen et omen babet. Continet ilia meos plenos formidine casus,i 5 lUa dabit nati facta scelesta tui ; Et licet ingrato sordent elementa colore, Sunt tamen hajc domino candidiora suo. Quippe, quod emerui, lutulentis^ versor in antris, Mlque nisi obscenum lumina nostra vident. i o Non mihi divitise, non fulvi copia nummi, Prtestitit ut quondam, nunc quoque prrestat opem. ' In margiu, as au apparent alternative line for this : ' Ilia meum referet ter lamentabile fatum.' G. * Mis-written ' lutosis.' G. 200 FILII PRODIGI AD PATREM EPISTOLA. Hand inopem fallax comitatur vulgiis ut olim, Nee, qualis fuerat, jam famulatus adest. Ornatte desimt radianti murice vestes, 15 !N"ec phaleris tecti subjiciuiitur equi ; Omnia nimboso fluxere simillima vento, Nee facies rebus, quaj fuit ante, manet. Hei volvit fortuna rotam, ventisque solutis Disrupit nostram perniciosa ratem. 20 Aurea deperiit, nunc ferrea prodiit eetas; Sunt l93ta in tristes tempora versa dies. Qua^que prius ventis pergebant vela secundis, Et pontum ut faciles edomuere lacus. Acta ruunt inter Scyllas interque Cbarybdes 25 Et fracta adversis dilacerantur aquis. Heu parva infandum liquerunt gaudia luctum ! Heu ruptuni liquit vipera parta latus ! Jam placidte periere dies, tristesque secutte ; Ultima la^titise prima doloris erat. 30 Sors ea dura quidem, sed nostris debita factis, Immo est errato lenior ira meo. Cum miser ignotas veni peregrinus in oras, Pronus in interitum, pro dolor ! ipse meum, Totus in insanos effudi tempora luxus, 35 Tempora vulneribus jam redimenda meis. Seque mihi juveni juvenes junxere sodales, Et ruitura simul plurima turba fuit. Kaptus in exitium, sociis agitantibus, ivi ; Aut comes aut princeps ad scelus omne fui, 40 FILII PRODIGI AD PxVTREM EPISTOLA. 201 Utque pudor faciem, pietas sic pectora liquit. Calluit a multis mens hebetata malis, Nee mihi cura Dei, proprite nee cura saliitis, Sola videbatur ca^ca libido salus. Sic ego tartareis merces certissima monstris, 45 Tartareos retuli jam nova dira canes ; 'Non furiis actus furiosa videbar Erinys, Nee mihi sub stygiis par fuit ullus aquis. Hsec mea vita fuit, si possit vita vocari Quae tulit ad mortis perniciosa fores. 50 Hoc mea lustravit nimium vaga carbasus fequor, Alta quoad plenam sustulit unda ratem •} Sed modo saxosi portus anfractibus hajrens, Corruit ablatis naufraga puppis aquis. Jamque luo poenas, turpi s fero prasmia vitse ; 55 Obruor innumeris exul egensque malis. All ! lacer ex liumeris algenti pendet amictus, Cetera marmoreo frigore membra rigent, Et male contecti madefiunt imbribus artus ; Quin lacerant nudani verbera sa^pe cutim. 60 Contiiiuis lassa^ callent grunnitibus aures, ' Lseta est in tales musica versa sonos : Sunt etenim porci mensaj, lectique sodales, Unus eis cibus est, unus et ille mihi. Horridus inculto pendet de fronte capillus, 65 Nee caput a ventis quod tueatur adest. " There is little doubt South\\'ell meant ' quoad' and ' eis' (Hue 0-i) foi' diBsyllables. G. 202 FILII PRODIGI AD PATREM EPISTOLA. Dum facies liquida pallens respondet ab unda, Qua^ quondam a speculo reddita stepe fnit, Dissiniiles surgunt antiqua ab imagine vultus, JSTec species eadem, quoe fait ante, manet ; 70 Quippe novas macies induxit in era figuras. Vix cutis, exesis carnibus, ossa tegit j Squalida languentes febris depascifcur artus, Imaque pervasit tabidus ossa dolor, Nee mihi curandis dantur medicamina morbis, 7 5 Tu nisi succurras, non feret alter opem. Hei ! tua sum, genitor, tua sum, licet impia proles, Ni mala quse fuerit, desinat esse tua. Te genitore fui proles, non impia proles, Impia, me misero, me genitore, fui. 80 Aspice tu prolem, proles dedit impia pcenas Atque tulit meritis prremia digna suis ; Inque dies funesta magis tormenta supersunt, Et mala prseteritis deteriora malis ; Mille animum curce, corpus mala mille fatigant, 85 Intus nulla datur, nee foris^ uUa quies. quam difficiles portendunt omnia casus, Tu nisi mature tristia fata leves. Hei citus affer opem, dextramque extende cadenti, Quce data vita mihi, morsque negata foret. 