The Circle [4]

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The Circle [4]

Poem 36

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 Scott-Baumann.

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 10

 Physical note

There is a partial blot over the “l.”
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
The Circle [4]
The Circle [4]
The Circle [4]
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
With an undergraduate and graduate student audience in mind, this poem has been modernised in spelling and punctuation. Where modernisation would affect form, priority has been given to the integrity of the poem’s formal features (so, for instance, verb endings -est and -eth have been retained unmodernised; where the meter requires it, the verb ending -ed is accented, e.g., “Then shall thy blessèd influence”). Nouns have been capitalized only when there is clear personification. The notes provide information essential to understanding the poem, while the Headnote aims to stimulate readers’ own interpretations through suggesting literary or historical contexts, possible influences, comparable poems (by Pulter and by her predecessors and peers) and relevant critical arguments.

— Leah Knight and Wendy Wall
In a short poem composed of five tetrameter couplets and constituting a single long sentence, Pulter fuses two of her favorite topics: circles and sunrise. In this last of four poems entitled “The Circle,” she describes God’s circular movement downward from the heavens that concludes with Astraea, the last deity living on earth, fleeing back to skies to become the constellation Virgo. In the middle of this cycle Pulter presents an interesting conversion and return from biblical to classical contexts: the male “eternal Spirit” who creates the world by separating light out of chaos morphs into the female classical figure of Aurora (goddess of the dawn), who gives birth to Astraea (goddess of justice). Astraea lived on earth during the utopian Golden Age, which Pulter characterizes as a time when Christian truths were revealed to humans (who had fallen through sin, unlike God’s descent through grace). Astraea completes the motion of the circle by returning to be enveloped in the heavens (and Heaven). The proliferating clauses of the sentence underscore the generative genealogy of divine powers.

— Leah Knight and Wendy Wall
In the first lines of the Bible, God creates light:
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.Genesis 1.1-5
Genesis describes light being created but in Pulter’s poem, it is instead “extracted”, a chemical verb, often used for distillation, and it is characteristic for Pulter to bring technical and alchemical language to devotional poetry (see also, for instance, The Hope [Poem 65] and The Revolution [Poem 16]). The gender dynamic in the personifications of this poem are interesting, as divine power moves from the male God of the opening to the “virgin womb” of Astrea. In the opening of Paradise Lost, also meditating on these lines from Genesis, Milton imagines the Holy Spirit both “brooding” (like a female bird) and impregnating (as a male):
And chiefly Thou O Spirit, that dost prefer
Before all Temples th’ upright heart and pure,
Instruct me, for Thou know’st; Thou from the first
Wast present, and with mighty wings outspread
Dove-like satst brooding on the vast Abyss
And mad’st it pregnant.
Paradise Lost, ll. 17-22.
As well as chemical process, Pulter combines Biblical and Roman narratives about light. Her word “lapsèd” hinges between these two spheres, referring to mankind’s wickedness after the Golden Age of Roman myth and also etymologically suggesting the Fall from Eden in Genesis. In this, her fourth poem called ‘The Circle’, Pulter enacts the title; her poem’s opening and closing lines end with the same words, “life and love”.


