Religion in Early Stuart England, 1603-1638: An Anthology of Primary Sources

Francis Quarles: Divine fancies: digested into epigrams, meditations, and observations 1632

620 Francis Quarles Divine fancies:digested into epigrams,meditations,and observations 1632 {Book I} 1. On the music of organs Observe this organ; mark but how it goes: ’Tis not the hand of him alone that blows The unseen bellows, nor the hand that plays Upon th’apparent note-dividing kays, That makes these well-composed airs appear Before the high tribunal of thine ear. They both concur; each acts his several part: Th’one gives it breath, the other lends it art. Man is this organ: to whose every action Heav’n gives a breath (a breath without coaction), Without which blast we cannot act at all, Without which breath the universe must fall To the first nothing it was made of, seeing In him we live, we move, we have our being. Thus fill’d with his diviner breath, and back’t With his first power, we touch the kays and act; He blows the bellows; as we thrive in skill, Our actions prove, like music, good or ill. 2. On the contingency of actions I saw him dead; I saw his body fall Before Death’s dart, whom tears must not recall. Yet is he not so dead but that his day Might have been lengthen’d, had th’untrodden way 621 Francis Quarles To life been found. He might have rose again, If something had or something had not been. What mine sees past, Heav’n’s eye foresaw to come. He saw, how that contingent act should sum The total of his days; his knowing eye (As mine doth see him dead) saw he should die That very fatal hour; yet saw his death Not so so necessary, but his breath Might been enlarg’d unto a longer date, Had he neglected this or taken that. All times to Heav’n are now, both first and last; He sees things present as we see them past. 3. On the sacraments The loaves of bread were five, the fishes two, Whereof the multitude was made partaker. Who made the fishes? God. But tell me, who Gave being to the loaves of bread? the baker. Ev’n so these sacraments, which some call seven, Five were ordain’d by man, and two by Heaven. 4. On the infancy of our Savior Hail blessed Virgin, full of heavenly grace, Blest above all that sprang from human race, Whose Heav’n-saluted womb brought forth in one, A blessed Savior and a blessed Son: O! what a ravishment ’thad been, to see Thy little Savior perking1 on thy knee! To see him nuzzle in thy virgin breast! His milk-white body all unclad, undrest; To see thy busy fingers clothe and wrap His spradling2 limbs in thy indulgent lap! To see his desp’rate eyes, with childish grace, Smiling upon his smiling mother’s face! And, when his forward strength began to bloom, To see him diddle3 up and down the room! O, who would think so sweet a babe as this Should ere be slain by a false-hearted kiss! Had I a rag, if sure thy body wore it, Pardon sweet babe, I think I should adore it; 1 {perching (as a bird); also showing delight, lifting one’s head inquisitively} 2 {sprawled} 3 {toddle} Religion in Early Stuart England, 1603–1638 622 Till then, O grant this boon (a boon far dearer), The weed not being, I may adore the wearer. 6. On the life and death of man4 The world’s a theater; the earth, a stage Plac’d in the midst, whereon both prince and page, Both rich and poor, fool, wise-man, base and high, All act their parts in life’s short tragedy. Our life’s a tragedy. Those secret rooms Wherein we tire5 us are our mothers’ wombs; The music ush’ring in the play is mirth To see a man-child brought upon the earth; That fainting gasp of breath which first we vent Is a dumb-shew, presents the argument; Our new-born cries that new-born griefs bewray Is the sad prologue of th’ensuing play; False hopes, true fears, vain joys, and fierce distracts Are like the music that divides the acts; Time holds the glass, and when the hour’s out-run, Death strikes the epilogue, and the play is done. 9. Of light and heat Mark but the sun-beams, when they shine...