author:George Herbert

“ Ev'n when my will doth studie thy renown:
Thou turnest th' edge of all things on me still,
⁠Taking me up to throw me down:
So that, ev'n when my hopes seem to be sped,
I am to grief alive, to them as dead. ”

“ It is not fit he live a day, they crie,
Who cannot live lesse then eternally:
Was ever grief, &c.
Pilate a stranger holdeth off; but they,
Mine own deare people, cry, Away, away,
With noises confused frighting the day:
Was ever grief, &c.
Yet still they shout, and crie, and stop their eares,
Putting my life among their sinnes and fears,
And therefore wish my bloud on them and theirs:
Was ever grief, &c.
See how spite cankers things. These words aright
Used, and wished, are the whole worlds light:
But hony is their gall, brightnesse their night:
Was ever grief, &c. ”

“ The couch of time; cares balm and bay:
The week were dark, but for thy light:
Thy torch doth show the way.
The other dayes and thou
Make up one man; whose face thou art,
Knocking at heaven with thy brow:
The worky-daies are the back-part ”

“ Of my whole life one grief devoure;
That thy distresse through all may runne,
⁠And be my sunne.
⁠Or rather let
My sev'rall sinnes their sorrows get;
That as each beast his cure doth know,
⁠Each sinne may so. ”

“ That to the old man I may rest,
And be in him new drest.
So holy in my head,
Perfect and light in my deare breast,
My doctrine tun'd by Christ, (who is not dead,
But lives in me while I do rest)
Come people; Aaron's drest. ”

“ And know you not, sayes Love, who bore the blame?
⁠My deare, then I will serve.
You must sit down, sayes Love, and taste my meat:
⁠So I did sit and eat.
FINIS.
Glorie be to God on high, and on earth peace,
good will towards men. ”

“ As Moses face was vailed, so is mine,
Lest on their double-dark souls either shine:
Was ever grief, &c.
Servants and abjects flout me; they are wittie:
Now prophesie who strikes thee, is their dittie. ”

“ Is some starre (fled from the sphere)
⁠Melted there,
As we sugar melt in wine?
Or hath sweetnesse in the bread
⁠Made a head
To subdue the smell of sinne;
Flowers, and gummes, and powders giving
⁠All their living,
Lest the enemie should winne? ”

“ Sure there is room within our hearts good store;
For they can lodge transgressions by the score:
Thousands of toyes dwell there, yet out of doore
⁠They leave thee.
But that which shews them large, shews them unfit. ”

“ His life may make thee gold, and much more just.
Awake, my lute, and struggle for thy part
⁠With all thy art.
The crosse taught all wood to resound his name,
⁠Who bore the same.
His stretched sinews taught all strings, what key
Is best to celebrate this most high day. ”

“ Thine own gift good, yet me from my wayes taking.
Now I am here, what thou wilt do with me
⁠None of my books will show
I reade, and sigh, and wish I were a tree;
⁠For sure then I should grow
To fruit or shade: at least some bird would trust
Her houshold to me, and I should be just.
Yet, though thou troublest me, I must be meek;
⁠In weaknesse must be stout. ”

“ And, to be short, make an Oration.
But thou shalt answer, Lord, for me.
Yet when the houre of thy designe
To answer these fine things shall come;
Speak not at large; say, I am thine:
And then they have their answer home. ”