— Leah Knight and Wendy Wall
1
The eternall Spirit of Life and Love,
The eternal Spirit of life and love,
The eternal Spirit of life and love,
2
Deſcending from his Throne aboue;
Descending from His throne above,
Descending from His throne above;
3
ffrom Natures Maſs extracted Light,
From nature’s mass, extracted
Critical Note
Aurora, goddess of the dawn, the “her” of the next line; see also Genesis 1:1-4: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness.”
Light,
From nature’s mass
Gloss Note
obtained from matter, as in the distillation process
extracted Light,
4
Biding her triumph over Night.
Critical Note
awaiting, but also perhaps connoting “bidding,” meaning inviting, commanding, entreating.
Biding her triumph over Night,
Gloss Note
waiting for; or possibly ‘bidding’
Biding
Critical Note
the “Light” of the previous line, Aurora; in Roman mythology, goddess of the dawn, who is not named in this poem but whose name is the title of the subsequent poem in the manuscript. See Headnote for Genesis 1.1-5, the biblical basis of this poem
her triumph over night.
5
Who in her Prime of Youth and Day,
Who, in her prime of youth and day,
Who, in her prime of youth and day,
6
Lovely Astrea did display;
Lovely
Critical Note
goddess of justice, Aurora’s daughter; The Roman goddess of justice (“starry maiden”) dwelt on earth during the golden age, but, when sin prevailed,she fled to heaven and was metamorphosed into the constellation Virgo.
Astraea did
Critical Note
To display could mean to give birth, but the term also alludes to the unfurling or exhibiting of a military tactic.
display,
Lovely
Critical Note
in Roman mythology, goddess of justice, who fled earth for the heavens after the Golden Age, when humankind became wicked. Because of her renowned chastity she became the constellation Virgo. Also, in some accounts, the daughter of Aurora
Astrea did
Gloss Note
show or reveal
display;
7
Who conquering all the Shades infernall:
Who, conquering all the shades
Gloss Note
hellish
infernal,
Who, conquering all the shades infernal,
8
Her Virgin Womb, Shewd life eternall
Her virgin womb showed life eternal
Her virgin womb showed life eternal
9
To Lapſed Man, then flew above
To
Gloss Note
fallen into sin
lapséd man, then flew above
To
Gloss Note
fallen into decay, error or sin
lapsèd man, then flew above
10
To bee
Physical Note
There is a partial blot over the “l.”
involved again, in Life and Love.
To be
Gloss Note
entangled, enveloped
involved again in life and love.
To be
Gloss Note
enveloped, enfolded, wrapped up
involved again in life and love.
horizontal 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

In a short poem composed of five tetrameter couplets and constituting a single long sentence, Pulter fuses two of her favorite topics: circles and sunrise. In this last of four poems entitled “The Circle,” she describes God’s circular movement downward from the heavens that concludes with Astraea, the last deity living on earth, fleeing back to skies to become the constellation Virgo. In the middle of this cycle Pulter presents an interesting conversion and return from biblical to classical contexts: the male “eternal Spirit” who creates the world by separating light out of chaos morphs into the female classical figure of Aurora (goddess of the dawn), who gives birth to Astraea (goddess of justice). Astraea lived on earth during the utopian Golden Age, which Pulter characterizes as a time when Christian truths were revealed to humans (who had fallen through sin, unlike God’s descent through grace). Astraea completes the motion of the circle by returning to be enveloped in the heavens (and Heaven). The proliferating clauses of the sentence underscore the generative genealogy of divine powers.
Line number 3

 Critical note

Aurora, goddess of the dawn, the “her” of the next line; see also Genesis 1:1-4: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness.”
Line number 4

 Critical note

awaiting, but also perhaps connoting “bidding,” meaning inviting, commanding, entreating.
Line number 6

 Critical note

goddess of justice, Aurora’s daughter; The Roman goddess of justice (“starry maiden”) dwelt on earth during the golden age, but, when sin prevailed,she fled to heaven and was metamorphosed into the constellation Virgo.
Line number 6

 Critical note

To display could mean to give birth, but the term also alludes to the unfurling or exhibiting of a military tactic.
Line number 7

 Gloss note

hellish
Line number 9

 Gloss note

fallen into sin
Line number 10

 Gloss note

entangled, enveloped
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
The Circle [4]
The Circle [4]
The Circle [4]
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
With an undergraduate and graduate student audience in mind, this poem has been modernised in spelling and punctuation. Where modernisation would affect form, priority has been given to the integrity of the poem’s formal features (so, for instance, verb endings -est and -eth have been retained unmodernised; where the meter requires it, the verb ending -ed is accented, e.g., “Then shall thy blessèd influence”). Nouns have been capitalized only when there is clear personification. The notes provide information essential to understanding the poem, while the Headnote aims to stimulate readers’ own interpretations through suggesting literary or historical contexts, possible influences, comparable poems (by Pulter and by her predecessors and peers) and relevant critical arguments.

— Leah Knight and Wendy Wall
In a short poem composed of five tetrameter couplets and constituting a single long sentence, Pulter fuses two of her favorite topics: circles and sunrise. In this last of four poems entitled “The Circle,” she describes God’s circular movement downward from the heavens that concludes with Astraea, the last deity living on earth, fleeing back to skies to become the constellation Virgo. In the middle of this cycle Pulter presents an interesting conversion and return from biblical to classical contexts: the male “eternal Spirit” who creates the world by separating light out of chaos morphs into the female classical figure of Aurora (goddess of the dawn), who gives birth to Astraea (goddess of justice). Astraea lived on earth during the utopian Golden Age, which Pulter characterizes as a time when Christian truths were revealed to humans (who had fallen through sin, unlike God’s descent through grace). Astraea completes the motion of the circle by returning to be enveloped in the heavens (and Heaven). The proliferating clauses of the sentence underscore the generative genealogy of divine powers.

