¶ Church-rents and schismes.
Brave rose, (alas!) where art thou? in the chair Where thou didst lately so triumph and shine, A worm doth sit, whose many feet and hair Are the more foul, the more thou wert divine. This, this hath done it, this did bite the root And bottome of the leaves: which when the winde Did once perceive, it blew them under foot, Where rude unhallowd steps do crush and grinde Their beauteous glories. Onely shreds of thee, And those all bitten, in thy chair I see. Why doth my Mother blush? is she the rose, And shows it so? Indeed Christs precious bloud Gave you a colour once; which when your foes Thought to let out, the bleeding did you good, And made you look much fresher then before. But when debates and fretting jealousies Did worm and work within you more and more, Your colour faded, and calamities Turned your ruddie into pale and bleak: Your health and beautie both began to break. Then did your sevrall parts unloose and start: Which when your neighbours saw, like a north-winde, They rushed in, and cast them in the dirt Where Pagans tread. O Mother deare and kinde, Where shall I get me eyes enough to weep, As many eyes as starres? since it is night, And much of Asia and Europe fast asleep, And evn all Africk; would at least I might With these two poore ones lick up all the dew, Which falls by night, and poure it out for you! |
Already in The Mount of Olives (1652) Vaughan called Herbert a most glorious true Saint, and a Seer, mentioning especially his incomparable prophetick Poems, and particularly these, Church-musick, Church-rents and schisms, The Church militant, and quoting Life in full. In the preface to the enlarged edition of Silex Scintillans (1655) he attributes his conversion to sacred poetry to the blessed man, Mr. George Herbert, whose holy life and verse gained many pious Converts, (of whom I am the least). - [Hutchinson, F. E. The Works of George Herbert. xli.] See Vaughans poems "I saw Eternity the other night" and "The World."
|
1633 Poem Index | George Herbert & The Temple Home Page |