Chapter XIX

Oh, to vex me, contraryes meet in one:
Inconstancy unnaturally hath begott
A constant habit; that when I would not
I change in vowes, and in devotione.
As humorous is my contritione 5
As my prophane Love, and as soone forgott:
As ridlingly distemper'd, cold and hott,
As praying, as mute; as infinite, as none.
I durst not view heaven yesterday; and to day
In prayers, and flattering speaches I court God: 10
To morrow I quake with true feare of his rod.
So my devout fitts come and go away
Like a fantastique Ague: save that here
Those are my best dayes, when I shake with feare.

[XIX. _W:_ _first printed in Gosse's_ Life _&c._]

[3 that] y^t _W_, _so always_]

[4 and] & _W_, _so always_]

_The Crosse._

Since Christ embrac'd the Crosse it selfe, dare I
His image, th'image of his Crosse deny?
Would I have profit by the sacrifice,
And dare the chosen Altar to despise?
It bore all other sinnes, but is it fit 5
That it should beare the sinne of scorning it?
Who from the picture would avert his eye,
How would he flye his paines, who there did dye?
From mee, no Pulpit, nor misgrounded law,
Nor scandall taken, shall this Crosse withdraw, 10
It shall not, for it cannot; for, the losse
Of this Crosse, were to mee another Crosse;
Better were worse, for, no affiction,
No Crosse is so extreme, as to have none.
Who can blot out the Crosse, which th'instrument 15
Of God, dew'd on mee in the Sacrament?
Who can deny mee power, and liberty
To stretch mine armes, and mine owne Crosse to be?
Swimme, and at every stroake, thou art thy Crosse;
The Mast and yard make one, where seas do tosse; 20
Looke downe, thou spiest out Crosses in small things;
Looke up, thou seest birds rais'd on crossed wings;
All the Globes frame, and spheares, is nothing else
But the Meridians crossing Parallels.
Materiall Crosses then, good physicke bee, 25
But yet spirituall have chiefe dignity.
These for extracted chimique medicine serve,
And cure much better, and as well preserve;
Then are you your own physicke, or need none,
When Still'd, or purg'd by tribulation. 30
For when that Crosse ungrudg'd, unto you stickes,
Then are you to your selfe, a Crucifixe.
As perchance, Carvers do not faces make,
But that away, which hid them there, do take;
Let Crosses, soe, take what hid Christ in thee, 35
And be his image, or not his, but hee.
But, as oft Alchimists doe coyners prove,
So may a selfe-dispising, get selfe-love,
And then as worst surfets, of best meates bee,
Soe is pride, issued from humility, 40
For, 'tis no child, but monster; therefore Crosse
Your joy in crosses, else, 'tis double losse.
And crosse thy senses, else, both they, and thou
Must perish soone, and to destruction bowe.
For if the'eye seeke good objects, and will take 45
No crosse from bad, wee cannot scape a snake.
So with harsh, hard, sowre, stinking, crosse the rest,
Make them indifferent all; call nothing best.
But most the eye needs crossing, that can rome,
And move; To th'other th'objects must come home. 50
And crosse thy heart: for that in man alone
Points downewards, and hath palpitation.
Crosse those dejections, when it downeward tends,
And when it to forbidden heights pretends.
And as the braine through bony walls doth vent 55
By sutures, which a Crosses forme present,
So when thy braine workes, ere thou utter it,
Crosse and correct concupiscence of witt.
Be covetous of Crosses, let none fall.
Crosse no man else, but crosse thy selfe in all. 60
Then doth the Crosse of Christ worke fruitfully
Within our hearts, when wee love harmlesly
That Crosses pictures much, and with more care
That Crosses children, which our Crosses are.

