by John Donne
VII. Why are the Fairest, Falsest?
I Meane not of false AlchimyBeauty, for then the question should be inuerted, why are the Falsest, Fairest? It is not only because they are much solicited and sought for, so is gold, yet it is not so common; and this suite to them, should teach them their value, and make them more reserued. Nor is it because the delicatest blood hath the best spirits, for what is that to the flesh? perchance such Constitutions haue the best wits, and there is no proportionable subiect, for Womens wit, but deceipt? doth the mind so follow the temperature of the body, that because those Complexions are aprest to change, the mind is therfore so? Or as Bells of the purest metall retaine their tinckling and sound longest, so the memory of the last pleasure lasts longer in these, and disposeth them to the next. But sure it is not in the Complexion, for those that doe but thinke themselues faire, are presently inclined to this multiplicity of loues, which being but faire in conceipt are false in deed: and so perchance when they are borne to this beauty, or haue made it, or haue dream’d it, they easily beleeue all Addresses and Applications of euery Man, out of a sense of their owne worthinesse to bee directed to them, which others lesse worthy in their owne thoughts apprehend not, or discredit. But I thinke the true reason is, that being like Gold in many properties (as that all snatch at them, but the worst possesse them, that they care not how deepe we dig for them, and that by the Law of Nature, Occupandi conceditur) they would be like also in this, that as Gold to make it selfe of vse admits Assay, so they, that they may be tractable, mutable, and currant, haue to their allay Falshood.
VIII. Why Venus-starre onely doth cast a shadow?
IS it because it is neerer the earth? But they whose Profession it is to see that nothing be done in heauen without their consent (as Re-[?] saies in himselfe of Astrologers) haue bid Mercury to bee neerer. Is it because the workes of Venus want shadowing, couering, and disguising? But those of Mercury needs it more; for Eloquence, his Occupation, is all shadow and colours; let our life be a sea, and then our reason and Euen passions are wind enough to carry vs whether we should go, but Eloquence is a storme and tempest that miscarries: and who doubts that Eloquence which must perswade people to take a yoke of soueraignty (and then beg and make lawes to tye them faster,and then giue money to the Inuention, repaire and strengthen it) needs more shadowes and colouring, than to perswaqde any Man or Woman to that which is naturall. And Venus markets are so naturall, that when we solicite the best way (which is by marriage) oue perswasions worke not so much to draw a woman to vs, as against her Nature to draw her from all other besides. And so when we goe against Nature, and from Venus-worke (for marriage is chastity) we need shadowes and colours, but not else. In Seneca’s time it was a course, an vn-romane and a contemptible thing euen in a Matrone, not to haue had a loue beside her husband, which though the Law required not at their hands, yet they did it zealously out of the counsell of Custome and fashion, which was venery of Supererogation:
Et te spectator plusquam delectat Adulter,
saith Martiall: And Horace, because many lights would not shew him enough, created many Images of the same Obiect by wainscoting his chamber with looking-glasses: so that Venus flyes not light, so much as Mercury, who creeping into our vnderstanding, our darkenesse would bee defeated, if hee were perceiued. Then either this shaddow confesseth that same darke Melancholy Repentance, which accompanies; or that so violent fires, needes some shadowy refreshing, and Intermission: Or else light signifying both day and youth, and shadow both night and Age, shee pronounceth by this that shee professeth both all persons and times.
IX. Why is Venus-Starre multi-nominous, called both Hesperus and Vesper?
TH E Moone hath as many names, but not as she is a starre, but as she hath diuers gouernments; but Venus is multinominous to giue example to her prostitute disciples, who so often, either to renew or refresh themselues towards louers, or to disguise themselues from Magistrates, are to take new names. It may be she takes new names after her many functions, for, as she is Supreme Monarch of all Sunnes at large (which is Iust) so is she ioyned in commission with all Mythologicks, with Iuno, Diana, and all others for Marriage. It may bee because of the diuers names to her selfe, for her Affections haue more names than any vice: scilicet; Pollution, Fornication, Adultery, Lay-Incest, Church-Incest, Rape, Sodomy, Mascupation, Masturbation, and a thousand others. Perchance her diuers names shewed her appliablenesse to diuers men, for Neptune distilled and wet her in Loue, the Sunne warmes and melts her, Mercury perswaded and swore her, Iupiters authority secur’d, and Vulcan hammer’d her. As Hesperus she presents you with her bosom vitale, because it is wholesomest in the morning: As Vesper with her bonum delectabile, because it is pleasantest in the Euening. And because industrious men rise and indure with the Sunne in their ciuill businesses, this starre calls them vp a little before, and remembers them againe a little after for her businesse; for certainely;
Venit Hesperus, ite capellæ:
was spoken to louers in the persons of Goates.
