No Shadowes now nor
lightning
flames give terro^r.
John Donne
_>
Nature amaz'd sawe man without mans ayde
Borne of a mother nursed by her a mayd,
The child the Parent was, the worke the word,
No word till then did such a worke affoord.
Twas lesse from nothing the world's all to growe 5
Then all-Creato^{rs} height to stoope so lowe.
A virgin mother to a child bredd wonder,
T'was more a child should bee the God of thunder.
Th'omnipotent was strangely potent heere
To make the powerfull God pearelesse appeare. 10
Hee in our body cladd, for our soules love
Came downe to us, yet stay'd vnchanged above.
Yet God through man shind still in this cleere brooke,
Through meane shewes into maiesty wee looke.
Sinnes price seemd payd with brasse, fewe sawe the gold, 15
Yet true stones set in lead theyr lustre hold.
His birth though poore, Prophets foretold his story,
Hee breathd with beasts, but Angels sung his glory.
Hee, so farr of, so weake, yet Herod quakes,
The citty dreads, babes, murderd, feare mistakes. 20
His Circumcision bore sinne, payne, and shame,
Young bloud new budd, hence bloomd a sauiours name.
His paynes and passion bredd compassion, wonder;
Earth trembling, heavens darke, rocks rent asunder.
His birth, life, death, his words, his workes, his face 25
Shewd a rich Jewell shining through the case,
Cast thus, since man at gods high presence trembles.
Heere man mans troth loves whome his sheepe resembles.
The bright Sunne beame a sickly eye may di[~m]e,
A little babe in shallow heart may swi[~m]. 30
Hee heavens wealth to a poore stable brings,
Th'oxestall the Court unto the king of kings.
No Shadowes now nor lightning flames give terro^r.
This light tells with our tongue, and beares o^r erro^r.
Pure infant teares, moist pearle adornd his cheeke, 35
Assignd, ere borne, our erring soules to seeke.
Hee first wept teares, then bloud, a deare redemption;
This bought what Adam sould, that seemd preemption.
Cleare droppe, deare seede, the corne had bloudy eares,
Rich harvest reapd in bloud and sowne in teares. 40
Who this Corne in theyr hart nor thresh, nor lay,
Breake for sinnes debt, unthrifty never pay.
Use wealth, it wastes, a stayd hand heapes the store,
But this the more wee use wee have the more;
Use, not like usury whose growth is lending, 45
Rich thoughts this treasure keepe and thrive by spending;
Th'expense runnes circular, turning returning,
Such love no hart consumes, yet ever burning.
[<The Annuntiation. Additional Lines. > _Ed_: _these lines run
straight on as part of_ The Annuntiation and Passion _in O'F_]
[2 a mayd] _Norton supplies_ a mayd, _Ed_: mayd _O'F_]
[3 was,. . . word, _Ed_: _no commas_, _O'F_]
[6 lowe. _Ed_: lowe _O'F_]
[7 wonder, _Ed_: wonder _O'F_]
[8 thunder. _Ed_: thunder _O'F_]
[13 brooke, _Ed_: brooke _O'F_]
[21 shame, _Ed_: shame _O'F_]
[23 wonder; _Ed_: wonder _O'F_]
[24 trembling, _Ed_: trembling _O'F_]
[26 case, _Ed_: case _O'F_]
[27 trembles. _Ed_: trembles _O'F_]
[28 resembles.
Nature amaz'd sawe man without mans ayde
Borne of a mother nursed by her a mayd,
The child the Parent was, the worke the word,
No word till then did such a worke affoord.
Twas lesse from nothing the world's all to growe 5
Then all-Creato^{rs} height to stoope so lowe.
A virgin mother to a child bredd wonder,
T'was more a child should bee the God of thunder.
Th'omnipotent was strangely potent heere
To make the powerfull God pearelesse appeare. 10
Hee in our body cladd, for our soules love
Came downe to us, yet stay'd vnchanged above.
Yet God through man shind still in this cleere brooke,
Through meane shewes into maiesty wee looke.
Sinnes price seemd payd with brasse, fewe sawe the gold, 15
Yet true stones set in lead theyr lustre hold.
His birth though poore, Prophets foretold his story,
Hee breathd with beasts, but Angels sung his glory.
Hee, so farr of, so weake, yet Herod quakes,
The citty dreads, babes, murderd, feare mistakes. 20
His Circumcision bore sinne, payne, and shame,
Young bloud new budd, hence bloomd a sauiours name.
His paynes and passion bredd compassion, wonder;
Earth trembling, heavens darke, rocks rent asunder.
His birth, life, death, his words, his workes, his face 25
Shewd a rich Jewell shining through the case,
Cast thus, since man at gods high presence trembles.
Heere man mans troth loves whome his sheepe resembles.
The bright Sunne beame a sickly eye may di[~m]e,
A little babe in shallow heart may swi[~m]. 30
Hee heavens wealth to a poore stable brings,
Th'oxestall the Court unto the king of kings.
No Shadowes now nor lightning flames give terro^r.
This light tells with our tongue, and beares o^r erro^r.
Pure infant teares, moist pearle adornd his cheeke, 35
Assignd, ere borne, our erring soules to seeke.
Hee first wept teares, then bloud, a deare redemption;
This bought what Adam sould, that seemd preemption.
Cleare droppe, deare seede, the corne had bloudy eares,
Rich harvest reapd in bloud and sowne in teares. 40
Who this Corne in theyr hart nor thresh, nor lay,
Breake for sinnes debt, unthrifty never pay.
Use wealth, it wastes, a stayd hand heapes the store,
But this the more wee use wee have the more;
Use, not like usury whose growth is lending, 45
Rich thoughts this treasure keepe and thrive by spending;
Th'expense runnes circular, turning returning,
Such love no hart consumes, yet ever burning.
[<The Annuntiation. Additional Lines. > _Ed_: _these lines run
straight on as part of_ The Annuntiation and Passion _in O'F_]
[2 a mayd] _Norton supplies_ a mayd, _Ed_: mayd _O'F_]
[3 was,. . . word, _Ed_: _no commas_, _O'F_]
[6 lowe. _Ed_: lowe _O'F_]
[7 wonder, _Ed_: wonder _O'F_]
[8 thunder. _Ed_: thunder _O'F_]
[13 brooke, _Ed_: brooke _O'F_]
[21 shame, _Ed_: shame _O'F_]
[23 wonder; _Ed_: wonder _O'F_]
[24 trembling, _Ed_: trembling _O'F_]
[26 case, _Ed_: case _O'F_]
[27 trembles. _Ed_: trembles _O'F_]
[28 resembles.
