John Donne - Delphi Poets Series (70 page)

Et te spectator plusquam delectat
Adulter,

saith
Martiall
: And
Horace
, because many
lights
would not shew him enough, created many
Images
of the same
Obiect
by
wainscoting
his
chamber
with
looking-glasses
: so that
Venus
flyes not
light
, so much as
Mercury
, who creeping into our
vnderstanding
, our
darkenesse
would bee defeated, if hee were perceiued. Then either this
shaddow
confesseth that same darke
Melancholy Repentance
, which accompanies; or that so
violent fires
, needes some
shadowy
refreshing, and
Intermission
: Or else
light
signifying both
day
and
youth
, and
shadow
both
night
and
Age
, shee pronounceth by this that shee professeth both all
persons
and
times
.

IX. Why is Venus-Starre multi-nominous, called both Hesperus and Vesper?

TH E
Moone
hath as many
names
, but not as she is a
starre
, but as she hath diuers
gouernments
; but
Venus
is
multinominous
to giue example to her
prostitute disciples,
who so often, either to
renew
or
refresh
themselues towards
louers
, or to
disguise
themselues from
Magistrates
, are to take
new names.
It may be she takes
new names
after her many
functions
, for, as she is
Supreme Monarch
of all
Sunnes
at large (which is
Iust
) so is she ioyned in commission with all
Mythologicks
, with
Iuno, Diana,
and all others for
Marriage
. It may bee because of the diuers
names
to her selfe, for her
Affections
haue more
names
than any
vice: scilicet; Pollution, Fornication, Adultery, Lay-Incest, Church-Incest, Rape, Sodomy, Mascupation,  Masturbation,
and a thousand others. Perchance her diuers
names
shewed her appliablenesse to diuers men, for
Neptune
distilled and wet her in
Loue
, the
Sunne
warmes and melts her,
Mercury
perswaded and swore her,
Iupiters
authority secur’d, and
Vulcan
hammer’d her. As
Hesperus
she presents you with her
bosom vitale
, because it is
wholesomest
in the morning: As
Vesper
with her
bonum delectabile,
because it is
pleasantest
in the
Euening
. And because
industrious
men rise and indure with the
Sunne
in their
ciuill
businesses, this
starre
calls them vp a little before, and remembers them againe a little after for her businesse; for certainely;

Venit
Hesperus, ite
capellæ:

was spoken to
louers
in the persons of
Goates.

X. Why are New Officers least oppressing?

MUST the old Prouerbe, that
Old dogges bite sorest,
bee true in all kind of
dogges
? Me thinkes the fresh
memory
they haue of the
mony
they parted with for the
place
, should hasten them for the
re-imbursing:
And perchance they do but seeme easier to their
suitors
; who (as all other
Patients
) do account all change of paine, easie. But if it bee so, it is either because the sodaine
sense
and
contentment
of the
honour
of the
place
, retards and remits the rage of their
profits
, and so hauing stayed their
stomackes
, they forbeare the second
course
a while: Or hauing ouercome the
steepest
part of the
hill
, and clambered aboue
Competitions
and
Oppositions
they dare loyter, and take breath: Perchance being come from
places
, where they tasted
no gaine,
a
little
seemes
much
to them at first, for it is
long before a Christian conscience ouertakes, or strayes into an Officers heart.
It may be that out of the
generall disease
of all men not to loue the
memory
of a
predecessor
, they seeke to disgrace them by such
easinesse
, and make good
first Impressions,
that so hauing drawne much
water
to their
Mill
, they may afterwards
grind
at ease: For if fro[m] the rules of good
Horse-man-ship
, they thought it wholesome to
jet
out in a moderate
pace
, they should also take vp towards their
Iourney’s
end; not mend their
pace
continually, and
gallop
to their
Innes-doore,
the
Graue
; except perchance their
conscience
at that time so touch them, that they thinke it an
Iniury
and
damage
both to him that must
sell
, and to him that must
buy
the
Office
after their
death
; and a kind of
dilapidation
if they by continuing
honest
should discredit the place, and bring it to a
lower-rent,
or
vnder-value.

