The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Complete Works of Richard Crashaw, Volume I (of 2), by Richard Crashaw, Edited by Alexander Balloch Grosart
Title: The Complete Works of Richard Crashaw, Volume I (of 2)
Author: Richard Crashaw
Editor: Alexander Balloch Grosart
Release Date: January 12, 2012 [eBook #38549]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE COMPLETE WORKS OF RICHARD CRASHAW, VOLUME I (OF 2)***
E-text prepared by Taavi Kalju, Rory OConor,
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Note: Project Gutenberg also has Volume II of this work.
Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries. See http://www.archive.org/details/completeworksfor01crasuoft
The Fuller Worthies' Library.
THE
COMPLETE WORKS OF RICHARD CRASHAW.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. I.
MEMORIAL-INTRODUCTION.
STEPS TO THE TEMPLE. CARMEN DEO NOSTRO.
THE DELIGHTS OF THE MUSES. AIRELLES.
LONDON:
ROBSON AND SONS, PRINTERS, PANCRAS ROAD, N.W.
The Fuller Worthies' Library.
THE COMPLETE WORKS
OF
RICHARD CRASHAW.
FOR THE FIRST TIME COLLECTED
AND COLLATED WITH THE ORIGINAL AND EARLY EDITIONS,
AND MUCH ENLARGED WITH
I. Hitherto unprinted and inedited Poems from Archbishop Sancroft's mss. &c. &c.
II. Translation of the whole of the Poemata et Epigrammata.
III. Memorial-Introduction, Essay on Life and Poetry, and Notes.
IV. In Quarto, reproduction in facsimile of the Author's own Illustrations of 1652, with others specially prepared.
EDITED BY THE
REV. ALEXANDER B. GROSART,
ST. GEORGE'S, BLACKBURN, LANCASHIRE.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. I.
PRINTED FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION.
1872.
156 copies printed.
TO
THE VERY REVEREND
JOHN HENRY NEWMAN, D.D.
AS AN EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE FOR
FUNDAMENTAL INTELLECTUAL AND SPIRITUAL
QUICKENING AND NURTURE
FOUND IN AND SUSTAINED BY HIS WRITINGS
EARLIER AND LATEST,
THIS EDITION
OF A POET HE LOVES AS ENGLISHMAN AND CATHOLIC
IS DEDICATED BY
ALEXANDER B. GROSART.
CONTENTS.
Those marked [*] are printed for the first time from mss.; those marked [†] have additions for the first time given in their places.
Sacred Poetry: I. Steps to the Temple, and Carmen Deo Nostro, 1-181. †Sainte Mary Magdalene, or the Weeper 3 Sancta Maria Dolorvm, or the Mother of Sorrows: a patheticall Descant upon the deuout Plainsong of Stabat Mater Dolorosa 19 †The Teare 25 †The Office of the Holy Crosse 29 Vexilla Regis: the Hymn of the Holy Crosse 44 The Lord silences His Questioners 47 Our Blessed Lord in His Circumcision to His Father 48 On the Wounds of our crucified Lord 50
Sacred Poetry: II. Airelles, 183-194. *Mary seeking Jesus when lost 185 *The Wounds of the Lord Jesus
Secular Poetry: I. The Delights of the Muses, 195-276. Musick's Duell 197 In the Praise of the Spring (out of Virgil) 207 With a Picture sent to a Friend 208 †In praise of Lessius's Rule of Health 209 The Beginning of Heliodorus 212 Cupid's Cryer (out of the Greeke) 214 Vpon Bishop Andrews' Picture before his Sermons 217 Vpon the Death of a Gentleman 218 Vpon the Death of Mr. Herrys 220 Vpon the Death of the most desired Mr. Herrys 222 Another 225 His Epitaph 228 †An Epitaph vpon a yovng Married Covple, dead and bvryed together 230 Death's Lectvre and the Fvneral of a yovng Gentleman 232 An Epitaph vpon Doctor Brooke 234 On a foule Morning, being then to take a Journey 235 To the Morning: Satisfaction for Sleepe 237 Love's Horoscope 240 A Song (out of the Italian) 243 Out of the Italian 245 Out of the Italian 246 Vpon the Frontispeece of Mr. Isaackson's Chronologie 246 On the same by Bishop Rainbow 248 An Epitaph vpon Mr. Ashton, a conformable Citizen 250 Out of Catullus 251 Wishes 252 †To the Queen: an Apologie for the length of the following Panegyrick 259
Secular Poetry: II. Airelles, 277-303. *Upon the King's Coronation 279 * Ditto 280 *Vpon the Birth of the Princesse Elizabeth 282 *Vpon a Gnatt burnt in a Candle 284 *From Petronius 286 *From Horace 287 *Ex Euphormione. 289 *An Elegy vpon the Death of Mr. Stanninow, Fellow of Queen's Colledge 290 *Upon the Death of a Friend 292 *An Elegie on the Death of Dr. Porter 293 †Verse-Letter to the Countess of Denbigh 295 Ditto from Carmen Deo Nostro 301 Footnotes
Illustrations, in the illustrated Quarto only: Vol. I.
Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14 are reproduced in facsimile from the author's own designs of 1652, by Pouncey of Dorchester, expressly for our edition of Crashaw. Besides the above there are a number of head- and tail-pieces by W.J. Linton, Esq.
PREFACE.
I have at last the pleasure of seeing half-fulfilled a long-cherished wish and intention, by the issue of the present Volume, being Vol. I. of the first really worthy edition of the complete Poetry of Richard Crashaw, while Vol. II. is so well advanced that it may be counted on for Midsummer (Deo favente).
This Volume contains the whole of the previously-published English Poems, with the exception of the Epigrams scattered among the others, which more fittingly find their place in Vol. II., along with the Latin and Greek originals, and our translation of all hitherto untranslated. Here also will be found important, and peculiarly interesting as characteristic, additions of unprinted and inedited poems by Crashaw
As was meet, I have adhered to the first titles of 'Steps to the Temple' and 'The Delights of the Muses,' the former embracing the Sacred, and the latter the Secular Poems. The original Editor (whoever he was), not the Author, gave these titles. In the Preface to 'the learned Reader,' he says, 'we stile his sacred Poems, Steps to the Temple.' At one time I was disposed to assign the editorship of the volumes of 1646 and 1648 to Sancroft; but inasmuch as both contained Bp. Rainbow's verses prefixed to Isaacson's 'Chronologie,' while the piece is not in the Sancroft ms., it seems he could not have been the editor. His pathetic closing words reveal much love: 'I will conclude all that I have impartially writ of this learned young Gent. (now dead to us) as hee himselfe doth, with the last line of his poem upon Bishop Andrewes' picture before his Sermons, Verte paginas—Look on his following leaves, and see him breath.'
I would now give an account of previous editions of our Worthy, and our use of them. The earliest of his publications—excluding minor pieces in University Collections as recorded in our Essay—was a volume of Latin Epigrams published at Cambridge in 1634 in a small 8vo. The name of Crashaw nowhere appears, but his initials R.C. are appended to the Dedication to his friend Laney. The title-page was as follows: 'Epigrammatum Sacrorum Liber. Cantabrigiæ, ex Academiæ celeberrimæ typographo, 1634.' Besides the Epigrams, this now rare volume contained certain of his 'Poemata' before the Epigrams. A second edition was published in 1670 with a few additional Epigrams, and those in Greek. A third edition appeared in 1674. Fuller details, with collation of each, are given in Vol. II. in their places.
Nothing more of any considerableness was published until 1646, two years after the Poet's ejection. Then appeared a small volume of Poems, chiefly English, arranged in two distinct classes, Sacred and Secular, the latter with a separate title-page. In the Note which follows this Preface, the title-pages of the volume will be found, along with those of the subsequent editions of 1648 and 1670. With reference to the volume of 1646, a mistake in the printing was thus pointed out: 'Reader, there was a sudden mistake ('tis too late to recover it): thou wilt quickly find it out, and I hope as soone passe it over; some of the humane Poems are misplaced amongst the Divine.' These 'humane' poems, that belonged not to the 'Steps' but the 'Delights of the Muses,' were fifteen in all. They were assigned their own places in the new edition of 1648. With two exceptions, we have adhered to the classification of the 1648 edition: the exceptions are, that we have placed 'Vexilla Regis' immediately after the 'Office of the Holy Crosse,' as belonging properly to that composition; and the 'Apologie' for the Hymn to Teresa after the first, not after the second Hymn, seeing the 'Apologie' is only for the first. The new edition bore on its title-page the announcement: 'The second Edition, wherein are added divers pieces not before extant.' Our contents of the present Volume (immediately following our Dedication) shows these additions, which were important and precious; viz. twenty-nine new English Poems and eighteen new Latin Poems.
The next edition was published in Paris in 1652. In our Note (as supra) the title-page is given. This volume is an elegant one, and is adorned with twelve dainty engravings after the Author's own designs, though we possess a copy without the engravings, having blanks left. This exceedingly rare book contains most of the Sacred Poems and some of the more serious of the Secular Poems; but as the contents (as supra) show, there were large omissions, notably the Sospetto and Musick's Duel. It was edited by Thomas Car, who prefixes two poems of his own, as follows:
I. Crashawe, the Anagramme 'He was Car.'
Since both within one name combinèd are?
