The original series was first published on our sister site, Mary's English Dowry, in 2018. I have revised and expanded my original notes. I have also included paraphrases of the stanzas in modern English. The work is offered for EEKPTEE&EA.]
👈The Tears of St Peter -1587 until 1596
El Greco (Domḗnikos Theotokópoulos) 1541-1614
Museo Soumaya at Plaza Carso, Mexico.
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- 21 -
Ah, wretch! why was I nam'd sonne of a doue,
Whose speeches voyded spight and breathed gall?
No kin I am unto the bird of loue:
My stonie name much better sutes my fall:
My othes were stones, my cruell tongue the sling, [125]
My God the mark at which my spight did fling.
Ah, what a sorry and pitiful wretch! Why was I named Bar-Jonah, the “son of a dove,” when, instead of peace and love, fearful spite spewed from my lips in a spirit of bitterness?
No, I am not related to the bird of love, the dove. My other name of 'the rock' suits me better in my stony-hearted fall from grace; my oaths and curses were stones, my cruel tongue the sling and my Lord, the Son of the living God, was the target for my spite.
121. wretch. One driven out of or away from his native country; a banished person; an exile. A vile, sorry, or despicable person; one of opprobrious or reprehensible character; a mean or contemptible creature. Vid. a1555 J. Careless in M. Coverdale Certain Lett. Martyrs (1564) 230 Vnto me moste vile, sinnefull, wicked and vnworthy wretch.
sonne of a doue. Son of a dove. Peter is here referring to his original name and doubtless remembered the words of Christ as reported by St Matthew:
Whom do men say that the Son of man is? But they said: Some John the Baptist, and other some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets. Jesus saith to them: But whom do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven. [Matt. xvi. 13-19]
Bar-Jonah means son of Jonah. Jonah: masc. proper name, biblical prophet and subject of the Book of Jonah, from Hebrew Yonah, literally “dove, pigeon.” OEtD. From earliest times, the dove was associated with peace, at first the peace between man and God restored after the Flood:
And having waited yet seven other days, he again sent forth the dove out of the ark. And she came to him in the evening, carrying a bough of an olive tree, with green leaves, in her mouth. Noe therefore understood that the waters were ceased upon the earth. [Gen. viii. 10-11]
The dove is also associated with the Holy Ghost:
And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape, as a dove upon him; and a voice came from heaven: Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. [Luke iii. 22]
122. voyded. Void. 7. a. Of persons, animals, or their organs: to discharge (some matter) from the body through a natural vent or orifice, esp. through the excretory organs; to eject by excretion or evacuation; also, to spit or pour forth (venom). Vid. 1577 B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach Foure Bks. Husbandry iii. f. 124 The more fylth he voydes at the mouth, the better wyll it be for him. Figurative: 1650 H. Vaughan Silex Scintillans 56 That's base wit, That voyds but filth, and stench.
gall. 3. a. Bitterness of spirit, asperity, rancour (supposed to have its seat in the gall). 1577 R. Stanyhurst Treat. Descr. Irelande vii. f. 27/1, in R. Holinshed Chron. I A pleasant conceyted companion, full of mirth without gall.
123. the bird of love. The dove is associated with romantic love in pagan mythology and art: vid. The Dove by Umberto Eco. The sense here is the scriptural one (vid. 121 supra and e.g., chapter vi. of the Canticle of Canticles).
124. my stonie name. Simon was given the name Peter by Our Lord:
And he [Andrew] brought him to Jesus. And Jesus looking upon him, said: Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is interpreted Peter. [John i. 42]
See also Matt. xvi supra, of which the Douay-Rheims note says:
“Peter, signifying a rock, St. John 1. 42, should be a rock indeed, of invincible strength, for the support of the building of the church; in which building he should be, next to Christ himself, the chief foundation stone, in quality of chief pastor, ruler, and governor; and should have accordingly all fulness of ecclesiastical power, signified by the keys of the kingdom of heaven.‘Upon this rock’: The words of Christ to Peter, spoken in the vulgar language of the Jews which our Lord made use of, were the same as if he had said in English, Thou art a Rock, and upon this rock I will build my church. So that, by the plain course of the words, Peter is here declared to be the rock, upon which the church was to be built: Christ himself being both the principal foundation and founder of the same. Where also note, that Christ, by building his house, that is, his church, upon a rock, has thereby secured it against all storms and floods, like the wise builder, St. Matt. 7. 24, 25."
stonie. 1) referring to Simon’s name, Petrus; 2) ‘Hard’, insensible, or unfeeling, as if consisting of stone; hardened, obdurate. Vid. 1600 W. Shakespeare Merchant of Venice iv. i. 3 A stonie aduersarie, an inhumaine wretch, vncapable of pitty.
125. othes. Oaths.
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Were all the Iewish tyranies too few
To glut thy hungrie lookes with His disgrace?
That thou more hatefull tyrannies must shew,
And spet thy poyson in thy Maker's face? [130]
Didst thou to spare His foes put vp thy sword,
To brandish now thy tongue against thy Lord?
Were all the injustices, abuses of authority and malice on the part of the Jews who brought about the Lord’s disgrace, were they not enough to satisfy thee? Didst thou feel the need for acts more detestable still, and so thou didst spit thy poisonous betrayal in thy Maker’s face? Didst thou put up thy sword into its place to spare the foes of thy Master, only to brandish thy tongue against thy Lord, so to speak, with cutting words of betrayal?
