The Complete Works of Richard Crashaw Volume II Part 16

x.x.xII.

_Ad S. Andream piscatorem._ Marc. i. 16.

Quippe potes pulchre captare et fallere pisces; Centum illic discis lubricus ire dolis.

Heus, bone piscator! tendit sua retia Christus: Artem inverte, et jam tu quoque disce capi.

_To S. Andrew, fisherman._

How cleverly the fishes he beguiles!

He learns to use a hundred cunning wiles.

Ho, thou good Fisher: Christ casts out His net; Now haste thou to be caught; for thee 'tis set. G.

x.x.xIII.

_Ego sum vox, &c._ Joan. i. 23.

Vox ego sum, dicis: tu vox es, sancte Joannes?

Si vox es, genitor cur tibi mutus erat?

Ista tui fuerant quam mira silentia patris!

Vocem non habuit tunc quoque c.u.m genuit.

_I am the voice._

'I am the voice,' thou sayest. Thou holy John, If voice thou art, why was thy father dumb?

O silence strange! which as I muse upon, I see thy voice from G.o.d, not man, did come. G.

x.x.xIV.

_Vincula sponte decidunt._ Act. xii. 7.

Qui ferro Petrum c.u.mulas, durissime custos, A ferro disces mollior esse tuo.

Ecce fluit, nodisque suis evolvitur ultro: I, fatue, et vinc'lis vincula pone tuis.

_The chains spontaneously fall off._

Who loadest him with chains, thou jailer stern, To be more kind e'en from those chains shalt learn.

Lo, they dissolve, and their own knots untie.

Go, fool, and chains with chains to fetter try. G.

x.x.xV.

IN DIEM OMNIUM SANCTORUM.

_Ne laedite terrain, neque mare, neque arbores, quousque obsignaverimus servos Dei nostri in frontibus suis._ Rev. vii. 3.

Nusquam immitis agat ventus sua murmura, nusquam Sylva tremat, crispis sollicitata comis.

Aequa Thetis placide allabens ferat oscula Terrae; Terra suos Thetidi pandat amica sinus: Undique pax effusa piis volet aurea pennis, Frons bona dum signo est quaeque notata suo.

Ah, quid in hoc opus est signis aliunde petendis?

Frons bona sat lacrymis quaeque notata suis.

_On All-Saints' Day._

Let wind with murmurs harsh nowhere be heard; Nowhere wood tremble, its curl'd tresses stirr'd.

Calm-flowing Sea greet Earth with kisses bland, Earth unto Sea its bosom kind expand.

Let holy Peace on golden pinions steal, Till each blest brow is mark'd with its own seal.

Ah, why elsewhere for this, need signs be sought?

To each blest brow tears seal enough have brought. R. WI.

x.x.xVI.

_In die Conjurationis sulphureae._

Quam bene dispositis annus dat currere festis!

Post omnes Sanctos omne scelus sequitur.

_Upon the Powder-day._

How fit our well-rank'd Feasts do follow!

All-mischiefe comes after All-Hallow.[50] CR.

x.x.xVII.

_Deus sub utero Virginis._ Luc. i. 31.

Ecce tuus, Natura, pater; pater hic tuus hic est: Ille, uterus matris quem tenet, ille pater.

Pellibus exiguis arctatur Filius ingens, Quem tu non totum, crede, nec ipsa capis.

Quanta uteri, Regina, tui reverentia tec.u.m est, Dum jacet hic coelo sub breviore Deus!

Conscia divino glisc.u.n.t praecordia motu, Nec vehit aethereos sanctior aura polos.

Quam bene sub tecto tibi concipiuntur eodem Vota, et, vota cui concipienda, Deus!

Quod nubes alia, et tanti super atria cli Quaerunt, invenient hoc tua vota domi.

O felix anima haec, quae tam sua gaudia tangit!

Sub conclave suo cui suus ignis adest.

Corpus amet, licet, illa suum, neque sidera malit: Quod vinc'lum est aliis, hoc habet illa domum.

Sola jaces, neque sola; toro quocunque rec.u.mbis, Illo estis positi tuque tuusque toro.

Immo ubi casta tuo posita es c.u.m conjuge conjunx; Quod mirum magis est, es tuus ipsa torus.

_G.o.d in the Virgin's womb._

Thy Father, Nature, here thy Father see: Whom womb of mother holds, thy Father He.

Scant teguments the mighty Son enchain, Whom thou thyself not wholly dost contain.

What reverence, Queen, to thine own womb is given, While G.o.d lies here beneath a lesser heaven!

With sacred motion swells her conscious breast; Nor are the poles upborne by airs more blest.

'Neath the same roof are well conceiv'd by thee Vows, and the G.o.d to whom vows offer'd be.