The Lord borne on the ass. Does He, base ass, thus deign to honour thee, Alas, Thy patience strangely tried I see, Thee carried thus who bear'st sin's awful load! B. ANOTHER RENDERING. A common ass does the Lord dignify? O, how unworthy such a burden high! With the Lord's patience, ah, what can compare? So to be borne, this also was to bear. R. WI. LXXXVII. Videbunt Filium hominis venientem in nube. Luc. xxi. 27. Immo, veni: aërios, ô Christe, accingere currus, Inque triumphali nube coruscus ades. Nubem quaeris erunt nostra, ah! suspiria nubes: They shall see the Son of Man coming in a cloud. LXXXVIII. Nisi digitum immisero, &c. Joan. xx. 25. G. Impius ergo iterum clavos? iterum impius hastam ? CHRIST TO THOMAS. Except I shall put my finger, d'c. Thy impious finger, would it, then, re-borrow The nails, the spear, each circumstance of sorrow? That on a living Christ thou mayst rely, LXXXIX. Ad Judaeos mactatores S. Stephani. Act. vi. 9-12. To the Jews stoning St. Stephen. XC. Sancto Joanni dilecto discipulo. G. Tu fruere, augustoque sinu caput abde, quod ô tum Tu fruere; et sacro dum te sic pectore portat, To St. John the beloved disciple. Upon His breast thy happy head reposes, G. Nor would that pillow change for Heaven's own roses : While thus His bosom bears up happy thee, XCI. In lactentes martyres. Matt. ii. 16, 17. Vulnera natorum qui vidit et ubera matrum, Upon the infant martyrs. To see both blended in one flood, The mothers' milk, the childrens' blood, Makes me doubt if Heaven will gather Roses hence, or lillies rather. ANOTHER RENDERING. Who saw the infants' blood and milk of mother Flowing, alas, in a commingl'd tide, Doubtingly ask'd, and gaz'd from one to other, Whether Heav'n's rose or lily they espy'd. XCII. Deus nobiscum. Matt. i. 23. G. CR. G. Nobiscum Deus est? vestrum hoc est, hei mihi! vestrum : His en primitias n ́strac, Pater, accipe n›itis ; Vit an ex pas empi, vivere de HHL Ina, Pater, trade pluvia Olim ibit fluviis 1. ustaverit ista: latus omne suis. Tue sitiat livet et sitiat, bibet et bibet us que : Tune teit toto fonte superba frui. Nane hastae interea possit praeludere culter: XCIV. In Epiphaniam Domini. Matt. ii. 2. Non solita contenta dies face lucis Eoae, Ecce micat radiis caesariata novis. Porsa sagax, propera: discurre per ardua regum 1 For Crashaw's own full rendering of this epigram, see our vol. i. pp. 15-9. G. Quaere ô, quae intepuit Reginae purpura partu; The Epiphany of our Lord. Scorning her wonted herald, lo, the Day keeps Such festival, in Bethlehem's manger weeps. CL. XCV. Ecce quaerebamus te, &c. Luc. ii. 49. Te quaero misera, et quaero: tu nunc quoque tractas Res Patris; Pater est unica cura tibi. Quippe quod ad poenas tantum et tot nomina mortis, Ad luctum et lacrymas, hei mihi! mater ego. Lo, we have sought Thee, dc. I seek Thee mourning, and I seek again : Thou still Thy Father's business dost attend; And me, alas, sad mother of all pain, Of grief and tears, Thou surely wilt befriend. G. |