Raccoons (Emblem 21)

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Raccoons (Emblem 21)

Poem #86

Original Source

Hester Pulter, Poems breathed forth by the nobel Hadassas, University of Leeds Library, Brotherton Collection, MS Lt q 32

Versions

  • Facsimile of manuscript: Photographs provided by University of Leeds, Brotherton Collection

  • Transcription of manuscript: By Leah Knight and Wendy Wall.
  • Elemental edition: By Leah Knight and Wendy Wall.
  • Amplified edition: By Elizabeth Kolkovich.

How to cite these versions

Conventions for these editions

The Pulter Project: Poet in the Making

  • Created by Leah Knight and Wendy Wall
  • Encoded by Katherine Poland, Matthew Taylor, Elizabeth Chou, and Emily Andrey, Northwestern University
  • Website designed by Sergei Kalugin, Northwestern University
  • IT project consultation by Josh Honn, Northwestern University
  • Project sponsored by Northwestern University, Brock University, and University of Leeds
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X (Close panel)Notes: Transcription

 Editorial note

In these transcriptions we preserve as many details of the original material, textual, and graphic properties of Hester Pulter’s manuscript verse as we have found practical. Whenever possible, for instance, original spelling, punctuation, capitalization, lineation, insertions, deletions, alterations, spacing between words and lines, and indentation are all maintained; abbreviations and brevigraphs are not expanded; and superscript and subscript representations are retained. See full conventions for the transcriptions here.
Line number 3

 Physical note

double strike-through
Line number 4

 Physical note

crowded between surrounding words
Line number 17

 Physical note

written over imperfectly erased word beginning with “S”
Line number 19

 Physical note

“ff” imperfectly blotted or changed to “ſ”; “s” in different hand from main scribe
Line number 25

 Physical note

in left margin: “In Canton they / keep 4000 Whalls / to grind Wheat & Rice / In ye description of / the World, fol: 122”
Sorry, but there are no notes associated with any currently displayed witness.
X (Close panel)Transcription
Transcription
Facsimile Image Placeholder
Facsimile Image Placeholder
Facsimile Image Placeholder
[Emblem 21]
Raccoons
(Emblem 21)
“Witty, Nimble Creatures” (Emblem 21)
In these transcriptions we preserve as many details of the original material, textual, and graphic properties of Hester Pulter’s manuscript verse as we have found practical. Whenever possible, for instance, original spelling, punctuation, capitalization, lineation, insertions, deletions, alterations, spacing between words and lines, and indentation are all maintained; abbreviations and brevigraphs are not expanded; and superscript and subscript representations are retained. See full conventions for the transcriptions here.

— Leah Knight and Wendy Wall
The aim of the elemental edition is to make the poems accessible to the largest variety of readers, which involves modernizing spelling and punctuation as well as adding basic glosses. Spelling and punctuation reflect current standard American usage; punctuation highlights syntax which might otherwise be obscure. Outmoded but still familiar word forms (“thou,” “‘tis,” “hold’st”) are not modernized, and we do not modernize grammar when the sense remains legible. After a brief headnote aimed at offering a “way in” to the poem’s unique qualities and connections with other verse by Pulter or her contemporaries, the edition features a minimum of notes and interpretative framing to allow more immediate engagement with the poem. Glosses clarify synonyms or showcase various possible meanings in Pulter’s time. Other notes identify named people and places or clarify obscure material. We rely (without citation) primarily on the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the Oxford Reference database, and the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. When we rely on Alice Eardley’s edition of Pulter’s work, we cite her text generally (“Eardley”); other sources are cited in full. The result is an edition we consider a springboard for further work on Pulter’s poetry. See full conventions for this edition here.

— Leah Knight and Wendy Wall
In my editions, I prioritize accessibility and multiple interpretive possibilities. To prepare these poems for a wide range of readers, I have modernized erratic early modern spelling, punctuation, and capitalization to conform to standard American usage. I gloss archaic definitions and confusing syntax, and I expand contractions, unless needed to maintain the integrity of the poem’s form. When citing the Bible, I use the King James Version. When a note relies on Alice Eardley’s edition of Pulter’s Poems, Emblems, and The Unfortunate Florinda (Toronto: Iter, 2014), I cite her text generally as “Eardley.” My notes investigate how Pulter’s poems engage with the literature and culture of mid-seventeenth-century England. At the same time, I emphasize how her poems are unique, how they respond to one another and seem to reveal their author’s individual circumstances and philosophies. It is worth noting that although Pulter’s poems survive in only one known source, they are not necessarily stable texts. The source manuscript features variants and revisions that invite multiple interpretations. I encourage readers to refer to the manuscript transcriptions and images on this site; my notes alert readers when the manuscript’s original spelling or physical features are especially worth considering.

— Leah Knight and Wendy Wall
Pulter is at her most people-pleasing in this emblem on teamwork; nonetheless, she starts as usual with an example from the animal world. She apparently later realized that she erred in naming the creature in question, and the behavior attributed here to raccoons better resembles that of beavers, at least as described by William Wood in a book aimed equally at “the mind-travelling reader” and “the future voyager” to America (as he puts it on his title page). Pulter’s own mind also travels, here—from Wood’s beavers to outstanding examples of human cooperation, and from London Bridge to ancient temples in the Middle East—before turning to the benefits of creaturely teamwork. Humans should learn the lesson embodied best by these furry “nimble creatures,” Pulter observes, to achieve great feats—including, ironically, the subjugation of other species. Her final example returns to the uniquely human domain, however, when she reflects on how no single person could possibly have written all of the books in the world—or, perhaps, even the number she consulted in composing this poem. This is Pulter’s paean to collaboration as an ideal (never an unproblematic category) that crosses centuries and even species.

— Leah Knight and Wendy Wall
This poem argues that one person alone cannot build immense structures, tame large animals, or write all the books in the world. Addressing readers who love spectacle, Pulter invites them to examine an exotic animal that works naturally in groups. This animal is called a “raccoon” to fit the end rhyme of the opening triplet, but it acts more like a beaver, gnawing wood and pulling its companions by the tail. By crossing out the word “raccoons,” an early reader or editor of Pulter’s manuscript lends credence to the possibility that this word was an error. We might also note that the poem does not critique the idea of humans exploiting and forcing into submission a variety of other animals for the sake of entertainment.

