Amor Ordinem Nescit – Scholarly Edition

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My God, to thee I dedicate¹The title of this poem, “Amor Ordinem Nescit,” translates to “Love knows no order”; a quotation from St Jerome, Letter to Chromatius, Jovinus, and Eusebius, 6.
          This simple worke of mine,
And w^th it also heart and Soule
          To bee for euer thine;
No other motiue I will haue,
          But by it thee to praise,
And to stirre vp my frozen Soule
          By loue it selfe to raise.
 
All things, desires, & loues are vaine,
          But only that w^ch tendes
To God alone our cheifest good,
          And all things else transcends;
My Soule Therefore by this sweet loue
          Shall day and night aspire,
And rest in God all things aboue
          My Loue and leifes desire.
 
And while I liue, I’le neuer Cease
          To languish for his loue,
Breathing and sighing after him
          Till he my leife remoue
For since I liue not where I loue,
          How can I comfort finde
But only in y^e song of loue
          By loue to me assign’d.
 
In whatsoere this word is writt,
          It yealds a silver sound;
But if this word I misse in itt
          Me thinkes I want my ground
Nothing soe simple cane be pen’d
          If it but treat of loue
But that it serueth in some sort
          My missery to remoue.
 
And shall my Soule by senseles loue
          Which yet was neuer true,
Haue g’in²Given. more loue where it was lost
          Then where its only due
O no my God, but rather lett
          This folly bee to me
A meanes to vrge my sinfull Soule
          To loue more feruently.
 
And henceforth lett me draw no breath,
          But to aspire by loue
To thee my God and all my good
          By whome I liue and moue³“For in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, We are his offspring” (Acts 17:28, Douay-Rheims Bible).
No Stagg in chace so thirsty is,
          Or greedy of sweet spring,⁴“As the hart panteth after the fountains of water; so my soul panteth after thee, O God. My soul hath thirsted after the strong living God; when shall I come and appear before the face of God?” (Psalm 41:2-3, Douay-Rheims Bible).
As is my Soule of thee my God
          whilst here I sighing sing.
 
My Soule where is thy loue & Lord
          Since him thou canst not find⁵“By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.” (Canticles 3:1-2, Douay-Rheims Bible).
O cheare vp heart, be comforted,
          For he is in thy Mynde
To him relation one may haue
          As often as hee goes
Into the closett⁶“It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me” (Canticles 3:4, Douay-Rheims Bible). of his heart,
          His greiues for to disclose.
 
As sillie Lambs fron rauening wooleues
          For helpe to sheepheards flie⁷“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matthew 7:15, Douay-Rheims Bible).
Soe shall my soule in euery case
          For helpe and Counsell hie
To thee my God by humble prayer
          In hope and confidence
That thou my Lord wilt succour me
          And bee my Soules defence.
 
For seeing that my God is rich
          How cane I say I’me poore
He is more mine then I my owne
          what cane I wish for more
And in his Majesty and power
          Much more I will reioyce
Then if of all in heauen and Earth
          I had command and choice
 
O I desire no toung nor penne
          But to extoll his praise
In w^ch Excesse Ile mealt away
          Ten thousand thousand wayes
And as one that is sicke w^th loue⁸“I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love” (Canticles 5:8, Douay-Rheims Bible).
          Ingrafts in euery Tree
The Names and praise of them they loue
          So shall it bee with mee
 
Which to attempt if it seeme much
          To those that that it espie,
Saying, ’tis only for the Iust
          To thee for help to flie,
What then becomes of sinners poore
          Or to whome shall they goe
If not to thee? Ah, pitty vs
          For wee may loue alsoe
 
Iesus did Publicans⁹“And it came to pass as he was sitting at meat in the house, behold many publicans and sinners came, and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. And the Pharisees seeing it, said to his disciples: Why doth your master eat with publicans and sinners?” (Matthew 9:10-11, Douay-Rheims Bible). receiue
          Nor yet did he disdaine
Harlotts¹⁰“Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you” (Matthew 21:31, Douay-Rheims Bible). and Theiues yt begged help
          ISince ^which who cane complaine
Or feare y^t he will them reiect
          When they their syns repent
And flie vnto his mercie sweet
          Whose heart doeth soone relent
 
When wee w^th teares besheech him to
          Forgiue our sins soe many
And giue such grace & strenght henceforth
          As not to yeald to anie
My God one thing alone thou knos’t,
          I feare and apprehend
Which is my Lord for to displease
          Whose mercies haue no Ende.
 
