St Peter's Complaynt : Lines 649-660

Please pray for the soul of Esther Clark. R.I.P. She gave a 
framed copy of this painting to the author in the 1980's.

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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Shot, without noyse; wound, without present smart;

First, seeming light; proving in fine a load; [650]

Entring with ease, not easily wonne to part,

Far in effects from that the showes abode;

Endorc’d with hope, subscribed with dispaire,

Ugly in death, though life did faine it faire.

    What can be said of sin and its effects? It’s like being shot without hearing the gun’s report. It’s like being wounded without feeling any immediate pain. 

    The effect of sin seems light enough at first but in the end it produces a great burden of grief. It finds entry into a soul quite easily, but getting it to leave is by no means easy. Its outward appearance is innocent enough but this gives the lie to its terrible effects. It seems to promise hope of something good but in the end it guarantees only despair. While the soul is still alive, sin seems attractive to the senses; but after it brings death to the soul, its true ugliness becomes apparent.

    649. smart. Sharp, often intense, physical pain, esp. such as is caused by an external agency (a blow, sting, etc.) a1530   W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfeccyon (1531) iii. f. CCiiiiv   He suffred the sharpnes & smart of payne, ye suche as neuer was suffred.

    650. in fine. In the end; at last. a1570   R. Morice in H. Ellis Orig. Lett. Eminent Literary Men (1843) 24   In fyne he was perceyved to affixe one of the papers apon the dore.

    load. A burden (of affliction, sin, responsibility, etc.); something which weighs down, oppresses, or impedes. 1600   W. Shakespeare Much Ado about Nothing v. i. 28   Those that wring vnder the loade of sorrow.

    651. wonne. Win. v. To overcome the unwillingness or indifference of; with various shades of meaning: to attract, allure, entice; to prevail upon, persuade, induce; to gain the affection or allegiance of; to bring over to one's side, party, or cause, to convert. 1567   J. Jewel Def. Apol. Churche Eng. 417   The Embassadoure of so Noble a Common Wealthe, was soone, and easily, and willingly woonne.

    652.  showes abode. First appearances promise.

    showes. show. An outward display of a quality, emotion, etc., which conceals or does not truly reflect a person's real character, feelings, motives, etc.; a feigned performance of an action; a pretence, an act. Also as a mass noun: outward display; pretence, simulation. 1579   S. Gosson Schoole of Abuse f. 19v   With shewe of gentilitie they take vp faire houses.

    abode. transitive. To presage, foretell (usually something bad). 1595   W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 3 v. vi. 45   The owle shrikt at thy birth, an euill signe, The night Crow cride, aboding lucklesse tune.

    Endorc’d. endorse. to inscribe (a document) on the back with words indicating the nature of its contents, one's opinion of its value, some extension or limitation of its provisions, etc. 1592   W. West Symbolæogr.: 1st Pt. A iij   With & vpon condition thereupon indorsed for the true performance of the couenants.

    654. faine. feign. To assert or maintain fictitiously; to allege, make out, pretend. 1548   Hall's Vnion: Edward IV f. ccxxxiiv   Fayning that he was thycke of hearyng. 1590   E. Spenser Faerie Queene ii. iii. sig. Pv   Both doe striue their fearefulnesse to faine.

    faire. fair. Beautiful to the eye; of attractive appearance; good-looking. 1535   Bible (Coverdale) Judith xvi. 7   Iudith..with hir fayre bewtye hath discomfited him.

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O forfeyture of heauen: eternall debt, [655]

A moments joy; ending in endlesse fires;

Our natures scumme: the worlds entangling Net,

Night of our thoughts: death of all good desires.

Worse then al this: worse then all tongues can say,

Which man could owe, but onely God defray. [660]

    Let us speak the truth about sin: it leads to forfeiture of heaven and an eternity of indebtedness for the sinner; for a fleeting moment of pleasure, it will bring the everlasting fire of punishment. It is a foul perversion of our nature, entangling itself in the temptations of the world. It is the confusion of our minds when the light of reason is extinguished; it is the death of goodness in our hearts’ desires.

    But the worst thing of all about sin, worse than any human speech can truly describe, is this: any man can easily incur the dreadful debt of sin, but God alone can atone for it.

 

    655. forfeyture. forfeiture. The fact of losing or becoming liable to deprivation of (an estate, goods, life, an office, right, etc.) in consequence of a crime, offence, or breach of engagement. 1523   J. Fitzherbert Bk. Surueyeng xi. f. 13v   That there may be made due proues without fauoure..on payne of forfeyture of his offyce.

    debt. figurative. Used in Biblical language as the type of an offence requiring expiation, a sin. 1508   Bp. J. Fisher Wks. (1876) 242   Whiche be our dettes? Truly our synnes.

1557   Bible (Whittingham) Matt. vi. 12   And forgeue vs our debtes [ Wyclif dettis, Cranm., Rhemish dettes, 1611 debts] euen as we forgiue our debters.

    656. endlesse fires. Recalling the 

“Then he shall say to them also that shall be on his left hand: Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels.” [Matthew 25:41]

    657. scumme. scum. Foam, froth;  a film formed upon stagnant, foul water, etc. Dross which rises to the surface in the purifying of a metal; any undesirable surface layer or deposit. figurative.  1590   C. Marlowe Tamburlaine: 1st Pt. sig. C6v   These are the cruell pirates of Argeire, That damned traine, the scum of Africa.

Applied to an individual: A worthless wretch. 1607   T. Dekker & J. Webster North-ward Hoe v. sig. H3v   Out you base scums, come you to disgrace mee in my wedding shooes?

    658. Night. A condition or period reminiscent of night or the darkness of night; death. Also: mental anguish or gloom; spiritual or moral darkness. a1616   W. Shakespeare Comedy of Errors (1623) v. i. 316   Yet hath my night of life some memorie: My wasting lampes some fading glimmer left.

    660. defray. To meet the expense of; to bear the charge of; pay for. 1587   A. Fleming et al. Holinshed's Chron. (new ed.) III. Contin. 1371*/2   The enterprise..to be defraied by the pope and king of Spaine.

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Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.