The Poetical Works of Thomas Traherne

TH E P OETIC A L WOR K S O F T HOMA S T R A H E RN E

1 6 3 6 3— 1 67 4

FROMTHE O RIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS

EDIT E D BY BE RTR A M D O B E L L

[VI TH A ME MOIR O F THE A UTHOR

S E COND EDITION

“ I iv uth e endo f a o lden tr in g e yo g s g , Onl w indit into a b y all, ’ cadyo uinat H ea v ens g a te ’ ” in er u em w l J sal s al . ”GI/fan: Blake

” an li es abo ut us ino ur inf cy. W Wor ds 'w or tb

L O ND O N PUB LISHED BY THE E DITOR

CH A R I R ROAD .C G C O S W . 7 7 N S , 1 90 6

4 R DR R G . THO N U Y

MY ev er youth was constant to one dream , Though hope failed oft — s o hopeless did it seem That in the ripeness of my days I might Something achieve that should the world requite Fo r my existence for it was a pain To think that I should live and live in vain A d M nd most my thoughts were turned towar s the use,

Though long she did my earnest prayers refuse, And left me darkling and despairing then By happy chance there came within my ken

A — I hapless poet , whom thank kind fate It was my privilege to help instate Inthat proud eminence wherein he shines

Now that no more on earth he sadly pines . This was a fortune such as I must ever ’ Be — thankful for yet still twas my endeavour, I With what , hope , was no unw orthy z eal ,

M - y life work with some other deed to seal , v i DEDICATIO N

A w nd 10 when such a dream might ell seem vain , P ropitious fate smiled on me once again , ’ And through the mists of time s close - woven pall

A o f li h glint g t on one dim form did fall , I Which , as gaz ed more earnestly, became A ﬂ living soul , discovered by the ame Of glowing inspiration which possessed E ’ ven now, as when he lived, the poet s breast . DidI deceive myself ? Could it be true A new poetic star was in my view , A nd shining with a lustre bright and clear,

Where , constellated in the heavenly sphere , H V C M erbert and aughan , rashaw and ilton shine

With varying brightness , yet alike divine

I z ga ed again , but still that star burned on , A nd ever with a deeper radiance shone , ’ ’ ’ U I - o - th - ntil knew no Will Wisp s false light ,

No meteor delusive mocked my sight, But ’twas indeed a fulgent planet which

Henceforth shall with its beams the heavens enrich .

I Some vanity , know, is in this strain , But men may be with reason sometimes vain Shall he alone who does a worthy deed

o N t pay himself, if so he will , that meed

- S Of self applause from which all virtues pring, Without it who would do a noble thing i D ED ICATION v ii

the So let world arraign me as it will , It cannot now my satisfaction chill , I Since you , dear friend and all whose praise pri z e , L ook on my labours with approving eyes .

This book to you ’ tis ﬁ t I dedicate

Since you , my friend , so well appreciate Na t y, rather love, our poe s of old time , Responding ever to their notes sublime

Who, though you treasure most those sons of light,

Whose radiance glitters on the brow of night, Do not despise the faintest twinkling starM That shines where Shakespeare , Spenser, ilton are L ﬂ Who can , like amb, a brilliant ower descry

Where all seems sterile to the common eye , L ﬁ Who, like amb , too, to no strait bounds con ned , H ave room for all fair fancies in your mind,

A v nd , with a taste that never errs, disco er F aults like a censor, beauties like a lover .

H ff ere is another o ering for your store, Though not arrayed in that brown garb of yore

Which , with quaint type and paper stained with

Were for the Spirit of our Poet - Sage A ﬁ tter dwelling , more becoming page . I could not give him these, and so have sought To match his noble and exalted thought DEDICA TION With the best raiment that our time affords

Of ﬁ ne comely type, paper, seemly boards , ’ 3 Which , centuries hence , to our children s children Ma y have an antique look which they shall pri z e , ’ Tr aher ne s When name , familiar to their ears

Shall hold assured a place among his peers . CONTENTS

DEDICATION CONTENTS INTRODUCTION T H E S A LUTATIO N WONDER EDEN INNOCENCE T H E P REPARATI V E T H E IN S TRUCTION T H E VI S ION T H E RAPTURE T HE IMPROV EMENT T H E APPROACH

DumB NEs s S ILENCE MY S PIRIT CO NTENT S

T H E APPREHEN S IO N FULLNE SS NATURE EA S E S PEED T H E C HOICE T H E PERSON T H E E S TATE T H E E NQ UIRY T H E C IRCULATION AMENDMENT T H E DEMON S TRATION T HE ANTICIPATION T HE R ECOV ERY ANOTHER LOV E

T G S — I HOU HT .

T G — HOU HTS . II [T H E INFLU X ]

T G S — HOU HT . III DES I RE

T G S — IV HOU HT . GOODNE S S

’ [T HE SOUL S GLORY] [FINITE YET INFI NITE] CONTENTS xi

P A GE O N NEWS [T H E T RIUMPH] [T H E ONLY ILL] T H E RECOV ERY [T H E GLORY O P IS RAEL] [AS PIRATION] [S UPPLICATION]

’ ST W S AN HYM N UPO N . BARTHOLOME

’ “ PROM T RA H ERN E S CHRI STIAN ET HIC K S FO R MA N TO ACT A S I F H IS S OUL DI D S EE

MS K S A W ES S S EL C TS C D I H ALL U IC , , FEA T , , AND ” P LEA SU REs

’ ’ A s I N A CLOC K T IS H INDE R D FORCE DOTH ” B RIN G WERE ALL THE WORLD A PARADI S E OF EA S E O F MEE K NES S O F CONTENTMENT A ND I F THE GLORY AN D E STEEM I HAV E

APPENDI X BLI SS

’ [LIPE S BLES S EDNEs s ] [T H E RE S URRECTION] T H E WAYS OF WI S DOM CONTENTS

P A G E ’ “ T RA H ERNE S S ERIOU S AN D PAT H ET ICA LL CONTEMPLA ” TION OF THE MERCIES O P G O D T H E WILL OF T HOMA S TRAHERNE

Th e poems o f w hich th e titles ar e encl os ed w i thinbr ack ets ar e

i h e o n n eemed bet e o w i th o ut ti tl es n t r ig i al ma uscr i pts . It s t r t

i v e t emn me ino de to f ci i t te efe ence to t em g h a s, r r a l a r r h . I NTR OD UCTION

IT is with a more than ordinary degree Of pleas ure that I have undertaken the tas k of introducing to readers of the pres ent day the writings of a hitherto unknown s even

e nth - C s s t e century poet . enturie had drawn their curtain

h im as s m around , and he had died utterly, it ee ed , out of the minds and memories of men but the long night of h is s is his ob curity at length over, and light henceforth , am m ms is s S if I not uch i taken , de tined to hine with undiminis hed lu s tre as long as England or the Engli s h tong ue s hall endure . The author O f the poems contained in the pre s ent volume belongs to that s mall group of religiou s poets s C s which include Herbert, Vaughan, and ra haw, though he is much more nearly allied to the authors of “ ” “ ” The Temple and S ilex Scintillan s than to the

R m C s m is lyris t of o an atholici . Yet he neither a follower

m s s his nor an i itator of any of the e, but one who draw in s piration from s ources either peculiar to hims elf or made h is m h s own by the oulding force of is own fervent pirit . T RA HE RNE’S POEMS

Of the inner life O f the author of the s e poems we have

s s is abundant and ati factory knowledge, for it certain that ’ no man s writings ever furni s hed a clearer or more ’ faithful mirror of their au thor s pers onality than do thos e

Of s of Thomas Traherne . B ut the outward incident of h is is s uﬂicient life little can be told , though that li ttle to

S w as man s s how that he a of the ﬁne t and noble t character .

s s his s Profe ion and practice in ca e went together, and he w as no le s s admirable as a manthan he w as as a poet and h w as s f a mini s ter of religion . T at he a per on O great s s s ds s m s m m weetne of i po ition , of o t happy te pera ent, and is of s ingularly attractive character, certain and to know s o much of a manis to know everything we really need to

We m know . cannot help, however, craving for ore than s m s thi , and we would give uch indeed for uch a record as W e D of Traherne alton gave of Hooker, Herb rt, onne,

s is and Sander on . It likely, indeed , that other particulars ’ of T r ah er ne s career will in ti me be dis covered but for the pres ent the reader mu s t be content with the s canty

s s detail which are given in the following page . s a s m I reg ret to y that the inquirie which I have ade, or

s m as m m s cau ed to be ade , to the ti e and place of Tho a ’ T r aher ne s s o s birth have been , far, without re ult .

w as s his Probably he born at Hereford, ince father w as s m s is a hoe aker in that town ; but thi not certain . ma L He y have been born at edbury, which is a village a INTR O DUCTION xv

m m s ms fe w iles fro Hereford , for it ee pretty certain that m his family w as in s o e way connected with that place . The earlier portion Of the regi s ters of that V illage has been

s R s s S m s printed by the Pari h egi ter ociety, and fro thi i t “ ” appears that there were T r ayer nes there in the s ixteenth century . Unfortunately, the portion of the Ledbury regi s ters which covers the pe r iod during which

w as 18 ms s i t is probable that our author born i ing . That al s o s eems to be the cas e as regard s the Hereford regi s ters s is s of the s ame period . Thi very di appointing ; but we may hope that further inquiries w ill prove more s ucces s ful . That the family from which the poet s prang w as

s ms Wels h by de s cent ee to be highly probable . It is true that the name is als o found in a s lightly di fferent form in Cornwall but no doubt both branches s prang from the ’ s am s m s e root at o e di tant period . The poet s character

m m as s h is s m s and te pera en t, di played in writing , al o t mhis proclai nationality . Herbert and Vaughan , the two

s m is m s W poet to who he o t near akin , were both el s h s m is d by de cent, and though neither of the eﬁcient in

m s s s war th of feeling, Traherne certainly urpa es them in

s s s his s the pa ionate fervour which h e infu es into writing . It is hardly pos s ible to think of themas having emanated from the cooler and les s enthu s ias tic Anglo - Saxon temperament . T RA HERNE ’S POEMS

am s a as m All that I able to y, then , to the ti e of ’ T r ah er ne s is w as 1 6 6 birth that i t probably in the year 3 . Wood informs us that he became a commoner of

B r az enno s e C 1 6 2 as ollege, Oxford, in 5 and the age at which it w as then us ual fo r youth s to commence their

w as s n s ms college career about ixtee , the above date ee

m s ma s the o t likely one , thoug h i t y, of cour e, have been

His w as a year earlier or later . father in all probability “ ” S m is the J ohn Traherne, hoe aker, who recorded to

s m have received , in conj unction with another per on , fro

’ Mi s tre s s Joyce Jeﬂer ies the s umof three pounds for the “ IE n s is s s hipping mo ey. Thi lady al o recorded to have paid money to one John Traherne (who may or may not have been the s ame pers on) for training as the s oldier

ms he - s who had to provide for the Trained band . s ms w as man John Traherne, i t ee likely, related to a

s e d s O f con id rable note and inﬂuence in Herefor . Thi w as Philip Traherne (the name is s ometimes s pelt

r n as M T r ahe o w . as ) , who twice ayor of Hereford He w 1 66 w as h is ﬁ born in 5 , and noted for delity to the cau s e of

C s I. w m King harle , and , to follo the eulogiu upon his “ his s s tombs tone, for fervent zeal for the E tabli hed ff C h urch and clergy , and friendly and a ectionate

s h im behaviour in conver ation , which rendered highly ” w as m valuable to all the loyal party . He ayor of

S ee A r chaeolo ia 2 0 . g , vol . xxxvii , p . 4 2 INTRODUCTIO N xvii

Hereford at the time when the Scots attacked it . He d s 1 6 . u died in 45 , age 7 9 It would th appear that the Traherne family w as one which occupied a fairly good mm pos ition in the middle clas s of the co unity . It would ’ s m w m s s T r aher ne s C s ee , ho ever, fro a pa age in enturie ” “ O f Meditations ( S itting in a little Obs cure ro om in ’ ” ’ my father s poor hou s e ) that John T r aher ne s circum s tances were not very ﬂouris hing . ’ f the o Of the po et s in ancy and youth , only s urce of information we have is that which we ﬁnd in his own s ms writing . That the poe in which he d wells so lovingly, s o m s s m s and with uch enthu ia , upon the happines and innocence of his infancy are s omewha t coloured by the m his m ma s s d war th of i agination y, perhap , be su pecte ,

s is s s but not , I think, with j u tice . I t po ible that he, to

m s f s s o e extent, confu ed re lections of later date with tho e which h e repres ents hims elf to have experienced in h is w as infancy ; but he evidently a very precociou s child , and the dawn of con s ciousness and thought w as s urely m him is i uch earlier in than it in ordinary ch ldren . I

ma s ms think, therefore , we y tru t the evidence of the poe ,

s s ff in which he speak of his infancy and childhood ,a a ord

s his . ing a true, or but little ideali ed, picture of early life It might be uns afe to depend upon the evidence of the ms poe if they stood alone, but the earnestnes s with which

w u m s he d ells pon the sa e topic, and repeat in prose (in

o xviii TRAHERN E ’S POEMS

“ his Centuries of Meditation s what he asserts in his

is ffi . verse, su ciently convincing I know of no author wh ose writings convey to the reader a stronger conviction ’ of their author s entire s incerity and abs olute truthfulne s s m than do those of Tho as Traherne . ’ “ T r aher ne s Centuries of Meditations consists Of a s m s eries of reflection s on religious and oral ubjects,divided m s m into s hort nu bered paragraph . The anuscript (which w as his probably written in the last years of life, and therefore contain s h is mos t mature tho ughts ) compr i s es “ ” m C s and m s four co plete enturie , ten nu ber of a fifth “ ” Century . From the fact that it w as left unfinished it would seem that his labour upon it w as cut short by h as is death . It w written for the benefit and ins truction Of m m had a lady, a friend fro who he received as a

is s present the book in which it written . It bear the following in s cription on the ﬁrst page

s o m es Thi b ok unto the friend of y b t friend , A s s s m I se of the wi e t love a ark, nd, ’ T a s he ma m M s s h t y write y aker prai e therein , ” m s m And ake her elf thereby a cherubi .

“ In the third Century of the Meditation s we ﬁnd ’ m s s f any detail of the author in ancy and childhood . I cannot do better that give the greater part of thes e in the ’ author s own words

xx T R A HERNE’S POEMS

In knew nothing of s icknes s or death or exaction . the abs ence of thes e I w as entertained like an angel w ith the works of God in their s plendour and glory I saw all in the peace of Eden ’ s m C s s s heaven and earth did ing y reator prai e , and could not e T m w as make more melody to Adam than to m . All i e E S Is s a ternity, and a perpetual abbath . it not tr nge that an

. i s ee s infant s hould be he r of the whole world , and tho e mys teries which the books of the learned never unfo ld

III

Th e co rn w as orient and immortal wheat which never

s w s s I s hould be reaped nor a ever own . thought it had tood s s fromeverlas ting to everlas ting . The du t and s tone of the s treet were as preciou s as gold the gates were at ﬁrs t the end T he n s I saw of the wo rld . gree tree when themﬁ rs t through

one of the gates trans porte d and ravi s hed me their s weetne s s s a a ma m a m s mad and unu u l be uty de y he rt to leap, and al o t w s a s s a and u s ith ec t cy, they were uch tr nge wonderf l thing . The Men 0 what venerable and reverend creatures did the aged s eemI Immortal Cherubims And young menglitter s s m s s a s a ing and parkling angel , and aid tr nge er phic pieces of life andbeauty Boys and girls tumbling in the s treet were mo s I k s ving jewel new not that they were born or hould die . But all things abided eternally as they were in their proper a s E w as ma s L Da s m pl ce . ternity nife t in the ight ofthe y,and o e ﬁ a e thing in nite behind everything appe r d , which talked with m a m m s C s m to y expect tion and oved y de ire . The ity ee ed INTRO D UCTION

s s s tand in Eden or to be built in Heaven . The tr eet were m m w as m m s ine, the te ple ine, the people were ine, their clothe s m as m as s a k s and gold and ilver were ine, uch their p r ling eye , s s s s s m e s o fair kin , and ruddy face . The kie were in , and were s un m s s w as m the and oon and tar , and all the world ine ; and I s I s the only pectator and enjoyer of it . knew no churli h s s s s s proprietie , nor bound nor divi ion ; but all proprietie and s s s s m s m tr eadIIr es es s . divi ion were ine, all and the po or of the S o m ado as e m that with uch I w corrupt d , and ade to learn the s s e m dirty device of thi world , which now I unlearn , and b co e, as I ma it were, a little child again that y enter into the m Kingdo of God .

s s s MS m The e passage are ucceeded in the . by the poe

’ ” entitled The Approach , which the reader will find at 1 m page 3 of the present volu e . “ In the following sections of the Meditations the s s fi mm author tells how the e thought were rst di ed , and afterwards almost entirely los t owing to the evil influence s him is his of tho e around . It clear that parents failed to appreciate the fact that their child was of a very un mm co on type, and that the ordinary methods of dealing

his s His with children were inapplicable in ca e . early s s s and innocent thought , he ay , were quite obliterated by the inﬂuence of a bad ed ucation . He found that s h tho e around im were immers ed in the trivial cares and vanitie s of common life ; that they were wholly xxii T RA HER NE’S POEMS

; s s w wrapped up in the outward hows of thing , and ere mm m m s moved only by co on and ercenary otives . Ala s m s is this is the di covery that every poet ake , and it thi s s s him which con titute the tragedy of life for . Had any s s s o him one, Traherne ay , p ken to on the great and s ublime truths of Go dand Nature ; had he been taught m him a that God was good , and had ade the sole heir of gloriou s universe ; had he been ass ured that earth w as

s better than gold , and water, every drop of it , a preciou u e jewel, he would have thankf lly r ceived and g ladly s s s believed the lesso n . But in tead of thi they tried to ins til into his mind the lesso ns Of selﬁshnes s and worldly s m wi do .

It was a di fﬁ cult matter to pers uade me that the tins eled o s w as fi T ware up n ahobby hor e a ne thing . hey did impos e upon me and obtrude their gifts that made me believe a ribbon

s see w as s or a feather curiou . I could not where the curiou s s ﬁ s s me s s ne or nene . And to teach that a pur e of gold w a at

s m m s s ms s o any value ee ed i po ible, the art by which it beco e , and the reas ons fo r which it is accounted s o were s o deep and m S o is s s hidden to y inexperience . that nature till neare t to a a s s o ff m n tur l thing , and farthe t fro preternatural ; and to es teemthat the reproach ofnature is anexcu s e in themonly w h o s ar e s ar e unacquainted with it . Natural thing gloriou , and to know themglorious but to call things preternatural natural INTROD UCTION xxii i m s s . Yet s m s s s on trou all they do it who e tee gold, ilver, hou e , a s &c s l nd , clothe , . , the riche of nature, which are indeed the s v s s n s ar t and riche of in ention . Nature know no eh riche , but m s em s in w as error ake th . Not the God of Nature, but only the parent o f them T he riches of Nature are o ur s ouls and

s all s s s s and m s . bodie , with their facultie , en e , endow ent And it had been the eas ies t thing in the whole world [to teach me] a f o s s m th t all elicity c n i ted in the enjoy ent of all the world , a w as e a fo r me I w as th t it pr p red before born , and that n w as m e nothi g ore divine and b autiful .

Surely Traherne w as here anticipating much which s eems to belong to a far later date I The doctrine here urged is in essentials the s ame as that which w as in s i s ted upon by Rousseau and other philosophe r s of the eigh teenth S ms century . helley h i elf hardly enforced the idea of the return to nature more s trenuous ly than Traherne N s s does in this passage . atural thing are gloriou and to know themglorious - is not this the whole burden Of ’ m o ? is Walt Whit an s p etry Nay, it not the whole burden of all poetry worthy of the name ?

T s m s s s s hought are the o t pre ent thing to thought , and of the m s f MSo w as s s o t powerful in luence . y ul only apt and di po ed a s s o s s s s n to gre t thing ; but ul to oul are like apple , one bei g o s a W a s ea rotten r t nother . hen I beg n to p k and go, nothing xxiv T RA HERNE’S POEMS began to be pres ent to me but what w as pre s ent to me in thei r as s me an thoughts . Nor w anything pre ent to y other way as s o m Th e s s m w as than it w to the . gla of i agination the only mirror wherein anything w as repres ented or appeared to no t S o I me n s s . . All thi g were ab ent which they talked of mo m a s z m ﬁ ne began a ng y pl yfellow to pri e a dru , a coat , a k c m & . penny, a gilded boo , , who before never drea ed of any s s uch wealth . Goodly object to drown all the knowledge of A s s Sun S s Heaven and Earth for the Heaven and and tar , s no m me a they di appeared, and were ore unto than the b re ’ s S o s s ma s wall . that the trange riche of n invention quite

“ m s a e m s overca e the riche of nature , being le rn d ore laboriou ly s a and in the econd pl ce .

s c s s r s By thi , Traherne pro eed , parent and nu ses hould

is learn the rig ht way of teaching children . Nothing eas ier than to teach the tr uth becaus e the nature of the thing conﬁrms the teaching whereas to teach children to “ u aus s s s s d s value g g , bauble , and rattle put fal e i ea s s d into their head , and blot out all noble and ivine s m thought , rendering the uncertain about everything , m m . s s and dividing the fro God Verily, he ay , there is no s avage nation under the cope of Heaven that is more s s C s am ab urdly barbarou than the hri tian World . I s ure that thos e barbarou s people that go naked come nearer

m s s m to Ada , God, and Angel in the i plicity of their wealth , though not in knowledge . INTRODUCTION xxv

X IV

Being s wallowed up therefore in the mi s erable gulf of idle s s s e I m S s talk and worthle vanitie , thenc forth lived a ong hadow , s o n s ks s m like a prodigal feeding upon hu with wine . A co fort les s wildernes s full of thorns and troubles the world w as or s s l s s s s wor e a wa te place covered with id ene and play, and hop , m s a s A s s s I and arket , and t vern . for churche they were thing did s s s s o not under tand , and chool were a burden that there w as nothing in the world worth the having or enjoying but my m s s w as m s s e ga e and port, which al o a drea , and being pa d S O I h ad all d s s wholly forgotten . that wholly forgotten goo ne , mf bounty , co ort, and glory which things are the very bright s s w as ne of the Glory of God , for lack of which therefore He

unknown .

Yet s ometime s in the mids t of the s e dreams I s hould come m s s o as I s m s a little to y elf, far to feel wanted o ething, ecretly s me s to expo tulate with God for not giving riche , to long after k a s s the w as so m an un nown h ppine , to grieve that world e pty and to be di s s ati sﬁ ed with my pres ent s tate becau s e it w as vain I a s andm a m a and forlorn . had he rd of Angel uch d ired th t here upon earth nothing s hould be but dirt ands treets and ’ s as s s m s gutter . For for the plea ure that were in great en hou s es 1 had not s een them and it w as my real happines s they s me I w as were unknown . For becau e nothing deluded the m s e ore inqui itiv . xxvi T RA HERNE’S POEMS

X V I

Once I remember (I think I w as about four years old) when m s S s I thus reas oned w ith y elf. itting in a little ob cure room ’ in myfather s poor hou s e If there be a God certainly He mu s t be fi e s s I w as m a a In nit in Goodne , and that pro pted to, by re l s r e if be fi whi pering ins tinct o fnatu . And He In nite in G ood s s W s m Lo H ne and a perfect Being in i do and ve, certainly e mus t do mos t glorious things and give us infinite riches how m s s s e e a ams o ? O s o s co e it to pa , ther for , th t I poor f canty and af sc mf s narrow ortune, enjoying few and ob ure co ort I thought I could not believe Hima God to me unles s all His if e power were employed to glor y m . I knew not then my Soul o r the a s a Body, nor did I think of He ven and the E rth , the R s S r s the S uno r Se s s e s iver and the ta , the a all tho were lo t

: a s mme f mm and b ent fro . But when I ound the ade out of me e I mI s nothing for , th n had a God indeed who could prai e nd a rejoice in .

XVII

S m m s s m m o eti e I hould be alone and without e ploy ent, when s e m S s udd nly y oul would return to it elf, and forgetting all m s s things in the whole world which ine eye had een, would be a a a the a m s c rried w y to end of the e rth, and y thought would be deeply engaged with inquiries — How the E arth did end ? Whether walls did bound it or s udden precipices Or whether s s me so a th s the Heaven by degree did co to touch it, th t e face of the Earth and Heaven were s o near that a man with xxviii T RA HERNE’ S POEMS

a as as s as as as a s . gi nt big a ca tle, and a c tle big the He ven W s w as ﬁ s hich yet would not erve, for there in nite pace beyond s andallw as o m s the Heaven , defective and but little in c pari on man ma ﬁ I and for to be de in nite, thought it would be to no s Wh s w as purpo e ,and it would be inconvenient . yal o there not S un e S s S ea and C s a better and b tter tar , a better , better reature I m a m W s a m uch d ired . hich thought produced th t poe upon m s oderati o n which afterwards w a written .

Following thi s the author quotes a part of the poem

s as Is 1 2 he refer to, wh ich , it printed on page 3 , need not

m his s s is be given here . The argu ent of ver e that everything is for the best and in the bes t poss ible proportion

man a hi s s God made greater while he mde mle .

XXII

Thes e liquid clear s ati s faction s were the emanation s of the s s o m s highe t rea n , but not achieved till a long ti e afterward . In m m I w as s m m s s m s and the eanti e o eti e , though eldo , vi ited in s pired with new andmore vigorou s de s ires after that Bli s s N s s s me which ature whi pered and ugge ted to . Every new m s s m x I thing quickened y curio ity, and rai ed y e pectation . m m ﬁ s m I m a m ﬁ re e ber once, the r t ti e ca e into agni cent and

- m w as I s ee noble dining roo and left there alone, rejoiced to the s and m w as a gold and tate carved i agery, but when all de d INTRO DUCTION xxix an w as m I w as and is dthere no otion , weary of it departed d s s ﬁ a s I s aw s and a s ati ed . But afterw rd when it full of lord l die andmus ic a s m and d ncing, the place which once ee ed not to differ froma s olitary den had now entertainment and nothing s s s v f of tediou ne in it . By which I percei ed (upon a re lection m a men m ar e ade long fter) that and wo en , when well under

s a a . s I tood , princip l part of our true felicity By thi found as a s s o a l o th t nothing that tood still could, by doing , be a p rt a ss a ff s w as of H ppine and th t a ection , though i t were invi ible, s m s s s s the be t of otion . But the augu t and gloriou exerci e of

w as m s m I s aw . virtue ore ole n and divine , which yet not And me s that all nand angel s hould appear in Heaven .

