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| 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. |
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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At sorrowes dore I knockt, they crav’d my name:
I aunswered, one unworthy to be knowne;
What one? say they. One worthiest of blame. [705]
But who? A wretch, not Gods, nor yet his owne.
A man? O no! a beast; much worse: what creature?
A rocke: how cald? The rocke of scandale, Peter.
I knocked at the door of sorrows and was asked for my name.“My name is one not worthy of being known,” I answered.“Which one do you mean?” they asked.“One who above all others is most worthy of blame.”“But who exactly are you?”“A miserable wretch who cannot claim to be God’s and who is not even his own man.”“Did you say you are a ‘man’?”“O no, more like a beast, or worse.”“So of all the things in creation, what are you?”“A rock.”“And what is this rock called?”“ ‘Peter’ — the rock of scandal.”
703. sorrowes. In view of the use of the pronoun they in this line and in line 714., this is perhaps best viewed in the plural here.
There are some 25 references to the word sorrows in Scripture (Douay-Rheims). Most are associated with sin, e.g.,
“A wicked heart shall be laden with sorrows, and the sinner will add sin to sin.” [Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) iii. 29]
dore. door. 1563 W. Baldwin et al. Myrrour for Magistrates (new ed.) Jane Shore li. 7 To begge from dore to dore.
The image of knocking at a door recalls Peter’s experience when he sought to follow Christ when he was led to Caiphas.
“And that disciple was known to the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the court of the high priest. But Peter stood at the door without. The other disciple therefore, who was known to the high priest, went out, and spoke to the portress, and brought in Peter.” [John xviii. 15-16]
crav’d. crave. To beg to know; ask to be told or informed. 1599 W. Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet i. v. 110 Madam your mother craues a word with you.
707. creature. (Not necessarily a living creature) A created thing or being; a product of creative action; a creation. 1540 R. Taverner Epist. & Gospelles Easter tyll Aduent f. xxxiij For as testifyeth saynt Paul in hys fyrst epistle to Timothie, gods creatures as meate, drynke, corne, and such other thynges be sanctifyed by the worde of God, and by prayer.
708. rocke. This is the name given to him by Christ:
“And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” [Matt. xvi. 18]
rocke of scandal. These words echo the expression that the poet would have known from Scripture, where both St Peter and St Paul quote Isaiah’s prophecy:
“And he shall be a sanctification to you. But for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of offence [lapidem . . .offensionis], to the two houses of Israel, for a snare and a ruin to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” [Isaias (Isaiah) viii. 14]“As it is written: Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling stone and a rock of scandal [petram scandali]; and whosoever believeth in him shall not be confounded.” [Romans ix. 33]“And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of scandal [petra scandali] to them who stumble at the word, neither do believe, whereunto also they are set.” [1 Peter ii. 8]
The scriptural reference is to Christ, but Peter’s “scandal” is a scandal not to unbelieving Jews or Gentiles but to Christ and His faithful disciples.
scandal. Something that hinders reception of the faith or obedience to the Divine law; an occasion of unbelief or moral lapse; a stumbling-block; 1582 Bible (Rheims) Gal. v. 11 Then is the scandal [1611 offence; 1880 (Revised) stumbling-block] of the crosse euacuated.
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From whence? From Caiphas howse. Ah! dwell you there?
Sinnes farme I rented, there, but now would leave it.[710]
What rent? My soule. What gaine? Unrest, and feare.
Deare purchase. Ah, too deere, will you receive it?
What shall we give? Fit teares, and time, to plaine me,
Come in, say they: Thus Griefes did entertaine me.
“Where do you come from?”“From the house of Caiphas.”“Is that where you live?”“No. I rented a farm not far from there; but now I really want to leave it.”“What rent did you pay?”“My own soul.”“What did you get in exchange?”“Never-ending distress and anguish.”“That was a dear price to pay.”“Desperately too dear a price. Can I trade what I gained with you?”“What would you want from us in exchange?”“Tears befitting my state and time to pour out my contrition.”“Come in,” was their reply; so grief and sorrow took me in and kept close company with me.
709. Caiphas howse. Christ is bound and led immediately to Caiphas.
“But they holding Jesus led him to Caiphas the high priest, where the scribes and the ancients were assembled.” [Matt. xxvi. 57]
710. farme. farm. 1. Originally: land or other property leased out, or held on lease, esp. land held for the purpose of cultivation. A farmhouse; the main residential building on a farm. Sometimes more generally: the main group of buildings on a farm, comprising a farmhouse and its adjacent outbuildings. 1610 Douay-Rheims Matt xxii 5 But they neglected: and Went their waies , one to his farme, and an other to his merchandife ; 1583 P. Stubbes Second Pt. Anat. Abuses sig. E4v The poore man if hee haue scraped any little thing togither, is forced to disburse it at the first dash before he enter the doores of his poore farme.
2. The action or an act of leasing the privilege of collecting and retaining the whole revenue of a tax or duty, in return for payment of a fixed yearly sum; the privilege, right, or system of farming a tax or duty. 1566 Act 8 Elizabeth I c. 12 §1 in Statutes of Realm (1963) IV. 495 The sayd Aulneger..standeth charged wth the payment of a great annuall Farme to the Queens Matie for the sayd Aulnege. [See RS-DS note, p. 169]
It is interesting to note St Mark’s use of the word farm to describe Gethsemane, the place where Christ suffered His Agony and betrayal by Judas;
“And they came to a farm called Gethsemani. And he saith to his disciples: Sit you here, while I pray. And he taketh Peter and James and John with him; and he began to fear and to be heavy. And he saith to them: My soul is sorrowful even unto death; stay you here, and watch.”[Mark xiv. 32-34]
Peter did not watch and pray but slept and then ran away:
“Then his disciples leaving him, all fled away.” [Mark xiv. 50]
711. My soule. Perhaps the poet is recalling Christ’s own words to his disciples after Peter had rebuked Christ for speaking of His suffering and death:
“For he that will save his life, shall lose it: and he that shall lose his life for my sake, shall find it. For what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul? Or what exchange shall a man give for his soul?” [Matt. xvi. 25-26]
Unrest. Disharmony; disturbance, turmoil, trouble; discord, strife. The state or fact of not being at peace, at ease, or comfortable; unease; discomfort; distress; upset. 1563 T. Sackville in W. Baldwin et al. Myrrour for Magistrates (new ed.) Buckingham sig. V.iiii Furth streamde the teares, recordes of his vnrest.
713. fit. Well adapted or suited to the conditions or circumstances of the case, answering the purpose, proper or appropriate. a1616 W. Shakespeare Coriolanus (1623) iii. ii. 83 Say to them, Thou..Hast not the soft way, which thou do'st confesse Were fit for thee to vse.
plaine. transitive (reflexive). To lament, utter lamentations; to bewail oneself. c1550 R. Bieston Bayte Fortune B iij To plaine hym nought auayleth.
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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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