[The Crosse. _1633-69_ (_following_, _1635-69_, In that, ô
Queene _&c._ _p._ 427): _similarly_, _A18_, _A25_, _B_,
_D_, _H49_, _JC_, _Lec_, _N_, _O'F_, _P_, _S_, _TCC_, _TCD_]

[8 paines] pangs _JC_]

[12 Crosse; _1635-69:_ Crosse. _1633_]

[13 affliction, _Ed:_ affliction _1633-69_]

[14 none. _Ed:_ none; _1633-54:_ none: _1669_]

[19 Crosse; _Ed:_ Crosse, _1633:_ Crosse, _1635-69_]

[20 make] makes _B_, _D_, _H49_, _Lec_, _S_

where] when _O'F_

tosse; _1635-69:_ tosse. _1633_]

[21 out] our _1669_]

[23 is] are _A25_, _B_]

[26 But yet] And yet _A18_, _D_, _JC_, _N_, _TC_]

[27 medicine] medicines _A25_, _B_, _JC_]

[33 make, _1635-69:_ make: _1633_]

[34 take; _Ed:_ take. _1633:_ take: _1635-69_]

[37 oft _Ed:_ oft, _1633-69_]

[38 selfe-love, _D:_ selfe-love. _1633-69_]

[42 losse. _Ed:_ losse, _1633-69_]

[44 destruction] corruption _O'F_]

[45 seeke] see _1650-69_]

[48 all; call nothing best. _Ed:_ indifferent; call nothing
best. _1633 and MSS:_ indifferent; all, nothing best.
_1635-69_]

[50 To th'other th'objects _1633:_ To th'others objects
_1635-69_]

[52 Points _A18_, _A25_, _N_, _P_, _S_, _TC:_ Pants _1633-69_,
_B_, _D_, _H49_, _JC_, _Lec_, _O'F_]

[53 dejections _1633:_ detorsions _1635-69_, _O'F_]

[55 the] thy _A18_, _D_, _H49_, _JC_, _Lec_, _N_, _O'F_, _P_,
_TC_]

[61 fruitfully _A18_, _A25_, _B_, _D_, _H49_, _JC_, _Lec_,
_N_, _O'F_, _P_, _S_, _TC:_ faithfully _1633-69_]

[63 That _A18_, _A25_, _B_, _D_, _H49_, _JC_, _Lec_, _N_,
_O'F_, _P_, _S_, _TC:_ The _1633-69_]

_Resurrection, imperfect._

Sleep sleep old Sun, thou canst not have repast
As yet, the wound thou took'st on friday last;
Sleepe then, and rest; The world may beare thy stay,
A better Sun rose before thee to day,
Who, not content to'enlighten all that dwell 5
On the earths face, as thou, enlightned hell,
And made the darke fires languish in that vale,
As, at thy presence here, our fires grow pale.
Whose body having walk'd on earth, and now
Hasting to Heaven, would, that he might allow 10
Himselfe unto all stations, and fill all,
For these three daies become a minerall;
Hee was all gold when he lay downe, but rose
All tincture, and doth not alone dispose
Leaden and iron wills to good, but is 15
Of power to make even sinfull flesh like his.
Had one of those, whose credulous pietie
Thought, that a Soule one might discerne and see
Goe from a body,'at this sepulcher been,
And, issuing from the sheet, this body seen, 20
He would have justly thought this body a soule,
If not of any man, yet of the whole.
_Desunt cætera._

[Resurrection, imperfect. _1633-69_ (_following_ By
Euphrates _&c._ _p._ 424), _A18_, _N_, _O'F_, _TCC_, _TCD_]

[15 good, _1633-69 and MSS.: Chambers queries_ gold]

[22 If] If, _1633-69_]

