Marie Magdalens Lamentations for the Losse of her Master Iesus [by Gervase Markham] |
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Marie Magdalens fourth Lamentation.
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 | Marie Magdalens Lamentations for the Losse of her Master Iesus |  |
Marie Magdalens fourth Lamentation.
Marie bewailes the losse of that part which Christ promised her: when he said, Marie hath chosen the better part, which shall not be taken from her.
It comforts me to send forth dryrie plaints,
To fill the aire vvith my uncessant cries,
To volley forth a sea of sad laments,
With liquid teares to moisten still mine eies:
Yet neither plaints, nor cries, laments, nor teares,
Can serve, can ease, can salve, can shew my feares.
To fill the aire vvith my uncessant cries,
To volley forth a sea of sad laments,
With liquid teares to moisten still mine eies:
Yet neither plaints, nor cries, laments, nor teares,
Can serve, can ease, can salve, can shew my feares.
For all inioin'd to doe their best availe,
To helpe the mourne of my greefe-burthened soule,
Persuade me still it is my best to vvaile,
And spend the day in pittie-pleading dole:
Sith vvhom I chose, the comfort of my heart,
Is now bereft (oh care-increasing smart.)
To helpe the mourne of my greefe-burthened soule,
Persuade me still it is my best to vvaile,
And spend the day in pittie-pleading dole:
Sith vvhom I chose, the comfort of my heart,
Is now bereft (oh care-increasing smart.)
That I did chuse the best and precious part,
It is no doubt, sith Christ I only chose,
My Lord, the soveraigne of my zealous heart,
Whom to possesse; I wish my life to lose:
But how I have it now, I cannot say,
Sith he that vvas that part, is tane away.
It is no doubt, sith Christ I only chose,
My Lord, the soveraigne of my zealous heart,
Whom to possesse; I wish my life to lose:
But how I have it now, I cannot say,
Sith he that vvas that part, is tane away.
Ah could I still have kept him vvith me here,
I vvould not thus have lost him from my sight,
No, I vvould not have parted from my deare,
If to my vvill I had obtained might:
And might I now vvith teares his presence buy,
Rather than lose it, I all chance vvould trie.
I vvould not thus have lost him from my sight,
No, I vvould not have parted from my deare,
If to my vvill I had obtained might:
And might I now vvith teares his presence buy,
Rather than lose it, I all chance vvould trie.
Sith then I nothing seeke, but vvhat I chose,
And losse of choice is all my combats cause,
Either vouchsafe this part I doe not lose,
Or I see not how to averre this clause:
Or how (poore vvretch) I now may truly say,
I chose best part, vvhich is not ta'ne away.
And losse of choice is all my combats cause,
Either vouchsafe this part I doe not lose,
Or I see not how to averre this clause:
Or how (poore vvretch) I now may truly say,
I chose best part, vvhich is not ta'ne away.
But happily, his heavenly meaning vvas,
That it should not be taken from my heart,
Though from mine eies thou suffered it to passe,
Thy inward presence should supplie this part:
And yet I thinke if thou vvithin me vvere,
I should thee feele (and felt) not seeke thee here.
That it should not be taken from my heart,
Though from mine eies thou suffered it to passe,
Thy inward presence should supplie this part:
And yet I thinke if thou vvithin me vvere,
I should thee feele (and felt) not seeke thee here.
Thou art too hote a fire to heat my breast,
And not to burne me vvith thy scorching flame;
Thy glorious light vvould not leave me to rest
In this blind darkenesse, if I had the same:
For if thy glorie in me duly shin'd,
It vvould reioice and cheere my dying mind.
And not to burne me vvith thy scorching flame;
Thy glorious light vvould not leave me to rest
In this blind darkenesse, if I had the same:
For if thy glorie in me duly shin'd,
It vvould reioice and cheere my dying mind.
No, no, if that I had the Virgins boy,
My innocent heart (vvhich never yet hath knowne
To counterfeit an outside of hid ioy)
Could not complain and make such greevous mone:
Nor should my thoughts feed on a dead mās grave,
If they at home so sweet a feast might have.
My innocent heart (vvhich never yet hath knowne
To counterfeit an outside of hid ioy)
Could not complain and make such greevous mone:
Nor should my thoughts feed on a dead mās grave,
If they at home so sweet a feast might have.
My love vvould not retaine a thought to spare,
Nor have an idle minute for to spend,
In any other action for to care,
But in the sweet amplecting of my freind:
Ah nothing could vvithdraw my mind from this,
To abridge least part in me from such a blisse.
Nor have an idle minute for to spend,
In any other action for to care,
But in the sweet amplecting of my freind:
Ah nothing could vvithdraw my mind from this,
To abridge least part in me from such a blisse.
My starving thirst for his lost sight is such,
The sea of my still flowing ioies againe
So able is to let me drinke as much
As may suffice to fill my longing paine:
That though each part, vvhole tides of ioy should drinke,
Yet all too few my greedie drought vvould thinke.
The sea of my still flowing ioies againe
So able is to let me drinke as much
As may suffice to fill my longing paine:
That though each part, vvhole tides of ioy should drinke,
Yet all too few my greedie drought vvould thinke.
In true loves hearts each part is made an eie,
And every thought prefixed for a looke,
Then I so sweet an obiect soone vvould spie,
That mongst so many eyes should darknesse brooke:
So cleare a shine, so bright, so cleare a light,
Could not be hidden from a lovers sight.
And every thought prefixed for a looke,
Then I so sweet an obiect soone vvould spie,
That mongst so many eyes should darknesse brooke:
So cleare a shine, so bright, so cleare a light,
Could not be hidden from a lovers sight.