— Leah Knight and Wendy Wall
1
21You that love Poppit Playes, Maſks, Court Buffoons
You that love puppet plays,
Gloss Note
courtly theatrical entertainments
masques,
Gloss Note
i.e., court jesters
court buffoons—
You that love
Gloss Note
puppet
poppet plays,
Gloss Note
spectacular court entertainment that included choreographed dancing, speeches, and elaborate costumes and scenery
masques,
Gloss Note
court jesters: see the Puppets, Masques, and Buffoons Curation
court buffoons,
2
You that love Cats, Apes Munks, and Babboons
You that love cats, apes,
Gloss Note
In context, “monkeys” seems intended. In the eighteenth century, “monks” referred to various animals whose form suggests “the cowled or tonsured figure of a monk” (OED).
monks, and baboons,
You that love
Gloss Note
At the time, the Tower of London hosted a royal menagerie of exotic animals, including multiple wild cats: lions, leopards, pumas, and a tiger.
cats, apes,
Gloss Note
monkeys. Monkeys were used in various “sports,” or popular and court entertainments, as well as on dramatic stages.
munks, and baboons,
3
Perhaps may pleaſure take in theſe
Physical Note
double strike-through
Rackoons
Perhaps may pleasure take in these
Gloss Note
This word is crossed out in the manuscript. Eardley notes that the account here pertains to beavers, not raccoons, in an account found in William Wood’s New England’s Prospect (London, 1634), p. 25.
raccoons.
Perhaps may pleasure
Gloss Note
The manuscript’s “sake” is probably an error for “take.”
take in these
Physical Note
In Pulter’s manuscript, this word is excised, with nothing to replace it. See the Raccoon or Beaver? Curation.
raccoons.
4
I’tt
Physical Note
crowded between surrounding words
is the Prettiest Sport you ever Saw
It is the prettiest sport you ever saw
It is the prettiest sport you ever saw
5
To See theſe Witty, Nimble Creatures draw
To see these
Gloss Note
sensible; clever; wise; artful
witty, nimble creatures
Gloss Note
to cause something to move toward oneself by applying force; to pull after one; to collect or assemble; to haul a load; to construct; to come together; to pull out (a root, e.g.)
draw.
To see these witty, nimble creatures
Gloss Note
to pull, drag, or haul an object
draw.
6
The first to bite the Timber doth not fayl
The first to bite the
Gloss Note
the wood of growing trees used for building
timber doth not fail;
The first to bite the timber doth not fail,
7
The Second puls him Backward by the Tayl
The second pulls him backward by the tail;
The second pulls him backward by the tail,
8
The third doth Soe by him Soe on they goe
The third doth so by him; so on they go
The third doth so by him; so on they go
9
With Tayl in Teeth, Some Twenty in A Row
With tail in teeth, some twenty in a row.
With tail in teeth, some twenty in a row,
10
And when the first doth find his Jaws are Sore
And when the first doth find his jaws are sore,
And when the first doth find his jaws are sore,
11
The next Relieves him and hee goes before
The next relieves him, and he goes before.
The next relieves him, and he goes before.
12
Thus what the Strength of one could n’er attain
Thus, what the strength of one could ne’er attain,
Thus what the strength of one could ne’er attain,
13
With force united’s done with little pain
With force
Gloss Note
united is
united’s done with little pain.
With force united’s done with little pain.
14
Soe London Bridg that now on woolpacks Stands
So London Bridge, that now on
Gloss Note
large bags into which wool is packed for carriage or sale. At one time the foundation of London Bridge was thought (wrongly) to be built on these, possibly because a tax on wool funded its construction.
woolpacks stands,
So London Bridge, that now on
Gloss Note
woolsacks, or large bags into which wool is packed for sale. It became proverbial to say that London Bridge stood on wool because it was funded by a tax on wool.
woolpacks stands,
15
Was never don alone by one Man’s Hands
Was never done alone by one man’s hands;
Was never done alone by one man’s hands,
16
Nor could one Man though never Soe well Skild
Nor could one man, though never so well skilled,
Nor could one man, though never so well skilled,
17
The Stately Structures in this
Physical Note
written over imperfectly erased word beginning with “S”
Kingdome build
The stately structures in this kingdom build.
The stately structures in this
Physical Note
In Pulter’s manuscript, “kingdom” is written over an unknown word.
kingdom build.
18
That Phane which for Diana’s Shrines Renownd
That fane which for
Gloss Note
The massive temple to Diana at Ephesus was the largest Greek temple in antiquity (with 127 columns, each 60 feet high) and known as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Diana’s shrine’s renowned,
That
Gloss Note
temple
fane which for
Gloss Note
The temple of Diana, the Roman goddess of the moon and chastity, was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Diana’s shrine’s renowned
19
And that wherein noe Ax nor Hamers
Physical Note
“ff” imperfectly blotted or changed to “ſ”; “s” in different hand from main scribe
ffSound
And
Gloss Note
King Solomon’s temple, in which “there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building” (1 Kings 6:7).
that wherein no axe nor hammer’s sound
And
Gloss Note
King Solomon’s temple. According to 1 Kings 6:7, it “was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.”
that wherein no ax nor hammer’s sound
20
Was ever heard, yet built of Polish’d Stone
Was ever heard, yet built of polished stone,
Was ever heard, yet built of polished stone,
21
Could never bee compoſd by one alone
Could never be composed by one alone.
Could never be composed by one alone.
22
Those Elaphants which Serve the Indian King
Gloss Note
Anciently, elephants were the mounts of South Asian rajas, but they were also generally beasts of burden, used for transport and also weaponized to trample troops, batter forts, and serve as archery platforms.
Those elephants which serve the Indian king,
Those
Critical Note
Philemon Holland’s translation of Pliny’s The History of the World judges the wealth and power of Indian royalty by how many elephants they keep (sig. M3v).
elephants which serve the Indian king
23
One never could into Subjection bring
One never could into subjection bring.
One never could into subjection bring;
Nor
Facsimile Image Placeholder
Facsimile Image Placeholder
Facsimile Image Placeholder
24
Nor one alone could Curb soe of their Wills
Nor one alone could curb so of their wills
Nor one alone could curb so of their wills
25
Physical Note
in left margin: “In Canton they / keep 4000 Whalls / to grind Wheat & Rice / In ye description of / the World, fol: 122”
ffour Thousand Whalls to make them draw in Mills
Gloss Note
In the left margin, the main scribe has written: “In Canton they keep 4000 whales to grind wheat and rice,” citing a book called The Description of the World, at page 122. Eardley notes that Robert Johnson’s translation of Giovanni Botero’s Traveller’s Breviat, Or an Historical Description of the Most Famous Kingdoms in the World (London, 1601) features this claim: “Amongst all admirables, one thing is worthy consideration, that in Canton they keep four thousand whales to grind corn and rice,” p. 122. For “draw,” see the note on the same word in line 5.
Four thousand whales to make them draw in mills.
Four thousand
Gloss Note
A marginal comment in the main scribe’s hand says, “In Canton, they keep 4000 whales to grind wheat and rice. In The Description of the World, fol. 122.” This is a reference to Robert Johnson’s translation of Giovanni Botero’s Traveller’s Breviat, Or an Historical Description of the Most Famous Kingdoms in the World (London, 1601) (Eardley).
whales to make them draw in mills.
26
Nor could one Man thoſe numerous Vollumes write
Nor could one man those numerous volumes write
Nor could one man those numerous volumes write
27
(Which now are Extant) and much leſs indite
(Which now are extant) and much less
Gloss Note
inspire or suggest words which are to be written down
indite.
(Which now are extant) and much less
Gloss Note
dictate
indite.
28
Thus Noble things both Sacred and Prophain
Thus noble things, both sacred and profane,
Thus noble things, both sacred and profane,
29
The Witt or Strength of one could n’ere attain
The wit or strength of one could ne’er attain.
The wit or strength of one could ne’er attain;
30
Then let all hatefull Timo’ns come and See
Then let all hateful
Gloss Note
an exemplary misanthrope of ancient Athens
Timons come and see
Then let all hateful
Gloss Note
misanthropes. Timon is the name of a self-proclaimed man-hater in Plutarch’s Lives and in Shakespeare and Middleton’s Timon of Athens. See the Timon of Athens Curation.
Timons come and see
31
The happy fruits of bleſſed Unitie.
The happy fruits of blesséd unity.
The happy fruits of blesséd unity.
ascending straight line
X (Close panel)Notes: Elemental Edition

