St Peter's Complaynt : Lines 313-324

 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.

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 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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- 53 -

But gracious features dazled not mine eyes;

Two homely droyles were authors of my death;

Not loue, but feare, my senses did surprize: [315]

Not feare of force, but feare of woman's breath;

And those vnarm'd, ill grac't, despis'd, vnknowne:

So base a blast my truth hath ouerthrowne.

    But I wasn’t dazzled and bewitched by a woman’s beauty; no, two plain and common maidservants were enough to bring about my downfall. In my case, it was not love but fear that overpowered me; and it wasn’t the fear of violence but fear brought on just by some words of women who were themselves unarmed, unattractive, looked down upon and ignorant. But their low and mean words worked like a curse to overpower my fidelity and loyalty to my Lord.

    313. gracious. Endowed with grace or charm of appearance; beautiful, attractive. c1500   Melusine (1895) 366   I desyre none other thing erthly nor none other I shal not aske nor take of you, but only your gracyous body.

    314. homely. Here, ordinary, everyday; simple, plain, unsophisticated; rough, rustic. 1553   T. Wilson Arte Rhetorique (1580) 164   Who can tell if suche men are worthe a groate, when their apparell is so homely?

    droyles. Droil. A servant of all work; a drudge. 1583   A. Golding tr. J. Calvin Serm. on Deuteronomie xcvi. 593   If his master would send him to the feeldes or vse him as a droyle in his house to doe whatsoeuer he had to be done.

    authors. Author. A person who or (occasionally) thing which gives rise to or causes an event, circumstance, state of affairs, etc.; a source. 1577   M. Hanmer tr. Bp. Eusebius in Aunc. Eccl. Hist. ix. ii. 175   Ye author of all which mischief, was Theotecnus, who solicited the cause, and egged them of Antioch forewards.

    317. grac’t. From Grace. Pleasing or attractive quality, gracefulness; an instance of this. The feature of something which imparts beauty or evokes admiration; the part or aspect of something from which its beauty derives; an adornment.

    despis’d. Looked down upon, contemned, scorned. 1599   W. Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet iii. ii. 77   Despised substance of diuinest showe.

    vnknowne. Either unknown to Peter or perhaps in the following sense: Characterized by lack of knowledge or wisdom; ignorant; unlearned; unskilled. a1500   Gospel of Nicodemus (Harl. 149) (1974) 114   Thou wast vnknowen [Fr. Vus mesconuistes] lyke a foole, ffor thys ys Jhesu that hathe chased a-wey the derknes of dethe.

    318. base. Morally low; despicable, ignoble; reprehensibly cowardly, craven; selfish, mean. 1576   G. Gascoigne Droomme of Doomes Day ii. sig. Giii   That man is base, & vniust, which honoureth the presence, and the iudgement of men, more than of God.

    blast. Any blasting, withering, or pernicious influence; a curse. 1559   T. Bryce in E. Farr Sel. Poetry Reign Elizabeth (1845) I. 176   When shall thy spouse and turtle-doue Be free from bitter blaste?

    truth. Loyalty, faithfulness, etc. 1569   R. Grafton Chron. II. 729   The king had alwayes knowne hys truth and fidelitie towarde the crowne of Fraunce.

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- 54 -

O women! woe to men; traps for their falls;

Still actors in all tragicall mischances; [320]

Earth's necessarie euils, captiuing thralls,

Now murdring with your toungs, now with your glances;

Parents of life, and loue, spoylers of both,

The theeues of harts; false do you loue or loth.

    What can we say of you women…? The source of misery for men, acting like mantraps and causing their downfall; you always seem to have a part to play in their tragedies. Are you a necessary evil, captivating men yet enslaving them at the same time? You are the death of men, sometimes with your tongues, sometimes with your glances.

    Life comes from you, as does love, but you can destroy both of these; you steal hearts and you are false in love as in hate.

    319. woe. A state or condition of misery, suffering, or emotional distress; misfortune, trouble. A cause of misfortune, trouble, or sorrow. 1578   T. Blenerhasset 2nd Pt. Mirrour for Magistrates Sigebert f. 45   Welth is my woe, the causer of my care.

    320. still. The word here seems to be used adjectivally. Perhaps, 1. Of a voice, sounds, utterances: Subdued, soft, not loud. 1585   J. Higgins tr. Junius Nomenclator 358/1   Susurrus,..a soft or still noise, as of waters, falling with a gentle streame, or of leaues from trees. Or 2. Constant, continual: a1616   W. Shakespeare Richard III (1623) iv. iv. 221 + 9   But that still vse of greefe, makes wilde greefe tame.

    tragicall. Catastrophic, disastrous, devastating; 1555   R. Eden tr. Peter Martyr of Angleria Decades of Newe Worlde iii. x. f. 144   The turmoyles and tragicall affayres of the Ocean [L. in uniuersis oceaneis agitationibus].

mischances. Mischance. a particular piece of bad luck, a stroke of misfortune; a mishap, an unlucky accident; spec. †an accidental injury or mutilation (obsolete). In early use also: †a state of unhappiness, an evil fate     1587   Sir P. Sidney & A. Golding tr. P. de Mornay Trewnesse Christian Relig. i. 7   When a man loseth an eye, an arme, or a legge; wee..do commonly say, it is a mischaunce.

    321. captiving. To captive. To take captive, bring into captivity: figurative. To captivate, enthrall. 1581   J. Bell tr. W. Haddon & J. Foxe Against Jerome Osorius 142 b   Freewill being captived hath no power to worke anything but sinne.

thralls. Thrall.  One who is in bondage to some power or influence; a slave. a1616   W. Shakespeare Macbeth (1623) iii. vi. 13   Slaues of drinke, and thralles of sleepe.

    322. toungs. Tongues. 

    323. spoylers. Spoiler. 1.a. One who pillages, plunders, or robs; a ravager, spoliator, despoiler. 1598   R. Barret Theorike & Pract. Mod. Warres i. 11   Many disorders doe happen by the disorder of couetous spoilers.

2.a. One who or that which spoils, destroys, injures, mars, etc. 1577   B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach Foure Bks. Husbandry i. f. 35   Chyche..is a great spoyler of land. 

    324. theeues. Thieves. 1577   R. Holinshed Hist. Scotl. 440/1 in Chron. I   Accused of theft, and of receiuing and mainteining of theeues.

    harts. Hearts. 1584   R. Scot Discouerie Witchcraft xv. v. 396   They..may be forced to yeeld in spight of their harts.

    loue. Love.

    loth. Loathe. To feel aversion or dislike for; 1526   W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfection ii. sig. MM   Although it be that thynge that thou lothest most. a1586   Sir P. Sidney Arcadia (1590) iii. ix. sig. Nn4v   I shoulde loath the keeping of my blood, with the losse of my faith.

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Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.