Go to her kind Preserver, as one blest. R. WI.
XVI. De Antichristi decore Pontificali.
Concerning the Pontifical Beauty (=decency) of Antichrist.
Not ‘cause of old poison’d with Papal breath,
Are all things to be flung straight out o’ door;
If all misused things are due to death,
’Tis time our souls and bodies were no more. G.
XVII. De Superpelliceo.
Concerning the Surplice.
What have the sacred vestments done, I pray,
Which Envy thus assails as beast of prey,
Staining the Surplice’s chaste hue, forsooth,
With venomous black tooth?
Whate’er’s drawn from the heav’nly urn of Brightness,
Or Honour, men conceive of it as whiteness;
The sun around his glorious circuit turning,
Angels in splendour burning.
So the redeemed throng from Earth below,
Cloth’d in the blood-bought raiments white as snow;
Yea look on Sheep and Dove, by whom Christ teacheth,
The favour’d White still preacheth.
Then let Religion’s foes, the sons of Night,
Gnash their malignant teeth in jealous spite,
So long as Albion by ‘white’ is named,
Nor of ‘white’ Surplice is ashamed.
XVIII. De Pileo Quadrato.
Concerning the Square College-cap.
The words of the North-Briton — witty,
Foe of the Surplice, without pity —
The neighb’ring College-cap has heard,
And flies incont’nent, terror-stirr’d,
Right to the upmost part o’ the head;
But even there astonièd
It too must list — for naught escapes —
Sharp twittings from this Jack-o’-napes.
But, ah, if hut ye will attend,
You and each North-Briton friend,
You will see our College-cap
Would better suit you far, mayhap,
Even than that close-fitting hood:
Why? To cool your hot brains’ blood;
Which consumes — I say’t with sorrow —
Even your very inmost marrow.
But ye who treat our cap so badly,
Prating ‘gainst it thus so madly,
Which our Church of old approves,
As she decent vestment loves;
Ah, we have reason much to dread,
Lest next ye should assail her HEAD! G.
XIX. In Catharum.
To a Puritan.
The Latin tongue why common dost thou deem,
Which former ages and our own esteem?
Why the smooth Greek, and Hellas all disdain,
Which holds the Covenants of the Godhead slain?
Hebrew, forsooth, you sing and sound alone,
Because that language suits your nasal tone! R. WI.
XX. De Episcopis.
Concerning Bishops.
Holy Apostles, whom the Saviour lov’d,
And to His flock commended as approv’d,
That, when impending Death fierce-talon’d rose
His golden Doctrine’s living streams to close,
Such Rulers mild the sinking torch might seize,
And the blest Order keep with power of keys;
An impious rudeness now plucks at these heights,
Indulging its ambitions and its spites;
And since it cannot reach, itself, this crown,
Eager to drag it to the earth, or drown.
O blinded people! if a Bishop be
A good thing, why refuse it wantonly?
If bad, ’tis well to have them very few,
And not have all men bishops over you! R. WI.
XXI. De iisdem: ad Melvinum.
Concerning the same: to Melville.
To prelates the Muse proves thee a dire foe;
Weavers and workmen is’t thou lovest so? R. WI.
XXII. De Textore Catharo.
Concerning a Puritan Weaver.
That fishermen were call’d, a Weaver heard,
To do the work of Christ, and preach His Word;
So at the priestly office straight he caught;
‘A shirt more noble than a net,’ he thought.
Long yarns he twists a Scripture thread around,
For text and texture equally renown’d! R. WI.
XXIII. De Magicis Rotatibus.
Concerning Magical Circles.
What circlings and what murmur hearest thou
In our Church-rites? I hear none, I avow.
Come, let us give a challenge, ev’n above,
To angels and all ears in realms of Love;
Let them the umpires of our strife now be,
Whether our sacred rites they do not see
To have been form’d with equal-flowing course,
Neither too slack, nor with immoderate force.
What fresh itch stings you to calumniate,
And patch on us things popish that we hate?
Chatt’ring all falsely, and thy lines to swell,
Like ill-instructed bard, in sarcasms tell
Of magic circlings, and screech-owls malign,
Crying, ‘O how unfit for prayers divine!’
Harsh enemy, how savagely you fight!
Shall we reply naught to thee? We own all: goodnight! G.
XXIV. Ad Fratres.
On the Brethren.
Fine age! on all sides brethren stand — no less.
Papists and Puritans each theirs possess.
So now ‘Good brother’ you may hear all round;
Though nought more rare than brotherly love is found.
R. WI.
XXV. De labe maculisque.
On Spots and Blemishes.
Small spots and blemishes in us appear;
Why, is this wonderful? we’re travellers here.
Is not Christ’s blood to wash the stains away
Which the soul takes from contact with base clay?
Ye’re Puritans indeed! Appropriate style
Which the crowd decks you with! But list awhile.
