The Complete Works of Richard Crashaw Volume II Part 51

ANOTHER VERSION.

See how a circle tends, Beginning as it ends: Behold a virgin womb; Behold a virgin tomb; Behold, and wonder at the truth, A Joseph was espous'd to both! G.

LV.

_In Sanctum igneis linguis descendentem Spiritum._ Act. ii. 3.

Absint, qui ficto simulant pia pectora vultu, Ignea quos luteo pectore lingua beat.

Hoc potius mea vota rogant, mea thura petessunt, Ut mihi sit mea mens ignea, lingua luti.

_On the Holy Spirit descending in fiery tongues._

Begone, who goodness feign with a false face, Whom fiery tongues in earthy bosom grace.

This rather all my prayers and gifts desire, A tongue of earth, if but my heart be fire. R. WI.

LVI.

LIFE FOR DEATH.[91]

_Whosoever will loose his life, &c._ Matt. xvi. 25.

Soe I may gaine Thy death, my life I'le giue,-- My life's Thy death, and in Thy death I liue; Or else, my life, I'le hide thee in His graue, By three daies losse aeternally to saue. CR.

LVII.

ON THE DIVINE LOVE: AFTER H. HUGO.[92]

_In amorem divinum_ (Hermannus Hugo).

aeternall Loue! what 'tis to loue Thee well, None but himselfe who feeles it, none can tell.

But oh, what to be lou'd of Thee as well, None, not himselfe who feeles it, none can tell. CR.

Latin Poems.

PART FIRST. SACRED.

III.

HITHERTO UNCOLLECTED.

1648.

NOTE.

Whether intentionally, or with his usual carelessness, the two following important and characteristic Poems are not given in Turnbull's edition; and they seem entirely to have escaped the knowledge of even admirers of Crashaw. They appeared originally in the 'Steps of the Temple' of 1648 (pp. 103-105), and were naturally excluded from the Paris collection of 1652, and overlooked in the edition of 1670. See their biographic significance in our Essay in the present Volume. For the second translation (viz. of Baptismus &c.) I tender thanks to my good friend Rev. J.H. Clark, M.A., as before; the other and somewhat difficult one (Fides &c.) I have myself done. G.

FIDES, QUAE SOLA JUSTIFICAT, NON EST SINE SPE ET DILECTIONE.

Nam neque tam sola est. O quis male censor amarus Jam socias negat in mutua sceptra ma.n.u.s?

Deme Fidem; nec aget, nec erit jam nomen Amoris: Et vel erit, vel aget quid sine Amore Fides?

Ergo, Amor, i, morere; i, magnas, Puer alme, per umbras 5 Elysiis non tam numen inane locis.

O bene, quod pharetra hoc saltem tua praestat et arcus, Ne tibi in extremos sit pyra nulla rogos!

O bene, quod tuus has saltem tibi providet ignis, In tu quas possis funera ferre faces! 10 Durus es, ah, quisquis tam dulcia vincula solvis; Quae ligat, et quibus est ipse ligatus Amor.

O bene junctarum divortia saeva sororum, Tam penitus mixtas quae tenuere ma.n.u.s!

Nam quae, tam varia, in tam mutua viscera vivunt? 15 Aut ubi, quae duo sunt, tam prope sunt eadem?

Alternis sese circ.u.m amplectuntur in ulnis: Extraque et supra, subter et intus eunt.

Non tam Nympha tenax, Baccho jam mista marito, Abdidit in liquidos mascula vina sinus. 20 Compare jam dempto, saltem sua murmura servat Turtur, et in viduos vivit amara modos.

At Fidei sit demptus Amor; non illa dolebit, Non erit impatiens aegraque; jam moritur.

Palma, marem cui tristis hyems procul abstulit umbram, 25 Protinus in viridem procubuit faciem?

Undique circ.u.mfert caput, omnibus annuit Euris; Siqua maritalem misceat aura comam: Ah misera, expectat longum, lentumque expirat, Et demum totis excut.i.tur foliis. 30 At sine Amore Fides nec tantum vivere perstat, Quo dici possit vel moritura Fides.

Mortua jam nunc est: nisi demum mortua non est Corporea haec, anima deficiente, domus.

Corpore ab hoc Fidei hanc animam si demis Amoris, 35 Jam tua sola quidem est, sed male sola Fides.

Hectore ab hoc, currus quem jam nunc sent.i.t Achillis, Hectora eum speres quem modo sensit herus?

Tristes exuvias, Oetaei frusta furoris, Va.n.u.s, in Alcidae nomen et acta vocas? 40 Vel satis in monstra haec, plus quam Nemeaea, malorum Hoc Fidei torvum et triste cadaver erit?

Immo, Fidem usque suos velut ipse Amor ardet amores; Sic in Amore fidem comprobat ipsa Fides.

ERGO:

Illa Fides vacua quae sola superbiat aula, 45 Quam Spes desperet, quam nee amabit Amor; Sola Fides haec, tam misere, tam desolate Sola, quod ad nos est, sola sit usque licet.

A sociis quae sola suis, a se quoque sola est.

Quae sibi tam nimia est, sit mihi nulla Fides. 50

NOTE.

In line 10 we have corrected an evident but long-continued misprint in the original text of 'In tu aquas' by reading 'In tu quas,' and translate accordingly. G.

TRANSLATION.

FAITH, WHICH ALONE JUSTIFIES,

EXISTS NOT WITHOUT HOPE AND LOVE.

That Faith which only justifies A sinner as in guilt he lies, Bow'd aneath the awful blood, Clinging to the uplifted rood, Is not alone so as nor Love Nor heavenly Hope may in it move, To thrill with touch of ecstasy The bruised heart, the swimming eye.

What, censor! bitter to ill end, Dost thou thy dogma still defend?

And wouldest thou to hands allied Mutual sceptres see denied, Snapping betwixt Faith and Love The tie that binds them from Above?

I tell thee nay, stone-hearted one, The Faith of Christ is not alone: Take Faith away, and Love will sigh; Take Hope away, and Faith will die; Take Faith away, Love will do naught; Take Love away, and Faith's distraught: For I tell thee, vain sophister, They're as sister unto sister.