The Complete Works of Richard Crashaw Volume II Part 42

_Vpon the Faire Ethiopian, sent to a gentlewoman._

Lo here the faire Chariclea, in whom strove So false a fortune and so true a love!

Now after all her toyles by sea and land, O may she but arrive at your white hand!

Her hopes are crown'd; onely she feares that than Shee shall appeare true Ethiopian.

III.

_On marriage._

I would be married, but I'de have no wife: I would be married to a single life.

IV.

_On Na.n.u.s mounted upon an ant._

High-mounted on an ant, Na.n.u.s the tall Was throwne, alas, and got a deadly fall; Vnder th' unruly beast's proud feet he lies All torne: with much adoe yet ere he dyes Hee straines these words: Base Envy, doe laugh on: Thus did I fall, and thus fell Phaethon.

V.

_Vpon Venus putting-on Mars his armes._

What, Mars his sword? faire Cytherea, say, Why art thou arm'd so desperately to-day?

Mars thou hast beaten naked; and, O then, What needst thou put on armes against poore men?

VI.

_Vpon the same._

Pallas saw Venus arm'd, and straight she cry'd: Come if thou dar'st; thus, thus let us be try'd.

Why, foole! saies Venus, thus provok'st thou mee, That being nak't, thou know'st could conquer thee?

VII.

_Out of Martiall._

Foure teeth thou hadst, that, ranck'd in goodly state, Kept thy mouth's gate.

The first blast of thy cough left two alone; The second, none.

This last cough, Delia, cought-out all thy feare; Th' hast left the third cough now no business here.

NOTES AND ILl.u.s.tRATIONS.

These Secular, or, as the word was, 'Humane' Epigrams, all originally appeared in the volume of 1646, as before, and were continued in the after-editions. It is pleasant to have this recognition of John Ford (I.) by Crashaw. The two Tragedies celebrated, appeared in the same year, 1633. The 'Faire Ethiopian' of II. was doubtless William Lisle's poem so named [Lond. 1632],--not given by Hazlitt, _s.n._ The others are too well known to need annotation. These are all preserved, with a collection of others, in the Tanner MS., as before. G.

Latin Poems.

PART FIRST. SACRED.

II.

EPIGRAMMATA SACRA.

NEVER BEFORE PRINTED.

NOTE.

It is my great privilege to be the first to print the following extensive additions to the _Epigrammata Sacra_ of Crashaw. They are wholly derived from Archbishop Sancroft's MS. in the Bodleian, as described in our Preface (Vol. I. p. xx.-xxiii.) and in the Preface to the present Volume. For their relation to those published by the Author himself and in the editions of 1634 and 1670, see our Essay, as before.

As with Crashaw's own collection (of 1634), the Epigrams seem to have been composed and written down on the spur of the moment as a subject struck him, and hence there is the same absence of arrangement: nor is it much to be lamented, seeing that each is independent. As a rule, I follow the order of the ma.n.u.script. For translations of fifteen of these fifty-five Epigrams, viz. Nos. 8, 9, 19, 24, 26, 32, 34, 35, 39, 46, 48, 49, 51, 52, 53, and 55, I am indebted, as for so much more throughout, to my excellent poet-friend the Rev. RICHARD WILTON, M.A., as before: for the others, in Fuller's phrase, 'my meanness is responsible,' except in a few instances wherein Crashaw has himself furnished renderings, or at least little poems less or more corresponding with the Latin; as pointed out in the places. G.

I.

Act. xxviii. 3.

Paule, nihil metuas, non fert haec vipera virus: Virtutem vestrae vult didicisse ma.n.u.s.

Oscula, non morsus; supplex, non applicat hostis.

Nec metuenda venit, sed miseranda magis.

_St. Paul and the viper._

Paul, fear thou nought; no poison bears this asp: It seeks to learn the virtue of thy hand.

Not as a foe, but suppliant, it would clasp; Not fear, but pity, it would fain command. G.

II.

Joan. vi. 14, 26.

Jam credunt, Deus es: Deus est, qui teste palato, Quique ipso demum est judice dente Deus.

Scilicet haec sapiunt miracula: de quibus alvus Proficere, et possit pingue latus fluere.

Haec sua fecisti populo miracula credunt.

Gens pia, et in ventrem relligiosa suum!

_The miracle of the loaves._

Now truly they believe that Thou art G.o.d!-- G.o.d witnessed by palate and by tooth!-- They know the smack of miracles that load And swell their paunches; yea, believe, forsooth.

To a most pious race, Lord, Thou appealest, And stomachs most believing Thou revealest. G.