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 |  |
The Demonstration.
1
The Highest Things are Easiest to be shewn,And only capable of being Known.
A Miste involvs the Ey,
While in the Middle it doth lie;
And till the Ends of Things are seen,
The Way's uncertain that doth stand between.
As in the Air we see the Clouds
Like Winding Sheets, or Shrouds;
Which tho they nearer are obscure
The Sun, which Higher far, is far more Pure.
2
Its very Brightness makes it neer the Ey,Tho many thousand Leagues beyond the Skie.
Its Beams by violence
Invade, and ravish distant Sence.
Only Extremes and Hights are Known;
No Certainty, where no Perfection's shewn.
Extremities of Blessedness
Compell us to confess
A GOD indeed. Whose Excellence,
In all his Works, must needs exceed all Sence.
54
3
And for this Caus Incredibles aloneMay be by Demonstration to us shewn.
Those Things that are most Bright
Sun-like appear in their own Light.
And Nothing's truly seen that's Mean:
Be it a Sand, an Acorn, or a Bean,
It must be clothd with Endless Glory,
Before its perfect Story
(Be the Spirit ne're so Clear)
Can in its Causes and its Ends appear.
4
What can be more Incredible then this,Where may we find a more profound Abyss?
What Heavnly Height can be
Transcendent to this Summitie!
What more Desirable Object can
Be oferd to the Soul of Hungering Man!
His Gifts as they to us com down
Are infinit, and crown
The Soul with Strange Fruitions; yet
Returning from us they more value get.
5
And what then this can be more Plain and Clear?What Truth then this more Evident appear!
The GODHEAD cannot prize
The Sun at all, nor yet the Skies,
Or Air, or Earth, or Trees, or Seas,
Or Stars, unless the Soul of Man they pleas.
He neither sees with Humane Eys
Nor needs Himself Seas Skies
Or Earth, or any thing: He draws
No Breath, nor Eats or Drinks by Natures Laws.
55
6
The Joy and Pleasure which his Soul doth takeIn all his Works, is for his Creatures sake.
So Great a Certainty
We in this Holy Doctrine see
That there could be no Worth at all
In any Thing Material Great or Small
Were not som Creature more Alive,
Whence it might Worth Derive.
GOD is the Spring whence Things came forth
Souls are the fountains of their Real Worth.
7
The Joy and Pleasure which his Soul doth takeIn all his Works is for his Creatures sake
Yet doth he take Delight
Thats altogether Infinite
In them even as they from him com
For such his Lov and Goodness is, the Sum
Of all his Happiness doth seem,
At least in his Esteem,
In that Delight and Joy to lie
Which is his Blessed Creatures Melodie.
8
In them he sees, and feels, and Smels, and Lives,In them Affected is to whom he gives:
In them ten thousand Ways,
He all his Works again enjoys,
All things from Him to Him proceed
By them; Are His in them: As if indeed
His Godhead did it self exceed.
To them He all Conveys;
Nay even Himself: He is the End
To whom in them Himself, and All things tend.
| The poetical works of Thomas Traherne | |