From all y^t doeth displease thy Eyes
          Be pleasd to sett me ffree
For Nothing else in heauen or Earth
          Doe I desire but thee
And lett me rather death imbrace
          Then thee my God offend
Or in my heart to leaue a place
          For any other ffriend
 
Nothing would greiue my Soule so much
          As in me to perceiue
That th’ affection to the world
          Should me of thine bereaue
I know thou must possesse allone
          Or else wee are not thine
In manner such as wee should be
          If light to vs doe shine 
 
As thou desirest it should doe
          By grace w^thin our hearts.
And all the helps that thou hast g’in
          And dayly yet imparts
To vs intended were by thee
          That wee might liue alone
To thee our God, who filles pure Soules
          W^th ioyes that are vnknowne  
 
And woe ^to them a Thousand tymes
          Who int’rest haue in anye
Or haue deuided hearts to thee
          After thy guifts so many
For thou hast purchaced our loue         
          Att to to deare a rate
To haue a partner in our heart
          Which Iustly thou do’st hate.
 
O this thy wrong makes Angells blush
          O make it farr from me
Since I am both body and soule
          Consecrated to thee
And I will also grieue w^th them,
          To see thee haue such wrong
From soules culd out by thee thy selfe
          To sing w^th them the song
 
Of loue and praise to thee our God
          And euen in this place
Thee to contemplate in our maner
          O sweet and happie grace.
If wee would die vnto our selues
          And all things els but thee
It would be Naturall to our Soules
          For to ascend and bee
 
Vnited to our Centure deare
          To w^ch our Soule would hye
Being as proper then for vs
          As fire vpwards to flie.
O lett vs Therefore loue my God
          For loue perteines to him
And lett our Soules seeke Nothing Else,
          But in thy loue to swimme
 
Till we absorpt by his sweet loue
          Returne from whence we came
Where we shall melt into yt loue
          W^ch ioyeth me to Name
And neuer cane I it to much
          Speake of, or it desire
Since that my God who’s loue it selfe
          Doeth only loue require.
 
Come Therefore all and lett vs loue
          And w^th a pure aspect
Regard our God In all wee doe
          And he will vs protect.
O that all things vppon the Earth
          Ecchoed w^th thy praise
My euerlasting glorious God
          The Auncient of dayes¹¹“I beheld therefore in the vision of the night, and lo, one like the son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and he came even to the Ancient of days: and they presented him before him” (Daniel 7:13, Douay-Rheims Bible).
 
And I doe wish w^th all my soule
          Perpetually to sing
But seeing this I cannot doe
          My sighes to heauen shall ring:
Yea if I writt out all the Sea
          yet can I not expresse
The ioye and comforte I doe feele
          In what thou dost possesse
 
No guifts or grace, or comfort here
          How great so ere they be
Can satiate my longing Soule
          Whilst I possesse not thee
For thou ^art all my hearts desire
          Yea all that I doe craue
In heauen or Earth, yea now or euer
          Th’art all my soule would haue
 
And I doe wish w^th all my soule
          That To thee I could pray
Wth all my heart and all my strength
          Ten thousand tymes a day.
Lett people, tribes, and tongs confesse¹²“For it is written: As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God” (Romans 14:11, Douay-Rheims Bible).
          ^{Vnto thy Maiesty,}
And lett vs neuer cease to sing
Unto thy Maiestie
          Sanctus, sanctus¹³“Holy, holy”; a reference to a hymn sung during the Mass. to thee
 
Who
Who be ador’d by Auncients all
          Whose crownes lie att thy feet
As Iustice doeth require they should
          And as it is most meet
And wee inuited by thy Saints
          And Angells thee to praise
Will ioyne w^th them w^th voices high
          Our Soules by loue to raise
 
To thee, of whome Ile neuer craue
          Whilst this my Soule hath breath
But that I may vnited bee
          To thee in life and death.
My God my loue and uerie life
          My glorie and my crowne
My light shall only tend to this
To ioye in thy renowne.
 
