Thomas Traherne reciting "Centuries of Meditations"

This passage of 'Centuries of Meditations' is closely echoed or rewritten in Traherne's poem "Wonder": 

Wonder

 

            How like an angel came I down!

                  How bright are all things here!

          When first among his works I did appear

             O how their glory me did crown!

          The world resembled his eternity,

                  In which my soul did walk;

             And ev'ry thing that I did see

                  Did with me talk.

 

             The skies in their magnificence,

                  The lively, lovely air;

          Oh how divine, how soft, how sweet, how fair!

             The stars did entertain my sense,

          And all the works of God, so bright and pure,

                  So rich and great did seem,

             As if they ever must endure

                  In my esteem.

 

             A native health and innocence

                  Within my bones did grow,

          And while my God did all his glories show,

             I felt a vigour in my sense

          That was all spirit. I within did flow

                  With seas of life, like wine;

             I nothing in the world did know

                  But 'twas divine.

 

             Harsh ragged objects were conceal'd,

                  Oppressions tears and cries,

          Sins, griefs, complaints, dissensions, weeping eyes

             Were hid, and only things reveal'd

          Which heav'nly spirits, and the angels prize.

                  The state of innocence

             And bliss, not trades and poverties,

                  Did fill my sense.

 

              The streets were pav'd with golden stones,

                   The boys and girls were mine,

           Oh how did all their lovely faces shine!

              The sons of men were holy ones,

           In joy and beauty they appear'd to me,

                   And every thing which here I found,

              While like an angel I did see,

                   Adorn'd the ground.

 

              Rich diamond and pearl and gold

                   In ev'ry place was seen;

           Rare splendours, yellow, blue, red, white and green,

              Mine eyes did everywhere behold.

           Great wonders cloth'd with glory did appear,

                   Amazement was my bliss,

              That and my wealth was ev'ry where:

                   No joy to this!

 

         Curs'd and devis'd proprieties,

                   With envy, avarice

           And fraud, those fiends that spoil even Paradise,

              Flew from the splendour of mine eyes,

           And so did hedges, ditches, limits, bounds,

                   I dream'd not aught of those,

              But wander'd over all men's grounds,

                   And found repose.

 

              Proprieties themselves were mine,

                   And hedges ornaments;

           Walls, boxes, coffers, and their rich contents

              Did not divide my joys, but all combine.

           Clothes, ribbons, jewels, laces, I esteem'd

                   My joys by others worn:

              For me they all to wear them seem'd

                   When I was born.

 

More on Traherne: 

O'Hearn, Bob. "Thomas Traherne." Western Mystics 29 May 2015.*

https://westernmystics.wordpress.com/2015/05/29/thomas-traherne/

2022