Yea doubtlesse had the Lord in me a seat,
I vvould not envie at the fortunes sweet
Of mightiest prince (or empresse ne're so great)
Yea I vvould more (if so he thought me meet)
Reioice in earth, to be his Tombe or shrine,
Than be in heaven, a Throne or Saints faire shine.
I vvould not envie at the fortunes sweet
Of mightiest prince (or empresse ne're so great)
Yea I vvould more (if so he thought me meet)
Reioice in earth, to be his Tombe or shrine,
Than be in heaven, a Throne or Saints faire shine.
But peradventure now tis vvith my mind,
As earst it vvas vvith his Apostles eyes,
Who on the sea thought they a ghost did find,
When there he walked in miraculous vvise:
And I knowing more his bodies shape than might,
Take him but for a fancie in hearts sight.
As earst it vvas vvith his Apostles eyes,
Who on the sea thought they a ghost did find,
When there he walked in miraculous vvise:
And I knowing more his bodies shape than might,
Take him but for a fancie in hearts sight.
But oh (sad soule) it seemes too strange that he,
He vvhom I seeke, and hee for vvhom I vveepe,
Should to my plainings thus estranged be,
And leave me to these fits vvhich sorrovv keepe:
If that in me a cause he did not see,
For vvhich he vvill not yet be seene of mee.
He vvhom I seeke, and hee for vvhom I vveepe,
Should to my plainings thus estranged be,
And leave me to these fits vvhich sorrovv keepe:
If that in me a cause he did not see,
For vvhich he vvill not yet be seene of mee.
For hence it comes that vvater-vvasted eies,
Commaund a fresh incessant showers of teares,
And drive my breast, vvhich under burthen cries,
Vnto a nevv made storme of sighes and feares:
And last my soule (oh soule vvith vvoe opprest)
Is made a prisoner to my owne unrest.
Commaund a fresh incessant showers of teares,
And drive my breast, vvhich under burthen cries,
Vnto a nevv made storme of sighes and feares:
And last my soule (oh soule vvith vvoe opprest)
Is made a prisoner to my owne unrest.
My heart shall never cease to tire my toung,
My toung shall never rest to tell my smart,
My smart shall cause me still to vvaile my vvrong,
My vvrong (bereaving me of my best part:)
So heart, so toung, so smart, shall all accord,
To sigh, tell, shew, my greefes for my dead Lord.
My toung shall never rest to tell my smart,
My smart shall cause me still to vvaile my vvrong,
My vvrong (bereaving me of my best part:)
So heart, so toung, so smart, shall all accord,
To sigh, tell, shew, my greefes for my dead Lord.
I silly soule, sith I my mirth have lost,
For my part vvill make much of heartie sorrow,
And sith my ioy vvith such deepe vvoe is crost,
In bitter teares all comfort I vvill borrow:
Which I presume I lawfully may sheed,
Fetching my vvarrant from his latest deed.
For my part vvill make much of heartie sorrow,
And sith my ioy vvith such deepe vvoe is crost,
In bitter teares all comfort I vvill borrow:
Which I presume I lawfully may sheed,
Fetching my vvarrant from his latest deed.
Alas, vvhat need had my sweet Lord to weepe
Vpon the crosse, but for our learnings sake;
Which cannot sure be ill for me to keepe,
That he thought good to give, tis good to take:
My vveeping cannot preiudice my blisse,
A vvorld of teares cannot bewaile my misse.
Vpon the crosse, but for our learnings sake;
Which cannot sure be ill for me to keepe,
That he thought good to give, tis good to take:
My vveeping cannot preiudice my blisse,
A vvorld of teares cannot bewaile my misse.
I still vvill dravv to my distressed mind
All sad conceits, all heavie pensive musing,
My heart to daily languor I vvill bind,
Where it may pine in vvithered care perusing:
Taking no comfort for my vvoes redresse,
But in consenting to be comfortlesse.
All sad conceits, all heavie pensive musing,
My heart to daily languor I vvill bind,
Where it may pine in vvithered care perusing:
Taking no comfort for my vvoes redresse,
But in consenting to be comfortlesse.
Oh vvould to God I vvere as privie made
Vnto his blessed bodies sweet remove,
To know vvhere that pure vessell now is laid,
As he is vvitting of my saithfull love:
Oh thou my Lord and owner of my soule,
That knowes my heart, and can conceive my dole.
Vnto his blessed bodies sweet remove,
To know vvhere that pure vessell now is laid,
As he is vvitting of my saithfull love:
Oh thou my Lord and owner of my soule,
That knowes my heart, and can conceive my dole.
If skies bright Sunne to shew his beames did shame,
When light of lights vvas darkened vvith disgrace,
If heavens their beautie did vvith louring staine,
Suting their colours to their makers case,
If Natures frame did (melting) shake to see
Natures faire Author us'd unnaturally:
When light of lights vvas darkened vvith disgrace,
If heavens their beautie did vvith louring staine,
Suting their colours to their makers case,
If Natures frame did (melting) shake to see
Natures faire Author us'd unnaturally:
Why should not I, vvhose over-burthening smart
Hath equall cause to waile his heavie case,
Helpe in this bad consort to beare a part?
Especially sith in this little space,
Hath equall cause to waile his heavie case,
Helpe in this bad consort to beare a part?
Especially sith in this little space,
His bodies losse hath mourners number lessened,
And yet the cause of vveeping is increased:
The Apostles all are fled, his friends afraid,
And I alone to vveepe for all am staid.
And yet the cause of vveeping is increased:
The Apostles all are fled, his friends afraid,
And I alone to vveepe for all am staid.
| Marie Magdalens Lamentations for the Losse of her Master Iesus | |