The poems in the foregoing pages are derived (as I have already explained) from three separate MS. volumes, and from the author's prose volume, entitled "Christian Ethicks." The bulk of them (ending with "Goodness") are from the folio volume. The remainder—with the exception of the three which are from the volume of "Meditations and Devotions"—are from the prose volume entitled "Centuries of Meditations." I have printed all the poems which I have found in these various sources, with one exception. This is a poem which appears in the folio volume, but which is there crossed through as though marked for suppression.[M] Whether this mark of suppression was made by the author or by another person there are no means of judging; but as the poem in question is, as I think, somewhat below the level of its companions, I have thought it better to reserve it for the appendix than to print it between the poems "Thoughts" I. and II., where it occurs in the MS. BLISS I All Bliss Consists in this, To do as Adam did, And not to know those superficial Toys Which in the Garden once were hid. Those little new-invented things, Cups, saddles, crowns are childish joys, So ribbands are and rings, Which all our happiness destroys. II Nor God In His abode, Nor Saints, nor little boys, Nor Angels made them; only foolish men, Grown mad with custom, on those toys, Which more increase their wants, do dote, And when they older are do then Those baubles chiefly note With greedier eyes, more boys tho' men. To enable the reader to judge whether my hypothesis that the author of "A Serious and Patheticall Contemplation of the Mercies of God" is also the author of the other poems contained in the present volume, is well or ill-founded, I will now print the three poems which appear in the above-mentioned work. They are as follows: [LIFE'S BLESSEDNESS] While I, O Lord, exalted by Thy hand Above the skies, in glory seem to stand, The skies being made to serve me, as they do, While I thy Glories in thy Goodness view. To be in Glory higher than the skies Is greater bliss than 'tis in place to rise Above the Stars: More blessed and divine To live and see than like the Sun to shine. O what Profoundness in my Body lies For whom the Earth was made, the Sea, the Skies! So greatly high our human Bodies are That Angels scarcely may with these compare: In all the heights of Glory seated, they Above the Sun in Thine eternal day Are seen to shine; with greater gifts adorned Than Gold with Light or Flesh with Life suborned; Suns are but Servants, Skies beneath their feet; The Stars but Stones; Moons but to serve them meet. Beyond all heights above the World they reign In thy great Throne ordained to remain. All Tropes are Clouds; Truth doth itself excel, Whatever Heights Hyperboles can tell. [THE RESURRECTION] Then shall each Limb a spring of Joy be found, And every member with its Glory crown'd: While all the Senses, fill'd with all the Good That ever Ages in them understood Transported are: Containing Worlds of Treasure At one delight with all their Joy and Pleasure, From whence, like Rivers, Joy shall ever flow, Affect the Soul, though in the Body grow, Return again and make the Body shine Like Jesus Christ, while both in one combine. Mysterious Contracts are between the Soul, Which touch the Spirits and by those its Bowl; The Marrow, Bowels, Spirits, melt and move, Dissolving ravish, teach them how to love. He that could bring the Heavens thro' the eye, And make the World within the Fancy lie, By beams of Light that closing meet in one, From all the parts of His celestial Throne, Far more than this in framing Bliss can do, Inflame the Body and the Spirit too: Can make the Soul by Sense to feel and see, And with her Joy the Senses wrap'd to be: Yea, while the Flesh or Body subject lies To those Affections which in Souls arise; All holy Glories from the Soul redound, And in the Body by the Soul abound, Are felt within and ravish ev'ry Sense With all the Godhead's glorious Excellence, Who found the way Himself to dwell within, As if even Flesh were nigh to Him of kin: His Goodness, Wisdom, Power, Love Divine, Make by the Soul convey'd the Body shine, Not like the Sun (that earthly Darkness is) But in the strengths and heights of all this bliss, For God designed thy Body for His sake, A Temple of the Deity to make.
THE WAYS OF WISDOM "Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace."
