The Complete Works of Richard Crashaw, Volume II

For all Thy signs they still refuse Thee, Lord;
Those signs, blest symbols of Thy reign and word.
Such signs, and not believe? Sure, who did thus
Made unbelief itself miraculous. Cl.

XXXII.

Ad S. Andream piscatorem. Marc. i. 16.

Quippe potes pulchre captare et fallere pisces;
Centum illic discis lubricus ire dolis.
Heus, bone piscator! tendit sua retia Christus:
Artem inverte, et jam tu quoque disce capi.

To S. Andrew, fisherman.

How cleverly the fishes he beguiles!
He learns to use a hundred cunning wiles.
Ho, thou good Fisher: Christ casts out His net;
Now haste thou to be caught; for thee 'tis set. G.

XXXIII.

Ego sum vox, &c. Joan. i. 23.

Vox ego sum, dicis: tu vox es, sancte Joannes?
Si vox es, genitor cur tibi mutus erat?
Ista tui fuerant quam mira silentia patris!
Vocem non habuit tunc quoque cum genuit.

I am the voice.

'I am the voice,' thou sayest. Thou holy John,
If voice thou art, why was thy father dumb?
O silence strange! which as I muse upon,
I see thy voice from God, not man, did come. G.

XXXIV.

Vincula sponte decidunt. Act. xii. 7.

Qui ferro Petrum cumulas, durissime custos,
A ferro disces mollior esse tuo.
Ecce fluit, nodisque suis evolvitur ultro:
I, fatue, et vinc'lis vincula pone tuis.

The chains spontaneously fall off.

Who loadest him with chains, thou jailer stern,
To be more kind e'en from those chains shalt learn.
Lo, they dissolve, and their own knots untie.
Go, fool, and chains with chains to fetter try. G.

XXXV.

IN DIEM OMNIUM SANCTORUM.

Ne laedite terrain, neque mare, neque arbores, quousque obsignaverimus servos Dei nostri in frontibus suis. Rev. vii. 3.

Nusquam immitis agat ventus sua murmura, nusquam
Sylva tremat, crispis sollicitata comis.
Aequa Thetis placide allabens ferat oscula Terrae;
Terra suos Thetidi pandat amica sinus:
Undique pax effusa piis volet aurea pennis,
Frons bona dum signo est quaeque notata suo.
Ah, quid in hoc opus est signis aliunde petendis?
Frons bona sat lacrymis quaeque notata suis.

On All-Saints' Day.

Let wind with murmurs harsh nowhere be heard;
Nowhere wood tremble, its curl'd tresses stirr'd.
Calm-flowing Sea greet Earth with kisses bland,
Earth unto Sea its bosom kind expand.
Let holy Peace on golden pinions steal,
Till each blest brow is mark'd with its own seal.
Ah, why elsewhere for this, need signs be sought?
To each blest brow tears seal enough have brought. R. Wi.

XXXVI.

In die Conjurationis sulphureae.

Quam bene dispositis annus dat currere festis!
Post omnes Sanctos omne scelus sequitur.

Upon the Powder-day.

How fit our well-rank'd Feasts do follow!
All-mischiefe comes after All-Hallow.[50] Cr.

XXXVII.

Deus sub utero Virginis. Luc. i. 31.

Ecce tuus, Natura, pater; pater hic tuus hic est:
Ille, uterus matris quem tenet, ille pater.
Pellibus exiguis arctatur Filius ingens,
Quem tu non totum, crede, nec ipsa capis.
Quanta uteri, Regina, tui reverentia tecum est,
Dum jacet hic coelo sub breviore Deus!
Conscia divino gliscunt praecordia motu,
Nec vehit aethereos sanctior aura polos.
Quam bene sub tecto tibi concipiuntur eodem
Vota, et, vota cui concipienda, Deus!
Quod nubes alia, et tanti super atria coeli
Quaerunt, invenient hoc tua vota domi.
O felix anima haec, quae tam sua gaudia tangit!
Sub conclave suo cui suus ignis adest.
Corpus amet, licet, illa suum, neque sidera malit:
Quod vinc'lum est aliis, hoc habet illa domum.
Sola jaces, neque sola; toro quocunque recumbis,
Illo estis positi tuque tuusque toro.
Immo ubi casta tuo posita es cum conjuge conjunx;
Quod mirum magis est, es tuus ipsa torus.

