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
The cold white snowie Nunnery, 100
Which, as thy mother, their high Abbesse, sent
Their bodies backe againe to thee,
As thou hadst lent them, cleane and innocent,
Though they have not obtain'd of thee,
That or thy Church, or I, 105
Should keep, as they, our first integrity;
Divorce thou sinne in us, or bid it die,
And call chast widowhead Virginitie.
XIII.
_The Doctors._
Thy sacred Academic above
Of Doctors, whose paines have unclasp'd, and taught 110
Both bookes of life to us (for love
To know thy Scriptures tells us, we are wrote
In thy other booke) pray for us there
That what they have misdone
Or mis-said, wee to that may not adhere; 115
Their zeale may be our sinne. Lord let us runne
Meane waies, and call them stars, but not the Sunne.
XIV.
And whil'st this universall Quire,
That Church in triumph, this in warfare here,
Warm'd with one all-partaking fire 120
Of love, that none be lost, which cost thee deare,
Prayes ceaslesly,'and thou hearken too,
(Since to be gratious
Our taske is treble, to pray, beare, and doe)
Heare this prayer Lord: O Lord deliver us 125
From trusting in those prayers, though powr'd out thus.
XV.
From being anxious, or secure,
Dead clods of sadnesse, or light squibs of mirth,
From thinking, that great courts immure
All, or no happinesse, or that this earth 130
Is only for our prison fram'd,
Or that thou art covetous
To them whom thou lovest, or that they are maim'd
From reaching this worlds sweet, who seek thee thus,
With all their might, Good Lord deliver us. 135
XVI.
From needing danger, to bee good,
From owing thee yesterdaies teares to day,
From trusting so much to thy blood,
That in that hope, wee wound our soule away,
From bribing thee with Almes, to excuse 140
Some sinne more burdenous,
From light affecting, in religion, newes,
From thinking us all soule, neglecting thus
Our mutuall duties, Lord deliver us.
XVII.
From tempting Satan to tempt us, 145
By our connivence, or slack companie,
From measuring ill by vitious,
Neglecting to choake sins spawne, Vanitie,
From indiscreet humilitie,
Which might be scandalous, 150
And cast reproach on Christianitie,
From being spies, or to spies pervious,
From thirst, or scorne of fame, deliver us.
XVIII.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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