— Leah Knight and Wendy Wall
In the first lines of the Bible, God creates light:
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.Genesis 1.1-5
Genesis describes light being created but in Pulter’s poem, it is instead “extracted”, a chemical verb, often used for distillation, and it is characteristic for Pulter to bring technical and alchemical language to devotional poetry (see also, for instance, The Hope [Poem 65] and The Revolution [Poem 16]). The gender dynamic in the personifications of this poem are interesting, as divine power moves from the male God of the opening to the “virgin womb” of Astrea. In the opening of Paradise Lost, also meditating on these lines from Genesis, Milton imagines the Holy Spirit both “brooding” (like a female bird) and impregnating (as a male):
And chiefly Thou O Spirit, that dost prefer
Before all Temples th’ upright heart and pure,
Instruct me, for Thou know’st; Thou from the first
Wast present, and with mighty wings outspread
Dove-like satst brooding on the vast Abyss
And mad’st it pregnant.
Paradise Lost, ll. 17-22.
As well as chemical process, Pulter combines Biblical and Roman narratives about light. Her word “lapsèd” hinges between these two spheres, referring to mankind’s wickedness after the Golden Age of Roman myth and also etymologically suggesting the Fall from Eden in Genesis. In this, her fourth poem called ‘The Circle’, Pulter enacts the title; her poem’s opening and closing lines end with the same words, “life and love”.


— Leah Knight and Wendy Wall
1
The eternall Spirit of Life and Love,
The eternal Spirit of life and love,
The eternal Spirit of life and love,
2
Deſcending from his Throne aboue;
Descending from His throne above,
Descending from His throne above;
3
ffrom Natures Maſs extracted Light,
From nature’s mass, extracted
Critical Note
Aurora, goddess of the dawn, the “her” of the next line; see also Genesis 1:1-4: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness.”
Light,
From nature’s mass
Gloss Note
obtained from matter, as in the distillation process
extracted Light,
4
Biding her triumph over Night.
Critical Note
awaiting, but also perhaps connoting “bidding,” meaning inviting, commanding, entreating.
Biding her triumph over Night,
Gloss Note
waiting for; or possibly ‘bidding’
Biding
Critical Note
the “Light” of the previous line, Aurora; in Roman mythology, goddess of the dawn, who is not named in this poem but whose name is the title of the subsequent poem in the manuscript. See Headnote for Genesis 1.1-5, the biblical basis of this poem
her triumph over night.
5
Who in her Prime of Youth and Day,
Who, in her prime of youth and day,
Who, in her prime of youth and day,
6
Lovely Astrea did display;
Lovely
Critical Note
goddess of justice, Aurora’s daughter; The Roman goddess of justice (“starry maiden”) dwelt on earth during the golden age, but, when sin prevailed,she fled to heaven and was metamorphosed into the constellation Virgo.
Astraea did
Critical Note
To display could mean to give birth, but the term also alludes to the unfurling or exhibiting of a military tactic.
display,
Lovely
Critical Note
in Roman mythology, goddess of justice, who fled earth for the heavens after the Golden Age, when humankind became wicked. Because of her renowned chastity she became the constellation Virgo. Also, in some accounts, the daughter of Aurora
Astrea did
Gloss Note
show or reveal
display;
7
Who conquering all the Shades infernall:
Who, conquering all the shades
Gloss Note
hellish
infernal,
Who, conquering all the shades infernal,
8
Her Virgin Womb, Shewd life eternall
Her virgin womb showed life eternal
Her virgin womb showed life eternal
9
To Lapſed Man, then flew above
To
Gloss Note
fallen into sin
lapséd man, then flew above
To
Gloss Note
fallen into decay, error or sin
lapsèd man, then flew above
10
To bee
Physical Note
There is a partial blot over the “l.”
involved again, in Life and Love.
To be
Gloss Note
entangled, enveloped
involved again in life and love.
To be
Gloss Note
enveloped, enfolded, wrapped up
involved again in life and love.
horizontal straight line
X (Close panel)Notes: Amplified Edition

 Editorial note

With an undergraduate and graduate student audience in mind, this poem has been modernised in spelling and punctuation. Where modernisation would affect form, priority has been given to the integrity of the poem’s formal features (so, for instance, verb endings -est and -eth have been retained unmodernised; where the meter requires it, the verb ending -ed is accented, e.g., “Then shall thy blessèd influence”). Nouns have been capitalized only when there is clear personification. The notes provide information essential to understanding the poem, while the Headnote aims to stimulate readers’ own interpretations through suggesting literary or historical contexts, possible influences, comparable poems (by Pulter and by her predecessors and peers) and relevant critical arguments.