XXIII

m a o w ands ad a Another ti e , in l ering evening , being lo ne in ﬁ s and e the eld , when all thing were dead qui t , a certain want

me ma a . un r o fi and horror fell upon , beyond i gin tion The p t a s s s o f a s s s fi me its s blene and ilence the pl ce di ati ed , wildnes terrifi ed me fromthe utmos t ends ofthe earth fears s urrounded k s m s me. How did I now but danger ight uddenly ari s e from E s e m k s the a t, and invade m fro the un nown region beyond the s eas ? I w as a weak and little child and hadforgotten there w man Yet s m n as e as a alive in the earth . o ethi g l o of hop and T s me expectation comforted me fromevery border . hi taught that I w as concerned in all the world and that in the remotes t s s me s border the caus e of peace delight , and the beautie of s n ma to a me I w as the earth , when ee , were de entert in that ’ xx x T RA HER N E S POEMS made to hold a communion with the s ecrets of Divine Provi dence in all the world that a remembrance ofall the joys I had frommy birth ought always to be with me : that the pres ence C s m s ms s s a me of itie , Te ple , and Kingdo ought to u t in , and an s that to be alone in the world w as to be desolate dmi erable . T h e m s s s a as s co fort of hou e and friend , and the cle r urance of ’ s s s His W s m trea ure everywhere, God care and love, i do , Good s His P s and s s s nes , and Power, re ence watchfulne in all the end of the earth were my s trength andas s urance for ever and that thos e things being abs ent to myeye were my joys and cons ola tions : as pres ent to my unders tanding as the widene ss and m i s s s I s aw me e pt ne of the Univer e which before .

XXIV W hen I heard of any new Kingdombeyond the s eas the me s me light and glory of it entered into , it ro e up within , and

I w as e . I I s a nlarged wonderfully entered into it, w its co m modities s s ma s s a s , pring , e dow , riche , inhabit nt , and became s s ss a o mas had m po e or of th t new ro if it been prepared for e, s o m w as I m ﬁ W uch agni ed and delighted in it . hen the Bible w as m s w as s I s a read y pirit pre ent in other ages . w the light ands m L C an plendour of the , the and of ana , the Is raelites m s entering into it, the ancient glory of the A orite , their peace

s s s s s fi - s and riche , their citie , hou e , vine , and g tree , the long s e s m k and pro p rity of their King , their il honey, their s laughter ’ and s s m s s de truction , with the joy and triu ph of God people . W me m All hich entered into , and God a ong them. I saw all INT R OD UCTION

andfelt allin s uch a lively manner as if there hadbeen no o ther s s T s s me w ay to thos e place but in pirit only . hi hewed the s e a alla s fo r m s livelines s of interior pre nce, and th t ge were o t s s a s s m s a ea ea gloriou end cce ible to y under t nding, y with it , y t m s I l within it . For wi hout changing place in y elf cou d d all s . w as s behold and enjoy tho e Anything, when it propo e ,

though it w as a thou s and ages ago being always before me.

’ Some few other pass ages relating to T r aher ne s boyhoo d might be quoted but as I hope soon to publish the ” C s M s m m is enturie of editation in co plete for , it hardly s necessary to give further extract here . I have quoted ’ s s m enough , I trust, to create a de ire in the reader ind to a s ee the whole work in print . I have found the n rrative s o intere s ting mys elf that I would fain hope it will be not s s V s s le s s so to other . I t di plays with a ividnes eldom s s ff equalled the eager, enthu ia tic, thoughtful , a ectionate,

a its . w as and, above all, poetic ch racter of author I t doubtles s becau s e he retained in his manhood s o much of s s s his the fre h , un poiled , and uncorrupted pirit of youth that he w as able to give s uch an engaging picture of his

s s am s early year . It bear the st p of veracity and incerity ’ in every line ; and leaves no room in the reader s mind (as s o many autobiographies do) for the s us picion that th e a w as s ms m s uthor po ing hi elf in the o t favourable light,

s s hi and Suppre sing the darker s hade of s portraiture . I do xxxii T RA HERNE’S POEMS

no t think there is anything resembling it in Englis h literature nor could more than one or two other Engli s h n is poets have written such a arrative . It fortunate “ ” s s so i ndeed that the Centurie of Meditation , which

s s s e narrowly e caped de truction or oblivion , hould hav been pre s erved to afford us this valuable record of the inner life of a s pirit touched to s uch ﬁne i s s ues as w as that

m s of Tho a Traherne . ’ Turning fromth e brilliant illumination of our author s own account of h is youth ful experiences it is very dis ap pointing to ﬁnd that no information about h im from external s ources can be d i s covered before the time when m m . a he beca e an Oxford undergraduate But we y, I e s think, conclude with little chanc of error that the cour e

his w as s m as s His s of early life o ewhat follow parent ,

s ms eeing the precocity and unusual pro i e of their child , determined to give himthe bes t education within their s him mm power, and therefore ent to the local Gra ar

S . s s chool Thi was founded by Bi hop Gilbert in 1 3 86 . While there he mu s t have dis ting uis hed himself s o much by his good conduct and aptitude for learning that s ome patron — o r perhaps some of his relatives who were in a better pos ition than his father— furnished the means to enable him to proceed to Oxford and become a s tudent His s h there . cour e at the University is thus related in t e

z it/mm; Oxaniemes INTRO D U CTION xxxiii

’ T mas T r s ma s s o n f w as ho aherne, a hoe ker of Here ord,

mm O Br as - s ﬁ s da eMntered a Co oner f enno e College on the r t y of 6 2 o ne s s m arch , I 5 , took degree in Art , left the Hou e for a ti e, n s a 1 6 6 1 w as a e tered into the cred function , and in he actu lly a Ms s m a cre ted a ter of Art . About that ti e he bec me Rector of C r edinhill mmo Cr e nell , co nly called d , near to the city of Here 1 66 Bach lOr Of D v ford and in 9 p i inity .

To the above it may perhaps be as well to add the exact s i s dates of the degrees be to w ed upon h mat the Univer ity . w as m s 1 1 6 6 MHe ade Bachelor of Art on October 3 , 5 ; s s m 6 1 66 1 a ter of Art on Nove ber , and Bachelor m 1 1 1 6 D D 6 . of ivinity on ece ber , 9 Why or when he “ ” left the Hou s e for a time does not appear ; pos s ibly as n s it w on accou t of the political trouble of the period . When at the Univers ity w e may be certain that ’ Tr aher ne s inclination and natural geniu s would lead him to study for the mini s try ; and he w as undoubtedly an earnes t and diligent s tudent of the hi s tory and doctrine s

s m s s of the Chri tian faith , and ore e pecially of tho e of the mm his Church of England . He found in that co union

C . s ideal hurch We have een that Philip Traherne, the M w as ayor of Hereford , noted for his fervent zeal for the E s tabli s hed Church and Clergy — and probably we s hall not be wrong in thinking that the T r aher nes g enerally were members of the English Church . That xxxiv T RA HERNE’S POEMS circums tance doubtless had its infl uence in determining the faith of Thomas Traherne but his own deeply s n fervent and religiou ature found in the national faith , as him the George Herbert had found before , peace and satisfaction which he could find nowhere else . That the Anglican Church can boas t of having attracted to its s as t ervice such fine Spirits those of Herber , Vaughan , m s m m Traherne,and the any other that ight be entioned, s s is surely one of its greate t honour . We have the evidence of Antony aWood and that o r ’ T r aher ne s book entitled Roman Forgerie s to prove that he w as an unwearied s tudent of the antiquities of the

C its s C s D s . hurch , of Father , ouncil , and octrine But the bes t evidence on this point is to be found in the Advertis ement to the R eader preﬁxed to R oman ” Fo r er ies s us g . Herein the author g ive a lively account of a di s cussion which took place bet w een hims elf and a Roman Catholic gentleman on the ques tions in dis pute m between the two Churches. This passage ust be quoted s is s o in full, for the tory vividly told that the reader becomes almost a spectator of the scene

Before I s tir further I s hall add one pas s age which befelme S r ﬁoolr as I w as s s n s s in the tudying the e thi g , and earching the m s and s s m O o t old authentic record in pur uance of the . ne L evening as I came out of the Bodleian ibrary, which is the xxxvi T RA HERNE’S POEMS

“ s h s s en nothing but lie , quot he, whereby the Prote tant ” deav o ur s s s Sir a s I to di grace the Papi t . , n wered , you are a s M s a and s M a m chol r, have heard of I idore, erc tor, Ja e erlin , Pe C La s S ns S s Binius La e ter rabbe , urentiu uri , everinu bb , Co s s ar tius Collectio R a ks s , and the egi , boo of va t bulk and as as a ma s ma ﬁ met price, well of gre t je ty and gni cence you me thi s evening at the Library d oor ; ifyou pleas e to meet me m m ak u there to orrow orning at eight of the clock, I will t e yo m as s as s m and in and we will go fro cl to cl , fro book to book, I ﬁ s s s s there will r t hew in your own author , that you publi h ’ s ins tuments Reoomr s uch for good and then prove, that tho e “ ins truments are downright fraud s and forgeries What hurt ” R m s a ! i I is that to the Church of o e ? id he . No (cr ed ! m Is C R m a az ed) it no hurt to the hurch of o e, to be found or in Canon: A or t/er n m s E ir t/er guilty off g g in the p a e , and p in ’ Fat/z er r nam s ma Is the e , which they never de it nothing in Rome to Decr ee: andCouncilr be guilty of counterfeiting , and R ecor d; of Antiguity I bow done w ito you whereupon I m him as an s s turned fro obdurate per on . And with thi I m R a thought it eet to acquaint the e der .

’ No other particulars of T r aher ne s Univers ity career are

s now available, but tho e which I have related are s fﬁ s w as s s s u cient to how that i t not an un ucce ful one . It is plain that he made his way entirely by his own m ability, for he could have had no other eans of advancing ms hi elf. ’ “ It appears froma passage in our author s Centuries ot INTR OD UCTION xxxv n

Meditations that there w as at one time a conﬂict in his m as his f c s ind to uture our e in life . He debated with himselfas to whether he s hould purs ue the path that might

s i s u lead to worldly pro perity, at the cost ofsacr ﬁcing or p

his s o r pressing higher aspiration , whether he should, at the o f th e m s risk of p verty and obscurity, ollow out pro pting

. S a onflict o of his better self uch x , in his case, c uld have only one result

W I m s m hen ca e into the country, and being eated a ong s s s s m m m ilent tree and wood and hill , had all y ti e in ine own s s s s me hand , I re olved to pend i t all , whatever it co t , in the s ss and s s earch of Happine , to atiate the burning thir t which In w as Nature hadenkindled in me frommy youth . which I I s ten s s o res olute that cho e rather to live upon pound a year, and to go in leather clothes and to fe ed upon bread and water, I m m m m s s o that ight have all y ti e clearly to y elf, than to keep many thousands per annumin an es tate of life where my o w as s o time would be devoured in care and lab ur . And God pleas ed to accept of that des ire that fromthat time to thi s I have hadall things plentifully provided for me without any a m s m me m c re at all , y very tudy of Felicity aking ore to s pro per than all the care in the whole world . SO that through H is s s I f as ble ing live a free and a kingly li e, if the world a m m as is at were turned ag in into Eden, or, uch ore, it s da thi y.

Truly a memorable reso lution ! which has had not too xxxviii T RA HERNE’S POEMS

m m has any parallels, though the failure to ake it caused many a manof ﬁne abilities to fall into the ranks of those whomthe world has conquered ands ubdued to its own

s mm s m purpose . One re e ber the si ilar resolution of the s m m great founder of Q uakeri , which Traherne ight s s poss ibly have heard o f. One think al o of Thoreau and of his life in the woods and of the few others who have

dared to live out their own lives in their own way, regard

s s - le of the disdain or censure of the worldly minded . That nothing but good came to Traherne fromhis res olution we might have been sure even if he had not hims elf told us so for what harmcan come to thos e who are animated with such a spirit as his ? The s piritually minded derive their s s m s u tenance fro the pirit , and are the richer on the ten pounds a year which Traherne s peaks of than are the mas ters of untold wealth who are s piritually s de titute . At what period Traherne came to the decis ion which he has thus recorded does not appear but it s eems w as m as us probable it at the ti e when , Wood tells , he left m s mm the University for a ti e . Wood place the co ence m his m s 1 66 1 ent of ini try at Credenhill at about , when m s s ms he was ade Ma ter of Arts . Thi , however, see to

Mr . h D as be an error. . E H . W . unkin kindly informed me that he has in his possess ion a copy of a manuscript s L m L M 8 pre erved at a beth ibrary ( S . 99) containing INTRO D U CTION xxxix

u m B eneﬁ ces tem partic lars of ad issions to p. Common in f wealth , which the ollowing entry appears

T o m s T m 0 Dec. 1 6 h a raherne, clerk, ad itted 3 , 5 7 , by the Commis s ioners fo r the Approbation of Public Preachers to the c Cr dnll s ddn ll Re e e Cr e e hi Co . tory of , alia , Hereford patron ma e a C s s D a of A b ll , ounte ow ger Kent .

In 1 65 7 Traherne could not have been more than 2 1

2 2 — or years of age hardly old enough , one would think , s s m to a u e entire charge of the parish . Possibly at ﬁrst he only acted as assistant to the minister whomhe afterwards s ucceeded . ’ Of the cours e of T r aher ne s life at Credenhill noth ing is as now known , but, as far outward events were con w as u te cerned, it do btless quiet and uneventful . He m ained there, it would appear, for rather more than nine m and a half years . Then he was su moned to Lo ndon to e m Sir m b co e private chaplain to Orlando Bridg an , who, 0 1 66 w as L th on August 3 , 7 , created ord Keeper of e ’ s m Seal . Whether he owed his pro otion to a friend s mm f s m reco endation , or whether he had, be ore thi ti e , a anted Sir become personally cqu with Orlando, we do not is m know, but it certain that he ust henceforth have l been high y esteemed and valued by his patron . When m w as 1 6 2 S s Bridg an , in 7 , deprived of the eal , and went 9 ’ x1 T RA HERNE S POEMS

m s into retire ent, he till retained Traherne in his service, ’ and it w as in his patron s house at Teddington ,about three ’ ma m s s s . onth after the latter decea e, that he died We y indeed feel certain that a mutual regard and even affection existed between them and perhaps it is not too great a s tretch of imagination to think that the death of Traherne may have been has tened by his grief at the loss of his patron . ir m w as no to nl able law er S Orlando Bridg an ya very y ,but

s s s m . al o an honourable, conscientiou , and upright state an s s He was, perhap , a little wanting in trength of character, and therefore appeared to his contemporaries to be s ome

o f mm w as m s thing a tri er . He a royalist,and re ained uch all through the C ivil War and the Commonwealth ’ though it appears that during the last years of Cromwell s reign he had in some degree made his peace with the Pro w as s s m tector. But he not di po ed to be a ere tool in the w as m h ands of the Court party . He ade Keeper of the Seals becau s e it was suppos ed that he would have been s ub servient to the des igns of the minis try then in power but when it w as found that he w as not dis pos ed to be a co m pliant tool in their hands he w as dis missed fromhis ofﬁ ce .

h im S s ff s He had nothing in of a crogg or a Je rie , and w as therefore no ﬁt ins trument of the crew of un s crupulous and corrupt intriguers who then misruled the country . That he w as of a mos t charitable di s pos ition — though he has not INT RODUCTION

the f - w hitherto, I believe, receiv ed credit for act e have ’ f h s h s su ﬁ cient evidence . In T r a er ne s Chri tian Et ick 1 ML ss we ﬁnd the following pa age (p . 4 7 ) y ord

mn L f s s ms his Bridg a , late ord Keeper, con e ed hi elf in

S his s Will to be but a teward of E tate, and prayed God to

h is ff mis - s forgive all o ences in getting , pending, or not s as o m pending it he ought t do . And that after any

C s m his haritable and Pious Works, perhap sur ounting es tate tho concealed fromthe notice or knowledge of th e ” world . It has been s een fromone of the extracts quoted from ” Centuries of Meditation s that Traherne e s teemed “ himself fortunate in having all things plentifully

me m s provided for without any care at all, yvery tudy of Felicity making me more to pros per than all the care in ” w as s s the whole world . That he perfectly incere in thi s m m tate ent, and that he had all the riches and advance ent

is men he required , certain but very few , and certainly

m s man s m ms s no a bitiou , under the a e circu tance would

m r ldl r mindd have ade s uch a declaration . To the w o y e m s s m m his destiny u t have ee ed a poor, i f not ean one .

s s m s s s To be the par on of two all and ob cure pari he , and

Seals w hile s s s the private chaplain of the Keeper ofthe , po e s ing abilities which would have adorned the highest poss ible s m s m s s tation, u t have see ed , to a les happily con tituted m m s m te pera ent, a fate which would have ju tiﬁed uch ’ xlii T RA HERNE S POEMS

w as m repining and dis content . That Traherne not erely contented but happy under such circumstances is but one more proof that

s s s Happine to no outward cau e we owe,

Frominward s ources only doth it Ho w .

The po sition of chaplain to Lord Bridgman mus t have brought Traherne into contact with many di s tingui s hed persons of the time but no trace of his intercours e with

m s s s . the seems now to be di coverable, ave in one in tance m undiscr imin John Aubrey, the fa ous gossip, to whose ating industry we ar e indebted for the pres ervation of m ff s not w uch cha indeed , but al o for a little precious heat, ” “ ” his Ms u e s in i cellanies, nd r the heading Apparition , s us a mr give re a kable reference to our author . I quote the pass ag e in full :

Mr T B D S ir O m . rahern, . . (chaplain to rlando Bridg an , L an ands er s w as s o a s ord Keeper) , a le r ed ob per on, nof hoe m in as bed m aker Hereford : one night he lay in , the oon s s aw m a r e hining very bright, he the phanto of one of the pp n

s s a his s a - tice , itting in a ch ir in red wai tcoat, and he d band his a s his k i w as about he d, and trap upon nee which apprent ce

a s t - re lly in bed and a leep with ano her fellow apprentice, in the s m m e ands aw him The w as 1 . 1 6 a e cha b r, fellow living, 7 . m as as s aw s m s Another ti e, he w in bed , he a ba ket co e ailing

’ xlii T RA HERNE S POEMS

w as m repining and discontent . That Traherne not erely contented but happy under such circumstances is but one more proof that

s s Happine s to no outward cau e we owe,

Frominward s ources only doth it flow .

The position of chaplain to Lord Bridgman mu s t have brought Traherne into contact with many di s tinguished persons of the time but no trace of his intercourse with

m e s s n . the s em now to be discoverable, ave in one insta ce m s undis cr imin John Aubrey, the fa ou gossip, to whose ating industry we are indebted for the pr es ervation of m ff no t it c uch cha indeed , but also for a l tle pre ious wheat, ” “ ” his M s u r s in i cellanies, nde the heading Apparition , us a mr bl gives re a ka e reference to our author . I quote the passag e in full :

Mr B D S ir O B m . Trahern, . . (chaplain to rlando ridg an , L e s er s w as so n a s e ord Ke per) , a learned and ob per on, of ho m as la m aker in Hereford : one night he y in bed, the oon s s aw ha m a r en hining very bright, he the p nto of one of the pp

s s a his s and ea - tice , itting in a ch ir in red wai tcoat, h d band his s his i w as about head, and trap upon knee which apprent ce r a s fello w ~a r entice e lly in bed and a leep with another pp , in the s m m e saw him The w as 1 6 1 a e cha b r, and . fellow living, 7 . m a as bd saw s m s a Another ti e, s he w in e , he a ba ket co e iling INTR O DU CTION xli ii

a a his in the air, long by the v lence of bed ; I think he s ai d

there w as fruit in the basket it w as a phantom. Fromhim s elf.

It is highly probable that it was Aubrey who furnished Wood with the account of Traherne which appears in

z it/mus Oxonienm c the , and édoubtless he ould have given us much more information abo ut him had he chosen to s o w as s o do . But he incapable of appreciating ﬁne a ’ spirit as T r aher ne s ; no r w as the latter likely to reveal him s is m to the profounder depth of his nature . It uch to be regretted that Aubrey gives us such a confused n w as s accou t of what he told . The storie were doubt him less related to at his own direct request, he being ever eager to collect accounts of the marvellous and the m supernatural . It see s evident that Traherne attached m t s tw o little i po r ance to the e visions, purposeless as they w e andas v is i n of the i uul r apparently re, o s k nd s a ly a e. No one nowadays would attribute such phanto ms of the s no r s brain to any upernatural cause, doe it appear that

Traherne himself did . I ﬁnd no trace in his writings of a belief in the common superstitions of his time as to

s s s ghost , witche , or evil pirits . The date of the intervie w in which Traherne related thes e things to Aubrey is ﬁxed by the date given in it ’ (1 6 7 1 ) to a period within two or three years of the po et s xliv T RA HE RNE’S POEMS d . D s s w as death uring the e latter year he , accor ing to W m n M s . d s s oo , ini ter of the pari h of Teddingto , iddle ex ’ I t w as there that S ir Orlando Bridgman s country re s idence ’ w as s ituated and it w as doubtle s s owing to h is lords hip s f in luence that Traherne w as appointed minis ter . That he did s s ms s hold that po ition ee to be certain ,though , curiou ly his m s s m s s enough , na e doe not appear in the li t of ini ter of ’ “ the pari s h which is given in New co ur t s Repertorium ” s a Ecclesias ticum. Perhap thi s m y be accounted for by the fact that though Traherne w as actually the work in m s s w as m g ini ter, the po t no inally held by a clerical s m s ss s as plurali t of the ti e . The ucce ion of curate given ’ by New co ur t during the period of T r aher ne s connection

s is as s : 1 66 Badco ck 1 668 with the pari h follow 4, ; ,

1 lb. C ar 1 6 . s 6 s E s . Bryan 7 3 , Joh Grave ; 7 7 , Jacobu y It w as not until the year before his death that the ﬁrs t ’ fruit of T r aher ne s long and labo rious studies w as offered

m H is ms — o r m m to the readers of the ti e . poe so e of the ,

as — s s at le t were written early in life , for he peak of one “ of them as having been written long s ince but his “ ” ” R m o r er ies C s Ethicks C s o an F g , hri tian , and enturie ” of Meditation s were almos t certainly his lates t produc

s . his s s tion Without undervaluing two publi hed work , it mus t be regretted that he did not s end to the pres s in

m his m preference to the poe s, which would then have

n his e had the adva tage of own suprvi s ion , and would have I NTR O DUCTION xlv s aved his name from the total obs curity in wh ich it has

w s tw o s no w been sunk for up ard of centurie . But doubt m his less he did not anticipate so unti ely an end of career, and may well have preferred to make h is ﬁrs t appearance in print as a s erious student and thinker rather thanas a

ms poet . I feel sure that he did not undervalue his poe (what poet eve r did but he must have believed that his prose writings were bettef calculated to in fluence the H as s fl . is world , he de ired to in uence it, than they were “ ” Roman Fo r g er ies and Chri s tian Ethicks probably cos t himfar more labour and hard thought than his poems

has s m s did and authors, it been ob erved , usually value o t

s m s s hig hly the work which have cost the the greate t pain .

w as 1 6 R m w as s It in 7 3 that o an Forgeries publi hed . There never w as a period in the his tory of Eng land when theological questions were more hotly debated than during

the second half of the seventeenth century . Political and theological ques tions were then far more closely con d is necte than now the case, so that a double degree o r vehemence was imparted to all the s ubjects of di s pute

w which then divided the nation . Hence it as that a con tinualﬂood ofparti s an books and pamphlets i s s ued fromthe

s s m s pre , to conte plate which nowaday is to be ﬁlled with a melancholy s en s e of the energy and intellect which our ancestors wasted in angry disputations and futile con

tr ov er s ies . xlvi T RA HERNE’S POEMS

That Traherne s hould have plunged into this whirlpoo l m n m of controversy is, I ust needs thi k, atter for regret .

H s R m o r er ies is is i o an F g , it true, a very able work and as to its main contentions a very convincing one to s s those who need no convincing, and po ibly even to the C s r very few atholic who could be induced to pe use it . m s t is s But o of the latter, it probable, would bru h the s as C m m whole que tion aside, did the atholic gentle an who m m Traherne encountered at Oxford , erely exclai ing ” What does it matter ? a a As to the object of the work, the p ss ge which I have m r eader a quoted fro it on p . xxxiv will give the good idea

. m f of its s cope and purpose It is, in fact, an indict ent o the Roman Church as being guilty of the mos t flagrant forgeries of documents and fals ifi catio ns of his torical facts for the purpose of supporting its s piritual and temporal pretensions . To those who are able to take any interes t m a s in its subject the book is by no e n a dull one . m Traherne, indeed , felt such a lively concern in his the e that he has succeeded in infus ing much of his own s s animation into his page . He deal his blo w s at his s h s o adversaries with uch hearty good will , and as much s his confidence in the ju tice of cause, that the reader can f s m s o s m hardly ail to y pathise with earne t a co batant . as Yet, I have said , one can hardly help regretting that o as the b ok Should have been written , for, well it is done, INTRODU CTION xlvii

it might have been done equally well by a writer of far

s is m s inferior gift , while it i pos ible not to feel that ‘ Traherne w as wasting his genius in its co mpos itio nﬂ Within twelve month s after the publication of Roman

Fo r er ies its w as the g author dead . B ut he had , during fe m s him w onths of life till left to , ﬁnished another long as C Ethicks and elaborate work . This w his hristian , a work of much more value and interest than his ﬁrs t

ms - f m book, though it see to have fallen still born ro the m press , and to have re ained neglected and unknown ever s ince . The s ati s faction of seeing his second work in print w as

its s denied to author . He had ent it to the press, but was m Sir dead before the printing of it was co menced .