These sweeter far than lilies are, No roses may with these compare! How these excel No tongue can tell, Which he that well and truly knows With praise and joy he goes! How great and happy's he that knows his ways To be divine and heavenly Joys: To whom each city is more brave Than walls of pearl and streets which gold doth pave: Whose open eyes Behold the skies; Who loves their wealth and beauty more Than kings love golden ore! Who sees the heavenly ancient ways Of God the Lord with joy and praise, More than the skies With open eyes Doth prize them all; yea, more than gems, And regal diadems; That more esteemeth mountains, as they are, Than if they gold and silver were: To whom the sun more pleasure brings Than crowns and thrones and palaces to kings: That knows his ways To be the joys And way of God—those things who knows With joy and praise he goes! I do not think it is necessary to spend much time or ink in endeavouring to prove that the author of these three poems must have been also the writer of the other poems contained in this volume. Unless it be contended that no conclusion as to authorship can be drawn from similarity of style, sentiment, and peculiarities of expression, I do not see how it is possible for any one who carefully considers the matter to entertain a reasonable doubt about it. Not even the hypothesis of imitation by one author of the style of another can here be entertained—for no man can imitate what is not known to him. Every poet has his special topics, his favourite terms of expression, his peculiar vocabulary, and even his pet rhymes, which are bound to appear often in his verse. I think it may be truly said that there is nothing in the three poems taken from "A Serious and Patheticall Contemplation of the Mercies of God" which cannot be paralleled in the other poems contained in this volume. All are characterised by the same fervent piety, the same command of expression and musical diction, the same dwelling upon the ideas that though God is necessary to man, yet man also is necessary to God, and that the body (instead of being, according to the ordinary theological belief, a corpus vile of corruption) is "a spring of Joy" crowned with glory; and the same continual allusions to the great natural phenomena. When to these resemblances we add the many small coincidences of words and phrases which are always recurring in the poems, the evidence of common authorship becomes too strong to be resisted. Perhaps it may be worth while to quote a few instances of these resemblances out of the many which might be given. In the second stanza of "The Person" we have Men's hands than angels' wings Are truer wealth even here below. In "Life's Blessedness" we have So greatly high our human bodies are That Angels scarcely may with them compare. In the fifth stanza of "The Estate" we have The laws of God, the Works he did create, His ancient ways, are His and my Estate. In "The Ways of Wisdom" we have Who sees the heavenly ancient ways.
In "Thoughts IV." we have The very heavens in their sacred worth At once serve us and set his Glory forth. In "Life's Blessedness" we have The skies being made to serve me, as they do, While I Thy Glories in Thy Goodness view. In "The Influx" we have No soul but stone, no man but clay am I. In "Life's Blessedness" we have The reader will doubtless have observed that our poet was very fond of using "treasure" and a "pleasure" as rhymes. He seldom omits to bring them in in a poem of any length, and it will be observed that they are introduced in "The Resurrection." Certain defective rhymes (or no rhymes) also occur pretty frequently, as "lay," "joy," "away," "enjoy." In "The Ways of Wisdom" we have "ways" and "joys." I think I have produced evidence enough to convince the reader of the soundness of my contention: if not, I will undertake to produce a good deal more. It is fortunate, indeed, that "A Serious and Patheticall Contemplation" should have stolen into print (for neither at the time of its publication nor subsequently does it appear to have attracted any attention), since without it we should have had no clue to the authorship of these poems.
Mr. W. T. Brooke has discovered in the British Museum a broadside with the following title, "A Congratulatory Poem on the Right Honourable Sr Orlando Bridgman, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England," which, he suggests, may possibly have been written by the author of the poems here printed. But though it is a poem of considerable merit, it has, in my opinion, no correspondence in style with Traherne's poems. A few lines from it, however, will not be altogether out of place here: Were all your own Rolls searcht scarce should we find That noble seat filled with so fit a mind: So brave a mind as baseness ne'er allays, So great a mind as greatness cannot raise, So just a mind as interest can't seduce, So wise a mind as colours can't abuse, So large a mind as largest Trusts do crave, So calm a mind as Equity should have. High Courtships construed in the present tense, Law's Oracle without perplexed sense, A sober piety in a virtuoso, And an Orlando without Furioso.
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