 Headnote

In the first lines of the Bible, God creates light:
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.Genesis 1.1-5
Genesis describes light being created but in Pulter’s poem, it is instead “extracted”, a chemical verb, often used for distillation, and it is characteristic for Pulter to bring technical and alchemical language to devotional poetry (see also, for instance, The Hope [Poem 65] and The Revolution [Poem 16]). The gender dynamic in the personifications of this poem are interesting, as divine power moves from the male God of the opening to the “virgin womb” of Astrea. In the opening of Paradise Lost, also meditating on these lines from Genesis, Milton imagines the Holy Spirit both “brooding” (like a female bird) and impregnating (as a male):
And chiefly Thou O Spirit, that dost prefer
Before all Temples th’ upright heart and pure,
Instruct me, for Thou know’st; Thou from the first
Wast present, and with mighty wings outspread
Dove-like satst brooding on the vast Abyss
And mad’st it pregnant.
Paradise Lost, ll. 17-22.
As well as chemical process, Pulter combines Biblical and Roman narratives about light. Her word “lapsèd” hinges between these two spheres, referring to mankind’s wickedness after the Golden Age of Roman myth and also etymologically suggesting the Fall from Eden in Genesis. In this, her fourth poem called ‘The Circle’, Pulter enacts the title; her poem’s opening and closing lines end with the same words, “life and love”.
Line number 3

 Gloss note

obtained from matter, as in the distillation process
Line number 4

 Gloss note

waiting for; or possibly ‘bidding’
Line number 4

 Critical note

the “Light” of the previous line, Aurora; in Roman mythology, goddess of the dawn, who is not named in this poem but whose name is the title of the subsequent poem in the manuscript. See Headnote for Genesis 1.1-5, the biblical basis of this poem
Line number 6

 Critical note

in Roman mythology, goddess of justice, who fled earth for the heavens after the Golden Age, when humankind became wicked. Because of her renowned chastity she became the constellation Virgo. Also, in some accounts, the daughter of Aurora
Line number 6

 Gloss note

show or reveal
Line number 9

 Gloss note

fallen into decay, error or sin
Line number 10

 Gloss note

enveloped, enfolded, wrapped up
Sorry, but there are no notes associated with any currently displayed witness.
X (Close panel)Amplified Edition
Amplified Edition
Facsimile Image Placeholder
Facsimile Image Placeholder
Facsimile Image Placeholder
The Circle [4]
The Circle [4]
The Circle [4]
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 Scott-Baumann
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 Scott-Baumann
With an undergraduate and graduate student audience in mind, this poem has been modernised in spelling and punctuation. Where modernisation would affect form, priority has been given to the integrity of the poem’s formal features (so, for instance, verb endings -est and -eth have been retained unmodernised; where the meter requires it, the verb ending -ed is accented, e.g., “Then shall thy blessèd influence”). Nouns have been capitalized only when there is clear personification. The notes provide information essential to understanding the poem, while the Headnote aims to stimulate readers’ own interpretations through suggesting literary or historical contexts, possible influences, comparable poems (by Pulter and by her predecessors and peers) and relevant critical arguments.

— Elizabeth Scott-Baumann
In a short poem composed of five tetrameter couplets and constituting a single long sentence, Pulter fuses two of her favorite topics: circles and sunrise. In this last of four poems entitled “The Circle,” she describes God’s circular movement downward from the heavens that concludes with Astraea, the last deity living on earth, fleeing back to skies to become the constellation Virgo. In the middle of this cycle Pulter presents an interesting conversion and return from biblical to classical contexts: the male “eternal Spirit” who creates the world by separating light out of chaos morphs into the female classical figure of Aurora (goddess of the dawn), who gives birth to Astraea (goddess of justice). Astraea lived on earth during the utopian Golden Age, which Pulter characterizes as a time when Christian truths were revealed to humans (who had fallen through sin, unlike God’s descent through grace). Astraea completes the motion of the circle by returning to be enveloped in the heavens (and Heaven). The proliferating clauses of the sentence underscore the generative genealogy of divine powers.