“ Roman Forgeries mus t have had s ome popularity in its m is C s Ethicks ti e, for it , unlike hri tian , a tolerably mm s its co on book . Fifteen year after publication Dean C mb s m his s o er, a writer of o e note in day, publi hed a work of ’ s m s m A s Tr ah er ne s i ilar character, and with the a e title . book w as s m s De C m has s a publi hed anony ou ly, an o ber u u lly received as as his k The D w s credit for that well for own wor . ean a a man s a of con ider ble ability, and he would hardly have been pleased had he been told that he would only be remembered in future times as the writer who helped hims elf to a s triking title at the expen s e of one who w as far s uperior to hims elf in s character and geniu . xlviii T RA HERNE’S POEMS

2 1 6 w as Orlando died on June 5 , 7 4, and interred in the m m w as church at Teddington , where a onu ent erected him m s his to . Three onth afterwards Traherne died in ’ s w as s patron s hou e, and al o buried in the church at

- s Teddington under the reading de k . Of the exact date w as of his decease we are ignorant , but he buried on

I O 1 6 . October , 7 4 his About a fortnight before death , Traherne sent

his e his s s - in- law S s for fri nd, John Berdo, and i ter , u an

s m his — a Traherne, and in their pre ence ade Will nun cu ativ e s W m p one . Thi ill, which I have to thank y

mm a me w as friend , Gordon Goodwin , for co unic ting to , C C registered in the Prerogative ourt of anterbury . I t is

s s m a curiou and intere ting docu ent, and I have therefore

s m printed i t in full in the Appendix to the pre ent volu e . m its m is Fro ter s, i t very eviden t that Traherne had

m s s accu ulated no wealth ,and that he died posse ed of little his s ff s indeed beyond books and other per onal e ect . At the time of his death Traherne w as probably not m - s ore than thirty eight year of age, but certainly under

. w as s m f his forty He thu in the very pri e of li e, and intellect w as in its fullest vigour . Had he lived he would s urely have produced a s uccess ion of works which s would have sen ibly enriched our literature, for his indu s try w as not less remarkable than his ability and A s w as his learning . it , his career must have s eemed to

T RA HERNE ’S ‘ POEMS

’ purpos e to tell us the author s name might have cau s ed i t to remain for ever unknown but for one clue that he gave

us m its s . , which ulti ately led to di covery “ The Seriou s and PatheticallContemplation opens

v Hick es with a letter fromthe Re . Georg e (then a well s s s s known writer on theological ubject ) , in which he ay that the work w as recommended to himfor publication “ by a devout pers on who w as a great Judge of Books o r D n evotion , having give the world one already which had ” m s s s been well received in three i pre ion . He intended , s s ms he ay , to have written a Preface to the book hi elf, but had received froma friend of the deceas ed author an him r r h im account of , which rende ed it unnecessa y for m o who can only tell how greatly the author of the wr te , ﬁ h is but knew not how greatly he lived to ful l intention . ’ D r Hickes s L is s s . etter followed by an Addre To the ” ’ R T r ah er ne s . A s s s eader, written by friend thi contain the bes t and mos t valuable account of our author which us m has descended to , I need ake no apology for q uoting it in full

’ T ho the unhappy decay of true Piety and the Immoralities of the Age we live in may be a dis couragement to the multi s ks as s o n s plying uch Boo thi , yet the other hand thi degeneracy M m R s m s of anner , and too evident conte pt of eligion ake it (it may be) the more nece ss ary to endeavour to retrieve the S pirit INTR OD U CTION li

s s m C s of Devotion and the acred Fire of Pri itive hri tianity . ’ ’ And s ince tis ho pdthi s ens uing Treati s e may s omewhat conduce to thes e noble End s It is thought to be no unpr oﬁ t mm P s s a o f able undertaking to co it it to the re , it being p rt R m s C s is s the e ain of a very devout hri tian , who long ince m R s Beatiﬁ ed S s s s re oved to the egion of pirit , to ing tho e s s w as i o ur o us l Prai es and Hallelujah , in which he very v g y ’ employ d whil s t he dwelt amongs t us : and s ince s omewhat P r e ar e is m as ss k of f beco e, it were , a nece ary part of every boo , ins tead o f any particular D edication(which is commonly over s tuft wit h Flattery and Complements ) I will only give thee s o m o T o w as is I e Acc unt of the Author . tell thee who he , , k s And thin , to no purpo e therefore I will only tell thee what w as ma ss mm T ks he , for that ypo ibly reco end the following han M s s D s a s ue w a giving and edit tion to thy . He a ivine of the C a m ns S and hurch of Engl nd, of a very co prehe ive oul very Pa s s o in acute rt , fully bent upon that Honourable Function which he w as engaged ; and s o wonderfully trans po rted with L M h s the ove of God to ankind , wit the excellency of tho e D L s s us s in ivine aw which are pre cribed to , and with tho e expres s ible Felicities to which we are entitled by being created m D m in , and redee ed to the ivine I age that he dwelt con tinually amongs t thes e thoughts with great delight and s ati s s endm m s o f his m m s faction , p g o t ti e when at ho e in dige ting his ot s s s w as s o n ion of the e thing into writing, and full of them when abroad that thos e w h o would convers e with h im s m s s h s s s were forced to endure o e di cour e upon t e e ubject , had s s R i whether they any en e of el gion or not . And therefore s m s m ms s m h is to uch he ight be o eti e thought trouble o e, but lii T RA HERNE’S PO EMS

company w as very acceptable to alls uch as h adany inclination ’ i tho had ms r to Vertue and Relig on . And he the i fo tune to m a i h s e T mes co e abro d nto: t e world in th e late di ord red i , s en when the Foundations were cas t do wn, and thi excell t Ch a in s and iss e C f s and urch l id the du t , d olv d into on u ion ’ Enthus ras me his S w as o f m r eﬁ nda andhis yet oul a ore lloy, J udgment in dis cerning of things more s olid andcons ider ate a nf Le h efo am th n to be i ected with that aven , and t er re bec e much in love with the beautiful order and Primitive Devotions o f s s o muc I thi our excellent Church . In h that believe he never failed any one day either publickly or inhis private

C s ma e us e ' O fﬁ s as h is lo et to k of her publick ce , one part of less s m s s s t devotion , un o e very unavoidable bu ine interrup ed

h im. w as man and s T m He a of a cheerful prightly e per, free fr omanything of the s ournes s or formality by which some great pr etenders to Piety r ather dis parage and mi s repres ent true Religion than recommend it ; and therefore w as very ff s inhis a a to a able and plea ant c onvers tion , re dy do all good o ﬁ ees to his s C r a le to the oo almos Friend , and ha it b P r t his But e m Cou r to beyond ability . b ing re oved out of the nt y the s er i L e er r i manas his C a la v ce of the late ord Ke p B dg h p in , he died young andg o t early to thos e bli s s ful Mans ions to ’ hic he all ms as ir d w h at ti e p .

“ T s s w as hi eulogy of Traherne, it will be ob erved,

- ﬁ v e s his written twenty year after death , when the a m writer could h ve had no possible otive to pen i t , s the m his beyond a de ire to do justice to me ory of friend . INTRO DU CTION liii

It is m tue not am o v i e a ost attractive pic r ; but , I c n nc d , o ne h w as cﬁ ce to Ba t r It is a tl in which trut sa ri d t e y. ex c y w hat mig ht have been in fe r r ed fr om the poems and “ ” C entur ies of Meditations ; but s ince it do es no t

’ “ al w ays happen that an author s pers o nality tallies with t m f om h is r n is hat which ight be deduced r w i ti gs, it ’ for tunate that the imp r ess ionder ived from T r ah‘er ne s s us o m b e n v nc work is th c nﬁr ed yindep nde t e ide e . The

w as is i one 'o f s e ar v poet , it pla n, tho r e and en iable n l h m r in lm is r i dividua s in w o no ja r g e e ent p esent, who cm o w as i h r i t r t c o e int the orld nto t ei r g h ful inhe i an e , and w hose whole life is a so ng o f thankfulne s s for the

a s s w e His h ppine hich they njoy in it. was indeed

A happy s oul that all the way ’ To h s mm s Heaven ath a u er day,

o ar e not s o s u ma and th ugh we, who con tit ted , and who y o us s ms q uesti n whether in a world , which to ee to give at as m s m as least uch rea on for la enting for rejoicing, any man has a s o as w as the right to be happy Traherne , feeling is perhaps only an o utcome of that envy wh ich thos e w ho are tor tured with a thousand doubts and mis givings mus t needs entertain for those w ho enjoy an e te xis nce of entire serenity . ’ is t T r aher ne s d he It fortuna e that frien , though did

h is a us him not mention n me, yet gave a clue to by liv T RA HERNE ’S POEMS

mentioning that he w as private chaplain to Lord Keeper

m s s e B ridge an . Without thi clue we hould probably hav had to remain in ignorance of his authors hip of the poems contained in this volume for though there was (as will s s o be een later on ) another clue, it was hidden away deeply that it is unlikely it would ever have been dis ’ T r ah er ne s s covered . Why friend hould have thought that as s w as it w not to the purpo e to tell us who he , and yet us m s s him is gave such a ean of di covering , rather a puzzle but we have reaso n to be ever grateful to himfor what m has has us . he told us, while regretting that he told no ore ’ I mu s t now give s ome account of T r aher ne s Chri s ” thicks is s o s tian E . It rare a book that I have only ju t s obtained a copy of it, after earching for it for nearly two s s s year . Few book urely have had so unfortunate a fate . If there is a better book of its kind in the Englis h u s o t as m lang age I have not been for unate to eet with it . is s u s s s s It a work full of eloquence, per a ivene , agacity, ’ s as m and piety . While the author concern , ight be is s is expected , chiefly with the piritual life, he by no m s s m ean destitute of worldly wi do , and he often exhibits a s hre w dnes s and knowledge of human nature which s m him e would carcely be expected fro . Op n the book anywhere you please you can hardly fail to di s cover a s Ho s fine thought fi nely expre s ed . w then hall we account for the fact that the w ork has remained in total obscurity INTROD UCTION lv fromthe time of its firs t publication to the pres ent day i its a The fact that the author died before appe rance, and it was thu s thrown into the world without a parent or

s w as s m friend to fo ter it, no doubt in o e degree account

its - n is m s able for ill fortu e . It true that the author ake

s u s no appeal to the unin tr cted or the fanatical, and keep throughout the work u pon a higher level of thought than e s can s s m the generality of read r a cend to . He is o ewhat

e s s s m s s too fond of d bating ab tru e point of etaphy ic , and of dwelling upon the s ubtleties of th eo lo g icals pecula~ is tion . Yet there in the book enough , one would think,

m s m of ho ely wi do , and even of wit, to have secured it a

m m s w m war welco e fromall tho e to ho it appealed . I think the reader— s inc e he is not likely to obtain a “ ” C s Ethicks m ma s copy of hri tian , however uch he yde ire

— s m s it will be glad to see a few extract fro it . And ﬁr t “ ” s s m m I will quote a pa age fro the chapter Of Magnani ity .

s s its s s — fo r I do thi becau e of per onal intere t Traherne, in m m s man w as painting the character of a ag nani ou , ,

s s whether consciou ly or unconsciou ly, drawing his own o as ma m p rtrait . Flattering the picture y see , I do not s is doubt i n the lea t that it a true one .

Magnanimity and contentment are very near allied ; like

s ands s s s m s am a s brother i ter they pring fro the e p rent , but are

s s and a ar e of everal feature . Fortitude P tience kindred to lvi T RA HERNE’S POEMS

s s ds s Mn m s r M a a thi incompa able virtue . orali t i tingui h g ni ity M a es of e s t m and ode y, by king the one the d ire gr ater, the s m a r e nsi n t ss and nf o r . o her of le i erior, h nou But in y ppeh o is m inMa nm It in s t s there ore gna i ity . clude all tha belong to S m r an n b a Great oul a high and ighty cou age, invi ci le P e mm a is a atienc , an i oveable Gr ndeur which above the re ch s m m s of injurie , a conte pt of all little and feeble enjoy ent , and a certain kind of majes ty that is convers ant with great things f m s s s s a high and lo ty fra e of pirit, allied with the weetne of Courtesy and Res pect ; a deep and s table res olution founded ‘on humility without any bas enes s an infi nite hope and a vas t ’ a Div r o a s s n s des ir e ine, profound, uncont ll ble en e of o e own o s c fi e a r a at capacity ; a gener u on d nce, and g e t inclin ion to s all se s to m s e r heroical deed the con pire co plete it, with a ve e s s m s It s oa s andmighty expectation of Bli inco prehen ible . r up e ks n m o f to H aven , and loo down upo all do inion fortune with s Its ms s s ar e a s pity anddi dain . ai and de ign tr n cendent to all s s Its s its s concern of thi little world . object and end are worthy of a s oul that is like God in Nature and nothing les s t m h is L ma han the Kingdo of God, ife and I ge nothing beneath the friends hip and communi onwith Himcan be its s s Th e r s a r m s s s men ati faction . terro , llu e ent , and cen ure of ar e the du s t of its feet : their avarice and ambitionare but T s co nt ni s s . e t o us and feeblene before it heir riche and , s s s s fi a m tr ifles intere t and honour , but in igni c nt and e pty . All the world is but a little bubble ; Infi nity and Eternity the s s co nv er s e h only great and overeign thing wherewith it t . A s s l Magnanimous S oul i alway awake . The whole g obe of the

s a s o f i s s Th e earth is but a nut hell in comp ri on t enjoyment . lviii T R A HERNE ’ S POEMS

s m Th e a s m a i . world , and p y the the honour th t due unto the o s a a k s m s gl riou ex lt tion of good ing he ore abundantly extol , becau s e s o many tho u s and Magnanimou s Creatures ar e co m mitted s and m s a to their tru t , they that govern the under t nd ’ a s s k n s and their v lue . But he ee well enough that the i g glory o s s s s Cath o lick and m A s true rep e con i t in the Eternal kingdo .

' ms i: come unto Mount Sz on and to toe Cit o too for hi elf he , y f Liv in God the Heav enl er z uo/em and to at: innumer ao/e g , y 7 ,

' r omo n o A ne/r to for Gener alJ r r embl oﬂdCbztr tﬁ ( ibre Fz r r t p y f g , y f oom w bir bar e w r itteninHoot/m andto Godtoo ude o all , , j g f ,

° and o to: r ir itr o 1 t mm made r 2 a andto am: tbe t p f pe/ , j Mediator of to: New Cov enant : and therefore receiving a m m s s s Kingdo which cannot be oved , he de ire to erve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear and the truth is we

can a s is s m ﬁ r e . fe r nothing el e, for God alone a con u ing

s is s The above pa sage a fairly repre entative one . If the is as s reader ple ed with it, he would be equally plea ed with s s m the whole work ; if he ee nothing to ad ire in it, he “ ” may conclude that Chri s tian Ethick s is not a boo k has m s him which any e sage in it for . The following extract is taken fromthe chapter Of Charity to our Neighbours

That which yet further commendeth thi s virtue o f love unto us is that it is the only s oul of all pleas ure andfelicity in all s a s It is s un k ms e t te . like the light of the , in all the ingdo and s s and s a s a n s ea hou e eye and ge , in He ve , in earth , in the , in INTROD U CTIO N lix s s m s s s m s a s and hop and te ple , in chool and arket , in l bour s s is a n M r mo e . Me e t de recreation , in theatre and fable It g of w or ld and s s a s I is , the ole cau e of all oper tion . t evidently m s s m i po ible for any fancy, or play, or ro ance, or fable to be compos ed well and made delightful without a mixture of Love m s In s s in the co po ure . all theatres and feas t and wedding and triumph s andcoronations Love is the S oul and Perfection

. Inall s s a s s s of all per on , in all occup tion , in all diver ion , in a s s es s s all l bour , in all virtue , in all vic , in all occa ion , in all m s s and m s all o s fa ilie , in all citie e pire , in our devoti n and

s a s L is s ss s religiou ction , ove all in all . All the weetne of ociety is s a L f m s is L e ted in ove, the li e of u ic and dancing ove the s s s s o m s am happine of hou e , the enj y ent of friend , the ity of

a o s s s s rel ti n , the providence of king , the allegiance of ubject , m s s ea f the glory of e pire , the ecurity, p ce, and wel are of the is s a L W L is s world e ted in ove . ithout ove all di cord and s s s n s m us L and L confu ion . All ble i g co e upon by ove, by ove a s s s s s s is lone all delight and ble ing are enjoyed . All happine d is s a s e L an L . e t bli h d by ove, by ove alone Glory attained k L uniteth S s ma men God noweth that ove oul , keth of one a s ﬁ s m a k s s he rt in a hou e, ll the with liber lity and indne to each m s m s f s other, ake the delightful in pre ence , aithful in ab ence, a a t tender of the honour and welf re of the beloved, p to obey, a as s s s ff s re dy to ple e, con tant in trial , patient in u ering , s as s s fﬁ s s and courageou in ault , prudent in di cultie , victoriou m I s a s e is a triu phant . All that h ll need to ob erv further th t it cmlt dtb o r o H av n W ma s m o e e e e e . p yy f ell , therefore , y wi do

s ma s L L s . de ire ove, well y the Goodne of God delight in ove I is s um his a m t the and glory of Etern l Kingdo . ’ i lx T RA HE RNE S PO EMS

r v r ou and ue as The following spi ited , ig o s, eloq nt p sage is fromth e chapter Of Courage

What a gloriou s and incomparable virtue thi s is appear eth m s s s its a ar fro the ba ene and ineptitude of contr ry . A cow d and an ho nes t mancan never be the s ame ; a coward anda cons tant love r can never be the s ame cowardice and wi sdom are as incompatible for ever as Love and Wi s domwere thought is s s r to be of old . A coward alway de picable and w etched, s s ms az s adv en becau e he dares not expo e hi elf to any h ard , nor ture upon any great attempt for fear of s ome little pain and m is h im m da age that between and an excellent achieve ent . He is hafiledfromthe acqui s ition of the mos t great and beautiful s n n lus m s m . i thing , and o p t with every i pedi ent He conquered s fi The s m s before he begin to ght . very ight of danger ake h im s s s s m . i s hi o ff a lave He undone when he ee ene y afar , and wounded before the point of his s word can touch h is s . is s r and ms hadow He all way a terro burden to hi elf, a s s s s a dangerou knave, and a u ele cre ture . ’ S is a m s s s trange the vigour in a br ve an oul . The trength of his s h is s s e s s his a pirit and irre i tible power, the gr atne of he rt h is h is m fi and the height of condition , ighty con dence and m s h is s s ms conte pt of danger , true ecurity and repo e in hi elf, his s his r i liberty to dare and do what he plea eth , alac ty in the m s s his m a a s m id t of fear , invincible te per, are adv nt ge which ake imm s H is fi ts h im h . a m a ter of fortune courage for all tte pts , mak s hims a man m k s him e ervice ble to God and , and a e the k h is bulwar and defence of being and country . A I NTROD U C TIO N lx i

Let s e s men a tho debauched and unrea onable th t deny the, exis tence of vir tue contemplate the reality of its excellency e and s m i s her , be confounded with ha e at their prod giou s m s s m R i s . T ir s bl ndne he i piety de ign the aboli h ent of eligion , th a and e utter extirpation of all f ith , and piety, while they pretend the di s tinction b etween virtue and vice to be merely e a e r r am s feign d for the w ing of the wo ld , and that thei n e have no foundation in Nature but, the craft of politici ans and the i s s s s s trad tion of their nur e . Are there no ba e fellow , nor brave menin the world Is there no difference between a Lion and

a Hare ? a faint - hearted Coward and a glorious Hero ? Is there nothing brave nor vile in th e world What is become of thes e Ro domo ntado es wits ? Wh ere is the boas ted glory of s al dff u a their per on valour, if there be no i erence, but co r ge and cowar dice be th e s ame thing i

ma ﬁ nd s I have rked , I , at lea t twenty other passage s for q uotation and indeed it would be eas y to extract from the book enough notable s ayings to forma pocket volume of religious and moral philosophy but I mus t m s n is content y elf with only one other quotatio . It fromthe chapter Of Knowl edge

s unis i s a r andits ams The, a glor ou cre tu e, be extend to the m s s s n m es m ut os t tar by hini g on the it cloth the with light, its s exciteth all s It s and by ray their inﬂuence . enlighten the eyes of all the creatures it s hineth on forty kingdoms at the

s am m s s and s in n a m so . e ti e, on ea continent a ge er l anner yet ’ lx ii T R A HERNE S POEMS

a a m a particul rly reg rdeth all , that every ote in the air, every gr in s s as s is m as of du t, every pire of gr wholly illu inated thereby if No r o s it did entirely s hine upon that alone . d e it only illuminate all thes e objects in an idle manner ; its beams are ﬁ ll s s s s operative, enter in , the pore of thing with pirit , and m m s s all ma i s i pregnate the with power , cau e their e nat on , s s s s s s m s odor , virtue , and operation ; pring , river , ineral and s all s un m vegetable are perfected by the all the otion , life

ands s s s s fi s s de endeth sam . en e of bird , bea t and he p on the e Yet the s unis but a little s park among all the creatures that ma S the S m s and are de for the oul oul , being the o t high is far s far m noble of all , capable of higher perfection , ore full Th s s is of life and vigour in its us es . e phere of it activity m its is ss its s It can illi ited, energy endle upon all object . a s its s fi exceed the he ven in operation , and run out into in nite s a s S is k s m p ce . uch the extent of nowledge that it ee eth to be L s the ight of all Eternity . All object are equally near to the s plendour of its beams A s innumerable millions may be con eiv ed its L a m s m s o c in ight, with a ready c pacity for illion ore can a a s s s a h r it penetr te all by e , re c to the centre of all Natu e , s all s s s a and conver e with being , vi ible and invi ible, corpore l s a m a andincr eat d fi piritu l , te por l and eternal , created e , nite and fi s s a a ss in nite, ub tantial and accident l , ctual and po ible, ma and a all m s s ss ms i ginary re l ; the y terie of bli and i ery, all ’ s s cs S s a the ecret of heaven and hell are obje t of the oul c pacity, ands a a s k h ll be actu lly een and nown here .

It seems strange indeed that no compiler in s earch of m o s s aterial for a bo k of election , no s tudent in s earch of I NT RODU CTION lxiii

s s m forg otten excellence , no eeker for wi do conjoined with

has his s C s piety , ever lighted in earch upon hri tian ” Ethick s But m m . i t ca e into the world in a ti e of

s s n s s m s m s general di olute e of anner , and a id the jarring of contending s ects and the venomou s conte s ts of political s s s partie . Probably very few copie of the book were old , and its rarity in after time s has prevented it from becoming known to any one who had the will and the

mits power to proclai merits . ” P s s M oetry , ay ilton , if he be indeed the author of ” “ S m is m s s m Nova oly a, the i petuou ru h of a ind full

f s its m s s to over lowing, trained, exalted to ut o t power , ea s C y , rather, lifted into ec tacy beyond ould we accept thi s (as we cannot) as a complete deﬁ nition of m r the poetic faculty , we ight t hen place T aherne in the

s s s im o s very front rank of in pired inger . It would be p s ible to give a better de s cription of the leading character is tics of his poetry than that which we ﬁnd in the word s M m . M s h S as of ilton Not ilton hi elf, nor even helley, more of the impetuou s ru s h of a mind lifted into ecs tacy s beyond it elf than Traherne . No poet writes w ith m s v a ore absolute pontaneity than he . Whate er m y be him ma wanting in , however he y occasionally fail in

“ S ee N a S m an m s R ma W ov oly a Anony ou o nce . ith o T a s a W & c. Rev l Intr duction , r n l tion , , by the . a ter Begley . lxiv T R A HERNE’S POEMS

s s has s s m s s s s expre ion , he alway thi i petuou ru h , thi ec tacy ses s A that ri beyond it elf. g lowing ardour of conviction ,

s s s n a pa ionate pirit of love and devotion , a profou d se n s e of the beauty and s ublimity which he s aw every

him a - s n a s where around , never failing a piratio tow rd that Goo dnes s which he believed to be the Fountain and

s the Ocean , the Beginning and the End of Thi ng , were

s s his s m s his the ource of in piration , the i pelling force of W s s s geniu s . here the e qualitie are pre ent their pos s e ss or can x s s in m o never altogether fail in e pre g the , h wever de ﬁ cient he maybe in the technical accomplis hments of the ’

s . s poet art The e things indeed are the root , if not the m e . ﬂow r,of all poetry worthy of the na e That Traherne w as e s s entially a poet we might be certain even if none his m m n of lyrical work had re ained to prove i t . The a

who could say , You never enjoy the world aright till s a s s ar e the e it elf ﬂoweth in your vein , till you clothed

s s — a with the heaven , and crowned with the tars s entence which contain s the es sence of everything that has beens aid by the poets who have s ung of the relati o n between the s oul of man andthe s pirit of Nature — did not need to write in vers e in order to prove that he w as

s is s beyond all que tion a poet . There enough of the pirit of poetry in C hris tian Ethick s and Centuries o r i er s w as as Meditations to s et up a dozen v er s ﬁ . It i mpos s ible for Traherne to s ee things as a Jeremy

lxvi T RA HERNE’S POEMS

ts work which deserved to outlive i author . He saw in “ the univers e no foul and pes tilent congregation of ” s m - s s vapour , but a ajestic dwelling place for god , angel ,

men him w as and . All nature to lovely and perfect ; s s s in and if the exi tence of evil, inj u tice , and disquieted him for a moment he had little diﬁiculty in pers uading himself that thes e things were owing not to defect or m s s i perfection in nature , but to the folly or perversene of men m ma s him in departing fro it . It y indeed be aid of , s M s W s his a s atthew Arnold aid of ord worth , that eye refused to dwell upon the darker as pects of life and ’ his cs as s s w as nature but that ,in a e, in Word worth , in a his s is a o great degree the source of greatne s, and the re s n u is why he interests s . It only those that possess an can s s is undoubting faith who in pire it in other . It given “ only to a Shakes peare or a Goethe to s ee life s teadily ” m s s ee as and see it whole . Al o t all other authors it, m s m s their nature pro pt the , in colour which are either m has s too glowing or too so bre . It been aid of the author of The City of D readful Night that he w as born that ’“ s we might have things tated at their worst, once for all z

a is s She N ture the great pendthrift . will burn up the world s ome day to attain what will probably s eemto us a very inadequate end ; and in order to have things stated at their s s s he s s wor t, once for all , in Engli h, took a plendid geniu and

— n m s m s s his s a made him a ar y chool a ter tarved intellect, t rved INTRODU CTION lxvii

i may we not likewise say o f Traherne that he w as born m s ? that things ight be stated , once for all , at their be t Perhap s the reader may think that his poems do not j u s tify s o s trong a claim; but when they are taken in ” “ conj unction with his Christian Ethicks and Centur ie s of Meditations I do not think it can be cons idered as an

s m his m e s over tate ent . Whether oral and th olog ical view s e were right or wrong, Traherne at lea t w as warrant d in m his holding the , because they were exactly suited to m m peculiar te pera ent , if indeed they were not the out

m o f men s s o co e it . Were all ble sed with happy a s as m m di position his, then indeed ight the world beco e h the Eden which to im it appeared to be . He believed that all men might be as happy as he w as if they would only firmly res olve to follow the path which had led him L andm m to felicity . ike all enthusiasts ost refor ers of m m s m m hu an nature or hu an institution ,he ade the istake

s o s r s m m of upp ing that othe were, or ight be ade, like m m inded with hi sel f, and did not take into account the inﬁnite varieties of character and temperament which s m m m n exi t a ong ankind . But to believe that e are

his s his s heart, tarved body . All the adver ity of the world s mote him; and that nothing s hould be wanting to her purpo s e Nature took care that the very s un s hould s mite him als o Time will avenge him he is among the immortals D s S eaker 1 1 8 John avid on , in the p , June 7 , 99. lxviii T RA HER NE’S POEMS

better and nobler is at leas t a less fault than to believe

s themto be wors e and ba er than they are . To claim for Traherne a place in the front rank o r

poets is hardly pos sible . Considering h is limited range s s him of ubject , we cannot put on an equality with the s m s s w poet who have exhibited ore varied power , and ho n s m a deeper in ight into hu an nature . But, excluding M ma s him ilton, we y at lea t place in the front rank of h is s s is s s m ma poets of cla . It po ible y opinion y be s omewhat biass ed by a reas on which the reader will be at no los s to divine but I cannot help thinking that neither C w m Herbert, rasha , nor Vaughan can co pare with m s s s Traherne in the o t e sential qualitie of the poet . “ He alone has that impetuou s ru s h of a mind ” s s s M as lifted into ec ta y beyond it elf which ilton , we s as s have een , regarded the chief requi ite of poetry . has s Herbert a ﬁner ense of proportion, a keener perception of the importance of form and measure ; Vaughan appeals more s trongly to the common s ym s m C s pathic of ankind ; while rashaw, when at his be t, has m ss s s s m ore ﬁne pa age of quinte ential poetry, ore o s s s curi us felicitie of expre ion , than Traherne ; but

m has s s s m none of the the vitality, the u tained enthu ias , m s the power i parted by inten e conviction , which we m ﬁnd in our author . Vitality, indeed, see s to me to ’ T r aher ne s be the keynote of character . That he w as INTR OD UCTION lxix

hims elf aware of this we may s ee from his poem on Contentment

Employment is the very life and ground Of life its elf ; whos e pleas ant motion is Th e formof Bli s s ’ AllBless ednes s a life with Glory cr o w nd Life Life is all : in its mos t full extent

S tr etcht s C . out to all thing , and with all ontent

s m Not, be i t observed, the till life of conte plation or

inaction , but an active, eager, energetic enj oying of li fe, to be s o u s ed as to get fromit the utmos t degree of felicity

s s s s s or ble edne . Traherne repudiate energetically the idea that the more unhappy we make ours elves here the s his s greater will be our happines hereafter . In Centurie of Meditation s he says

There ar e Chri s tian s that place and des ire all their happines s is s C s a s a in another life, and there another ort of hri ti n th t s s s s de ire happine in thi . The one can defer their enjoyment s m m s s of wi do to the world to co e, and di pen e with the increas e and perfection of enjoyment for a little time ; the other are

s m a a s ee a in tant and i patient of del y , and would f in th t s s s a a W happine here which they h ll enjoy here fter . hether ﬁ s s C s s T the r t ort be hri tian indeed , look you to that . hey m s a ms s Yet have uch to y for the elve . certainly they that put ff s o Felicity with long delay are to be much s u s pected . For it T RA HERNE’S POEMS is s can agains t the nature of love and de ire to defer, nor any s reas on be given why they s hould des ire it at la t , and not now .

