I.
What bright-soft thing is this,
Sweet Mary, thy faire eyes' expence?
A moist sparke it is,
A watry diamond; from whence
The very tearme, I think, was found,5
The water of a diamond.
II.
O, 'tis not a teare:
'Tis a star about to dropp
From thine eye, its spheare;
The sun will stoope and take it up:10
Proud will his sister be, to weare
This thine eyes' iewell in her eare.
III.
O, 'tis a teare,
Too true a teare; for no sad eyne,
How sad so 'ere,15
Raine so true a teare, as thine;
Each drop leaving a place so deare,
Weeps for it self; is its owne teare.
IV.
Such a pearle as this is,
Slipt from Aurora's dewy brest—20
The rose-bud's sweet lipp kisses;
And such the rose it self that's vext
With ungentle flames, does shed,
Sweating in a too warm bed.
V.
Such the maiden gem,25
By the purpling vine put on,
Peeps from her parent stem,
And blushes on the bridegroom sun;
The watry blossome of thy eyne
Ripe, will make the richer wine.30
VI.
Faire drop, why quak'st thou so?
'Cause thou streight must lay thy head
In the dust? O, no!
The dust shall never be thy bed:
A pillow for thee will I bring,35
Stuft with downe of angel's wing.
VII.
Thus carried up on high
(For to Heaven thou must goe),
Sweetly shalt thou lye,
And in soft slumbers bath thy woe,40
Till the singing orbes awake thee,
And one of their bright chorus make thee.
VIII.
There thy selfe shalt bee
An eye, but not a weeping one;
Yet I doubt of thee,45
Whether th' had'st rather there have shone
An eye of heaven; or still shine here,
In the heaven of Marie's eye, a TEARE.
NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
It is to be re-noted that st. v. is identical in all save 'watry' for 'bridegroom' with st. xi. of 'The Weeper' as given in text of 1652, and that st. iv. has two lines from st. xxix. of the same poem. Neither of these stanzas appear in 'The Weeper' of 1646. As stated in relative foot-note, I have withdrawn the former from 'The Weeper.' We may be sure it was inadvertently inserted in 1652, seeing that the very next stanza closes with the same word 'wine' as in it: a fault which our Poet never could have passed. It is to be noticed too that 'The Teare' did not appear in the edition of 1652. By transferring the stanza to 'The Teare' as in 1646, 1648 and 1670 editions, a blemish is removed from 'The Weeper,' while in 'The Teare' it is a vivid addition. The 'such' of line 1 links it naturally on to st. iv. with its 'such.'
Our text follows that of 1648 except in st. v. line 4, where I adopt the reading of 1652 in 'The Weeper' (there st. xi.) of 'bridegroom' (misprinted 'bridegrooms') for 'watry,' and that I correct in st. vii. line 6, the misprint 'the' for 'thee,'—the latter being found in 1646 and 1670. With reference to st. v. again, in line 5 in 'The Weeper' of 1648 the reading is 'balsome' for 'blossom.' The 'ripe' of line 6 settles (I think) that 'blossom' is the right word, as the ripe blossom is = the grape, to the rich lucent-white drops of which the Weeper's tears are likened. 'Balsome' doesn't make wine. I have adopted from st. xi. of 'The Weeper' of 1652 the reading 'the purpling vine' for 'the wanton Spring' of 1646, 1648 and 1670. The Sancroft ms. in st. i. line 2, reads 'expends' for 'expence;' st. iv. line 4, 'that's' for 'when;' st. v. line 4, 'manly sunne' for 'bridegroome,' and line 5, 'thine' for 'thy;' st. viii. line 6, 'I' th'' for 'In th'.' G.
THE OFFICE OF THE HOLY CROSSE.[25]
Tradidit semetipsum pro nobis oblationem et hostiam Deo in odorem suauitatis. Ad Ephe. v. 2.
THE HOWRES.
For the Hovr of Matines.
The Versicle.
Lord, by Thy sweet and sailing sign!
The Responsory.
Defend us from our foes and Thine.
V. Thou shalt open my lippes, O Lord.
R. And my mouth shall shew forth Thy prayse.
V. O God, make speed to saue me.5
R. O Lord, make hast to help me.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the H[oly] Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and euer10
shall be, world without end. Amen.
The Hymn.
