_1635-54:_ _no stop_,
_1669_]
[57 animate?
_1669_]
[57 animate?
John Donne
80
So, if our griefs wee do not well declare,
We'have double excuse; he'is not dead; and we are.
Yet I would not dy yet; for though I bee
Too narrow, to thinke him, as hee is hee,
(Our Soules best baiting, and midd-period, 85
In her long journey, of considering God)
Yet, (no dishonour) I can reach him thus,
As he embrac'd the fires of love, with us.
Oh may I, (since I live) but see, or heare,
That she-Intelligence which mov'd this spheare, 90
I pardon Fate, my life: Who ere thou bee,
Which hast the noble conscience, thou art shee,
I conjure thee by all the charmes he spoke,
By th'oathes, which onely you two never broke,
By all the soules yee sigh'd, that if you see 95
These lines, you wish, I knew your history.
So much, as you, two mutuall heav'ns were here,
I were an Angell, singing what you were.
[Epicedes _&c. _ _1635-69:_ Elegie upon _&c. _ _1613_, _in the_
Lachrymae Lachrymarum _&c. of Joshua Sylvester_. _See note:_
Elegie on Prince Henry. _1633-54_, _O'F:_ _similarly_, _Cy_,
_N_, _TCD:_ An Elegie on the untimely _&c. _ _1669_]
[8 man _1633-69:_ men _1613_]
[17 neare] nere _1633_]
[18 that _1633-69:_ the _1613_]
[19 might credit _1633-69:_ could credit _1613_]
[21 moving _1633-69:_ movings _1613_]
[22 shake, _1650-69:_ shake. _1633-39_]
[26 extasie _Ed:_ exstasie, _1633-69_]
[31 bent; _Ed:_ bent, _1613_, _1633-69_]
[34 through _1613-33:_ to _1635-69_
Christianity? _1669:_ Christianity: _1633-54_]
[42 did _1633:_ should _1613_, _1635-69_]
[44 great-grand-mother, _1613:_ great grand mother, _1633:_
great grand-mother, _1635-69_]
[46 us;] us, _1633_]
[48 to dy? _Ed:_ to dy. _1633:_ to die!
_1635-54:_ _no stop_,
_1669_]
[57 animate? ] animate; _1633_]
[66 Of _1633-69:_ With _1613_]
[67 as, _1613:_ as _1633-69_]
[69 So is't to] So is' to _1669_]
[71 Fate _1633-69:_ Faith _1613_]
[72 thinks; _Ed:_ thinks, _1613_, _1633-69_]
[73 come, _1633-69:_ joine; _1613_
so steale in _1633-69:_ to steal-in _1613_]
[77 proofe _1633-69:_ proofes _1613_]
[78 some. _1633:_ some, _1635-69_]
[80 hee. _1633:_ hee, _1635-69_]
[82 and we are. _1633-54:_ we are. _1613_, _1669_]
[83 I would not _1633-54:_ would not I _1669_]
[91 Who _Ed:_ who _1633-69_]
[92 shee, _1633-69:_ she. _Chambers_]
[97 So much, as you, _1633-69:_ So, much as you _Chambers_]
_To the Countesse of_ Bedford.
MADAME,
_I have learn'd by those lawes wherein I am a[1] little conversant,
that hee which bestowes any cost upon the dead, obliges him which is
dead, but not the[2] heire; I do not therefore send this paper to your
Ladyship, that you should thanke mee for it, or thinke that I thanke
you in it; your favours and benefits to mee are so much above my
merits, that they are even above my gratitude, if that were to be
judged by words which must expresse it: But, Madame, since your noble
brothers fortune being yours, the evidences also concerning it are
yours,[3] so his vertue[4] being yours, the evidences concerning
it,[5] belong also to you, of which by your acceptance this may be one
peece, in which quality I humbly present it, and as a testimony how
intirely your familie possesseth_
Your Ladiships most humble
and thankfull servant
JOHN DONNE.
