The last line of this
stanza concludes the whole argument which began at l.
stanza concludes the whole argument which began at l.
John Donne
_ In Autumn?
or does Donne refer to the fall
of the sun to the centre in the new Astronomy? In the _Letters_, p.
102, he says that 'Copernicisme in the Mathematiques hath carried
earth farther up from the stupid Center; and yet not honoured it,
because for the necessity of appearances, it hath carried heaven so
much higher from it'. Compare _An Anatomie of the World_, l. 274.
PAGE 202, l. 25. _She guilded us: But you are gold, and Shee;_
The _1633_ reading is the more pregnant, and therefore the more
characteristic of Donne. 'She guilded us, but you she changed into
_her own_ substance. ' The _1635_ reading implies transubstantiation,
but does not indicate so clearly the identity of the new substance
with virtue's own essence.
ll. 33-6. _Else being alike pure, &c. _ This verse follows in the
closest way on what has gone before, and should not be separated from
it by a full stop as in Chambers and Grolier.
The last line of this
stanza concludes the whole argument which began at l. 29. 'The high
grace of virginity indeed is not yours, because virtue, having made
you one with herself, wished in you to reveal herself. Virtue and
Virginity are each too pure for earthly vision. As air and aqueous
vapour are each invisible till both are changed into thickened air or
cloud, so virtue becomes manifest in you as mother and wife. It is for
_our_ sake you take these low names. '
ll. 41-4. _So you, as woman, one doth comprehend, &c. _ 'One, your
husband, comprehends your being. To others it is revealed, but under
the veil of kindred; to still others of friendship; to me, who stand
more remote, under the relationship of prince to subject. '
l. 47. _I, which doe soe. _ The edition of 1633 reads, 'I, which to
you', making a logical and grammatical construction of the sentence
impossible. The editor has failed to note that the personal reference
of 'owe' is supplied in l.
of the sun to the centre in the new Astronomy? In the _Letters_, p.
102, he says that 'Copernicisme in the Mathematiques hath carried
earth farther up from the stupid Center; and yet not honoured it,
because for the necessity of appearances, it hath carried heaven so
much higher from it'. Compare _An Anatomie of the World_, l. 274.
PAGE 202, l. 25. _She guilded us: But you are gold, and Shee;_
The _1633_ reading is the more pregnant, and therefore the more
characteristic of Donne. 'She guilded us, but you she changed into
_her own_ substance. ' The _1635_ reading implies transubstantiation,
but does not indicate so clearly the identity of the new substance
with virtue's own essence.
ll. 33-6. _Else being alike pure, &c. _ This verse follows in the
closest way on what has gone before, and should not be separated from
it by a full stop as in Chambers and Grolier.
The last line of this
stanza concludes the whole argument which began at l. 29. 'The high
grace of virginity indeed is not yours, because virtue, having made
you one with herself, wished in you to reveal herself. Virtue and
Virginity are each too pure for earthly vision. As air and aqueous
vapour are each invisible till both are changed into thickened air or
cloud, so virtue becomes manifest in you as mother and wife. It is for
_our_ sake you take these low names. '
ll. 41-4. _So you, as woman, one doth comprehend, &c. _ 'One, your
husband, comprehends your being. To others it is revealed, but under
the veil of kindred; to still others of friendship; to me, who stand
more remote, under the relationship of prince to subject. '
l. 47. _I, which doe soe. _ The edition of 1633 reads, 'I, which to
you', making a logical and grammatical construction of the sentence
impossible. The editor has failed to note that the personal reference
of 'owe' is supplied in l.