 Editorial note

The aim of the elemental edition is to make the poems accessible to the largest variety of readers, which involves modernizing spelling and punctuation as well as adding basic glosses. Spelling and punctuation reflect current standard American usage; punctuation highlights syntax which might otherwise be obscure. Outmoded but still familiar word forms (“thou,” “‘tis,” “hold’st”) are not modernized, and we do not modernize grammar when the sense remains legible. After a brief headnote aimed at offering a “way in” to the poem’s unique qualities and connections with other verse by Pulter or her contemporaries, the edition features a minimum of notes and interpretative framing to allow more immediate engagement with the poem. Glosses clarify synonyms or showcase various possible meanings in Pulter’s time. Other notes identify named people and places or clarify obscure material. We rely (without citation) primarily on the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the Oxford Reference database, and the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. When we rely on Alice Eardley’s edition of Pulter’s work, we cite her text generally (“Eardley”); other sources are cited in full. The result is an edition we consider a springboard for further work on Pulter’s poetry. See full conventions for this edition here.

 Headnote

Pulter is at her most people-pleasing in this emblem on teamwork; nonetheless, she starts as usual with an example from the animal world. She apparently later realized that she erred in naming the creature in question, and the behavior attributed here to raccoons better resembles that of beavers, at least as described by William Wood in a book aimed equally at “the mind-travelling reader” and “the future voyager” to America (as he puts it on his title page). Pulter’s own mind also travels, here—from Wood’s beavers to outstanding examples of human cooperation, and from London Bridge to ancient temples in the Middle East—before turning to the benefits of creaturely teamwork. Humans should learn the lesson embodied best by these furry “nimble creatures,” Pulter observes, to achieve great feats—including, ironically, the subjugation of other species. Her final example returns to the uniquely human domain, however, when she reflects on how no single person could possibly have written all of the books in the world—or, perhaps, even the number she consulted in composing this poem. This is Pulter’s paean to collaboration as an ideal (never an unproblematic category) that crosses centuries and even species.
Line number 1

 Gloss note

courtly theatrical entertainments
Line number 1

 Gloss note

i.e., court jesters
Line number 2

 Gloss note

In context, “monkeys” seems intended. In the eighteenth century, “monks” referred to various animals whose form suggests “the cowled or tonsured figure of a monk” (OED).
Line number 3

 Gloss note

This word is crossed out in the manuscript. Eardley notes that the account here pertains to beavers, not raccoons, in an account found in William Wood’s New England’s Prospect (London, 1634), p. 25.
Line number 5

 Gloss note

sensible; clever; wise; artful
Line number 5

 Gloss note

to cause something to move toward oneself by applying force; to pull after one; to collect or assemble; to haul a load; to construct; to come together; to pull out (a root, e.g.)
Line number 6

 Gloss note

the wood of growing trees used for building
Line number 13

 Gloss note

united is
Line number 14

 Gloss note

large bags into which wool is packed for carriage or sale. At one time the foundation of London Bridge was thought (wrongly) to be built on these, possibly because a tax on wool funded its construction.
Line number 18

 Gloss note

The massive temple to Diana at Ephesus was the largest Greek temple in antiquity (with 127 columns, each 60 feet high) and known as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Line number 19

 Gloss note

King Solomon’s temple, in which “there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building” (1 Kings 6:7).
Line number 22

 Gloss note

Anciently, elephants were the mounts of South Asian rajas, but they were also generally beasts of burden, used for transport and also weaponized to trample troops, batter forts, and serve as archery platforms.
Line number 25

 Gloss note

In the left margin, the main scribe has written: “In Canton they keep 4000 whales to grind wheat and rice,” citing a book called The Description of the World, at page 122. Eardley notes that Robert Johnson’s translation of Giovanni Botero’s Traveller’s Breviat, Or an Historical Description of the Most Famous Kingdoms in the World (London, 1601) features this claim: “Amongst all admirables, one thing is worthy consideration, that in Canton they keep four thousand whales to grind corn and rice,” p. 122. For “draw,” see the note on the same word in line 5.
Line number 27

 Gloss note

inspire or suggest words which are to be written down
Line number 30

 Gloss note

an exemplary misanthrope of ancient Athens
Sorry, but there are no notes associated with any currently displayed witness.
X (Close panel)Elemental Edition
Elemental Edition
Facsimile Image Placeholder
Facsimile Image Placeholder
Facsimile Image Placeholder
[Emblem 21]
Raccoons
(Emblem 21)
“Witty, Nimble Creatures” (Emblem 21)
In these transcriptions we preserve as many details of the original material, textual, and graphic properties of Hester Pulter’s manuscript verse as we have found practical. Whenever possible, for instance, original spelling, punctuation, capitalization, lineation, insertions, deletions, alterations, spacing between words and lines, and indentation are all maintained; abbreviations and brevigraphs are not expanded; and superscript and subscript representations are retained. See full conventions for the transcriptions here.

— Leah Knight and Wendy Wall
The aim of the elemental edition is to make the poems accessible to the largest variety of readers, which involves modernizing spelling and punctuation as well as adding basic glosses. Spelling and punctuation reflect current standard American usage; punctuation highlights syntax which might otherwise be obscure. Outmoded but still familiar word forms (“thou,” “‘tis,” “hold’st”) are not modernized, and we do not modernize grammar when the sense remains legible. After a brief headnote aimed at offering a “way in” to the poem’s unique qualities and connections with other verse by Pulter or her contemporaries, the edition features a minimum of notes and interpretative framing to allow more immediate engagement with the poem. Glosses clarify synonyms or showcase various possible meanings in Pulter’s time. Other notes identify named people and places or clarify obscure material. We rely (without citation) primarily on the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the Oxford Reference database, and the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. When we rely on Alice Eardley’s edition of Pulter’s work, we cite her text generally (“Eardley”); other sources are cited in full. The result is an edition we consider a springboard for further work on Pulter’s poetry. See full conventions for this edition here.

— Leah Knight and Wendy Wall
In my editions, I prioritize accessibility and multiple interpretive possibilities. To prepare these poems for a wide range of readers, I have modernized erratic early modern spelling, punctuation, and capitalization to conform to standard American usage. I gloss archaic definitions and confusing syntax, and I expand contractions, unless needed to maintain the integrity of the poem’s form. When citing the Bible, I use the King James Version. When a note relies on Alice Eardley’s edition of Pulter’s Poems, Emblems, and The Unfortunate Florinda (Toronto: Iter, 2014), I cite her text generally as “Eardley.” My notes investigate how Pulter’s poems engage with the literature and culture of mid-seventeenth-century England. At the same time, I emphasize how her poems are unique, how they respond to one another and seem to reveal their author’s individual circumstances and philosophies. It is worth noting that although Pulter’s poems survive in only one known source, they are not necessarily stable texts. The source manuscript features variants and revisions that invite multiple interpretations. I encourage readers to refer to the manuscript transcriptions and images on this site; my notes alert readers when the manuscript’s original spelling or physical features are especially worth considering.