[To the Countesse _&c. _ _1633-69_, _and in most of the MSS. as
next page_]
[Footnote 1: a _1633-54:_ _om. 1669_]
[Footnote 2: the] his _1669_]
[Footnote 3: yours, _1633:_ yours: _1635-69_]
[Footnote 4: vertue _1633:_ vertues _1635-69_]
[Footnote 5: it, _1633:_ that _1635-69_]
_Obsequies to the Lord Harrington, brother to the Lady Lucy,
Countesse of Bedford. _
Faire soule, which wast, not onely, as all soules bee,
Then when thou wast infused, harmony,
But did'st continue so; and now dost beare
A part in Gods great organ, this whole Spheare:
If looking up to God; or downe to us, 5
Thou finde that any way is pervious,
Twixt heav'n and earth, and that mans actions doe
Come to your knowledge, and affections too,
See, and with joy, mee to that good degree
Of goodnesse growne, that I can studie thee, 10
And, by these meditations refin'd,
Can unapparell and enlarge my minde,
And so can make by this soft extasie,
This place a map of heav'n, my selfe of thee.
Thou seest mee here at midnight, now all rest; 15
Times dead-low water; when all mindes devest
To morrows businesse, when the labourers have
Such rest in bed, that their last Church-yard grave,
Subject to change, will scarce be'a type of this,
Now when the clyent, whose last hearing is 20
To morrow, sleeps, when the condemned man,
(Who when hee opes his eyes, must shut them than
Againe by death,) although sad watch hee keepe,
Doth practice dying by a little sleepe,
Thou at this midnight seest mee, and as soone 25
As that Sunne rises to mee, midnight's noone,
All the world growes transparent, and I see
Through all, both Church and State, in seeing thee;
And I discerne by favour of this light,
My selfe, the hardest object of the sight. 30
God is the glasse; as thou when thou dost see
Him who sees all, seest all concerning thee,
So, yet unglorified, I comprehend
All, in these mirrors of thy wayes, and end.
Though God be our true glasse, through which we see 35
All, since the beeing of all things is hee,
Yet are the trunkes which doe to us derive
Things, in proportion fit, by perspective,
Deeds of good men; for by their living here,
Vertues, indeed remote, seeme to be neare.
So, if our griefs wee do not well declare,
We'have double excuse; he'is not dead; and we are.
Yet I would not dy yet; for though I bee
Too narrow, to thinke him, as hee is hee,
(Our Soules best baiting, and midd-period, 85
In her long journey, of considering God)
Yet, (no dishonour) I can reach him thus,
As he embrac'd the fires of love, with us.
Oh may I, (since I live) but see, or heare,
That she-Intelligence which mov'd this spheare, 90
I pardon Fate, my life: Who ere thou bee,
Which hast the noble conscience, thou art shee,
I conjure thee by all the charmes he spoke,
By th'oathes, which onely you two never broke,
By all the soules yee sigh'd, that if you see 95
These lines, you wish, I knew your history.
So much, as you, two mutuall heav'ns were here,
I were an Angell, singing what you were.
[Epicedes _&c. _ _1635-69:_ Elegie upon _&c. _ _1613_, _in the_
Lachrymae Lachrymarum _&c. of Joshua Sylvester_. _See note:_
Elegie on Prince Henry. _1633-54_, _O'F:_ _similarly_, _Cy_,
_N_, _TCD:_ An Elegie on the untimely _&c. _ _1669_]
[8 man _1633-69:_ men _1613_]
[17 neare] nere _1633_]
[18 that _1633-69:_ the _1613_]
[19 might credit _1633-69:_ could credit _1613_]
[21 moving _1633-69:_ movings _1613_]
[22 shake, _1650-69:_ shake. _1633-39_]
[26 extasie _Ed:_ exstasie, _1633-69_]
[31 bent; _Ed:_ bent, _1613_, _1633-69_]
[34 through _1613-33:_ to _1635-69_
Christianity? _1669:_ Christianity: _1633-54_]
[42 did _1633:_ should _1613_, _1635-69_]
[44 great-grand-mother, _1613:_ great grand mother, _1633:_
great grand-mother, _1635-69_]
[46 us;] us, _1633_]
[48 to dy? _Ed:_ to dy. _1633:_ to die!
