Thomas Traherne

How like an angel came I down! How bright are all things here! When first among his works I did appear O how their glory me did crown! The world resembled his eternity, In which my soul did walk; And ev’ry thing that I did see Did with me talk. The skies in their magnificence, The lively, lovely air; Oh how divine, how soft, how sweet, how fair! The stars did entertain my sense, And all the works of God, so bright and pure, So rich and great did seem, As if they ever must endure In my esteem. A native health and innocence Within my bones did grow, And while my God did all his glories show, I felt a vigour in my sense That was all spirit. I within did flow With seas of life, like wine; I nothing in the world did know But ’twas divine. Harsh ragged objects were conceal’d, Oppressions tears and cries, Sins, griefs, complaints, dissensions, weeping eyes Were hid, and only things reveal’d Which heav’nly spirits, and the angels prize. The state of innocence And bliss, not trades and poverties, Did fill my sense. The streets were pav’d with golden stones, The boys and girls were mine, Oh how did all their lovely faces shine! The sons of men were holy ones, In joy and beauty they appear’d to me, And every thing which here I found, While like an angel I did see, Adorn’d the ground. Rich diamond and pearl and gold In ev’ry place was seen; Rare splendours, yellow, blue, red, white and green, Mine eyes did everywhere behold. Great wonders cloth’d with glory did appear, Amazement was my bliss, That and my wealth was ev’ry where: No joy to this! Curs’d and devis’d proprieties, With envy, avarice And fraud, those fiends that spoil even Paradise, Flew from the splendour of mine eyes, And so did hedges, ditches, limits, bounds, I dream’d not aught of those, But wander’d over all men’s grounds, And found repose. Proprieties themselves were mine, And hedges ornaments; Walls, boxes, coffers, and their rich contents Did not divide my joys, but all combine. Clothes, ribbons, jewels, laces, I esteem’d My joys by others worn: For me they all to wear them seem’d When I was born.

To walk abroad is, not with eyes, But thoughts, the fields to see and prize; Else may the silent feet, Like logs of wood, Move up and down, and see no good Nor joy nor glory meet. Ev’n carts and wheels their place do change, But cannot see, though very strange The glory that is by; Dead puppets may Move in the bright and glorious day, Yet not behold the sky. And are not men than they more blind, Who having eyes yet never find The bliss in which they move; Like statues dead They up and down are carried Yet never see nor love. To walk is by a thought to go; To move in spirit to and fro; To mind the good we see; To taste the sweet; Observing all the things we meet How choice and rich they be. To note the beauty of the day, And golden fields of corn survey; Admire each pretty flow’r With its sweet smell; To praise their Maker, and to tell The marks of his great pow’r. To fly abroad like active bees, Among the hedges and the trees, To cull the dew that lies On ev’ry blade, From ev’ry blossom; till we lade Our minds, as they their thighs. Observe those rich and glorious things, The rivers, meadows, woods, and springs, The fructifying sun; To note from far The rising of each twinkling star For us his race to run. A little child these well perceives, Who, tumbling in green grass and leaves, May rich as kings be thought, But there’s a sight Which perfect manhood may delight, To which we shall be brought. While in those pleasant paths we talk, ’Tis that tow’rds which at last we walk; For we may by degrees Wisely proceed Pleasures of love and praise to heed, From viewing herbs and trees.

To the same purpose: he, not long before Brought home from nurse, going to the door To do some little thing He must not do within, With wonder cries, As in the skies He saw the moon, “O yonder is the moon, Newly come after me to town, That shined at Lugwardin but yesternight, Where I enjoyed the self-same sight.” As if it had ev’n twenty thousand faces, It shines at once in many places; To all the earth so wide God doth the stars divide, With so much art The moon impart, They serve us all; serve wholly every one As if they servèd him alone. While every single person hath such store, ’Tis want of sense that makes us poor.

