Ere by the
spheares
time was created, thou
Wast in his minde, who is thy Sonne, and Brother; 10
Whom thou conceiv'st, conceiv'd; yea thou art now
Thy Makers maker, and thy Fathers mother;
Thou'hast light in darke; and shutst in little roome,
_Immensity cloysterd in thy deare wombe_.
Wast in his minde, who is thy Sonne, and Brother; 10
Whom thou conceiv'st, conceiv'd; yea thou art now
Thy Makers maker, and thy Fathers mother;
Thou'hast light in darke; and shutst in little roome,
_Immensity cloysterd in thy deare wombe_.
John Donne
) _See note_]
[4 know, _1675:_ know _1670_]
HOLY SONNETS.
_La Corona. _
1. _Deigne at my hands this crown of prayer and praise_,
Weav'd in my low devout melancholie,
Thou which of good, hast, yea art treasury,
All changing unchang'd Antient of dayes;
But doe not, with a vile crowne of fraile bayes, 5
Reward my muses white sincerity,
But what thy thorny crowne gain'd, that give mee,
A crowne of Glory, which doth flower alwayes;
The ends crowne our workes, but thou crown'st our ends,
For, at our end begins our endlesse rest; 10
The first last end, now zealously possest,
With a strong sober thirst, my soule attends.
'Tis time that heart and voice be lifted high,
_Salvation to all that will is nigh_.
[HOLY SONNETS. _1633-69_, _being general title to the two
groups:_ Holy Sonnets written 20 years since. _H49_. ]
[La Corona. _1633-69_, _A18_, _D_, _H49_, _N_, _S_, _TCC_,
_TCD_, _W:_ The Crowne. _B_, _O'F_, _S96_]
[2 low _1633_, _A18_, _D_, _H49_, _N_, _TC_, _W_ (_spelt_
lowe _in MSS. _): lone _1635-69_, _B_, _O'F_, _S:_ loves
_S96_]
[3 treasury, _1633-69:_ a Treasurie, _B_, _O'F_, _S_, _S96_]
[4 dayes; _Ed:_ dayes, _1633-69_]
[10 For] So _W_ end _1633_, _A18_, _B_, _D_, _H49_, _N_,
_O'F_, _TC_, _W:_ ends _1635-69_, _S96_
rest; _Ed:_ rest, _1633-69_]
[11 The] This _B_, _S_, _S96_, _W_
zealously] soberly _B_, _S96_, _W:_ _O'F corrects_]
[13 heart and voice] voice and heart _B_, _O'F_, _S_, _S96_,
_W_]
[14 _nigh_. ] _nigh_, _1633_]
ANNVNCIATION.
2. _Salvation to all that will is nigh_;
That All, which alwayes is All every where,
Which cannot sinne, and yet all sinnes must beare,
Which cannot die, yet cannot chuse but die,
Loe, faithfull Virgin, yeelds himselfe to lye 5
In prison, in thy wombe; and though he there
Can take no sinne, nor thou give, yet he'will weare
Taken from thence, flesh, which deaths force may trie.
Ere by the spheares time was created, thou
Wast in his minde, who is thy Sonne, and Brother; 10
Whom thou conceiv'st, conceiv'd; yea thou art now
Thy Makers maker, and thy Fathers mother;
Thou'hast light in darke; and shutst in little roome,
_Immensity cloysterd in thy deare wombe_.
[Annunciation. ]
[1 _nigh;_ _1669:_ _nigh_, _1633-54_]
[9 created,] begotten, _B_, _S_, _S96_, _W:_ _O'F corrects_]
[10 Brother; _Ed:_ Brother, _1633-69_]
[11 conceiv'st, _1633:_ conceiv'st _1635-69:_ conceiv'dst,
_O'F_, _S_, _W_, _and Grolier_ conceiv'd;] conceived;
_1635-69_]
[12 mother; _Ed:_ mother, _1633-69_]
NATIVITIE.
3. _Immensitie cloysterd in thy deare wombe_,
Now leaves his welbelov'd imprisonment,
There he hath made himselfe to his intent
Weake enough, now into our world to come;
But Oh, for thee, for him, hath th'Inne no roome? 5
Yet lay him in this stall, and from the Orient,
Starres, and wisemen will travell to prevent
Th'effect of _Herods_ jealous generall doome.
Seest thou, my Soule, with thy faiths eyes, how he
Which fils all place, yet none holds him, doth lye? 10
Was not his pity towards thee wondrous high,
That would have need to be pittied by thee?
Kisse him, and with him into Egypt goe,
_With his kinde mother, who partakes thy woe_.
[Nativitie. ]
[6 this] his _1669_]
[7 will] shall _B_, _O'F_, _S_, _S96_, _W_]
[8 effect _1669_, _A18_, _B_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _S96_, _TC_,
_W:_ effects _1633-54_, _D_, _H49_ jealous] dire and _B_,
_O'F_, _S_, _S96_, _W:_ zealous _A18, N, TC_
doome. ] doome; _1633_]
[9 eyes, _1633_, _B_, _D_, _H49_, _O'F_, _S_, _S96_, _W:_ eye,
_1635-69_, _A18_, _N_, _TC_]
TEMPLE.
4. _With his kinde mother who partakes thy woe_,
_Ioseph_ turne backe; see where your child doth sit,
Blowing, yea blowing out those sparks of wit,
Which himselfe on the Doctors did bestow;
The Word but lately could not speake, and loe, 5
It sodenly speakes wonders, whence comes it,
That all which was, and all which should be writ,
A shallow seeming child, should deeply know?