_The Annuntiation and Passion._

Tamely, fraile body,'abstaine to day; to day
My soule eates twice, Christ hither and away.
She sees him man, so like God made in this,
That of them both a circle embleme is,
Whose first and last concurre; this doubtfull day 5
Of feast or fast, Christ came, and went away.
Shee sees him nothing twice at once, who'is all;
Shee sees a Cedar plant it selfe, and fall,
Her Maker put to making, and the head
Of life, at once, not yet alive, yet dead. 10
She sees at once the virgin mother stay
Reclus'd at home, Publique at Golgotha;
Sad and rejoyc'd shee's seen at once, and seen
At almost fiftie, and at scarce fifteene.
At once a Sonne is promis'd her, and gone, 15
Gabriell gives Christ to her, He her to John;
Not fully a mother, Shee's in Orbitie,
At once receiver and the legacie.
All this, and all betweene, this day hath showne,
Th'Abridgement of Christs story, which makes one 20
(As in plaine Maps, the furthest West is East)
Of the'Angels _Ave_,'and _Consummatum est_.
How well the Church, Gods Court of faculties
Deales, in some times, and seldome joyning these!
As by the selfe-fix'd Pole wee never doe 25
Direct our course, but the next starre thereto,
Which showes where the'other is, and which we say
(Because it strayes not farre) doth never stray;
So God by his Church, neerest to him, wee know,
And stand firme, if wee by her motion goe; 30
His Spirit, as his fiery Pillar doth
Leade, and his Church, as cloud; to one end both.
This Church, by letting these daies joyne, hath shown
Death and conception in mankinde is one;
Or'twas in him the same humility, 35
That he would be a man, and leave to be:
Or as creation he hath made, as God,
With the last judgement, but one period,
His imitating Spouse would joyne in one
Manhoods extremes: He shall come, he is gone: 40
Or as though one blood drop, which thence did fall,
Accepted, would have serv'd, he yet shed all;
So though the least of his paines, deeds, or words,
Would busie a life, she all this day affords;
This treasure then, in grosse, my Soule uplay, 45
And in my life retaile it every day.

[The Annuntiation and Passion. _1633-69:_ Upon the
Annuntiation and Passion falling upon one day. Anno D[^n]i
1608. _B_, _O'F_, _S_, _S96:_ _similarly_, _N_, _TCD:_ The
Annuntiation. _D_, _H49_, _Lec:_ _no title_, _P_]

[1 Tamely, fraile body, _Ed:_ Tamely fraile body _1633:_
Tamely fraile flesh, _1635-69_, _O'F_, _S96_ (_1650-69
accidentally drop second_ to day)]

[6 away.] away; _1633:_ away, _1635-39_]

[10 yet dead. _Ed:_ yet dead; _1633_, _B_, _P_, _S:_ and dead;
_1635-69_, _D_, _H49_, _Lec_, _N_, _O'F_, _TCD_ (_full stop_,
_MSS._)]

[12 at Golgotha; _Ed:_ at Golgotha. _1633-69_]

[13 Sad and rejoyc'd] Rejoyc'd and sad _B_, _O'F_, _P_, _S_,
_S96_]

[18 legacie. _Ed:_ legacie; _1633-69_]

[24 these! _Ed:_ these? _D_, _TCD:_ these; _1633:_ these.
_1635-69_]

[31 as _1633:_ and _1635-69_]

[32 both. _1635-69:_ both: _1633_]

[33 these _B_, _D_, _H49_, _Lec_, _N_, _O'F_, _P_, _S96_,
_TCD:_ those _1633-69_

daies _1633_, _D_, _H49_, _Lec_, _N_, _TCD:_ feasts _1635-69_,
_O'F_, _P_, _S_, _S96_]

[34 one; _Ed:_ one. _1633:_ are one. _1635-69_ (one _1669_)]

[37 hath] had _B_, _N_, _O'F_, _P_, _S_, _S96_, _TCD_]

