👈The Tears of St Peter -1587 until 1596
El Greco (Domḗnikos Theotokópoulos) 1541-1614
Museo Soumaya at Plaza Carso, Mexico.
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Sad subiect of my sinne hath stoard my minde,
With euerlasting matter of complaint;
My threnes an endlesse alphabet doe finde,
Beyond the pangs which Ieremie doth paint. [40]
That eyes with errors may iust measure keepe,
Most teares I wish, that haue most cause to weepe.
The sorrowful subject of my sin has been stored in my memory; there is so much matter for grieving that it seems it could go on for ever. My lamentations would fill alphabetical poems without end, going even further than the the Lamentations of Jeremias. I, having the greatest cause to weep, wish for the greatest abundance of tears, so that my eyes may respond in proportion to my iniquities.
37-38. The poet here speaks of memory, one of the three powers or faculties of the soul.
37. stoard. stored. Vide verse LVII infra, a1595 R. Southwell St. Peter's Complaint (1602) verse LVII: 15 Sweet volumes stoard with learning fit for Saints.
39. threnes. threne: A song of lamentation; a dirge, threnody; formerly spec. (in plural) the Lamentations of Jeremiah (Septuagint θρῆνοι Ἰερεμίου, Vulgate Threni). Vide 1601 W. Shakespeare Phoenix & Turtle in R. Chester Loves Martyr 171 Whereupon it made this Threne To the Phœnix and the Doue.
alphabet. A poem that has each verse or line beginning with a different letter of the alphabet in alphabetical order; an abecedary, an alphabet poem; (sometimes also) an acrostic. Vide 1595 P. Howard tr. J. J. Lansperger Epist. Christ to Faithfull Soule 296 A Hymne of the Life and Passion of our Sauiour Christ, made after the manner of an Alphabet, euerie verse beginning with euerie Letter.
This refers to the structure of the Book of Lamentations written by Jeremias (the Ieremie of line 40). The first, second, fourth, and fifth laments are each composed of twenty-two verses, to correspond with the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet; the third lament is made up of three times twenty-two verses.
40. pangs. A sudden sharp feeling of mental anguish or intense emotional pain. Vide 1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene ii. i. sig. N5v The bitter pangs, that doth your heart infest.
measure. Perhaps a reference to measure in music and poetry: Rhythm; rhythmical motion, esp. as regulated by music; the rhythm of a movement or piece of music. to keep measure: to observe strict time. With a figurative extension in other contexts. Vide 1697 M. Prior Satire Mod. Transl. 120 The just Measure of a tuneful Dance.
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All weeping eyes resigne your teares to me,
A sea will scantly rince my ordur'd soule;
Huge horours in high tides must drowned be: [45]
Of euery teare my crime exacteth tole.
These staines are deepe: few drops take out no such;
Euen salue with sore, and most is not too much.
All you who are weeping, please send your tears to me; all the waters in the sea would scarce be enough to wash away the stains on my soul; high iniquities must be washed over with high tides of forgiveness. My crimes take a toll of every tear; the stains of sin are deep and are such as to need more than just a few teardrops. The healing salve must be proportionate to sin’s injuries; even if I could receive the most, it would not be too much.
43. resign. To hand over (a physical object, a possession, an asset, etc.); to give up ownership of or claim to (something in one's possession or charge); to cede. Vide 1535 W. Stewart tr. H. Boethius Bk. Cron. Scotl. (1858) II. 713 That all Northumberland And Cumbria he sould frelie resing, Into the handis of this Dauid king. To consign, make over, deliver up to a person, thing, circumstance, etc. Vide 1561 R. Norvell Myroure of ane Christiane f. 61 My supplicatione I resing Onlie to Thé, and my intent I do present.
44. scantly. Scarcely, hardly, barely. Vide 1585 Abp. E. Sandys Serm. x. 153 Wee are hearers of the woord, and yet skantly that.
Rince. Rinse. To immerse (something) in water or pour water on to or over (something), so as to remove impurities. To cleanse, make pure.
ordured. Defiled with ordure; soiled; polluted; filthy.