— Leah Knight and Wendy Wall
Pulter is at her most people-pleasing in this emblem on teamwork; nonetheless, she starts as usual with an example from the animal world. She apparently later realized that she erred in naming the creature in question, and the behavior attributed here to raccoons better resembles that of beavers, at least as described by William Wood in a book aimed equally at “the mind-travelling reader” and “the future voyager” to America (as he puts it on his title page). Pulter’s own mind also travels, here—from Wood’s beavers to outstanding examples of human cooperation, and from London Bridge to ancient temples in the Middle East—before turning to the benefits of creaturely teamwork. Humans should learn the lesson embodied best by these furry “nimble creatures,” Pulter observes, to achieve great feats—including, ironically, the subjugation of other species. Her final example returns to the uniquely human domain, however, when she reflects on how no single person could possibly have written all of the books in the world—or, perhaps, even the number she consulted in composing this poem. This is Pulter’s paean to collaboration as an ideal (never an unproblematic category) that crosses centuries and even species.

— Leah Knight and Wendy Wall
This poem argues that one person alone cannot build immense structures, tame large animals, or write all the books in the world. Addressing readers who love spectacle, Pulter invites them to examine an exotic animal that works naturally in groups. This animal is called a “raccoon” to fit the end rhyme of the opening triplet, but it acts more like a beaver, gnawing wood and pulling its companions by the tail. By crossing out the word “raccoons,” an early reader or editor of Pulter’s manuscript lends credence to the possibility that this word was an error. We might also note that the poem does not critique the idea of humans exploiting and forcing into submission a variety of other animals for the sake of entertainment.

— Leah Knight and Wendy Wall
1
21You that love Poppit Playes, Maſks, Court Buffoons
You that love puppet plays,
Gloss Note
courtly theatrical entertainments
masques,
Gloss Note
i.e., court jesters
court buffoons—
You that love
Gloss Note
puppet
poppet plays,
Gloss Note
spectacular court entertainment that included choreographed dancing, speeches, and elaborate costumes and scenery
masques,
Gloss Note
court jesters: see the Puppets, Masques, and Buffoons Curation
court buffoons,
2
You that love Cats, Apes Munks, and Babboons
You that love cats, apes,
Gloss Note
In context, “monkeys” seems intended. In the eighteenth century, “monks” referred to various animals whose form suggests “the cowled or tonsured figure of a monk” (OED).
monks, and baboons,
You that love
Gloss Note
At the time, the Tower of London hosted a royal menagerie of exotic animals, including multiple wild cats: lions, leopards, pumas, and a tiger.
cats, apes,
Gloss Note
monkeys. Monkeys were used in various “sports,” or popular and court entertainments, as well as on dramatic stages.
munks, and baboons,
3
Perhaps may pleaſure take in theſe
Physical Note
double strike-through
Rackoons
Perhaps may pleasure take in these
Gloss Note
This word is crossed out in the manuscript. Eardley notes that the account here pertains to beavers, not raccoons, in an account found in William Wood’s New England’s Prospect (London, 1634), p. 25.
raccoons.
Perhaps may pleasure
Gloss Note
The manuscript’s “sake” is probably an error for “take.”
take in these
Physical Note
In Pulter’s manuscript, this word is excised, with nothing to replace it. See the Raccoon or Beaver? Curation.
raccoons.
4
I’tt
Physical Note
crowded between surrounding words
is the Prettiest Sport you ever Saw
It is the prettiest sport you ever saw
It is the prettiest sport you ever saw
5
To See theſe Witty, Nimble Creatures draw
To see these
Gloss Note
sensible; clever; wise; artful
witty, nimble creatures
Gloss Note
to cause something to move toward oneself by applying force; to pull after one; to collect or assemble; to haul a load; to construct; to come together; to pull out (a root, e.g.)
draw.
To see these witty, nimble creatures
Gloss Note
to pull, drag, or haul an object
draw.
6
The first to bite the Timber doth not fayl
The first to bite the
Gloss Note
the wood of growing trees used for building
timber doth not fail;
The first to bite the timber doth not fail,
7
The Second puls him Backward by the Tayl
The second pulls him backward by the tail;
The second pulls him backward by the tail,
8
The third doth Soe by him Soe on they goe
The third doth so by him; so on they go
The third doth so by him; so on they go
9
With Tayl in Teeth, Some Twenty in A Row
With tail in teeth, some twenty in a row.
With tail in teeth, some twenty in a row,
10
And when the first doth find his Jaws are Sore
And when the first doth find his jaws are sore,
And when the first doth find his jaws are sore,
11
The next Relieves him and hee goes before
The next relieves him, and he goes before.
The next relieves him, and he goes before.
12
Thus what the Strength of one could n’er attain
Thus, what the strength of one could ne’er attain,
Thus what the strength of one could ne’er attain,
13
With force united’s done with little pain
With force
Gloss Note
united is
united’s done with little pain.
With force united’s done with little pain.
14
Soe London Bridg that now on woolpacks Stands
So London Bridge, that now on
Gloss Note
large bags into which wool is packed for carriage or sale. At one time the foundation of London Bridge was thought (wrongly) to be built on these, possibly because a tax on wool funded its construction.
woolpacks stands,
So London Bridge, that now on
Gloss Note
woolsacks, or large bags into which wool is packed for sale. It became proverbial to say that London Bridge stood on wool because it was funded by a tax on wool.
woolpacks stands,
15
Was never don alone by one Man’s Hands
Was never done alone by one man’s hands;
Was never done alone by one man’s hands,
16
Nor could one Man though never Soe well Skild
Nor could one man, though never so well skilled,
Nor could one man, though never so well skilled,
17
The Stately Structures in this
Physical Note
written over imperfectly erased word beginning with “S”
Kingdome build
The stately structures in this kingdom build.
The stately structures in this
Physical Note
In Pulter’s manuscript, “kingdom” is written over an unknown word.
kingdom build.
18
That Phane which for Diana’s Shrines Renownd
That fane which for
Gloss Note
The massive temple to Diana at Ephesus was the largest Greek temple in antiquity (with 127 columns, each 60 feet high) and known as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Diana’s shrine’s renowned,
That
Gloss Note
temple
fane which for
Gloss Note
The temple of Diana, the Roman goddess of the moon and chastity, was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Diana’s shrine’s renowned
19
And that wherein noe Ax nor Hamers
Physical Note
“ff” imperfectly blotted or changed to “ſ”; “s” in different hand from main scribe
ffSound
And
Gloss Note
King Solomon’s temple, in which “there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building” (1 Kings 6:7).
that wherein no axe nor hammer’s sound
And
Gloss Note
King Solomon’s temple. According to 1 Kings 6:7, it “was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.”
that wherein no ax nor hammer’s sound
20
Was ever heard, yet built of Polish’d Stone
Was ever heard, yet built of polished stone,
Was ever heard, yet built of polished stone,
21
Could never bee compoſd by one alone
Could never be composed by one alone.
Could never be composed by one alone.
22
Those Elaphants which Serve the Indian King
Gloss Note
Anciently, elephants were the mounts of South Asian rajas, but they were also generally beasts of burden, used for transport and also weaponized to trample troops, batter forts, and serve as archery platforms.
Those elephants which serve the Indian king,
Those
Critical Note
Philemon Holland’s translation of Pliny’s The History of the World judges the wealth and power of Indian royalty by how many elephants they keep (sig. M3v).
elephants which serve the Indian king
23
One never could into Subjection bring
One never could into subjection bring.
One never could into subjection bring;
Nor
Facsimile Image Placeholder
Facsimile Image Placeholder
Facsimile Image Placeholder
24
Nor one alone could Curb soe of their Wills
Nor one alone could curb so of their wills
Nor one alone could curb so of their wills
25
Physical Note
in left margin: “In Canton they / keep 4000 Whalls / to grind Wheat & Rice / In ye description of / the World, fol: 122”
ffour Thousand Whalls to make them draw in Mills
Gloss Note
In the left margin, the main scribe has written: “In Canton they keep 4000 whales to grind wheat and rice,” citing a book called The Description of the World, at page 122. Eardley notes that Robert Johnson’s translation of Giovanni Botero’s Traveller’s Breviat, Or an Historical Description of the Most Famous Kingdoms in the World (London, 1601) features this claim: “Amongst all admirables, one thing is worthy consideration, that in Canton they keep four thousand whales to grind corn and rice,” p. 122. For “draw,” see the note on the same word in line 5.
Four thousand whales to make them draw in mills.
Four thousand
Gloss Note
A marginal comment in the main scribe’s hand says, “In Canton, they keep 4000 whales to grind wheat and rice. In The Description of the World, fol. 122.” This is a reference to Robert Johnson’s translation of Giovanni Botero’s Traveller’s Breviat, Or an Historical Description of the Most Famous Kingdoms in the World (London, 1601) (Eardley).
whales to make them draw in mills.
26
Nor could one Man thoſe numerous Vollumes write
Nor could one man those numerous volumes write
Nor could one man those numerous volumes write
27
(Which now are Extant) and much leſs indite
(Which now are extant) and much less
Gloss Note
inspire or suggest words which are to be written down
indite.
(Which now are extant) and much less
Gloss Note
dictate
indite.
28
Thus Noble things both Sacred and Prophain
Thus noble things, both sacred and profane,
Thus noble things, both sacred and profane,
29
The Witt or Strength of one could n’ere attain
The wit or strength of one could ne’er attain.
The wit or strength of one could ne’er attain;
30
Then let all hatefull Timo’ns come and See
Then let all hateful
Gloss Note
an exemplary misanthrope of ancient Athens
Timons come and see
Then let all hateful
Gloss Note
misanthropes. Timon is the name of a self-proclaimed man-hater in Plutarch’s Lives and in Shakespeare and Middleton’s Timon of Athens. See the Timon of Athens Curation.
Timons come and see
31
The happy fruits of bleſſed Unitie.
The happy fruits of blesséd unity.
The happy fruits of blesséd unity.
ascending straight line
X (Close panel)Notes: Amplified Edition