Once an astronomer, as he eyes long
The spots which to the silvery moon belong,
Falls in a ditch; with mire all cover’d o’er,
Of spots upon the moon he thinks no more.
The Church of England is to me the moon:
Follow the fable — and fulfil it soon!
R. WI.
XXVI. De Musica Sacra.
Concerning Sacred Music.
Deucalion, why, with wondrous hand,
When their old hanks the waves withstand,
The rocks and useless stones dost take,
And thence the human figure make?
Nay, kindly our old forms restore,
Leave us the stones we were of yore;
For rocks the voice of song admire,
Rocks answer to the lute and lyre.
The stedfast cliffs and flints, they say,
Stirr’d by some mighty moving lay,
Through lake and wilderness and wood
The sweet-voic’d Orpheus once pursu’d.
And shaggy rocks
from mountains dire,
Smit by Amphion’s noble lyre,
While ancient Thebes they gather’d round,
A strong protecting wall were found.
To cruel mankind it remains
God’s House to rob of hallow’d strains;
Yea, and they blush not when, alas,
E’en rocks in hardness they surpass.
O Music, of all graces blent,
Of noble souls blest aliment,
Whither dost whisper me away
To celebrate thy praise to-day?
Thou, goddess, dost the soul divorce
From contact with the body coarse,
And oft in heaven dost bid it rest;
The stars ask: ‘Who i
s this new guest?
Exultant o’er his whelmed foes,
Moses, with zeal inspir’d, arose,
And summon’d Israel’s sacred throng
To lift on high their timbrell’d song.
What’s this? Psalms do I hear? — O feast!
O balsam of the drooping breast!
Sweet bits of heaven and dewdrops clear
Down-sliding from a happier sphere;
Which David, the Lord’s own delight —
Of pious kings the pride and might —
Seated on Zion’s turrets high,
Mix’d with his harp melodiously.
The sound amazes Ocean near,
And Jordan stays his stream to hear;
Tiber to Jordan veils his face,
And Po is cover’d with disgrace.
Your barbarous ears, strange race, d’ye close,
And not one hears? Hymns ye oppose,
That ye the time may lengthen out,
To beat the pulpit and to shout.
To wonder, surely, men may cease,
That minds, the drums of public peace,
Fill’d full of all discordant hate,
No harmony can tolerate! R. WI.
XXVII. De eadem.
Concerning the same.
Our sacred songs are bellowings, dost thou say?
To bellow I think better far than bray. — R.WI.
XXVIII. De Rituum Usu.
Concerning the Use of Ceremonies.
When Cæsar steer’d to Britain’s shore,
With his great fleet in days of yore,
Seeing the natives of the place
To have of clothing not a trace,
He cried out as they caught his eye,
‘O certain and easy victory!’
Just so, the Puritans austere,
While they the Lord’s Spouse would strip bare
Of all ceremonies holy, ——
Howe’er reverent and lowly;
Seeking with perverse earnestness,
Such as nor God nor man may bless
Forefathers’ rudeness primitive
To go back on, and revive.
Thus would they straightway her expose,
Destitute of seemly clothes,
To the Devil and enemies,
Conqu’ring easily as so she lies.
But, good friends, false is your zeal,
Far otherwise ought ye to feel,
If Holy Scripture rule your minds,
And to its precepts conscience binds;
For Scripture precepts plainly say,
Clothing from no one take away;
Nay, that to naked and to needy
We succour give and clothing speedy. G.
XXIX. De Annulo Conjugali.
Concerning the Wedding-Ring.
Of wedlock’s symbol dost thou not approve?
So small a pledge wilt thou deny to love?
If no signs please thee, bid the braided bow
Which stays the rain of heaven to hide its glow.
A ring and rainbow well may go together,
Both may be tokens of the coming weather.
So, if you spare the bow, our symbol spare,
Which may a meaning not unlike it hear;
Since those whom hurtful love in mire had drown’d
Before the comfort of a wife was found,
The ring may rescue, and lust’s waves arrest,
Of lawful marriage joy the symbol blest. R. WI.
XXX. De Mundis et Mundanis.
Concerning Puritans and Worldlings.
To strife of fire and water, naturalists say,
Calm atmosphere is due;
So from a Worldling and a Puritan may
Be found a Christian true. R. WI.
XXXI. De Oratione Dominica.
Concerning the Lord’s Prayer.
The Pray’r of the Lord Jesus sevenfold
More excellent than shield of Ajax old
For wretched ones; Pray’r which with His own voice
He gave to cause His innocent Flock rejoice, —
Who would believe mortals should it neglect,
Nay, as ‘twere e’en an evil thing, reject?
Those holy words He, Ever-living One,
Ere He left earth, ascending to His throne,
Bestow’d — nought sweeter had He to bestow —
That we might none of us unsuccour’d go:
Pledges of Heaven, giving joy below.
