SAINT PETERS Complaynt - by Robert Southwell: 505 - 540/792

I lost all that I had, who had the most, [505]
The most that will can wish, or wit devise:
I least performd, that did most vainely boast,
I stainde my fame in most infamous wise.
What daunger then, death, wrath, or wreck can move
More pregnant cause of tears than this I prove? [510]

If Adam sought a veyle to scarfe his sinne,
Taught by his fall to feare a scourging hand:
If men shall wish that hils should wrap them in,
When crymes in finall doome come to be scand:
What mount, what cave, what centre can conceale [515]
My monstrous fact, which even the birds reveale?

Come shame, the livery of offending minde,
The ougly shroud, that overshadoweth blame:
The mulct, at which fowle faults are justly fynde,
The dampe of sinne, the common sluce of fame, [520]
By which impostum'd tongues, their humors purge,
Light shame on me, I best deserve the scourge.

Caines murdring hand imbrude in brothers blood,
More mercy, then my impious toung may crave:
He kild a ryvall with pretence of good, [525]
In hope Gods doubled love alone to have.
But feare so spoild my vanquisht thoughts of love:
That perjurde oathes my spightfull hate did prove.

Poor Agar from her sphere enforced to fly,
Wandring in Barsabeian wildes alone, [530]
Doubting her child through helpless drought would die,
Laid it aloof, and set her down to moan:
The heavens with prayers, her lap with tears she filled;
A mother's love in loss is hardly still'd.

But Agar now bequeath thy teares to me, [535]
Feares, not effects, did set aflote thine eies:
But wretch I feele more then was feard of thee,
Ah, not my sonne: my soule it is that dyes.
It dyes for drought yet had a spring in sight,
Worthie to dye, that would not live, and might. [540]

Notes

[l511] ...a veyle to scarfe his sinne: 

[6] And the woman saw that the tree was good to eat, and fair to the eyes, and delightful to behold: and she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave to her husband who did eat. [7] And the eyes of them both were opened: and when they perceived themselves to be naked, they sewed together fig leaves, and made themselves aprons. [8] And when they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in paradise at the afternoon air, Adam and his wife hid themselves from the face of the Lord God, amidst the trees of paradise. [Genesis 3]

[l513-14] hils should wrap them in:

[16] And they say to the mountains and the rocks: Fall upon us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb: [17] For the great day of their wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand? [Apocalypse of St John 6]

[l519] mulct: A fine imposed for an offence. A penalty or punishment of any kind. A blemish, fault, or defect, esp. one considered as a penalty or punishment imposed by nature. Obsolete. fynde: fined.

[l520] dampe: damp n. An exhalation, a vapour or gas, of a noxious kind. 1584   T. Cogan Hauen of Health ccxliii. 281   All infected in a manner at one instant, by reason of a dampe or miste which arose..within the Castle yeard.

[l520] sluce: sluice - A structure of wood or masonry, a dam or embankment, for impounding the water of river, canal, etc., provided with an adjustable gate or gates by which the volume of water is regulated or controlled.  fig. or in figurative contexts. 1586   T. Bowes tr. P. de la Primaudaye French Acad. I. 283 The number of them being verie small, who would not willingly make (as we say) a sluce to their consciences.

[l521] impostum'd: Affected with, swollen into, of the nature of, an impostume; ulcerated. Also fig. a1586   Sir P. Sidney Arcadia (1593) iii. sig. Ii5   How can an impostumed heart, but yeelde forth euill matter by his mouth?  1576   G. Baker tr. C. Gesner Newe Jewell of Health iii. f. 131v   Agaynst the Palsie of the tongue or other members, if they bee impostumated or cankered.

[l523] Caines murdring hand:

[3] And it came to pass after many days, that Cain offered, of the fruits of the earth, gifts to the Lord. [4] Abel also offered of the firstlings of his flock, and of their fat: and the Lord had respect to Abel, and to his offerings. [5] But to Cain and his offerings he had no respect: and Cain was exceedingly angry, and his countenance fell. [6] And the Lord said to him: Why art thou angry? and why is thy countenance fallen? [7] If thou do well, shalt thou not receive? but if ill, shall not sin forthwith be present at the door? but the lust thereof shall be under thee, and thou shalt have dominion over it. [8] And Cain said to Abel his brother: Let us go forth abroad. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and slew him. [Genesis 4]

[l523] imbrude: Stained, dyed, etc., esp. with blood or slaughter.

[ll529-536] Agar: Abraham's wife was Sara, mother of Isaac; but Abraham had also fathered a son, Ishmael, by his bondwoman, Agar.

[9] And when Sara had seen the son of Agar the Egyptian playing with Isaac her son, she said to Abraham: [10] Cast out this bondwoman, and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with my son Isaac. [11] Abraham took this grievously for his son. [12] And God said to him: Let it not seem grievous to thee for the boy, and for thy bondwoman: in all that Sara hath said to thee, hearken to her voice: for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. [13] But I will make the son also of the bondwoman a great nation, because he is thy seed. [14] So Abraham rose up in the morning, and taking bread and a bottle of water, put it upon her shoulder, and delivered the boy, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Bersabee. [15] And when the water in the bottle was spent, she cast the boy under one of the trees that were there. [16] And she went her way, and sat over against him a great way off as far as a bow can carry, for she said: I will not see the boy die: and sitting over against, she lifted up her voice and wept. [17] And God heard the voice of the boy: and an angel of God called to Agar from heaven, saying: What art thou doing, Agar? fear not: for God hath heard the voice of the boy, from the place wherein he is. [18] Arise, take up the boy, and hold him by the hand: for I will make him a great nation. [Genesis 21]

[l530] Barsabeian: Bersabee was a town on the southern extremity of Palestine, proverbially the extreme point to the south in the country.

[l532] aloofe: To or at a distance from something; far off; separately, apart.