In unexperienced infancy Many a sweet mistake doth lie: Mistake though false, intending true; A seeming somewhat more than view; That doth instruct the mind In things that lie behind, And many secrets to us show Which afterwards we come to know. Thus did I by the water’s brink Another world beneath me think; And while the lofty spacious skies Reversèd there, abused mine eyes, I fancied other feet Came mine to touch or meet; As by some puddle I did play Another world within it lay. Beneath the water people drowned, Yet with another heaven crowned, In spacious regions seemed to go As freely moving to and fro: In bright and open space I saw their very face; Eyes, hands, and feet they had like mine; Another sun did with them shine. ’Twas strange that people there should walk, And yet I could not hear them talk; That through a little watery chink, Which one dry ox or horse might drink, We other worlds should see, Yet not admitted be; And other confines there behold Of light and darkness, heat and cold. I called them oft, but called in vain; No speeches we could entertain: Yet did I there expect to find Some other world, to please my mind. I plainly saw by these A new antipodes, Whom, though they were so plainly seen, A film kept off that stood between. By walking men’s reversèd feet I chanced another world to meet; Though it did not to view exceed A phantom, ’tis a world indeed, Where skies beneath us shine, And earth by art divine Another face presents below, Where people’s feet against ours go. Within the regions of the air, Compassed about with heavens fair, Great tracts of land there may be found Enriched with fields and fertile ground; Where many numerous hosts In those far distant coasts, For other great and glorious ends Inhabit, my yet unknown friends. O ye that stand upon the brink, Whom I so near me through the chink With wonder see: what faces there, Whose feet, whose bodies, do ye wear? I my companions see In you, another me. They seemèd others, but are we; Our second selves these shadows be. Look how far off those lower skies Extend themselves! scarce with mine eyes I can them reach. O ye my friends, What secret borders on those ends? Are lofty heavens hurled ’Bout your inferior world? Are yet the representatives Of other peoples’ distant lives? Of all the playmates which I knew That here I do the image view In other selves, what can it mean? But that below the purling stream Some unknown joys there be Laid up in store for me; To which I shall, when that thin skin Is broken, be admitted in.

For all the mysteries, engines, instruments, wherewith the world is filled, which we are able to frame and use to thy glory. For all the trades, variety of operations, cities, temples, streets, bridges, mariner's compass, admirable picture, sculpture, writing, printing, songs and music; wherewith the world is beautified and adorned. Much more for the regent life, And power of perception, Which rules within. That secret depth of fathomless consideration That receives the information Of all our senses, That makes our centre equal to the heavens, And comprehendeth in itself the magnitude of the world; The involv’d mysteries Of our common sense; The inaccessible secret Of perceptive fancy; The repository and treasury Of things that are past; The presentation of things to come; Thy name be glorified For evermore. O miracle Of divine goodness! O fire! O flame of zeal, and love, and joy! Ev’n for our earthly bodies, hast thou created all things. { visible All things { material { sensible Animals, Vegetables, Minerals, Bodies celestial, Bodies terrestrial, The four elements, Volatile spirits, Trees, herbs, and flowers, The influences of heaven, Clouds, vapors, wind, Dew, rain, hail and snow, Light and darkness, night and day, The seasons of the year. Springs, rivers, fountains, oceans, Gold, silver, and precious stones. Corn, wine, and oil, The sun, moon, and stars, Cities, nations, kingdoms. And the bodies of men, the greatest treasures of all, For each other. What then, O Lord, hast thou intended for our Souls, who givest to our bodies such glorious things!

These little limbs, These eyes and hands which here I find, These rosy cheeks wherewith my life begins, Where have ye been? behind What curtain were ye from me hid so long? Where was, in what abyss, my speaking tongue? When silent I So many thousand, thousand years Beneath the dust did in a chaos lie, How could I smiles or tears, Or lips or hands or eyes or ears perceive? Welcome ye treasures which I now receive. I that so long Was nothing from eternity, Did little think such joys as ear or tongue To celebrate or see: Such sounds to hear, such hands to feel, such feet, Beneath the skies on such a ground to meet. New burnished joys, Which yellow gold and pearls excel! Such sacred treasures are the limbs in boys, In which a soul doth dwell; Their organizèd joints and azure veins More wealth include than all the world contains. From dust I rise, And out of nothing now awake; These brighter regions which salute mine eyes, A gift from God I take. The earth, the seas, the light, the day, the skies, The sun and stars are mine if those I prize. Long time before I in my mother’s womb was born, A God, preparing, did this glorious store, The world, for me adorn. Into this Eden so divine and fair, So wide and bright, I come His son and heir. A stranger here Strange things doth meet, strange glories see; Strange treasures lodged in this fair world appear, Strange all and new to me; But that they mine should be, who nothing was, That strangest is of all, yet brought to pass.