’ While w e may not claim for T r aher ne s work as a is s ma whole that it of the ﬁr t order of excellence, we y, I m W m s m . e think, ake that clai for o e of it can hardly ’ have a better tes t of a poet s merit s than to inquire how many of his pieces are ﬁt to take their place “ ” s s as s . in uch anthologie the Golden Trea ury , or Mr ’ “ ” - Q uiller Couch s Oxford Book of Eng li s h Verse . s ma s Judged in thi way Traherne ke , I think, a very good s s as s howing, con idering ( I have el ewhere explained) that s s s we po se only a part of his poetical works, and that

his s what we have had probably not received ﬁnal revi ion . W s n m s m n ere I a ked to a e the piece wh ich , in y opinio , s m de erve the honour which I have entioned , I think “ m s S y ﬁr t choice would fall upon The alutation , “ W ” “ ” “ C n onder, The Approach , The irculatio , ” “ ” D s o an s m d . a e ire, Go dness, On New I not at s is s s all ure, however, that this the be t election that could m “ ” “ R ” “ . S be ade Innocence, The apture, ilence, “ ” “ ” “ C s R The hoice, The Per on , The ecovery , ” “ L — I ove, and Thoughts . and II . have perhaps equal

Thi s poemis included in the Oxford Book of Engli s h ” s R S h as Ver e ; and the ev . Orby hipley included two of ’ ” Tr aher ne s ms his C m M poe in ar ina ariana . INTRODU CTION lxxi

or almos t equal claims to be included in a li s t of ’ r her ne s s s ff T a s be t w ork . But individual ta te di er s o much that I dares ay other readers would make another is m choice, for Traherne a re arkably equal writer, and does not often fall below his own level of excel m m . as lence Yet all the poe s I have entioned , ﬁne they s are when standing alone, gain con iderably when they as t C s m s are read par s of a ontinuou poe , the ubject ’ o f which is the history of the author s progress in his

m s m B s s s pilgri age toward the kingdo of perfect le ednes . ’ s l m ffi s He too , like Bunyan pi gri , found di cultie and dangers in the w ay ; but with him it was rather a triumphant progres s fromvictory to victory than a long and bitter s truggle again s t enemies who might at any time m him his m w have overco e . Very few of poe s d ell upon his dis couragements mos t of themare songs of rejoicing fo r victories achieved or happines s attained . In the last analysi s it will always be found that it is the poet hims elf and not his poetry that has the greates t s s m intere t for us . Unles he is interesting in hi self he will not interest us in his writings . No amount of s tudy and pain s will s uffi ce to render the work of a s hallow and mm s us m co onplace personality intere ting to . Fro the s s s s m strong only hall weetne s co e forth . I do not know whether I have succeeded in any degree in con v incin g the reader that Traherne was, both as a man lxxii T RA HERNE’S POEMS and as a poet, a very interesting character ; but if I have W ma s is m not . e not, the fault a suredly ine, and his y h s s o f study im in two aspect : fir tly, as a representative m m s as s the poetic te pera ent and econdly, a repre enta tive of the religiou s idios yncras y in conjunction with the poetic— for religion in many of its profes s ors is often enough altogether di sjoined fromany tincture of poetry . In both as pects we have ample materials for s tudying him and I cannot help thinking that few writers of his s age are better worth tudying . W s m man is ere Traherne a aller than he , and therefore les s able to afford to have the whole tru th told abo ut him s s , I hould he itate long before printing the following

s m h is s m s is he s s remarks on o e of hortco ing . It t le m h is s s needful to atte pt to conceal defect , ince they

s his s are for the greater part the defect of qualitie , and

m m s as w s s . C a therefore in eparable fro the on tituted he , it was not pos s ible for himto s ee things in a wholly clear

is s o and uncoloured light . He elevated high above ordinary humanity that he is unable to see clearly what m him is s s us s o . i s uch beneath Nor i t alway ea y for , s h is the dwellers upon the plain , to a cend to altitude . He is s o exempt fromthe ordinary failings of humanity that ff w e feel almos t as i f he belonged to a di erent race . He

h is s died a bachelor,and I do not ﬁnd anything in writing which s how s that he ever experienced the pas s ion of love lxxiv T RA HERNE’S POEMS

’ Thos e who care for T r aher ne s themes will not complain s m m that he dwell too uch upon the . m s is It u t be owned , I think , that while Traherne s his m is s m usually happy in the election of the es, he o e

m es d s m ti es l s happy in eveloping and expre s ing the . Line s which leave something to be des ired in s moothnes s is s s his (though he not u ually chargeable with thi fault, handling of the heroic couplet being particularly good) , and no w and then lines which to our modern ideas appear s m his to be o ewhat prosaic, are certainly to be found in ms s m f poe , and do, to a all extent, inter ere with the ’ s as m s s as s reader ple ure in the . B ut for uch fault the e s m we ought urely to ake large allowance . The reader s s s mm has hould , and doubtle will, re e ber that he before h im a work for which the author himself h as but a s ms s limited respon ibility . Had he hi elf publi hed the poems we s hould have been entitled to think that he deliberately chos e to give them to the world with all

s m A s is ma as s m their fault upon the . it , I think we y u e that had he lived to publi s h themthey would have under gone a good deal of revi s ion before they were s ent forth s s s as m to the world . Mo t of their defect are uch ig ht be m s w as s m m s easily re edied, and uch , indeed, as it o eti e m m s s hard to refrain fro re edying . But I have re i ted all

m s m s s o f s uch te ptation , and have conﬁned y elf to the ta k making the printed text as nearly as pos s ible a reproduction INTRODU CTION lx xv

m s s m of the original anu cript . The reader will gather fro ’ m T r aher ne s ms the facsi ile of one of poe , which I have as s s m given a fronti piece to thi volu e, a good general idea

as his his s to the character of handwriting, pelling, and his s punctuation . It would have been an intere ting ’ thing could the whole of T r ah er ne s poems have been

s m s as s ee reproduced in the a e tyle, for, the reader will ,

is s s s there a picture quene , a beauty, and a life about the m s anu cripts which is los t in the cold regularity of type . Some readers may perhap s think that it would hav e been ’ better to follo w the author s original s pelling and punctua s s tion but after giving full con ideration to thi point, it ’ s s T r ah r ne s s is did not eemadvi s able to do thi . e pelling

' m s unifo im— D s is s m m s by no ean eity, for in tance, o eti e

Dietie s m m s D eitie — h is and o eti e and punctuation ,

is ms ff s s o which , I think, quite peculiar to hi elf, di er

m m m r e uch fro our odern practice , that if it had been produced without modiﬁcation it would often have obs cured his meaning and puzzled the reader without m s any co pen ating advantage .

as m s Traherne, will be perceived fro the fronti piece, made much us e of capital letters and occas ionally of italics

h s s m me a i s . s w a s s in writing Thi the cu to of the ti , any one who examine s a s eventeenth - century printed book

s e s will e. In the ﬁrs t edition of thi s book I pre erved ’ mos t of the author s capital s and italici s ed pas s age s but lxxvi T RA HERNE’S POEMS

s o here I have thought it unneces s ary to do . Upon the m m whole there see ed to be no advantage in retain ing the , s ince they look a little odd to eyes accustomed to the m m s unifor ity of odern typography . In the ca e of the ” ms n m s E thicks poe take fro C hri tian , however, I have pres erved the old S pelling and the capitals very nearly as

they appear in the book .

s o as s Traherne, far Engli h authors were concerned ,

his s s . w as was very little indebted to predece sor He , or s cour e, greatly in ﬂuenced by the writers of the Old and

s m m m is New Te ta ents, fro who he continually quoting ” his C s Ethicks S s in hri tian . Next to the cripture , the book which s eems mos t to have influenced himwas that ancient my s tical and philosophical w ork wh ich is attributed

m s to Her es Tri s megi tu s . Thos e who are well acquainted with that remarkable production will fi ndfrequent traces its of influence in the prose and vers e of Traherne . He “ ” s s m s Ethicks give several extract fro it in Chri tian , “ and in his Commonplace Book there are continual s m m s s reference to it . I t ight al o t be aid that, after the his m s Bible, it was chief anual of philo ophy and of divine s m wi do . That Traherne w as wellacquain ted with the writings of Herbert is evident from the fact that in one of his ’ m s s he has s m anu cript book copied out that writer poe , ” To all Angels and Saints ; but I do not find any I NTR OD U CTION lxxvii

’ traces of Herbert s inﬂuence upon him either in pros e s or ver e . Nor do I ﬁnd any proof that he was acquainted m with the writings of Vaughan . The rese blance between ’ T r aher ne s line ,

k m I How, li e an Angel ca e down ,

’ “ and Vaughan s reference to his angel infancy is probably m no ore than an accidental coincidence . Though their

s w m m s s point of vie were si ilar in any re pect , Traherne s s s s m s po e ed a uch tronger pers onality than Vaughan , and h im is therefore had little or nothing to learn from . It m D as m s likely enough that he owed s o ething to onne, o t of the poets of his time did but I do not ﬁnd any clear ’ his s i ndications of that poet s inﬂuence in writing . ’ T r aher ne s s is his as his tyle, indeed , that of age, but to m m s . atter, few poets, I think, can boa t of ore originality ’ Perhaps the mos t remarkable thing about T r aher ne s poetry is that it anticipates s o much that s eems to belong

m e s . to uch later p riods of our literary hi tory Traherne, is s uffer s m his indeed , likely to to o e extent in reputation becau s e ideas which with himwere certainly original— o r at least as much s o as any ideas in any poets can be s aid to be original — have s ince become commonplaces in our literature . The praise of the beauty and innocence of

is m us has s childhood fa iliar enough to now , and , perhap , in s ome in s tances been carried to a rather ridiculous lxxviii T RA HERNE’S POEMS

’ w as s T r aher ne s extreme . That certainly not the ca e in

. o w w as s U o time S far as I kno , he the ﬁr t who dwelt p n thos e ideas in any other than an incidental and allu s ive m is s m anner . It true that we ﬁnd in Vaughan o e m pas s ages of a s i ilar tendency , but they are few and slight

s in comparison w ith tho e which we ﬁnd in Traherne . s m s s s s s If there are i ilar pa age in other poet previou to, or m m s s s am conte porary with , the latter , I u t confe that I

m s unacquainted with the . Nor were the poetical po s i bilities of the theme di s covered until more than a century

w s W m o r after ard , when illia B lake, who by the light

s — o r s a i— s s o m s geniu shall we ylunacy di covered uch el e ,

m. w as discovered the It ﬁtting, indeed , that B lake, whos e youthful experiences seem to have more nearly ’ s m T r ah er ne s s s re e bled than tho e of any other poet, hould ’ have followed all unknowingly in the elder writer s

s s at footstep . Had he ever down to record the event s ’ h is d s of infancy and childhoo , B lake narrative, I think , ff m s however di erent in detail , u t have been like that of s s its h is predece or in chief features . I do not believe that there is any point out of all thos e which I have ’ quoted res pecting T r aher ne s childho o which Blake m s v ms M s ight not al o ha e recorded of hi elf. uch a they ff m s w as di ered in atter of faith , there a deep and funda mental agreement incharacter and temperament between s m s s the two poet . To both of the the thing een by their INTROD UCTION lxxix imagination s were more real than the things s een with and mw as the eye, to neither of the there any dividing s u line between the natural and the upernat ral . Their faith s were founded upon intuition rather than reason , and they were no mor e troubled by doubt or di s belief

a m is w as than ountain . Their capacity for faith inﬁnite, and s tepped s hort only when their imagination failed

m— em the if it ever did fail th . Another poet with whomTraherne has s ome remark able afﬁ nities is Wordsworth — not the Words worth of his n s later life, when poetic vei , if not exhau ted, had at s s lea t grown thin and unproductive, but the Word worth “ of the magniﬁcent ode Intimation s of Immortality ” mR s L et fro ecollection of Early Childhood . the reader m s o m once ore peru e that p e , and note carefully the s o h im m leading p ints in it . Then let , bearing i n ind ’ “ the foregoing extracts from T r aher ne s Centuries of M ” s m editations, go carefully through the variou poe s in w hich the earlier poet celebrates the happiness of his has s him i nfancy and childhood . When he done thi , let as k hims elf if he would have believed that Words worth ’ w as u T r aher ne s s o nacquainted with writings, upp sing ’ that they had been published before the later poet s time ? I cannot think mys elf that it would have been eas y in that cas e to think that the modern poet was entirely un is m s a indebted to the older one . It hardly too uch to y lxxx T RA HERNE’S POEMS

’ that there is not a thought of any value in Words worth s

Ode which is not to be found in s ubs tance in Traherne . co ur s e I s a s s Of , do not ythi with any vie w of di paraging s s as Word worth , who e Ode, even i f it had been , we w as m s know it not, derived fro Traherne, would till ’ m s . Its m o r s have been a a terpiece erit, like that Gray “ ” s s m o its m Elegy, depend at lea t as uch up n for as its s s s w as s upon ub tance, and that, of cour e, all Word ’ s is m s a s m worth own . It in a ea ure te ti ony to the s s authentic character of their in piration when two poet , s s o unknown to each other, produce work which are nearly identical in substance and spirit . The reader will remember that Traherne in his youth determined to follow the ben t of his own inclination at s s s whatever co t of poverty or want of worldly ucces .

s W That w a the cas e al s o with ords worth . Another

as s ms me m point in which , i t ee to , they rese bled each w as m s s other in the atter of poetic tyle . At ﬁrst ight , do es s s indeed , there not appear to be any likene between

m s s ff the in thi re pect ; yet, allowing for the di erence in m s m m s ma their ti e and their te pera ent , I think we y ﬁnd ’ s m T r aher ne s s a good deal of i ilarity . tyle, allowing for

his s s is s s m . the nature of ubject , alway i ple and direct His aim is to affect the minds of his readers by the weigh t of his thought and the enthus ias mof his utter

s m - m s ance, not to astoni h the by far fetched etaphor or

T RA HER NE’S POEMS

s w as s m w has m which , ince it ﬁr t ade kno n , created ore di s cu s s ion and exercis ed more inﬂuence than any other

has s m s done, will probably ee at ﬁr t to be a very ex tr av a ant s s n s g a ertio . Yet that he had at lea t a clear previ s ion of that famou s s y s temwhich is known as the

s is s B erkeleian philo ophy , I think, inconte table . That

s ms me s theory , it ee to , could hardly be tated in a clearer ’ or more preci s e manner than it is in T r aher ne s poem ” amm ms ifthe entitled My S pirit . I uch i taken theory “ ” - s m is of the non exi tence ofindependent atter, which the ’ s s s s s m is s e ence of B erkeley y te , not to be found in thi

m— no t is s as s m poe , it true, tated a philo ophical dog a,

m m as but yet clearly i plied , and not erely introduced a s ms me ﬂig ht of poetical fancy . It ee to that if the following s tanza fromthat poem is not altogether mean

in les s s g , no other con truction can be placed upon it than that its author w as a Berkeleian before B erkeley w as born

Thi s made me pres ent evermo re ’ W s I s aw ith what oe er .

An object , if it were before ’ M s w as D am Na s y eye , by e ture law

W m s o s o ithin y ul . Her t re Was allat once within me : all Her treas ure s

W m mm a and s s ere y i edi te internal plea ure , S s a a s o mm M ub t nti l joy which did inf r y ind . INTR OD UCTION lxxxiii

With all Sh e wrought My Soul w as fraught And every object in my Heart a T hought Begot or w as I could no t tell Whether the th ings did there T ms s he elve appear, ’ Which in my Spirit truly s eemdto d w ell Or w éetbr r my ( afﬁ r ming Wind ’ W n all t d er e ot w ” Ma Mr inr éin . e a t

m s m its The idea that atter has no exi tence, apart fro

s S l s man exi tence in the pirit of the Eterna , or in the oul of , is s s s s ix urely clearly, if not po itively, advanced in the la t

s s s o s line of the above tanza . The thought, trangely fas cinating to a poet— and Berkeley no les s than Traherne w as one— that the whole exterior univers e is not really a ’ thing apart fromand independent of man s con s ciou s nes s s m s s as is of it, but o ething which exi t only it perceived, S ” is undeniably to be found in My pirit . I have

s ms quoted only one tanza of it, but the whole poe hould s is s be carefully tudied, for it throughout an a sertion of s m m m m the upre acy of ind over atter, and an aver ent that it is the former and not the latter which has a real exi s tence . If it be thought that it is going too far to s ay that the Berkeleian s ys temis to be found in the poem which of course it is not as a reas oned - out and complete theory— it yet cannot be denied that it is there in germ lxxxiv T R A HERNE’S POEMS and in s uch a formthat it only required to be s eized upon by an acute intellect to be developed in the way B erkeley ’ T r ah er ne s developed it . That the latter knew nothing of

m is n am m poe certai , and therefore I not atte pting to him detract in any way fromthe credit which belongs to . I amonly anxiou s to give the poet h is due as the ﬁrs t who caught a glimps e of s o notable a truth or error— which * ma be ever it y . D eeply as Traherne w as penetrated with a s en s e of the s ﬁ s s its g lory of the univer e, and of the in nite greatne of

C w as s s s m reator, it with no en e of aba e ent that he con tem lated m his s s o p the . He felt that in own oul , capable of the s ublimes t conception s and the mos t exalted as pira

s m s s m w as tion , there u t need be a divine ele ent . He no outcas t thru s t out of Eden into a wilderne s s of s piritual

s s on F de titution , but the of a loving ather, born to a s s as s s D plendid inheritance, and at lea t nece ary to the eity as s ervants and dependents are to keep up the s tate and

s s man is dignity ofa king . If God confer beneﬁt on it in ’ order that He may witnes s man s delight in them and

9" “ It is not only in My S pirit that we ﬁ ndtraces of ’ ne s k a s S S a Tr ah er m. ee H m t Ber elei ni the y n on . B rtholo ’ ” ” m s Da Th e P a a and a o s as s a s ew y, rep r tive, v ri u p ge in other ms I no a o . t a p e do contend, however, th t we have the ide in “ a clear and unmi s takable form anywhere but in My S ” pirit . INTR O D U CTION lxxxv

m s ee s is s m g ratitude for the . To thi a upre e delight to Him s m , and without i t there would be o ething wanting H m s s m to is felicity . B ut I u t quote a tanza fro The ” R s s am mis ecovery, le t the reader hould think that I repres enting the poet

’ o deno dis allH is For G j y End . Hims elf H e then doth co mprehend W is s s ma fi hen He ble ed , gni ed , ’ ’ Exto lld a r ais dand ﬁ , ex lted, p glori ed , ’ ’ ’ ’ H o no r d es teemd belo v d eno d , , , j y , ’ m s a ﬁ Ad ired, ncti ed , obey d, s r He That i eceived . For Doth pl ace H is wh o le Felicitv

’ ' In a tubaz r der z r edandde ed th t , p ﬁ , m n d Undezf edal or t {f ame de ie .

Matthew Arnold s aid of Goethe that he

Neither made mantoo much a God r o d m man No G too uch a .

s is s That could hardly be aid of Traherne . It carcely

s s in - s po ible , I think, to deny that the above quoted pa s age he committed the fault of making God too much a n” ma . w as s That , however, a fault which he hared with

m s s his m s is o t of the theologian of ti e . Perhap it a fault which is almos t in s eparable from a s incere and fervent lxxxvi T RA HER NE ’S POEMS W faith . ithout reﬁning away the conception of God to

m s is m s s Him a ere ab traction , it i po ible to think of other an wis e than as an infinitely magnified and glorified m . S m m is s o s is s ince the hu an ind con tituted, i t urely vain to attempt to s et limits within which we are to think Him man s of . Every will do thi according to the law his m m man s of own te pera ent . The of cool rea on and well - controlled pas s ion s w ill forma very different co ncep tion of the Deity fromthe manof enthus ias tic dis pos ition m s D as and ardent e otion . To think of the eity a power not ours elves which makes for righteou s ne s s is m ss no ore po ible for a Traherne, than it is for an Arnold to think of God as One

is s s ﬁ who de pi ed and de ed, ndeiﬁ ed m s U al o t if once denied .

m men To ake all think alike, whether on political , m s s is oral , or theological ubject , now s een by all but a

s m ss s is very few reactionarie to be an i po ible ta k . It needles s to defend Traherne for the views he took regard ing the relation s between God and man I have only thought it expedient to s how that the line he followed w as that to which he w as impelled by the character of h is individuality .

s - An excellent poet, a pro e writer of equal or perhaps m greater excellence, an exe plary preacher and teacher, INTROD U CTION lx x x v n

who gave in his o w n pers on an example of the virtues

m w as which he inculcated , one with who religion not a m h is gar ent to be put on , bu t th e life of life and the

s hi — s w as m s pring of all s action s uch Tho a Traherne .

M as s s m his s m m uch I di en t fro opinion , and uch as y point of vie w as regards the meaning and the purpos e of

ff s mhis s life di er fro , I have yet found it ea y to appreciate

s s his r m his s the ﬁnene of characte ;and the char of writing . It is not nece s sary that we s hould believe as Traherne

mhis s en believed in order to derive beneﬁt fro work . M

s ma s m m of all fai th y tudy the with proﬁt, and derive fro thema new impuls e toward s that plain living and high thinking by which alone happines s can be reached and m s s peace of ind a ured .

It remain s for me to tell the s trange s tory of the fate ’ m s s hi r aher ne s s . as s of T anu cript after death They p ed ,

ma as s s h is s we y re onably uppo e, together with book , into

s his as in his the hand of brother Philip , directed will .

m w as s m — s Philip Traherne, I i agine , in o e way perhap

m — m m S by arriage connected with a fa ily na ed kipp,

L s s which dwelt at edbury , in Hereford hire . The e Skipps appear to have become the owners and cu s todian s ’ of the poet s remain s and in their hand s they probably

s 1 888 s ms re ted down to the year , when it ee that the

m s s s d property belonging to the fa ily w a di per e . Into lxxxviii T R A HERNE’S POEMS what hand s the Traherne manu s cripts then fell cannot now be as certained but it w as certainly into hands that 1 8 6 were ignorant of their value . In the latter part of 9,

m s 1 8 s m m or the early onth of 97 , o e of the had de s s s s hO e s cended to the treet book tall , that la t p of book and manu s cripts in danger of being con s igned to the

s - m s m s t m wa te paper ill . Here, o t fortunately , two of he

s m d Mr W l m T . were di covered by y frien , . il ia B rooke , m who acquired the at the price of a few pence . They

s Mr could hardly have fallen into better hand , for . ’ s B rooke knowledg e of our poetical literature , and

s s m is s s e pecially of acred poetry and hy nology , no le

m its s s A s s re arkable for its extent than for exactne . oon as he could ﬁnd time to examine the manu s cript s he at

s aw s and once that they were of great intere t value . He could hardly imagine that writings s o admirable could be the work of anunknown au thor and he at length came

s m ms s m to the conclu ion , fro the fact that the poe re e bled thos e of Henry Vaughan in their s ubjects and partly in

m m h is s w s s s . as their enti ent , that they u t be Thi an

s s s unfortunate idea, ince it cau ed a con iderable delay in

r m M. co the tracing out of the real author . Brooke

d h i r r o r t ncate s s D . s a mu i di covery to the late G , who became s o much interes ted in the matter that he purchas ed m m s ts . s s the two anu crip He , too, after o e wavering of

w as s s opinion , during which he di po ed to attribute the

T RA HERNE’S POEMS

m s m s o f ulti ately purcha ed the . Afterward , when a part ’ ’ D r r o s ar t s w as s S s m . G library old at otheby , I beca e the

s m s m poss es or of the third anu cript volu e , which their ’ T r aher ne s late o w ner appears not to have known to be , though nothing is needed but to compare it with the other volumes in order to s ee that all three are in the m sa e handwriting . is Mr m s a m s It due to . Hig ha to y that he o t liberally allowed me to examine the manu s cripts before purchas ing

m s o m m m as the , that I ig h t for y own opinion to their s a s authors hip . I need not y that I hould have been delighted if I could have come to the s ame conclu s ion

Mr r r o sar t D . . that . Brooke and G had arrived at Inclination and interes t alike impelled me to take their

s at ms view . But when I down to read the poe and to compare them with the acknowledged writings of Henry V au han I s o g , o n began to doubt , and it required but a little time for that doubt to develop into a conviction m that whoever ight have been their author, they were s s S s is a uredly not written by the iluri t . It true that the ’ ms as m s s s s poe deal , o t of Vaughan do, olely with religiou

m s s s or oral ubject , and that the author dwell continually, as s s Vaughan did , upon the ubject of childhood and innocence ; and that both authors di s play the s ame love

s m is s of nature and of a i ple and natural life . It true al o that we ﬁ nd both poets making us e of s ome rather INTRO DUCTION xci

mm s s s unco on word and phra e , and that we ﬁnd in both

s m us e m s s r e the a e free of defective rhy e . The e s m s m e blance , however, are erely superﬁcial . In all the m s s m m deeper atter of tyle, thought, and te pera ent,