Yes, Car's Crashawe, he Car; 'tis loue alone
Which melts two harts, of both composing one.
So Crashaw's still the same: so much desired5
By strongest witts; so honor'd, so admired;
Car was but he that enter'd as a friend
With whom he shar'd his thoughtes, and did commend
(While yet he liu'd) this worke; they lou'd each other:
Sweete Crashawe was his friend; he Crashawe's brother.10
So Car hath title then; 'twas his intent
That what his riches pen'd, poore Car should print;
Nor feares he checke, praysing that happie one
Who was belou'd by all; disprais'd by none:
To witt, being pleas'd with all things, he pleas'd all,15
Nor would he giue, nor take offence; befall
What might, he would possesse himselfe, and liue
As deade (deuoyde of interest) t' all might giue
Desease t' his well-composèd mynd; fore-stal'd
With heauenly riches; which had wholy call'd20
His thoughts from earth, to liue aboue in th' aire
A very bird of paradice. No care
Had he of earthly trashe. What might suffice
To fitt his soule to heauenly exercise
Sufficèd him: and may we guesse his hart25
By what his lipps brings forth, his onely part
Is God and godly thoughtes. Leaues doubt to none
But that to whom one God is all; all's one.
What he might eate or weare he tooke no thought;
His needfull foode he rather found then sought.30
He seekes no downes, no sheetes, his bed's still made;
If he can find a chaire or stoole, he's layd.
When Day peepes in, he quitts his restlesse
And still, poore soule, before he's vp, he's dre'st.
Thus dying did he liue, yet liued to dye35
In th' Virgin's lappe, to whom he did applye
His virgine thoughtes and words, and thence was styld
By foes, the chaplaine of the virgine myld,
While yet he liued without. His modestie
Imparted this to some, and they to me.40
Liue happie then, deare soule! inioy the rest
Eternally by paynes thou purchacedst,
While Car must liue in care, who was thy friend,
Nor cares he how he liue, so in the end
He may inioy his dearest Lord and thee;45
And sitt and singe more skilfull songs eternally.[1]
II. An Epigramme
Vpon the Pictures in the following Poemes, which the Authour first made with his owne hand, admirably well, as may be seene in his Manuscript dedicated to the Right Honourable Lady the L. Denbigh.
Which might draw Vertue better to the life:
Best witts gaue votes to that, but painters swore
They neuer saw peeces so sweete before
As thes fruits of pure Nature; where no Art5
Did lead the vntaught pensill, nor had part
In th' worke ...
The hand growne bold, with witt will needes contest:
Doth it preuayle? ah no! say each is best.
This to the eare speakes wonders; that will trye10
To speake the same, yet lowder, to the eye.
Both in their aymes are holy, both conspire
To wound, to burne the hart with heauenly fire.
This then's the doome, to doe both parties right:
This to the eare speakes best; that, to the sight.15
Thomas Car.[2]
It is clear from these lines in the former poem—
With whom he shar'd his thoughtes, and did commend
(While yet he liu'd) THIS WORKE__________
_______________________________________________
So Car hath title then; 'twas his intent
That what his riches pen'd, poore Car should print'—
that the volume of 1652 carries the authority of Crashaw with it as his own Selection from what he had written. So that I have had no hesitation in accepting its text of the Poems previously published (in 1646 and 1648): understanding that the Selection was regulated by his desire only to offer the Countess of Denbigh those he himself most valued. There are inevitable misprints and a chaos of punctuation; but the text as a whole is a great advance on those preceding, as our Notes and Illustrations to the several poems prove. There are some very valuable additions throughout, entirely overlooked by modern Editors. Our text of all not in 1652 volume is based on that of 1648 collated with 1646.
The engravings celebrated in the Epigram of Car—of whom more, and of the origin and purpose of the Volume, in our Essay—are as follows:
1. 'To the noblest and best of ladyes:' a heart with an emblematical lock. Beneath is printed 'Non Vi' ( = not by force), and the following lines:
To find the way into man's will.
'Tis loue alone can hearts vnlock:
Who knowes the Word, he needs not knock.
2. 'To the name above every name.' 'Numisma Urbani 6.' A dove under the tiara, surrounded with a glory. The legend is, 'In unitate Deus est.'
3. 'The Holy Nativity.' The Holy Family at Bethlehem. Beneath are these lines in French and Latin:
Deignant souffrir pour toy des son enfance.
Natum vidimus, &c.
4. 'The Glorious Epiphanie.' The adoration of the Magi-kings.
5. 'The Office of the Holy Crosse.' Christ on the Cross. Beneath (from the Vulgate),