THE

FLAMING HEART

V PON THE BOOK AND
Picture of the seraphicall saint

TERESA,

(AS SHE IS VSVALLY EX-
pressed with a SERAPHIM
biside her.)

W

Ell meaning readers! you that come as freinds
And catch the pretious name this peice pretends;

Make not too much hast to' admire

That fair-cheek't fallacy of fire.

That is a SERAPHIM, they say
And this the great TERESIA.
Readers, be rul'd by me; & make
Here a well-plac't & wise mistake
You must transpose the picture quite,
And spell it wrong to read it right;
Read HIM for her, & her for him;
And call the SAINT the SERAPHIM.

Painter, what didst thou vnderstand

To put her dart into his hand!
See, euen the yeares & size of him

Showes this the mother SERAPHIM.

This is the mistresse flame; & duteous he

Her happy fire-works, here, comes down to see.
O most poor-spirited of men!

Had thy cold Pencil kist her PEN

Thou couldst not so vnkindly err

To show vs This faint shade for HER

ΙΟ

20

The Flaming Heart &c. First published in 48 (Il. 1–84 only) with heading: The flaming Heart.

Vpon the booke and picture of Teresa.

As she is usually expressed with a Seraphim beside her. Lines 85-108 added in 52. 3 too] so 48 8 mistake] mistake. 48 11 Read] 18 happy] happier 48 see.

And 48

48: see 52

16

Showes] Shew 48

22 HER] Her. 48

Why man, this speakes pure mortall frame;

And mockes with female FROST loue's manly flame.

One would suspect thou meant'st to paint
Some weak, inferiour, woman saint.

But had thy pale-fac't purple took

Fire from the burning cheeks of that bright Booke
Thou wouldst on her haue heap't vp all

That could be found SERAPHICALL;
What e're this youth of fire weares fair,
Rosy fingers, radiant hair,

Glowing cheek, & glistering wings,
All those fair & flagrant things,

But before all, that fiery DART

Had fill'd the Hand of this great HEART.
Doe then as equall right requires,

Since His the blushes be, & her's the fires,
Resume & rectify thy rude design;
Vndresse thy Seraphim into MINE.
Redeem this iniury of thy art;
Giue HIM the vail, giue her the dart.

Giue Him the vail; that he may couer

The Red cheeks of a riuall'd louer.
Asham'd that our world, now, can show
Nests of new Seraphims here below.

Giue her the DART for it is she

(Fair youth) shootes both thy shaft & THEE
Say, all ye wise & well-peirc't hearts.
That liue & dy amidst her darts,

What is't your tastfull spirits doe proue

In that rare life of Her, and loue?
Say & bear wittnes. Sends she not

A SERAPHIM at euery shott?

What magazins of immortall ARMES there shine!
Heaun's great artillery in each loue-spun line.
Giue then the dart to her who giues the flame ;
Giue him the veil, who kindly takes the shame.
But if it be the frequent fate

Of worst faults to be fortunate;

25 paint 48 print 52 form'd 48

cheek] cheekes 48
Grosart 36 Had] She 48
takes 48 giues 52

28 cheeks] checks 52

30 found]

58 kindly

31 What] But 48 weares] wore 48 33 34 those] those, 48 flagrant] fragrant 48 shaft] shafts 48

If all 's præscription ; & proud wrong
Hearkens not to an humble song;
For all the gallantry of him,

Giue me the suffring SERAPHIM.

His be the brauery of all those Bright things,
The glowing cheekes, the glistering wings;
The Rosy hand, the radiant DART ;
Leaue HER alone THE FLAMING HEART.

Leaue her that; & thou shalt leaue her
Not one loose shaft but loue's whole quiuer.
For in loue's feild was neuer found

A nobler weapon then a WOVnd.
Loue's passiues are his actiu'st part.
The wounded is the wounding heart.

O HEART! the æquall poise of lou'es both parts
Bigge alike with wounds & darts.

