Nor may we hope to sodder still and knit
These two, and dare to breake them; nor must wit
Be colleague to religion, but be it.
These two, and dare to breake them; nor must wit
Be colleague to religion, but be it.
John Donne
_1633_]
[7 That's much; emboldens, _A18_, _N_, _TC:_ That's much,
emboldens, _1633-54:_ That's much emboldness, _1669:_ That's
much, it emboldens, _B_, _P_]
[8 all; Thou _A18_, _N_, _TC:_ all, thou _1633-69_]
[10 goe? Goe, _Ed:_ goe, Goe, _1633-69_]
[14 _reverence_, _Ed:_ _reverence_. _1633:_ _reverence:_
_1635-69_]
[22 mis-speake] mispeake _1633_]
[27 For, _1633:_ From _1635-69_, _and MSS_.
her, _Ed:_ her _1633-69_]
[31 erre, _1669:_ erre _1633-54_]
[40 she alone, _1633:_ she, alone, _1635-69_]
[41 get them, she o'r skip] get them, she do skip _A18_
(doth), _N_, _TC:_ get them, she skip oare _A25_, _C_, _O'F_
(skips): get to them, shee skipp _B_, _P_]
[44 whether _1633:_ whither _1635-69_]
[47 grieves _1633:_ grieve _1635-69_]
_To the Countesse of Bedford. _
Honour is so sublime perfection,
And so refinde; that when God was alone
And creaturelesse at first, himselfe had none;
But as of the elements, these which wee tread,
Produce all things with which wee'are joy'd or fed, 5
And, those are barren both above our head:
So from low persons doth all honour flow;
Kings, whom they would have honoured, to us show,
And but _direct_ our honour, not _bestow_.
For when from herbs the pure part must be wonne 10
From grosse, by Stilling, this is better done
By despis'd dung, then by the fire or Sunne.
Care not then, Madame,'how low your praysers lye;
In labourers balads oft more piety
God findes, then in _Te Deums_ melodie. 15
And, ordinance rais'd on Towers, so many mile
Send not their voice, nor last so long a while
As fires from th'earths low vaults in _Sicil_ Isle.
Should I say I liv'd darker then were true,
Your radiation can all clouds subdue; 20
But one,'tis best light to contemplate you.
You, for whose body God made better clay,
Or tooke Soules stuffe such as shall late decay,
Or such as needs small change at the last day.
This, as an Amber drop enwraps a Bee, 25
Covering discovers your quicke Soule; that we
May in your through-shine front your hearts thoughts see.
You teach (though wee learne not) a thing unknowne
To our late times, the use of specular stone,
Through which all things within without were shown. 30
Of such were Temples; so and of such you are;
_Beeing_ and _seeming_ is your equall care,
And _vertues_ whole _summe_ is but _know_ and _dare_.
But as our Soules of growth and Soules of sense
Have birthright of our reasons Soule, yet hence 35
They fly not from that, nor seeke presidence:
Natures first lesson, so, discretion,
Must not grudge zeale a place, nor yet keepe none,
Not banish it selfe, nor religion.
Discretion is a wisemans Soule, and so 40
Religion is a Christians, and you know
How these are one; her _yea_, is not her _no_.
Nor may we hope to sodder still and knit
These two, and dare to breake them; nor must wit
Be colleague to religion, but be it. 45
In those poor types of God (round circles) so
Religions tipes the peeclesse centers flow,
And are in all the lines which all wayes goe.
If either ever wrought in you alone
Or principally, then religion 50
Wrought your ends, and your wayes discretion.
Goe thither stil, goe the same way you went,
Who so would change, do covet or repent;
Neither can reach you, great and innocent.
[To the Countesse of Bedford. _1633-69_, _B_, _O'F_, _S96:_ To
the Countess of B. _N_, _TCD_]
[10 part] parts _N_, _O'F_, _TCD_]
[12 or Sunne. _1633_, _B_, _N_, _O'F_, _S96_, _TCD:_ or Sun:
_1669:_ of Sunne: _1635-54_, _Chambers_]
[13 praysers _N_, _O'F_, _TCD:_ prayers _S96:_ prayses
_1633-69_]
[16 Towers,] Towers _1633_]
[20-1 subdue; But one, _Ed:_ subdue; But One _Chambers:_
subdue, But one, _1633-69:_ subdue But one; _Grolier and
Grosart_. _See note_]
[26 Covering discovers] Coverings discover _1669_]
[27 your hearts thoughts _B_, _N_, _O'F_, _S96_, _TCD:_ our
hearts thoughts _1633-69_. _See note_]
[31 so and of such _N_, _TCD:_ so and such _1633-69_, _B_,
_O'F_, _S96_]
[33 is but to know and dare. _N_]
[36-7
They fly not from that, nor seeke presidence:
Natures first lesson, so, discretion, _&c. _
_1633-69_ (presidence. _1633_; precedence: _1669_)
They fly not from that, nor seek precedence,
Natures first lesson; so discretion _&c. _
_Chambers and Grolier_ (discretion, _Grolier_). _See note_]
[40-2] _These lines precede_ 34-9 _in_ _1635-69_, _B_, _N_,
_S96_, _TCD:_ _om. O'F_]
[42 one; _Ed:_ one, _1633-69_ _yea, .