News from a foreign country came, As if my treasures and my joys lay there; So much it did my heart inflame, ’Twas wont to call my soul into mine ear; Which thither went to meet Th’ approaching sweet, And on the threshold stood To entertain the secret good; It hover’d there As if ’twould leave mine ear, And was so eager to embrace Th’ expected tidings as they came, That it could change its dwelling place To meet the voice of fame. As if new tidings were the things Which did comprise my wished unknown treasure, Or else did bear them on their wings, With so much joy they came, with so much pleasure, My soul stood at the gate To recreate Itself with bliss, and woo Its speedier approach; a fuller view It fain would take, Yet journeys back would make Unto my heart, as if ’twould fain Go out to meet, yet stay within, Fitting a place to entertain And bring the tidings in. What sacred instinct did inspire My soul in childhood with an hope so strong? What secret force mov’d my desire T’ expect my joys beyond the seas, so young? Felicity I knew Was out of view; And being left alone, I thought all happiness was gone From earth; for this I long’d for absent bliss, Deeming that sure beyond the seas, Or else in something near at hand Which I knew not, since nought did please I knew, my bliss did stand. But little did the infant dream That all the treasures of the world were by, And that himself was so the cream And crown of all which round about did lie. Yet thus it was! The gem, The diadem, The ring enclosing all That stood upon this earthen ball; The heav’nly eye, Much wider than the sky, Wherein they all included were; The love, the soul, that was the king Made to possess them, did appear A very little thing.

But that which most I wonder at, which most I did esteem my bliss, which most I boast, And ever shall enjoy, is that within I felt no stain, nor spot of sin. No darkness then did overshade, But all within was pure and bright, No guilt did crush, nor fear invade But all my soul was full of light. A joyful sense and purity Is all I can remember; The very night to me was bright, ’Twas summer in December. A serious meditation did employ My soul within, which taken up with joy Did seem no outward thing to note, but fly All objects that do feed the eye. While it those very objects did Admire, and prize, and praise, and love, Which in their glory most are hid, Which presence only doth remove. Their constant daily presence I Rejoicing at, did see; And that which takes them from the eye Of others, offer’d them to me. No inward inclination did I feel To avarice or pride: my soul did kneel In admiration all the day. No lust, nor strife, Polluted then my infant life. No fraud nor anger in me mov’d, No malice, jealousy, or spite; All that I saw I truly lov’d. Contentment only and delight Were in my soul. O Heav’n! what bliss Did I enjoy and feel! What powerful delight did this Inspire! for this I daily kneel. Whether it be that nature is so pure, And custom only vicious; or that sure God did by miracle the guilt remove, And make my soul to feel his love So early: or that ’twas one day, Wherein this happiness I found; Whose strength and brightness so do ray, That still it seems me to surround; What ere it is, it is a light So endless unto me That I a world of true delight Did then and to this day do see. That prospect was the gate of Heav’n, that day The ancient light of Eden did convey Into my soul: I was an Adam there A little Adam in a sphere Of joys! O there my ravish’d sense Was entertain’d in Paradise, And had a sight of innocence Which was beyond all bound and price. An antepast of Heaven sure! I on the earth did reign; Within, without me, all was pure; I must become a child again.

A learned and a happy ignorance Divided me From all the vanity, From all the sloth, care, pain, and sorrow that advance The madness and the misery Of men. No error, no distraction I Saw soil the earth, or overcloud the sky. I knew not that there was a serpent’s sting, Whose poison shed On men, did overspread The world; nor did I dream of such a thing As sin, in which mankind lay dead. They all were brisk and living wights to me, Yea, pure and full of immortality. Joy, pleasure, beauty, kindness, glory, love, Sleep, day, life, light, Peace, melody, my sight, My ears and heart did fill and freely move. All that I saw did me delight. The Universe was then a world of treasure, To me an universal world of pleasure. Unwelcome penitence was then unknown, Vain costly toys, Swearing and roaring boys, Shops, markets, taverns, coaches, were unshown; So all things were that drown’d my joys: No thorns chok’d up my path, nor hid the face Of bliss and beauty, nor eclips’d the place. Only what Adam in his first estate, Did I behold; Hard silver and dry gold As yet lay under ground; my blessed fate Was more acquainted with the old And innocent delights which he did see In his original simplicity. Those things which first his Eden did adorn, My infancy Did crown. Simplicity Was my protection when I first was born. Mine eyes those treasures first did see Which God first made. The first effects of love My first enjoyments upon earth did prove; And were so great, and so divine, so pure; So fair and sweet, So true; when I did meet Them here at first, they did my soul allure, And drew away my infant feet Quite from the works of men; that I might see The glorious wonders of the Deity.