Volume 1 — INDEX OF FIRST LINES.
Reading edition
The poems marked * are contained in Appendixes B and C of doubtful or unauthentic poems. Those marked † are poems to or on Donne.
PAGE
A Sheafe of Snakes used heretofore to be 399
*Absence heare my protestation 428
After those reverend papers, whose soule is 214
All haile sweet Poët, more full of more strong fire, 203
†All is not well when such a one as I 374
All Kings, and all their favorites 24
Although thy hand and faith, and good workes too, 82
*And though thy glasse a burning one become 462
As due by many titles I resigne 322
As the sweet sweat of Roses in a Still 90
As virtuous men passe mildly away 49
At once, from hence, my lines and I depart, 206
At the round earths imagin'd corners, blow 325
Away thou fondling motley humorist, 145
Batter my heart, three person'd God; for, you 328
Before I sigh my last gaspe, let me breath, 56
*Beleeve yor Glasse, and if it tell you (Deare) 455
Beyond th'old Pillers many have travailed 76
Blasted with sighs, and surrounded with teares 28
Blest are your North parts, for all this long time 213
Both rob'd of aire, we both lye in one ground, 75
Busie old foole, unruly Sunne, 11
By childrens births, and death, I am become 75
*By Euphrates flowry side 424
By miracles exceeding power of man, 320
By our first strange and fatall interview, 111
†Can we not force from widdowed Poetry, 378
*Chast Love, let mee embrace thee in mine armes 445
*Come, Fates; I feare you not. All whom I owe 407
Come live with mee, and bee my love, 46
Come, Madam, come, all rest my powers defie, 119
*Comend her? no. I dare not terme her fayre, 439
Compassion in the world againe is bred: 78
†Conquerar? ignavoque sequar tua funera planctu? 390
*Cruell since that thou dost not feare the curse 446
*Deare Love, continue nice and chaste, 412
Deare love, for nothing lesse then thee 37
Death be not proud, though some have called thee 326
*Death be not proud, thy hand gave not this blow, 422
Death I recant, and say, unsaid by mee 282
Deigne at my hands this crowne of prayer and praise, 318
†Donne dead? 'Tis here reported true, though I 386
†Donne, the delight of Phoebus, and each Muse, 5
Eternall God, (for whom who ever dare 348
Even as lame things thirst their perfection, so 208
Faire eies do not think scorne to read of Love 447
Faire, great, and good, since seeing you, wee see 224
Faire soule, which wast, not onely, as all soules bee, 271
*Farewel ye guilded follies, pleasing troubles, 465
Father of Heaven, and him, by whom 338
Father, part of his double interest 329
Fond woman, which would'st have thy husband die, 79
For every houre that thou wilt spare mee now 13
For Godsake hold your tongue, and let me love 14
For the first twenty yeares, since yesterday, 69
*Fye, Fye you sonnes of Pallas what madd rage 435
God grant thee thine own wish, and grant thee mine, 400
Goe, and catche a falling starre, 8
*Goe and Count her better howres 451
Good wee must love, and must hate ill, 32
*Greate and goode if she deryde mee 452
*Greate Lord of love, how busy still thou art 448
Haile Bishop Valentine, whose day this is, 127
Harke newes, o envy, thou shalt heare descry'd 104
Hast thee harsh verse, as fast as thy lame measure 205
He is starke mad, who ever sayes, 48
He that cannot chuse but love, 73
†Hee that would write an Epitaph for thee, 374
*He was the Word that spake it, 427
Her of your name, whose fair inheritance 317
†Heere lies Deane Donne; Enough; Those words alone 388
Here's no more newes, then vertue,'I may as well 187
Here take my Picture; though I bid farewell, 86
Here where by All All Saints invoked are, 221
Honour is so sublime perfection, 218
How sits this citie, late most populous, 354
I am a little world made cunningly 324
I am two fooles, I know, 16
I am unable, yonder begger cries, 76
I can love both faire and browne, 12
†I cannot blame those men, that knew thee well, 373
I fixe mine eye on thine, and there 45
I have done one braver thing 10
I'll tell thee now (deare Love) what thou shalt doe 29
I long to talke with some old lovers ghost, 54
I never stoop'd so low, as they 66
I scarce beleeve my love to be so pure 33
†I see in his last preach'd, and printed Booke, 3
I sing no harme good sooth to any wight, 105
