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John Donne (1572–1631). The Poems of John Donne. 1896.

Appendix F. Lines Introductory to Devotions upon Emergent Occasions

SINCE Appendix B was written, Dr. Grosart has kindly called my attention to another poem, to which Donne seems to have some claim. It is the English version of the Latin lines prefixed to his Devotions upon Emergent Occasions. This book was written after his illness in 1623, and first published in 1624. The English version is written on two blank leaves before the title-page of a copy of the third edition of the Devotions (1627), in Dr. Grosart’s possession, and Dr. Grosart is convinced that they are in Donne’s handwriting. I append both the Latin and the English versions.

Stationes sine Periodi in Morbo, ad quas referuntur Meditationes sequentes.
1. Insultus morbi primus;
2. Post, actio laesa;
3. Decubitus sequitur tandem;
4. Medicusque vocatur;
5. Solus adest; 6. Metuit;
7. Socios sibi iungitur instat;
8. Et rex ipse suum mittit;
9. Medicamina scribunt;
10. Lente et serpenti satagunt
occurrere morbo,
11. Nobilibusque trahunt,
a cincto corde, venenum.
Succis, et gemmis, et quæ
generosa ministrant
Ars, et Natura, instillant;
12. Spirante columba
Supposita pedibus, reuocantur
ad ima vapores;
13. Atque malum genium,
numeroso stigmate, fassus,
Pellitur ad pectus, morbique
suburbia, morbus:
14. Idque notant criticis
medici euenisse diebus.
15. Interea insomnes noctes
ego duco diesque;
16. Et properare meum clamant
e turre propinqua
Obstreperae campanae, aliorum
in funere, funus.
17. Nunc lento sonitu dicunt,
Morieris. 18. At inde,
Mortuus es, sonitu celeri,
pulsuque agitato.
19. Oceano tandem emenso,
aspicienda resurgit
Terra; vident iustis medici,
iam cocta mederi
Se posse iudiciis, 20. Id agunt
21. Atque annuit Ille,
Qui per eos clamat, Linquas
iam Lazare lectum;
22. Sit morbi fomes tibi
cura; 23. Metusque relabi.

The Stations or Periods in the Disease to which are Referred the Meditations following.
1. Sickness’ first grudge: 2. Senses
and action fall:
3. We take our bed: 4. And the
physician call:
5. He comes alone: 6. Fears:
7. Craves more may unite:
8. The king himself sends his:
9. They medicines write:
10. They strive my grief as
slowly to oppose,
As, slowly and insensibly,
it grows.
11. Still’d juices, and consorted
pearls; what Art,
Or Nature can, are used,
to keep the heart
From quick infection: 12.
By a dying dove
The vapours downward to
the feet remove—
13. Th’ ingenuous sickness on
my spotted breast
His kind and his malignity
confess’d;
14. This too, the set days
Critical discover;
15. Meanwhile I sleepless
nights and days pass over;
16. And, from the adjoining tower,
the noise of bells
For others’ funerals
Mine own foretells:
17. Soft gentle tolling, now, says
Thou must die;
18. Thou’rt dead, proclaims
the ringing out, by and bye.
19. At length the earth out of the
sea doth rise,
And the physicians, from
just grounds, surmise
They may with drugs fight
the weak enemy;
20. They purge. 21. He prospers
who by them doth cry,
Now Lazarus, leave thy bed:
22. Wisely take care,
Of thy disease’s fuel;
23. Relapse fear.

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