{"id":2345,"date":"2018-08-17T17:55:51","date_gmt":"2018-08-17T16:55:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/books.pjjk.net\/omniana\/chapter\/56-poem-attributed-to-sir-walter-ralegh\/"},"modified":"2018-08-17T17:55:51","modified_gmt":"2018-08-17T16:55:51","slug":"56-poem-attributed-to-sir-walter-ralegh","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/books.pjjk.net\/omniana\/chapter\/56-poem-attributed-to-sir-walter-ralegh\/","title":{"raw":"56. Poem attributed to Sir Walter Ralegh.<\/i>","rendered":"56. Poem attributed to Sir Walter Ralegh.<\/i>"},"content":{"raw":" 94<\/a><\/span>

Mr. Cayley, in his life of Ralegh, inserts the following poem, which is said to have been written by Sir Walter the night preceding his execution.<\/p>\n


\n

MY PILGRIMAGE.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Give me my scallop-shell of quiet,
\nMy staff of faith to walk upon, <\/span>
\nMy scrip of joy,.. immortal diet;
\nMy bottle of salvation, <\/span>
\nMy gown of glory, hopes true gage,
\nAnd thus I'll take my pilgrimage.
\n
\nBlood must be my bodies balmer,
\nWhile my soul, like quiet palmer,
\nTravelleth toward the land of heaven;
\nNo other balm will here be given.
\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n95<\/a><\/span>


\n

Over the silver mountains
\nWhere spring the nectar fountains,
\nThere will I kiss<\/span>
\nThe bowl of bliss, <\/span>
\nAnd drink mine everlasting fill
\nUpon every milken hill;
\nMy soul will be a-dry before,
\nBut after, it will thirst no more.
\n
\nI'll take them first <\/span>
\nTo quench my thirst, <\/span>
\nAnd taste of nectars suckets
\nAt those clear wells <\/span>
\nWhere sweetness dwells, <\/span>
\nDrawn up by saints in crystal buckets.
\n
\nThen by that happy blestful day,
\nMore peaceful pilgrims I shall see, <\/span>
\nThat have cast off their rags of clay,
\nAnd walk apparelled fresh like me. <\/span>
\n
\nAnd when our bodies and all we
\nAre fill'd with immortality,
\nThen the bless'd paths we'll travel,
\nStrew'd with rubies thick as gravel,
\nCeilings of dimond, sapphire flowers,
\nHigh walls of coral, pearly bowers.
\nFrom thence to heaven's bribeless hall,
\nWhere no corrupted voices brawl,
\nNo conscience molten into gold,
\nNo forged accuser bought or sold,
\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n96<\/a><\/span>


\n

No cause deferr'd, no vain-spent journey,
\nFor there Christ is the king's attorney;
\nWho pleads for all without degrees;
\nAnd he hath angels, but no fees.
\n
\nAnd when the twelve grand million jury
\nOf our sins, with direful fury
\nAgainst our souls black verdicts give,
\nChrist pleads his death, and then we live.
\n 
\nBe thou my speaker, taintless pleader!
\nUnblotted lawyer! true proceeder!
\nThou wouldst salvation e'en for alms,
\nNot with a bribed lawer's palms.
\n
\nAnd this is mine eternal plea <\/span>
\nTo him that made heaven, earth, and sea; <\/span>
\nThat since my flesh must die so soon, <\/span>
\nAnd want ahead to dine next noon, <\/span>
\nJust at the stroke, when my veins start and spread,
\nSet on my soul an everlasting head!
\nThen am I ready, like a palmer fit,
\nTo tread those bless' d paths which before I writ.
\nOf death and judgment, heaven and hell,
\nWho oft doth think, must needs die well.
\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The germ of the first stanza is to be found in P. Louis Richeome's Pilgrim of Loreto. \"Our Pilgrim,\" he says, \"shall allegorize all the parts of his furniture and apparel, and shall attire his soul to 97<\/a><\/span>the likeness of his body. For his hat he shall take the assistance of God; his shooes shall be the mortification of his affictions; patience shall be his mantle, or leether cloake; civility shall be his coate or cassacke; chastity his girdle; contemplation and meditation shall be his bag and bottle; the love of the crosse his pilgrime's staff; faith, charity, and good workes, shall be his purse and money; so shall he spiritually attire the inward man of the spirit to the immitation of the Apostle St. Paul; who arming the christian souldier, giveth him his furniture, framed of the stuft of such like allegories, and armes, forged of the same mettal. The shield of verity, a breast plate of justice, shooes of the preparation to the gospell, the buckler of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit of God.\"<\/p>\n

The Annual Reviewer of Mr. Cayley's book observes that this poem is not in Ralegh's usual style, and doubts its 98<\/a><\/span>authenticity; yet adds, that there is a troubled wildness of thought and expression which may be admitted as strong internal evidence in its favour. This evidence goes to prove that the poem was written under the circumstances assigned, but by no means points to Ralegh as the author. Ralegh would not have written in that strain of piety. I believe it to be a catholic poem, and the production of one of the many good, but dangerous men who suffered in those days for a religion which it was impossible to tolerate. Is it by Robert Southwell the Jesuit? a writer of no ordinary powers; yet he was too pure a writer to have made the miserable pun upon angels: there is a levity in that, and in the conceit about wanting a head to dine with, which, if the language were older, might lead one to attribute it to Sir Thomas More. One thing, and only one, is in Ralegh's temper; the allusions to the king's attorney. It is likely that one of the last things 99<\/a><\/span>which he remembered with indignation, would be the cruel and cowardly virulence of Coke. That it is catholic, however, I consider as beyond a doubt.<\/p>\n \n","rendered":"