_Goodfriday_, 1613. _Riding Westward._

Let mans Soule be a Spheare, and then, in this,
The intelligence that moves, devotion is,
And as the other Spheares, by being growne
Subject to forraigne motions, lose their owne,
And being by others hurried every day, 5
Scarce in a yeare their naturall forme obey:
Pleasure or businesse, so, our Soules admit
For their first mover, and are whirld by it.
Hence is't, that I am carryed towards the West
This day, when my Soules forme bends toward the East. 10
There I should see a Sunne, by rising set,
And by that setting endlesse day beget;
But that Christ on this Crosse, did rise and fall,
Sinne had eternally benighted all.
Yet dare I'almost be glad, I do not see 15
That spectacle of too much weight for mee.
Who sees Gods face, that is selfe life, must dye;
What a death were it then to see God dye?
It made his owne Lieutenant Nature shrinke,
It made his footstoole crack, and the Sunne winke. 20
Could I behold those hands which span the Poles,
And turne all spheares at once, peirc'd with those holes?
Could I behold that endlesse height which is
Zenith to us, and our Antipodes,
Humbled below us? or that blood which is 25
The seat of all our Soules, if not of his,
Made durt of dust, or that flesh which was worne
By God, for his apparell, rag'd, and torne?
If on these things I durst not looke, durst I
Upon his miserable mother cast mine eye, 30
Who was Gods partner here, and furnish'd thus
Halfe of that Sacrifice, which ransom'd us?
Though these things, as I ride, be from mine eye,
They'are present yet unto my memory,
For that looks towards them; and thou look'st towards mee, 35
O Saviour, as thou hang'st upon the tree;
I turne my backe to thee, but to receive
Corrections, till thy mercies bid thee leave.
O thinke mee worth thine anger, punish mee,
Burne off my rusts, and my deformity, 40
Restore thine Image, so much, by thy grace,
That thou may'st know mee, and I'll turne my face.

[Goodfriday, _&c._ _1633-69:_ Good Friday (_with or without
date and_ Riding _&c._) _A18_, _B_, _Cy_, _N_, _S_, _S96_,
_TCC_, _TCD:_ Good Friday. 1613. Riding towards Wales. _D_,
_Lec_, _O'F:_ Good Friday. 1613. Riding to S^r Edward Harbert
in Wales. _H49:_ M^r J. Duñ goeing from Sir H. G. on good
friday sent him back this meditation on the way. _A25_]

[4 motions _A18_, _B_, _Cy_, _D_, _H49_, _Lec_, _N_, _O'F_,
_S_, _S96_, _TC:_ motion, _1633-69_]

[8 and] _bis_ _1650-54_]

[10 toward _1633:_ _do. or_ towards _MSS.:_ to _1635-69_,
_O'F_]

[12 beget _1633:_ beget. _1635-69_, _Chambers_]

[13 this Crosse, _1633_, _A18_, _D_, _H49_, _Lec_, _O'F_, _S_,
_S96_, _TCC:_ his Crosse, _1635-69_, _B_, _Cy_, _N_, _TCD_]

[16 too] two _1639-69_]

[22 turne _A18_, _B_, _Cy_, _N_, _S_, _TC:_ tune _1633-69_,
_D_, _H49_, _Lec_, _O'F_, _S96_

once,] once _1633_]

[30 Upon his miserable _1633_, _A18_, _B_, _Cy_, _D_, _H49_,
_Lec_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _S96_, _TC:_

On his distressed _1635-69_]

[40 rusts, _1633_, _B_, _Cy_, _D_, _H49_, _Lec_, _N_, _O'F_,
_S96_, _TCD:_ rust, _1635-69_, _A18_, _S_, _TCC_]

THE LITANIE.

I.

_The_ FATHER.

Father of Heaven, and him, by whom
It, and us for it, and all else, for us
Thou madest, and govern'st ever, come
And re-create mee, now growne ruinous:
My heart is by dejection, clay, 5
And by selfe-murder, red.
From this red earth, O Father, purge away
All vicious tinctures, that new fashioned
I may rise up from death, before I'am dead.

II.

_The_ SONNE.

