Death's Duel by John Donne
Notes
1. Corporis haec animae sit syndon syndon Jesu (beneath the portrait): "This is the shroud of my body; may Jesus be the shroud of my soul."
2. Precious in his sight is the death of his saints: Psalm 116:15
3. We have eyes and see not, ears and hear not: Psalm 115:5-6.
4. I am wonderfully and fearfully made, and such knowledge is too excellent for me: Psalm 139:14 & 6.
5. That is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful in our eyes: Psalm 118:23.7.
6. It is he that made us, and not we ourselves: Psalm 100:3.
7. Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me: Job 10:8
8. Children are come to the birth, and no strength to bring forth: Isaiah, 37:3.
9. Give them, O Lord, what wilt thou give them? Give them a miscarrying womb: Hosea 9:14
10. Wretched man that he is, who shall deliver him from this body of death: Romans 7:24.
11. Before I formed thee I knew thee, and before thou camest out of the womb I sanctified thee: Jeremiah 1:5
12. God prescribed Noah that absolute form of the ark: Genesis 6:14-16.
13. I have gotten a man from the Lord: Genesis 4:1.
14. In my Father’s house, there are many mansions: John 14:2.
15. The Son of man hath not where to lay his head: Matthew 8:20.
16. How then hath God given this earth to the sons of men: Psalm 115:16
17. Here we have no continuing city: Hebrews: 13:14.
18. The journeys of the Israelites in the wilderness: Exod. 17:1.
19. The days of the years of my pilgrimage: Genesis. 47:9.
20. We are absent from the Lord: 2nd Corinthians 5:6.
21. Wherefore thou hast brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye seen me! I should have been as though I had not been: Job 10:18-19.
22. Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt: Exodus 16:3.
23. It is enough now, O Lord, take away my life: 1 Kings, 19:4.
24. Now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me, for it is better to die than to live &c. &c.: Jonah, chapter 4
25. I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me: Psalm 51:5
26. He hath the keys of death: Revelations 1:18.
27. Omni die: Every day; Tota die: All day.
28. Mortality had not put on immortality nor corruption had not put on incorruption: 1st Corinthians. 15:53.
29. Thou wilt not suffer thy Holy One to see corruption: Psalm 16:10, quoted in Acts 13:35.
30. Even so, Father, for so it seemeth good in thy sight: Matthew 11:26
31. Peter in his sermon at Jerusalem and Paul in his at Antioch.: Acts 2:31 and 13 35.
32. That place in the sixteenth Psalm: "For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." Psalms 16:10.
33. Behold I show you a mystery &c.: 1 Corinthians 15:51
34. Corruption, thou art my father, and to the worm, Thou art my mother and my sister: Job 17:14
35. The worm shall feed, and feed sweetly upon me: Job 24:20.
36. One dieth at his full strength &c.: Job 21:23, 25-26.
37. the worm is spread under thee, and the worm covers thee: Isaiah 24:11.
38. The temples of the Holy Ghost: 1 Corinthians 6:19.
39. Can these bones live &c.: Ezekiel 37.
40. The Lord our God is able to deliver us, and he will deliver us: Daniel 3:17.
41. Sadness even in his soul to death: Mark 14:34 & Matthew 26:38
42. Hast thou served a good master threescore and ten years, and now art thou loath to go into his presence &c.: Hilarion (291–371) was an anchorite who spent most of his life in the desert. He is considered to be the founder of Palestinian monasticism and is venerated as a saint by Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches. Quotation is from St. Jerome, Life of Hilarion, 45.
43. Barlaam of Seminara c. 1290–1348, was a philosopher and theologian, first Orthodox, later Catholic.
44. The Holy Ghost hath moved Saint Paul to celebrate Samson in his great catalogue.: Hebrews 11:31
45. Do this and thou shalt live: Luke 10:28
46. You have heard of the patience of Job: James 5:11.
47. Augustine: City of God, Bk.17 Ch. 18.
48: That name [Jesus] was given him because he was to save us: Matthew 1:21.
49: These things Christ ought to suffer: Luke, 24:26.
50. The God of revenges &c.: Psalm 94:1
51. Love is strong as death: Song of Solomon 8:6.
52. If it be possible, let this cup pass: Luke 22:42
53. Many waters quench not love: Song of Solomon 8:7
54. The serpent shall bruise his heel: ref Genesis 3:15, which says "her heel."
55. I have a baptism to be baptised with: Luke 12:50.
56. For the joy which was set before him he endured the cross: Hebrews 12:2.
57. Can ye drink of my cup: Matthew 20:22.
57. What shall I render to the Lord? I will take the cup of salvation: Psalm 116:12-13.
59. Matthew 17:3; Mark 9:4.
60. They talked of his decease, which was to be accomplished at Jerusalem: Luke 9:31.
61. I never knew you: Matthew 7:23.
62. It is good to dwell here: Matthew 17:4.
63. He prayed there three several times: Matthew 36:29-44.
64. Could ye not watch with me one hour: Matthew 36:40.
