Henryvaughan(1621–1695)
The Retreat
H a p p y t h o s e early days! w h e n I
S h i n e d in my angel infancy.
B e f o r e I u n d e r s t o o d this p l a c e
A p p o i n t e d for m y s e c o n d race,6
Or taught my soul to f a n c y aught
But a w h i t e , celestial thought;
W h e n yet I had not walked above
A m i l e or t w o f r o m my first love,7
A n d looking back, at that short space,
Could see a glimpse of His bright face;
W h e n o n s o m e gilded c l o u d o r flower
M y gazing soul w o u l d dwell a n hour,
A n d in t h o s e w e a k e r glories spy
S o m e s h a d o w s of eternity;
Before I taught my t o n g u e to w o u n d
My c o n s c i e n c e w i t h a sinful s o u n d ,
Or had the black art to d i s p e n s e
A several 0 sin to every sense,separate
But felt t h r o u g h all this fleshly dress8
Bright s h o o t s of everlastingness.
O, h o w I l o n g to travel back,
A n d tread again that a n c i e n t track!
3. "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou 6. "Race is a traditional Christian metaphor for
hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell "life; by "second race Vaughan evidently alludes
whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every to a belief in the soul's heavenly existence prior to
one that is born of the Spirit (John 3.8). its human life. Such a belief was held by some
That I m i g h t o n c e m o r e r e a c h that plain
W h e r e first I left my glorious train,9
From w h e n c e th' e n l i g h t e n e d spirit s e e s
T h a t shady city of p a l m trees.1
But, ah! my soul with too much stay 0delay
Is drunk, a n d staggers in the way.
S o m e m e n a forward m o t i o n love;
But I by backward steps w o u l d m o v e ,
A n d w h e n this dust falls to t h e urn,2
In that state I c a m e , return.