St Peter's Complaynt : Lines 187-198

[These posts contain revised and expanded notes to St Peter's Complaynt, considered by many to be the last poem written by St Robert Southwell ("RS") before his martyrdom on the 21st of February 1595.  The original series of posts was first published in 2018 on our sister site, Mary's English Dowry. I have expanded my original notes so as to provide a more detailed critical apparatus - with fairly extensive use of quotations from the period in which RS wrote. I have also included paraphrases with the aim of making the poet's language more accessible to modern readers. The work is offered to Mary, Our Queen and Mother, and dedicated to EEKPTEE&EA.]

👈The Tears of St Peter (1587-1596) 

El Greco (Domḗnikos Theotokópoulos) 1541-1614

Museo Soumaya at Plaza Carso, Mexico.

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- 32 -

When Christ, attending the distressefull hower,

With His surcharged breast did blesse the ground,

Prostrate in pangs, rayning a bleeding shower,

Me, like myselfe, a drowsie friend He found, [190]

Thrice, in His care, sleepe clos'd my carelesse eye;

Presage how Him my tongue should thrise denie.

     Christ, presenting Himself in the garden at the hour of His agony, felt His heart overburdened and sorrowful even unto death. He fell prostrate upon His face, thereby blessing the ground where he lay; his sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground.
    He found me, His friend, drowsy, just as I was to find myself later - for my eyes were heavy; three times, whilst He was overcome with cares, I closed my eyes in sleep, without caring for His suffering.
    These three times were a portent of how I would later deny my Lord three times.

Note. These lines refer to Christ’s Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane: 

“Then Jesus came with them into a country place which is called Gethsemani; and he said to his disciples: Sit you here, till I go yonder and pray. And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to grow sorrowful and to be sad. Then he saith to them: My soul is sorrowful even unto death: stay you here, and watch with me. And going a little further, he fell upon his face, praying, and saying: My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me. Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. And he cometh to his disciples, and findeth them asleep, and he saith to Peter: What? Could you not watch one hour with me? Watch ye, and pray that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh weak. Again the second time, he went and prayed, saying: My Father, if this chalice may not pass away, but I must drink it, thy will be done. And he cometh again and findeth them sleeping: for their eyes were heavy. And leaving them, he went again: and he prayed the third time, saying the selfsame word. Then he cometh to his disciples, and saith to them: Sleep ye now and take your rest; behold the hour is at hand, and the Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners.” [Matt. xxvi. 36-47]

These should be read together with St Luke’s acccount:

“And going out, he went, according to his custom, to the mount of Olives. And his disciples also followed him. And when he was come to the place, he said to them: Pray, lest ye enter into temptation. And he was withdrawn away from them a stone's cast; and kneeling down, he prayed, Saying: Father, if thou wilt, remove this chalice from me: but yet not my will, but thine be done.  And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony, he prayed the longer. And his sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground. And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow. And he said to them: Why sleep you? arise, pray, lest you enter into temptation.” [Luke xxii. 39-46]

187. hower. Hour. 1553   T. Wilson Arte Rhetorique (1580) 150   Sir Thomas More..whose witte even at this hower, is a wonder to all the worlde.

192. Presage. Something that gives warning of what is about to happen; an indication or foreshadowing of a future event; an omen, a sign, a portent. 1579   T. North tr. Plutarch Liues 1114   A very euil signe and presage for him, to enter into Rome with such bloudshed.

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- 33 -

Parted from Christ, my fainting force declin'd,

With lingring foot I followed Him aloofe;

Base feare out of my hart His love vnshrin'd: [195]

Huge in high words, but impotent in proofe,

My vaunts did seeme hatcht vnder Sampson's locks,

Yet woman's words did giue me murdring knocks.

    They led Jesus away and I was parted from Him; my already fainting courage grew weaker. Fearfully and cautiously I followed Him from afar. Craven fear banished His love from my heart, where it had dwelt as in a shrine or tabernacle.

    I had been grand enough when it came to my proud and inflated words, but I was feeble and useless when these words were put to the test.

    My bragging claims sounded as strong as Sampson himself, before his locks were shorn to take away his strength; yet it took only a few words from a woman to despatch me with their blows.

    193-4. The poet refers to the Gospel account:

"But they holding Jesus led him to Caiphas the high priest, where the scribes and the ancients were assembled. And Peter followed him afar off, even to the court of the high priest. And going in, he sat with the servants, that he might see the end." [Matt. xxvi. 57-58]

    193. declined. 1) To fall off or fail in force, vigour, or vitality; to decay, wane, diminish, decrease; to fall from prosperity or excellence, to deteriorate. 1597   T. Morley Plaine & Easie Introd. Musicke 182   Your health, which I feare is already declining. 2) To turn or bend aside; to deviate (from the straight course); to turn away. To turn aside in conduct; esp. to swerve or fall away (from rectitude, duty, allegiance, instructions, etc.). 1495   Act 11 Hen. VII c. 1 §2   Persones..which shall hereafter declyne from..their seid alliegeaunce.

    There are two possible interpretations: 1) Parted from Christ, my strength already failing, grew weaker. 2) Parted from Christ, my companions, whose courage was weakening, turned and ran away.

    194. lingering. To stay behind, tarry, loiter on one's way; to stay on or hang about in a place beyond the proper or usual time, esp. from reluctance to leave it. 1553   R. Eden tr. S. Münster Treat. Newe India sig. Gjv   Leaste any linger behynde his companie.

    aloofe. Aloof. To or at a distance from something; far off; separately, apart. a1554   J. Croke tr. Thirteen Psalms (1844) cii. 20   No frende draweth nere, I syt alowfe.

    195. base. Morally low; despicable, ignoble; reprehensibly cowardly, craven; selfish, mean. 

    vnshrined. Unshrine. transitive. To remove from, cast out of, a shrine. Also figurative. 1599   Life Sir T. More in C. Wordsworth Eccl. Biog. (1853) II. 181   We have of late unshrined him [sc. Thomas of Canterbury].

    196. proofe. Proof. The action or an act of testing or making trial of something; the condition of being tested; examination, experiment; test, trial; (also) an instance of this. Often in phrases, as to bring (set, etc.) (a thing) in (also on, to) (the, †a) proof. Now usually as to put to (the) proof. ?a1500   in T. Wright & J. O. Halliwell Reliquiæ Antiquæ (1845) I. 270 (MED)   A place of proff for man to knowe bothe frend and foo; Sum hold abacke, sum nott att home.

    197. vaunts. Vaunt. Boasting, bragging; boastful or vainglorious language or utterance; arrogant assertion or bearing. 1596   E. Spenser Second Pt. Faerie Queene vi. iv. sig. Cc5   A great Gyant..Whom he did ouerthrow..And in three battailes did so deadly daunt, That he dare not returne for all his daily vaunt.

198. knocks. Knock. A sounding blow; a hard stroke or thump; A misfortune, a rebuff, a blow; adverse criticism. 

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Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.