X. Why are New Officers least oppressing?
MUST the old Prouerbe, that Old dogges bite sorest, bee true in all kind of dogges? Me thinkes the fresh memory they haue of the mony they parted with for the place, should hasten them for the re-imbursing: And perchance they do but seeme easier to their suitors; who (as all other Patients) do account all change of paine, easie. But if it bee so, it is either because the sodaine sense and contentment of the honour of the place, retards and remits the rage of their profits, and so hauing stayed their stomackes, they forbeare the second course a while: Or hauing ouercome the steepest part of the hill, and clambered aboue Competitions and Oppositions they dare loyter, and take breath: Perchance being come from places, where they tasted no gaine, a little seemes much to them at first, for it is long before a Christian conscience ouertakes, or strayes into an Officers heart. It may be that out of the generall disease of all men not to loue the memory of a predecessor, they seeke to disgrace them by such easinesse, and make good first Impressions, that so hauing drawne much water to their Mill, they may afterwards grind at ease: For if fro[m] the rules of good Horse-man-ship, they thought it wholesome to jet out in a moderate pace, they should also take vp towards their Iourney’s end; not mend their pace continually, and gallop to their Innes-doore, the Graue; except perchance their conscience at that time so touch them, that they thinke it an Iniury and damage both to him that must sell, and to him that must buy the Office after their death; and a kind of dilapidation if they by continuing honest should discredit the place, and bring it to a lower-rent, or vnder-value.
The Letters
Anne More, the poet’s wife
LIST OF LETTERS
CONTENTS
I. To the worthiest Lady Mrs Bridget White.
II. To the worthiest Lady Mrs B. W.
III. To the same.
IV. To the Honourable Lady Mrs B. W.
V. To the Honourable L. the Lady Kingsmel upon the death of her Husband.
VI. To my honoured friend Sr T. Lucey.
VII. To the Noblest Knight Sr Edward Herbert L. of Cherbury; sent to him with his Book Biathanatos.
VIII. To Sr Robert Carre now Earle of Ankerum, with my Book Biathanatos at my going into Germany.
IX. To the Countesse of Bedford.
X. To the right honourable the Countess of Montgomery.
XI. To Sir H. R. [To Sir H. G.]
XII. To Sir H. G.
XIII. To my worthy and honoured friend Mr George Garet.
XIV. To Mr George Garet.
XV. To Mrs Martha Garet.
XVI. To Sir Thomas Roe.
XVII. To all my friends: Sir H. Goodere.
XVIII. To Sir H. Goodere.
XIX. To Sir H. Goodere.
XX. To the same.
XXI. To Sr H. G.
XXII. SIR,
XXIII. To the Countesse of Bedford.
XXIV. To the Honourable Knight Sir H. Goodere.
XXV. To Sir H. G.
; XXVI. To Sir G. F.