His Godhead was not soule to his manhood,
Nor had time mellowed him to this ripenesse, 10
But as for one which hath a long taske, 'tis good,
With the Sunne to beginne his businesse,
He in his ages morning thus began
_By miracles exceeding power of man_.
[Temple.
[4 know, _1675:_ know _1670_]
HOLY SONNETS.
_La Corona. _
1. _Deigne at my hands this crown of prayer and praise_,
Weav'd in my low devout melancholie,
Thou which of good, hast, yea art treasury,
All changing unchang'd Antient of dayes;
But doe not, with a vile crowne of fraile bayes, 5
Reward my muses white sincerity,
But what thy thorny crowne gain'd, that give mee,
A crowne of Glory, which doth flower alwayes;
The ends crowne our workes, but thou crown'st our ends,
For, at our end begins our endlesse rest; 10
The first last end, now zealously possest,
With a strong sober thirst, my soule attends.
'Tis time that heart and voice be lifted high,
_Salvation to all that will is nigh_.
[HOLY SONNETS. _1633-69_, _being general title to the two
groups:_ Holy Sonnets written 20 years since. _H49_. ]
[La Corona. _1633-69_, _A18_, _D_, _H49_, _N_, _S_, _TCC_,
_TCD_, _W:_ The Crowne. _B_, _O'F_, _S96_]
[2 low _1633_, _A18_, _D_, _H49_, _N_, _TC_, _W_ (_spelt_
lowe _in MSS. _): lone _1635-69_, _B_, _O'F_, _S:_ loves
_S96_]
[3 treasury, _1633-69:_ a Treasurie, _B_, _O'F_, _S_, _S96_]
[4 dayes; _Ed:_ dayes, _1633-69_]
[10 For] So _W_ end _1633_, _A18_, _B_, _D_, _H49_, _N_,
_O'F_, _TC_, _W:_ ends _1635-69_, _S96_
rest; _Ed:_ rest, _1633-69_]
[11 The] This _B_, _S_, _S96_, _W_
zealously] soberly _B_, _S96_, _W:_ _O'F corrects_]
[13 heart and voice] voice and heart _B_, _O'F_, _S_, _S96_,
_W_]
[14 _nigh_. ] _nigh_, _1633_]
ANNVNCIATION.
2. _Salvation to all that will is nigh_;
That All, which alwayes is All every where,
Which cannot sinne, and yet all sinnes must beare,
Which cannot die, yet cannot chuse but die,
Loe, faithfull Virgin, yeelds himselfe to lye 5
In prison, in thy wombe; and though he there
Can take no sinne, nor thou give, yet he'will weare
Taken from thence, flesh, which deaths force may trie.
Ere by the spheares time was created, thou
Wast in his minde, who is thy Sonne, and Brother; 10
Whom thou conceiv'st, conceiv'd; yea thou art now
Thy Makers maker, and thy Fathers mother;
Thou'hast light in darke; and shutst in little roome,
_Immensity cloysterd in thy deare wombe_.
[Annunciation. ]
[1 _nigh;_ _1669:_ _nigh_, _1633-54_]
[9 created,] begotten, _B_, _S_, _S96_, _W:_ _O'F corrects_]
[10 Brother; _Ed:_ Brother, _1633-69_]
[11 conceiv'st, _1633:_ conceiv'st _1635-69:_ conceiv'dst,
_O'F_, _S_, _W_, _and Grolier_ conceiv'd;] conceived;
_1635-69_]
[12 mother; _Ed:_ mother, _1633-69_]
NATIVITIE.
3. _Immensitie cloysterd in thy deare wombe_,
Now leaves his welbelov'd imprisonment,
There he hath made himselfe to his intent
Weake enough, now into our world to come;
But Oh, for thee, for him, hath th'Inne no roome? 5
Yet lay him in this stall, and from the Orient,
Starres, and wisemen will travell to prevent
Th'effect of _Herods_ jealous generall doome.
Seest thou, my Soule, with thy faiths eyes, how he
Which fils all place, yet none holds him, doth lye? 10
Was not his pity towards thee wondrous high,
That would have need to be pittied by thee?
Kisse him, and with him into Egypt goe,
_With his kinde mother, who partakes thy woe_.
[Nativitie. ]
[6 this] his _1669_]
[7 will] shall _B_, _O'F_, _S_, _S96_, _W_]
[8 effect _1669_, _A18_, _B_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _S96_, _TC_,
_W:_ effects _1633-54_, _D_, _H49_ jealous] dire and _B_,
_O'F_, _S_, _S96_, _W:_ zealous _A18, N, TC_
doome. ] doome; _1633_]
[9 eyes, _1633_, _B_, _D_, _H49_, _O'F_, _S_, _S96_, _W:_ eye,
_1635-69_, _A18_, _N_, _TC_]
TEMPLE.
4. _With his kinde mother who partakes thy woe_,
_Ioseph_ turne backe; see where your child doth sit,
Blowing, yea blowing out those sparks of wit,
Which himselfe on the Doctors did bestow;
The Word but lately could not speake, and loe, 5
It sodenly speakes wonders, whence comes it,
That all which was, and all which should be writ,
A shallow seeming child, should deeply know?
His Godhead was not soule to his manhood,
Nor had time mellowed him to this ripenesse, 10
But as for one which hath a long taske, 'tis good,
With the Sunne to beginne his businesse,
He in his ages morning thus began
_By miracles exceeding power of man_.
[Temple.