45. horours. Horrors.
46. tole. Toll.
48. even. To even: To match, to make equal, to equal. Vide c1450 (▸?c1400) tr. Honorius Augustodunensis Elucidarium (1909) 18 (MED) Goddes sone..to alle þat were firste predestinate to heuene, he openyde heuene & euenede hem to aungels.
salve. A healing ointment for application to wounds or sores. A remedy (esp. for spiritual disease, sorrow, and the like). Vide 1563 2nd Tome Homelyes Repentance ii, in J. Griffiths Two Bks. Homilies (1859) ii. 541 That they may receive at their hand the comfortable salve of God's word.
sore. Sickness, disease; in particularized use, a disease, ailment, or bodily affliction. In figurative and allusive uses, with retention of literal phraseology; esp. coupled with salve. e.g., c1460 (▸?c1400) Tale of Beryn 3588 They sawe no maner selve for soris of hir hert
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I fear'd with life, to die, by death to liue;
I left my guide, — now left, and leauing God. [50]
To breath in blisse, I fear'd my breath to giue;
I fear'd for heauenly raigne an earthly rod.
These feares I fear'd, feares feeling no mishaps:
O fond! O faint! O false! O faultie lapse!
I feared whilst living to die unto myself, so that by death unto myself I might live with a life everlasting. I abandoned my Guide and, once gone, I found myself leaving God. I had the hope of breathing with the blessed the eternal bliss of Heaven — but I was afraid to give my last breath in dying. I feared that seeking the kingdom of Heaven would mean a punishment for me here on earth. These were the fears that made me afraid, fears that had no sense of sin; this wicked lapse of mine : how foolish! How wanting in courage! How treacherous!
49. Peter feared he would lose his life if he admitted that he knew Christ and was one of His followers. He was prepared to keep his own life, even in the knowledge that his Master was going to lose His. There are perhaps echoes here of St Paul’s words:
“For none of us liveth to himself; and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; or whether we die, we die unto the Lord. Therefore, whether we live, or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and rose again; that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.” [Romans xiv. 7-9]
50. I left my guide. Christ had taught “I am the way, the truth and the life;” [John xiv. 6] “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me, walketh not in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” [John viii. 12] By leaving his guide, Peter left the way and the truth leading to eternal life; he chose to leave his guide’s light and found himself in fearful darkness.
51. blisse. The perfect joy of heaven; the beatitude of departed souls. Hence, the place of bliss, paradise, heaven. The meaning of bliss and that of bless have mutually influenced each other since an early period; compare bless v.1; confusion of spelling is frequent from the time of Wyclif to the 17th cent. Hence the gradual tendency to withdraw bliss from earthly ‘blitheness’ to the beatitude of the blessed in heaven, or that which is likened to it. Vide 1595 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 3 iii. iii. 182 By the hope I haue of heauenlie blisse.
52. raigne. Reign. The kingdom of heaven or of God; vide 1594 R. Carew tr. T. Tasso Godfrey of Bulloigne i. 50 Th' angels earst banisht from the heau'nly raine.
rod. A means or instrument of punishment; (also) punishment, chastisement. Vide 1598 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 1 iii. ii. 10 Thou dost..Make me beleeue that thou art..the rod of heauen, To punish my mistreadings.
54. fond. There are several layers of possible meaning here: 1) Foolish, silly. Vide 1580 J. Lyly Euphues & his Eng. (new ed.) f. 9 He that is young thinketh the old man fond. 2) Of opinions, beliefs, etc.: held with strong or unthinking affection; foolishly optimistic. Vide 1548 N. Udall et al. tr. Erasmus Paraphr. Newe Test. I. Mark vii. f. l For suche folishe trifles, they chalenged the prayse of holines, and brought the people in a fonde beliefe.
faint. 1) Feigned, pretended, simulated. 1569 R. Grafton Chron. II. 93 And finished the sayde peace with an assured othe..but it semed a faynt peace. 2) Wanting in courage, spiritless, cowardly. 1535 Bible (Coverdale1) Psalms cxlii[i]. 7 My sprete waxeth faynte.
