The poetical works of Thomas Traherne faithfully reprinted from the author's original manuscript together with Poems of Felicity reprinted from the Burney manuscript and Poems from Various Sources: Edited with preface and notes by Gladys I. Wade |
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 | The poetical works of Thomas Traherne |  |
Nature.
That Custom is a Second Nature, weMost Plainly find by Natures Purity.
For Nature teacheth Nothing but the Truth.
I'me Sure mine did in my Virgin Youth.
The very Day my Spirit did inspire,
The Worlds fair Beauty set my Soul on fire.
My Senses were Informers to my Heart,
The Conduits of his Glory Power and Art.
His Greatness Wisdom Goodness I did see,
His Glorious Lov, and his Eternitie,
Almost as soon as Born: and evry Sence
Was in me like to som Intelligence.
I was by Nature prone and apt to love
All Light and Beauty, both in Heaven above,
And Earth beneath, prone even to Admire,
Adore and Prais as well as to Desire.
My Inclinations raisd me up on high,
And guided me to all Infinitie.
A Secret self I had enclosd within,
That was not bounded with my Clothes or Skin,
Or terminated with my Sight, the Sphere
Of which was bounded with the Heavens here:
But that did rather, like the Subtile Light,
Securd from rough and raging Storms by Night,
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Dispersing and Dilating evry Way:
Whose Steddy Beams too Subtile for the Wind,
Are such, that we their Bounds can scarcely find.
It did encompass, and possess rare Things,
But yet felt more, and on its Angels Wings
Pierc'd through the Skies immediatly, and Sought
For all that could beyond all Worlds be thought.
It did not move, nor one way go, but stood,
And by Dilating of it self, all Good
It strove to see, as if twere present there,
Even while it present stood conversing here:
And more suggested then I could discern,
Or ever since by any Means could learn.
Vast unaffected Wonderfull Desires,
Like Inward, Nativ, uncausd, hidden fires,
Sprang up with Expectations very strange,
Which into New Desires did quickly change.
For all I saw beyond the Azure Round,
Was Endless Darkness with no Beauty crownd.
Why Beauty should not there, as well as here,
Why Goodness should not likewise there appear,
Why Treasures and Delights should bounded be,
Since there is such a Wide Infinitie;
These were the Doubts and Troubles of my Soul,
By which I do perceiv without Controll,
A World of Endless Joys by Nature made,
That needs must flourish ever, never fade.
A Wide Magnificent and Spacious Skie,
So rich tis Worthy of the Deitie,
Clouds here and there like Winged Charets flying,
Flowers ever flourishing, yet always Dying,
A Day of Glory where I all things see,
As twere enrichd with Beams of Light for me,
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Succeeded with a Black, yet Glorious Night,
Stars Sweetly Shedding to my pleased Sence,
On all things their Nocturnal Influence,
With Secret Rooms in Times and Ages more
Past and to com enlarging my great Store,
These all in Order present unto Me
My Happy Eys did in a Moment see
With Wonders there-too, to my Soul unknown,
Till they by Men and Reading first were shewn.
All which were made, that I might ever be
With som Great Workman, som Great Deitie.
But yet there were new Rooms, and Spaces more,
Beyond all these, New Regions ore and ore,
Into all which my pent-up-Soul like fire
Did break, Surmounting all I here admire.
The Spaces fild were like a Cabinet
Of Joys before me most Distinctly set:
The Empty, like to large and Vacant Room
For Fancy to enlarge in, and presume
A Space for more, removd, but yet adorning
These neer at hand, that pleasd me evry Morning.
Here I was seated to behold New Things,
In the fair fabrick of the King of Kings.
All, all was mine. The fountain tho not Known,
Yet that there must be one was plainly shewn.
Which fountain of Delights must needs be Lov
As all the Goodness of the things did prov.
It shines upon me from the highest Skies,
And all its Creatures for my sake doth prize,
Of whose Enjoyment I am made the End.
While how the same is so I comprehend.
| The poetical works of Thomas Traherne | |