127. & 129. tyranies. 3. a. Tyranny. Arbitrary or oppressive exercise of power; unjustly severe use of one's authority; despotic treatment or influence; harsh, severe, or unmerciful action; with a and plural, an instance of this, a tyrannical act or proceeding. 3. b. Violent or lawless action; violence, outrage, villany. Vid. 1613 S. Purchas Pilgrimage 546 He delights to see men..torn with Elephants. Of these tyrannies he reckons many particulars which he saw.
These tyrannies began with plots to kill Christ and the malicious words and acts would continue through the Passion. Here are some examples:
"Which when the chief priests and the scribes had heard, they sought how they might destroy him. For they feared him, because the whole multitude was in admiration at his doctrine."[Mark xi:18]"Now the feast of the pasch, and of the Azymes was after two days; and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might by some wile lay hold on him, and kill him."[Mark xiv. 1]"And he was teaching daily in the temple. And the chief priests and the scribes and the rulers of the people sought to destroy him:"[Luke xix. 47]"And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might put Jesus to death: but they feared the people."[Luke xxii. 2]"And straightway in the morning, the chief priests holding a consultation with the ancients and the scribes and the whole council, binding Jesus, led him away, and delivered him to Pilate." [Mark xv.1]"And the chief priests and the whole council sought false witness against Jesus, that they might put him to death:" [Matthew xvi. 59]"But the chief priests and ancients persuaded the people, that they should ask for Barabbas, and take Jesus away." [Matthew xxvii. 20]"Pilate saith to them: What shall I do then with Jesus that is called Christ? They say all: Let him be crucified. The governor said to them: Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying: Let him be crucified. And Pilate seeing that he prevailed nothing, but that rather a tumult was made; taking water washed his hands before the people, saying: I am innocent of the blood of this just man; look you to it. And the whole people answering, said: His blood be upon us and our children." [Matt. xxvii. 22-25]"In like manner also the chief priests, with the scribes and ancients, mocking, said: He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him now deliver him if he will have him; for he said: I am the Son of God." [Matt. xxvii. 41-43]"And after these things, Joseph of Arimathea (because he was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews) besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus. And Pilate gave leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus."[John xix. 38]
128. glut. 2. a. figurative. To gratify to the full (in earlier use, a sense or appetite of any kind, now, esp., a ferocious or lustful desire). Also to glut a person, to glut his eyes, etc. with, in something. Vid. 1549 J. Cheke Hurt of Sedicion (ed. 3) sig. C2v You..are better contented to suffer famine..to glutte your lustes, than to liue in quietnesse.
1621 R. Burton Anat. Melancholy ii. iii. iii. 399 A country man may travell from kingdome to kingdome,..and glut his eyes with delightfull obiects.
thy. An alternative reading in some editions is their, referring to those Jews who hungered after the death of Christ (see supra).
hungrie. Hungry. 4. transferred and figurative. Having or characterized by a strong desire or craving. Perhaps a reference to Peter’s keen desire to see what was happening after Christ’s arrest in Gethsemane.
130. spet. Spat. Cf. Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him: and others struck his face with the palms of their hands. [Matt. xxvi. 67]
131. Didst thou to spare His foes put vp thy sword? This a reference to Peter’s action when he saw Christ being seized in the garden of Gethsemane.
Then they came up, and laid hands on Jesus, and held him. And behold one of them that were with Jesus, stretching forth his hand, drew out his sword: and striking the servant of the high priest, cut off his ear. Then Jesus saith to him: Put up again thy sword into its place: for all that take the sword shall perish with the sword. [Matt. xxvi. 50-52]
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Ah! tongue, that didst His prayse and Godhead sound,
How wert thou stain'd with such detesting words,
That euerie word was to His heart a wound, [135]
And launct Him deeper then a thousand swords?
What rage of man, yea what infernall spirit,
Could haue disgorg'd more loathsome dregs of spite?
Ah, what a tongue! A tongue that offered up praise to the Lord and declared His divinity. How thou wert stained by the hateful words thou didst utter. His Sacred Heart was wounded by every word of thy betrayal, which pierced Him more deeply than a thousand swords. What rage within a man, what spirit from Hell, could have spewed up more loathsome dregs of spite?
133. that didst His prayse . . . sound. Here are some examples of Peter’s praise,
"Which when Simon Peter saw, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying: Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord."[Luke v. 8]"And Simon Peter answered him: Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life."[John vi. 69]
that didst His . . . Godhead sound:
"Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God."[Matthew xvi.16]
135. euerie. Every.
136. launct. Lanced. 6. a. To pierce with or as with a lance or a lancet; to cut, gash, slit. Also, to slit open; to open. 1590 C. Marlowe Tamburlaine: 1st Pt. sig. A8v We will lift our swords. And..lanch his greedy thirsting throat.
138. disgorg’d. 1. a. transitive. To eject or throw out from, or as from, the gorge or throat; to vomit forth. b. figurative. To discharge as if from a mouth; to empty forth; esp. to give up what has been wrongfully appropriated. Vid. 1587 G. Turberville Tragicall Tales f. 114v Disgorge thy care, abandon feare.
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Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
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