Joseph Hall

Rating: 4.33
Rating: 4.33

Joseph Hall Poems

See'st thou how gaily my young master goes,
Vaunting himself upon his rising toes;
And pranks his hand upon his dagger's side;
...

Saw'st thou ever Siquis patcht on Pauls Church door
To seek some vacant vicarage before?
Who wants a churchman that can service say,
...

What Stoick could his steely brest containe
(If Zeno self, or who were made beside
Of tougher mold) from being torne in twaine
With the crosse Passions of this wondrous tide?
...

A gentle squire would gladly entertain
Into his house some trencher chapelain;
Some willing man that might instruct his sons,
...

With some pot-fury, ravish'd from their wit,
They sit and muse on some no-vulgar writ:
As frozen dunghills in a winter's morn,
That void of vapours seemed all beforn,
...

Who hath not walkt astray
In wicked men's aduise,
Nor stood in sinners' way,
Nor in their companies
...

On thee, O Lord my God, relies
My onely trust from bloudy spight;
Of all my raging enemies
Oh let thy mercy me acquite;
...

Was ever nightly rainbowe seen ?
Did ever winter mourne in greene ?
Had that long bowe been bent by day
That chased all our clouds away;
...

Joseph Hall Biography

He was second son of the twelve children of John Hall, of Bristow Park, in the parish of Ashby de la Zouche, and was born there on 1st July, and baptized on 4th July, 1574. Educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, he was appointed the first Master of Blundell's Grammar-school at Tiverton, but resigned it almost immediately on being offered the Rectory of Halsted, in Suffolk. He was then appointed to the Deanery of Worcester. In the sequel, King Charles I. promoted him to the vacant seer of Exeter, and he was consecrated on 23rd December, 1627. His theological acumen had recommended him long before to King James I., who made him his chaplain, and commissioned him to attend the Synod of Dort in 1619; but the weak state of his health compelled him to return after a short stay. To enable him to maintain his station of bishop, the Rectory of St. Briock, in Cornwall, was given him in commendam. His Register testifies to his diligence in his official duties, as also his care in providing good benefices for his children. In his transactions with the Mayor and Chamber of this city he was frank and honourable. In one of his letters he says: "I beseech you, let us mutually have all fayre termes, without trenching upon each other's libertyes; that so neither part have any cause of grievance." His numerous writings - moral, theological, ascetic, and poetical - display abundant evidence of nervous vigour and genius: still, his warmest admirers must concede that his religious zeal would have been improved by greater meekness and moderation. In evil times, viz. on 16th November, 1641, or as his 'Act Book' affirms, on 16th December, he was hence translated to the wealthier see of Norwich; yet the promotion was far from adding to his peace and comfort. There he adopted for his seal, the ark of Noah on the waters, with the dove bearing the olive-branch, the sun rising above, and the inscription DA PACEM DOMINE. In the exergue, the arms of the See of Norwich, Azure three mitres or, impaling his family arms, Sable, three Talbots' heads erased argent. The venerable and learned prelate had to endure much personal ill-treatment and barbarous persecution. He sunk under it at his house (now the Dolphin Inn), at Higham, close to Norwich, on 8th September, 1656, aged 82, and was buried in the parochial church the same day. His monument represents him as a skeleton, holding in the right hand his bond to Death, sealed and signed "Debemus Morti nos nostraque;" and in the left hand the same bond cancelled and torn, with the endorsement "Persolvit et quietus est." Dr. Peterson. His works were published in 1625 in a large volume folio, but a much enlarged edition, in ten volumes octavo, appeared in 1739.)

The Best Poem Of Joseph Hall

The Impecunious Fop

See'st thou how gaily my young master goes,
Vaunting himself upon his rising toes;
And pranks his hand upon his dagger's side;
And picks his glutted teeth since late noon-tide?
'Tis Ruffio: Trow'st thou where he dined to-day?
In sooth I saw him sit with Duke Humphrey.
Many good welcomes, and much gratis cheer,
Keeps he for every straggling cavalier;
An open house, haunted with great resort;
Long service mixt with musical disport.
Many fair younker with a feathered crest,
Chooses much rather be his shot-free guest,
To fare so freely with so little cost,
Than stake his twelvepence to a meaner host.
Hadst thou not told me, I should surely say
He touched no meat of all this livelong day;
For sure methought, yet that was but a guess,
His eyes seemed sunk for very hollowness,
But could he have--as I did it mistake--
So little in his purse, so much upon his back?
So nothing in his maw? yet seemeth by his belt
That his gaunt gut no too much stuffing felt.
See'st thou how side it hangs beneath his hip?
Hunger and heavy iron makes girdles slip.
Yet for all that, how stiffly struts he by,
All trapped in the new-found bravery.
The nuns of new-won Calais his bonnet lent,
In lieu of their so kind a conquerment.
What needed he fetch that from farthest Spain,
His grandame could have lent with lesser pain?
Though he perhaps ne'er passed the English shore,
Yet fain would counted be a conqueror.
His hair, French-like, stares on his frighted head,
One lock Amazon-like dishevelled,
As if he meant to wear a native cord,
If chance his fates should him that bane afford.
All British bare upon the bristled skin,
Close notched is his beard, both lip and chin;
His linen collar labyrinthian set,
Whose thousand double turnings never met:
His sleeves half hid with elbow pinionings,
As if he meant to fly with linen wings.
But when I look, and cast mine eyes below,
What monster meets mine eyes in human show?
So slender waist with such an abbot's loin,
Did never sober nature sure conjoin.
Lik'st a strawn scarecrow in a new-sown field,
Reared on some stick, the tender corn to shield,
Or, if that semblance suit not every deal,
Like a broad shake-fork with a slender steel.
Despised nature suit them once aright,
Their body to their coat both now disdight.
Their body to their clothes might shapen be,
That will their clothes shape to their bodie.
Meanwhile I wonder at so proud a back,
Whiles the empty guts loud rumblen for long lack.

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