false. Mendacious, deceitful, treacherous.
faultie. Containing faults, blemishes or defects; defective, imperfect, unsound. Of persons, their qualities, etc.: Having imperfections or failings; apt to do wrong or come short of duty. (a) That has committed a fault, error, or offence; guilty of wrongdoing. Obsolete. (b) That is in fault or to blame (for some undesirable results). Vide 1556 tr. J. de Flores Histoire de Aurelio & Isabelle sig. C3 Whatsoeuer person that were founde faultie of like errour.
lapse. A falling from rectitude, imputable to weakness or lack of precaution: a moral ‘slip’. A lapsing or apostatizing from the faith, a falling into heresy. Also, in weaker sense, an involuntary deviation from one's principles or rule of action. 1582 Earl of Essex in H. Ellis Orig. Lett. Eng. Hist. (1827) 2nd Ser. III. 80 I do beseache your good Lordship, notwithstanding the lapse of my youth, still to continue a loving frende unto me.
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How can I liue, that thus my life deni'd? [55]
What can I hope, that lost my hope in feare?
What trust to one, that Truth it selfe defi'd?
What good in him, that did his God forsweare?
O sinne of sinnes! of euils the very worst:
O matchlesse wretch! O catiffe most accurst! [60]
How can I live who thus denied my Master, who called Himself “the life,” denying myself thereby eternal life? Through fear I have lost my hope, losing Him who gives us hope of glory; what now can I hope for? What trust can I truly have in myself, someone who rejected his Master who called Himself “the truth”? What good can there be in one who denied his Master with an oath? What a sin, so much worse than any other! The very worst of evil iniquities! Most vile and pitiful creature! What a most damnable wretch!
55.& 57. my life denied / Truth it selfe defi'd. Peter denied his Master, who had taught “I am the way, the truth and the life,” [John xiv. 6] and “ I am come that they may have life, and may have it more abundantly.” [John x. 10]. Through his sin of cowardly betrayal, Peter denied himself eternal life.
56. The three theological virtues are Faith, Hope and Charity. Hope is a supernatural gift of God, by which we firmly trust that God will give us eternal life and all means necessary to obtain it, if we do what he requires of us.(Penny Catechism Q136; vide Baltimore Catechism Q. 466 et seq.)
hope. Note the words of St Paul: “To whom God would make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ, in you the hope of glory.” [Coloss. i. 27]
57. defi’d. Defy: To set at nought; to reject, renounce, despise, disdain, revolt at. Vide 1549 J. Olde tr. Erasmus Paraphr. Thess. 4 I defie all thinges in comparison of the gospel of Christ.
58. forsweare. To deny or repudiate on oath or with strong asseveration. Note Peter’s oaths in Matthew’s Gospel:
“And as he went out of the gate, another maid saw him, and she saith to them that were there: This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath, I know not the man. And after a little while they came that stood by, and said to Peter: Surely thou also art one of them; for even thy speech doth discover thee. Then he began to curse and to swear that he knew not the man.” [Matt. xxvii. 71-74]
60. wretch. One driven out of or away from his native country; a banished person; an exile. A vile, sorry, or despicable person; one of opprobrious or reprehensible character; a mean or contemptible creature. Vide a1555 J. Careless in M. Coverdale Certain Lett. Martyrs (1564) 230 Vnto me moste vile, sinnefull, wicked and vnworthy wretch.
catiffe. caitiff: A. 2. Expressing commiseration: A wretched miserable person, a poor wretch, one in a piteous case. Expressing contempt, and often involving strong moral disapprobation: A base, mean, despicable ‘wretch’, a villain. In early use often not separable from sense A. 2 (esp. when applied by any one to himself): ‘it often implies a mixture of wickedness and misery.’ Vide c1540 (▸?a1400) Destr. Troy 10352 As a caiteff, a coward, no knighthode at all.
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Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