— Elizabeth Scott-Baumann
In the first lines of the Bible, God creates light:
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.Genesis 1.1-5
Genesis describes light being created but in Pulter’s poem, it is instead “extracted”, a chemical verb, often used for distillation, and it is characteristic for Pulter to bring technical and alchemical language to devotional poetry (see also, for instance, The Hope [Poem 65] and The Revolution [Poem 16]). The gender dynamic in the personifications of this poem are interesting, as divine power moves from the male God of the opening to the “virgin womb” of Astrea. In the opening of Paradise Lost, also meditating on these lines from Genesis, Milton imagines the Holy Spirit both “brooding” (like a female bird) and impregnating (as a male):
And chiefly Thou O Spirit, that dost prefer
Before all Temples th’ upright heart and pure,
Instruct me, for Thou know’st; Thou from the first
Wast present, and with mighty wings outspread
Dove-like satst brooding on the vast Abyss
And mad’st it pregnant.
Paradise Lost, ll. 17-22.
As well as chemical process, Pulter combines Biblical and Roman narratives about light. Her word “lapsèd” hinges between these two spheres, referring to mankind’s wickedness after the Golden Age of Roman myth and also etymologically suggesting the Fall from Eden in Genesis. In this, her fourth poem called ‘The Circle’, Pulter enacts the title; her poem’s opening and closing lines end with the same words, “life and love”.


— Elizabeth Scott-Baumann
1
The eternall Spirit of Life and Love,
The eternal Spirit of life and love,
The eternal Spirit of life and love,
2
Deſcending from his Throne aboue;
Descending from His throne above,
Descending from His throne above;
3
ffrom Natures Maſs extracted Light,
From nature’s mass, extracted
Critical Note
Aurora, goddess of the dawn, the “her” of the next line; see also Genesis 1:1-4: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness.”
Light,
From nature’s mass
Gloss Note
obtained from matter, as in the distillation process
extracted Light,
4
Biding her triumph over Night.
Critical Note
awaiting, but also perhaps connoting “bidding,” meaning inviting, commanding, entreating.
Biding her triumph over Night,
Gloss Note
waiting for; or possibly ‘bidding’
Biding
Critical Note
the “Light” of the previous line, Aurora; in Roman mythology, goddess of the dawn, who is not named in this poem but whose name is the title of the subsequent poem in the manuscript. See Headnote for Genesis 1.1-5, the biblical basis of this poem
her triumph over night.
5
Who in her Prime of Youth and Day,
Who, in her prime of youth and day,
Who, in her prime of youth and day,
6
Lovely Astrea did display;
Lovely
Critical Note
goddess of justice, Aurora’s daughter; The Roman goddess of justice (“starry maiden”) dwelt on earth during the golden age, but, when sin prevailed,she fled to heaven and was metamorphosed into the constellation Virgo.
Astraea did
Critical Note
To display could mean to give birth, but the term also alludes to the unfurling or exhibiting of a military tactic.
display,
Lovely
Critical Note
in Roman mythology, goddess of justice, who fled earth for the heavens after the Golden Age, when humankind became wicked. Because of her renowned chastity she became the constellation Virgo. Also, in some accounts, the daughter of Aurora
Astrea did
Gloss Note
show or reveal
display;
7
Who conquering all the Shades infernall:
Who, conquering all the shades
Gloss Note
hellish
infernal,
Who, conquering all the shades infernal,
8
Her Virgin Womb, Shewd life eternall
Her virgin womb showed life eternal
Her virgin womb showed life eternal
9
To Lapſed Man, then flew above
To
Gloss Note
fallen into sin
lapséd man, then flew above
To
Gloss Note
fallen into decay, error or sin
lapsèd man, then flew above
10
To bee
Physical Note
There is a partial blot over the “l.”
involved again, in Life and Love.
To be
Gloss Note
entangled, enveloped
involved again in life and love.
To be
Gloss Note
enveloped, enfolded, wrapped up
involved again in life and love.
horizontal straight line
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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

With an undergraduate and graduate student audience in mind, this poem has been modernised in spelling and punctuation. Where modernisation would affect form, priority has been given to the integrity of the poem’s formal features (so, for instance, verb endings -est and -eth have been retained unmodernised; where the meter requires it, the verb ending -ed is accented, e.g., “Then shall thy blessèd influence”). Nouns have been capitalized only when there is clear personification. The notes provide information essential to understanding the poem, while the Headnote aims to stimulate readers’ own interpretations through suggesting literary or historical contexts, possible influences, comparable poems (by Pulter and by her predecessors and peers) and relevant critical arguments.
Elemental Edition