Liue in these conquering leaues; liue all the same;
And walk through all tongues one triumphant FLAME
Liue here, great HEART; & loue and dy & kill ;
And bleed & wound; and yeild & conquer still.
Let this immortall life wherere it comes
Walk in a crowd of loues & MARTYRDOMES.
Let mystick DEATHS wait on't; & wise soules be
The loue-slain wittnesses of this life of thee.
O sweet incendiary! shew here thy art,
Vpon this carcasse of a hard, cold, hart,
Let all thy scatter'd shafts of light, that play
Among the leaues of thy larg Books of day,
Combin'd against this BREST at once break in
And take away from me my self & sin,
This gratious Robbery shall thy bounty be;
And my best fortunes such fair spoiles of me.
O thou vndanted daughter of desires!

By all thy dowr of LIGHTS & FIRES;

By all the eagle in thee, all the doue;

By all thy liues & deaths of loue;

By thy larg draughts of intellectuall day,

And by thy thirsts of loue more large then they;

64 suffring] suffting] 52

glistering] glittering 48

65 things, 48: things. 52 74 heart. 48: heart 52

48: wound 52 darts.] darts, 48

ll. 85-108 not in 48

thrists 52 (a possible form, however; see O.E.D. art. 'thirst')

70

80

90

66

76 wounds

98 thirsts]

By all thy brim-fill'd Bowles of feirce desire
By thy last Morning's draught of liquid fire;
By the full kingdome of that finall kisse
That seiz'd thy parting Soul, & seal'd thee his;
By all the heau'ns thou hast in him
(Fair sister of the SERAPHIM!

By all of HIM we haue in THEE ;
Leaue nothing of my SELF in me.
Let me so read thy life, that I
Vnto all life of mine may dy.

A SONG.

Ord, when the sense of thy sweet grace

Lord,

Sends vp my soul to seek thy face.
Thy blessed eyes breed such desire,
I dy in loue's delicious Fire.

O loue, I am thy SACRIFICE.
Be still triumphant, blessed eyes.
Still shine on me, fair suns! that I
Still may behold, though still I dy.
Second part.

Though still I dy, I liue again;
Still longing so to be still slain,
So gainfull is such losse of breath,
I dy euen in desire of death.

Still liue in me this louing strife
Of liuing DEATH & dying Life.
For while thou sweetly slayest me
Dead to my selfe, I liue in Thee.

A Song. First published in 48 with heading: A Song of divine Love. MS. Ar. Heading in A1: A Songe I grace] geace 52

The second 48

longing 48

II breath, 48: breath. 52

8-9 Second]

13 louing]

PRAYER.

AN ODE, WHICH WAS
Præfixed to a little Prayer-book
giuen to a young

GENTLE-WOMAN.

La nest of new-born sweets;

O here a little volume, but great Book!

A

Whose natiue fires disdaining

To ly thus folded, & complaining
Of these ignoble sheets,
Affect more comly bands

(Fair one) from thy kind hands
And confidently look

To find the rest

Of a rich binding in your BREST.

It is, in one choise handfull, heauenn; & all
Heaun's Royall host; incamp't thus small
To proue that true, schooles vse to tell,
Ten thousand Angels in one point can dwell.
It is loue's great artillery

Which here contracts it self, & comes to ly

Close couch't in your white bosom : & from thence

As from a snowy fortresse of defence,

Against your ghostly foes to take your part,

And fortify the hold of your chast heart.

It is an armory of light

Let constant vse but keep it bright,

You'l find it yeilds

To holy hands & humble hearts

More swords & sheilds

Then sin hath snares, or Hell hath darts.

10

20

Prayer. &c. For earlier version in 46 and collation see p. 126, above.

52 generally follows 48, with exceptions noted below. giuen] giuin 52 young] young. 52

and little.

q.v. their 52

foes 52

(Heading)

48 omits the words Prayer

11 48 conforms to punctuation of 46,

16 it] il 52

7 thy 48: the 52 13 true, 48: true 52 46 17 your 48: 19 your ghostly foes] the Ghostly foe 48: their ghostly your part 48: their part 52 20 your 48: their 52

(probably yr in Crashaw's MS. in each of these instances)