_
Well; I may now receive, and die; My sinne
Indeed is great, but I have beene in
A Purgatorie, such as fear'd hell is
A recreation to, and scarse map of this.
Well; I may now receive, and die; My sinne
Indeed is great, but I have beene in
A Purgatorie, such as fear'd hell is
A recreation to, and scarse map of this.
John Donne
_See note_]
[86 too _H51_, _S_, _W:_ _spelt_ to _1633-69_, _many MSS. :_ to
(_prep. _) _Chambers_]
[88 eyes. ] eyes; _1633_]
[90 In so ill (evil _H51_) case here, _A25_, _B_, _Cy_, _D_,
_H49_, _H51_, _JC_, _L74_, _O'F_, _P_, _Q_, _S_, _W:_ here
_om. 1633-69_, _N_, _TCD_]
[94 mans _1633-69_, _A25_, _L74_, _Lec_, _N_, _O'F_, _P_, _Q_,
_TCD:_ mens _B_, _Cy_, _D_, _H49_, _H51_, _JC_, _S_, _W_
not _om. 1635-54_]
[95 Oh, will it then boot thee _Ed:_ Will . . . boot thee
_1633_, _L74_, _N_, _P_, _TCD:_ Or . . . boot thee _1635-69:_ Oh
will it then serve thee _A25_, _B_, _Cy_, _D_, _H49_, _H51_,
_O'F_ (Or), _Q_, _S_, _W_]
[97 thee] me _1669_]
[99 strong? _Ed:_ strong _1633:_ strong; _1635-69_]
[101 is] are _1669_
chang'd;] chang'd _1633_
to be _Ed:_ to be, _1633-69_]
[102 idolatrie. ] idolatrie; _1633_]
[103 is;] is, _1633_]
[104 do well _1633-69_, _Lec_, _N_, _P_, _TCD:_ prove well
_A25_, _B_, _Cy_, _D_, _H49_, _H51_, _JC_, _L74_, _O'F_, _Q_,
_S_, _W_]
[106 alas,] alas _1633_]
[107 mills, and rockes, _1633_, _L74_, _N_, _P_, _TCD:_ Mils,
rocks, _1635-69_, _and rest of MSS. _]
_Satyr IIII.
_
Well; I may now receive, and die; My sinne
Indeed is great, but I have beene in
A Purgatorie, such as fear'd hell is
A recreation to, and scarse map of this.
My minde, neither with prides itch, nor yet hath been 5
Poyson'd with love to see, or to bee seene,
I had no suit there, nor new suite to shew,
Yet went to Court; But as Glaze which did goe
To'a Masse in jest, catch'd, was faine to disburse
The hundred markes, which is the Statutes curse; 10
Before he scapt, So'it pleas'd my destinie
(Guilty of my sin of going,) to thinke me
As prone to all ill, and of good as forget-
full, as proud, as lustfull, and as much in debt,
As vaine, as witlesse, and as false as they 15
Which dwell at Court, for once going that way.
Therefore I suffered this; Towards me did runne
A thing more strange, then on Niles slime, the Sunne
E'r bred; or all which into Noahs Arke came;
A thing, which would have pos'd Adam to name; 20
Stranger then seaven Antiquaries studies,
Then Africks Monsters, Guianaes rarities.
Stranger then strangers; One, who for a Dane,
In the Danes Massacre had sure beene slaine,
If he had liv'd then; And without helpe dies, 25
When next the Prentises'gainst Strangers rise.
One, whom the watch at noone lets scarce goe by,
One, to whom, the examining Justice sure would cry,
Sir, by your priesthood tell me what you are.
His cloths were strange, though coarse; and black, though bare; 30
Sleevelesse his jerkin was, and it had beene
Velvet, but'twas now (so much ground was seene)
Become Tufftaffatie; and our children shall
See it plaine Rashe awhile, then nought at all.
This thing hath travail'd, and saith, speakes all tongues 35
And only knoweth what to all States belongs.
Made of th'Accents, and best phrase of all these,
He speakes no language; If strange meats displease,
Art can deceive, or hunger force my tast,
But Pedants motley tongue, souldiers bumbast, 40
Mountebankes drugtongue, nor the termes of law
Are strong enough preparatives, to draw
Me to beare this: yet I must be content
With his tongue, in his tongue, call'd complement:
In which he can win widdowes, and pay scores, 45
Make men speake treason, cosen subtlest whores,
Out-flatter favorites, or outlie either
Jovius, or Surius, or both together.
He names mee, and comes to mee; I whisper, God!
How have I sinn'd, that thy wraths furious rod, 50
This fellow chuseth me? He saith, Sir,
I love your judgement; Whom doe you prefer,
For the best linguist? And I seelily
Said, that I thought Calepines Dictionarie;
Nay, but of men, most sweet Sir; Beza then, 55
Some other Jesuites, and two reverend men
Of our two Academies, I named; There
He stopt mee, and said; Nay, your Apostles were
Good pretty linguists, and so Panurge was;
Yet a poore gentleman, all these may passe 60
By travaile. Then, as if he would have sold
His tongue, he prais'd it, and such wonders told
That I was faine to say, If you'had liv'd, Sir,
Time enough to have beene Interpreter
To Babells bricklayers, sure the Tower had stood. 65
He adds, If of court life you knew the good,
You would leave lonenesse. I said, not alone
My lonenesse is, but Spartanes fashion,
To teach by painting drunkards, doth not last
Now; Aretines pictures have made few chast; 70
No more can Princes courts, though there be few
Better pictures of vice, teach me vertue;
He, like to a high stretcht lute string squeakt, O Sir,
'Tis sweet to talke of Kings. At Westminster,
Said I, The man that keepes the Abbey tombes, 75
And for his price doth with who ever comes,
Of all our Harries, and our Edwards talke,
From King to King and all their kin can walke:
Your eares shall heare nought, but Kings; your eyes meet
Kings only; The way to it, is Kingstreet.
