St Peter's Complaynt : Lines 775-786

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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Lazar at pitties gate I ulcered lye,

Craving the reffues crummes of childrens plate;

My sores, I lay in view to mercies eye,

My rags beare witnesse of my poore estate:

The wormes of conscience that within me swarme,

Prove that my plaintes are lesse then is my harme.

    Lazarus was a poor beggar, full of sores, who lay at a rich man’s gate looking for scraps from his table. I am also covered in sores and ulcers — they are sin's disfigurement of my soul. Having lost the riches of grace, I find myself in abject poverty. I now lie outside the gate of the kingdom of Heaven, where I beg for pity and in my hunger beg for crumbs of comfort from the blessed sons of God who are seated at the heavenly banquet. 

    My conscience lays bare the wounds of my sin before the merciful gaze of the heavenly Father. Stripped of the rich apparel of His grace, I am left with wretched rags and tatters that bear witness to my state of utter poverty. Like a dying body eaten alive by worms, I feel relentless pains gnawing at my conscience. They are proof that my cries of remorse are less than the hurt and injury caused by my sins.

    Note. Apart from the general meaning of the word lazar (see 775. infra), there is also a reference here to the parable of Dives and Lazarus:. Note the echoes of certain words: Lazar / Lazarus, gate / gate, ulcered / full of sores, crummes / crumbs. 

“There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen; and feasted sumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar, named Lazarus, who lay at his gate, full of sores, Desiring to be filled with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table, and no one did give him; moreover the dogs came, and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. And the rich man also died: and he was buried in hell. And lifting up his eyes when he was in torments, he saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom: And he cried, and said: Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, to cool my tongue: for I am tormented in this flame. And Abraham said to him: Son, remember that thou didst receive good things in thy lifetime, and likewise Lazarus evil things, but now he is comforted; and thou art tormented.” [Luke xvi. 19-25]

    Unlike Lazarus, Peter is shown at pitties gate, which may represent the gate of the Kingdom of Heaven. He looks for crumbs from the plates of “children,” “for the kingdom of heaven is for such.” [Matthew xix. 14]

    775. Lazar. A poor and diseased person, usually one afflicted with a loathsome disease; esp. a leper. 1577   R. Holinshed Chron. II. 1713/2   They prouided for the Lazer to keepe him oute of the Citie from clapping of dyshes, and rynging of Belles. 1610   P. Holland tr. W. Camden Brit. i. 522   Lazers..so they used to tearme folke infected with the Elephantiasie or Leprosie.

    pitties. pity.   The disposition to mercy or compassion; clemency, mercy, mildness, tenderness. 1602   B. Jonson Poetaster ii. ii. sig. Dv   A little proude, but full of pitie .

The sense of Latin pietās ‘piety’ was in post-classical Latin extended so as to include ‘compassion, pity’ (Vetus Latina), and it was in this sense that the word first appears in Old French in its two forms pitié and pieté . Gradually these forms were differentiated, so that pieté , which more closely represented the Latin form, was used in the original Latin sense, while pitié retained the extended sense. In Middle English, both pity n. and piety n. are found first in the sense ‘compassion’, and subsequently in the sense ‘piety’, and the differentiation in sense is not complete until the 17th cent.

    gate.  Multiple references in Scripture to the word gate / door include the line where Christ likens Himself to “the door/gate”:

“I am the door [ostium]. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved: and he shall go in, and go out, and shall find pastures.” [John x. 9]

    ulcered. ulcered = ulcerated. 1610   J. Healey tr. St. Augustine Citie of God i. xi. 21   One farre more sumptuous did the ministring Angels prepare for the poore vlcered begger, in the sight of God.

    776. craving. Crave. 1. To ask earnestly, to beg for (a thing), esp. as a gift or favour.  a1592   R. Greene Frier Bacon (1594) sig. C3v   To craue some succour of the iolly Frier.