As Puritans their God, who would treat friend,
Daring Love’s sacred symbol thus to rend?
Beware, lest while God’s words thou dost deny,
The Word of God deny thee from on high!
XXXII. In Catharum quendam.
To a certain Puritan.
When thou dost preach in church, the sweat runs down
Thy handkerchief and bands and coat and gown.
A little heat be to the rest allow’d;
Thou only dost perspire — stark sits the crowd, R. WI.
XXXIII. De Lupa lustri Vaticani.
Concerning the She-Wolf of the Vatican Puddle.
Is there no bound or blush to calumny?
Shall ‘Roman she-wolf’ be your ceaseless cry?
Vain are your fears! We know with equal care
To sail by that Charybdis, and beware
Your Scylla; with our darts prepar’d alike
The British fox and Roman wolf to strike;
And our sincerity to carry home,
Here is a stinging anagram on Rome. R. WI.
XXXIV. De Impositione Manuum.
Concerning Imposition of Hands.
And so this emblem meet of fostering love
Thou thinkest needful also to reprove?
But to impose pure hands, ‘twill be allow’d,
Excels your way, — to impose on the dull crowd.
Such imposition, surely all will say,
Is better than imposture, any day. R. WI.
XXXV. Supplicum Ministroram Raptus κωμωδούμα,ος.
The Petitioning Ministers’ Taking-off: treated as a Comedy.
The progress of a Puritan, his round,
In these five acts is regularly found.
i. — First, he is scarcely pleas’d with some one rite,
And then and there he meditates a flight.
ii. — Soon all displease. When this awhile has grown,
III. Muttering in secret corners with his own,
He seeks withdrawal. Hotter grows the play,
iv. — He bursts forth now, unable there to stay,
v. — And roams the woods. Then every clasp being rent
Before the Spirit, see him straightway bent
To Amsterdam to mend them. Meanwhile hark
What ‘Plaudits’ follow his departing bark! R. WI.
XXXVI. De Auctorum Enumeratione.
On the Enumeration of Authors.
The more to give thy envious charges way,
Great names upon thy side thou dost display;
World-famous Calvin, Bucer erudite,
Martyr and Beza, thy own chief delight,
Who yet ‘gainst us stoutly refuse to fight.
Whitaker, nam’d with a false quantity,
Bank’d with our party you may always see.
We too might muster-up a long array,
If numbers, and not spirit, won the day.
Foe to all Pharisees first see Christ stand,
Girt with His loving Apostolic band;
While Peter opens the twin gates of war,
Paul with drawn sword to battle calls from far;
Next go the Fathers in a mighty square,
And all Antiquity, in arms, is there;
What ancient can raw innovators bear?
How Constantine with his vast host draws nigh,
The Cross thou hatest on a spear rais’d high;
Augustine, hastening, hurls against the foe
The torch which o’er his midn
ight task would glow
In strains alternate, praising God, Ambrose,
Mindless of dew from classic hives which flows,
Nurses his wrath against you as he goes;
And for the fight, this present living age
Succour untold on our side can engage;
James, in whose soul Godhead and genius blend,
With mind and hand the true faith will defend.
To sacred war hear sacred Music call;
Without whose aid your poor ranks falter all.
Order, which you despise, fights on our side;
Order is wont great battles to decide.
O ye poor strengthless ones! the issue know,
Which Ovid sang to such arms long ago:
Behold, to battle one day sent them all,
And, sent to battle, one day saw them fall! R. WI.
XXXVII. De Anri sacra Fame.
Concerning the accursed Hunger for Gold.
Your satire ends with avarice, and you say
That our endowments must be cut away,
The Æacus of this our modern day.
To thee and thine the rest I will condone;
But for such sacrilegious verse, I own,
Devouring fire must be reserv’d alone. R. WI.
XXXVIII. Ad Scotiam Protrepticon ad Pacem.
To Scotland: an Exhortation to Peace.
Scotland, outstretcht beneath the freezing North,
Why such immoderate Church-heat dost put forth?
By force of contraries do thy flames glow,
As hands benumb’d have gather’d warmth from snow?
Or as in frosts more heat from coal we feel,
Does thy chill climate sharpen-up thy zeal?
Nay, quench thy hurtful flames, water is nigh,
On either hand contiguous oceans lie.
Or, better still, Christ’s blood pour’d down from heaven,
A nearer and a nobler stream is given;
Lest if thy flames, stirr’d by new fans, should grow,
Earth from your fire to untimely ruin go. R. WI.
XXXIX. Ad seductos Innocentes.
To Innocent ones led astray.
O innocent minds, who this earth’s tumults thread
With fair white life by faith unspotted led,
Far be it my words should hurt your modesty,
George Herbert- Collected Poetical Works Page 26