The wakefull Matines hast to sing
The unknown sorrows of our King:
The Father's Word and Wisdom, made
Man for man, by man's betraid;15
The World's price sett to sale, and by the bold
Merchants of Death and Sin, is bought and sold:
Of His best freinds (yea of Himself) forsaken;
By His worst foes (because He would) beseig'd and taken.
The Antiphona.
All hail, fair tree,20
Whose fruit we be!
What song shall raise
Thy seemly praise,
Who broughtst to light
Life out of death, Day out of Night!25
The Versicle.
Lo, we adore Thee,
Dread Lamb! and bow thus low before Thee:
The Responsor.
'Cause, by the couenant of Thy crosse,
Thou hast sau'd at once the whole World's losse.
The Prayer.
O Lord Iesv-Christ, Son of the liuing God!30
interpose, I pray Thee, Thine Own pretious death,
Thy crosse and passion, betwixt my soul and Thy
iudgment, now and in the hour of my death. And
vouchsafe to graunt vnto me Thy grace and mercy;
vnto all quick and dead, remission and rest; to Thy35
Church, peace and concord; to vs sinners, life and
glory euerlasting. Who liuest and reignest with
the Father, in the vnity of the Holy Ghost, one
God, world without end. Amen.
For the Hour of Prime.
The Versicle.
Lord, by Thy sweet and sailing sign!40
The Responsor.
Defend vs from our foes and Thine.
V. Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord.
R. And my mouth shall shew forth Thy praise.
V. O God, make speed to save me.
R. O Lord, make hast to help me.45
V. Glory be to, &c.
R. As it was in the, &c.
The Hymn.
The early Prime blushes to say
She could not rise so soon, as they
Call'd Pilat vp; to try if he50
Could lend them any cruelty.
Their hands with lashes arm'd, their toungs with lyes
And loathsom spittle, blott those beauteous eyes,
The blissfull springs of ioy; from whose all-chearing ray
The fair starrs fill their wakefull fires, the sun himself drinks day. 55
The Antiphona.
Victorious sign
That now dost shine,
Transcrib'd aboue
Into the land of light and loue;
O let vs twine60
Our rootes with thine,
That we may rise
Vpon thy wings, and reach the skyes.
The Versicle.
Lo, we adore Thee,
Dread Lamb! and fall65
Thus low before Thee.
The Responsor.
'Cause by the couenant of Thy crosse
Thou hast sau'd at once the whole World's losse.
The Prayer.
O Lord Iesv-Christ, Son of the liuing God!
interpose, I pray Thee, Thine Own pretious death,70
Thy crosse and passion, betwixt my soul and Thy
iudgment, now and in the hour of my death. And
vouchsafe to graunt vnto me Thy grace and mercy;
vnto all quick and dead, remission and rest; to
Thy Church, peace and concord; to vs sinners,75
life and glory euerlasting. Who liuest and reignest
with the Father, in the vnity of the Holy Ghost,
one God, world without end. Amen.
The Third.
The Versicle.
Lord, by Thy sweet and sauing sign,
The Responsor.
Defend vs from our foes and Thine.80
V. Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord.
R. And my mouth shall shew forth Thy praise.
V. O God, make speed to save me.
R. O Lord, make hast to help me.
V. Glory be to, &c.85
R. As it was in the, &c.
The Hymn.
The third hour's deafen'd with the cry
Of crucify Him, crucify.
So goes the vote (nor ask them, why?),
Liue Barabbas! and let God dy.90
But there is witt in wrath, and they will try
A hail more cruell then their crucify.
For while in sport He weares a spitefull crown
The serious showres along His decent Face run sadly down.
The Antiphona.
Christ when He dy'd95
Deceiu'd the Crosse;
And on Death's side
Threw all the losse.
The captiue World awak't and found
The prisoners loose, the iaylor bound.100
The Versicle.
Lo, we adore Thee,
Dread Lamb, and fall
Thus low before Thee.
The Responsor.
'Cause by the couenant of Thy crosse
Thou hast sau'd at once the whole World's losse.105
The Prayer.
O Lord Iesv-Christ, Son of the liuing God!
interpose, I pray Thee, Thine Own pretious death,
Thy crosse and passion, betwixt my soul and Thy
iudgment, now and in the hour of my death. And
vouchsafe to graunt vnto me Thy grace and mercy;110
vnto all quick and dead, remission and rest; to
Thy Church, peace and concord; to vs sinners,
life and glory everlasting. Who liuest and reignest
with the Father, in the vnity of the Holy Ghost,
one God, world without end. Amen.115
The Sixt.
