RPO -- George Herbert : The British Church

Representative Poetry Online

Poet Index Poem Index Random Search

Introduction Timeline Calendar Glossary Criticism Bibliography

RPO Canadian Poetry UTEL

George Herbert (1593-1633)

The British Church

1I joy, dear mother, when I view

2Thy perfect lineaments, and hue

3 Both sweet and bright.

4Beauty in thee takes up her place,

5And dates her letters from thy face,

6 When she doth write.

7 A fine aspect in fit array,

8Neither too mean nor yet too gay,

9 Shows who is best.

10Outlandish looks may not compare,

11For all they either painted are,

12 Or else undress'd.

13 She on the hills which wantonly

14Allureth all, in hope to be

15 By her preferr'd,

16Hath kiss'd so long her painted shrines,

17That ev'n her face by kissing shines,

18 For her reward.

19 She in the valley is so shy

20Of dressing, that her hair doth lie

21 About her ears;

22While she avoids her neighbour's pride,

23She wholly goes on th' other side,

24 And nothing wears.

25 But, dearest mother, what those miss,

26The mean, thy praise and glory is

27 And long may be.

28Blessed be God, whose love it was

29To double-moat thee with his grace,

30 And none but thee.

Notes

5] Possibly refers to the ecclesiastical practice of dating by the Church Year.

13-18] Refers to the Roman Catholic Church, to which the allegory in Revelation, xvii.3-6, was frequently applied by Protestants.

20-25] Refers to the Nonconformist Churches.

29] double-moat: protect against a twofold danger.

Online text copyright © 2009, Ian Lancashire (the Department of English) and the University of Toronto.
Published by the Web Development Group, Information Technology Services, University of Toronto Libraries.

Original text: George Herbert, The temple. Sacred poems and private ejaculations, edited by N. Ferrar (Cambridge: T. Buck and R. Daniel, 1633). STC 13183. Facs. edn. Menston: Scolar Press, 1968. PR 3507 T45 1633A. Also The Bodleian Manuscript of George Herbert's Poems: A Facsimile of Tanner 307, Introduced by Amy M. Charles and Mario A. Di Cesare. Delmar: Scholars' Facsimiles and Reprints, 1984. PR 3507 T45 1984 Robarts Library.
First publication date: 1633
RPO poem editor: N. J. Endicott
RP edition: 2RP.1.316; RPO 1996-2000.
Recent editing: 2:2002/2/13

Rhyme: aabccb

Other poems by George Herbert