90 ' ' Foris' is here an adverb = ' out of doors.' But in classi- cal Latin the ' /*' is always and necessarily long; and so here again is a false quantity. G. FILII PRODIGT AD PATREM EPISTOLA. 203 pater, nati spes summa et sola salutis, Sis pater et nati sit tibi cura tui. En scelus agnoscit, lacrimis commissa fatetur, Parcere peccanti munus amoris erit : Peccavi, fateor, sceleris mens conscia luget, 95 Erroresque luunt singula membra suos ; Scilicet et veniam sceleris mens conscia poscit,^ Nee nisi peccanti parcere posset amor. Parcat amor, vincat pietas, ira^que facessant, Plus tua te virtus, quam mea facta regant. 1 00 ISTec quia me cernis factum de j)role rebellem, Tu fieri judex ex genitore velis. Quamvis si fieres, nunquam te judice tantis Esset, credo equidem, subdita vita malis. Cur tua deserui redamati limina tecti ! 105 Cur mea subtraxi lumina maesta tuis ! Sic visum est superis, ha3C me fortuna manebat,^ Hpec mihi, dura licet, poena ferenda fuit. Ah, Deus, ecce tuli, sajvos jam comprime fluctus, Et petat optatos lassa carina sinus. 1 1 o Per mare, per scopulos, per mille agitata Charybdes, Mitius ah tandem, te duce, pergat iter. • Line 97 is written in four ways in the ms., somewhat con- fusedly: 1. As above. 2. ScUicet et venia3 segetem mea facta ministrant. 3. Materiam veniae mea sors miseranda ministrat. 4. Non quffirit veniam qui nil commisit iniqui. G. 2 This Une is thus written on the margin: ScUicet hos superis placuit me volvere casus. G. 204 FILII PRODIGI AD PATREM EPISTOLA. mihi si patrios liceat revidere penates, mihi si felix luceat ille dies, Ante ruet coelum tendetque ad sidera tellus 1 1 5 Et mare siccatis fluctibus ignis erit, Quam qu?eram ignotas iterum novus advena terras, Quamvis quaerenti regia seeptra dares. Patria ! dulce solum ! quod si mihi visere detur, ISTec me divelli mortuus inde sinam ; 120 Condicio melior patriis in sedibus Iri est, Quam Croesi magnas exulis inter opes. Ergo cara tui pateant mihi limina tecti, Et videam notos post fera fata lares. Sin minus, externis moriar peregrinus in oris, 125 Nee tumuli ritum qui mihi prsestet erit, Sed sine funeribus nullo curante relinquar, Et miseranda feris prteda cadaver erit. O si forte brevi tales tibi littera casus Adferat, et nati talia fata tui, 130 Qute sibi mens, quis sensus erit, cum, te orta parente, Audieris rabidas membra vorasse feras 1 Tunc fortasse gemens sobolis vel busta requires, Quam poteras vivam nunc habuisse domi. Tunc, si me renuas, memorans renuisse dolebis, 1 3 5 Atque tuo duplex imber ab ore fluet. Obvia s£epe animo defuncti occurret imago, Junctaque cum lacrimis plurima verba dabis, Ast aderit nuUus nisi tristes fletibus umbrai Et rapiet gemitus ventus et aura tuos. 140 }l FILII PRODIGI AD PATREM EPISTOLA. 205 Tunc dolor invadet (|uem non invaserat olim, Quique sepultus erat, vidnere siu'get^ amor. Ille quidem surget, sed nostros serus in usus, Cum nulla optate spes opis esse potest. Nunc igitur,2 nunc, dum spes manet ulla salutis, 145 Succurre, et tantis obvius ito mails. Quodque mihi, genitor, solus concedere posses, Accipe supremum prolis ab ore vale. * Above ' surget' is wi-itten ' vivet.' G. 2 The ' ur' of ' igitiir' is here made long. By transposing the second ' nunc' and ' 0," and reading ' Nunc igitur, nunc O dum,' &c. the false quantity would be avoided, whether the au- thor's or not. G. FRAGMENT OF A SERIES OF ELEGIES. There appear to be a part of No. 7, the whole of No. 8, and a part of No. 9. These follow in the order of the ms. G. Ex luctii populus, redditur ipse chalybs, Conclamant Celte celsos periisse Monarchas, Nee conclamato fuiiere liber Iber. Ferales Nebrissa rotat mutata cupressos; Nulla premit lauruni pra^fica, laurus abi. 5 (^)uin formidatos armat Carteia nepotes, Tarn ssevse cupiens arma movere neci. Cantaber et Vasco demptum sibi plorat lionorem ; Nunc onus est illis quilibet alter lionos, Hunc fati lusuni flet Lusitanus et iuquit, 1 o Quse mors dicenda est, si jocus iUe fuit 1 Bisseni/ clamant, ' bisseni' cedite menses : Omnis in hoc obitu scilicet annus obit. Ecce jacet fusis gens Castellana maniplis, Hoc tumulo vires perdidit, atque vires. 