David's Peccavi - Stanza 5 of 5

This is the final post in the series presenting the annotated stanzas of David's Peccavi, by St. Robert Southwell. 

Fifth Stanza

David in Prayer by Willem Vrelant.1460s

[25]  I phancy deem'd fitt guide to leade my waie

[26]  And as I deem'd I did pursue her track

[27] Witt lost his ayme and will was phancie's pray

[28] The rebell wonne the ruler went to wracke.

[29]  But now sith phancye did with follye end,

[30] Witt bought with losse will taught by witt will mend.

Notes

[25] phancy: as noun: Delusive imagination; hallucination; an illusion of the senses. Caprice, changeful mood; an instance of this, a caprice, a whim. Amorous inclination, love.

Obs. 1600 Shakespeare Merchant of Venice iii. ii. 63 Tell me where is fancie bred. ‘Something that pleases or entertains’ (Johnson). [OED]

As verb: To take a fancy to; to entertain a liking for; to be pleased with; to like. The connection of the word fancy to licentious uses has survived in modern English. Consider the following examples: fancy woman, a little of what you fancy.

1614 W. Raleigh Hist. World i. i. x. §8. 199 Ninus..fancied her so strongly, as (neglecting all Princely respects) he tooke her from her husband.

a1616 Shakespeare Taming of Shrew (1623) ii. i. 12, I neuer yet beheld that speciall face, Which I could fancie, more then any other.[OED]

The word order in modern English would be: “I judged (my) fancy a fit guide to lead my way.”

[26] her: “phancy” or the actual object of his fancy : Bathsheba.

[27] pray: prey

[28] rebell: This refer to the choice David made within his soul to rebel against and reject what right reason (“the ruler”) revealed to him in his conscience.

[28] wracke: Damage, disaster, or injury to a person, state, etc., by reason of force, outrage, or violence; devastation, destruction. Cf. wrack and ruin.

[29] sith: since

[29] follye: folly, Foolishness or deficiency in understanding; lack of good sense. Also: unwise conduct. The OED includes some additional usage now obsolete but quite pertinent to the context: Wickedness, evil; wrongdoing; harm. Wantonness, lewdness; lechery, fornication, adultery.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Othello (1622) v. ii. 141 She turn'd to folly, and she was a whore.

1673 Reflexions on Marriage 150 Many commit those follies in Wedlock, that become matter of divertisement to some Persons, and and an extream scandal to others. [OED]

[30]: There is a remarkable compression of language here, a play on the ambiguity of the word “will,” and various interpretations as to what are the subjects and objects of the final verb “mend.” One possible paraphrase is: “I have paid dearly for greater understanding (wit) through my loss (allowing sin victory); my will has been instructed by this understanding; (and so) my will and my wit will mend.

Paraphrase of the fifth stanza

“In my mind, I decided to allow the promptings of my own desire to be my guide and, accordingly, I followed the path of desire. In doing this, I lost my reason and my will became slave to my desires. In making this choice, I allowed the rebellious spirit within me to triumph over the rule of my conscience, resulting in devastation and catastrophe. My desire was concealed in fancy dress, a fantasy that ended in crazy wantonness and evil. Allowing sin victory, I have paid dearly to attain true understanding; my will has been instructed by this understanding; and so my will and my reason have both been repaired and restored.”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The study and meditation on David's Peccavi is offered in reparation for sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

To see a PDF version of the five posts, see 👉 David's Peccavi

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam