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These he writes not; nor for these written payes,
Therefore fpares no length (as in those first dayes
When Luther was profeft, he did defire
Short Pater-nofters, faying as a Fryer

Each day his Beads; but having left thofe laws,
Adds to Chrift's prayer, the power and glory clause)
But when he fells or changes land, h'impaires
The writings, and (unwatch'd) leaves out, fes heires,
As flily as any Commenter goes by

Hard words, or fenfe; or, in Divinity

As controverters in vouch'd Texts, leave out

Shrewd words, which might against them clear the doubt.

Where are these spread woods which cloath'd heretofore

Thofe bought lands? not built, not burntwithin door,

NOTES.

VER. 104. So Luther etc.] Our Poet, by judicioufly tranfpofing this fine fimilitude, has given new luftre to his Author's thought. The Lawyer (fays Dr. Donne) enlarges the legal inftruments for conveying property to the bignefs of gloss'd civil Laws, when it is to fecure his own ill-got wealth. But let the fame Lawyer convey property for you, and he then omits even the neceffary words; and becomes as concife and hafty as the loofe poftils of a modern Divine. So Luther while a Monk, and, by his Inftitution, obliged to fay Mafs, and pray in perfon for others, thought even his Pater-nofter too long. But when he fet up for a Governor in the Church, and his business was to direct others how to pray for the fuccefs of his new Model; he then lengthened the Pater-nofter by a new claufe. This

But let them write for you, each rogue impairs
The deeds, and dextroufly omits, fes heires :
No Commentator can more flily pafs

O'er a learn'd, unintelligible place;

100

Or, in quotation, fhrewd Divines leave out Those words, that would against them clear the doubt.

So Luther thought the Pater-nofter long, When doom'd to fay his beads and Even-fong; 105 But having caft his cowle, and left those laws, Adds to Chrift's pray'r, the Pow'r and Glory clause.

The lands are bought; but where are to be found Those ancient woods, that shaded all the ground? We fee no new-built palaces afpire,

No kitchens emulate the vestal fire.

NOTES.

ΠΙΟ

reprefentation of the first part of his conduct was to ridicule his want of devotion; as the other, where he tells us, that the addition was the power and glory claufe, was to fatirize his ambition; and both together to infinuate that, from a Monk, he was become totally fecularized.-About this time of his life Dr. Donne had a strong propenfity to Popery, which appears from several strokes in thefe fatires. We find amongst his works, a fhort fatirical thing called a Catalogue of rare books, one article of which is intitled, M. Lutherus de abbreviatione Orationis Dominica, alluding to Luther's omiffion of the concluding Doxology, in his two Catechifmes, which fhews he was fond of the joke; and, in the firft inftance (for the fake of his moral) at the expence of truth. As his putting Erafmus and Reuchlin in the rank of Lully and Agrippa fhews what were

These he writes not; nor for thefe written payes,
Therefore fpares no length (as in those first dayes
When Luther was profeft, he did defire
Short Pater-nofters, faying as a Fryer

Each day his Beads; but having left thofe laws,
Adds to Chrift's prayer, the power and glory clause)
But when he fells or changes land, h'impaires
The writings, and (unwatch'd) leaves out, fes heires,
As flily as any Commenter goes by

Hard words, or fenfe; or, in Divinity

As controverters in vouch'd Texts, leave out

Shrewd words, which might against them clear the doubt.

Where are these fpread woods which cloath'd heretofore

Thofe bought lands? not built, not burntwithin door.

NOTES.

VER. 104. So Luther etc.] Our Poet, by judiciously tranfpofing this fine fimilitude, has given new luftre to his Author's thought. The Lawyer (fays Dr. Donne) enlarges the legal inftruments for conveying property to the bignefs of gloss'd civil Laws, when it is to fecure his own ill-got wealth. But let the fame Lawyer convey property for you, and he then omits even the neceffary words; and becomes as concife and hafty as the loofe poftils of a modern Divine. So Luther while a Monk, and, by his Inftitution, obliged to fay Mafs, and pray in perfon for others, thought even his Pater-nofter too long. But when he fet up for a Governor in the Church, and his business was to direct others how to pray for the fuccefs of his new Model; he then lengthened the Pater-nofter by a new claufe. This

But let them write for you, each rogue impairs
The deeds, and dextroufly omits, fes beires :
No Commentator can more flily pafs

O'er a learn'd, unintelligible place;

Or, in quotation, fhrewd Divines leave out

100

Those words, that would against them clear the doubt.

So Luther thought the Pater-nofter long,

When doom'd to fay his beads and Even-fong; 105 But having caft his cowle, and left those laws, Adds to Chrift's pray'r, the Pow'r and Glory claufe.

The lands are bought; but where are to be found Those ancient woods, that shaded all the ground? We fee no new-built palaces afpire,

No kitchens emulate the vestal fire.

NOTES.

ΠΙΟ

representation of the first part of his conduct was to ridicule his want of devotion; as the other, where he tells us, that the addition was the power and glory claufe, was to fatirize his ambition; and both together to infinuate that, from a Monk, he was become totally fecularized.-About this time of his life Dr. Donne had a strong propenfity to Popery, which appears from several strokes in these fatires. We find amongst his works, a short satirical thing called a Catalogue of rare books, one article of which is intitled, M. Lutherus de abbreviatione Orationis Dominica, alluding to Luther's omiffion of the concluding Doxology, in his two Catechifmes, which fhews he was fond of the joke; and, in the firft inftance (for the fake of his moral) at the expence of truth. As his putting Erafmus and Reuchlin in the rank of Lully and Agrippa fhews what were

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Whose strange fins Canonifts could hardly tell
In which Commandment's large receit they dwell-

But these punish themfelves. The infolence
Of Cofcus, only, breeds my juft offence,
Whom time (which rots all, and makes botches pox,
And plodding on, muft make a calf an ox)
Hath made a Lawyer; which (alas) of late;
But fcarce a Poet: jollier of this ftate,

Than are new-benefic'd Minifters, he throws.
Like nets or lime-twigs wherefoe'er he goes
His title of Barrister on ev'ry wench,

And wooes in language of the Pleas and Bench.**
Words, words which would tear

The tender labyrinth of a Maid's foft ear:

More, more than ten Sclavonians fcolding, more
Than when winds in our ruin'd Abbyes roar.

NOTES.

VER. 44. In what Commandment's large contents they dwell.] The Original is more humourous,

In which Commandment's large receit they dwell.

As if the Ten Commandments were fo wide, as to fland ready to receive every thing within them, that either the Law of Na

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