The church was chilly, though the King had come
to hear the sermon; no braziers set out;
chill of December. Andrewes, golden-tongued,
delivered words describing the long route
the Magi took, the trials they endured:
In solsitio bumali—”the dead
of winter”; they rode wearying miles obscured
by fog and snow; high prices paid for bread;
camels refractory. December’s cold
had frozen all the streets of London so
only the faithful of soul had made bold
to don warm clothing, to get up and go;
to celebrate in an unheated space;
cold coming of it; yet the warmth of grace.
'Lancelot Andrews Preaches a Nativity Sermon, December 25, 1622' has 1 comment
April 11, 2022 @ 9:12 pm Cynthia Erlandson
This is a beautiful sonnet, and a smooth and lovely blending of the image of the magi with that of the parishioners in the church.