Thomas Humphry Ward, ed. The English Poets. 1880–1918.rnVol. II. The Seventeenth Century: Ben Jonson to Dryden

George Herbert (1593–1633)

Aaron

HOLINESS on the head,

Light and perfections on the breast,

Harmonious bells below, raising the dead

To lead them unto life and rest:

Thus are true Aarons drest.

Profaneness in my head,

Defects and darkness in my breast,

A noise of passions ringing me for dead

Unto a place where is no rest:

Poor priest, thus am I drest.

Only another head

I have, another heart and breast,

Another music, making live, not dead,

Without Whom I could have no rest:

In Him I am well drest.

Christ is my only head,

My alone-only heart and breast,

My only music striking me ev’n dead,

That to the old man I may rest,

And he in Him new-drest.

So holy in my head,

Perfect and light in my dear breast,

My doctrine tun’d by Christ, Who is not dead,

But lives in me while I do rest,

Come, people; Aaron’s drest.