The Versicle.
Lord, by Thy sweet and sauing sign!
The Responsor.
Defend vs from our foes and Thine.
V. Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord.
R. And my mouth shall shew forth Thy praise.
V. O God, make speed to save me!120
R. O Lord, make hast to help me!
V. Glory be to, &c.
R. As it was in the, &c.
The Hymn.
Now is the noon of Sorrow's night:
High in His patience, as their spite,125
Lo, the faint Lamb, with weary limb
Beares that huge tree which must bear Him!
That fatall plant, so great of fame
For fruit of sorrow and of shame,
Shall swell with both, for Him, and mix130
All woes into one crucifix.
Is tortur'd thirst itselfe too sweet a cup?
Gall, and more bitter mocks, shall make it vp.
Are nailes, blunt pens of superficiall smart?
Contempt and scorn can send sure wounds to search the inmost heart.135
The Antiphona.
O deare and sweet dispute
'Twixt Death's and Loue's farr different fruit!
Different as farr
As antidotes and poysons are.
By that first fatall tree140
Both life and liberty
Were sold and slain;
By this they both look vp, and liue again.
The Versicle.
Lo, we adore Thee,
Dread Lamb! and bow thus low before Thee.145
The Responsor.
'Cause by the couenant of Thy crosse,
Thou hast sau'd the World from certain losse.
The Prayer.
O Lord Iesv-Christ, Son of the liuing God!
interpose, I pray Thee, Thine Own pretious death,
Thy crosse and passion, betwixt my soul and Thy150
iudgment, now and in the hour of my death. And
vouchsafe to graunt vnto me Thy grace and mercy;
vnto all quick and dead, remission and rest; to
Thy Church, peace and concord; to vs sinners,
life and glory euerlasting. Who liuest and reignest155
with the Father, in the vnity of the Holy Ghost,
one God, world without end. Amen.
The Ninth.
The Versicle.
Lord, by Thy sweet and sauing sign,
The Responsor.
Defend vs from our foes and Thine.
V. Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord.160
R. And my mouth shall shew forth Thy praise.
V. O God, make speed to save me!
R. O Lord, make hast to help me!
V. Glory be to, &c.
R. As it was in the, &c.165
The Hymn.
The ninth with awfull horror hearkened to those groanes
Which taught attention eu'n to rocks and stones.
Hear, Father, hear! Thy Lamb (at last) complaines
Of some more painfull thing then all His paines.
Then bowes His all-obedient head, and dyes170
His own lou's and our sins' GREAT SACRIFICE.
The sun saw that, and would haue seen no more;
The center shook: her vselesse veil th' inglorious Temple tore.
The Antiphona.
O strange, mysterious strife
Of open Death and hidden Life!175
When on the crosse my King did bleed,
Life seem'd to dy, Death dy'd indeed.[26]
The Versicle.
Lo, we adore Thee,
Dread Lamb! and fall
Thus low before Thee.180
The Responsor.
'Cause by the couenant of Thy crosse
Thou hast sau'd at once the whole World's losse.
The Prayer.
O Lord Iesv-Christ, Son of the liuing God!
interpose, I pray Thee, Thine Own pretious death,
Thy crosse and passion, betwixt my soul and Thy185
iudgment, now and in the hour of my death. And
vouchsafe to graunt vnto me Thy grace and mercy;
vnto all quick and dead, remission and rest; to
Thy Church, peace and concord; to vs sinners,
life and glory euerlasting. Who liuest and reignest190
with the Father, in the vnity of the Holy Ghost,
one God, world without end. Amen.
Evensong.
The Versicle.
Lord, by Thy sweet and sauing sign!
The Responsor.
Defend vs from our foes and Thine.
V. Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord!195
R. And my mouth shall shew forth Thy praise.
V. O God, make speed to save me!
R. O Lord, make hast to help me!
V. Glory be to, &c.
R. As it was in the, &c.200
The Hymn.
But there were rocks would not relent at this:
Lo, for their own hearts, they rend His;
Their deadly hate liues still, and hath
A wild reserve of wanton wrath;
Superfluous spear! But there's a heart stands by205
Will look no wounds be lost, no deaths shall dy.
