網頁圖片
PDF
ePub 版

ON GAY THE POET.

By Pope.

WELL then, poor GAY lies underground!
So there's an end of honest Jack!

So little justice here he found,

'Tis ten to one he'll ne'er come back.

SITTINGBOURNE.

I was as yee be, now in dust and clay, Have mercy on my sowl yat bowght hit with yi blodde,

For ELISABETH of Cherite a paternoster say, Sumtymes I was the wyff of EDMONDE POODDE.

ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL.

ON SIR PHILIP SIDNEY, Knt,

Who received his Death at a Battle near Zutphen, in Gelderland, September 22, 1586.

England, Netherland, the Heavens, and the Arts, The Souldiers and the World have made sixe parts Of noble Sidney; for who will suppose,

That a small heape of stones can Sidney inclose!

England hath his body, for she it fed;
Netherland his bloud, in her defence shed:

The Heavens have his soule, the Arts have his fame,
The Souldiers the griefe, the Worlde his good name.

WESTMINSTER ABBEY.

EDMUND, DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.

Who died in the 19th Year of his Age, 1735.
By Pope.

Ir modest youth, with cool reflection crown'd,
And every op'ning virtue blooming round,
Could save a parent's justest pride from fate,
Or add one patriot to a sinking state;
This weeping marble had not ask'd thy tear,
Or sadly told how many hopes lie here!
The living virtue now had shone approv'd,
The senate heard him, and his country lov'd.
Yet softer honours, and less noisy fame,
Attend the shade of gentle BUCKINGHAM:
In whom a race for courage fam'd, and art,
Ends in the milder merit of the heart;
And, chiefs or sages long to Britain giv'n,
Pays the last tribute of a saint to heav'n.

The following Lines, on the above Nobleman, I met with in Manuscript; but I do not know the Author.

HAIL, Patriot Youth! lost in life's bloom,

In virtue's shrine with honour sleep;

While at the consecrated tomb

[ocr errors][merged small]

But never shall thy mem'ry die,

All at thy urn shall that revere;

Who honours worth, shall heave a sigh,
#.Who Britain loves, shall drop a tear.

[blocks in formation]

HERE lies little

**

* "

a yard deep or more,

That never lay quiet or silent before.

Her head always working, her tongue always
prating,

And the pulse of her heart continually beating,
To the utmost extremes of loving and hating.
Her reason and humour were always at strife,
And yet she perform'd all the duties of life,
An excellent friend, and a pretty good wife.
So indulgent a lover, that no man could say
Whether PATTY or MINTA did rule or obey,
For the government changed some ten times a day.
At the hour of her birth some lucky star gave her
Wit and beauty enough to have lasted for ever,
But Fortune still froward where Nature is kind,
A narrow estate maliciously join'd

To a truly great genius and right noble mind.
Her body was built of such superfine clay,
That at length it grew brittle for want of allay :
Her soul then too busy on some foreign affair,
Of its own pretty dwelling took so little care,
That the tenement fell for want of repair.

Now far be from hence the fool and the knave,
But let all that pretend to be witty or brave,
Whether generous friend, or amorous slave
Contribute some tears to water her grave,

ON A FAT PHYSICIAN.

TAKE heed, O good trav'ller, and do not tread hard, For here lies Dr. STR-TF-RD, in all this church yard.

ST. PETER'S, NORWICH.

HERE lyeth JOHN BRIGGE, under this marbil ston, Whos sowle our Lord Jesu have mercy upon ;

For in this worlde, worthily he lived many a day, And here hys bodi ys beried, and cowched under clay. Lo! frendis fre, whatever ye be, pray for me, I you

pray,

As ye may se, in soch degre, so schal ye be, another day.

OLD GREY FRIERS, EDINBURGH.

ON JOHN MILNE.

Who died December 24, 1667, aged 56.

GREAT artisan, grave senator, JOHN MILNE,
Renown'd for learning, prudence, parts, and skill;
Who in his life VITRUVIUS' art had shown,
Adorning other monuments; his own

Can have no other beauty than his name,
His memory, and everlasting fame.
Rare man he was, who could unite in one,
Highest and lowest occupation;

To sit with statesmen, counsellor to kings,
To work with tradesmen in mechanic things,
Majestic man, for person, wit, and grace,
This generation cannot fill his place.

Reader, JOHN MILNE, who maketh the fourth Join,
And by descent from father unto son,

Sixth master-mason to a royal race

Of seven successive kings, sleeps in this place.

ST. PANCRAS, LONDON.

ON AN ATTORNEY.

HERE lies one, believe it if you can,

Who, tho' an attorney, was an honest man ;
The gates of Heav'n for him will open wide,
But will be shut 'gainst all the tribe beside.

NARDEN.

O Lord my Sauiour and hevenly Maker,
Have mercy on me *ELISABETH GRAISTOCK and
DAKER.

ON MRS. ELIZABETH CORBETT.

By Pope.

ST. MARGARET'S, WESTMINSter.

Who died at Paris, March 1st, 1724, of a Cancer in
her Breast.

HERE rests a woman, good without pretence,
Blest with plain reason, and with sober sense!
No conquests she, but o'er herself desir'd,
No arts essay'd, but not to be admir'd.
Passion and pride were to her soul unknown,
Convinc'd that virtue only is our own.
So unaffected, so compos'd a mind ;
So firm, yet soft; so strong, yet so refin'd;
Heav'n, as its purest gold, by tortures try'd,
The saint sustain'd it, but the woman dy'd.

* LADY ELIZABETH NEVILL, and daughter to the Lord DAKER, and DAME ANNE GRAISTOCK.

« 上一頁繼續 »