[86 too _H51_, _S_, _W:_ _spelt_ to _1633-69_, _many MSS. :_ to
(_prep. _) _Chambers_]
[88 eyes. ] eyes; _1633_]
[90 In so ill (evil _H51_) case here, _A25_, _B_, _Cy_, _D_,
_H49_, _H51_, _JC_, _L74_, _O'F_, _P_, _Q_, _S_, _W:_ here
_om. 1633-69_, _N_, _TCD_]
[94 mans _1633-69_, _A25_, _L74_, _Lec_, _N_, _O'F_, _P_, _Q_,
_TCD:_ mens _B_, _Cy_, _D_, _H49_, _H51_, _JC_, _S_, _W_
not _om. 1635-54_]
[95 Oh, will it then boot thee _Ed:_ Will . . . boot thee
_1633_, _L74_, _N_, _P_, _TCD:_ Or . . . boot thee _1635-69:_ Oh
will it then serve thee _A25_, _B_, _Cy_, _D_, _H49_, _H51_,
_O'F_ (Or), _Q_, _S_, _W_]
[97 thee] me _1669_]
[99 strong? _Ed:_ strong _1633:_ strong; _1635-69_]
[101 is] are _1669_
chang'd;] chang'd _1633_
to be _Ed:_ to be, _1633-69_]
[102 idolatrie. ] idolatrie; _1633_]
[103 is;] is, _1633_]
[104 do well _1633-69_, _Lec_, _N_, _P_, _TCD:_ prove well
_A25_, _B_, _Cy_, _D_, _H49_, _H51_, _JC_, _L74_, _O'F_, _Q_,
_S_, _W_]
[106 alas,] alas _1633_]
[107 mills, and rockes, _1633_, _L74_, _N_, _P_, _TCD:_ Mils,
rocks, _1635-69_, _and rest of MSS. _]
_Satyr IIII.
_
Well; I may now receive, and die; My sinne
Indeed is great, but I have beene in
A Purgatorie, such as fear'd hell is
A recreation to, and scarse map of this.
My minde, neither with prides itch, nor yet hath been 5
Poyson'd with love to see, or to bee seene,
I had no suit there, nor new suite to shew,
Yet went to Court; But as Glaze which did goe
To'a Masse in jest, catch'd, was faine to disburse
The hundred markes, which is the Statutes curse; 10
Before he scapt, So'it pleas'd my destinie
(Guilty of my sin of going,) to thinke me
As prone to all ill, and of good as forget-
full, as proud, as lustfull, and as much in debt,
As vaine, as witlesse, and as false as they 15
Which dwell at Court, for once going that way.
Therefore I suffered this; Towards me did runne
A thing more strange, then on Niles slime, the Sunne
E'r bred; or all which into Noahs Arke came;
A thing, which would have pos'd Adam to name; 20
Stranger then seaven Antiquaries studies,
Then Africks Monsters, Guianaes rarities.
Stranger then strangers; One, who for a Dane,
In the Danes Massacre had sure beene slaine,
If he had liv'd then; And without helpe dies, 25
When next the Prentises'gainst Strangers rise.
One, whom the watch at noone lets scarce goe by,
One, to whom, the examining Justice sure would cry,
Sir, by your priesthood tell me what you are.
His cloths were strange, though coarse; and black, though bare; 30
Sleevelesse his jerkin was, and it had beene
Velvet, but'twas now (so much ground was seene)
Become Tufftaffatie; and our children shall
See it plaine Rashe awhile, then nought at all.
This thing hath travail'd, and saith, speakes all tongues 35
And only knoweth what to all States belongs.
Made of th'Accents, and best phrase of all these,
He speakes no language; If strange meats displease,
Art can deceive, or hunger force my tast,
But Pedants motley tongue, souldiers bumbast, 40
Mountebankes drugtongue, nor the termes of law
Are strong enough preparatives, to draw
Me to beare this: yet I must be content
With his tongue, in his tongue, call'd complement:
In which he can win widdowes, and pay scores, 45
Make men speake treason, cosen subtlest whores,
Out-flatter favorites, or outlie either
Jovius, or Surius, or both together.
He names mee, and comes to mee; I whisper, God!
How have I sinn'd, that thy wraths furious rod, 50
This fellow chuseth me? He saith, Sir,
I love your judgement; Whom doe you prefer,
For the best linguist? And I seelily
Said, that I thought Calepines Dictionarie;
Nay, but of men, most sweet Sir; Beza then, 55
Some other Jesuites, and two reverend men
Of our two Academies, I named; There
He stopt mee, and said; Nay, your Apostles were
Good pretty linguists, and so Panurge was;
Yet a poore gentleman, all these may passe 60
By travaile. Then, as if he would have sold
His tongue, he prais'd it, and such wonders told
That I was faine to say, If you'had liv'd, Sir,
Time enough to have beene Interpreter
To Babells bricklayers, sure the Tower had stood. 65
He adds, If of court life you knew the good,
You would leave lonenesse. I said, not alone
My lonenesse is, but Spartanes fashion,
To teach by painting drunkards, doth not last
Now; Aretines pictures have made few chast; 70
No more can Princes courts, though there be few
Better pictures of vice, teach me vertue;
He, like to a high stretcht lute string squeakt, O Sir,
'Tis sweet to talke of Kings. At Westminster,
Said I, The man that keepes the Abbey tombes, 75
And for his price doth with who ever comes,
Of all our Harries, and our Edwards talke,
From King to King and all their kin can walke:
Your eares shall heare nought, but Kings; your eyes meet
Kings only; The way to it, is Kingstreet.
