The Complete Works of Richard Crashaw Volume I Part 10

'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 s.h.i.+ne here, In the heaven of Marie's eye, a TEARE.

NOTES AND ILl.u.s.tRATIONS.

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 As stated in relative foot-note, I have withdrawn the former from 'The Weeper.'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 pa.s.sed. 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 n.o.bis 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 G.o.d, 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 euer 10 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 G.o.d! 30 interpose, I pray Thee, Thine Own pretious death, Thy crosse and pa.s.sion, 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 35 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 G.o.d, 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.