V as as men Traherne and aughan were far apart any two , animated as both were by a deep S pirit of piety and bne cn m e ﬁ e ce . e , could well be To , had there been no ff s tr ikih s m other di erence, one g note of di si ilarity would have sufﬁ ced to prove that the poems in manu s cript and thos e of Vaughan could not have proceeded from the s m m s ms - s a e pen . In the anu cript poe an ever pre ent is s s s quality a pa ionate fervour of thought , an inten e s s m is ardour of enthu ia , which not to be found , or at ’ s R s least only rarely, in Vaughan works . e trained m s s s m s s e otion , expre ed in ver e which ove lowly and not

ff is s ms me without e ort, , it ee to , the leading character ’ tic s m s s is of Vaughan poetry e otion in full ﬂood, expre ed n ’ is T r aher e s . in lively and energetic diction , that of With Traherne all nature is bathed in warmth and light with Vaughan we feel sen s ible of a certain coolnes s of m m s s te pera ent, and are consciou that he rejoice rather in the twilight than in the radiance of noonday . With the conviction that the poems could not be ’ s s m Vaughan , while yet i t ee ed unlikely that they could be the work of an altogether unkno w n or unpracti s ed

s s writer, I began to earch for indication by which their ’ x cn T RA HERNE S POEMS

s s s author might po ibly be di covered . Here ag ain I found ’ Mr s s s s m s . o f . B rooke a i tance o t valuable To an edition ’ ’ ” s s C s s m Gile Fletcher hri t Victory and Triu ph , which

m s he had edited , he had appended a nu ber of previou ly

- ms m uncollected s eventeenth century poe . A ong thes e “ W W m” w as one entitled The ay s of i s do . To thi s

m m as s poe he now drew y attention , he had previou ly ’ r r o s ar t s w as m D . e drawn G . It at once evident to that its s w as s m m s m tyle very i ilar to that of the anu cript poe s .

m as s ee s In fact , that poe , any reader will who care to s tudy it in compari s on with the other poems in thi s

m s s s s s m s s volu e, pre ent uch trong re e blance and parallel with them that it is hardly too much to s ay that the ques tion as to their common authors hip might have been

s . w as s re ted entirely upon i t However, i t of cour e

Mr s . de irable to ﬁnd further evidence . B rooke told me that he had found the poemin a little book in the Britis h Ms m S s PatheticallC m u eu , entitled A eriou and onte pla

M s s m s D tion of the ercie of God , in everal o t evout and ” m s m S s s . ubli e Thank giving for the a e The book, me . s s s Mr B rooke al o told , contained other piece in ver e .

s s him W The e I de ired to copy out . hen he had done s o i t at once became evident to me that the author of the manu s cript poems and of the Devout and S u blime

Thi s title w as probably the invention of the publi s her

— one Samuel Keble and not of the author . INTR O D U CTION xciii

s s m s Thank giving u t be , beyond all doubt, one and the s m s s as m s a e per on . The fact w a clearly de on trated to m m as t y ind th e truth s of the multiplication able . That

s w as s point being ettled, the next thing to di cover, if

s s as D S m po ible, who w the author of the evout and ubli e ” s m m Thank givings . That ight have re ained unknown end m to the of ti e, but for one clue which the book

ff . s Wis as has s luckily a orded Th i , the reader een , the “ ” s tatement in the Addres s to the Reader that the author w as private chaplain to Sir Orlando Bridgeman . Thi s clue had only to be patiently followed up to lead to ’ th e s Mr s n m s . di covery of the author a e . Thi Brooke

s m s w as m at la t found to be Tho a Traherne . It fro ’ Wood s A thena; Ox oniemes that the information w as

m s obtained, and fro that we al o learned that Traherne “ ” w as s R m o r er ies the author of two book , o an F g and “ ” s thick s s w as m C hri tian E . The next tep to exa ine thes e works to s ee if any evidence could be found which s would connect themwith the author of the manu s cript . ” h k s That evidence w as found in Chri s tian Et ics . Thi

w as m 1 . the poe which the reader will ﬁnd on p . 5 7 The

s m m s m a e poe , though in a horter for and with a good

m s s m s any textual variation , appear in the anu cript “ C s ee enturie of Meditation s (s p . Here then w as proof pos itive that Traherne and no other w as the

s u author of the manu s cripts in my po s s e s ion . Tho gh I T RA HERNE’S POEMS

s m s w as did not require thi evidence y elf, it fortunate it

w as s its m found , ince di s covery put the atter beyond all W s me doubt . ill the reader accu e of undue vanity if

s a w as s - s s I y that it w ith a good deal of elf ati faction ,

m s m and no little rejoicing, that I welco ed thi conﬁr ation of the Opinion which I had formed s olely u pon critical ground s ? One might be tempted to think that the Whole train of circums tances by which Traherne w as s s m s di covered , ﬁr t to be the author of the anony ou “ ” s s m im Thank giving , and through that of the ore

m s s has s m portant anu cript , the appearance of being o e m thing ore than the work of chance, were it not that m s m their long conceal ent , their narrow e cape fro entire

s s s de truction , and the fact that the ver e printed in the ’ pres ent volume form only a part of T r aher ne s poetical * s s m us s . work , ee to forbid to entertain uch an idea

m a s m s o m Fro cert in indication in the folio anu cript , fr ms s m which the bulk ofthe poe in the pre ent volu e are derived , it s eems clear that there mu s t be a cons iderable quantity s T has of ver e by raherne which not yet been recovered . Appended to s everal poems in the folio volume are references “ ” ms as am at to other poe , , for ex ple, the end of Innocence , ” “ I m . O a . ms An Inf nt Eye, p , and Ada , p ther poe “ ” “ ” “ s m N s Th e O o The thu entioned are ew , d r, Inherit ” “ ” ” The Th e C s s s ance , Evidence, enter, and In atiablene . A s the manu script volume containing thes e pieces cons i s ted of s 1 2 a s s ms s m at lea t 4 p ge , it ee likely that the pre ent volu e con INTR ODU CTI ON xcv

The manu s cripts fromwhich the contents of thi s book

m s s have been derived are three in nu ber . They con i t of

m s m one folio and two octavo volu e . The folio volu e contain s all the poems from The Salutation to

s s s m m Goodne which are here printed . The a e volu e contain s a large number of pros e es s ays and memoranda alphabetically arranged s o as to forma kind of common i a s place book . The greater p rt ofthe e are in a handwriting ’ ff s m T r aher ne s which di er fro . They appear to have ’ s s been written by a friend of the poet , ince Traherne has in many cas es added remarks of h is own to thos e in ’ s w as D r the other writer handwriting . I believe it . ’ G r osar t s intention to print the whole of thi s material ;

has s s t s bu t although it certainly a curiou intere , it doe not

me is s s appear to that it worth while to publi h it at pre ent . S ome parts of this commonplace book appear to have been u s ed as material for Chri s tian Ethicks and Centuries

M s as m of editation and the whole of it, ight be ex

ected is m s s n p , ore like the note of a tudent tha the

s s s s ﬁni hed work of an e ayi t . ’ The s econd manu s cript volume contains T r aher ne s

’ a s m T r aher ne s s It t in not ore than one half of poetical work . ma a x m y be hoped , but h rdly e pected , that the volu e containing

ms o s m da the poe mentioned ab ve will o e y be recovered . P s s s m ma s s s its o ibly thi ention of it y, if it till exi t , lead to s eventual di covery . T RA HERNE ’S POEMS

C s M s enturie of editation , which I have already de m m s cribed and quoted larg ely fro . The third volu e ’ s T r ah er n s s m s contain e private religiou editation , devo m s s . is s tion , and prayer It in thi latter volu e that the “ ’ ” m S t m s Da s m Hy n on . B artholo ew y, a fac i ile of is as s s m which given a fronti piece to the pre ent volu e, s i found .

m s m s I u t not conclude without thanking y friend ,

D L as m G . Thorn rury and E . V . uc , to both of who I am m s s s s indebted for any valuable ugg e tion . I have al o R ev C m n to thank the . anon B eeching for s i ilar and o t

s s s s s s s le appreciated a i tance . Thank are due al o to the s m Rev . . C . s s J Fo ter, who drew yattention to the pa age in ’ ’ Ms s s T r ah er ne s s s Aubrey i cellanie relating to vi ion , Ms s s S s and to i I abel outhall , who earched diligently, s s s m though without ucce , to ﬁnd out the ti e and place of ’ h r ne s m T r a e birth . I have already acknowledged y W W s Mr . Mr obligation to . T . Brooke, . E . H . Mr D . unkin , and Gordon Goodwin .

T RA HERNE’S POEMS

I that s o long Was m nothing fro eternity, Didlittle think such joys as car or tong ue To celebrate or see

S s s s s uch ound to hear, uch hand to feel , such s m Beneath the kies on such a ground to eet .

New bur nis ht joys Which yellow gold and pearls excel ! S s s s m s s uch acred trea ure are the li b in boy , I n which a s oul doth dwell ; Their organi s ed joints and azure veins

More wealth include than all the world contains.

m s i Fro du t I r se,

And out of nothing now awake,

Thes e brighter regions which salute mine eyes,

A gift fromGod I take . s s The earth, the eas, the light, the day, the kies,

T he s unand stars ar e mine if those I prize . THE SALUTATION

VI Long time before m m ’ m I in y other s wo b was born ,

A God preparing did this glorious store, for me The world adorn . s s o f Into thi Eden divine and air, m His s on So wide and bright, I co e and

VII A stranger here m s e Strang e things doth eet, trange glories s e ’ S ue lo d d f a trange treas r s g in this air world ppear, S trange all and new to me m S But that they ine hould be, who nothing was, of s That strang est is all , yet brought to pas . WONDER

How like an Angel came I down l How bright are all things here When ﬁrst among His works I did appear O how their Glory me did crown l m His The world rese bled Eternity, In which my s oul did walk And every thing that I did s ee d m Di with e talk .

The skies in their magniﬁcence,

The lively, lovely air f Oh how divine, how soft, how sweet, how air 1 m The stars did entertain y sense, s o And all the works of God, bright and pure, m So rich and great did see , As if they ever must endure m m I n y estee .

T RA HERNE ’S POEMS

a me In joy and be uty they appeared to ,

r w And eve y thing hich here I found , s ee While like an angel I did ,

Adorned the ground .

VI R ich diamond and pearl and gold In every place was seen R S s are plendour , yellow, blue, red , white and green , M s ine eye did everywhere behold .

r r a ear Great Wonde s clothed with glo y did ppp , m m m A aze ent was y bliss, That and my wealth was everywhere No joy to thi s !

C s r ursed and devi ed prop ieties,

With envy, avarice

o r And fraud , those ﬁends that sp il even Pa adise, m s m Flew fro the plendour of ine eyes, m s o And so did hedges, ditches, li it , b unds, m s I drea ed not aught of tho e, ’ m s B ut wandered over all en grounds,

And found repose . WONDER

Proprieties themselves were mine s m And hedge orna ents, ff Walls, boxes, co ers , and their rich contents d Di m o s m . not divide yj y , but all co bine C m lothes, ribbons,jewels, laces, I estee ed My joys by others worn For me they all to wear themseemed

When I was born . EDE N

A LEA R NE D and a happy ignor ance Divided me m Fro all the vanity, m s Fro all the loth , care, pain , and sorrow that advance The madnes s and the mi s ery m n s e . Of No error, no di traction I s k Saw s oil the earth or overcloud the y.

’ I knew not that there was a serpent s sting, Whose poi s on shed

men s On , did over pread The world nor did I dreamof such a thing A s s in m , in which ankind lay dead .

t me They all were brisk and living wigh s to , mm Yea, pure and full of i ortality .

T RA HERNE’S POEMS

And innocent delights which he did s ee m In his original si plicity .

Those things which firs t his Eden did adorn My infancy Did m crown . S i plicity m s w as Was y protection when I fir t born . Mine eyes thos e treasures firs t did s ee m s ff Which God first ade . The fir t e ects of My first enjoyments upon earth did prove

VI I

so And were so great, and so divine, pure, So f s air and weet, So true when I did meet m s m a The here at ﬁr t, they did y soul llure, And dre w away my infant feet Q uite fromthe works of men that I might

The glorious wonders of the Deity . INNOCENCE

BU T m m that which ost I wonder at, which ost mm s m s I did estee y blis , which o t I boast,

s And ever hall enjoy, is that within s s in I felt no tain nor Spot of .

s s s No darkne then did over hade,

w as B ut all within pure and bright,

s fear No guilt did cru h nor invade,

But all my soul was full of light .

A joyful sense and purity IS m m all I can re e ber,

me The very night to was bright, ’ S mm D m Twas u er in ece ber .

II A serious meditation did employ s My oul within , which taken up with joy T RA HER NE ’S POEMS

seemno outward thing to note, but ﬂy

All objects that do feed the eye,

While it those very objects did m d s Ad ire an prize and prai e and love, m Which in their glory ost are hid ,

Which pres ence only doth remove .

Their con s tant daily pres ence I

R s ee ejoicing at, did , And that which takes themfromthe eye ff m me Of others o ered the to .

III No inward inclination did I feel To avarice or pride my soul did kneel

m s In ad iration all the day . No lu t, nor m Polluted then y infant life .

’ No fraud nor anger in me mov d

m s s No alice, jealou y , or pite ; ’ All that I s aw I t r uly lo v d Contentment only and delight

’ m Heav n Were in y soul . O l what bliss DidI enjoy and feel l

’ I 4 T RA HERNE S POEMS

Of j oys 0 there my r av is ht sense W a as enter tained in P radise, a And had sight of Innocence, W hich was beyond all bound and price .

An antepast of Heaven s ure

I on the Earth did reign , me allw as Within , without , pure m s b m a a I u t eco e a child g in . THE PREPARATIVE

MY o m m b dy being dead , y li bs unknown ’ Before I s killdto prize l s m Those iving tars ine eyes, f m s me Be ore y tongue or cheek were to shown , m s m Before I knew y hand were ine, m s m m m Or that y inews did y e bers join,

When neither nostril, foot nor ear

S as f A yet w seen , or elt, or did appear I was within ’ n t cl h d o ot . A house I knew , newly with skin

I I

as m o me Then w ysoul my nly all to ,

A living endless eye, s k Just bounded with the y. o s e Wh se power, who e act, whose ssence, S L I was an inward phere of ight, e o f S Or an interminabl Orb ight, T RA HERNE’S POEMS

An endless and a living day, A vital Sunthat round about did ray s All life, all sen e,

A naked simple pure Intelligence .

I then no thirs t nor hung er did perceive, s s No dull nece ity, No wan t w as known to me ; Without di s turbance then I did receive

s s The fair idea of all thing ,

s And had the honey even without the sting . A meditating inward eye

me Gazing at quiet did within lie, A nd every thing D me w as elighted that their heavenly King .

s s For s ight inherits beauty , hearing ound , s s m s The no tril weet perfu e , All tas te s have hidden rooms Within the tong ue and feeling feeling wound s With pleas ure and delight ; but I a Forgot the rest,and w s all Sight or eye

’ 1 8 T RA HERNE S POEMS

’ Tis not the object, but the light ’ That maketh Heaven tis a purer sight . Felicity m Appears to none but the that purely s ee.

VII

s s s A di entangled and a naked en e, ’ m s un o s s es t A ind that p ,

s s A di engaged brea t, An empty and a quick intelligence n m Acquai ted with the golden ean , s s An even pirit pure and erene , Is that where beauty, excellence,

s C R s d And plea ure keep their ourt of e i ence . Ms y oul retire, s o s m Get free , and thou halt even all ad ire . THE INSTRUCTION

S PU E out thy ﬁlth, thy ﬂesh abj ure

Let s not contingent thee deﬁle, m For transients only are i pure,

And aery things thy soul beguile .

s Unfelt, unseen , let those thing be n Which to thy spirit were unknow , When to thy blessed infancy f The world , thysel , thy God was shown .

III

All that is great and stable stood Before thy purer eyes at ﬁrst All that in vi s ibles is good

naccr u u s t. Or pure, or fair, or T RA H ERNE’S POEMS

Whatever els e thou now dos t s ee s m n s In cu to , actio , or de ire, ’ T is but a part of mi s ery s In which all menat once con pire .

’ 2 2 T RA HERNE S POEMS

III

as First then behold the world thine, and well

Note that where thou dost dwell . s See all the beauty of the pacious case, ’ l d r av is ht Lift up thy peas and eyes, Admire the glory of the Heavenly place

And all its bles s ings prize .

That s ight well s een thy s pirit shall prepare,

The first makes all the other rare .

’ s Men s woes shall be but foils unto thy blis , Thou once enjoying this s s a Trade hall adorn and be utify the earth , S m Their ignorance hall ake thee bright , Were not their griefs Democritu s h is mirth Their faults shall keep thee right s All hall be thine, because they all conspire, m To feed and ake thy glory higher.

s ee To a glorious fountain and an end , To see all creatures tend m To thy advance ent, and so sweetly close In thy repose to see themshin e THE VISION

In use, in worth , in service, and even Among the rest made thine To s ee all thes e unite at once in thee

Is to behold felicity .

fo untain*is s s To see the a ble ed thing, It is to s ee the K ing f Of Glory face to ace but yet the end , s d s is m The gloriou , won rou end ore m And yet the fountain there we co prehend , The s pring we there adore is s n For in the end the fountain best hew ,

s is A S by effects the cau e known .

m Fro one, to one, in one to see all things, To see the King of Kings But once in tw o to s ee His endless treasures m m Made all ine own , yself the end ’ Of all his labours T is the life of pleasures To s ee myself His friend l Him Who all things ﬁnds conjoined in alone,

Sees and enjoys the Holy One . THE RAPTURE

SWEET Infancy l O ﬁre of heaven l O sacred Ligh t l How fair and bright am How great I , Whomall the world doth magnify

II O Heavenly joy O great and s acred bles s ednes s Which I pos ses s S o great a joy Who did into my arms convey

FromGod above me enﬂam Being sent, the Heavens e To prai s e his Name

THE I MPROVEMENT

’ T ts m m ore to recollect, than ake . The one

Is but an accident without the other . We cannot think the world to be the Throne s His s ms as Of God, unle s Wi do hine Brother His Unto Power, in the fabric, so w e That the one may in the other know .

His s m goodnes also ust in both appear, And all the children of His love be found s I n the creation of the starry phere, And in the forming of the fruitful ground Before we can that happines s des cry is D Which the aughter of the deity .

III

His ms wisdo hines in spreading forth the sky , ’ His s Sun power great in ordering the , His goodness very ma r vellous and high s Appear , in every work His hand hath done THE IMPROVEMENT 2 7

And allHis wo rks in their variety r s h e United o asunder pleae t e ey .

o d o But neither g o ness, wisdom, p wer, nor love,

N or happiness itself in things could be, Did ' m they not all in one fair order ove, And jointly by their se r vice end in me Had He not made an eye to be the Sphere ’

f . Of all things, none o these would e er appear

s m o as Hie wi do , goodness, p wer, they unite, s ma All thing in one, that they y be the treasures m O f one enjoyer, shine in the ut ost height m They can attain and are ost glorious pleasures,

When all the universe conjoined in one,

Exalts a creature as if that alone .

To bring the moisture of far - distant seas m m Into a point, to ake the present here, man s In virtue, not in bulk ; one to plea e With all the powers of the Highest Sphere ’ 2 8 T RA HERNE S POEMS

m s m t S h Fro Ea t, fro West, from Nor h and out ,to bring s The plea ing inﬂuence of every thing,

VII

Is far more great than to create themthere Where now they s tand His wi s dommore doth shine In that His might and goodnes s more appear In recollecting He is more divine In making every thing a gift to one ’ s r i s Than in the ev alparts of all H s S paciou Throne .

VIII

s ee m s s Herein we a arvellou de ign , And apprehending clearly the great s kill

s s O f that great Architect , who e love doth hine His s fi H i L W In all work , we nd s ife and ill

s s s For lively coun el do the Godhead hew ,

m w And these His love and goodness ake us kno .

s By wise contrivance He doth all thing guide,

s m And so di pose the , that while they unite man s s s For He endle plea ures doth provide, o s And sh ws that happine s is His delight,

’ 3 0 T RA HERNE S POEMS m But all things were eternal unto e,

m e e . And mine, and pleasing which ine y did see

XIII

s That was enough at ﬁr t eternity , s Inﬁnity, and love were Silent j oy s m s Power, wi do , goodne s, and felicity ands in s All these which now our care de troys, ’ s dis cer nd By in tinct virtually were well , n’d And by their representatives were lear .

XIV

As s ponges gather mois ture fromthe earth Whereon there is s carce any S ign of dew A s air infecteth salt so at my birth ’ un er ceiv d All these were p , yet near and true

r eﬂexio n n Not by , and distinctly know ,

But by their efficacy all mine own . THE APP ROACH if

H AT s s T childi h thoughts such joys in pire, Doth make my wonder and His glory h igher His m m bounty and y wealth ore great, It shows His Kingdomand His Work complete In which there is no t anything o m Not meet to be the j y of Cherubi .

He in our childhood with us walks, And with our thoughts mysteriously he talks s m He often vi iteth our inds, But cold acceptance in us ever ﬁnds We s end Himoften grieved away ; ’ Else would He shew us all His Kingdoms joy .

’ In Tr aher ne s Centuries of Meditation s thi s poemis preceded by the following note Upon thos e pure and virgin ” apprehens ion s which I had in my infancy I made thi s Poem. T RA HERNE’S POEMS

III

L L O ord, I wonder at Thy ove, Which did my Infancy s o early move m But ore at that which did forbear, ’ m s m And ove so long, tho lighted any a year m s But ost of all , at la t that Thou

s s me Thyself hould t convert I s carce know how .

Thy Gracious motions oft in vain Assaulted me my heart didhard remain L m s m ong ti e I ent y God away, m Grieved uch that He could not impart His joy . s w as I careles , nor did regard ’ The end for which He all thos e thoughts pr epar d

But now with new and open eyes, I see beneath as i f above the skies as And I backward look again , See all His thoughts and mine mos t clear and

me He did approach , He did woo

I wonder that my God this thing would do .

D UMBNESS

U R E as m S Man w born to editate on things, And to contemplate the eternal s prings s s s Of God and Nature, glory, bli , and plea ure That life and love might be h is Heavenly treas ure s s m s And therefore Speechle ade at ﬁr t, that He Might in hims elf profoundly bu s ied be ’ And not vent out, before he hath ta en in

s s his s ms in Tho e antidote that guard oul fro . W s m him too m i e Nature ade deaf, , that He ight

s Not be di turbed, while he doth take delight ’ s de r av d n In inward thing , nor be p with to gues, Nor inj ured by the errors and the wrongs m s s in That ortal word convey . For and death m s s s Are o t infu ed by accur ed breath , m That ﬂowing fro corrupted entrails, bear o ma Those hidden plagues which s uls yj ustly fear. s m s s as m Thi , y dear friend , thi w y blessed case For nothing Spoke to me but the fair face m Of Heaven and Earth , before yself could Speak, m m I then y Bliss did , when y silence, break . D UMB N ESS 3 5

My non - intelligence of human words Ten thousand pleasures unto me affords

w me For while I knew not hat they to said , ’ s m co nv e d Before their soul were into ine y , Before that living vehicle of wind C me infectedmind ould breathe into their , ’ m le v end f Before y thoughts were a with theirs, be ore m e w as D There any ixtur the Holy oor, m n Or gate of souls was close, and ine bei g one

W me w as ithin itself to alone known .

o f li ht Then did I dwell within a world g , ’ D m m S istinct and separate fro all en s ight, s s Where I did feel trange thought , and such things see ’ ’ s eemd r ev eald me That were, or , only to , There I s aw all the world enjoyed by one There I w as in the world mys elf alone No bu s iness serious s eemed but one no work

w as me But one found and that did in lurk . ’ D ye as k me what I t was with clearer eyes To see all creatures full of Deities ’ Es pecially one s self And to admire The satisfaction of all true desire ’ Twas to be pleased with all that God hath done ’Twas to enjoy even all beneath the sun ’ Twas with a steady and immediate sense To feel and meas ure all the excellence ’ 3 6 T RA HERNE S POEMS Of things ’ twas to inherit endless treasure And to be ﬁlled with everlas ting pleasure s To reign in silence, and to ing alone, s To see, love, covet, have, enjoy and prai e, in one ’ r av is h d To prize and to be to be true, S incere and s ingle in a blessed view

is s s w as Of all H gift . Thu I pent within in r e nable s in A fort, p g to any Until the avenues being Open laid

s entei s Whole legion ed, and the fort betrayed m m m Before which ti e a pulpit in y ind, m A te ple and a teacher I did ﬁnd,

mm NO car With a large text to co ent on . s ms s But eye the elves were all the hearer there, s and s And every tone, every tar a tongue, Of s s And every gale wind a curiou ong . s s a The Heaven were an oracle, and p ke D ivinity the Earth did undertake The ofﬁ ce of a pries t and I being dumb s s w as m (Nothing be ide du b), all things did come With voices and instructions but when I a Had gained tongue, their power began to die . s s s Mine ear let other noi e in, not theirs,

s s m s r s A noi e di turbing all y song and p ayer . My foes pulled down the temple to the ground They my adoring soul did deeply wou nd

SILENCE

A Q U IET silent pers on may po ssess

All that is great or high in Blesse dness . The inward work is the s upreme for all s The other were occa ioned by the fall . A manthat s eemeth idle to the view ma s Of others, y the greatest bu iness do . Those acts which Adamin his innocence

m . Perfor ed, carry all the excellence s s Those outward bu y act he knew not, were m m s But eaner atters of a lower phere .

Building of churches, giving to the poor, s s I n d u t and a hes lying on the ﬂoor, m s e Ad ini tering of justice, preaching p ace, fo r ct Ploughing and toiling for a increase, s o r With vi s iting the ick, governing The rude and ignorant this was a thing A S u then nknown . For neither ignorance s s s Nor poverty, nor ickne did advance m Their banner in the world , till Sin ca e in . f Those there ore were occasioned all by sin . S I LENCE 3 9

The ﬁrst and only work he had to do, as m s W in hi self to feel his bli s, to view

His s s m acred trea ures, to ad ire, rejoice,

S s s ing praise with a weet and heavenly voice,

S ee , prize, give hourly thanks within , and love, Which is the high and only work above

m s w as m The all . And this at ﬁr t ine these were s es s My exerci es of the high t phere .

s ee s To , approve , take plea ure, and rejoice is m Within , better than an e pty voice . No melody i n word s can equal that

s w is The eetest organ , lute, or harp ﬂat

m s And dull , co pared thereto . And O that till ’ I might admire my Father s love and S kill

is s This to honour, wor hip, and adore,

s is Him is m Thi to love nay, it far ore, Him m I t is to enjoy , and to i itate f His s The li e and glory of high E tate . ’ Tis to receive with holy reverence, s His To under tand gifts, and with a sense and m Of pure devotion h u ility,

His s L m To prize work , His ove to agnify . O happy ignorance of other things

’ Which made me present with that King of Kings 1 Him f And like too l All Spirit, li e, and po w er,

All love and joy, in His Eternal Bower, T R A HERNE ’S POEMS m A world of innocence as then was ine, In which the joys of Paradis e did S hine as And while I w as not here I w in Heaven , s s Not re ting one , but every, day in even , m For ever inding with a lively sense , s The univers e in all it excellence . NO s other thought did intervene, to cloy, D s s m ivert, extingui h , or eclip e yjoy ,

s ms - s ms No other cu to , new found want , or drea m ms Invented here polluted y pure s trea , s s m s NO aloe or drug , no wor wood tar Was seen to fall into the s ea fromfar

o No rotten s ul , did like an apple near ’ Ms s . y oul approach . There no contagion here as s An unperceived donor gave all ple ure ,

as m s s There nothing w but I , and all y trea ure .

