Upon one throne ranked.
Uppermost sat Prudence, the guide of all Virtues beneath her.
Below came Justice, then Fortitude, then Temperance.
And under Temperance, her handmaidens: Humility and Meekness;
Humility's task to summon and present the beasts and fowls
Assembled there, with their gifts of submission,
and award them to the greater Virtues.
Bid
to come forward first, the angry Lion gave his paw,
Which Prudence consented to Meekness.
The fearful Hare, called next, submitted her ears, which, as law decreed,
Humility handed to Fortitude.
The jealous Turkey had brought his coral-chain,
Which was Temperance's to gain.
The Fox, who was that day absent – he had lately met with an accident -
Bestowed on Justice his brain.
Which Prudence consented to Meekness.
The fearful Hare, called next, submitted her ears, which, as law decreed,
Humility handed to Fortitude.
The jealous Turkey had brought his coral-chain,
Which was Temperance's to gain.
The Fox, who was that day absent – he had lately met with an accident -
Bestowed on Justice his brain.
The
Crow, who had accompanied the token of the unfortunate Fox,
Now took his turn, with a beautiful Peacock plume.
This being spied by the beasts and fowls in-waiting,
Made them set up a roar of cries and twitters.
For that used to buy favour was not the Crow's own property:
It was, they lamented, not his by rights to give;
He should, they said, have to forfeit an eye instead,
And fell to fighting.
Now took his turn, with a beautiful Peacock plume.
This being spied by the beasts and fowls in-waiting,
Made them set up a roar of cries and twitters.
For that used to buy favour was not the Crow's own property:
It was, they lamented, not his by rights to give;
He should, they said, have to forfeit an eye instead,
And fell to fighting.
Humility,
forced to stand, with plume in hand,
Commenced to weep - she had no stomach for scenes of animosity,
And with tears trembling down her cheeks
Declared the Session-day ended:
I hold here what you prize so dear!
To the next bring double the gifts, the Virtues have decided.
To which the beasts and fowls, broken apart yet still panting fast,
And looking sadly ruffled and downcast, echoed praises.
Commenced to weep - she had no stomach for scenes of animosity,
And with tears trembling down her cheeks
Declared the Session-day ended:
I hold here what you prize so dear!
To the next bring double the gifts, the Virtues have decided.
To which the beasts and fowls, broken apart yet still panting fast,
And looking sadly ruffled and downcast, echoed praises.
Picture credit: Allegory of the Virtues, Correggio (source: WikiArt).
A rewriting of George Herbert's Humility, written on the anniversary of his birth the 3rd April (2021).