O lett me as the siluer streames
          Into the Ocean glide
Melt into that vast Sea of loue
          Which into thee doeth slide!
The little Birds doe chirp and sing
          And neuer weary bee
Of praising my creatour deare
          And I scarce thinke on thee
 
But what I cannot by my selfe
          Accomplish in this kinde
Ile begge of thy celestiall Court
          Who to this is assign’d
By thy all liueing loueing selfe
          To whome all loue is due
To whome my heart hath bin most false
          Or rather neuer true
 
The w^ch remembring my poore Soule
          Doeth euen faile and fainte
As anie would, that here should finde
          Me out my sins to paint
But thou thy selfe doeth say to vs
          Thou wilt not sinners death
But that wee do conuert and liue¹⁴“Say to them: As I live, saith the Lord God, I desire not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way, and live. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways: and why will you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezechiel 33:11, Douay-Rheims Bible).
          Euen while ^our Soules haue breath
 
And no more then to cease to bee
          No more canst thou refuse
To pardon humble penitents
          That doe them selfes accuse
Being no person thou excepts
          All haueing cost the deare
Yea euen thy one¹⁵Own. life it selfe
          How can I therefore feare
          
If euer yet thou hadst disdain’d
          Sinners that fleadd to thee
Then had I little cause of hope
          But this none yet did see
For if they doe returne to thee
          Thy heart thou wilt not close
As wittnes cane my wretched Soule
          That was so like to losse
 
All grace and goodnes (if thou hadst
          Not w^th thy help preuented)
By sins that would by bloody teares
          Be while I liue lamented
If I as gratfull were to thee
          As thou deseruest I should
Or as a nother in my case
          Vnto thy mercie would
 
And all that time thou liuedst here
          Thou many wayes didst show
That none should be refused by thee
          Who didst w^th mercie flow
And this my wicked heart did finde
          Who after sins so manie
Haue found much fauour in thy Eyes
          w^thout deserueing anie
 
O blessed euer be my God
          For this preuenting grace¹⁶A reference to the doctrine of prevenient grace, in which God’s grace occurs before a human being takes any action.
Which I vnwort^hy haue receiued
          In this most happie place
I fledd from thee by many Sinnes
          And thou didst follow me
As if my miserie would haue caus’d
          Some detriment to thee
 
How cane this chuse but wound my heart
          When I remember it
And ever serve to humble me
          Whilst att thy feet I sitt¹⁷“And she had a sister called Mary, who sitting also at the Lord’s feet, heard his word” (Luke 10:39, Douay-Rheims Bible).
From whence my Lord & my God & all
          Permitt me not to rise
Till I doe loue thee as thou wouldst,
          The w^ch doeth all comprise
 
For as thou knowest all other loues
          But thine I doe defie
And lett this loue by thy sweett grace
          Possesse me totallie.
All others for thy sake I loue
          With equall charitie
Onely where obligation claimes
          Iustly more loue for thee
 
To those y^t most advanc’d my loue
          And my desire of thee
These by respect thou doest exact
          Should be esteemed by mee,
Yet not so much as to forgett
          or weaken this thy loue
Which by thy law & will most iust
          I should prefere aboue
 
Them, w^ch were but thy instruments
          And therefore it would seeme
Very absurd, if I should them
          More then thy self esteeme
Who didst by them thy counsell giue
          W^ch was so good for me
And second it w^th thy sweet grace
          The glorie be to thee.
                              Amen.

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