The Poems of John Donne, Volume 1 (of 2): Edited from the Old Editions and Numerous ManuscriptsDonne, John
General
The Poems of John Donne, Volume 1 (of 2): Edited from the Old Editions and Numerous Manuscripts
Donne, John
English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700
Your poore friend and
servant in Christ Jesus
I. D.
[2 verse; _1635-69:_ verse, _1633_]
[3 best] at the best _A18_, _TCC_
subjects. _1635-69:_ subjects, _1633:_ subject, _A18_, _TCC_]
[6-7 of him ... sacrifice. _1635-69:_ of you nor of him, we
will smother it, and be it your sacrifice. _1633:_ of him, nor
of you, nor of anye; smother it, and bee that the sacrifice.
_A18_, _TCC_]
[9 the _1635-69:_ your _1633_, _A18_, _TCC_
more] much _1633_]
[10 loath] loather _1633_]
in Christ Jesus] _om._ _A18_, _TCC_]
Whether that soule which now comes up to you
Fill any former ranke or make a new;
Whether it take a name nam'd there before,
Or be a name it selfe, and _order_ more
Then was in heaven till now; (for may not hee 5
Bee so, if every severall Angell bee
A _kind_ alone?) What ever order grow
Greater by him in heaven, wee doe not so.
One of your orders growes by his accesse;
But, by his losse grow all our _orders_ lesse; 10
The name of _Father_, _Master_, _Friend_, the name
Of _Subject_ and of _Prince_, in one are lame;
Faire mirth is dampt, and conversation black,
The _household_ widdow'd, and the _garter_ slack;
The _Chappell_ wants an eare, _Councell_ a tongue; 15
_Story_, a theame; and _Musicke_ lacks a song;
Blest _order_ that hath him! the losse of him
Gangreend all _Orders_ here; all lost a limbe.
Never made body such hast to confesse
What a soule was; All former comelinesse 20
Fled, in a minute, when the soule was gone,
And, having lost that beauty, would have none;
So fell our _Monasteries_, in one instant growne
Not to lesse houses, but, to heapes of stone;
So sent this body that faire forme it wore, 25
Unto the spheare of formes, and doth (before
His soule shall fill up his sepulchrall stone,)
Anticipate a Resurrection;
For, as in his fame, now, his soule is here,
So, in the forme thereof his bodie's there. 30
And if, faire soule, not with first _Innocents_
Thy station be, but with the _Pænitents_,
(And, who shall dare to aske then when I am
Dy'd scarlet in the blood of that pure Lambe,
Whether that colour, which is scarlet then, 35
Were black or white before in eyes of men?)
When thou rememb'rest what sins thou didst finde
Amongst those many friends now left behinde,
And seest such sinners as they are, with thee
Got thither by repentance, Let it bee 40
Thy wish to wish all there, to wish them cleane;
Wim _him_ a _David_, _her_ a _Magdalen_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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