Scribal Copies of George Herbert's "Lent" and Easter" in Certaine Carolls, or Divine Hymnes for Christmas Day

Abstract

Scribal Copies of George Herbert's "Lent" and Easter" in Certaine Carolls, or Divine Hymnes for Christmas Day Amy Bowles There are two exceptionally complete seventeenth-century manuscript collections of George Herbert's poetry: Dr. Williams's Library MS Jones B 62 (c. 1615-c. 1625) and Bodleian MS Tanner 307 (c. 1625-33).1 The former, which contains authorial revisions in Herbert's own hand, sheds light on the poet's methods of composition, while the latter, a presentation copy assembled by the women of the Little Gidding community, was probably used for licensing the poems for their print publication. These two manuscripts, along with the first printed edition of The Temple (1633), have been used as the editorial basis for all modern editions of Herbert's poetry, due to their comprehensiveness and authority.2 However, numerous other individual copies of Herbert's poems circulated in manuscript in the seventeenth century, often through scribal publication.3 Peter Beal's Index of English Literary Manuscripts and online Catalogue of English Literary Manuscripts (CELM) identifies copies of Herbert's poems in over thirty manuscripts, while Robert H. Ray's The Herbert Allusion Book records allusions to Herbert's verse in eighty-six manuscripts.4 Francis Bacon's acquaintance with Herbert's poetry as early as 1625 suggests that Herbert's verse may even have had some limited availability in manuscript prior to the 1633 print publication of The Temple.5 The survival of scribal manuscripts containing Herbert's poetry attests to the appreciable popularity of his verse and its collection, arrangement, and dissemination in manuscripts of the seventeenth century. One such copied collection, titled Certaine Carolls, or Divine Hymnes for Christmas Day, contains previously unconsidered copies of Herbert's "Lent" and "Easter."6 University of Illinois Pre-1650 MS 0147 (hereafter Divine Hymnes) is a duodecimo paper volume of 37 leaves in a single hand, with five pages of noted music (fols. 4r-5r).7 The manuscript contains unattributed religious verse, beginning with three hymns written by William Austin (1587-1634) (fols. 4r-7v), an anonymous poem on "the Light, which was when our Savior was borne & the Darkeness when [End Page 77] hee dyed" (fol. 8r), Herbert's "Lent" (fol. 9r-11r), followed by three Austin meditations (fols. 12r-24v), one poem ("Rise O my soul with thy desires to heaven") elsewhere attributed to Henry Wotton (1568-1639) (fols. 25r-v), and, lastly, Herbert's "Easter" (fols. 27r-28v).8 Divine Hymnes contains a dedication to "the three Thrice worthy and right vertuous Virgin-Sisters" Susanna, Judith, and Hester Beckwith, from one "T.S.": Worthy Ladys– The Ancients pourtrayed ye (Χάριτες) or Graces as it were linked in mutuall imbracements, to shew that true Amity is indissoluble. And feigned them to bee Three, to signify that true Gratitude ought allways to bee answearable for Benefitts received, & that wth advantage:// The former resemblance is punctually verifyed in you 3 Gracious Sisters by the sweet connexion of yor most endeared affections mutually imbraceing each other:–But how ill the latter sutes with my case, I blush to mention. Haveing nothing to retribute in leiw of yor many favors I am forced to begg yor acceptance of this poore pittance my acknowledgment, which I offer to you joyntly, by these few ensueing Meditations composed in verse upon such divine subjects as the Times of the yeare bring to more speciall remembrance among Christians, & such as yor Devotion will gladly (& I hope not unprofittably) bee exercized in. The matter is sacred though the verse but playne: which (not foolishly like the Asse that carryed the Goddesse Isis to appropriate to my selfe that which is not my owne) I have onely transcribed from a better Pen: praying you by this, like him that by the foote of Hercules could ayme at the whole body, to veiw my affectionate heart, which unfeignedly wisheth yor happinesse, & perfection in all true vertuous endowments. I humbly take leave, & rest yor Servant sincerely Devoted T.S. [End Page 78] Susanna, Judith, and Hester Beckwith had connections to the...