The Complete Works of Richard Crashaw Volume I Part 9

IX.

Shall I, sett there So deep a share (Dear wounds), and onely now In sorrows draw no diuidend with you?

O be more wise, 85 If not more soft, mine eyes!

Flow, tardy founts! and into decent showres Dissolue my dayes and howres.

And if thou yet (faint soul!) desert To bleed with Him, fail not to weep with her. 90

X.

Rich queen, lend some releife; At least an almes of greif To' a heart who by sad right of sin Could proue the whole summe (too sure) due to him.

By all those stings 95 Of Loue, sweet-bitter things, Which these torn hands transcrib'd on thy true heart; O teach mine too the art To study Him so, till we mix Wounds, and become one crucifix. 100

XI.

O let me suck the wine So long of this chast Vine, Till drunk of the dear wounds, I be A lost thing to the world, as it to me.

O faithfull friend 105 Of me and of my end!

Fold vp my life in loue; and lay't beneath My dear Lord's vitall death.

Lo, heart, thy hope's whole plea! her pretious breath Pour'd out in prayrs for thee; thy Lord's in death. 110

NOTES AND ILl.u.s.tRATIONS.

St. i. line 10. In 1648 the reading is

'Are more at home in her Owne heart.'

In 1670. 'All, more at home in her own heart.' I think 'all' and 'one'

of our text (1652) preferable. There is a world of pathos in the latter.

Cf. st. ii. line 8.

St. ii. line 1. On the change of orthography for rhyme, see our PHINEAS FLETCHER, vol. ii. 206; and our LORD BROOKE, VAUGHAN, &c. &c., show 'then' and 'than' used as in Crashaw.

St. vi. line 3. In 1648 the reading is 'love;' 1670 as our text (1652).

The plural includes the twofold love of Son and mother.

Line 7, ib. 'to' for 'in.'

Line 9, ib. 'Oh give' at commencement. 1670, 'to' for 'too.'

St. vii. and viii. These two stanzas do not appear in 1648 edition, but appear in 1670.

St. vii. line 4. By 'tree' the Cross is meant. Cf. st. i. line 1.

St. ix. line 1. 1648 edition supplies the two words required by the measure of the other stanzas, 'in sins.' They are dropped inadvertently in 1652 and 1670. Turnbull failed as usual to detect the omission.

Line 4. 1648 spells 'Divident.'

Lines 5 and 6. I have accepted correction of our text (1652) from 1648 edition, in line 6, of 'If' for 'Is,' which is also the reading of 1670.

1648 subst.i.tutes 'just' for 'soft;' but 1670 does not adopt it, nor can I.

St. x. line 1. 1648 reads 'Lend, O lend some reliefe.'

Line 9 reads 'To studie thee so.'

St. xi. line 3, ib. reads 'thy' for 'the.'

Line 8, ib. reads 'Thy deare lost vitall death.'

Line 10. I have adopted from 1648 'in thy Lord's death' for 'thy lord's in death' of our text (1652).

Turnbull has some sad misprints in this poem: _e.g._ st. ii. line 4, 'sorrow's' for 'sorrows;' st. iii. line 2, 'death's' for 'deaths;' st.

vi. line 9, 'Me to' for 'Me, too;' st. x. line 2, 'in' for 'an,' and line 3, 'a' mis-inserted before 'sad.' Except in the 'Me to' of st. vi., he had not even the poor excuse of following the text of 1670. G.

THE TEARE.[24]

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?