    2. To long or yearn for, to desire earnestly; 1577   B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach Foure Bks. Husbandry ii. f. 86   Who so ploweth his Olyue Garden, craueth fruite.

    reffues.  refuse. Adj. Discarded as being superfluous or of poor quality; spare, waste; worthless. Also figurative. 1598   Bp. J. Hall Virgidemiarum: 3 Last Bks. iv. v. 42   Vnlesse some base hedge-creeping Collybist, Scatters his refuse scraps on whom he list.

    childrens plate. In the parable, Lazarus hopes he may be filled with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. Peter, however, likens himself to an outcast at pity’s gate and he  hopes he may be filled with the crumbs from the plates of “children.” The word children recalls Christ’s words about children and His teaching about divine filiation: 

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called children of God.” [Matthew v. 9]

“That you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven, who maketh his sun to rise upon the good, and bad, and raineth upon the just and the unjust.” [Matt. v. 45 ]

“But Jesus said to them: Suffer the little children, and forbid them not to come to me: for the kingdom of heaven is for such.” [Matthew 19:14]

“For you are all the children of God by faith, in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized in Christ, have put on Christ.” [Gal. iii. 26-27] 

“For whosoever are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again in fear; but you have received the spirit of adoption of sons, whereby we cry: Abba (Father).” [Rom. viii.14-15]

    777. sores. The wounds his sin has inflicted upon him (and perhaps including the harm and hurt they have caused to Christ and others).

    778. estate. State or condition in general, whether material or moral, bodily or mental. 1605   London Prodigall i. i. 224   I hope he died in good estate.

    779. worms.  Here indicating the thoughts eating away at Peter’s conscience but also betokening the terrible fate awaiting the unrepentant sinner in eternity..

“Thy pride is brought down to hell, thy carcass is fallen down: under thee shall the moth be strewed, and worms shall be thy covering. How art thou fallen from heaven . . .” [Isaias xiv. 11]

“And if thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out. It is better for thee with one eye to enter into the kingdom of God, than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished.” [Mark ix. 46-47] 

    Another Jesuit priest wrote about “worms of conscience” in “A pleasant and profitable treatise of Hell,” (Hieremy Drexelius. S.J., 1581-1638):

“This is the Sixth Torment of Eternity in Hell, which Christ in the conclusion of one Sermon repeats thrice . . . Amidst these swarms of Worms the damned shall behold, as St. Gregory testifie1, the glory of the blessed: To the end that sinners in pain, may be more tormented, let them see their glory, whom they despised; and receive new torture from their punnishment, whom they vainly loved. Thus the damned behold the bliss of Saints, but at a great distance.” 

    780. plaintes. plaint. The action or an act of plaining; audible expression of sorrow; (also) such an expression in verse or song, a lament. 1588   R. Greene Pandosto sig. C4   Pandosto would once a day repaire to the Tombe, and there with watry plaintes bewaile his misfortune.

    then. than. 

    harme. Evil (physical or otherwise) as done to or suffered by some person or thing; hurt, injury, damage, mischief. Often in the set phrase ‘to do more harm than good’. Grief, sorrow, pain, trouble, distress, affliction. Also with a and plural. to make harms (quot. c1480): to make lamentation. 

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With mildnesse, Jesu, measure mine offence;

Let true remorse Thy due revenge abate;

Let teares appease when trespasse doth incense;

Let pittie temper Thy deserved hate;

Let grace forgive, let love forget my fall: [785]

With feare I crave, with hope I humbly call.

    O Lord Jesu, hear my prayer, and judge my sin in the mildness of Thy mercy: 

let my true and sincere remorse soften the due punishment of Thy vengeance; 

let my tears of contrition extinguish Thy wrath which mine iniquity hath inflamed;

let Thy tender heart’s pity soften Thy judgement, in spite of the hatred my sin deserves;

let Thy grace forgive my fall from grace; and

let Thy love blot out my iniquity.

    In fear and trembling I beseech Thee: O Lord, hear my prayer! 

    Out of the depths, but in confident hope, I Thee implore: let my cry come unto Thee!

       781. Jesu.

“Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is no other name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved.” [Acts iv. 12]

    mildnesse. mildness. As an attribute of people, their actions, etc.: the quality of being mild; graciousness, gentleness, placidity; even-tempered calmness. a1530   W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfeccyon (1531) f. 31v   To haue myldnes, gentylnes, and good maner in all our conuersacyon.

a1616   W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 3 (1623) iv. v. 20   This is it that makes me bridle passion, And beare with Mildnesse my misfortunes crosse. 

