_The Portrait of a Woman_: I subjoin here the four
passages
found in
manuscript versions of this poem, alluded to in the previous note.
manuscript versions of this poem, alluded to in the previous note.
Robert Herrick
--W.
R.
670. _Tradescant's curious shells_: John Tradescant was a Dutchman,
born towards the close of the sixteenth century. He was appointed
gardener to Charles II. in 1629, and he and his son naturalised many
rare plants in England. Besides botanical specimens he collected all
sorts of curiosities, and opened a museum which he called "Tradescant's
Ark". In 1656, four years after his death, his son published a catalogue
of the collection under the title, "Museum Tradescantianum: or, a
collection of rarities preserved at South Lambeth, near London, by John
Tradescant". After the son's death the collection passed into the hands
of Ashmole, and became the nucleus of the present Ashmolean Museum at
Oxford.
802. _Any way for Wealth. _ A variation on Horace's theme: "Rem facias,
rem, si possis, recte, si non quocunque modo, rem". 1 Epist. i. 66.
_The Portrait of a Woman_: I subjoin here the four passages found in
manuscript versions of this poem, alluded to in the previous note. As
said before, they do not improve the poem. After l. 45, "Bearing aloft
this rich round world of wonder," we have these four lines:
In which the veins implanted seem to lie
Like loving vines hid under ivory,
So full of claret, that whoso pricks this vine
May see it spout forth streams like muscadine.
Twelve lines later, after "Riphean snow," comes a longer passage:
Or else that she in that white waxen hill
Hath seal'd the primrose of her utmost skill.
But now my muse hath spied a dark descent
From this so precious, pearly, permanent,
A milky highway that direction yields
Unto the port-mouth of the Elysian fields:
A place desired of all, but got by these
Whom love admits to the Hesperides;
Here's golden fruit, that doth exceed all price,
Growing in this love-guarded paradise;
Above the entrance there is written this:
This is the portal to the bower of bliss,
Through midst whereof a crystal stream there flows
Passing the sweet sweet of a musky rose.
With plump, soft flesh, of metal pure and fine,
Resembling shields, both pure and crystalline.
Hence rise those two ambitious hills that look
Into th' middle, sweet, sight-stealing crook,
Which for the better beautifying shrouds
Its humble self 'twixt two aspiring clouds
The third addition is four lines from the end, after "with a pearly
shell":
Richer than that fair, precious, virtuous horn
That arms the forehead of the unicorn.
The last four lines are joined on at the end of all:
Unto the idol of the work divine
I consecrate this loving life of mine,
Bowing my lips unto that stately root
Where beauty springs; and thus I kiss her foot.
INDEX OF FIRST LINES.
An old, old widow, Greedy needs would wed, 383.
Bad are all surfeits; but physicians call, 403.
Bar close as you can, and bolt fast too your door, 380.
Batt he gets children, not for love to rear 'em, 379.
Bice laughs, when no man speaks; and doth protest, 399.
Blanch swears her husband's lovely; when a scald, 376.
670. _Tradescant's curious shells_: John Tradescant was a Dutchman,
born towards the close of the sixteenth century. He was appointed
gardener to Charles II. in 1629, and he and his son naturalised many
rare plants in England. Besides botanical specimens he collected all
sorts of curiosities, and opened a museum which he called "Tradescant's
Ark". In 1656, four years after his death, his son published a catalogue
of the collection under the title, "Museum Tradescantianum: or, a
collection of rarities preserved at South Lambeth, near London, by John
Tradescant". After the son's death the collection passed into the hands
of Ashmole, and became the nucleus of the present Ashmolean Museum at
Oxford.
802. _Any way for Wealth. _ A variation on Horace's theme: "Rem facias,
rem, si possis, recte, si non quocunque modo, rem". 1 Epist. i. 66.
_The Portrait of a Woman_: I subjoin here the four passages found in
manuscript versions of this poem, alluded to in the previous note. As
said before, they do not improve the poem. After l. 45, "Bearing aloft
this rich round world of wonder," we have these four lines:
In which the veins implanted seem to lie
Like loving vines hid under ivory,
So full of claret, that whoso pricks this vine
May see it spout forth streams like muscadine.
Twelve lines later, after "Riphean snow," comes a longer passage:
Or else that she in that white waxen hill
Hath seal'd the primrose of her utmost skill.
But now my muse hath spied a dark descent
From this so precious, pearly, permanent,
A milky highway that direction yields
Unto the port-mouth of the Elysian fields:
A place desired of all, but got by these
Whom love admits to the Hesperides;
Here's golden fruit, that doth exceed all price,
Growing in this love-guarded paradise;
Above the entrance there is written this:
This is the portal to the bower of bliss,
Through midst whereof a crystal stream there flows
Passing the sweet sweet of a musky rose.
With plump, soft flesh, of metal pure and fine,
Resembling shields, both pure and crystalline.
Hence rise those two ambitious hills that look
Into th' middle, sweet, sight-stealing crook,
Which for the better beautifying shrouds
Its humble self 'twixt two aspiring clouds
The third addition is four lines from the end, after "with a pearly
shell":
Richer than that fair, precious, virtuous horn
That arms the forehead of the unicorn.
The last four lines are joined on at the end of all:
Unto the idol of the work divine
I consecrate this loving life of mine,
Bowing my lips unto that stately root
Where beauty springs; and thus I kiss her foot.
INDEX OF FIRST LINES.
An old, old widow, Greedy needs would wed, 383.
Bad are all surfeits; but physicians call, 403.
Bar close as you can, and bolt fast too your door, 380.
Batt he gets children, not for love to rear 'em, 379.
Bice laughs, when no man speaks; and doth protest, 399.
Blanch swears her husband's lovely; when a scald, 376.
