![]() |
Classic and Contemporary Poetry
S. JAMES BP. OF JERUSALEM, by JOSEPH BEAUMONT First Line: All yee whose pride is built upon Last Line: In truth is, what's in shadows heere. Subject(s): Christianity; Jerusalem; Jesus Christ - Legends; Passover; Saints | |||
ALL yee whose Pride is built upon Some generous relation To Noble Kindred, come & see A Man whose Consanguinitie Intitles Him unto a Name Of far more illustrious Fame Then that big Traine of Words, wherby The Stiles of Princes swell so high: Come see a Man, who is no lesse Then Brother to ye Lord of Blisse. Yet his aspiring Soule is not Content with this alliance, but With brave ambition strives to be Neerer in Fraternitie Then Natures casuall hand had plac'd him, With royall Parents when it grac'd him. James will be Father to his owne Nobilitie, & wear no Crowne But what he wins; by Virtue He Brother to ye Lord will be. Wherfore all his Noble paces With faithfull diligence he traces, Through every hard Heroik step Of Life & Death he climbeth up; And let Jerusalem witnesse be Unto this great Veritie; Jerusalem, which having lost Its Sceptre, now againe may bost Of that reverend Throne, wch there This glorious Bishop first did reare. A Throne, but not of pomp & state; A Throne on which all Meeknes sate, A Throne of Love, a Throne wheron Reigned pure Devotion. Nor could lesse expected be From Him, whose Life was Pietie, Whose Meat & Drink was to fullfill His dearest Masters royall will. Ne'r did ye dangerous Blood of grape Staine his most abstemious lip; Onely Virgin Fountains were Both his Cellars & his Beere, Which pure & coole did best agree With his unspotted Chastitie. Nor did ye rampant flesh of Beasts E'r reek in his grave simple Feasts; His highest, & his daintiest Dishes Were some modest sober fishes, Meat very correspondent, where Onely water serv'd for beere. Delicious Oiles did never wet His Body with lacivious Sweat, No tender Bath's unmanly heat His hardy skin effeminate. O no; behold his reverend knee All plated with austeritie, No Camells rigid knee can show More patient Brawne then there doth grow: For on ye Temples Marble Floore So oft he kneel'd, that what before Was tender flesh, is now all one With ye Sacred Pavements Stone. Nay ev'n his forehead you may see Seal'd with ye same Severitie; Prostration in his Prayers had There ye like impression made, And mark'd him out for one, whose Zeale No wearinesse could ever feele. What wonder now, if He no more Can hide his worth as heretofore, Which all ye World that hath but eyes Ingraven in his face descries. Plaine they descry it, & confesse, How much of Heavn it doth expresse: For on their knees all in his way The ravish'd People humbly pray But to kisse ye utmost hemme Of that robe, yt kisseth Him; That they may their lips therby, And their kisses sanctifie. Nay ye high & sirly Priest Convinced is among ye rest, And his great Right imparts to him, Who a worthier Priest doth seeme; James may now have leave into The Sacred Oracle to goe, And injoy ye matchlesse glory Of that Noble Oratorie. But Winds & Seas more trusty far, And constant then ye People are; And no Nations ever use Such shamelesse Treason as ye Jews. Jews admire & love to day Him, whom to morrow they can slay; Jews can with the same lips kisse Thee, Which by & by shall taunt & hisse Thee. Jewish Mouths can speak all good Of Thee, & forthwith suck thy Blood. 'Twas now their Passover, a Feast In which a Lambs blood was ye best That should be shed, but cursed They Humane veins will ope to Day JESU'S Name & Doctrine still Perverse Jerusalem did fill With zealous Rage, wch will not see How Maries Son the Christ can be. James therfore now must plainly show Whither He thinks Him so or no, And from ye Temples Battlement His full opinion represent. Fooles! & what can James professe But truth of Him, who is no lesse Then Truth it Selfe? He knows full well How on this very Pinnacle His Master did that Foe subdue Who from Hells bottome thither flew. Him therefore He proclaimes aloud And his great Truths to all ye Crowd: JESUS IS GOD cries He, & this Temple's his Fathers House, & His. Jesus, whom on ye Crosse you nayld, Dy'd, but over Death prevaild, And laden with Hells spoiles is gone Home unto his heavnly Throne. At this th' impatient People crie Intolerable Blasphemie! Downe with him from that Holy Place Which he profanes: The Law doth passe His capitall Sentence; Throw him downe Lest We make his Crime our owne. Madnes was ready to fullfill The furious Peoples bloody Will; For those above feard not to throw The Martyr downe to them below. Indeed they thought they threw him downe, But helped him upward to his Crowne. Saints by such falls as these rebound To highest Heavns from lowest ground. Yet James by this not fully slaine Feeles their furious Spight againe: A Fullers club was soone at hand, And Rage as ready at Command; With this & that at Him they flie, And in Him at Pietie. First their barbarous ears they stop, Then his reverend Head break ope, And their Monstrous selves they staine With his Blood, and with his Braine. The Passover did never know A Lamb so pure & mild as Thou Great Saint but that whose eve did see, The Holy Lamb, wch dy'd for Thee. He dy'd for Thee, & Thou againe For Him, & for His Truth art slaine; Slaine indeed, but slaine into A better Life then this below; A Life, which will exalt Thee higher Upon a fairer Temples Spire Then whence Thou fell'st, a Temple where In Truth is, what's in Shadows heere. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ST. AGNES' EVE by KENNETH FEARING THINKING ABOUT PAUL CELAN by DENISE LEVERTOV THE TEMPTATIONS OF SAINT ANTHONY by PHYLLIS MCGINLEY EL SANTO NINO DE ATOCHA by PAT MORA LA SAGRADA FAMILIA by PAT MORA THE VISITATION / LA VISITACION by PAT MORA NUESTRA SENORA DE LA ANUNCIACION by PAT MORA Γενεθλιακον by JOSEPH BEAUMONT Γενεθλιακον by JOSEPH BEAUMONT A CONCLUSORIE HUMNE TO THE SAME WEEK; & FOR MY FRIEND by JOSEPH BEAUMONT |
|