[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 Our Blessed Mother for 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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Euill president! the tyde that wafts to vice; [235]
Dumme orator, that wooes with silent deeds,
Writing in works lessons of ill aduise;
The doing-tale that eye in practise reedes;
Taster of ioyes to vnacquainted hunger,
With leauen of the old seasoning the younger.[240]
What an evil example and precedent! Like a tide where everyone goes with the flow and is carried along to immorality; like an orator who is able to charm and persuade without uttering any actual words, using only his silent example so as to teach iniquity through works alone; a story of action without words that is observed and internalized simply by being copied and put into practice. Like someone who tempts the appetite with something new and unknown, with the old leaven of bad example making the bad habits palatable.
235. Euill. Evil.
president. Precedent. A previous instance taken as an example or rule by which to be guided in similar cases or circumstances; an example by which a comparable subsequent act may be justified. An example to be followed or copied; a model, an exemplar. 1584 J. Stockwood Sermon of Necessitie (title page) A president for all incorporations, to dyrect them in the Christian choice of a godly Magistrate. 1572 J. Field & T. Wilcox Admon. to Parl. sig. C.iv The Queenes chappell, and these churches, must be paternes and presidents to the people, of all superstitions.
“The whole stanza is an address to precedent : the custom and bad example which break resolve.” [RS-DS, p.166] The poet focuses in this and the following verse upon the evil of following a bad precedent or example, even if all around appear to be doing the same.
tyde. Tide.
Cf.
Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat.How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it! [Matthew vii. 13-14]
wafts. Waft. To convoy (a ship or fleet of ships, persons sailing). transferred. To guide or direct the course of (a vessel, a swimmer, a floating object, etc.). 1595 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 3 v. vii. 41 Awaie with her, and wafte hir hence to France.
vice. Depravity or corruption of morals; evil, immoral, or wicked habits or conduct; indulgence in degrading pleasures or practices. 1509 S. Hawes Pastime of Pleasure (1845) xi. 46 Fy upon slouth, the nourysher of vyce, Whych unto youth doth often prejudice.
236. dumme. Dumb. Destitute of the faculty of speech. 1535 Bible (Coverdale) Hab. ii. C Therfore maketh he domme Idols.
wooes. Woo. To move or invite by alluring means; to entreat or solicit alluringly.
237. ill. Morally evil; wicked, iniquitous, depraved, vicious, immoral, blameworthy, reprehensible. Marked by evil intent, or by want of good feeling; malevolent, hostile, unfriendly, adverse, unkind, harsh, cruel. 1548 Hall's Vnion: Edward IV f. ccxxxiiv Reuilyng hym with suche yll wordes, and so shamful termes.
advise. Advice. Opinion given or offered as to what action to take; counsel; recommendation.
238. reedes. Read. To study, observe, or interpret (a phenomenon, an object) as though by reading. To discern or discover (something) in (or on) the face, look, etc., of a person. a1586 Sir P. Sidney Astrophel & Stella (1591) 2 In Stellas face I reede, What loue and beauty be.
239. Taster . . . hunger. A taster of joys and pleasures with which the appetite is unacquainted. “Tempting with taste of pleasures hungered for because their real nature is unknown.” [RS-DS, p. 166]. An alternative sense would read taster as meaning “One who tastes, or tries the quality of a thing by tasting . . .” (for another). The precedent or evil example is therefore like such a taster, who then offers it to the one new to the experience. The taster becomes therefore an example or teacher of immorality.
240. leaven. Leaven. Perhaps a reference by RS to the Christian notion “old leaven”: the unregenerate condition, a manifestation of this.