Gather now thy Greif's ripe fruit, great mother-maid!
Then sitt thee down, and sing thine eu'nsong in the sad tree's shade.
The Antiphona.
O sad, sweet tree!
Wofull and ioyfull we210
Both weep and sing in shade of thee.
When the dear nailes did lock
And graft into thy gracious stock
The hope, the health,
The worth, the wealth215
Of all the ransom'd World, thou hadst the power
(In that propitious hour)
To poise each pretious limb,
And proue how light the World was, when it weighd with Him.
Wide maist thou spred220
Thine armes, and with thy bright and blissfull head
O'relook all Libanus. Thy lofty crown
The King Himself is, thou His humble throne,
Where yeilding and yet conquering He
Prou'd a new path of patient victory:225
When wondring Death by death was slain,
And our Captiuity His captiue ta'ne.
The Versicle.
Lo, we adore Thee,
Dread Lamb! and bow thus low before Thee.
The Responsor.
'Cause by the couenant of Thy crosse230
Thou hast sau'd the World from certain losse.
The Prayer.
O Lord Iesv-Christ, Son of the liuing, &c.
Compline.
The Versicle.
Lord, by Thy sweet and sauing sign!
The Responsor.
Defend vs from our foes and Thine.
V. Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord!235
R. And my mouth shall shew forth Thy praise.
V. O God, make speed to save me!
R. O Lord, make hast to help me!
V. Glory be to, &c.
R. As it was in the, &c.240
The Hymn.
The Complin hour comes last, to call
Vs to our own lives' funerall.
Ah hartlesse task! yet Hope takes head,
And liues in Him that here lyes dead.
Run, Mary, run! Bring hither all the blest245
Arabia, for thy royall phœnix' nest;
Pour on thy noblest sweets, which, when they touch
This sweeter body, shall indeed be such.
But must Thy bed, Lord, be a borrow'd graue
Who lend'st to all things all the life they haue.250
O rather vse this heart, thus farr a fitter stone,
'Cause, though a hard and cold one, yet it is Thine own. Amen.
The Antiphona.
O saue vs then,
Mercyfull King of men!
Since Thou wouldst needs be thus255
A Saviour, and at such a rate, for vs;
Saue vs, O saue vs, Lord.
We now will own no shorter wish, nor name a narrower word;
Thy blood bids vs be bold,
Thy wounds giue vs fair hold,260
Thy sorrows chide our shame:
Thy crosse, Thy nature, and Thy name
Aduance our claim,
And cry with one accord
Saue them, O saue them, Lord!265
The Recommendation.[27]
These Houres, and that which houers o're my end,
Into Thy hands and hart, Lord, I commend.
Take both to Thine account, that I and mine
In that hour, and in these, may be all Thine.
That as I dedicate my deuoutest breath270
To make a kind of life for my Lord's death,
So from His liuing and life-giuing death,
My dying life may draw a new and neuer fleeting breath.
NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
In the original edition of this composition, as supra (1648), it is entitled simply 'Vpon our B[lessed] Saviour's Passion.' What in our text (1652) constitute the Hymns, were originally numbered as seven stanzas. A few various readings from 1648 will be found below. Our text is given in full in 1670 edition, but not very accurately.
Various readings of the Hymns in 1648 'Steps.'
I. Line 1. 'The wakefull dawning hast's to sing.'
" 2. The allusion is to the petition in the old Litanies, 'By all Thine unknown sorrows, good Lord, deliver us.'
" 8. 'betray'd' for 'beseigd:' the former perhaps superior.
II. " 1. 'The early Morne.'
" 2. 'It' for 'she.'
III. " 5. 'ther's' for 'there is.'
IV. " 6. 'The fruit' instead of 'for'—a misprint.
V. " 6. 'our great sins' sacrifice.'
VII. " 1. 'The Nightening houre'—a curious coinage.
In the 'Prayer,' 'unto all quick and dead' is dropped, and reads 'the,' not 'Thy,' Church. In line 55 Turnbull reads 'weakful,' and, line 243, 'heed' for 'head,'—two of a number of provoking blunders in his text. G.
VEXILLA REGIS:
THE HYMN OF THE HOLY CROSSE.[28]