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| The author received a framed copy of this painting in the early 1980s. Please pray for the soul of the donor: Esther Clark. R.I.P. |
The work is offered on behalf of my family to Our Blessed Lady, Regina Martyrum et Consolatrix afflictorum.
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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Can vertue, wisdome, strength, by women spild
In Dauid's, Salomon's, and Samson's falls,
With semblance of excuse my errour gild,
Or lend a marble glosse to muddy walls?
O no! their fault had shew of some pretence: [305]
No veyle can hide the shame of my offence.
Women brought about the fall of David’s virtue, Solomon’s wisdom and Samson’s strength; can this provide the veneer of an excuse to cover over my own transgression, hiding my sin as when marble is laid over filthy walls?
No, by no means. Their wrongdoing had at least the appearance of a pretext; but nothing can hide the shame of my sin.
301. spild. Spilled.Spill. To destroy by depriving of life; 1612 T. Taylor Αρχὴν Ἁπάντων: Comm. Epist. Paul to Titus i. 7 Caring no more in their fury to spill a man, then to kill a dogge.
To destroy, ruin, or overthrow (a person); to bring to ruin or misery. To destroy or ruin (the soul) by offending, or causing to offend, against moral laws. To injure in respect of character; to spoil morally. 1556 in W. H. Turner Select. Rec. Oxf. (1880) 246 Other..lamented, to see him spill his soul, wretchedly.
302. David. See 1 Samuel xvi; 1 Kings ii; 1 Chronicles ii, iii, 10-29; Ruth iv:18-22, and the titles of many Psalms.
“After his sin (of adultery) with Bethsabee and the indirect assassination of Urias, her husband, David made her his wife. A year elapsed before his repentance for the sin, but his contrition was so sincere that God pardoned him, though at the same time announcing the severe penalties that were to follow. The spirit in which David accepted these penalties has made him for all time the model of penitents.” [CE]
Salomon. Solomon. See 1 Kings i-ix; and 2 Chronicles i-ix. Solomon (Heb. "peaceful"), also called Jedidiah, i.e., “beloved of Yahweh”, was the second son of David by his wife Bathsheba.
“ . . .reputed to be wiser than all men; . . . He was at once a philosopher and a poet. He spake 3000 proverbs; his songs were 1005; and his utterances embraced references alike to the vegetable and the animal kingdoms. . . . besides being fond of display, he was voluptuous and sensual, and that he was led by his wives and concubines to worship strange gods.” [CE]
Samson. See Judges xiii-xvi.
“ . . . he falls in love with a woman named Dalila of the valley of Sorec, who is bribed by the Philistines to betray him into their hands. After deceiving her three times as to the source of his strength, he finally yields to her entreaties and confesses that his power is due to the fact that his head has never been shaved. The paramour treacherously causes his locks to be shorn and he falls helpless into the hands of the Philistines who put out his eyes and cast him into prison.” [CE]
303. error. A departure from moral rectitude; a transgression, wrongdoing. 1535 Bible (Coverdale) Wisd. i. 12 O seke not youre owne death in ye erroure of youre life.
gild. To cover (something) with gilding, so as to conceal defects. 1600 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 2 i. ii. 150 Your daies seruice at Shrewsbury, hath a little guilded ouer your nights exploit on Gadshill.
304. glosse. Superficial lustre. A deceptive appearance, fair semblance, plausible pretext. 1596 E. Spenser Second Pt. Faerie Queene iv. v. sig. E3v He much more goodly glosse thereon doth shed, To hide his falshood, then if it were trew.
muddy. With a figurative sense here, perhaps: sinful; morally impure or corrupt; carnal. Later: of questionable morality or legality. 1603 H. Crosse Vertues Common-wealth sig. R2v She is a muddie queane, a filthy beast.
305. shew. Show. appearance of a quality, emotion, etc.; a semblance. 1583 A. Nowell et al. True Rep. Disput. E. Campion sig. T3 He gaue them that which had the name of wine, and had the shewe of it, but..was not in deede wine.
pretence. An alleged reason; an excuse or pretext. 1560 J. Daus tr. J. Sleidane Commentaries f. cccxciiv Vnder this pretence of the law, he might by little and little tourn both him and his children out of all theyr landes.
306. veyle. Veil.
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The blaze of beautie's beames allur'd their lookes;
Their lookes, by seeing oft, conceiued loue;
Loue, by affecting, swallowed pleasure's hookes;
Thus beautie, loue, and pleasure them did moue. [310]
These Syrens' sugred tunes rockt them asleepe:
Enough to damne, yet not to damne so deepe.
The gaze of these men was first attracted by the women’s radiant beauty. They would not stop looking upon them and it was in this way that they fell, by falling in love. Through desire, love swallowed the sweet bait of pleasure; and so it was beauty, love and pleasure that caused them to make their move.
Like the Sirens of old who sang enchanting songs, the women’s sweet charms sent the men's consciences to sleep. This was enough to bring condemnation upon the men, but not such a profound condemnation as I was to merit.
307. beames. Beam. A ray, or ‘bundle’ of parallel rays, of light emitted from the sun or other luminous body; out-streaming radiance. 1600 W. Shakespeare Merchant of Venice v. i. 90 How farre that little candell throwes his beames
figurative. Ray, gleam, emanation: beam of sight, a glance. 1594 C. Marlowe & T. Nashe Dido iii. sig. C3 Lest their grosse eye-beames taint my louers cheekes.
Eye-beam. A glance of the eye, imagined as a beam of light. 1598 W. Shakespeare Love's Labour's Lost iv. iii. 26 So sweete a kisse the golden Sunne giues not..As thy eye beames.
lookes. Look. The action or an act of looking; an act of directing the eyes or countenance in order to look at someone or something; a glance of the eyes. 1593 W. Shakespeare Venus & Adonis sig. Dv For lookes kill loue, and loue by lookes reuiueth.
309. affecting. Affect. To be drawn to, have affection or liking for (a person); to take to, be fond of, show preference for; to fancy, like, or love. a1616 W. Shakespeare Twelfth Night (1623) ii. v. 23 Maria once told me she did affect me.
311. Syrens. Sirens. 1. Classical Mythology. One of several fabulous monsters, part woman, part bird, who were supposed to lure sailors to destruction by their enchanting singing. figurative. One who, or that which, sings sweetly, charms, allures, or deceives, like the Sirens. a1616 W. Shakespeare Comedy of Errors (1623) iii. ii. 47 Oh traine me not sweet Mermaide with thy note, To drowne me in..teares: Sing Siren for thy selfe.
sugred. Sugared. Full of sweetness; honeyed, luscious, delicious. 1576 G. Gascoigne Princelye Pleasures Kenelwoorth (1821) 12 The sugred baite oft hides the harmefull hookes.
312. damne. Damn. To bring condemnation upon (a person or thing); to cause the downfall or ruin of (someone or something); 1539 R. Taverner tr. Erasmus Prouerbes sig. D.iiiv The iudge is condemned, when the gyltie is acquit. The iudge that acquyteth the offendour, damneth him selfe of iniquitie.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Cymbeline (1623) iii. iv. 74 Hence vile Instrument, Thou shalt not damne my hand.
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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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