In that fair world, one only was the Friend , m s S . One golden trea , one pring, one only end There only one did s acriﬁce and s ing

To only one Eternal Heavenly King . w as S O S m The union trait between the two, ’ That all w as cither s which my s oul could view His s m s s s s s gift and y po e ions, both our treasure m His s He ine, and I the ocean of pleasure . He was an oceanof delights fromWhom The living springs and golden streams did come

MY SPIR IT

MY naked S imple Life w as I ’ That Act s o s trongly s hin d

s ea s k Upon the earth , the , the y, It was the s ubstance of my mind w as The sens e itself I . s s m m S I felt no dro nor atter in y oul , m s as No bri s nor borders, uch in a bowl e M s w s e as We . y e sence capacity, That felt all things The thought that s pring s ’ Ther efr o ms s s it elf. It hath no other wing s s ee To spread abroad , nor eye to , s s Nor hand di tinct to feel,

s Nor knee to kneel . But being s imple like the Deity In its own centre is a S phere r e Not shut up here, but eve ywher . MY SPIR IT 43

II It acts not froma centre to as m Its object re ote,

But pres ent is when it doth view , Being with the Being it doth note

Whatever i t doth do . t It doth not by ano her engine work,

But by itself ; which in the act doth lurk . Its e s sence is transformed into a true

And perfect act, And s o exact s m s Hath God appeared in thi y terious fact, ’ s That tis all eye, all act, all ight,

And what it please can be,

s ee Not only , ’ Or do for tis more voluble than light m Which can put on ten thousand for s, ’ clo th d Being with what itself adorns .

This made me present evermore ’ With whatsoe er I saw .

An object, if it were before D m ’ My eye, was by a e Nature s m s Within y oul . Her store ' T RA HERNE’S POEMS

Was all at once within me all Her treas ures s Were my immediate and internal plea ures,

S s m m . ub tantial j oys, which did infor my ind With all s he wrought Ms y oul was fraught, And every object inmy heart a thought w as Begot, or I could not tell , Whether the things did there

ms s The elve appear, ’ Which in my S pirit truly s eemdto dwell Or whether my conforming mind ’ Were not even all that therein shin d .

s w as m s But yet of thi I o t sure, m s That at the ut o t leng th , (So worthy w as it to endure) s s s s its My oul could be t expre Strength . w as It so quick and pure,

m m w as That all y ind wholly everywhere, ’ ’ saw w s Whate er it , t a ever wholly there s o ff The sun ten thou and legions , was nigh m s The ut ost tar, m Though seen fro far, Was s m pre ent in the apple of y eye .

T RA HERNE’S POEMS

A strange extended orb of Joy, m Proceeding fro within , s Which did on every ide, convey

Itself, and being nigh of kin To God did every way Di s in s late it elf even an in tant, and L s ike an indivi ible centre stand , s At once urrounding all eternity . ’ s S Twa not a phere,

Yet did appear, ’ o m One inﬁnite . Twas s ewhat everywhere, ’ And tho it had a power to s ee ’ m s s Far ore, yet till it hin d And w as a mind s aw Exerted for it Inﬁnity . ’ ’ s m Twas not a phere, but twas a ight s Invi ible , and yet gave light .

VII

O S S wondrous elf O phere of light, O sphere of joy most fair 0 0 act, power inﬁnite ; O subtile andunbo unded air O living or bof sight 1 MY SPIRIT 47

me me 1 Thou which within art, yet Thou eye, And temple of His whole inﬁnity O what a world art Thou A world within All things appear All objects are S e l Alive in Thee up rsubstantia , rare, m Above the selves, and nigh of kin To those pure things we ﬁnd In His great mind ’ Who made the world Tho now eclipsed by s in

s u There they are u ef l and divine,

s Exalted there they ought to hine . APPREHENSION

IF s m m s ee thi I did not every o ent , And if my thoughts did s tray m At any ti e, or idly play, s And ﬁx on other object , yet Thi s Apprehen s ion s et In me Was m all y whole felicity .

T RA HERNE’S POEMS

’ I t is my David s tower W m m here all y ar our lies, m o The fountain of y p wer,

s m : My bli s, y sacriﬁce A little Spark s That hining in the dark, M s m s akes and encourage y oul to rise, o The ro t of hope, the golden chain , s is as s Who e end , the poet feign , Fastened to the very th rone

Of Jove . is s It a tone, s it On which I ,

An endless beneﬁt, m m a That being ade y reg l throne, Doth prove L An Oracle of His Eternal ove . NATURE

AT C m s TH usto is a econd Nature, we M ’ s s o t plainly ﬁnd by Nature purity . For Nature teacheth nothing but the truth ’ I ms ure that mine did in my virgin youth Da m S s The very y y pirit did in pire, ’ s et m s The world s fair beauty y oul on ﬁre . M m s m s y enses were infor er to y heart, s r The conduit of His glo y, power, and art .

His s s m s s dids ee greatnes , wi do , goodne , I ,

His s L Eter nitie gloriou ove, and His , Almos t as soon as born and every sen s e Was m s m in e like to o e Intelligence . I w as by nature prone and apt to love

e All light and beauty, both in Heaven abov , m And Earth beneath , prone even to ad ire,

as Adore, and praise well as to desire .

M s me y inclinations rai ed up on high ,

me And guided to all Inﬁnity .

s s s A ecret elf I had enclo ed within , m s s n That was not bounded with y clothe or ki , T RA HER NE’S POEMS m m Or ter inated with y Sight, the Sphere Of which was bounded with the Heavens here e s But that did rath r, like the ubtile light, ms Secured fromrough and raging stor by night, ’ s s s Break through the lanthorn ide , and freely ray Di s pers ing and dilating every way s s m s i Who e teady bea s too ubtile for the w nd,

Are s uch that we their bounds can s carcely ﬁnd . did m s s s s s s It enco pas , and po e rare thing , ’ But f m its s s yet elt ore, and on angel w ing s s mm s Pierced through the kie i ediately, and ought

For all that could beyond all worlds be thought . m s d It did not ove, nor one way go , but too , s And by dilating of i t elf, all good ’ s s ee as w s I t trove to , if t ere pre ent there, Even while it pres ent s tood convers ing here

m s s And ore sugge ted than I could di cern , an m s Or ever since by y ean could learn . s ff u s s Va t, una ected wonderf l de ire , ’ L uncaus d s ike inward , native, hidden ﬁre , S s prang up with expectation very strange, Which into new desires did quickly change

For all I saw beyond the azure round , ’ Was s s d s s cr o w nd endle arkne with no beauty . Wh as y beauty Should not there, well as here,

s s s Why goodne s hould not likewi e there appear,

’ 5 4 T RA HERNE S POEMS

Into all which my pent- upSoul like ﬁre m D id m . break, sur ounting all I here ad ire ’ The S paces ﬁ lldwere like a cabinet Of joys before me mos t dis tinctly s et The empty like to large and vacant roo m in s m For fancy to enlarge , and pre u e ’ s m r emo v d A pace for ore , , but yet adorning n as me m Those near at ha d , that ple ed every orning .

as Here I w seated to behold new things, s In the fair fabric of the King of King . a m ’ w s . All, all ine The fountain tho not known , m s w as s Yet that there u t be one plainly hewn , s m s L Which fountain of delight ust need be ove, A s s all the goodness of the thing did prove .

S s me m s s It hine upon fro the highe t skie , its s m s And all creature for y ake doth prize, s m amm Of who e enjoy ent I ade the end , m m While how the sa e is so I co prehend . EASE

How easily doth Nature teach the soul How irresi s tible is her infusion There’ s nothing found that can her force control in ’ But s . How weak and feeble s all delusion

’ fo r cd m Things false are and ost elaborate, Things pure andtrue are obvious unto sense The ﬁ rst impressions in our earthly state m m Are ade by things ost great in excellence .

III How easy is it to believe the Sky Is wide and great and fair How soon may we Sun Be made to know the is bright and high , m e s ee And very glorious, when its bea s w ’ 5 6 T RA HERNE S POEMS

is That all the Earth one continued globe, men s And that all therein are living treasure , That ﬁelds and meadows are a glorious robe

Adorning it with smooth and heavenly pleasures .

s That all we See is our , and every one Possessor of the whole that every man Is like a God Incarnate on the Throne, Even like the ﬁrs t for whomthe world began

m s Who all are taught to honour, erve, and love, ’ Becaus e he is belov dof God unknown And therefore is on Earth itself above

o s mm . All thers, that His wi do ight be shewn

VII

he m s That all may happy , each one ost ble t, m m Both in hi self and others all ost high ,

While all by each , and each by all pos s es t m s k Are inter utual joys beneath the y.

SPEED

T H E liquid pearl in Springs, The u s eful and the precious things m m Are in a o ent known . Their very glory does reveal their worth (And that doth s et their glory forth) ;

As soo n as I w as born they all were shewn .

II True living wealth did ﬂow In cry s tal s treams belo w

My feet, and trilling down

s m s s In pure, transparent, soft, weet, elting plea ure , L ff ike precious and di usive treasures, o m o n At nce y body fed , and s ul did crow .

III

I was as high and great

As Kings are in their seat . SPEED 5 9 m All other thing s were ine .

m m ods The world y house , the creatures were y go , s m Field , ountains , valleys, woods, s m me m Men and their art to ake rich co bine .

Great, lofty, endless, stable, m Various and Innu erable,

s f Bright, u eful , air, divine . mm I ovable and sweet the treasures were, The sacred objects did appear m More rich and beautiful, as well as ine .

New all new - bur nis ht joys ’ Tho now by other toys Ecli s t m p new all and ine .

s o m s me Great Truth sacred see ed for thi to , Becau s e the things which I did see m Were such, y state I knew to be divine .

’ s Nor did the Angel faces,

The glories and the graces, 60 T R A HERNE’S POEMS

The beauty , peace and joy m s m s e. Of Heaven itself, ore weetne s yield to Till ﬁlthy s indid all des troy

s ffs D Tho e were the o pring of the eity .

T RA HERNE’S POEMS While we were hers and that a virgin love m Her best inheritance ight prove .

III

undeﬁ leds m Thoughts , i ple, naked , pure s Thought worthy ever to endure, s s Our ﬁr t and di engaged thoughts it loves, ma And therefore de the truth , In infancy and tender youth S o obvious to Our easy view S s That it doth prepossess our oul , and prove s m The cau e of what it all ways oves .

IV By merit and desire i t doth allure s o For truth is divine and pure,

S o rich and acceptable, being seen ,

(Not parted , but in whole)

That it doth draw and force the soul, A S the great Q ueen s Of bli s, between m S Who and the oul, no one pretender ought a Thrust in to captivate thought . T HE C HOICE 63

V Hence did Eternity contrive to ‘ make The truth s o fair for all our s ake too That being truth , and fair and easy , W hile it on all doth Shine, m m We ight by it beco e divine, Being led to woo

V w The thing we ie , as s And chaste virgin early with it join , m s That with it we ig ht likewi e shine .

VI Eternity doth give the richest things man m s s To every , and ake all King . The best and richest things it doth convey all r To , and eve y one, It raised me unto a throne

Which I enjoy, s In uch a way, m That truth her daughter is y chiefest bride, ’ m f Her daughter truth s y chie est pride .

VII m l All ine And seen so easily How great, how blest How soon amI of all pos s es t 6 T R AHERNE’S S 4M POEM y infancy no sooner opes its eyes, B ut s traight the s pacious Earth s m Abound with joy , peace, glory, irth , And being wi s e S s The very kie , And stars do mine become being all pos s es t is s Even in that way that the be t .

66 T RA HERNE ’S POEMS

The naked things

m s m and S Are ost ubli e , brightest how, When they alone are seen ’ ’ Men s hand s than Angel s wings Are truer wealth even here below m For those but see . s l Their worth they then do be t revea , m m When we all etaphors re ove, m l For etaphors concea ,

And only vapours prove . ’ They best are blaz ondwhen we s ee m The anato y, S u s urvey the skin , cut pthe ﬂesh , the vein Unfold the glory there remains m s s s The u cle , ﬁbres, arterie , and bones f r Are better a than crowns and precious Stones .

III Shall I not then Delight in those mos t s acred treasures m Which y great Father gave, Far more than other men T HE PERSON 67 Delight in gold ? S ince these are pleasures That make us brave Far braver than the pearl and gold ’ That glitter on a lady s neck r The ubies we behold, The diamonds that deck s m The hand of queens, co pared unto The hands we view T he so fter lilies and the roses are Less ornaments to thos e that wear m s The sa e, than are the hand , and lips and eyes m Of those who those false orna ents so prize .

Let verity Be thy delight let me es teem True wealth far more than toys Let sacred riches be, f s m While al er treasures only see , s My real joy . For go lden chains and bracelets are m But gilded anacles, whereby S a Old at n doth ensnare,

Allure, bewitch the eye . ’ Thy gifts, O God, alone I ll prize, o u m My t ng e, y eyes, 68 T RA HERNE’S POEMS

e m m s My che ks, y lips, my ears, y hand , my feet Their harmony is far more sweet e m Their b auty true . And these in all y ways m m Shall the es beco e and organs of Thy praise .

’ 7 0 T RA HERNE S POEMS

My palate is a touch - stone fit s To ta te how good Thou art, And other members second it s m Thy prai es to i part . ’ ’ ’ fr amd There s not an eye that s by Thee, But ought Thy life and love to see L m Nor is there, ord , upon ine head an ear, s s S But that the mu ic of Thy work hould hear . m s Each toe, each finger, fra ed by Thy kill, m s s Ought oint ent to di til . m s A bro ia, nectar, wine Should flow m Fro every joint I owe, Or things more rich while they Thy holy will

s m s Are in tru ent adapted to fulﬁll .

III

o m They ught, y God , to be the pipes r s And conduits of Thy p ai e . M’ m en s bodies were not ade for stripes,

Nor anything but joys . They were not made to be alone But made to be the very throne

s S s Of Ble sedness, to be like un , whose rays, D s m ispersed, catter any thousand ways . THE E STATE 7 1

n and s They dri k in nectars, di burse again m s m In purer bea s, those trea s, ’ caus d Those nectars which are by joys, And as the Spacious main D oth all the rivers, which it drinks, return , ’ r eciv d m Thy love e doth ake the soul to burn . IV

s Elixir richer are than dross, And end s are more divine Than are the means but dung and los s ’ Materials (tho they s hine ’ L S co m ar d ike gold and ilver) are, p S d To what Thy pirit oth regard, m m Thy will require, Thy love e brace, Thy ind s m m s s E tee , Thy nature o t illustriou ﬁnd . e s Th se are the thing wherewith we God reward . m Our love He ore doth prize, Our gratitude is in His eyes s Far richer than the kies .

s ff s And tho e a ection which we do return , m Are like the love which in Hi self doth burn . V

s We plough the very skie , as well As earth the s pacious seas T RA H ERNE’S POEMS

s m Are ours the star all ge s excel . The air was made to pl ease The souls of men devouring ﬁre ’ D m s oth feed and quicken an desire . its m The orb of light in wide circuit oves, C m orn for our food s prings out of very ire, Our fuel grows in woods and groves ; Choice herbs and ﬂowers as pire ‘ s s s s s To ki our feet bea t court our love . ’ How gloriou s is man s fate s s The law of God, the work He did create,

His m s . ancient ways, are His and y E tate

Thes e five lines have an alternative reading

Th S un s cl its s e it elf oth in glory hine,

s m And gold and ilver out of very ire, And pearls and rubies out of earth reﬁ ne While herbs and ﬂowers as pire To m touch and ake our feet divine .

’ 7 4 T RA HERNE S POEMS

III

Even holy angel s may come down s ee To walk on Earth , and delights,

s s . That feed and plea e, even here, their appetite Our joys may make a crown m His menma For the . And in Tabernacle y be L ms m ike pal we ingled with the Cherubs see .

IV M’ m en s senses are indeed the ge s, s s m s s m Their prai e the o t weet perfu es,

s ms Their eyes the throne , their hearts the Heavenly roo ,

s s ms Their oul the diade , s s Their tong ue the organ which they love to hear, f s Their cheeks and ace like to theirs appear.

The wonders which our God hath done, s His s The glorie of attribute ,

L s s ike dangling apple or like golden fruit , m Angelic joys beco e . His wis doms hines on Earth His love doth L m e ike yrrh or inc nse, even here below . THE ENQ UI RY

ses And Shall not we such joys pos s, Which God for mandid chieﬂy make ? The Angels have themonly for our sake And yet they all confess

His he glory here on Earth to divine, And that His Godhead in His works doth THE CI RCULATION

A s s m s k fair idea fro the y, m s Or i ages of thing , S s m Unto a potles irror ﬂy, s On unperceived wing , ff s s And lodging there a ect the en e, As if at ﬁrs t they came fromthence

While being there, they richly beautify mm The place they ﬁll , and yet co unicate ’ m s s The selves, reﬂecting to the eer eye s s is s Ju t uch our e tate . s No prai e can we return again ,

NO s s s s s s glory in our elve po e , m But what derived fro without we gain , m m Fro all the ysteries of blessedness .

II No manbreathes out more vital air Than he before s ucked in

T RA HERNE’S POEMS

And this doth shew that we mu s t s ome estate

s mm . Posses , or never can co unicate IV

s s A ponge drink in the water, which

Is s ex r es t afterward p . A liberal hand mu s t ﬁrs t be rich

Who bles seth mu s t be bles t . s The thir ty earth drinks in the rain , s s m The tree uck oisture at their roots, s s Before the one can lavi h herb again , ff us s Before the other can a ord fruit .

s his No tenant can rai e corn or pay rent,

Nor can even have a lord, S That has no land . No pring can vent,

’ No vessel any wine aﬁ o r d ’ s m s Wherein no liquor put . No e pty pur e, n s s s s Ca pound or talent of itself di bur e .

Flame that ejects its golden beams Sups up the gross er air To s eas that pour out their streams

S s s ms In prings, tho e trea repair ’ R eceiv d m m ideas ake even drea s. No fancy painteth foul or fair THE CIRCULATION 7 9

m r But by th e inistry of inwa d light, s That in the s pirits cherisheth its ight . m mens a The moon returneth light, and so e y The very s unno ray

Nor inﬂuence could have, d id it m No foreign aids, no food ad it . ff The earth no exhalations would a ord,

s b s un Were not its Spirit y the restored .

s All things do ﬁr t receive, that give ’ Only tis God above, That fromandin Himself doth live

Whose all - s ufficient love Without original can ﬂow And all the joys and glories shew m man Which ortal can take delight to know . He is the primitive eternal S pring s The endle s ocean of each glorious thing .

The soul a vessel is, s m A spacious bo o , to contain

s All the fair treasures of His bli s, m Which run like rivers fro , into the main ,

And all it doth receive returns again . AMEND MENT

H AT s l m T all things hou d be ine, Thi s makes His bo unty mos t divine m s But that they all ore rich hould be, m s And far ore brightly hine, A s used by me r av is heth m s It y oul to see the end , s s o To which thi work wonderful doth tend .

That we s hould make the Skies More gloriou s far befor e Thine ey es m m Than Thou didst ake the , and even Thee

m r Far ore Thy works to p ize, A s used they be ’ m is s s Than as they re ade, a tupendou work, mm Wh erein Thy wisdo ightily doth lurk .

T RA HERNE’S POEMS

And is my so ul a mirror that must shine Even like the s unand be far more divine

V I

S Thy oul, O God , doth prize

The seas, the earth , our souls, the skies As we return the same to Thee m They ore delight Thine eyes, And s weeter be A s ff m unto thee we o er up the sa e, s m s m Than as to u fro Thee at ﬁr t they ca e.

VII O how doth Sacred Love s m His gift reﬁne, exalt , i prove Our love to creatures make s thembe I n Thine esteemabove Themselves to Thee l O here His goodness evermore admire He made our s o ul s to make His creatures THE DEMONSTRATION

T H E s s s highest thing are ea ie t to be shewn,

And only capable of being known . A mi s t involves the eye While in the middle i t doth live And till the end s of things are s een ’ s The way s uncertain that doth tand between . As in the air we s ee the cloud s L s s ike winding heet or shrouds, s Which , though they nearer are, ob cure sun far m The , which , higher , is far ore pure .

II m Its very brightness akes it near the eye, ’ Tho many thous and leagues beyond the s ky. Its beams by violence s s s s Invade, and ravi h di tant en e . m s Only extre es and height are known , ’ s . No certainty, where no perfection , shewn ’ 84 T RA HERNE S POEMS Extremities of blessedness Compel us to confess Go d A indeed , Whose excellence s In all His works mus t needs exceed all sen e .

III

And for thi s caus e incr edibles alone us s May be by demonstration to hewn . Those things that are mos t bright

Sun- like appear in their own ligh t , ’ ’ And nothing s truly s een that s mean e Be i t a sand , an acorn , or a b an, ’ m s clo th d s It u t be with endle s glory, Before its perfect s tory ’ (Be the Spirit ne er s o clear) Can its in causes and its ends appear .

m d s What can be ore incre ible than thi , Where may we ﬁnd a more profound abyss What Heavenly height can be Transcendent to thi s S ummity What more desirable object can

’ Be offered to the soul .o f hungering man !

86 T RA HERNE’S POEMS m u m Were not so e creat re ore alive, W hence it might w orth derive. m r God is the s pring whence thing s co e fo th ,

Souls are the fountain s of their real worth .

V II

The j oy andpleas ure which His soul doth take ’ is His s In all His works for creature sake . Yet doth He take delight ’ That s altogether inﬁnite m as mHim m In the even they fro co e, His s s is s um For such love and goodne , the His s m Of all happines doth see , His m At least in estee , In that delight and joy to lie H ’ Which is is blessed creatures melody .

VIII

m s s m and In the He see , and feel , and s ells, In themaffected is to whomHe gives m s n s In the ten thou a d way , He all His work again enjoys All things fromHimto Himproceed By them are His in them as if indeed THE DEMONSTR ATION 87

His Godhead did itself exceed . To themHe all conveys ;

ms is Nay, even Hi elf He the End m m m To who in the Hi self, and all things THE ANT I CIPATION

MY contemplation dazzles in the End all m Of I co prehend , A nds s oar above all heights , s Diving into the depths of all delight . C an m He beco e the End , m s To who all creature tend , Who is the Father of all Inﬁ nites ? ma m Then y He beneﬁt receive fro things ,

And be not Parent only of all springs .

m s The End doth want the ean , and is the cause , ’ s s Whose ake, by Nature s law , S I that for which they are . S s uch sands, uch dangerous rocks we must beware Fromall Eternity A perfect Deity

T RA HERNE’S POEMS

That s o the End should be the very S pring Of every glorious thing m s And that which see eth la t, The fountain and the caus e attained so fast ’ That it w as ﬁrs t andmov d ’ Eﬂicient s o lo v d The , who All worlds and made themfor the s ake of this s m It hews the End co plete before, and is His ss A perfect token of perfect bli .

V I

m m m s s o The End co plete, the eans ust need be ,

w By which we plainly kno , m Fro all Eternity, m is m The eans whereby God , ust perfect be . Go dis Himself the means Whereby He doth exis t ’ ’ as Sun s hinin s clo th dw ms And the by g ith bea , So m ms His S ms fro Hi elf to all glory trea , Sun m s Who is a , yet what Hi self doth li t .

VII

His endles s wants and His enjoyments be From allEternity THE ANTICIPATION 9! Immutable in Him m They are His joys before the Cherubi .

His wants appreciate all,

And being inﬁnite, Permit no being to be mean or s mall

s is That He enjoy , or before His sight f His satis actions do H is wants delight .

VIII

Wants are the fountain s of Felicity No joy could ever be

s s Were there no want . No bli ,

No sweetness perfect were it not for this . Want is the greates t pleas ure s m s s Becau e it ake all trea ure . O what a wonderful profound abys s Is God In whometernal wants and treasures

m s s . Are ore delightful , ince they both are pleasure

He inﬁnitely wanteth all His joys (No want the soul e ’er cloys And all those wanted pleas ures

. s m He inﬁnitely hath What endles easures, What heights and depths may we In His felicity T RA HERNE’S POEMS

Conceive ! Whose very wants are endless pleasures .

His s is life in wants and joy inﬁnite, H s m D And both are felt as i S upre e elight .

’ H s us e not like possession doth not cloy, Nor s en s e of want des troy Both always are together s No force can ei ther fromthe other ever . ’ Yet there s a S pace between ’ s s s B s That endle . oth are een D s s s i tinctly till, and both are een for ever . ’ A s as s soon e er He wanteth all His blis , ’ s s s Himis His bli , tho everla ting, in .

His E ssence is all Act He did that He m a s All Act ight lway be . His nature burns like ﬁre His goodnes s inﬁnitely does desire To be by all po ss ess t m s s His love ake other bl est . His I t is the glory of high estate, m m And that which I for ever ore ad ire, is mm c He an Act that doth co uni ate.

THE RECOVERY

T o s ee us is s S but receive, uch a ight A s makes His treasures inﬁnite Becau s e His goodnes s doth pos s ess

us His ss . In , own , and our own Blessedne m His Yea ore, love doth take delight To make our glory inﬁnite Our bles s ednes s to s ee Is even to the Deity A Beatiﬁ cvi s ion l He attain s

is s . us s H End while we enjoy In He reign .

’ eno dis His For God j y all End . Hims elf He then doth comprehend is s s m When He ble ed , agnified, ’ ’ E xtolld r ais d , exalted, p , and glorified , ’ ’ ’ ’ Ho no r d es teemd belo v d eno d , , , j y , m s Ad ired , anctified , obeyed, THE { RE COVERY

is That received . For He Doth place His whole felicity

i s s In that who s de pi ed and deﬁed , U ndeiﬁ ed m s al o t if once denied .

His His In all works, in all ways, We mu s t His glory s ee and prai s e ;

s s is And ince our plea ure the end,

m s Hi i s s H s . We u t goodne s, and love attend

ds s His s s If we e pi e gloriou work , S uch s inand mi s chief in it lurks That they are all made vain And thi s is even endles s pain To Himthat s ees it Whos e diviner grief Is hereupon (ah me !) without relief.

We pleas e His goodness that receive Him Refusers of all bereave . A s bridegrooms know full well that build

A palace for their bride . It will not yield Any delight to himat all If s he for whomhe mad e the hall 96 T RA HERNE’S POEMS R efuse to dwell in i t, n Or plainly scorn the be eﬁt . ’ ’ Her act that s woo d yield s more delight andpleasure

s he . I f receives, than all the pile of treasure

s s and B ut we have hand , and lip , eyes, And hearts andsoul s cansacriﬁce ; And s ouls themselves are made in vain

I f we our evil stubbornness retain .

ff s s A ection , prai es, are the thing s For which He gave us all those s prings They are the very fruits s Of all tho e trees and roots,

s His s The fruits and end of all great endeavour , abolis heth Which He whoever severs .