God in the Virgin's womb.

Thy Father, Nature, here thy Father see:
Whom womb of mother holds, thy Father He.
Scant teguments the mighty Son enchain,
Whom thou thyself not wholly dost contain.
What reverence, Queen, to thine own womb is given,
While God lies here beneath a lesser heaven!
With sacred motion swells her conscious breast;
Nor are the poles upborne by airs more blest.
'Neath the same roof are well conceiv'd by thee
Vows, and the God to whom vows offer'd be.
What other prayers o'er clouds and sky's vast bound
Seek, by thy prayers this will at home be found.
Blest soul, so nigh to thy supreme desire,
To which 'neath its own shrine dwells its own fire.
She may her body love, nor heaven prefer:
What chains down others is a home to her.
Lone, yet not lone, where'er thou dost recline;
On that same couch are laid both thou and thine.
Nay, when with thy chaste spouse, chaste wife thou'rt laid—
More strange, thyself thine own blest couch art made. R. Wi.

XXXVIII.

Ad Judaeos mactatores Stephani. Act. vii. 59.

Frustra illum increpitant, frustra vaga saxa: nec illi
Grandinis, heu, saevae! dura procella nocet.
Ista potest tolerare, potest nescire; sed illi,
Quae sunt in vestro pectore, saxa nocent.

To the Jews, murderers of St. Stephen.

Vainly ye cast stones, Jews; they give no shock:
Shower as the hail-storm, it is all in vain.
These he shall bear, and heed not: 'tis the rock
Of your obdurate hearts that gives him pain. G.

XXXIX.

D. Joannes in exilio. Rev. i. 9.

Exul, amor Christi est: Christum tamen invenit exul:
Et solitos illic invenit ille sinus.
Ah, longo, aeterno ah terras indicite nobis
Exilio, Christi si sinus exilium est.

St. John in exile.

Love to Christ an exile is,
Yet the exile findeth Christ;
All the dear familiar bliss,
And the bosom-joys unpric'd.
Ah, Lord, exile long to us,
Never-ending e'en be sent,
If we find Christ's bosom thus
As our place of banishment. G.

XL.

Ad infantes martyres. Matt. ii. 16.

Fundite ridentes animas, effundite coelo;
Discet ibi vestra, ô quam bene! lingua loqui.
Nec vos lac vestrum et maternos quaerite fontes:
Quae vos expectat lactea tota via est.

To the infant martyrs.

Go, smiling soules, your new-built cages breake,
In Heav'n you'l learne to sing ere here to speake:
Nor let the milky fonts that bath your thirst
Bee your delay;
The place that calls you hence is, at the worst,
Milke all the way. Cr.

ANOTHER VERSION.

Depart, ye smiling souls, to Heaven depart:
Your tongues may there learn best the speaking art.
Stay not to suck, sweet children, do not stay:
Cry not; for you shall go the milky way. B.

XLI.

Quaerit Jesum suum beata Virgo. Luc. ii. 45.

Ah, redeas miserae, redeas, puer alme, parenti;
Ah, neque te coelis tam cito redde tuis.
Coelum nostra tuum fuerint, ô, brachia, si te
Nostra suum poterunt brachia ferre Deum.

The blessed Virgin seeks Jesus.

Ah, to Thy mother, ah, return,
my fair, belovèd Son;
Return not to Thy native skies,
my heaven-descended One.
Thy mother's arms Thy heaven would be,
enfolding Thee around;
If thus within these innocent arms
the great God might be found.[51] G.

XLII.

Non sum dignus ut sub tecta mea venias. Matt. viii. 8.

