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The Poetical Works of Thomas Traherne

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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 .
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