 Editorial note

In my editions, I prioritize accessibility and multiple interpretive possibilities. To prepare these poems for a wide range of readers, I have modernized erratic early modern spelling, punctuation, and capitalization to conform to standard American usage. I gloss archaic definitions and confusing syntax, and I expand contractions, unless needed to maintain the integrity of the poem’s form. When citing the Bible, I use the King James Version. When a note relies on Alice Eardley’s edition of Pulter’s Poems, Emblems, and The Unfortunate Florinda (Toronto: Iter, 2014), I cite her text generally as “Eardley.” My notes investigate how Pulter’s poems engage with the literature and culture of mid-seventeenth-century England. At the same time, I emphasize how her poems are unique, how they respond to one another and seem to reveal their author’s individual circumstances and philosophies. It is worth noting that although Pulter’s poems survive in only one known source, they are not necessarily stable texts. The source manuscript features variants and revisions that invite multiple interpretations. I encourage readers to refer to the manuscript transcriptions and images on this site; my notes alert readers when the manuscript’s original spelling or physical features are especially worth considering.

 Headnote

This poem argues that one person alone cannot build immense structures, tame large animals, or write all the books in the world. Addressing readers who love spectacle, Pulter invites them to examine an exotic animal that works naturally in groups. This animal is called a “raccoon” to fit the end rhyme of the opening triplet, but it acts more like a beaver, gnawing wood and pulling its companions by the tail. By crossing out the word “raccoons,” an early reader or editor of Pulter’s manuscript lends credence to the possibility that this word was an error. We might also note that the poem does not critique the idea of humans exploiting and forcing into submission a variety of other animals for the sake of entertainment.
Line number 1

 Gloss note

puppet
Line number 1

 Gloss note

spectacular court entertainment that included choreographed dancing, speeches, and elaborate costumes and scenery
Line number 1

 Gloss note

court jesters: see the Puppets, Masques, and Buffoons Curation
Line number 2

 Gloss note

At the time, the Tower of London hosted a royal menagerie of exotic animals, including multiple wild cats: lions, leopards, pumas, and a tiger.
Line number 2

 Gloss note

monkeys. Monkeys were used in various “sports,” or popular and court entertainments, as well as on dramatic stages.
Line number 3

 Gloss note

The manuscript’s “sake” is probably an error for “take.”
Line number 3

 Physical note

In Pulter’s manuscript, this word is excised, with nothing to replace it. See the Raccoon or Beaver? Curation.
Line number 5

 Gloss note

to pull, drag, or haul an object
Line number 14

 Gloss note

woolsacks, or large bags into which wool is packed for sale. It became proverbial to say that London Bridge stood on wool because it was funded by a tax on wool.
Line number 17

 Physical note

In Pulter’s manuscript, “kingdom” is written over an unknown word.
Line number 18

 Gloss note

temple
Line number 18

 Gloss note

The temple of Diana, the Roman goddess of the moon and chastity, was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Line number 19

 Gloss note

King Solomon’s temple. According to 1 Kings 6:7, it “was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.”
Line number 22

 Critical note

Philemon Holland’s translation of Pliny’s The History of the World judges the wealth and power of Indian royalty by how many elephants they keep (sig. M3v).
Line number 25

 Gloss note

A marginal comment in the main scribe’s hand says, “In Canton, they keep 4000 whales to grind wheat and rice. In The Description of the World, fol. 122.” This is a reference to Robert Johnson’s translation of Giovanni Botero’s Traveller’s Breviat, Or an Historical Description of the Most Famous Kingdoms in the World (London, 1601) (Eardley).
Line number 27

 Gloss note

dictate
Line number 30

 Gloss note

misanthropes. Timon is the name of a self-proclaimed man-hater in Plutarch’s Lives and in Shakespeare and Middleton’s Timon of Athens. See the Timon of Athens Curation.
Sorry, but there are no notes associated with any currently displayed witness.
X (Close panel)Amplified Edition
Amplified Edition
Facsimile Image Placeholder
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[Emblem 21]
Raccoons
(Emblem 21)
“Witty, Nimble Creatures” (Emblem 21)
In these transcriptions we preserve as many details of the original material, textual, and graphic properties of Hester Pulter’s manuscript verse as we have found practical. Whenever possible, for instance, original spelling, punctuation, capitalization, lineation, insertions, deletions, alterations, spacing between words and lines, and indentation are all maintained; abbreviations and brevigraphs are not expanded; and superscript and subscript representations are retained. See full conventions for the transcriptions here.