In tua tecta Deus veniet: tuus haud sinit illud
Et pudor atque humili in pectore celsa fides.
Illum ergo accipies, quoniam non accipis: ergo
In te jam veniet, non tua tecta Deus.[52]

I am not worthy that Thou shouldst come under my roofe.

Thy God was making hast into thy roofe;
Thy humble faith and feare keepes him aloofe.
Hee'll be thy guest, because He may not be;
Hee'll come—into thy house? No, into thee. Cr.

XLIII.

Christus accusatus nihil respondet. Matt. xxvii. 12.

Nil ait: ô sanctae pretiosa silentia linguae!
Ponderis ô quanti res nihil illud erat!
Ille olim verbum qui dixit, et omnia fecit,
Verbum non dicens omnia nunc reficit.

And He answered them nothing.

O mighty Nothing! unto thee,
Nothing, wee owe all things that bee.
God spake once when Hee all things made,
Hee sav'd all when Hee Nothing said.
The world was made of Nothing then;
'Tis made by Nothing now againe. Cr.

ANOTHER VERSION.

'Nothing He said.'
O precious silence of that sacred tongue!
O what vast interests on that Nothing hung!
He who once spoke the word, and all things made,
Now re-makes all, when not a word is said. G.

XLIV.

Nunc dimittis. Luc. ii. 29.

Spesne meas tandem ergo mei tenuere lacerti?
Ergo bibunt oculos lumina nostra tuos?
Ergo bibant: possintque novam sperare juventam:
O possint senii non meminisse sui!
Immo mihi potius mitem mors induat umbram,
Esse sub his oculis si tamen umbra potest.
Ah, satis est. Ego te vidi, puer auree, vidi:
Nil post te, nisi te, Christe, videre volo.[53]

Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace.

And is my hope grasp'd in these arms of mine
At last, and do these eyes drink light from Thine?
There let them drink with a new youth in store,
And feel the dimming touch of age no more.
Nay rather, if Thine eyes can give it room,
Let Death's soft shadow gently o'er them come.
Thee have I seen, O Child: enough for me:
I care not to behold aught else but Thee. Cl.

XLV.

Verbum inter spinas. Luc. viii. 7.

Saepe Dei verbum sentes cadit inter, et atrum
Miscet spina procax, ah, male juncta! latus.
Credo quidem: nam sic spinas, ah, scilicet inter
Ipse Deus verbum tu quoque, Christe, cadis.

The Word among thorns.

Often and often 'good words' fall
Where thorns and briars rankly crawl;
Their spines lay hold, and choke, and pierce—
Like to wild beast in hunger fierce.
I know it: for like flash of sword
I read 'twas so with Thee the Word:
God, e'en my God, Thou wast in truth;
But fell'st 'mong thorns, which show'd no ruth. G.

XLVI.

Sabbatum Judaicum et Christianum. Luc. xiv. 5.

Res eadem vario quantum distinguitur usu:
Nostra hominem servant sabbata, vestra bovem.
Observent igitur, pacto quid justius isto?
Sabbata nostra homines, sabbata vestra boves.

The Judaic and Christian Sabbath.

How diff'rent grows a thing through diff'rent use!
Our Sabbaths serve men, yours give oxen truce,
Be this agreed—arrangement fitter none—
Our Sabbath men keep, yours oxen alone. G.

XLVII.

Ad verbum Dei sanatur caecus. Marc. x. 52.

Christe, loquutus eras, ô sacra licentia verbi:
Jamque novus caeci fluxit in ora dies.
Jam credo, Nemo [54] est, sicut Tu, Christe, loquutus:
Auribus? immo oculis, Christe, loquutus eras.

The blind cured by the word of our Saviour.

Thou spak'st the word—Thy word's a law;
Thou spak'st, and straight the blind man saw.
To speak and make the blind to see,
Was never man, Lord, spake like Thee.
To speak thus was to speak, say I,
Not to his eare, but to his eye. Cr.

XLVIII.