94<\/a><\/span> <\/p>\n

Mr. Cayley, in his life of Ralegh, inserts the following poem, which is said to have been written by Sir Walter the night preceding his execution.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/p>\n
\n

MY PILGRIMAGE.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

Give me my scallop-shell of quiet,
\nMy staff of faith to walk upon, <\/span>
\nMy scrip of joy,.. immortal diet;
\nMy bottle of salvation, <\/span>
\nMy gown of glory, hopes true gage,
\nAnd thus I’ll take my pilgrimage. <\/p>\n

Blood must be my bodies balmer,
\nWhile my soul, like quiet palmer,
\nTravelleth toward the land of heaven;
\nNo other balm will here be given. \n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

95<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Over the silver mountains
\nWhere spring the nectar fountains,
\nThere will I kiss<\/span>
\nThe bowl of bliss, <\/span>
\nAnd drink mine everlasting fill
\nUpon every milken hill;
\nMy soul will be a-dry before,
\nBut after, it will thirst no more. <\/p>\n

I’ll take them first <\/span>
\nTo quench my thirst, <\/span>
\nAnd taste of nectars suckets
\nAt those clear wells <\/span>
\nWhere sweetness dwells, <\/span>
\nDrawn up by saints in crystal buckets. <\/p>\n

Then by that happy blestful day,
\nMore peaceful pilgrims I shall see, <\/span>
\nThat have cast off their rags of clay,
\nAnd walk apparelled fresh like me. <\/span><\/p>\n

And when our bodies and all we
\nAre fill’d with immortality,
\nThen the bless’d paths we’ll travel,
\nStrew’d with rubies thick as gravel,
\nCeilings of dimond, sapphire flowers,
\nHigh walls of coral, pearly bowers.
\nFrom thence to heaven’s bribeless hall,
\nWhere no corrupted voices brawl,
\nNo conscience molten into gold,
\nNo forged accuser bought or sold, \n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

96<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

No cause deferr’d, no vain-spent journey,
\nFor there Christ is the king’s attorney;
\nWho pleads for all without degrees;
\nAnd he hath angels, but no fees. <\/p>\n

And when the twelve grand million jury
\nOf our sins, with direful fury
\nAgainst our souls black verdicts give,
\nChrist pleads his death, and then we live.
\n 
\nBe thou my speaker, taintless pleader!
\nUnblotted lawyer! true proceeder!
\nThou wouldst salvation e’en for alms,
\nNot with a bribed lawer’s palms. <\/p>\n

And this is mine eternal plea <\/span>
\nTo him that made heaven, earth, and sea; <\/span>
\nThat since my flesh must die so soon, <\/span>
\nAnd want ahead to dine next noon, <\/span>
\nJust at the stroke, when my veins start and spread,
\nSet on my soul an everlasting head!
\nThen am I ready, like a palmer fit,
\nTo tread those bless’ d paths which before I writ.
\nOf death and judgment, heaven and hell,
\nWho oft doth think, must needs die well. \n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The germ of the first stanza is to be found in P. Louis Richeome’s Pilgrim of Loreto. “Our Pilgrim,” he says, “shall allegorize all the parts of his furniture and apparel, and shall attire his soul to 97<\/a><\/span>the likeness of his body. For his hat he shall take the assistance of God; his shooes shall be the mortification of his affictions; patience shall be his mantle, or leether cloake; civility shall be his coate or cassacke; chastity his girdle; contemplation and meditation shall be his bag and bottle; the love of the crosse his pilgrime’s staff; faith, charity, and good workes, shall be his purse and money; so shall he spiritually attire the inward man of the spirit to the immitation of the Apostle St. Paul; who arming the christian souldier, giveth him his furniture, framed of the stuft of such like allegories, and armes, forged of the same mettal. The shield of verity, a breast plate of justice, shooes of the preparation to the gospell, the buckler of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit of God.”<\/p>\n

The Annual Reviewer of Mr. Cayley’s book observes that this poem is not in Ralegh’s usual style, and doubts its 98<\/a><\/span>authenticity; yet adds, that there is a troubled wildness of thought and expression which may be admitted as strong internal evidence in its favour. This evidence goes to prove that the poem was written under the circumstances assigned, but by no means points to Ralegh as the author. Ralegh would not have written in that strain of piety. I believe it to be a catholic poem, and the production of one of the many good, but dangerous men who suffered in those days for a religion which it was impossible to tolerate. Is it by Robert Southwell the Jesuit? a writer of no ordinary powers; yet he was too pure a writer to have made the miserable pun upon angels: there is a levity in that, and in the conceit about wanting a head to dine with, which, if the language were older, might lead one to attribute it to Sir Thomas More. One thing, and only one, is in Ralegh’s temper; the allusions to the king’s attorney. It is likely that one of the last things 99<\/a><\/span>which he remembered with indignation, would be the cruel and cowardly virulence of Coke. That it is catholic, however, I consider as beyond a doubt.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"menu_order":56,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[48],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-2345","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","chapter-type-numberless"],"part":27,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/books.pjjk.net\/omniana\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/2345","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/books.pjjk.net\/omniana\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/books.pjjk.net\/omniana\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/books.pjjk.net\/omniana\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/books.pjjk.net\/omniana\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/2345\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2346,"href":"https:\/\/books.pjjk.net\/omniana\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/2345\/revisions\/2346"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/books.pjjk.net\/omniana\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/27"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/books.pjjk.net\/omniana\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/2345\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/books.pjjk.net\/omniana\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2345"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/books.pjjk.net\/omniana\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=2345"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/books.pjjk.net\/omniana\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=2345"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/books.pjjk.net\/omniana\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=2345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}