15 Ex merito Latium nomen sortire latendi ; Hac terra, Latii condita terra, lates ! ' Query, the Spaniards ; so named from some province of Spain? Biscay (?); and qy. read Biscani ? G. FRAGMENT OF A SERTES OF ELEGIES. 207 Quid quod et Eoi pariter, gens altera mundi, Sensit de ca^lo lumina rapta sue ! Quid quod et ^thiopes membris nigrantibus horrent ! 2 o A luctu credo provenit ille color. Heu, dicunt, periisse Peru ! mens naufraga currit. Quo ferar 1 ah periit qui niodo portus erat. India tota gemit passis diffusa capillis : Ortus in occasum Margaris omnis abit. 25 Hei mihi ! cur lacrimas alio peto sole tepentes 1 Ut doleam tellus nenipe petenda nova est. Quid faciam 1 vidi lugentes fluminis iindas ; Et vidi lacrimas, utraque terra, tuas. Perge, anime, in fietum, tepuerunt marmora fletu, 30 Ergone marmoribus tu mage durus eris ? Ingemuit pontus, gemuit quoque terra dolore, Et ponto et terra tu mage s^vus eris ? Ah doleo ! testes superi ! mea Margaris, eheu ! Margaris, heu ! luctus hscc quoque testis erit. 35 ISTon doleam 1 mea vita fugit, mea Margareta ! Hoc solo steterat nomine vita mihi. N'on doleam? sensus aninia3que evanuit ardor ! Quis poterit vita3 jam superesse calor 1 Deficio, subsido : dolor ! dolor ! expirabo ! 40 Jam satis est, luctus tu tege, terra, meos. 208 FRAGMENT OF A SERIES OF ELEGIES, ELEGIA VIII. Die ubi nunc quod amo est ! ubinam quod semper amavi ? Hei mihi ! vel quod amo, vel quod amabo perit 1 ISTon perit : ilia prseit ; sed amans sectatur amantem ; Hand sequor, baud igitur me prseit ; ergo perit. Non perit, at patrium vivis bibit ^ethera labris : 5 Me solum duplici morte perire jubet. Sic quod anias animas 1 quod amas sinis ecce perire ; Si sinis boc, cinis est, nam calor inde fugit. Si calor bine remeat, mortis me frigus adurit : Die ubi sit gemini pectoris unus amor 1 10 Tu vel ego^ duo sunt? non sunt : quid? fallimur ambo; Sint duo, non duo sunt, una vel unus eris. Una vel unus ero : qui legem novit amoris, Unum non uno pectore pectus liabet. An bene dinumeras 1 Ego, tu ; duo nomina tingis : 1 5 Ast unum duplici nomine numen inest. JSTumen inest ; cor corde premit, mentemque maritat ; 'Non duo tu vel ego, sint duo corda licet. Sim tuus et mea sis, sint vincula bina duorum : Simus et bic ambo ; non tamen ambo simius. 20 Quid queror ! baud moreris ; duo sunt nam corpore in uno. Sic vivum nostro corpore corpus babes : 1 See former note : ego. G. FRAGMENT OF A SERIES OF ELEGIES. 20!J Aut ego jam perii, duo sunt nam corpore in uno ; Sic mea sunt tumulo membra sepulta tuo. Sed neque jam morior, neque tecum vivere possum : 25 Hoc vivo, possum quod memor esse tui. Hoc est, quod moriens, rerum pulcherrima, dixti : N'omen tu memori pectore semper habe ! Et licet liinc absim, sit prajsens conjuge conjux : Defungor ; functa3 tu quoque vive mihi. 30 Dixi ego, ne dubita, memori vivemus amore, Quam tuus ipse tuus, tam mea semper eris. Jam mea semper eris, licet hie mea diceris absens ; Pectoribus statuam dicta suprema meis. Quamque mihi dictum, tam tu mihi semper adha-res, 35 Et dicti et vitiB mors erit una meaj. Non mihi votorum reddet lux ulla tuorum Tffidia ; quis tantae non meminisse potest ? In pra3sente tamen pra^sentem qujero ; quid illud ? Fascinor? absenti num mihi semper ades? 40 At forsan nequeunt oculi te ferre sequentes ? Si nequeo visu te, modo mente feram. Aut age ! quod menti deerit, supplebit ocellus : Sic mens, sic oculus testis amoris erit. Sic animus lamenta dabit, lacrimabit ocellus ; 45 Commodus ad partes fiet uterque meas, Quodque animus celat, non hoc celabit ocellus ; Mens secum tacite, sed gemet ille palam. Ite palam, lacrimal, servati pignus amoris ; Hie mihi leto non nisi cedet amor : cq EE 210 FRAGMENT OF A SERIES OF ELEGIES. Ite palam, gemino dolor hie spectabitur orbe : Hie dolor est, hie est qiiem pins auget amor. Lamentor, queror, usque queror, gemo, lugeo, plango, Langueo : languorem dicere vultis 1 amo. Nunc niolem sine mole feram, sine pondere pondus ; 55 Nunc labor, minima nunc ego mole gravor. Dicite quid sit amor 1 i3ondusne est, an mage penna 1 Penna mihi levis est, et grave pondus amor. Excutio pondus, rapidis me intersero pennis, Queis vaga sublimis sidera carpit amor. 60 Ah amo ! sed quid nam 1 vel ubi 1 mea sidera novi : Hie quod amo superest, hue volo, terra, vale. ELEGIA IX. UMBRA REGINiE NOBILES VIROS DOCET, QUID SIT DE REBUS HISCE FLUXIS SENTIENDUM. Quid conclamato jacis irrita vota sepulchro ] Quam petis, in vili non remoratur humo. Nunc ingens crelorum heres, nunc hospita cajli, Affigo superis parta troprea polis Verte alio lacrimas, sangiiis meus, inclytus ordo, 5 Inde toga gravior, fortior inde sago. Plange ; sed quid nam 1 Stulti ludibria mundi ! Pars magna est animi forsitan ille tui. Quid pretii pretium 1 Quid habet decus omne decoris Non sunt ha-c aninio digna ])otente coli. 10 FRAGMENT OF A SERIES OF ELEGIES. 211 Cernis opes? Picte sunt fuh^a umbracula massaj, Est raptrix animi copia ; cernis opes. Divitiis vitiis inhias 1 reus aureus ipse es : Fies inter opes non nisi semper inops. Vauus honor ; tuniidi sunt oblectamina sensus, 1 5 Marcida gloriol?e pabula ; vanus honor. Res nulla est, bulla est, res futilis, utilis illis Queis inhonorus honor non honor est sed onus. Vana Venus ; csecaj sunt irritamina culpse. Dementis mentis toxica ; vana Venus. 20 Fallacem faciem cerussat amaror amoris, Dum mala proj^onit mala venusta Venus. Este procul tellus, et inania munera terree ; Munera non ullo respicienda die. Pluma volat : pueri totis complexibus instant. 2 5 Umbra fugit ; pressus preeterit ilia tuos. Eos est ; si pelago rapitur, fit protinus unda. Unda The four following poems are ■written in a very small, care- ful hand, on a fold of paper (32mo) of eight pages: the poems occui)y three pages only. G. JESUS. MARYE. AD DEUM IN AFf[lICTIONe] : ELEGIA. Tu tacitas nosti lacrimas, tu saucia cernis Pectora, secreto quod cremer igne vides ; Tu, quoties tristi ducam suspiria corde, Tu, quoties pro te mors milii grata foret. Yivo tanien, si vita potest quam duco vocari, 5 Quippe cui^ mors est vivere, vita mori. Namque procul mea vita fugit qua vivere vellem, Et fera qua nollem vivere vita venit : Usee me dum lugio sequitur, fugit ilia sequentem. Persequor et fugio, luctus utrinque milii ; i o Nee fugiens capior, nee euntem carpere possum. Hei milii, qui versa vivere sorte dabit ! ' Southwell makes 'cni,' according to very late usage, an iambus, cuJ, whereas in the silver age, Seneca, Martial, and Juvenal first began to use it as a dissyllable, but a jiyrrbic dissyllable, cvii. G. JESUS. MARYE. 213 AD SANCTAM CATHERINAM, VIRGINEM ET MARTYREM. Tu Catherina, mei solatrix unica hictus, soror et Christi sponsa decora, veni. Die mihi cur tacitis intus miser ignibiis urar, Die mihi cur mordax viscera luctiis edat. Nonne potes, si vis, nostros in gaudia fletus 5 Vertere 1 quid prohibet 1 tu, Catherina, potes, Quippe sure nunquam sponsae renegare maritus Vel mininnim casto quod petit ore potest. Hue igitur, dilecta Deo, tua lumina flecte, Aspice quam multis mens [labet] icta malis.