— Elizabeth Kolkovich
The aim of the elemental edition is to make the poems accessible to the largest variety of readers, which involves modernizing spelling and punctuation as well as adding basic glosses. Spelling and punctuation reflect current standard American usage; punctuation highlights syntax which might otherwise be obscure. Outmoded but still familiar word forms (“thou,” “‘tis,” “hold’st”) are not modernized, and we do not modernize grammar when the sense remains legible. After a brief headnote aimed at offering a “way in” to the poem’s unique qualities and connections with other verse by Pulter or her contemporaries, the edition features a minimum of notes and interpretative framing to allow more immediate engagement with the poem. Glosses clarify synonyms or showcase various possible meanings in Pulter’s time. Other notes identify named people and places or clarify obscure material. We rely (without citation) primarily on the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the Oxford Reference database, and the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. When we rely on Alice Eardley’s edition of Pulter’s work, we cite her text generally (“Eardley”); other sources are cited in full. The result is an edition we consider a springboard for further work on Pulter’s poetry. See full conventions for this edition here.

— Elizabeth Kolkovich
In my editions, I prioritize accessibility and multiple interpretive possibilities. To prepare these poems for a wide range of readers, I have modernized erratic early modern spelling, punctuation, and capitalization to conform to standard American usage. I gloss archaic definitions and confusing syntax, and I expand contractions, unless needed to maintain the integrity of the poem’s form. When citing the Bible, I use the King James Version. When a note relies on Alice Eardley’s edition of Pulter’s Poems, Emblems, and The Unfortunate Florinda (Toronto: Iter, 2014), I cite her text generally as “Eardley.” My notes investigate how Pulter’s poems engage with the literature and culture of mid-seventeenth-century England. At the same time, I emphasize how her poems are unique, how they respond to one another and seem to reveal their author’s individual circumstances and philosophies. It is worth noting that although Pulter’s poems survive in only one known source, they are not necessarily stable texts. The source manuscript features variants and revisions that invite multiple interpretations. I encourage readers to refer to the manuscript transcriptions and images on this site; my notes alert readers when the manuscript’s original spelling or physical features are especially worth considering.

— Elizabeth Kolkovich
Pulter is at her most people-pleasing in this emblem on teamwork; nonetheless, she starts as usual with an example from the animal world. She apparently later realized that she erred in naming the creature in question, and the behavior attributed here to raccoons better resembles that of beavers, at least as described by William Wood in a book aimed equally at “the mind-travelling reader” and “the future voyager” to America (as he puts it on his title page). Pulter’s own mind also travels, here—from Wood’s beavers to outstanding examples of human cooperation, and from London Bridge to ancient temples in the Middle East—before turning to the benefits of creaturely teamwork. Humans should learn the lesson embodied best by these furry “nimble creatures,” Pulter observes, to achieve great feats—including, ironically, the subjugation of other species. Her final example returns to the uniquely human domain, however, when she reflects on how no single person could possibly have written all of the books in the world—or, perhaps, even the number she consulted in composing this poem. This is Pulter’s paean to collaboration as an ideal (never an unproblematic category) that crosses centuries and even species.

— Elizabeth Kolkovich
This poem argues that one person alone cannot build immense structures, tame large animals, or write all the books in the world. Addressing readers who love spectacle, Pulter invites them to examine an exotic animal that works naturally in groups. This animal is called a “raccoon” to fit the end rhyme of the opening triplet, but it acts more like a beaver, gnawing wood and pulling its companions by the tail. By crossing out the word “raccoons,” an early reader or editor of Pulter’s manuscript lends credence to the possibility that this word was an error. We might also note that the poem does not critique the idea of humans exploiting and forcing into submission a variety of other animals for the sake of entertainment.