XXVII. To Sir H. G.
XXVIII. To the Honourable Kt Sr H. Goodere one of the Gent. of his Majesties privy Chamber.
XXIX. To Sr H. G.
XXX. To Sir H. G.
XXXI. To your selfe.
XXXII. To my Lord G. H.
XXXIII. To Sir H. G.
XXXIV. To my very true and very good friend Sir Henry Goodere.
XXXV. To Sr G. M.
XXXVI. To Sr H. G.
XXXVII. To your selfe.
XXXVIII. To Sir H. G.
XXXIX. To my most worthy friend Sir Henry Goodere.
XL. To Sir I. H.
XLI. To Sir H. Wootton.
XLII. To the Honorable Knight Sir H. Goodere.
XLIII. To Sir H. Wotton.
XLIV. A. V. Merced.
XLV. To the best Knight Sir H. Wootton.
XLVI. To Sir H. G.
XLVII. To the Honourable Knight Sir H. Goodere.
XLVIII. To the Honourable Knight H. G.
XLIX. To Sir H. G.
L. To the Honourable Sir R. D.
LI. To the Honourable Knight Sir H. Goodere.
LII. To his honourable friend Sr H. G.
LIII. To Sr T. H.
LIV. To Sir H. G.
LV. To the Honourable Knight Sir H. G.
LVI. To Sir H. Goodere at Polesworth.
LVII. To the best Knight Sir H. G.
LVIII. To my best of friends Sir H. G.
LIX. To my worthy friend G. K.
LX. To Sir G. B.
LXI. To the Honourable Knight Sir G. P.
LXII. To my much honoured friend Sr T. Lucy.
LXIII. To the honourable Knight Sir H. G.
LXIV. To my good friend Sr H. G.
LXV. To Sir H. G.
LXVI. To the worthy Knight Sir Tho. Lucy.
LXVII. To Sir G. B.
LXVIII. To Sir H. Goodere.
LXIX. To Sir H. G.
LXX. To Sir T. R.
LXXI. To Sir Henry Goodere.
LXXII. To my good friend G. H.
LXXIII. To your self.
LXXIV. To the gallant Knight Sir Tho. Lucy.
LXXV. To Sir H. G.
LXXVI. To Sir H. G.
LXXVII. To Sir G. H.
LXXVIII. To Sir H. G.
LXXIX. To Sir Thomas Lucy.
LXXX. To the honourable Knight Sr Henry Goodere.
LXXXI. To Sir H. G. at Polesworth.
LXXXII. To my worthy friend F. H.
LXXXIII. To Sir H. G.
LXXXIV. To the worthiest Knight Sir Henry Goodere.
LXXXV. To my honoured friend G. G. Esquire.
LXXXVI. To my honoured friend G. G. Esquire.
LXXXVII. SIR,
LXXXVIII. To the Lady G.
LXXXIX. To your selfe.
XC. To the Honourable Knight, Sir Robert Karre.
XCI. To your selfe.
XCII. Sir,
XCIII. To my Honoured friend Mr George Gerrard.
XCIV. To my very worthy friend Mr George Gerrard.
XCV. To your selfe.
XCVI. To my Honoured friend M. George Garrat.
XCVII. To your fair sister.
XCVIII. To the Honourable Knight Sir Henry Goodere.
XCIX. To the Honourable Knight Sir Robert Karre.
C. To the Honourable Knight Sir Robert Karre Gentleman of his Highnesses Bedchamber.
CI. To the Honourable Knight, Sir Robert Karre.
CII. To the Honourable Knight, Sir Robert Karre.
CIII. To the Honourable Knight, Sir Robert Karre.
CIV. To the Honourable Knight, Sir Robert Karre.
CV. To the Honourable Knight, Sir Robert Karre.
CVI. To my Honoured Friend, Master George Gherard.
CVII. To my very much honoured friend George Garrard Esquire at Sion.
CVIII. To my very much respected friend Mr. George Garrard.
CIX. To my Honoured friend Mr George Gherard, over against Salisbury house.
CX. To the very much Honoured friend George Garret Esquire.
CXI. To the Honourable Knight Sir Robert Karre, Gentleman of his Highnesses Bed-chamber.
CXII. To the Right Honourable the Lord Viscount of Rochester.
CXIII. To the Honourable Knight Sir Robert Karre.
CXIV. To your selfe.
CXV. To the Honourable Knight Sir Robert Karre, Gentleman of his Highnesses Bed chamber.
CXVI. To the Honourable Knight, Sir Robert Karre.
CXVII. To the Honoured Knight, Sir Robert Karre.
CXVIII. To the Honourable Knight, Sir Robert Karre.
CXIX. To the Honourable Knight, Sir Robert Karre.
CXX. To the Honourable Knight, Sir Robert Karre.
CXXI. To your selfe.
CXXII. To the Right Honourable Sir Robert Karre.
CXXIII. To the Right Honourable Sir Robert Karre, at Court.
CXXIV. To the Right Honourable Sir Robert Karre, at Court.
CXXV. To the Right Honourable Sir Robert Karre, at Court.
CXXVI. To the Right Honourable Sir Robert Karre, at Court.
CXXVII. To the Right Honourable Sir Robert Karre, at Court.
CXXVIII. To the Honourable Knight Sir Robert Karre, at Court.
CXXIX. To my Noble friend Mris Cokain at Ashburne.
NOTES
NOTE
The Letters to Severall Persons of Honour, now for irst time reprinted in their original form, were collected and published by John Donne, Jr., in 1651, twenty years after the death of the author. Apparently the sales were not large, for three years later the original sheets were rebound with a new title page and put on the market as a second edition. Not many copies of the earlier, and still fewer of the later date, have come down to us.