_1635-54:_ _no stop_,
_1669_]
[57 animate? ] animate; _1633_]
[66 Of _1633-69:_ With _1613_]
[67 as, _1613:_ as _1633-69_]
[69 So is't to] So is' to _1669_]
[71 Fate _1633-69:_ Faith _1613_]
[72 thinks; _Ed:_ thinks, _1613_, _1633-69_]
[73 come, _1633-69:_ joine; _1613_
so steale in _1633-69:_ to steal-in _1613_]
[77 proofe _1633-69:_ proofes _1613_]
[78 some. _1633:_ some, _1635-69_]
[80 hee. _1633:_ hee, _1635-69_]
[82 and we are. _1633-54:_ we are. _1613_, _1669_]
[83 I would not _1633-54:_ would not I _1669_]
[91 Who _Ed:_ who _1633-69_]
[92 shee, _1633-69:_ she. _Chambers_]
[97 So much, as you, _1633-69:_ So, much as you _Chambers_]
_To the Countesse of_ Bedford.
MADAME,
_I have learn'd by those lawes wherein I am a[1] little conversant,
that hee which bestowes any cost upon the dead, obliges him which is
dead, but not the[2] heire; I do not therefore send this paper to your
Ladyship, that you should thanke mee for it, or thinke that I thanke
you in it; your favours and benefits to mee are so much above my
merits, that they are even above my gratitude, if that were to be
judged by words which must expresse it: But, Madame, since your noble
brothers fortune being yours, the evidences also concerning it are
yours,[3] so his vertue[4] being yours, the evidences concerning
it,[5] belong also to you, of which by your acceptance this may be one
peece, in which quality I humbly present it, and as a testimony how
intirely your familie possesseth_
Your Ladiships most humble
and thankfull servant
JOHN DONNE.
[To the Countesse _&c. _ _1633-69_, _and in most of the MSS. as
next page_]
[Footnote 1: a _1633-54:_ _om. 1669_]
[Footnote 2: the] his _1669_]
[Footnote 3: yours, _1633:_ yours: _1635-69_]
[Footnote 4: vertue _1633:_ vertues _1635-69_]
[Footnote 5: it, _1633:_ that _1635-69_]
_Obsequies to the Lord Harrington, brother to the Lady Lucy,
Countesse of Bedford. _
Faire soule, which wast, not onely, as all soules bee,
Then when thou wast infused, harmony,
But did'st continue so; and now dost beare
A part in Gods great organ, this whole Spheare:
If looking up to God; or downe to us, 5
Thou finde that any way is pervious,
Twixt heav'n and earth, and that mans actions doe
Come to your knowledge, and affections too,
See, and with joy, mee to that good degree
Of goodnesse growne, that I can studie thee, 10
And, by these meditations refin'd,
Can unapparell and enlarge my minde,
And so can make by this soft extasie,
This place a map of heav'n, my selfe of thee.
Thou seest mee here at midnight, now all rest; 15
Times dead-low water; when all mindes devest
To morrows businesse, when the labourers have
Such rest in bed, that their last Church-yard grave,
Subject to change, will scarce be'a type of this,
Now when the clyent, whose last hearing is 20
To morrow, sleeps, when the condemned man,
(Who when hee opes his eyes, must shut them than
Againe by death,) although sad watch hee keepe,
Doth practice dying by a little sleepe,
Thou at this midnight seest mee, and as soone 25
As that Sunne rises to mee, midnight's noone,
All the world growes transparent, and I see
Through all, both Church and State, in seeing thee;
And I discerne by favour of this light,
My selfe, the hardest object of the sight. 30
God is the glasse; as thou when thou dost see
Him who sees all, seest all concerning thee,
So, yet unglorified, I comprehend
All, in these mirrors of thy wayes, and end.
Though God be our true glasse, through which we see 35
All, since the beeing of all things is hee,
Yet are the trunkes which doe to us derive
Things, in proportion fit, by perspective,
Deeds of good men; for by their living here,
Vertues, indeed remote, seeme to be neare.