’ Tis not alone a lively sense,

A clear and quick intelligence,

s m A free, profound , and full e tee ’ Tho these elixirs all and ends do s eem s s But gratitude, thank giving, prai e , a A he rt returned for all those joys,

ANOTHER

HE s eeks for ours as we do seek for His m S far m Nay , O y oul , ours is ore His bliss Than His is ours at least it so doth s eem Both in His own and our esteem

His s His s earne t love , inﬁnite de ires, s s His living, endle s, and devouring ﬁre , D o rage in thirs t andfervently require ’ A love tis Strange it should desire.

III

s We cold and careles are, and scarcely think S Uponthe glorious pring whereat we drink . D idHe not love us we could be content We wretches are indifferent ANOTHER 99

IV W He courts our love ith inﬁnite esteem, And s eeks it s o that it doth almost s eem

His His Even all blessedness . love doth as S It the only acriﬁce .

’ h ff Tis deat , my soul , to be indi erent, Set forth thyself unto thy whole extent,

And all the glory of His passion prize,

fo r . Who for thee lives, who thee dies

V I

s m a His goodnes ade thy love so great pleasure, His goodness made thy soul s o great a treas ure Him m To thee and that thou ightst bo th inherit, its m Prize it according to erit .

V II

is There no goodness nor desert in thee, For which thy love s o coveted s hould be His goodnes s is the fountain of thy worth t n t f 0 live o love a ds e it orth . ’ loo T RA HERNE S POEMS

VIII

v t Him Thou nothing g i s to , He gave all things m th e To thee, and ade thee like King of Kings n is a His love the fou tain of Heaven and E rth , mr The cause of all thy joy and i th .

Thy love is nothing but itself, and yet S o inﬁnite is His that He doth set u A value inﬁnite pon it . Oh t c and o This, canst hou areless be , kn w

Let m w that sa e goodness, hich being infinite, em Este s thy love with infinite delight, ’ ’ Tho less than His, tho nothing, always be O An bject infinite to thee .

as m And it is the cause of all estee ,

e m Of all the worth which in thy love doth s e , S o e let it be the caus of all thy pleasure, Ca its using its being and treasure,

’ 1 02 T RA HERNE S POEMS

s s Of endless glorie , honors, friend hips, pleasures, s Joys, praises, beautie and celestial treasures ’ Lo s ee , now I there s such a King,

The fountain - head of everything l

D idmy ambition ever dream Lo s Did Of such a rd, of uch a love I Expect s o s weet a s tream A s this at any time Could any eye Believe it ? Why all power Is used here m m Joys down fro Heaven on y head do shower, And Jove beyond the ﬁction doth appear Once more in golden rain to come ’ D a s m To an s plea ing fruitful wo b .

IV m His Gani ede His life His Joy m s me s m Or He co e down to , or take e up m His That I ight be boy ,

And ﬁll , and taste, and give , and drink the cup . But those (tho ’ great) are all s m Too hort and s all , LOV E 1 03

T oo weak and feeble pictures to express m The true ysterious depths of Blessedness . am m His I His i age, and friend, His m son , bride, glory, te ple, end . THOUGH TS — I I

Y E s s bri k, divine and living thing , m s S s Ye great exe plar , and ye heavenly pring , Which I within me s ee ; m Ye achines great, m s Which in y pirit God did seat, Ye engines of felicity s s His Ye wondrou fabric of hands, Who all pos sesseth that He under stand s ; m s That ye are pent within y brea t, m s Yet rove at large fro East to We t, s And are invi ible, yet inﬁnite, Is m m y transcendent and y best delight . II

By you I do the joy s possess ’ Of yes terday s - yet - pres ent bles sednes s A s m in a irror clear, Old objects I s s Far di tant do even now de cry,

Which by your help are present here .

’ 1 06 T RA HERNE S POEMS

e m More beautiful do s e , And better meat m so eat Ye daily yield y ul to , Than even the objects I esteem m s Without y oul . What were the Sky, s un s e What were the , or tars, did y not lie me mt In , and represent the here Where els e they never could appear !

Yea, what were bliss without such thoughts to me, m D What were y life, what were the eity

O ye Conceptions of delight Ye that inform my soul with life andlight s ands r s Ye repre entatives, p ing Of inward pleasure l u Ye joys, ye ends of outward treas re l Ye inward and ye living thing s The thought or joy conceived is The inward fabric of my s tanding blis s It is the very subs tance of my mind ’ T r ans fo r md s and with its object lined , m The quintessence, elixir, Spirit, crea ’ s be m Tis strange that things unse en hould supre e . S — I T HOUGHT . 1 07

’ ’ The eye s conﬁned , the body s pent m m s s m In narrow roo li b are of all extent, But thoughts are always free ’ And as they re best S o can they even i n the breast R ove o’er the world with liberty an C enter ages, present be m s m ee. In any kingdo , into boso s

Thoughts, thoughts can come to things and view ’ What bodies can t approach unto m l They know no bar, denial , li it, wal ,

But have a liberty to look on all .

VI I

e to flo Like b es they fly from flower wer, m Appear in every closet, te ple, bower, And suck the sweet fromthence No eye can s ee D As tasters to the eity,

Incredible their excellence, n For evermore they will be see , m Nor ever moulder into less estee . T R A HERNE’S POEMS

They ever shew an equal face, Andare immortal in their place n s as thousa d Age hence they are strong, thousand Ages hence they are as young .

’ I I O T RA HERNE S POEMS He gave thempower every hour m Both to erect and to aintain a tower, Which he far more inus doth prize s s Than all the kie , m ff Him That we ight o er i t to , h m And in our souls be like t e Seraphi .

III That temple David did intend Was but a thought, and yet it did transcend ’ S m o King olo on s . A thought we kn w Is that for which God doth enrich s With joy even Heaven above and Earth below . For that all objects might be s een He made the orient azure and the green That we might in his works delight And that the s ight Of those His treasures might enﬂame Him e The soul with love to , He made the sam .

IV This sight which is the glorious End Of all His works and which doth comprehend THOUGHTS — II I 1 1

Eternity and time and space, far Is more dear, And far more near

m His - T Hi . o , than all glorious dwelling place

It is a Spiritual world within , A living world and nearer far of kin ﬁ m T o God than that which rst he ade. Wh ile that doth fade Thi s therefore ever S hall endure as m Within the soul ore divine and pure . [TH E INFLUX ]

s m God Y E hidden nectar , which y doth drink, m m Ye heavenly Strea s, ye bea s divine, s On which the angel think, s How quick, how trongly do ye shine

m s me Ye i age of joy that in dwell, Ye sweet mysterious s hades s That do all ubstances excel , Whos e glory never fades s s s s m f Ye kie , ye eas, ye tars, or things ore air, me O ever, ever unto repair

Ye pleasant thoughts 0 h ow that s undivine

Appears to- day which I did see S o sweetly then to s hine Even in my very in fancy

’ 1 1 4 T RA HERNE S POEMS

Your Jubilee and trade, v m Ye are so Strangely and di inely ade, S hall never, never fade Ye ravi s h all my soul Of you I twice ’ s Will Speak, for in the dark y are Paradi e . U G TS — THO H . III

U G T THO H S are the Angels which we send abroad , ’ s all s s To vi it the part of God abode . Thoughts are the things wherein we all confess The quintes s ence of s inand holiness IS s m u laid . All wi do in a tho ght doth shine,

is m By thoughts alone the soul ade divine . Thoughts are the S prings of all our actions here ’ m s On earth , tho they the selve do not appear . s s They are the pring of beauty, order, peace, ’ ’ s s The city s gallantrie , the ﬁeld increase . R m ms m m ule, govern ent, and kingdo ﬂow fro the , s o s m And doth all the New Jeru ale , S At least the glory , plendour, and delight, ’ tis s s h e is For by thought that even bright . ’ s s r o nd Thought are the thing wherewith even God is c w , ’ s ms s s s And as the oul without the u ele found , So s are all other creature too . A thought Is m even the very crea of all He wrought . ’ I I 6 T RA HERNE S POEMS

A ll holy fear, and love , and reverence,

as as s With honour,joy, and praise, well sen e, s s Are hidden in our thought . Thought are the things That us affect The honey and the s tings

Of all that is are Seated in a thought, m Even while it see eth weak, and next to nought . m s u The atter of all plea ure, virt e, worth ,

s s et Grief, anger, hate, revenge, which word forth , s s s Are thought alone . Thought are the highe t things,

s The very offs pring of the King of King . Thoughts are a kind of strange celes tial creature ’ ’ h s T at when they re good , they re uch in every feature . ’ m e They bear the i ag of their Father s face,

And beautify even all His dwellin g- place S o m u ni ble, volatile, and nconfined , ’ m w ms ss Illi ited, to hich no for a igned, S o s changeable, capacious, ea y, free , s ma That what itself doth plea e a thought y be . m s Fro nothing to infinity it turn , m m Even in a o ent Now like fire it burns, ’ s s s un Now frozen ice Now shapes the gloriou , m m m Now darkness in a o ent doth beco e .

: Now all at once Now crowded in a sand ,

No w s m s a ﬁll the he isphere, and see land ’ s s k Now on a sudden wider than the y, l And now runs par i e with the Deity .

’ 1 1 8 T RA HERNE S POEMS

s s All world , all excellencies, sense , graces, ’ s s s . Joy , pleasure , creatures, and the angel faces

s m It hall be arried ever unto all, ’ m s m m . And all e brace, tho now it ee eth s all

m s ma m s A thought y oul y o nipre ent be ,

For all it toucheth which a thought can see . O that mys teriou s Being Thoughts are things

Which rightly used make His creatures Kings . D ESI R E

FOR me giving desire,

s An eager thir t, a burning ardent ﬁre , m A virgin infant ﬂa e, m A Love with which into the world I ca e,

An inward hidden heavenly love, m Which in my soul did work and ove , And ever ever me inﬂame

With restless longing , heavenly avarice,

s That never could be sati ﬁed, That did incessantly a Paradis e m Unknown suggest, and so ething undescried D s hear me i cern , and to it be

Thy Name for ever praised by me.

My parched and withered bone s B urnt up did seem my soul w as full of groans My thoughts extensions were L ike paces, reaches, steps they did appear 1 2 0 T RA HERNE’S POEMS

o m They s ewhat hotly did pursue,

Knew that they had not all their due, Nor ever quiet were m m s s But ade y ﬂe h like hungry, thir ty ground , M s s y heart a deep profound aby , a And every joy and pleasure but wound , So as m s s s s ms s long I y Ble edne did i . s s m s O Happine A fa ine burn , And all my life to angui s h turns

III

ms Where are the Silent strea ,

r s ms The living wate s and the gloriou bea , s s The weet reviving bower ,

S s s s s The hady grove , the weet and curiou ﬂower ,

s s s The prings and tree , the heavenly day , ’ m s The ﬂow ry eads, and gloriou rays, The gold and s ilver towers ? Alas all these are poor and empty things d s am Trees, waters , ays, and hining be s, s Fruits, ﬂowers, bowers, shady groves and prings,

No o m S s m j y will yield, no ore than ilent trea s ; m i s Those are but dead ater al toy , c m m A rid annot ake y heavenly j oys.

T RA HERNE’S POEMS

S s n s m en e, feeli g, ta te, co placency, and sight, u s These are the tr e and real joy , m The living, flowing, inward, elting,bright, And heavenly pleas ures all the rest are toys s All which are founded in De ire, m As light in fla e and heat in fire . THOUGHTS — IV

Th s is s s Th In y pre ence there fullne of Joy, and at y s s m r ight hand there are pl ea ure for ever ore .

TH OU G HTS are the wings on which the s oul doth

m s s Sk The es engers which oar above the y, ’ s s Elijah ﬁery chariot, that convey

The soul, even here, to those eternal joys . Thoughts are the privileged posts that soar

Unto His throne, and there appear before s s s ma m Our elve approach . The e y at any ti e m m s s a . Above the cloud , above the tars y cli b The soul is pres ent by a thought and sees s m The New Jeru ale , the palaces, s s s The throne , and fea ts, the region of the Sky,

The joys and treasures of the Deity .

His mm s s o wisdo akes all thing bright and pure,

That they are worthy ever to endure .

His s His gloriou works, laws and counsels are, ms m When seen,all like Hi elf, beyond co pare . ’ 1 2 4 T RA HERNE S POEMS

His All ages with love and glory Shine, s A they are His all Kingdoms are D ivine .

s s s Whole ho t of Angel at His throne attend, u s s mHis And joyf l prai e fro saints ascend . Thou s ands of thou s ands kneel before His face His s m And all beneﬁt wi th joy e brace .

His s s m s s s goodne ake all creature for His plea ure , ’ m s s His s s And ake it elf creature chiefes t trea ure . Almighty power doth its elf employ In all its works to make its elf the joy His s t m s Of all ho s , and to co plete the blis m is Which o nipresent and eternal .

His m s is S o nipre ence an Endless phere, Wherein all worlds as his delights appear His bounty is the S pring of all delight

s s His is . Our ble edness, like , infinite His glory endles s is and doth s urround s And fill all world without or end or bound . What h inders then but we in Heaven may be Even here on Earth did we but rightly s ee ? m s m As ountains, chariots, hor e en all on fire,

To guard Elisha did of old conspire , his s ee Which yet servant could not , being blind , ’ n r o nd His s Ourselves e v i with joy we ﬁnd . Eternity itself is that true light s That doth enclos e u being inﬁnite ,

’ 1 2 6 T RA HERNE S POEMS

As tokens of His love they all ﬂow down

us e s . Their beauty, , and worth the oul do crown Men are like C herubims on either hand Whos e flaming love by His divine command Is made a s acrifice to ours which streams m s m s . Throughout all worlds, and fill the all with bea

We drink our ﬁll , and take their beauty in , ’ s s s u ms in While Jesu blood reﬁne the o l fro . Hi s C s is s m s grievou ro s a upre e delight, s s S And of all Heavenly one the greate t ight . ’ His is tis s Throne near, ju t before our face,

His - And all Eternity dwelling place,

His - s s dwelling place is full of joy and pleasure ,

His s throne a fountain of Eternal trea ures . m s is His o nipre ence all Sight and love, s s Which whoso ees he ever dwell above . m s With soft e braces it doth cla p the soul, u m And watchf lly all ene ies control . s m It enter in and doth a te ple ﬁnd , m m Or ake a living one within the ind, ’ s m s us s That, while God o nipre ence in lie , His treasures might be all before our eyes m s s U m For ind and Soul intent pon the here, ’ D o w ith the Seraphims above appear s s s And are like phere of bli s, by love and sight, m By joy, thanksgiving, praise, ade inﬁnite . i c s ee f O g ve me gra e to Thy ace, and be

A constant Mirror of Eternity . Let m s m a y pure soul, tran for ed to thought as Attend upo n Thy Throne, and, it ought, S its m n pend all ti e in feedi g on Thy love, m s m And never fro Thy acred presence ove . 80 shall my conversation ever be L m In Heaven , and I, O ord y God, with Thee l GOODNESS

menis m T HE bliss of other y delight, (When once my principles are right And ever y s oul which mine doth see e A tr asury . is all The face of God goodness unto , And while He thou s ands to His throne doth m While illions bathe in pleasures,

His e s And do behold tr asure , The joys of all mn f On i e do all, And even my inﬁnity doth seem m m m A drop without the of a ean estee .

f s The light which on ten thousand aces Shine , The beams which crown ten thousand vines

With glory, and delight, appear A s if they were

’ 1 3 0 T RA HERNE S POEMS

What other thing canme delight But the blest sight

His s ? His O f eternal goodnes While love, His s burning love the blis of all doth prove, While it beyond the end s

Of Heaven and Earth extends, And multiplies s Above the skie , His m s glory, love, and goodness in y ight Is m m m for y pleasure ade ore inﬁnite .

The s oft and swelling grapes that on their vines Receive the lively warmth that S hines m me Upon the , ripen there for

Or drink they be, m s m s O r eat . The tars salute y pleased sen e With a derived and bo rrowed inﬂuence

But better vines do grow, Far better w ines do ﬂow

Above , and while The Sundoth s mile r m Upon the lilies there, and all things wa , s m m Their pleasant odour do y spirit char , GOODNESS 1 3 1

Their rich aﬂectio ns me like precious seas m Of nectar and a brosia please . s ar m Their eyes are t s, or ore divine And brighter s h ine

Their lips are soft and swelling grapes, their tongues e m A quire of bless d and har onious songs . Their boso ms fraught with love Are Heavens all Heavens above And being Images of God they are oo The highest joys His g dness did prepare . [TH E SOU L’S GLORY]

IN making bodies Love could not expres s

e s m m . Its lf, or art unles it ade the less m s m n O what a on ter had in a been seen , Had every thumb or toe a mountain been What worlds must he devour when he did eat his ma What oceans drink Yet could not all e t, t m h im S Or sta ure, ake like an Angel hine

Or make his soul in glory more divine . s m s us A oul it is that ake truly great ,

Whos e little bodi es make us more complete . s An Under tanding that is Inﬁnite,

s An endles , wide, and everlasting sight,

That can enjoy all things and nought exclude,

Is the most sacred greatnes s may be viewed . ’Twas inconvenient that his bulk Should be An endless hill he nothing then could s ee m No ﬁgure have, no otion , beauty, place, m m No colour, feature, e ber, light, or grace

m a is A body like a ount in but cumber, An d m endless bo yis but idle lu ber,

[FI NITE YET I NFI NITE]

His e e is m power bounded , gr at r in ight, ’ Than i f let loose twere wholly inﬁnite . m Sea s He could have ade an endless by thi , no t e a s s B ut then i t had b en a Se of Bli . D idwater fromthe centre to the s kies ’ Ascend , twould drown whatever else we prize .

The Ocean bounded in a ﬁnite Shore, Is far better because it is no more,

No use nor glory would in that be seen , His m power ade it endless in esteem . s un its s Had not the been bounded in phere, Did m all the world in one fair fla e appear, m And were that fla e a real infinite, ’ n o no r . Twould yield profit, splendour, delight Its corps confined andbeams extended be ff D E ects of w isdom in the eity . m One star ade infinite would all exclude, ’ An earth made infinite could ne er be viewed . ’ s a But one being fashioned for the other s ke, m m He bounding all , did all ost useful ake is s d And which be t, in profit and elight , ’ Tho not in bulk, they all are infinite . ON NEWS

E WS om m N fr a foreign country ca e, As if my treasure and my wealth lay there So much it did my heart enﬂame ’ m m Twas wont to call y soul into ine ear, Which thither went to meet

The approaching sweet,

s And on the thre hold stood,

To entertain the unknown Good . It hovered there ’ m As if twould leave ine ear, And was s o eager to embrace

s m The joyful tiding as they ca e, ’ m - Twould al ost leave its dwelling place, s m To entertain that a e .

As if the tidings were the things , M m s m y very joys the selve , y foreign treasure, Or else did hear themon their wings ; m s s m w s o . With o uch joy they came , ith uch plea ure ’ 1 3 6 T RA HERNE S POEMS

My Soul stood at that gate To recreate Its elf w ith bli s s And to s s Be plea ed with peed . A fuller view n It fai would take, Yet journey s back would make ’ Unto my heart as if t w ould fain m S Go out to eet, yet tay within ﬁ t To a place, to entertain ,

And bring the tidings in .

III

What s acred instinct did in s pire My Soul in childhood with a hope s o s trong ’ What secret force mov d my desire m s s s o u ? To expect y joy beyond the sea , yo ng Felicity I knew Was out of view

And being here alone , I s aw that happines s was gone

mme s Fro For thi , s s I thir ted absent bli s,

s s And thought that ure beyond the sea , Or el s e in s omething near at hand S I knew not yet, (ince nought did please m ss s n I knew) y Bli did ta d .

[TH E TRIUMPH]

A LI FE of Sabbath s here beneath Continual Jubilees and Joys

s The day of Heaven , while we breathe On Earth where s inall bliss destroy s Thi s is a triumph of delights That doth exceed all appetites m s No joy can be co pared to thi ,

I t is a life of perfect bli s s .

O r perteet blis s How can it be To conquer Satan and to reign m In such a vale of isery, s s s Where viper , ting and tears remain, IS to be crowned with victory .

To be con tent, d ivi ne, and free is Even here beneath great delight, beatiﬁ cs And next the ight . [T HE TRIUMPH] 1 3 9

But inward lusts do oft assail , Temptation s work us much annoy ’ W f e e ll there or weep, and to prevail S m hall be a ore celestial joy . To have no other enemy But one ; and to that one to die

To ﬁght with that and conquer it, Is better than in peace to sit .

IV ’ Tis better for a little time

s For he that all his lu ts doth quell , S s his m hall ﬁnd thi life to be pri e ,

And vanq uish sin and conquer hell .

The next Shall be his double joy, And that which here seemed to destroy Shall in the other life appear s A root of Bli s a pearl each tear . [TH E O NLY 111 ]

S IN a O only fat l woe, That makes me sad and mourning m s That all yjoys do t spoil , His King domand my Soul deﬁle I never can agree W ith Thee .

Thou o Only Thou O Th u alone, m S And y obdurate Heart of tone , The poison and the fo es

O r m m s s y enjoy ent and repo e, The only bitter ill Dos t kill

THE RECO VE RY

S IN wilt thou vanqui s h me And s hall I yield the victory S m s hall all yj oys be poiled , And pleasures s oiled By thee Shall I remain ’ A s one that s Slain And never more lift up the head Is not my Saviour dead

His n m blood , thy ba e, y balsam, bliss, joy, wine, S e me hall thee destroy heal, f ed , make divine . [TH E GLO RY O F ISRAEL]

IN S m ale dwelt a glorious King, ’ ’ Rais d m fro a shepherd s lowly State, That did His praises like an angel s ing

Who did the world create . By many great and bloody wars He was advanced unto thrones But more delighted in the stars

Than in the splendour of his precious stones . Nor gold nor Silver did his eye regard

s h is m The work of God were subli e reward .

m A warlike cha pion he had been , And many feats of chivalry Had done in kingly courts his eye had seen A vast variety T R A HERNE’ S POEMS

Of earthly joys yet he des pised Thos e fading honours and fal s e pleas ures Which are by mortals so much prized And placed his happiness in other treas ures No s tate of life which in this world we ﬁnd

m his m Could yield content ent to greater ind .

III m His ﬁngers touched his tre bling lyre, And every quivering S tring did yield

s A sound that ﬁlled all the Jewi h quire,

And echoed in the ﬁeld . No pleas ure was so g reat to him A s in a s ilent night to s ee The moon and s tars a Cherubim m s m Above the even here he ee ed to be .

Enﬂamed w as his s with love it great de ire , S m m To ing, conte plate, ponder, and ad ire .

IV He was a prophet and foresaw Things extant in the world to come was a judge and ruled by a law That than the honeycomb

’ 1 46 T RA HER NE S POEMS

him Made on earth an Heavenly King, ’ And ﬁ lldhis solitudes w ith joy He never did more sweetly S ing ’ a m s Than when lone, tho that doth irth de troy Sen s e did his soul w ith Heavenly life inspire ’ And made himseemin God s celes tial quire .

R s t s ich , acred , deep and precious hing Didhere on earth the mans urround With all the g lory of the King of King s ’ He w as mos t s trangely cr o w nd. His clear s oul and open Sight Among the Sons of God did s ee Things ﬁlling angels with delight His ear did hear their Heavenly melodic

w as m And when he alone he all beca e ,

T m his m . hat Bliss i plied , or did increase fa e

VII I

All arts he then did exerci s e ; as his a And God he did dore, secret ravi s hments above the skies He carried w as be fore 1 47

o s m What ther know not and beca e,

his While he before God did kneel ,

m his O that I igh t unto throne aspire,

nd h is o dm A all [oys ab ve the stars a ire . ASPI RATION

U NTo the spring of purest li fe s m A pires y w ithered heart, My soul conﬁned in thi s ﬂes h Employs both strength andart

Working, struggling , suing Still

m x Fro e ile home to part .

II Who can utter the full joy W o hich that high place doth h ld , Where all the buildings founded are

On orient pearls untold , A ndall the work of thos e high rooms Doth s hine with beams of gold

III

s s is s The ea on not changed , but till s un m Both and oon are Bright, Th e Lamb of thi s fair city is That clear immortal Light

T RA HE RNE’ S POEMS

VII Who know the Knower of all things What can they choos e but know ? ’ They allbehold each other s hearts And all their secrets s hew One act of will and of not will s Fromall their mind do ﬂow .

VI II

Though all their merits divers e be

s According to their pain , ’ Yet Love doth make that every one s

s Which any other gain , And all which doth belong to one m s To all of the pertain .

O Happy Soul which s hall behold

Thy Ki ng still present there, And may s t fromthence behold the world Run s m round, ecure fro fear,

s m s un With tars and planets , oon and , Still moving in th eir S phere ASPI R ATION 1 5 1

O King Of Kings give me s uch strength s In thi great War depending, ma That I y here prevail at length ,

And ever be ascending,

Till I at last arrive to Thee, The Source of all Felicity

’ T s mis Tr aher ne s m [ hi poe not , though I have copied it fro “ M s his s D I manu cript volume of editation and evotion s . t ’ “ is s S Dam s m s a tran lation of . Peter iani hy n , Ad Perenni ” a m has m m s Vit e Fonte , which been any ti e rendered into “ is M s o s m s Engli h . The ab ve tran lation fro The editation , M ] l s r co S t s So ilo uia Do t u . anual , and q of the Gloriou , Augu ” ’ 1 6 1 is m e Tr aher ne s tine, 3 . But it uch abridged and alt red in s I s ver s ion , and for that rea on have printed it here . Tho e who wi s h to refer to the original vers ion will ﬁ ndit among ” ’ Mr S ms W T . s the Inedited acred Poe , at the end of . . Brooke ’ ’ edition of Giles Fletcher s Chri s t s Victory and [SUPPLI CATIO N] 1 .

COME God , Holy Ghost, Eternal , L Our hearts with ife inspire, S Enkindle zeal in all our ouls, And ﬁll us with Thy Heavenly

II Send forth Thy Beams and let Thy s Upon my pirit shine, ma That I y all Thy works enjoy , R s evive, ing praises, be Divine .

is f s mis T a It doubt ul whether thi poe by r herne .

’ 1 5 4 T RA HERNE S POEMS

There is s ome A ngel that within me can m Both talk and ove , s ee And walk and ﬂy and and love, man man A on earth , a

Above . III

D s m S s ull wall of clay y pirit leave , m And in a foreign Kingdo doth appear, Th i s great Apo s tle it receives m s His m Ad ire works and sees the , Standing Within myself fromEast to West I move A S if I were C m S At once a herubi and phere, Or w as at once above

And here . IV

’ The Soul s a mes s enger whereby Within ou r inward Temple we may be Even like the very Deity

In all the parts of His Eterni ty . O live within and leave unw eildy dros s Fles h is but clay O ﬂy my Soul and has te away ’ To Jes us Throne or Cros s Obey POEMS EX TRACTED FROM TRA H ERNE ’S “ CH RI STIAN ETH ICK S

“ ” [ALL the following poems (excepting thos e in the Appendix ) ’ “ ” Tr her n s s E hi ks Th are taken from a e Chri tian t c . at they

mh is I u . T are all fro own pen cannot, think, be do bted hey h is m s m a are entirely in anner, and have little or no re e bl nce A s s ecI to that of any other poet . the reader will , have , ’ s s a few s s m T r ah er ne s where nece ry, quoted a entence fro prose in order to r ender the des ign of the vers e s more intelligible .]