 Headnote

In a short poem composed of five tetrameter couplets and constituting a single long sentence, Pulter fuses two of her favorite topics: circles and sunrise. In this last of four poems entitled “The Circle,” she describes God’s circular movement downward from the heavens that concludes with Astraea, the last deity living on earth, fleeing back to skies to become the constellation Virgo. In the middle of this cycle Pulter presents an interesting conversion and return from biblical to classical contexts: the male “eternal Spirit” who creates the world by separating light out of chaos morphs into the female classical figure of Aurora (goddess of the dawn), who gives birth to Astraea (goddess of justice). Astraea lived on earth during the utopian Golden Age, which Pulter characterizes as a time when Christian truths were revealed to humans (who had fallen through sin, unlike God’s descent through grace). Astraea completes the motion of the circle by returning to be enveloped in the heavens (and Heaven). The proliferating clauses of the sentence underscore the generative genealogy of divine powers.
Amplified Edition

 Headnote

In the first lines of the Bible, God creates light:
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.Genesis 1.1-5
Genesis describes light being created but in Pulter’s poem, it is instead “extracted”, a chemical verb, often used for distillation, and it is characteristic for Pulter to bring technical and alchemical language to devotional poetry (see also, for instance, The Hope [Poem 65] and The Revolution [Poem 16]). The gender dynamic in the personifications of this poem are interesting, as divine power moves from the male God of the opening to the “virgin womb” of Astrea. In the opening of Paradise Lost, also meditating on these lines from Genesis, Milton imagines the Holy Spirit both “brooding” (like a female bird) and impregnating (as a male):
And chiefly Thou O Spirit, that dost prefer
Before all Temples th’ upright heart and pure,
Instruct me, for Thou know’st; Thou from the first
Wast present, and with mighty wings outspread
Dove-like satst brooding on the vast Abyss
And mad’st it pregnant.
Paradise Lost, ll. 17-22.
As well as chemical process, Pulter combines Biblical and Roman narratives about light. Her word “lapsèd” hinges between these two spheres, referring to mankind’s wickedness after the Golden Age of Roman myth and also etymologically suggesting the Fall from Eden in Genesis. In this, her fourth poem called ‘The Circle’, Pulter enacts the title; her poem’s opening and closing lines end with the same words, “life and love”.
Elemental Edition
Line number 3

 Critical note

Aurora, goddess of the dawn, the “her” of the next line; see also Genesis 1:1-4: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness.”
Amplified Edition
Line number 3

 Gloss note

obtained from matter, as in the distillation process
Elemental Edition
Line number 4

 Critical note

awaiting, but also perhaps connoting “bidding,” meaning inviting, commanding, entreating.
Amplified Edition
Line number 4

 Gloss note

waiting for; or possibly ‘bidding’
Amplified Edition
Line number 4

 Critical note

the “Light” of the previous line, Aurora; in Roman mythology, goddess of the dawn, who is not named in this poem but whose name is the title of the subsequent poem in the manuscript. See Headnote for Genesis 1.1-5, the biblical basis of this poem
Elemental Edition
Line number 6

 Critical note

goddess of justice, Aurora’s daughter; The Roman goddess of justice (“starry maiden”) dwelt on earth during the golden age, but, when sin prevailed,she fled to heaven and was metamorphosed into the constellation Virgo.
Elemental Edition
Line number 6

 Critical note

To display could mean to give birth, but the term also alludes to the unfurling or exhibiting of a military tactic.
Amplified Edition
Line number 6

 Critical note

in Roman mythology, goddess of justice, who fled earth for the heavens after the Golden Age, when humankind became wicked. Because of her renowned chastity she became the constellation Virgo. Also, in some accounts, the daughter of Aurora
Amplified Edition
Line number 6

 Gloss note

show or reveal
Elemental Edition
Line number 7

 Gloss note

hellish
Elemental Edition
Line number 9

 Gloss note

fallen into sin
Amplified Edition
Line number 9

 Gloss note

fallen into decay, error or sin
Transcription
Line number 10

 Physical note

There is a partial blot over the “l.”
Elemental Edition
Line number 10

 Gloss note

entangled, enveloped
Amplified Edition
Line number 10

 Gloss note

enveloped, enfolded, wrapped up
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