I sing the progresse of a deathlesse soule, 295
*I that ye higher half of loues 440
I wonder by my troth, what thou, and I 7
If, as mine is, thy life a slumber be, 209
If faithfull soules be alike glorifi'd 325
*If great men wrong me, I will spare my selfe; 415
*If her disdaine least change in you can move, 430
If in his Studie he hath so much care 77
If poysonous mineralls, and if that tree, 326
*If shaddowes be the pictures excellence; 460
If yet I have not all thy love, 17
If you from spoyle of th'old worlds farthest end 76
Image of her whom I love, more then she, 95
Immensitie cloysterd in thy deare wombe, 319
*In that, ô Queene of Queenes, thy birth was free 427
†In thy Impression of Donnes Poems rare, 3
In what torn ship soever I embarke, 352
†Is Donne, great Donne deceas'd? then England say 376
Is not thy sacred hunger of science 212
Kinde pitty chokes my spleene; brave scorn forbids 154
Kindly I envy thy songs perfection 210
Klockius so deeply hath sworne, ne'r more to come 77
Language thou art too narrow, and too weake 284
Let mans Soule be a Spheare, and then, in this, 336
Let me powre forth 38
Like Esops fellow-slaves, O Mercury, 78
Like one who'in her third widdowhood doth professe 185
Little think'st thou, poore flower, 59
†Long since this taske of teares from you was due, 394
Looke to mee faith, and looke to my faith, God; 267
Love, any devill else but you, 34
*Love bred of Glances twixt amorous eyes 450
*Love if a god thou art, 448
†Lucy, you brightnesse of our Spheare, who are, 6
Mad paper stay, and grudge not here to burne 216
*Madam that flea that Crept between your brests 459
Man is a lumpe, where all beasts kneaded bee, 193
Man is the World, and death th'Ocean, 279
Man to Gods image; Eve, to mans was made, 201
Marke but this flea, and marke in this, 40
Marry, and love thy Flavia, for, shee 80
*Men write that love and reason disagree, 406
Moyst with one drop of thy blood, my dry soule 321
Muse not that by thy mind thy body is led: 207
My Fortune and my choice this custome break, 292
*My love doth fly wth wings of feare 437
My name engrav'd herein, 25
*Nature amaz'd sawe man without mans ayde 443
Natures lay Ideot, I taught thee to love, 89
No Lover saith, I love, nor any other 69
No Spring, nor Summer Beauty hath such grace, 92
*Not Kisse? By Jove I must, and make impression 456
Not that in colour it was like thy haire, 96
Nothing could make me sooner to confesse 251
†Now by one yeare, time and our frailtie have 392
Now thou hast lov'd me one whole day, 9
*Now y'have killd mee with yor scorne 450
*O eyes, what do you see? 438
*O frutefull garden, and yet never tilde, 434
O might those sighes and teares returne againe 323
O Thou which to search out the secret parts 211
*O what a blisse 441
Of that short Roll of friends writ in my heart 212
Oh do not die, for I shall hate 21
Oh, let mee not serve so, as those men serve 87
Oh my blacke Soule! now thou art summoned 323
Oh, to vex me, contraryes meet in one: 331
Oh to what height will love of greatnesse drive 172
Once, and but once found in thy company, 84
Our storme is past, and that storms tyrannous rage, 178
Out of a fired ship, which, by no way 75
Parturiunt madido quae nixu praela, recepta, 397
Philo, with twelve yeares study, hath beene griev'd 77
†Poets attend, the Elegie I sing 380
Pregnant again with th'old twins Hope, and Feare, 206
Qui prius assuetus Serpentum fasce Tabellas 398
Quod arte ausus es hic tuâ, Poeta,, 398
Quot, dos haec, Linguists perfetti, Disticha fairont, 174
Reason is our Soules left hand, Faith her right 189
Salute the last and everlasting day, 321
Salvation to all that will is nigh; 319
See Sir, how as the Suns hot Masculine flame 317
Send home my long strayd eyes to mee, 43
Send me some token, that my hope may live, 72
*Shall I goe force an Elegie? abuse 410
Shee'is dead; And all which die 64
Show me deare Christ, thy spouse, so bright and clear. 330
Since Christ embrac'd the Crosse it selfe, dare I 331
*Since ev'ry Tree beginns to blossome now 433
Since I am comming to that Holy roome, 368
Since she must go, and I must mourn, come Night, 100
Since she whom I lov'd hath payd her last debt 330
Sir, more then kisses, letters mingle Soules; 180
Sir; though (I thanke God for it) I do hate 149
*Sleep, next Society and true friendship, 401
