The Complete Works of Richard Crashaw - Volume II Part 70
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Volume II Part 70

TRANSLATION.

EPITAPH FOR WILLIAM HARRIS.

Stay thee a short s.p.a.ce here, good pa.s.ser-by, Upon thy way; Wherein a little while thou too must lie, Haste as thou may.

Certes thou knowest that thy life-long quest Leads. .h.i.ther--to the long, long sleep and rest: Grudge thee not, then, the tribute of a tear, Whilst, ling'ring, to this stone thou drawest near.

It will reward thy stay, It will thy tears repay, To know Below lies William, Of the family of Harris, The most splendid name Where all have fame.

Knowing that such an one did live, And how he liv'd--great, n.o.ble, wise-- Know how all mortal hopes are fugitive; Height gauging depth with 'Here he lies.'

{ As infant Ess.e.x } Whom { As youth Cambridge } saw.

Ah, miserable and lamenting both, that they See not his golden locks in years grow gray!

He was A student of Christ College, A fellow of Pembroke Hall: To have him The two Colleges did strive In rivalry of love: But the great G.o.d put in His negative, Calling him Above, To gain ampler knowledge In the Heavenly College, Of which he was on earth a student consecrate; So, when Death summon'd him, he went elate.

So wise his wit, By genius lit, In himself alone Many in one, You had a College, where Graces and Muses fair With Religion, you might see Twin'd hand in hand in amity.

{ Eloquence as an Orator } { Poetry as a Poet } Whom { Each as a Philosopher } owned: { All as a Christian }

{ By faith the world } { By hope Heaven } Who { By love his fellow-men } conquered; { By himself himself }

Of whom The ripen'd mind under a youthful face; Severest virtue under courtliest grace; Few years his, yet mellow'd as in age; A modesty that did all hearts engage: These self-reveal'd and self-revealing, That all his life seem'd but a fine concealing.

Yea, ev'n in his death 'twas so; For being thus at length laid low, He chose no boastful tomb to tell How good the life that in him fell: By so much greater is the guest, Smaller the mound where he doth rest: Yea, in his death there was diminution: Great was the guest, but see how small the stone.

On that very day he died in which the Church of England reads its even-song: He was s.n.a.t.c.h'd away, lest the wickedness of the times should contaminate his understanding, viz. 15th October A.S. 1631.[135]

IN EUNDEM SCAZON.[136]

Huc, hospes, oculos flecte, sed lacrimis caecos, Legit optime haec, quem legere non sinit fletus.

Ars nuper et natura, forma, virtusque Aemulatione fervidae, pacisc.u.n.tur Probare uno juvene quid queant omnes, Fuere tantae terra nuper fuit liti, Ergo huc ab ipso Judicem manent coelo.

TRANSLATION.

Stranger, bend here thine eyes, but dim with tears; Whom weeping blinds, best reader here appears.

Art, Nature, Beauty, Virtue, all agree, Contending late with a warm rivalry, To show what in one youth all join'd would be.

So great the strife they caus'd on earth of late, That here from heaven itself the Judge they wait. R. WI.

IN PICTURAM REVERENDISSIMI EPISCOPI

D. ANDREWS.[137]

Haec charta monstrat, fama quem monstrat magis, Sed et ipsa necdum fama quem monstrat satis; Ille, ille totam solus implevit tubam, Tot ora solus domuit, et famam quoque Fecit modestam: mentis igneae pater Agilique radio lucis aeternae vigil, Per alta rerum pondera indomito vagus Cucurrit animo, quippe naturam ferox Exhausit ipsam mille foetus artibus, Et mille linguis ipse se in gentes procul Variavit omnes, fuitque toti simul Cognatus...o...b.., sic sacrum et solidum jubar Saturumque coelo pectus ad patrios libens Porrexit ignes: hac eum, lector, vides Hac, ecce, charta o utinam et audires quoque.

GLOSSARIAL INDEX.

As in the other Worthies, this Index is intended to guide to Notes and Ill.u.s.trations of the several words in the places; but mainly in Vol. I., as Vol. II. consists wholly of the Latin and Greek and their translations. G.

A.

Acidalian, ii. 22.

Adult'rous, ii. 144.

Alas, i. 181.

All-Hallow, ii. 59.

All-mischiefe, ii. 59.

Alps, ii. 32.

Ambush, i. 90.

Apric.o.c.kes, i. 269.

Archer [badly misprinted 'anchor'], i. 176.

a.s.syrian, ii. 30.

B.

Baal-zebub, i. 133.

Bilbilician, ii. 26.

Black-fac'd, ii. 41.

Blossome, i. 28, 207.

Bottles, i. 15.

Brag, ii. 35.

Breakfast, i. 15.

Brisk, i. 15.

Bud, i. 93.

Bulla, ii. 245, 251.

Buried, ii. 72.

C.