^ 10 Ferre cito O digneris opem, pulcherrima virgo, Atque extinguendis ignibus afFer aquas. Cui Deus injussus venit obvius, ipsa rogata, Quteso, veni nobis mitis, ut ipse tibi. Quoque tuum pepulit^ Christus medicamine morbum, 1 5 Hoc nostro luctum pectore pelle, precor. (Ximque dolor similis, quae te medicina juvaret^ Cur potius nostris asset inepta malis ? Si mihi concedas, dubio procul angor abibit, Quaeque tibi fuerat, nunc erit apta mihi. 20 Virgo sancta, vale, Christi sanctissima martyr, Terque quaterque vale, sisqiie benigna mihi. • Tliis line is defective : ' labet' filled in to complete it : ' ruat' or ' cadat' will do equally well. G. - In the MS. Southwell wrote ' pepulit,' and changed it him- self to ' repiilit :' but the former seems better. G. ■' Or juvabat niis-writteu juvavit. The perfect is juvit. G. 214 JESUS. MAR YE. IN RENOVATIONEM VOTORUM, FESTIS NATALIS DOMINI. Vita venit, vitse cum votis obvius ito, Et veniet votis obvia vita tuis. Vita quod est tibi dat, tu vitaj redde teipsiim, Et tibi per vitam vita j)erennis erit. At quinam poteris melius te reddere vit^e, Quam si, qui vita est, des tua vota Deo ] Des igitur tua vota Deo, dabit ijjse seipsum, Et reddet votis prtemia viva^ tuis. IN FESTUM PENTECOSTES, ANNO DOMINI 1580, 2 1 MAIL PosTQUAM, tartarei spoliis ditatus Averni, Vi propria superas Cliristus rediisset ad auras, Divino angelicas inter splendore phalanges Conspicuus summas creli se tollit in arces. Tamque expectatum cajlestis turba triunipbuni 5 Aspicit, atque hominum longi pars mortua luctus Pra^mia degustat. 8olus miser incola terrse Angustam patitur sortem, duroque laborum Pondere depressus, querulo petit ore juvantem. liespice sublimi clemens de sede gementes i o In terris populos. Cur nos ardentibus ustos Curarum flammis et saucia corda gerentes ' The MS. reads vita, but wi'ongly : and we substitute ' viva.' G. JESUS. MA RYE. 215 Deseris? liei miseris quis nos solabitur ultra? Sufficit exilium, patrii(£ue absentia regui ; Sufficiimt varii casus diuturna(|ue poina 15 Quam caro, quam iiiundus, quani daiinonis impetus in- fert. Si plura imponas, nimia sub mole gravati Decidimus ; sed et ha3c propria' virtute nequimus Ferre, nisi [et] nostras divina potentia mentes Fulciat, et tenues confirmet numine vires. 20 Eja igitur, celer hue pietatis lumina flecte, Ut, qui cailicolas dulci solaminis aura Perfundis, Limbique patres sperata tenere Pr^mia concedis, media regione locatos Haud ma^stos remanere sinas, sed qualia saltern 25 Mens humana potest, carnis complexa catenis, Gaudia tarn varios inter gustare dolores, ISTon renuas ; ut, te triplicem solante catervam, Te triplici laudet ctelum, Styx, terra, camena. Has adeo msestas pietas divina querelas 30 Suscipiens, miserum placido medicamine morbum Atque infelices statuit curare ruinas. Expansis igitur sacrse penetralibus aul^e, Tertia de superis placido persona meatu Sedibus egreditur, tenuesque elapsa per auras 35 Versus apostolicuni properans se contulit agmen. ADDITIONAL NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 1. As stated in Memorial-Inti-oductiou fp. Ixxxvi.j, I hem give the remainiug interlineations and studies for St. Peter's Complaint from the Stonyhurst autograph mss., as follows: The bowes which [shott the fa . . . — erased] leveld at his dolful brest [sic] The sharpest arows and most deadly flyghtes Were theis of Chryste, when they on him did rest These ey[erased] were bowes there lookes lyke arowes lyght Which not content to hurt his heavy hart glanced to the Soule Even pea lanced the Sowle [erased] and wounded in such wise he was fayne till That al his dayes while life did quyte departe so still He oynted it with liquour of his eies. [Ill margin — To nynt the wounde to liath the sores.] VKRSE III. This verse it is difficult to copy. once to a minion bold face Thre severall tymes [twyse — erased] by two handmades woyce Next to a man last to that levyl [or renyl] rout [And last by meanes of that accursed crue — erased] bought [sic] he was not of the fold He sed and swore [that he new folower was, made his choisc — erased]. adliereiits never Of Chrysts whome he [denyed that he knew — erased] [To folowe Chryst a man he never knew — erased] But when The cocke had chased out this [stubborne — erased] brail as thing [thrall ?J and brought in day for witnes of the cryme 218 ADDITIONAL NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. [When as — erased] the [whe— erased] wretch scarse luarkyuL stubborn yet his fall Did with his eies meete theies of Christ his King. In what distresse pore peater did remayne At this encountrynge ech with others eies Let no man vant that he cann make it playne No tunge can reache the truthe scarce mynde surmyse It seemed that Chryst amids that juysh crew Forlorne of frends these speaches did reherse Behold that which I sayed is now to viewe O freude disloyall, disciple fierce. No youthful dame her beautuouse face in glasse Of christall brj'ghtnes did so wel discrye easely prie As thy old sely wret did in this passe foul de- In th' eies of Chryst his filthy fait espye Nor egi*e eare though covetous to heare preaclie And without pause attent to teachers speache Could learne so much in twyce two hundi-ed yeares in a turne As with one looks he did in moment reach. VERSE VI. ETC. Lyke as sometyme (though it unworthy be To lyken sacred matters with profane) [In margin — Profaned things in holy talk to name] By lookes a lover secret thoughtes can se And searche the hart thoughe it no wordes do frame Let amorous knyghts traynd up in cupids schoole Teache those which are unskilful in this art How without usynge tong or wrytynge toole By lookes the lovers know ech others hart The eies may serve for to display the hart Ech eie of Chryst a running tungue did seeme ech lyk a listning And peters eis so many eagi*e eared [In margin— Eche ey of peter like a listninge eare] ADDITIONAL NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 219 Prest to receyue the voyce and it esteame According to that sense that it should heare More fierce he seemed to say ar thy eis Then the impious hands which shall naile me on the crosse Nether feele I any blow which do so annoy me Of so many which this gylty rable doth on me lay As that blow which came out of thy mouth. None faythful found I none courteous Of so many that I have vouchsafned to be myne But thow in whome my was more kyndled [sic] Ai-t faythlesse and ungi*atefull above all other All other with there (cowardly) flyght did onely ofifend me my But thow hast denyed and now with the other [foes] ghilty Standest feedynd thy eies with my damage [and sorowes] As though pai-t of this pleasur belonged unto the. ANOTHER VERSE. Who by one and one could count The wordes of wrath and of love full Which peter seemed to se imprinted In the holy gyi-e [compasse] those two calme eyes, it would make him brast that could understand [conceive] them : For if from mortall eie often cometh Virtue, which hath force in us. He which proveth [this] let him gesse Wliat an eie divyne [or of God] is able to worke in man's senses. As a fold [or feld?] of snow which frosen The winter in close valew hiddyn laye At the sprynge tyde of the son heated Doth quyte melt and resolve into water So the feare which enterred was in the frozen heart Of peter then when the ti"uth he conceled When toward him his eies he turned Did quyte thaw and unto teares was resolved. He [.s/c] teres or weepyng were not as river or torrent Which at the scorchyng hot season could ever dry upp For though Chryst Kyng of heaven immayntenant Did retornc him the gi-ace which he had lost Yet all the remnant of his lyfe 220 ADDITIONAL NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. There was never nyght but therein he did wake Herynge the cock tell him how unfayful he had hen And gevinge new teares to his old fait That face which litle before had ben Attyned with the coloure of death By reason of the blood which was retyred to the harte Levyng th' other parts cold and pale Of the beames of those holy eies warmed as red as fyre Waxed flame and by the same dores That feare entred it vanished away And in his due place shame appeared Vewj'nge the wi-ech how diverse From his former state he founde him self His hart not sufi'ysyng him to stand there presente Before his offended lord that so had loved him Without taryance for the fierce or mercyful Sentence which the hard tribunal seat did give on him From that odious house hated bouse that then he was in Weepyng bitterlj' he went forth And desyi-ous to encounter some that just penance [and payn] Would geve him for his grevous error. 