Your glorying is not good. Know you not that a little leaven corrupteth the whole lump? Purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new paste, as you are unleavened. For Christ our pasch is sacrificed. [I Cor. v. 6-7]
See also Cornelius a Lapide on this verse:
“A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. As yeast penetrates every part of a mass of dough with its taste and sharpness, so does this one taint of the fornicator penetrate and stain all of you: firstly, because for the sake of one man the wrath of God may be kindled against you all, and against the whole Church which suffers him, as Ambrose and Anselm say; and secondly, if this man go unpunished, others may follow his example, and this one may cause many to stumble. So S. Chrysostom. In other words, remove this scandal, and separate the man from the Church by excommunicating him.”
seasoning. Season. To render (a dish) more palatable by the addition of some savoury ingredient. figurative. To mix, intersperse, or imbue with something that imparts relish; to adapt or accommodate to a particular taste. To imbue (a person, his mind) with opinions, ideas, etc.; 1617 F. Moryson Itinerary ii. 48 They who had his eare, might easily season him with good or ill opinion of his servants or strangers.
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It seemes no fault to doe that all haue done;
The number of offenders hides the sinne;
Coach drawne with many horse, doth easely runne,
Soone followeth one where multitudes beginne.
O had I in that Court much stronger bin, [245]
Or not so strong as first to enter in.
It does not seem wrong just doing what all others have done; but this is because the sin is hidden by the sheer number of wrongdoers. A coach drawn by many horses runs along without any difficulty; and people are very quick to follow the crowd and copy their example.
I just wish I had been much stronger when I was in the court of the high priest; or perhaps I should not have been so strong, or foolhardy, as to enter it in the first place.
Note. There may be a subtext here which refers to Catholics who follow the majority in being unfaithful to their religion, through fear of the penalties imposed under Elizabeth.
241. doe. Do.
245. bin. Been.
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Sharpe was the weather in that stormie place,
Best suting hearts benumd with hellish frost,
Whose crusted malice could admitte no grace:
Where coales were kindled to the warmers' cost; [250]
Where feare my thoughts canded with ysie cold,
Heate did my tongue to periuries vnfold.
The weather was keen and biting in that tempestuous time I spent in the court of the high priest. It was perfectly suited to hearts numb with the cold from hell itself, frozen over with malice that kept out divine grace. It was a place where a fire was kindled but the person warming himself at this fire would pay a heavy price: for here, where fear had frosted over my thoughts with icy cold, heat caused my tongue to loosen in betrayal of my Lord.
Note. The relevant Gospel texts include:
And Peter followed him from afar off, even into the court of the high priest; and he sat with the servants at the fire, and warmed himself. [Mark xiv. 54]
And apprehending him, they led him to the high priest's house. But Peter followed afar off. And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were sitting about it, Peter was in the midst of them. [Luke xxii. 54-5]Now the servants and ministers stood at a fire of coals, because it was cold, and warmed themselves. And with them was Peter also, standing, and warming himself. [John xviii. 18]
247. Sharpe. Sharp. Of a storm, a shower, waves, etc.: Heavy, violent. c1422 T. Hoccleve Learn to Die 556 Whan deeth, as tempest sharp & violent, With woful trouble hem shal vexe & trauaill.
1585 T. Washington tr. N. de Nicolay Nauigations Turkie ii. xii. 46 A sharpe showre of rayne, whiche contynued vntyll the morning.
248. suting. Suit. To be agreeable or convenient to. 1583 H. Howard Defensatiue sig. Ffv These examples may be suted with the like of christen Princes.
benumd. Benumbed.
249. crusted. Having or covered with a crust, encrusted; 1579 T. North tr. Plutarch Liues 32 Entring vpon the crusted mudde, and sincking with all.
251. canded. Candy. To cause (water) to freeze; to cause (salt, etc.) to crystallize. Also occasionally intransitive: to crystallize or solidify; to freeze. Chiefly poetic. Of hoar frost, ice, etc.: to cover (something) so that it is white and sparkling as if coated with sugar. Also in passive: to be covered (over) with hoar frost, ice, etc. a1612 J. Harington in Nugæ Antiquæ (1779) II. 158 A very sharp frost..had as it were candied all that side of the steeple at Christ-Church, with an ice mixed with snow.
ysie. Icy. 1576 I. Stoughton in R. Peterson tr. G. della Casa Galateo sig. ¶.iiv Syr Phoebus golden rayes shall turne To foggie mistes, and seas that beare their ysie crust, shall burne.
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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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