— Elizabeth Kolkovich
1
21You that love Poppit Playes, Maſks, Court Buffoons
You that love puppet plays,
Gloss Note
courtly theatrical entertainments
masques,
Gloss Note
i.e., court jesters
court buffoons—
You that love
Gloss Note
puppet
poppet plays,
Gloss Note
spectacular court entertainment that included choreographed dancing, speeches, and elaborate costumes and scenery
masques,
Gloss Note
court jesters: see the Puppets, Masques, and Buffoons Curation
court buffoons,
2
You that love Cats, Apes Munks, and Babboons
You that love cats, apes,
Gloss Note
In context, “monkeys” seems intended. In the eighteenth century, “monks” referred to various animals whose form suggests “the cowled or tonsured figure of a monk” (OED).
monks, and baboons,
You that love
Gloss Note
At the time, the Tower of London hosted a royal menagerie of exotic animals, including multiple wild cats: lions, leopards, pumas, and a tiger.
cats, apes,
Gloss Note
monkeys. Monkeys were used in various “sports,” or popular and court entertainments, as well as on dramatic stages.
munks, and baboons,
3
Perhaps may pleaſure take in theſe
Physical Note
double strike-through
Rackoons
Perhaps may pleasure take in these
Gloss Note
This word is crossed out in the manuscript. Eardley notes that the account here pertains to beavers, not raccoons, in an account found in William Wood’s New England’s Prospect (London, 1634), p. 25.
raccoons.
Perhaps may pleasure
Gloss Note
The manuscript’s “sake” is probably an error for “take.”
take in these
Physical Note
In Pulter’s manuscript, this word is excised, with nothing to replace it. See the Raccoon or Beaver? Curation.
raccoons.
4
I’tt
Physical Note
crowded between surrounding words
is the Prettiest Sport you ever Saw
It is the prettiest sport you ever saw
It is the prettiest sport you ever saw
5
To See theſe Witty, Nimble Creatures draw
To see these
Gloss Note
sensible; clever; wise; artful
witty, nimble creatures
Gloss Note
to cause something to move toward oneself by applying force; to pull after one; to collect or assemble; to haul a load; to construct; to come together; to pull out (a root, e.g.)
draw.
To see these witty, nimble creatures
Gloss Note
to pull, drag, or haul an object
draw.
6
The first to bite the Timber doth not fayl
The first to bite the
Gloss Note
the wood of growing trees used for building
timber doth not fail;
The first to bite the timber doth not fail,
7
The Second puls him Backward by the Tayl
The second pulls him backward by the tail;
The second pulls him backward by the tail,
8
The third doth Soe by him Soe on they goe
The third doth so by him; so on they go
The third doth so by him; so on they go
9
With Tayl in Teeth, Some Twenty in A Row
With tail in teeth, some twenty in a row.
With tail in teeth, some twenty in a row,
10
And when the first doth find his Jaws are Sore
And when the first doth find his jaws are sore,
And when the first doth find his jaws are sore,
11
The next Relieves him and hee goes before
The next relieves him, and he goes before.
The next relieves him, and he goes before.
12
Thus what the Strength of one could n’er attain
Thus, what the strength of one could ne’er attain,
Thus what the strength of one could ne’er attain,
13
With force united’s done with little pain
With force
Gloss Note
united is
united’s done with little pain.
With force united’s done with little pain.
14
Soe London Bridg that now on woolpacks Stands
So London Bridge, that now on
Gloss Note
large bags into which wool is packed for carriage or sale. At one time the foundation of London Bridge was thought (wrongly) to be built on these, possibly because a tax on wool funded its construction.
woolpacks stands,
So London Bridge, that now on
Gloss Note
woolsacks, or large bags into which wool is packed for sale. It became proverbial to say that London Bridge stood on wool because it was funded by a tax on wool.
woolpacks stands,
15
Was never don alone by one Man’s Hands
Was never done alone by one man’s hands;
Was never done alone by one man’s hands,
16
Nor could one Man though never Soe well Skild
Nor could one man, though never so well skilled,
Nor could one man, though never so well skilled,
17
The Stately Structures in this
Physical Note
written over imperfectly erased word beginning with “S”
Kingdome build
The stately structures in this kingdom build.
The stately structures in this
Physical Note
In Pulter’s manuscript, “kingdom” is written over an unknown word.
kingdom build.
18
That Phane which for Diana’s Shrines Renownd
That fane which for
Gloss Note
The massive temple to Diana at Ephesus was the largest Greek temple in antiquity (with 127 columns, each 60 feet high) and known as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Diana’s shrine’s renowned,
That
Gloss Note
temple
fane which for
Gloss Note
The temple of Diana, the Roman goddess of the moon and chastity, was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Diana’s shrine’s renowned
19
And that wherein noe Ax nor Hamers
Physical Note
“ff” imperfectly blotted or changed to “ſ”; “s” in different hand from main scribe
ffSound
And
Gloss Note
King Solomon’s temple, in which “there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building” (1 Kings 6:7).
that wherein no axe nor hammer’s sound
And
Gloss Note
King Solomon’s temple. According to 1 Kings 6:7, it “was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.”
that wherein no ax nor hammer’s sound
20
Was ever heard, yet built of Polish’d Stone
Was ever heard, yet built of polished stone,
Was ever heard, yet built of polished stone,
21
Could never bee compoſd by one alone
Could never be composed by one alone.
Could never be composed by one alone.
22
Those Elaphants which Serve the Indian King
Gloss Note
Anciently, elephants were the mounts of South Asian rajas, but they were also generally beasts of burden, used for transport and also weaponized to trample troops, batter forts, and serve as archery platforms.
Those elephants which serve the Indian king,
Those
Critical Note
Philemon Holland’s translation of Pliny’s The History of the World judges the wealth and power of Indian royalty by how many elephants they keep (sig. M3v).
elephants which serve the Indian king
23
One never could into Subjection bring
One never could into subjection bring.
One never could into subjection bring;
Nor
Facsimile Image Placeholder
Facsimile Image Placeholder
Facsimile Image Placeholder
24
Nor one alone could Curb soe of their Wills
Nor one alone could curb so of their wills
Nor one alone could curb so of their wills
25
Physical Note
in left margin: “In Canton they / keep 4000 Whalls / to grind Wheat & Rice / In ye description of / the World, fol: 122”
ffour Thousand Whalls to make them draw in Mills
Gloss Note
In the left margin, the main scribe has written: “In Canton they keep 4000 whales to grind wheat and rice,” citing a book called The Description of the World, at page 122. Eardley notes that Robert Johnson’s translation of Giovanni Botero’s Traveller’s Breviat, Or an Historical Description of the Most Famous Kingdoms in the World (London, 1601) features this claim: “Amongst all admirables, one thing is worthy consideration, that in Canton they keep four thousand whales to grind corn and rice,” p. 122. For “draw,” see the note on the same word in line 5.
Four thousand whales to make them draw in mills.
Four thousand
Gloss Note
A marginal comment in the main scribe’s hand says, “In Canton, they keep 4000 whales to grind wheat and rice. In The Description of the World, fol. 122.” This is a reference to Robert Johnson’s translation of Giovanni Botero’s Traveller’s Breviat, Or an Historical Description of the Most Famous Kingdoms in the World (London, 1601) (Eardley).
whales to make them draw in mills.
26
Nor could one Man thoſe numerous Vollumes write
Nor could one man those numerous volumes write
Nor could one man those numerous volumes write
27
(Which now are Extant) and much leſs indite
(Which now are extant) and much less
Gloss Note
inspire or suggest words which are to be written down
indite.
(Which now are extant) and much less
Gloss Note
dictate
indite.
28
Thus Noble things both Sacred and Prophain
Thus noble things, both sacred and profane,
Thus noble things, both sacred and profane,
29
The Witt or Strength of one could n’ere attain
The wit or strength of one could ne’er attain.
The wit or strength of one could ne’er attain;
30
Then let all hatefull Timo’ns come and See
Then let all hateful
Gloss Note
an exemplary misanthrope of ancient Athens
Timons come and see
Then let all hateful
Gloss Note
misanthropes. Timon is the name of a self-proclaimed man-hater in Plutarch’s Lives and in Shakespeare and Middleton’s Timon of Athens. See the Timon of Athens Curation.
Timons come and see
31
The happy fruits of bleſſed Unitie.
The happy fruits of blesséd unity.
The happy fruits of blesséd unity.
ascending straight line
X (Close panel) All Notes
Transcription

 Editorial note

In these transcriptions we preserve as many details of the original material, textual, and graphic properties of Hester Pulter’s manuscript verse as we have found practical. Whenever possible, for instance, original spelling, punctuation, capitalization, lineation, insertions, deletions, alterations, spacing between words and lines, and indentation are all maintained; abbreviations and brevigraphs are not expanded; and superscript and subscript representations are retained. See full conventions for the transcriptions here.
Elemental Edition

 Editorial note

The aim of the elemental edition is to make the poems accessible to the largest variety of readers, which involves modernizing spelling and punctuation as well as adding basic glosses. Spelling and punctuation reflect current standard American usage; punctuation highlights syntax which might otherwise be obscure. Outmoded but still familiar word forms (“thou,” “‘tis,” “hold’st”) are not modernized, and we do not modernize grammar when the sense remains legible. After a brief headnote aimed at offering a “way in” to the poem’s unique qualities and connections with other verse by Pulter or her contemporaries, the edition features a minimum of notes and interpretative framing to allow more immediate engagement with the poem. Glosses clarify synonyms or showcase various possible meanings in Pulter’s time. Other notes identify named people and places or clarify obscure material. We rely (without citation) primarily on the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the Oxford Reference database, and the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. When we rely on Alice Eardley’s edition of Pulter’s work, we cite her text generally (“Eardley”); other sources are cited in full. The result is an edition we consider a springboard for further work on Pulter’s poetry. See full conventions for this edition here.
Amplified Edition

 Editorial note

In my editions, I prioritize accessibility and multiple interpretive possibilities. To prepare these poems for a wide range of readers, I have modernized erratic early modern spelling, punctuation, and capitalization to conform to standard American usage. I gloss archaic definitions and confusing syntax, and I expand contractions, unless needed to maintain the integrity of the poem’s form. When citing the Bible, I use the King James Version. When a note relies on Alice Eardley’s edition of Pulter’s Poems, Emblems, and The Unfortunate Florinda (Toronto: Iter, 2014), I cite her text generally as “Eardley.” My notes investigate how Pulter’s poems engage with the literature and culture of mid-seventeenth-century England. At the same time, I emphasize how her poems are unique, how they respond to one another and seem to reveal their author’s individual circumstances and philosophies. It is worth noting that although Pulter’s poems survive in only one known source, they are not necessarily stable texts. The source manuscript features variants and revisions that invite multiple interpretations. I encourage readers to refer to the manuscript transcriptions and images on this site; my notes alert readers when the manuscript’s original spelling or physical features are especially worth considering.
Elemental Edition