O Sonne of God, who seeing two things, 10
Sinne, and death crept in, which were never made,
By bearing one, tryed'st with what stings
The other could thine heritage invade;
O be thou nail'd unto my heart,
And crucified againe, 15
Part not from it, though it from thee would part,
But let it be, by applying so thy paine,
Drown'd in thy blood, and in thy passion slaine.

III.

_The_ HOLY GHOST.

O Holy Ghost, whose temple I
Am, but of mudde walls, and condensed dust, 20
And being sacrilegiously
Halfe wasted with youths fires, of pride and lust,
Must with new stormes be weatherbeat;
Double in my heart thy flame,
Which let devout sad teares intend; and let 25
(Though this glasse lanthorne, flesh, do suffer maime)
Fire, Sacrifice, Priest, Altar be the same.

IV.

_The_ TRINITY.

O Blessed glorious Trinity,
Bones to Philosophy, but milke to faith,
Which, as wise serpents, diversly 30
Most slipperinesse, yet most entanglings hath,
As you distinguish'd undistinct
By power, love, knowledge bee,
Give mee a such selfe different instinct
Of these; let all mee elemented bee, 35
Of power, to love, to know, you unnumbred three.

V.

_The Virgin_ MARY.

For that faire blessed Mother-maid,
Whose flesh redeem'd us; That she-Cherubin,
Which unlock'd Paradise, and made
One claime for innocence, and disseiz'd sinne, 40
Whose wombe was a strange heav'n, for there
God cloath'd himselfe, and grew,
Our zealous thankes wee poure. As her deeds were
Our helpes, so are her prayers; nor can she sue
In vaine, who hath such titles unto you. 45

VI.

_The Angels._

And since this life our nonage is,
And wee in Wardship to thine Angels be,
Native in heavens faire Palaces,
Where we shall be but denizen'd by thee,
As th'earth conceiving by the Sunne, 50
Yeelds faire diversitie,
Yet never knowes which course that light doth run,
So let mee study, that mine actions bee
Worthy their sight, though blinde in how they see.

VII.

_The Patriarches._

And let thy Patriarches Desire 55
(Those great Grandfathers of thy Church, which saw
More in the cloud, then wee in fire,
Whom Nature clear'd more, then us Grace and Law,
And now in Heaven still pray, that wee
May use our new helpes right,) 60
Be satisfy'd, and fructifie in mee;
Let not my minde be blinder by more light
Nor Faith, by Reason added, lose her sight.

VIII.

_The Prophets._

Thy Eagle-sighted Prophets too,
Which were thy Churches Organs, and did sound 65
That harmony, which made of two
One law, and did unite, but not confound;
Those heavenly Poëts which did see
Thy will, and it expresse
In rythmique feet, in common pray for mee, 70
That I by them excuse not my excesse
In seeking secrets, or Poëtiquenesse.

IX.

_The Apostles._

And thy illustrious Zodiacke
Of twelve Apostles, which ingirt this All,
(From whom whosoever do not take 75
Their light, to darke deep pits, throw downe, and fall,)
As through their prayers, thou'hast let mee know
That their bookes are divine;
May they pray still, and be heard, that I goe
Th'old broad way in applying; O decline 80
Mee, when my comment would make thy word mine.

X.

_The Martyrs._

And since thou so desirously
Did'st long to die, that long before thou could'st,
And long since thou no more couldst dye,
Thou in thy scatter'd mystique body wouldst 85
In Abel dye, and ever since
In thine; let their blood come
To begge for us, a discreet patience
Of death, or of worse life: for Oh, to some
Not to be Martyrs, is a martyrdome. 90

XI.

_The Confessors._

Therefore with thee triumpheth there
A Virgin Squadron of white Confessors,
Whose bloods betroth'd, not marryed were,
Tender'd, not taken by those Ravishers:
They know, and pray, that wee may know, 95
In every Christian
Hourly tempestuous persecutions grow;
Tentations martyr us alive; A man
Is to himselfe a Dioclesian.