Onus meum leve est. Matt. xi. 30.

Esse levis quicunque voles, onus accipe Christi:
Ala tuis humeris, non onus, illud erit.
Christi onus an quaeris quam sit grave? scilicet audi,
Tam grave, ut ad summos te premat usque polos.

My burden is light.

Askest how thou may'st lightly loaded be?
Christ's burden take from me:
A wing to lift, no load to press thee down,
Thou it wilt feel and own.
Dost ask how heavy may Christ's burden be?
Then list, O man, to me:
So heavy, that whoe'er 'neath it enrolls,
It lifts to the highest poles. G.

XLIX.

Miraculum quinque panum. Joan. vi. 1-13.

Ecce, vagi venit unda cibi; venit indole sacra
Fortis, et in dentes fertilis innumeros.
Quando erat invictae tam sancta licentia coenae?
Illa famem populi poscit, et illa fidem.

On the miracle of loaves.

Now, Lord, or never, they'l beleeve on Thee;
Thou to their teeth hast prov'd Thy deity. Cr.

ANOTHER VERSION.

See, loaves in heaps, blest growth, spread far and wide,
For mouths innumerable multiplied.
Feast holy, free, invincible like this,
Claims the crowd's hunger, and their faith, I wis. R. Wi.

L.

Nunc scimus te habere daemonium. Joan. viii. 52.

Aut Deus, aut saltem daemon tibi notior esset,
Gens mala, quae dicis daemona habere Deum.
Ignorasse Deum poteras, ô caeca; sed oro,
Et patrem poteras tam male nosse tuum?

Now we know Thee to have a devil.

God or the devil by you
ought better to be known,
Ye wicked ones, who charge
your God a devil to own.
Ign'rant of God, indeed,
ye well might be; but O,
The devil, your own father,
how could ye fail to know? G.

LI.

In beatae Virginis verecundiam.

In gremio, quaeris, cur sic sua lumina Virgo
Ponat? ubi melius poneret illa, precor?
O ubi, quam coelo, melius sua lumina ponat?
Despicit, at coelum sic tamen illa videt.

On the blessed Virgin's bashfulness.

That on her lap she casts her humble eye,
'Tis the sweet pride of her humility.
The faire starre is well fixt, for where, O, where,
Could she have fixt it on a fairer spheare?
'Tis Heav'n, 'tis Heav'n she sees, Heaven's God there lyes;
She can see Heaven, and ne're lift up her eyes.
This new guest to her eyes new lawes hath given:
'Twas once looke up, 'tis now looke downe to Heaven. Cr.

LII.

In vulnera Dei pendentis.

O frontis, lateris, manuumque pedumque cruores;
O quae purpureo flumina fonte patent:
In nostram, ut quondam, pes non valet ire salutem,
Sed natat; in fluviis, ah, natat ille suis.
Fixa manus; dat, fixa: pios bona dextera rores
Donat, et in donum solvitur ipsa suum.
O latus, ô torrens; quis enim torrentior exit
Nilus, ubi pronis praecipitatur aquis?
Mille et mille simul cadit et cadit undique guttis
Frons: viden' ut saevus purpuret ora pudor?
Spinae hoc irriguae florent crudeliter imbre,
Inque novas sperant protinus ire rosas.
Quisque capillus it exiguo tener alveus amne,
Hoc quasi de rubro rivulus oceano.
O nimium vivae pretiosis amnibus undae:
Fons vitae nunquam verior ille fuit.

On the wounds of our crucified Lord.

O bleeding wounds of brow, feet, hands, and side;
Rivers which from a purple fount spread wide.
No more to save us now that foot can go,
But swims in streams which from its own wounds flow.
Transfix'd His hand yet gives—gives dewdrops holy,
And into its own gift is melted wholly.
O side, O torrent; for with torrent strong
What flooded Nile more swift is driven along?
Drops from His brow in thousands fall and fall;
See to His face a cruel blush they call.
By this sad shower the thorns unkindly nurst
Soon into new-blown roses hope to burst.
Each hair becomes a slender streamlet's bed,
As if a rivulet from this ocean red.
O waves too much alive with precious streams,
Nowhere a fount of life more truly gleams.[55] R. Wi.