In the present volume changes from and additions to the original text are indicated by brackets, with a single exception: errors in punctuation have been corrected without comment when, and only when, they seem seriously to impair the intelligibility of the text. In the case of a few letters the reading followed is that of the original manuscripts, for which I am indebted to the great kindness of Mr. Edmund Gosse.
Readers of Mr. Gosse’s brilliant study, The Life and Letters of John Donne (London: Heinemann, 1899) will not need to be reminded of the obligations under which he has placed all later students of Donne’s life and work. I have, in addition, to thank him for generous encouragement and for many helpful suggestions, specific and general.
C. E. M., Jr.
Huntington, Long Island
October 14, 1910.
LETTERS TO SEVERALL
PERSONS OF HONOUR
To the most virtuous
and excellent Lady, Mris.
BRIDGET DUNCH.
Madam,
It is an argument of the Immortality of the Soul, that it can apprehend, and imbrace such a Conception; and it may be some kinde of Prophecy of the continuance and lasting of these Letters, that having been scattered, more then Sibyls leaves, I cannot say into parts, but corners of the World, they have recollected and united themselves, meeting at once, as it were, at the same spring, from whence they flowed, but by Succession.
But the piety of Æneas to Anchises, with the heat and fervour of his zeale, had been dazelled and extinguished by the fire of Troy, and his Father become his Tombe, had not a brighter flame appeared in his Protection, and Venus herself descended with her embraces, to protect her Martiall Champion; so that there is no safer way to give a perpetuity to this remnant of the dead Authour, but by dedicating it to the Altar of Beauty and perfection; and if you, Madam, be but pleased to shed on it one beame of your Grace and Favour, that very Adumbration will quicken it with a new Spirit, and defend it from all fire (the fate of most Letters) but the last; which, turning these into ashes, shall revive the Authour from his Urne, and put him into a capacity of celebrating you, his Guardian Angell, who has protected that part of his Soul, that he left behinde him, his Fame and Reputation.
The
courtesies that you conferre upon the living may admit of some allay, by a possibility of a Retaliation; but what you bestow upon the Dead is a Sacrifice to pure Virtue; an ungifted Deity, ‘tis true, without Oblation, Altar, or Temple, if she were not enshrined in your noble brest, but I must forever become her votary, if it be but for giving me this Inclination, and desire of being
Madam
Your most humble servant
Jo. Donne.
A
COLLECTION
of Letters written to severall
Persons of Honour.
I. To the worthiest Lady Mrs Bridget White.
Madame,
I Could make some guesse whether souls that go to heaven, retain any memory of us that stay behinde, if I knew whether you ever thought of us, since you enjoyed your heaven, which is your self, at home. Your going away hath made London a dead carkasse. A Tearm and a Court do a little spice and embalme it, and keep it from putrefaction, but the soul went away in you: and I think the onely reason why the plague is somewhat slackned is because the place is dead already, and no body left worth the killing. Wheresoever you are, there is London enough: and it is a diminishing of you to say so, since you are more then the rest of the world. When you have a desire to work a miracle, you will return hither, and raise the place from the dead, and the dead that are in it; of which I am one, but that a hope that I have a room in your favour keeps me alive, which you shall abundantly confirme to me, if by one letter you tell me that you have received my six; for now my letters are grown to that bulk, that I may divide them like Amadis the Gaules book, and tell you that this is the first letter of the second part of the first book.
Your humblest, and affectionate
servant J. D.
Strand, S. Peters
day at nine.
II. To the worthiest Lady Mrs B. W.
Madame,
I Think the letters which I send to you single lose themselves by the way for want of a guide, or faint for want of company. Now, that on your part there be no excuse, after three single letters, I send three together, that every one of them may have two witnesses of their delivery. They come also to waite upon another letter from Sr E. Herbert, of whose recovery from a Fever, you may apprehend a perfecter contentment then we, because you had none of the former sorrow. I am an Heretique if it be sound Doctrine, that pleasure tasts best after sorrow. For my part, I can love health well enough, though I be never sick; and I never needed my Mistris frowns and disfavours, to make her favours acceptable to me. In States, it is a weakness to stand upon a defensive war, and safer not to be invaded, then to have overcome: so in our souls health, an innocence is better then the heartiest repentance. And in the pleasures of this life, it is better that the variety of the pleasures give us the taste and appetite to it, then a sowre and sad interruption quicken our stomack; for then we live by Physick. I wish therefore all your happinesses such as this intire, and without flaw, or spot of discontentment; and such is the love and service of