2. In the Stonyhurst sis. of a Discourse on Mary Magdalene, these stanzas are wi-itten by themselves by Southwell — the second incomplete : The Shippe that from the port doth sayle And lanceth in the tyde Must many a billow's boystrous brunt And stormy blast abyde. The tree that groweth on the hill And bye dothe shoot his bowes Besyde the danger of the axe, 3. ' Josephe's Amazement,' st. ii.-vi. (pp. 122-3). Joseph's intention of flight is mentioned in Pseudo Matt. ch. x. xi. : and with I'eference to this and Southwell's use of such, it may here be noted that the Protevangel or Apoc. Gosj^el was (then) new to the Latin Church, being first published in Latin in 1552, and BO an object of curiosity to our Poet, who seems to have been well-read. (See p. 132.)' ADDITIONAL NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 221 4. SocTHWELL uses ' sight' as = the instrument or organ of sight, i. e. the eye. Richardson and the Lexicographers give no example of such use, and it may therefore be well to confinn the sense and use, Fii-st, Shakespeakk (Venus and Adonis, lines 181-4) : And now Adonis, with a lazy spright, And with a heavy, dark, disliking eye ; His louring brows o'erwhelming his fair sight. Like misty vapours when they blot the sky. Again (Coriol. ii. 1) : All tongues speak of him, and the bleared sights Are spectacled to see him. Once more, Midsummer Night's Dream (iii. 2) : And laid the love-juice on some true-love's sight. Similarly we use ' sight' as the eye opening or instrument of seeing, of optical instruments : and so Shakespeare : Their eyes of fire sparkling through sights of steel. 2 Heniy IV. iv. 1. (See p. 155.) 5. ' Silly' (see p. 176 : note on st. i. line 4 of ' I die without Desert'). The translator of The Rogue or Life of Don Guzman D'Alfarache, though a Spaniard, was as gi-eat a master of col- loquial idiomatic English as Florio, and I think there is a clear example of silly =pavoreux, as late as 1629. Speaking of the innkeeper who is afraid that his mule veal will he discovered, Guzman says (b. i. c. v.) : ' This poor Rogue (albeit a very vil- laine) pardned in roguery, and habituated in mischiefe, and being steeped, and lyen long in soke (as it were), in thefts, and all kinde of coozenages, was now out of heart, and gi-ew silly and weake-spii-ited, and was ready to quake for feare. Besides, such kinde of men are commonly cowards, and have onely an outside of men, but no manhood at all.' The context quoted points to this meaning, and nothing in the rest of the context at all shows that he got foolish or silly in our present sense of the word. 6. In the ' Month' for January-February 1872 appeared an ' Elegy on Edmund Campion' from a black-letter contemporary volume in the British Museum, where it forms one of several. Thereupon a correspondent in the ' Tablet' assigned reasons for ascribing it to Southwell, and received support from other well- known and accomplished critics. But a Letter from my admir- 222 ADDITIONAL NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. able friend Kev. S. Sole, of St. Mary's College, Oscott, Birming- ham, in ' Tablet' for Feb. 24th, shows that the external data are against such authorship, while the internal goes to prove that the Writer (probably Walpole, S. J.) must have been an eye-witness of the martyrdom, which Southwell could not have been. It must be admitted that there are Southwellian words and turns in the Elegy: but his non-authorship is equally cer- tain. G. THE END. LONDON : KOUhON AND SONS, ruiNTKRS, PANCHAS KOAD, N.W.