[FromPP~ 3 44- 5 ]

How glorious the Couns el and Des ign of God is for the s E for m k Atchieving of thi Great nd, the a ing of all Vertues m fo r more co pleat and Excellent, and the Heightening of their Beauty and Perfection we will exempliﬁ e here in the C d Perfection of ourage . For the Height and epth and S plendor of every Vertue is of great Concernment to the Perfection of the Soul s ince the Gloryof its Li fe is s eated in ’ 1 5 6 T R A HERNE S POEMS

m s m its s s e the Acco pli h ent of e nce, in the fruit it yieldeth in its O s T s m s peration . ake it in Ver e ade long ago upon thi occas ion

For Man to Act as if his Soul did s ee The very Brightness of Eternity For Man to Act as if his Love did burn ’ S it s its Above the pheres, even while in Urne Ma W n s For to Act even in the ilderne s, A S s ses s if he did tho e Sovereign Joys pos ,

m s enﬂame Which do at once conﬁr , tir up, , And perfect Angels having not the s ame

s h is D s It doth increa e the value of eed , s Man S m s In thi a a eraphi exceed .

s To Act on Obligation yet unknown ,

Act R as s To upon ewards yet un hewn , ’ e C mm s s s u To ke p o and who e Beauty yet nseen , To Cherish and retain a ! eal between

S s s leeping and waking hew a constant care, L L a And that a deeper ove, a ove so r re, S ma m That no Eye ervice y with it co pare . s fa The Angel , who are ith ful while they view His m Glory, know not what the selves would do, Were they in our Estate A Dimmer Light Perhaps would make themerre as well as We And in the Coldness of a darker Night l dL m e m Fo r g etfu an ukew ar Thems lves ight be .

1 5 s T RA HERNE’S POEMS

’ Which o r der dMotion guides a s teddy Hand In u s eful s ort at Figures j u s t to stand

W C - s hich , were it not by ounter ballance taid , The Fabr ick quickly would as ide be laid A s wholly useles s S o a Might too Great ’ r o o r tio ndm m But well p p akes the World co pleat .

Power well - bounded is more Great in Might ’ s Than if let loo e twere wholly Inﬁnite .

m s Sea s He could have ade an endles by thi , But then i t had not been a S ea of Blis s ; ’ A S ea that s bounded i n a ﬁnite shore Is s is m better far becau e it no ore . S hould Waters endles s ly exceed the Skies ’ ’ They d drown the World , and all whate er we prize . Had the brig ht Sunbeen Inﬁnite its Flame

s m m Had burnt the World , and q uite con u ed the sa e . m s S That Fla e would yield no plendour to the ig ht, ’ ’ D ss Twould be but arkne though twere Infinite . S m One tar ade Infinite would all exclude, ’ ’ m v iew d An Earth ade Infinite could ne er be . ’ all h s s B ut being bounded for eac other ake , m s s m He , bounding all , did all o t u eful ake

is s D And which be t, in Proﬁt and elight u m Though not in B lk , he ade all Inﬁnite his W us e He, in isdom, did their extend W m . By all, to all the orld fro End to End C H RISTIAN ET H ICK S 1 5 9

In all Things all Things service do to all

a S is s m s m And thus and Endles , though ost all , And every Thing is truly Inﬁnite

its R l s In e ation deep and exqui ite .

m 8 M C s s [Fro p . 3 3 in hapter XXV On eekne ]

Were all the World a Paradise of Eas e ’ as i Twere e e then to live in Peace . men D Were all Wise, ivine , and I nnocent, s C Ju t, Holy, Peaceful and ontent,

L alw aies Kind , oving, True and Good

A s in the Golden - Age they s tood ’ Twere eas ie then to live D L In all elight and Glory, full of ove, a Blest s the Angel s are above .

Bu t we s uch Principles mu s t no w attain (If we true ble s sedness would gain) A S thos e are which w ill help to make us reign

D s s Over i order , Inj uries , s C m s Ingratitude , ala itie , ff s s s S d s s A ront , Oppres ion , lan er , Wron g , L s ies, Angers, bitter Tongue m s s m The reach of Malice u t ur ount, and quell

The very Rage and Power of Hell . O F ME E K N E S S ‘

’ MA K D is s dis tem er d s N IN ick, the World p lie

Oppr es t with S in s and Mis eries . Their Sin s are Woes a long corrupted Train ’ s m ms Of Poy on , drawn fro Ada vein , S his s h is tains all eed , and all Kin Are one Di s eas e of Life within l They all torment thems elves ’ T h e W s m C orld one Bedla , or a greater ave

ad- m n a ies Of M e that do lw a rave .

T he s s s Wi e and Good like kind Phy ician are, That S trive to heal themby their Care They Phy s ick and their Learning calmly us e m Althoug h the Patient the abuse, For S ince the Sicknes s is (they ﬁnd )

s adD s m A i te per of the Mind , s m All railing they i pute, u D All Injuries, nto the sore isease x r They are e pes ly come to ease .

T RA HERNE’S POEMS

Sin S s While all the World by to atan old, s s s In daily Wickedne grow old,

Men s D s s i n chain of arkne lye,

In Bondage and Iniquity, And pierce and grieve themselves ! s m s The di al Woe wherein they crawl, enhance

The peace of our Inheritance .

We wonder to behold our selves so nigh m Sin To so uch and Misery, And yet to s ee our s elves s o s afe fromharm! W m C m hat A ulet, what hidden har Could fo r tiﬁ e and rai s e the Soul S o far above themandcontroul S uch ﬁerce Malignity The brightnes s and the glory which we s ee m s Is ade a greater My tery .

VII And while we feel how much our God doth love S s m m The Peace of inner , how uch ove s ue m and And , and thirst, intreat, la ent, grieve C m s For all the ri e in which they live, OF MEEKNESS 1 6 3

s And eek and wait and call again , And long to s ave themfromthe pain S in m Of , fro all their Woe With greater thirs t as well as g rief we Ms How to relieve their i ery .

VIII

e s The lif and plendour of Felicity,

s s s o Who e ﬂood overﬂowing be, ms The s trea of Joy which round about h is Throne

Enrich and ﬁll each Holy One,

s o Are abundant, that we can S Man pare all , even all to any And have it all ours elves

m I m ms ee Nay, have the ore We long to ake the

S s s The weetne of Felicity .

m D s s s While we conte plate their i tres e , how s bo w B lind Wretche , they in bondage ,

ms s And tear and wound the elve , and vex and groan , And chafe and fret s o near His Throne n And k ow not what they ail, but lye m M Tor ented in their isery,

(Like Mad- menthat are blind ) ’ 1 64 T R A HERNE S POEMS

In works of darknes s nigh s uch full Delight m see s That they ight ﬁnd and the ight,

What would we give that thes e might like w i s e s ee The Glory of His Maj es ty The joy and fulne s s of that h igh delight Whos e Bles s ednes s is inﬁnite s We would even cea e to li ve, to gain

m m ms The fro their i ery and pain ,

m m us And ake the with reign ,

ms s s s s For they the elve would be our greate t Trea ure , ’ av d m s s When s our own o t Heavenly Pleasure .

s s die O holy Je us who did t for us , th e And on Altar bleeding lie, m s m Bearing all tor ent, pain , reproach , and ha e, s m That we, by vertue of the a e, m m Though ene ies to God , ight be ’ R edeemdand set at liberty A S s us thou did t forgive,

S o m us s s eekly let love to other hew ,

And live in Heaven on Earth below .

T RA HERNE’S POEMS

m 2 [Fro p . 4 5 ] O F CONTENTMENT

C O NT E N TMENT is a S leepy thing I f it in Death alone mu s t die M is s A quiet ind wor e than Poverty , Unles s it fromEnjoymen t s pring ’ That s B les s ednes s alone that make s a King

W s s s s o herein the Joy and Trea ure are great, h s S m T ey all the power of the oul e ploy , W m And ﬁll it with a ork co pleat, W hile it doth all enjoy . s C m s e True Joy alone ontent ent do in pir , m Enrich C ontent and ake our Courage higher . ’ Content alone s a dead and s ilent S tone The real life of B li s s Is Glory reigning in a Throne, W here all Enjoyment is . ’ Manis s o nclind S i s ee The oul of to , ’ Without his Treas ures no man s Soul can ’ Nor res t content U ncr o w nd Des ire and Love

s o f all R mo v e Mu t in the height their apture ,

W is here there true Felicity . Employment is the very life and ground O F CONTENTMENT 1 6 7

Of Life itself ; who s e pleasant Motion is The formof Blis s ’ All Blessednes s a life with Glory Cr ow nd Life Life is all in its mos t full extent Str e cht t out to all things, and with all Content

6 M m . m [Fro p 45 , Of agnani ity] m And if the Glory and Estee I have, s m S Be nothing el e than what y ilver gave,

If, for no other ground , ’ am L s cr o w nd I with ove or Praise , ’ S s m s s s R Tis uch a ha e, uch vile, uch ba e epute, ’ m Tis better starve than eat such e pty Fruit .

T R A HER NE ’S POEMS is as I think s m w its m s , , o e hat below the level of co panion , I have thought it better to res erve it for the appendix than “ to print it bet w een the poems Thoughts I . and II . , where i t occurs in the MS .

B LISS

A LL Blis s

C s s s s on i t in thi ,

as m To do Ada did , not to know thos e s uperﬁcial Toys W hich in the Garden once were hid .

Thos e little new - invented things, C s s s up , saddles, crown are childish joy ,

So n ribbands are and ri gs, W s s s hich all our happines de troy .

II Nor God His I n abode , S s s Nor aint , nor little boy , m m s men Ang els ade the only fooli h , mad s m s s Grown with cu to , on tho e toy , APPEND IX 1 7 1

W m s s hich ore increa e their want , do dote , And when they older are do then Thos e bauble s chieﬂy note ’ s m s men With greedier eye , ore boy tho .

To enable the reader to j udge whether my hypothes i s that the author of A Seriou s and Path eticallContempla ” tion of the Mercies of God is als o the author of the

ms s m is other poe contained in the pre ent volu e, well or ill ms founded , I will now print the three poe which appear in the above - mentioned work . They are as follow s

[LIFE ’S BLESSED N ESS]

LE L WHI I, O ord , exalted by Thy hand

s s s m s Above the kie , in glory ee to tand ,

s s e m s r me as The kie b ing ade to e ve , they do, W s s s hile I thy Glorie in thy Goodne view . To be in Glory higher than the s kie s ’ Is greater blis s than tis in place to ri s e Above the S tars More bless ed and divine

e n To live and s e than like the Su to s hine . O what Profoundness in my Body lies m w as m Sea S For who the Earth ade , the , the kies S o g reatly high our human Bodies are That Angels scarcely may with the s e compare ’ 1 7 2 T RA HER NE S POEMS

s In all the height of Glory seated , they Above the Sunin Thine eternal day Are s een to s hine with greater gifts adorned Than Gold with Light or Fle s h w ith Li fe s uborned

S S v s S s uns are but er ant , kie beneath their feet mm The S tars but Stones Moon s but to s erve the eet . Beyond all heig hts above the World they reign m In thy great Th rone ordained to re ain . s C s s All Trope are loud Truth doth it elf excel , W s hatever Height Hyperboles can tell .

[T HE R ESU R R ECTION]

E s L m s TH N hall each i b a pring of Joy be found , ’ And every member with its Glory cr o w nd ’ W S s s ﬁ lld d hile all the en e , with all the Goo That ever Ages i n themunders tood Trans ported are Containing Worlds of Treas ure s At one delight with all their Joy and Plea ure, m R s s Fro whence, like iver , Joy hall ever ﬂow , ff S A ect the oul , though in the Body grow , Return again and make the Body S hine L s m s s C o . ike Je u hri t, while b th in one co bine s C S Mysteriou ontracts are between the oul , Which touch the Spirits andby thos e its Bowl

T RA HERNE ’S POEMS

THE WAYS OF WISD OM

a s s s a s s Her w y are way of plea ntne , and all ” her paths are peace .

E S E s s TH weeter far than lilie are, No ros es may with thes e compare How thes e excel

No tongue can tell , Which he that well and truly know s With praise and joy he goes ’ Ho w great and happy s he that knows his ways To be divine and heavenly Joys To w homeach city is more brave Than wall s of pearl and s treets which gold doth pave Whos e open eyes Behold the s kies ; Who loves their wealth and beauty more Than kings love golden ore Who s ees the heavenly ancient way s L s Of God the ord with joy and prai e , More than the s kies With open eyes

D m m ms oth prize the all yea, ore than ge , And regal diadems

m s m m s as That ore e tee eth ountain , they are, Than if they gold and s ilver were APPENDIX 1 7 5

To whomthe sun more pleasure brings Than crown s and thrones and palaces to kings That knows his way s To be the joy s And way of God — thos e things who know s With joy and prai s e he goes

I do not think it is necess ary to S pend much time or ink in endeavouring to prove that the author of thes e three poems mus t have been als o the writer of the other poems

s m s contained in thi volu e . Unles it be contended that no conclus ion as to authorship can be drawn froms imilarity S s m s s of tyle, enti ent, and peculiarities of expre ion , I do not s ee how it is pos sible for any one who carefully con s iders m the atter to entertain a reasonable doubt about it. Not even the hypothesi s of imitation by one author of the style ofanother can heft: be entertained — for no mancan imitate i what is not known to h m. has his s s h is ms Every poet pecial topic , favourite ter of s his his m s expres ion , peculiar vocabulary ,and even pet rhy e , his s which are bound to appear often in ver e . I think it may be truly s aid that there is nothing in the three poems taken from A Seriou s and PatheticallContemplation of the Mercies of God which cannot be paralleled in the

s m other poems contained in thi volu e . All are charac ter is ed m s m mm by the sa e fervent piety, the a e co and of ’ 1 7 s T R A HERNE S POEMS

s m s m d expres ion and u ical diction , the sa e welling upon s is man man the idea that though God necessary to , yet

is s s s als o nece ary to God, and that the body (in tead of

cor us being, according to the ordinary theological belief, a p pile of corruption) is a s pring of Joy crowned with glory and the s ame continual allu s ions to the great natural m W s s m pheno ena . hen to the e re e blances we add the many s mall coincidences of words and ph r ases which are s ms m alway recurring in the poe , the evidence of co mon

s m s author hip beco es too strong to be re isted . Perhaps it may be w orth while to quote a few instances of these res emblances out of the many which might be c a a gi v en . In the se ond St nz of The Person we have

’ ’ Men s hands than angels wing s

w Are truer wealth even here belo .

“ ’ In Life s Ble s s ednes s we have

S o greatly high our human bo dies are s s ma m m a That Angel carcely y with the co p re .

In the ﬁfth Stanza of The Es tate we have

s s The law of God , the Work he did create , His ar e His andm s ancient ways, y E tate .

I n The Ways of Wis dom we have

s Who s ees the heav enly ancient way .

’ 1 7 8 T R A HER NE S POEMS of its publication nor s ubs equently doe s it appear to s s attracted any attention) , ince without it we hould ms had no clue to the authors hip of these poe .

Mr h s s as . W . T . Brooke di covered in the Briti h M “ n m s C o useu a broad ide with the following title , A ’ gratulatory Poemon the R ig ht Honourable S Orlando m L a S l ” B ridg an , ord Keeper of the Gre t eal of Eng and ,

s s s ma s s which , he ugge t , y po ibly have been written by

m is the author of the poe s here printed . B ut though it m s m m a poe of con iderable erit, it has, in y opinion , no ’ s s T r aher ne s ms corre pondence in tyle with poe . A few s m o f line fro it, however, will not be altogether out place here

Were all your own Rolls s ear ch t s carce s hould we That noble s eat ﬁlled with s o ﬁt a mind ’ S o m as s s s s brave a ind ba ene ne er allay ,

5 0 m as s s s great a ind greatne cannot rai e , ’ S O s m as s s j u t a ind intere t can t educe , ’ S o s m as s s wi e a ind colour can t abu e ,

So m as s s s large a ind large t Tru t do crave ,

S o m m cal a ind as Equity S hould have .

C s s s s s High ourt hip con trued in the pre ent ten e, ’ L s s s aw Oracle without perplexed en e,

s A sober piety in a virtuo o, s And an Orlando without Furio o . A PPEN D IX 1 7 9

T RA HE RNE’S SERIOUS A ND PA T HET ICA LL CONTEMP LATION OF THE MERCIES OF GOD

THIS book would hardly be complete w ithout s ome

is s m account of the above work . It a mall 1 2 mo volu e

1 6 s s is of 4 page , with an engraved fronti piece . It written excepting the three pieces of vers e which I have already

— in m s is s printed a kind of unrhy ed ver e, which curiou ly ’ s s s W m s L s s s ugge tive of the tyle of hit an eave of Gra , particularly in the frequent pas s ages in which the author

m s as m s enu erates or catalogue , the A erican poet doe , every object he can think of which bears any relation to his m s m s un the e . There were, of cour e, ore point of s s s s s likene than of likene between the two poet , but they

as s m ms m at le t re e bled each other in their invincible opti i , s m m as well as in the point entioned above . Whit an could not have known of the exi s tence of the S eriou s and PatheticallContemplation but had it been acces him m s s ible to , it ight well have been su pected that he

s m s w as under o e obligation to it . The booklet con s i s ts of a s eries of Thanks givings fo r ’ S s s s the Body, the oul ,the Glory of God s Work ,the Ble ed ’ m Sec s s . ness of God Ways, the Wi do of His Word , There is much poetry and beauty of expres s ion in the s e ’ 1 80 T RA HERNE S POEMS

“ s s s Thank giving , and they are valuable al o for the light which they occas ionally throw upon pa s s ages in the

ms m s s m s s poe which ight el e ee ob cure . Thu the follow ing pas s ages from the Thanks giving for the Body may be proﬁtably compared with The Salutation and Wonder

I s T I am a and ma will prai e hee, for fe rfully wonderfully de , marvellous are Thy works ; and that my Soul knoweth

right well . My s ubs tance w as not hid fromT hee when I w as made in s ecret and curiou s ly wrought in the lowes t parts of the

earth . Thine eyes did s ee my s ubs tance yet being unperfect and in thy book all my members were written ; which in con tinuance were fas hioned when as yet there w as none of m the . it 0 Lord T s me hou ha t given a body , W Th P s herein the glory of y ower hineth , W m s as s onderfully co po ed above the be t ,

W s s s s ithin di tingui hed into u eful part , B autifi ed m a s e without with any orn ment . ’ L m s a o is d i b r rely p , And made for Heaven ’ Arteries fi lld With celes tial s pirits s Vein wherein blood floweth ,

’ 1 82 T RA HERNE S POEMS

m s A lover of co pany, a delighter in equal R s T s m epleni h the inclination which hy elf hath i planted, And give me eyes To s ee the beauty of that life and comfort Wherewith thos e by their action s s s In pire the nation . T M s M s s s s T a C heir arket , ill ge, ourt of Judicature, arriage , Fea t s s m l s s m s and A e b ie , Navy , Ar ie , P s s S a s T s s s s rie t and bbath , rade and Bu ine , the voice of the m Ms s m s C s Bridegroo , u ical In tru ent , the light of andle , and the grinding of Mills m 0 m s L . Are co fortable , ord, let the not cea e The riches of the land are all the material s of my felicity in their hands m s S s s S s They are y Factor , ub titute , and teward S S s s s s m m econd elve , who by Trade and Bu ine ani ate ywealth , Which els e would be dead and ru s t in my hand s I s r 0 L m But when con ide , ord , how they co e unto thy m s ﬁ ll C s s T h s s Te ple , thy ourt , and ing y prai e , 0 how wonderful they then appear W S a s hat t r ,

Enflamin S s g un , Enlarging S eas O D ff f ivine A ection , C fi m Pater ns on r ing , us Inf ing Influence , Do I feel in thes e Wh o are the s hining light Of all the land (to my very Soul APPEN DIX 1 83

Wings and S treams C me arrying unto thee, Th e S ea s s m of Goodne fro whence they came .

Have we not here a very remarkable anticipation of the ’ leading thought of Whitman s Leave s of Gras s D o we not s ee in both poets the s ame deep love of and delight

m s m m s in hu anity, the a e feeling of co rade hi p and brother men m s m hood with all , the sa e hunger for y pathy and ff s m mm n reciprocal a ection , the a e pleasure in the co o s s m thing of life and nature, and the a e frank acceptance

s as m of thing as they are, and not they ight be I have s aid that there is more unlikenes s than likeness between the poets — but is it really s o D oes not the above pas sage S ho w that beneath all apparent di fferences there was a fundamental resemblance in their characters ? To s ay the

s w as s m — m lea t, there this re e blance that both of the found

s m life u pre ely well worth living, and never doubted , even s s s unw as s when the cloud were blacke t, that the hining m beyond the .

’ 1 86 T RA HERNE S POEMS then of perfect mind and memory by Word of Mouth with an intent to make his Will and to s ettle and dis pos e of his Goods and E s tate did v tter and s peake the s e or the ‘ m like w ord s viz . I desire my Lady Bridg an and her daughter the Lady C harlott s hould haue each of thema

R s l\I r ing And to you (S peaking to the aid . Berdo) I give Tenn Pound s and to Mr s C o ck s o nTenn s hillings and to Phillipp Landman ffyv e S hillings and to John Rowland the Gardiner ffyv e S hillings and to Mary the Laundry maid ffyv e S hillings and to all the re s t of the s ervants half

cr o w ne a eece s m a p . My be t Hatt I give it to y brother Phillipp And s is ter (S peaking to Mrs Susan Traherne the wife of his brother Phillipp which Susan w as then pres ent) I desire you would keepe it for him And all the res t of my Clothes that is worth your acceptance I give to you A nd for thos e that are not worth your accepting I would have you to g iue themto Phillipp Landman or to w ho me you please with my old Hatt All my Books I give to my brother Phillipp And (s till s peaking to the s aid Mr s Sus an then present) I make you and my brother Phillipp my whole Executors which words or the like in effect The s aid Thomas Traherne being then of perfect mind and memory did then utter Animo testandi andwith an intent that the s ame should s tand and be as and for his las t Will and Testament in the pres ence and hearing of John Berdo

o cks o n and L m Alice C Mary inu . ’ T RA HERNE S WILL 1 87

John Berdo Alice C o ckso n The Mark of Mary L m inu .

L 2 2 1 6 S e Proved at ondon Oct 7 4 by usan Trah rne, one s m m s w as of the Executor , to who ad ini tration granted , power being res erved of making the like grant to Philip

s me Traherne , the other executor, should he ask for the a .

P in b N YNE G Co LIMITE D r ted y B ALLA T . T v i tock t eet Lo ndon a s S r ,

2 11 t 00 01016 e a 1 1 . 6 00 8 x tr 2 d. ,p. , , TH E P OET I CA L WO R K S O F JA M E S T H O M S O N

W s ith Memoir and Portrait .

1 67710 1 10111 1 6d , , 3 . . T H E C I TY OF D R EA D FU L N I G H T A ND OTHER P OEMS (S elected) MS O MS O “ v B . B y J A E TH N ( . )

Small 10 buckr am 2 1 6 4 , , . d. A P R O S P E CT OF S O C IETY By OLIVE R GOLDSMITH Now ﬁ rs t printed from the unique original ; with an s Introduction and Note .

WOR K S PREP ARING FOR P UBLICA TION

b tr a n a a n lot ex 1 et lr e er co ier 1 . 6d et. C , 5 . ; g pp p , 7 . C E N T U R I E S O F M E D I T A T I O N By THOMAS TRAHE RNE

R AH ERNE is no les s excellent as a pros e writer than as a I is m s a poet indeed , think it not too uch to y that his pros e will bear comparis o n with that of any Engli s h writer s It is m r its s of the eventeenth century . re a kable for ea e , s s s s — s pirit, eloquence , and upplene qualitie which are not often m s found in co bination in the writer of that period . S mall 10 clot/3 extr a 1 6 4 , , 7 . d.

T H E P OE M S OF WI L L I A M STR O D E

[1 6 02 - 1 645 ]

o w ﬁ s mMa s P S N r t collected fro nu cript and rinted ources , together with his Play entitled

THE FLOATI NG ISLAND

N O W FIR S T R E P R IN TE D

HE RE is no mo re s ingular circums tance in the his tory of Engli s h literature than the fact that the writings of s o ﬁ ne a poet as William S trode S hould have remained for

s m uch a length of ti e neglected and forgotten . He had a

his m his ms great reputation in lifeti e , and poe were largely circulated in manu script among the literary circles of “ ” m H is Th e s a the ti e . play, entitled Floating I l nd , which m C s I h is C 1 6 6 had been perfor ed before harle . and ourt in 3 , 1 6 w as publi s hed in 5 5 , with a preface in which the editors

met m promi s ed that if it with a good reception , ore of the ’ s s S T s ms author writing hould follow . hi pro i e , however,

s a s m w as owing perhaps to the political di turb nce of the ti e , never fulﬁ lled ; and S trode h as ever s ince remained a mere S hadow s o far as any knowledge of his writings and pers onality W s m is concerned . ith the publication of thi volu e he will take the place to which he is entitled bes ides s uch poets as

C C R C . arew, artwright , andolph and orbet C r ow n811 0 clot/z x tr a 61 r v lum e o e. , , . pe

G LEA N I N G S FR O M M ANU S C R I P T S

BEING PO EMS AND D RAMATIC WO RKS OF TH E S IXTEENT H A ND S EVENTEENT H CENTURIES

N o w ﬁ s i mma s s m s r t pr nted fro nu cript , o t of

m os s s s which are in y own p e ion .

H IS S s I erie , which will , hope , extend to three or four m s s s m volu e , will con i t chieﬂy of unprinted atter which I have di s covered in the cours e of my res earches m ma s s s s t s a ong nu cript of the ixteenth and eventeen h centurie . T he works of s everal authors not hitherto known to fame s s m s m will be included in the content of the e volu e . A ong m am s s Oldis w o r th andM s ma the the n e of Nichola . John on ybe m s particul arly mentioned . Both of the are writer of very s m l s m con iderable erit, and are wel worthy of being re cued fro s s o s the Ob curity in which they have long re ted . Another feature of the collection will be copies of the poems of many

- k s s well nown writer , which will be printed becau e the manu s cript vers ions which I pos s es s exhibit many variations

m s . o I s a fro the printed text Alt gether, venture to y that all s cholars and s tudents of our old literature will welcome thes e a volumes and recogni s e their v lue .

r t/Br ar ticulamo 160 abov e w or h and otéen amid For fa e p f , of

at/ ncontemlation w e a P r o1 eeta1 w fiir fi £1 now r ead and I fi e i p , p y,

b o a d or: a cati n to/z icﬁ w ill ef r w r ed ppli o .