The Letters

Anne More, the poet’s wife

LIST OF LETTERS

CONTENTS

I. To the worthiest Lady M
rs
Bridget White.

II. To the worthiest Lady M
rs
B. W.

III. To the same.

IV. To the Honourable Lady M
rs
B. W.

V. To the Honourable L. the Lady Kingsmel upon the death of her Husband.

VI. To my honoured friend S
r
T. Lucey.

VII. To the Noblest Knight S
r
Edward Herbert L. of Cherbury; sent to him with his Book Biathanatos.

VIII. To S
r
Robert Carre now Earle of Ankerum, with my Book Biathanatos at my going into Germany.

IX. To the Countesse of Bedford.

X. To the right honourable the Countess of Montgomery.

XI. To Sir H. R. [To Sir H. G.]

XII. To Sir H. G.

XIII. To my worthy and honoured friend M
r
George Garet.

XIV. To M
r
George Garet.

XV. To M
rs
Martha Garet.

XVI. To Sir Thomas Roe.

XVII. To all my friends: Sir H. Goodere.

XVIII. To Sir H. Goodere.

XIX. To Sir H. Goodere.

XX. To the same.

XXI. To S
r
H. G.

XXII. SIR,

XXIII. To the Countesse of Bedford.

XXIV. To the Honourable Knight Sir H. Goodere.

XXV. To Sir H. G.

XXVI. To Sir G. F.

XXVII. To Sir H. G.

XXVIII. To the Honourable Kt S
r
H. Goodere one of the Gent. of his Majesties privy Chamber.

XXIX. To Sr H. G.

XXX. To Sir H. G.

XXXI. To your selfe.

XXXII. To my Lord G. H.

XXXIII. To Sir H. G.

XXXIV. To my very true and very good friend Sir Henry Goodere.

XXXV. To S
r
G. M.

XXXVI. To S
r
H. G.

XXXVII. To your selfe.

XXXVIII. To Sir H. G.

XXXIX. To my most worthy friend Sir Henry Goodere.

XL. To Sir I. H.

XLI. To Sir H. Wootton.

XLII. To the Honorable Knight Sir H. Goodere.

XLIII. To Sir H. Wotton.

XLIV. A. V. Merced.

XLV. To the best Knight Sir H. Wootton.

XLVI. To Sir H. G.

XLVII. To the Honourable Knight Sir H. Goodere.

XLVIII. To the Honourable Knight H. G.

XLIX. To Sir H. G.

L. To the Honourable Sir R. D.

LI. To the Honourable Knight Sir H. Goodere.

LII. To his honourable friend S
r
H. G.

LIII. To S
r
T. H.

LIV. To Sir H. G.

LV. To the Honourable Knight Sir H. G.

LVI. To Sir H. Goodere at Polesworth.

LVII. To the best Knight Sir H. G.

LVIII. To my best of friends Sir H. G.

LIX. To my worthy friend G. K.

LX. To Sir G. B.

LXI. To the Honourable Knight Sir G. P.

LXII. To my much honoured friend S
r
T. Lucy.

LXIII. To the honourable Knight Sir H. G.

LXIV. To my good friend Sr H. G.

LXV. To Sir H. G.

LXVI. To the worthy Knight Sir Tho. Lucy.

LXVII. To Sir G. B.

LXVIII. To Sir H. Goodere.

LXIX. To Sir H. G.

LXX. To Sir T. R.

LXXI. To Sir Henry Goodere.

LXXII. To my good friend G. H.

LXXIII. To your self.

LXXIV. To the gallant Knight Sir Tho. Lucy.

LXXV. To Sir H. G.

LXXVI. To Sir H. G.

LXXVII. To Sir G. H.

LXXVIII. To Sir H. G.

LXXIX. To Sir Thomas Lucy.

LXXX. To the honourable Knight Sr Henry Goodere.

LXXXI. To Sir H. G. at Polesworth.

LXXXII. To my worthy friend F. H.

LXXXIII. To Sir H. G.

LXXXIV. To the worthiest Knight Sir Henry Goodere.

LXXXV. To my honoured friend G. G. Esquire.

LXXXVI. To my honoured friend G. G. Esquire.

LXXXVII. SIR,

LXXXVIII. To the Lady G.

LXXXIX. To your selfe.

XC. To the Honourable Knight, Sir Robert Karre.

XCI. To your selfe.

XCII. Sir,

XCIII. To my Honoured friend M
r
George Gerrard.

XCIV. To my very worthy friend Mr George Gerrard.

XCV. To your selfe.

XCVI. To my Honoured friend M. George Garrat.

XCVII. To your fair sister.

XCVIII. To the Honourable Knight Sir Henry Goodere.

XCIX. To the Honourable Knight Sir Robert Karre.

C. To the Honourable Knight Sir Robert Karre Gentleman of his Highnesses Bedchamber.

CI. To the Honourable Knight, Sir Robert Karre.

CII. To the Honourable Knight, Sir Robert Karre.

CIII. To the Honourable Knight, Sir Robert Karre.

CIV. To the Honourable Knight, Sir Robert Karre.

CV. To the Honourable Knight, Sir Robert Karre.

CVI. To my Honoured Friend, Master George Gherard.

CVII. To my very much honoured friend George Garrard Esquire at Sion.

CVIII. To my very much respected friend Mr. George Garrard.

CIX. To my Honoured friend Mr George Gherard, over against Salisbury house.

CX. To the very much Honoured friend George Garret Esquire.

CXI. To the Honourable Knight Sir Robert Karre, Gentleman of his Highnesses Bed-chamber.

CXII. To the Right Honourable the Lord Viscount of Rochester.

CXIII. To the Honourable Knight Sir Robert Karre.

CXIV. To your selfe.

CXV. To the Honourable Knight Sir Robert Karre, Gentleman of his Highnesses Bed chamber.

CXVI. To the Honourable Knight, Sir Robert Karre.

CXVII. To the Honoured Knight, Sir Robert Karre.