     Mildness as a divine attribute is mentioned in both the Old and the New Testament:

“For thou, O Lord, art sweet and mild: and plenteous in mercy to all that call upon thee.” [Psalms lxxxv. 5]

“Now I Paul myself beseech you, by the mildness and modesty of Christ, who in presence indeed am lowly among you, but being absent, am bold toward you.” [2 Corinthians x. 1]

     measure. 1. Of a person: to ascertain or determine the magnitude or quantity of (something); (of a thing) to be the means of ascertaining or determining the magnitude or quantity of (something). a1616   W. Shakespeare Cymbeline (1623) i. ii. 22   Till you had measur'd how long a Foole you were vpon the ground.

     2. transitive. To go over with one's eye, to peruse. 1590   E. Spenser Faerie Queene iii. xii. sig. Oo6v   Full dreadfull thinges out of that balefull booke He red, and measur'd many a sad verse.

“For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again.” [Matthew vii. 2]

     3. To judge or appraise. 1586   G. Pettie & B. Yong tr. S. Guazzo Ciuile Conuersat. (rev. ed.) iv. f. 195v   We ought perfectlie to..understand the sentences of our auncestors, and measure them with their customes.

     782. revenge. Perhaps here with the following sense: Punishment of a wrongdoer; chastisement. 1561   T. Norton tr. J. Calvin Inst. Christian Relig. f. 54   There is a certayne speciall reuenge proclaymed agaynst them that vse his name in vayne.

“Revenge not yourselves, my dearly beloved; but give place unto wrath, for it is written: Revenge is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord.” [Romans xii. 19]

“For we know him that hath said: Vengeance belongeth to me, and I will repay. And again: The Lord shall judge his people.” [Hebrews x. 30]

     abate. 1. To put an end to (a condition, state of affairs, etc.). 1585   Abp. E. Sandys Serm. iv. 67   S. Paul abateth this opinion.

     2. To cause to cease; to do away with; spec. to terminate or dismiss (a legal proceeding). 1583   Sir T. Smith's De Republica Anglorum ii. xiii. 56   If he once come to denie..that..the euidence which his aduersarie bringeth is not true..or any such like exception which is vaileable to abate the action or barre the partie.

     3. To lessen, diminish, or reduce. 1574   A. Golding tr. A. Marlorat Catholike Expos. Reuelation 33   Charitie is lyke fyre, whyche is easyly put oute if it be abated.

     783. trespasse.  A transgression; a breach of law or duty; an offence, sin, wrong; a fault. 1526   Bible (Tyndale) Matt. vi. f. vijv   And forgeve vs oure treaspases, even as we forgeve them which treaspas vs.

     incense. v. To inflame with wrath, excite or provoke to anger, make angry, enrage, exasperate. 1596   E. Spenser Second Pt. Faerie Queene v. iii. sig. O7v   Much was the knight incenst with his lewd word. 

     784. hate.  The Book off proverbs speaks of that which God hates:

“Six things there are, which the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul detesteth: [Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that deviseth wicked plots, feet that are swift to run into mischief, A deceitful witness that uttereth lies, and him that soweth discord among brethren.” [Prov. vi. 16-19]

     785. grace. This word has several layers of meaning. 1. Mercy, clemency; pardon, forgiveness. 1559   W. Baldwin et al. Myrroure for Magistrates Suffolk xxv   There was no grace, but I must loose my head. 2. As a quality possessed by human beings: benevolent divine influence regarded as an enduring force in the individual human, having its seat in the soul. 1560   Medit. Penitent Sinner sig. X.iiv, in A. L. tr. J. Calvin Serm. Songe Ezechias   From troubled sprite I send confused crye, To craue the crummes of all sufficing grace.

    let love forget my fall. 

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy. And according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my iniquity.” [Psalms L. 3]

“Turn away thy face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.” [Psalms L. 11]

     786. with feare.  “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: “ [Proverbs ix. 10]

     Cf. the words of the Psalmist and St Paul:

“Fear and trembling are come upon me: and darkness hath covered me.” [Psalm LIV. 6]

“Wherefore, my dearly beloved, (as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but much more now in my absence,) with fear and trembling work out your salvation.” [Philippians ii. 12]

     crave. 1. To ask earnestly, to beg for (a thing), esp. as a gift or favour. a1592   R. Greene Frier Bacon (1594) sig. C3v   To craue some succour of the iolly Frier.

     2. To long or yearn for, to desire earnestly; 1577   B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach Foure Bks. Husbandry ii. f. 86   Who so ploweth his Olyue Garden, craueth fruite.

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Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.