[7 That's much; emboldens, _A18_, _N_, _TC:_ That's much,
emboldens, _1633-54:_ That's much emboldness, _1669:_ That's
much, it emboldens, _B_, _P_]
[8 all; Thou _A18_, _N_, _TC:_ all, thou _1633-69_]
[10 goe? Goe, _Ed:_ goe, Goe, _1633-69_]
[14 _reverence_, _Ed:_ _reverence_. _1633:_ _reverence:_
_1635-69_]
[22 mis-speake] mispeake _1633_]
[27 For, _1633:_ From _1635-69_, _and MSS_.
her, _Ed:_ her _1633-69_]
[31 erre, _1669:_ erre _1633-54_]
[40 she alone, _1633:_ she, alone, _1635-69_]
[41 get them, she o'r skip] get them, she do skip _A18_
(doth), _N_, _TC:_ get them, she skip oare _A25_, _C_, _O'F_
(skips): get to them, shee skipp _B_, _P_]
[44 whether _1633:_ whither _1635-69_]
[47 grieves _1633:_ grieve _1635-69_]
_To the Countesse of Bedford. _
Honour is so sublime perfection,
And so refinde; that when God was alone
And creaturelesse at first, himselfe had none;
But as of the elements, these which wee tread,
Produce all things with which wee'are joy'd or fed, 5
And, those are barren both above our head:
So from low persons doth all honour flow;
Kings, whom they would have honoured, to us show,
And but _direct_ our honour, not _bestow_.
For when from herbs the pure part must be wonne 10
From grosse, by Stilling, this is better done
By despis'd dung, then by the fire or Sunne.
Care not then, Madame,'how low your praysers lye;
In labourers balads oft more piety
God findes, then in _Te Deums_ melodie. 15
And, ordinance rais'd on Towers, so many mile
Send not their voice, nor last so long a while
As fires from th'earths low vaults in _Sicil_ Isle.
Should I say I liv'd darker then were true,
Your radiation can all clouds subdue; 20
But one,'tis best light to contemplate you.
You, for whose body God made better clay,
Or tooke Soules stuffe such as shall late decay,
Or such as needs small change at the last day.
This, as an Amber drop enwraps a Bee, 25
Covering discovers your quicke Soule; that we
May in your through-shine front your hearts thoughts see.
You teach (though wee learne not) a thing unknowne
To our late times, the use of specular stone,
Through which all things within without were shown. 30
Of such were Temples; so and of such you are;
_Beeing_ and _seeming_ is your equall care,
And _vertues_ whole _summe_ is but _know_ and _dare_.
But as our Soules of growth and Soules of sense
Have birthright of our reasons Soule, yet hence 35
They fly not from that, nor seeke presidence:
Natures first lesson, so, discretion,
Must not grudge zeale a place, nor yet keepe none,
Not banish it selfe, nor religion.
Discretion is a wisemans Soule, and so 40
Religion is a Christians, and you know
How these are one; her _yea_, is not her _no_.
Nor may we hope to sodder still and knit
These two, and dare to breake them; nor must wit
Be colleague to religion, but be it. 45
In those poor types of God (round circles) so
Religions tipes the peeclesse centers flow,
And are in all the lines which all wayes goe.
If either ever wrought in you alone
Or principally, then religion 50
Wrought your ends, and your wayes discretion.
Goe thither stil, goe the same way you went,
Who so would change, do covet or repent;
Neither can reach you, great and innocent.
[To the Countesse of Bedford. _1633-69_, _B_, _O'F_, _S96:_ To
the Countess of B. _N_, _TCD_]
[10 part] parts _N_, _O'F_, _TCD_]
[12 or Sunne. _1633_, _B_, _N_, _O'F_, _S96_, _TCD:_ or Sun:
_1669:_ of Sunne: _1635-54_, _Chambers_]
[13 praysers _N_, _O'F_, _TCD:_ prayers _S96:_ prayses
_1633-69_]
[16 Towers,] Towers _1633_]
[20-1 subdue; But one, _Ed:_ subdue; But One _Chambers:_
subdue, But one, _1633-69:_ subdue But one; _Grolier and
Grosart_. _See note_]
[26 Covering discovers] Coverings discover _1669_]
[27 your hearts thoughts _B_, _N_, _O'F_, _S96_, _TCD:_ our
hearts thoughts _1633-69_. _See note_]
[31 so and of such _N_, _TCD:_ so and such _1633-69_, _B_,
_O'F_, _S96_]
[33 is but to know and dare. _N_]
[36-7
They fly not from that, nor seeke presidence:
Natures first lesson, so, discretion, _&c. _
_1633-69_ (presidence. _1633_; precedence: _1669_)
They fly not from that, nor seek precedence,
Natures first lesson; so discretion _&c. _
_Chambers and Grolier_ (discretion, _Grolier_). _See note_]
[40-2] _These lines precede_ 34-9 _in_ _1635-69_, _B_, _N_,
_S96_, _TCD:_ _om. O'F_]
[42 one; _Ed:_ one, _1633-69_ _yea, .