LIII.

Quare cum Publicanis manducat Magister vester? Matt. ix. 11.

Ergo istis socium se peccatoribus addit?
Ergo istis sacrum non negat ille latus?
Tu, Pharisaee, rogas, Jesus cur fecerit istud?
Nae dicam: Jesus, non Pharisaeus, erat.

Wherefore eateth your Master with Publicans?

Wherefore associates He with sinners vile?
Why hides He not His holy self the while?
Askest thou, Pharisee, how this can be?
Because 'tis Jesus, not a Pharisee. G.

LIV.

Ecce locus ubi jacuit Dominus.

Ipsum, ipsum, precor, ô potius mini, candide, monstra:
Ipsi, ipsi ô lacrymis oro sit ire meis.
Si monstrare locum satis est, et dicere nobis,
En, Maria, hic tuus en hic jacuit Dominus;
Ipsa ulnas monstrare meas, et dicere possum,
En, Maria, hic tuus en hic jacuit Dominus.

Φαίδιμέ, μοι αὐτὸν μᾶλλόν μοι δείκνυθι αὐτόν.
Αὐτός μου, δέομαι, αὐτὸς ἔχῃ δάκρυα.
Εἰ δὲ τόπον μοὶ δεικνύναι ἅλις ἐστὶ, καὶ εἰπεῖν,
Ὧδε τεὸς, Μαριὰμ, ἠνίδε, κεῖτο ἄναξ·
Ἀγκοίνας μου δεικνύναι δύναμαί γε καὶ εἰπεῖν,
Ὧδε τεὸς, Μαριὰμ, ἠνίδε, κεῖτο ἄναξ.

Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Show me Himselfe, Himselfe, bright Sir, O show
Which way my poore tears to Himselfe may goe.
Were it enough to show the place, and say,
Looke, Mary, here, see where thy Lord once lay;
Then could I show these armes of mine, and say,
Looke, Mary, here, see where thy Lord once lay.

Vpon the sepulchre of our Lord.

Here, where our Lord once laid His head,
Now the grave lies buried. Cr.

LV.

Leprosi ingrati. Luc. xvii. 11-19.

Lex jubet ex hominum coetu procul ire leprosos:
At mundi a Christo cur abiere procul?
Non abit, at sedes tantum mutavit in illis;
Et lepra, quae fuerat corpore, mente sedet.
Sic igitur digna vice res variatur; et a se
Quam procul ante homines, nunc habuere Deum.

The unthankful lepers. (Where are the nine?)

The Lord commands the lepers
far off from men to stay:
But cleansèd by the Lord,
why went the Nine away?
The leprosy remaineth,
chang'd only in its seat:
Expellèd from the body,
to the soul it makes retreat.
Now by fit retribution
a change is brought about:
Before shut out from men,
from God they're now shut out. G.

LVI.

In cicatrices quas Christus habet in se adhuc superstites. Joan. xx.

Quicquid spina procax, vel stylo clavus acuto,
Quicquid purpurea scripserat hasta nota,
Vivit adhuc tecum; sed jam tua vulnera non sunt:
Non, sed vulneribus sunt medicina meis.

On the still-surviving markes of our Saviour's wounds.

Whatever story of their crueltie,
Or naile, or thorne, or speare have writ in Thee,
Are in another sence
Still legible;
Sweet is the difference:
Once I did spell
Every red letter
A wound of Thine;
Now, what is better,
Balsome for mine. Cr.

ANOTHER RENDERING.

Each bloody, cruel character,
Thorn, nail, and spear had written,
When here, as man's great Arbiter,
On Calvary Thou wert smitten,
Thou wearest still above, O Lord:
But now no longer wounds they are;
According to Thy Holy Word,
They med'cine for my wounds declare. G.