 Headnote

Pulter is at her most people-pleasing in this emblem on teamwork; nonetheless, she starts as usual with an example from the animal world. She apparently later realized that she erred in naming the creature in question, and the behavior attributed here to raccoons better resembles that of beavers, at least as described by William Wood in a book aimed equally at “the mind-travelling reader” and “the future voyager” to America (as he puts it on his title page). Pulter’s own mind also travels, here—from Wood’s beavers to outstanding examples of human cooperation, and from London Bridge to ancient temples in the Middle East—before turning to the benefits of creaturely teamwork. Humans should learn the lesson embodied best by these furry “nimble creatures,” Pulter observes, to achieve great feats—including, ironically, the subjugation of other species. Her final example returns to the uniquely human domain, however, when she reflects on how no single person could possibly have written all of the books in the world—or, perhaps, even the number she consulted in composing this poem. This is Pulter’s paean to collaboration as an ideal (never an unproblematic category) that crosses centuries and even species.
Amplified Edition

 Headnote

This poem argues that one person alone cannot build immense structures, tame large animals, or write all the books in the world. Addressing readers who love spectacle, Pulter invites them to examine an exotic animal that works naturally in groups. This animal is called a “raccoon” to fit the end rhyme of the opening triplet, but it acts more like a beaver, gnawing wood and pulling its companions by the tail. By crossing out the word “raccoons,” an early reader or editor of Pulter’s manuscript lends credence to the possibility that this word was an error. We might also note that the poem does not critique the idea of humans exploiting and forcing into submission a variety of other animals for the sake of entertainment.
Elemental Edition
Line number 1

 Gloss note

courtly theatrical entertainments
Elemental Edition
Line number 1

 Gloss note

i.e., court jesters
Amplified Edition
Line number 1

 Gloss note

puppet
Amplified Edition
Line number 1

 Gloss note

spectacular court entertainment that included choreographed dancing, speeches, and elaborate costumes and scenery
Amplified Edition
Line number 1

 Gloss note

court jesters: see the Puppets, Masques, and Buffoons Curation
Elemental Edition
Line number 2

 Gloss note

In context, “monkeys” seems intended. In the eighteenth century, “monks” referred to various animals whose form suggests “the cowled or tonsured figure of a monk” (OED).
Amplified Edition
Line number 2

 Gloss note

At the time, the Tower of London hosted a royal menagerie of exotic animals, including multiple wild cats: lions, leopards, pumas, and a tiger.
Amplified Edition
Line number 2

 Gloss note

monkeys. Monkeys were used in various “sports,” or popular and court entertainments, as well as on dramatic stages.
Transcription
Line number 3

 Physical note

double strike-through
Elemental Edition
Line number 3

 Gloss note

This word is crossed out in the manuscript. Eardley notes that the account here pertains to beavers, not raccoons, in an account found in William Wood’s New England’s Prospect (London, 1634), p. 25.
Amplified Edition
Line number 3

 Gloss note

The manuscript’s “sake” is probably an error for “take.”
Amplified Edition
Line number 3

 Physical note

In Pulter’s manuscript, this word is excised, with nothing to replace it. See the Raccoon or Beaver? Curation.
Transcription
Line number 4

 Physical note

crowded between surrounding words
Elemental Edition
Line number 5

 Gloss note

sensible; clever; wise; artful
Elemental Edition
Line number 5

 Gloss note

to cause something to move toward oneself by applying force; to pull after one; to collect or assemble; to haul a load; to construct; to come together; to pull out (a root, e.g.)
Amplified Edition
Line number 5

 Gloss note

to pull, drag, or haul an object
Elemental Edition
Line number 6

 Gloss note

the wood of growing trees used for building
Elemental Edition
Line number 13

 Gloss note

united is
Elemental Edition
Line number 14

 Gloss note

large bags into which wool is packed for carriage or sale. At one time the foundation of London Bridge was thought (wrongly) to be built on these, possibly because a tax on wool funded its construction.
Amplified Edition
Line number 14

 Gloss note

woolsacks, or large bags into which wool is packed for sale. It became proverbial to say that London Bridge stood on wool because it was funded by a tax on wool.
Transcription
Line number 17

 Physical note

written over imperfectly erased word beginning with “S”
Amplified Edition
Line number 17

 Physical note

In Pulter’s manuscript, “kingdom” is written over an unknown word.
Elemental Edition
Line number 18

 Gloss note

The massive temple to Diana at Ephesus was the largest Greek temple in antiquity (with 127 columns, each 60 feet high) and known as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Amplified Edition
Line number 18

 Gloss note

temple
Amplified Edition
Line number 18

 Gloss note

The temple of Diana, the Roman goddess of the moon and chastity, was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Transcription
Line number 19

 Physical note

“ff” imperfectly blotted or changed to “ſ”; “s” in different hand from main scribe
Elemental Edition
Line number 19

 Gloss note

King Solomon’s temple, in which “there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building” (1 Kings 6:7).
Amplified Edition
Line number 19

 Gloss note

King Solomon’s temple. According to 1 Kings 6:7, it “was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.”
Elemental Edition
Line number 22

 Gloss note

Anciently, elephants were the mounts of South Asian rajas, but they were also generally beasts of burden, used for transport and also weaponized to trample troops, batter forts, and serve as archery platforms.
Amplified Edition
Line number 22

 Critical note

Philemon Holland’s translation of Pliny’s The History of the World judges the wealth and power of Indian royalty by how many elephants they keep (sig. M3v).
Transcription
Line number 25

 Physical note

in left margin: “In Canton they / keep 4000 Whalls / to grind Wheat & Rice / In ye description of / the World, fol: 122”
Elemental Edition
Line number 25

 Gloss note

In the left margin, the main scribe has written: “In Canton they keep 4000 whales to grind wheat and rice,” citing a book called The Description of the World, at page 122. Eardley notes that Robert Johnson’s translation of Giovanni Botero’s Traveller’s Breviat, Or an Historical Description of the Most Famous Kingdoms in the World (London, 1601) features this claim: “Amongst all admirables, one thing is worthy consideration, that in Canton they keep four thousand whales to grind corn and rice,” p. 122. For “draw,” see the note on the same word in line 5.
Amplified Edition
Line number 25

 Gloss note

A marginal comment in the main scribe’s hand says, “In Canton, they keep 4000 whales to grind wheat and rice. In The Description of the World, fol. 122.” This is a reference to Robert Johnson’s translation of Giovanni Botero’s Traveller’s Breviat, Or an Historical Description of the Most Famous Kingdoms in the World (London, 1601) (Eardley).
Elemental Edition
Line number 27

 Gloss note

inspire or suggest words which are to be written down
Amplified Edition
Line number 27

 Gloss note

dictate
Elemental Edition
Line number 30

 Gloss note

an exemplary misanthrope of ancient Athens
Amplified Edition
Line number 30

 Gloss note

misanthropes. Timon is the name of a self-proclaimed man-hater in Plutarch’s Lives and in Shakespeare and Middleton’s Timon of Athens. See the Timon of Athens Curation.
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