Sleep sleep old Sun, thou canst not have repast 333
So, so breake off this last lamenting kisse, 68
Some man unworthy to be possessor 36
Some that have deeper digg'd loves Myne then I, 39
Sorrow, who to this house scarce knew the way: 287
*Soules joy, now I am gone, 429
Spit in my face you Jewes, and pierce my side, 327
Stand still, and I will read to thee 71
*Stay, O sweet, and do not rise, 432
Sweetest love, I do not goe, 18
Take heed of loving mee, 67
Tamely, fraile body,'abstaine to day; to day 334
*Tell her if she to hired servants shew 416
*Tell me who can when a player dies 443
That I might make your Cabinet my tombe, 291
*That unripe side of earth, that heavy clime 417
The heavens rejoyce in motion, why should I 113
*The State and mens affaires are the best playes 414
The Sun-beames in the East are spred, 141
†This decent Urne a sad inscription weares, 389
This is my playes last scene, here heavens appoint 324
*This lyfe it is not life, it is a sight 437
This twilight of two yeares, not past nor next, 198
*Those drossy heads & irrepurged braynes 440
Thou art not so black, as my heart, 65
Thou art repriv'd old yeare, thou shalt not die, 135
Thou hast made me, And shall thy worke decay? 322
Thou in the fields walkst out thy supping howers, 78
Thou shalt not laugh in this leafe, Muse, nor they 168
Thou which art I, ('tis nothing to be soe) 175
Thou, whose diviner soule hath caus'd thee now 351
Though I be dead, and buried, yet I have 220
Thy father all from thee, by his last Will, 77
Thy flattering picture, Phryne, is like thee, 77
Thy friend, whom thy deserts to thee enchaine, 208
Thy sinnes and haires may no man equall call 77
Till I have peace with thee, warr other men, 122
'Tis lost, to trust a Tombe with such a quest, 245
Tis the yeares midnight, and it is the dayes, 44
'Tis true, 'tis day; what though it be? 23
*To sue for all thy Love, and thy whole hart 449
†To have liv'd eminent, in a degree 371
T'have written then, when you writ, seem'd to mee 195
To make the doubt cleare, that no woman's true, 108
To what a combersome unwieldinesse 55
Transiit in Sequanam Moenus; Victoris in aedes; 397
*True Love findes witt, but he whose witt doth move 412
Twice or thrice had I loved thee, 22
Two, by themselves, each other, love and feare 75
†Two Soules move here, and mine (a third) must move 249
Vnder an undermin'd, and shot-bruis'd wall 76
Vnseasonable man, statue of ice, 131
Vpon this Primrose hill, 61
Vengeance will sit above our faults; but till 350
Well dy'd the World, that we might live to see 229
Well; I may now receive, and die; My sinne 158
Went you to conquer? and have so much lost 188
*What if I come to my mistris bedd 453
What if this present were the worlds last night? 328
*What is or life? a play of passion 441
When by thy scorne, O murdresse, I am dead, 47
*When fortune, love, and Tyme bad me be happie, 440
When I am dead, and Doctors know not why, 63
When I dyed last, and, Deare, I dye 20
When my grave is broke up againe 62
When that rich Soule which to her heaven is gone, 231
†When thy Loose raptures, Donne, shall meet with Those 372
Where is that holy fire, which Verse is said 124
Where, like a pillow on a bed, 51
*Wherefore peepst thou, envious daye? 451
Whether that soule which now comes up to you 288
Whilst yet to prove, 70
†Who dares say thou art dead, when he doth see 384
Who ever comes to shroud me, do not harme 58
Who ever guesses, thinks, or dreames he knowes 41
Who ever loves, if he do not propose 116
Who makes the Past, a patterne for next yeare, 183
†Who shall doubt, Donne, where I a Poet bee, 6
†Who shall presume to mourn thee, Donne, unlesse 382
Why are wee by all creatures waited on? 327
*Why chose shee black; was it that in whitenes 436
Why this man gelded Martiall I muse, 78
Wilt thou forgive that sinne where I begunne, 369
Wilt thou forgive that sinn, where I begunn, 370
Wilt thou love God, as he thee! then digest, 329
With his kinde mother who partakes thy woe, 320
*Wonder of Beautie, Goddesse of my sense, 447
You have refin'd mee, and to worthyest things 191
You that are she and you, that's double shee, 227
Your mistris, that you follow whores, still taxeth you: 76
Zealously my Muse doth salute all thee, 207
OXFORD: HORACE HART, M.A.
PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY
Transcriber's Note:
This is the first volume of two. There are links between the two volumes. These links are designed to work when the book is read on line. However, if you want to download both volumes and have the links work on your own computer, then follow these directions carefully.
1. Create a directory (folder) named whatever you like (e.g., Donne). (The name of this directory (folder) is not critical, but the inner folders must be named as listed below, or the links between volumes will not work).
2. In that directory (folder) create 2 directories (folders) named
48688
48772
3. Create the following directories (folders):
In the 48688 directory create a directory named 48688-h
In the 48772 directory create a directory named 48772-h
4. Download the zipped html version of each volume.
Download Vol. I from
Download Vol. II from
5. Unzip the downloaded files and move them into the appropriate directories:
Move the unzipped 48688-h.htm file and its "images" directory into your 48688-h directory.
Move the unzipped 48772-h.htm file and its "images" and "music" directories into your 48772-h directory.
Use the BACK button to return from a link.
The dropcaps work in most main browsers. IE viewers may need to use the Compatibility View settings from the Tools menu.
There are a couple of dropcaps which appeasr as giant letters. They were as printed; one 'L' was in an indented first line, and could not fit with the non-indented second line.
Doubtful words or passages were checked against a 1968 reprint of the 1933 edition, based, by the author, on this larger 1912 edition.
The Mediæval long 's' has been replaced by the modern 's', but usually the capital 'V' for 'U', and lower case v/u, u/v have been retained (as in the 1968 reprint).
The spelling is, of course, early 17th century.
Unspaced punctuation, e.g. "Thy beauty,'and all parts,", is as printed in this, and the 1968 reprint, and denotes elisions (the running together of words to fit the metre).
In general, footnotes have been moved to the ends of their relevant sections, and linenotes to the ends of their relevant poems. An exception is on page 251 et seq., where the footnotes fit naturally in sequence with the linenotes.
'See note' (usually) refers to poem note in the Commentary in Volume II. The link ('Note') is to the far right of the relevant title.
Page 7: 'seelily', from Middle English, via Old English, Old Saxon, West Germanic.... 'sely', 'seely', from 'sælig' etc.
'seely' also occurs in other poems.
The modern word 'silly' has evolved from Old English sælig (holy, blessed, fortunate, prosperous, happy) through meanings of 'innocent', 'naive', 'unworldly', 'foolish' ....
Page 65: 'A Ieat Ring Sent.' Ieat = Jeat, probably jet, a black semi-precious stone, popular in English costume jewellery.
Page 95: Notes: Elegy X. 'S96' is given twice, with different titles. Second entry possible error, but retained.
Page 251: The Author has placed the footnotes to the sidenotes, in order, with the linenotes. This is probably the least confusing place for them, so they have been retained here.
Page 262: Printer's error: 'foveraigne' corrected to 'soveraigne'.
Page 276: Printer's error: 169-69 corrected to 1639-69.
"176 them. D: them; 1633, 1639-69: them, 1635"
Pages 390-392: This Latin text contains a number of instances of words ending in 'que', and a few instances (at the ends of words) of the letter 'q' with an acute accent (stress mark) and a subscript which looks like '3', but is 'Latin Small Letter ET'... (U+a79b), which does not appear to be available yet, even on usually compliant browsers.
This is a Mediæval scribal abbreviation for 'que' (indicating 'and') at the ends of certain words. To avoid problems with the text, all the abbreviated words in this passage have been written out in full.
Page 405, line note 133: OF corrected to O'F. Probable printer's error.
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