And mercy being easie, and glorious
To God; in his sterne wrath, why threatens hee?
To God; in his sterne wrath, why threatens hee?
John Donne
_1633_, _A18_, _D_, _&c.
:_ VIII.
_B_,
_O'F_, _S96_, _W_]
[5 o'erthrow] overthrow _1669_]
[6 dearth, _W:_ death, _1633-69_, _A18_, _B_, _D_, _H49_, _N_,
_O'F_, _S96_, _TC_]
[8 woe. _W:_ woe, _1633-54:_ owe; _1669_]
[12 lowly] holy _1669_]
[14 thy] my _1669_]
VIII.
If faithfull soules be alike glorifi'd
As Angels, then my fathers soule doth see,
And adds this even to full felicitie,
That valiantly I hels wide mouth o'rstride:
But if our mindes to these soules be descry'd 5
By circumstances, and by signes that be
Apparent in us, not immediately,
How shall my mindes white truth by them be try'd?
They see idolatrous lovers weepe and mourne,
And vile blasphemous Conjurers to call 10
On Iefus name, and Pharisaicall
Dissemblers feigne devotion. Then turne
O pensive soule, to God, for he knowes best
Thy true griefe, for he put it in my breast.
[VIII. _1635-69:_ _omitted_ _1633_, _A18_, _D_, _&c. :_ X. _B_,
_O'F_, _S96_, _W_]
[7 in us, _W:_ in us _1635-69_. _See note_]
[8 by] to _B_, _S96_, _W_]
[10 vile _W:_ vilde _B_, _O'F_, _S96:_ stile _1635-69_]
[14 true _W:_ _om. 1635-69_, _B_, _S96_ in _W:_ into
_1635-69_, _B_, _O'F_, _S96_
my] thy _B_, _S96_]
IX.
If poysonous mineralls, and if that tree,
Whose fruit threw death on else immortall us,
If lecherous goats, if serpents envious
Cannot be damn'd; Alas; why should I bee?
Why should intent or reason, borne in mee, 5
Make sinnes, else equall, in mee more heinous?
And mercy being easie, and glorious
To God; in his sterne wrath, why threatens hee?
But who am I, that dare dispute with thee
O God? Oh! of thine onely worthy blood, 10
And my teares, make a heavenly Lethean flood,
And drowne in it my sinnes blacke memorie;
That thou remember them, some claime as debt,
I thinke it mercy, if thou wilt forget.
[IX. _1635-69_, _B_, _O'F_, _S96_, _W:_ V. _1633_, _A18_, _D_,
_&c. _]
[1 poysonous] poysons _1639-54_
and if that] or if the _B_, _O'F_, _S96_]
[2 (else immortal) _1635-69_]
[5 or] and _B_, _O'F_, _S96_]
[6 mee] mee, _1633_]
[8 God;] God, _1633_]
[9-10 thee O God? _W:_ thee? O God, _1633-69_]
[12 memorie;] memorie, _1633_]
[14 forget. ] forget, _1633_]
X.
Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not soe,
For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill mee.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee, 5
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,
Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell, 10
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,
And better then thy stroake; why swell'st thou then?
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.
[X.
_O'F_, _S96_, _W_]
[5 o'erthrow] overthrow _1669_]
[6 dearth, _W:_ death, _1633-69_, _A18_, _B_, _D_, _H49_, _N_,
_O'F_, _S96_, _TC_]
[8 woe. _W:_ woe, _1633-54:_ owe; _1669_]
[12 lowly] holy _1669_]
[14 thy] my _1669_]
VIII.
If faithfull soules be alike glorifi'd
As Angels, then my fathers soule doth see,
And adds this even to full felicitie,
That valiantly I hels wide mouth o'rstride:
But if our mindes to these soules be descry'd 5
By circumstances, and by signes that be
Apparent in us, not immediately,
How shall my mindes white truth by them be try'd?
They see idolatrous lovers weepe and mourne,
And vile blasphemous Conjurers to call 10
On Iefus name, and Pharisaicall
Dissemblers feigne devotion. Then turne
O pensive soule, to God, for he knowes best
Thy true griefe, for he put it in my breast.
[VIII. _1635-69:_ _omitted_ _1633_, _A18_, _D_, _&c. :_ X. _B_,
_O'F_, _S96_, _W_]
[7 in us, _W:_ in us _1635-69_. _See note_]
[8 by] to _B_, _S96_, _W_]
[10 vile _W:_ vilde _B_, _O'F_, _S96:_ stile _1635-69_]
[14 true _W:_ _om. 1635-69_, _B_, _S96_ in _W:_ into
_1635-69_, _B_, _O'F_, _S96_
my] thy _B_, _S96_]
IX.
If poysonous mineralls, and if that tree,
Whose fruit threw death on else immortall us,
If lecherous goats, if serpents envious
Cannot be damn'd; Alas; why should I bee?
Why should intent or reason, borne in mee, 5
Make sinnes, else equall, in mee more heinous?
And mercy being easie, and glorious
To God; in his sterne wrath, why threatens hee?
But who am I, that dare dispute with thee
O God? Oh! of thine onely worthy blood, 10
And my teares, make a heavenly Lethean flood,
And drowne in it my sinnes blacke memorie;
That thou remember them, some claime as debt,
I thinke it mercy, if thou wilt forget.
[IX. _1635-69_, _B_, _O'F_, _S96_, _W:_ V. _1633_, _A18_, _D_,
_&c. _]
[1 poysonous] poysons _1639-54_
and if that] or if the _B_, _O'F_, _S96_]
[2 (else immortal) _1635-69_]
[5 or] and _B_, _O'F_, _S96_]
[6 mee] mee, _1633_]
[8 God;] God, _1633_]
[9-10 thee O God? _W:_ thee? O God, _1633-69_]
[12 memorie;] memorie, _1633_]
[14 forget. ] forget, _1633_]
X.
Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not soe,
For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill mee.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee, 5
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,
Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell, 10
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,
And better then thy stroake; why swell'st thou then?
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.
[X.
