ELEGY ON SHAKSPEARE

(From Lansdowne MS. Temp. James I.)

[This Elegy was first printed in the first edition of Donne's collected poems, 1633. It was omitted in the later edition of 1635, and appears with the subscription W. B. in the edition of Shakspeare's poems of 1640; so writes Mr R. Warwick Bond, in his "Poetical Works of William Basse," 1893. Basse's claim to the authorship rests on the fact that his name is attached to the lines in the Lansdowne and other MSS.]

Renowned Spenser lie a thought more nigh
To learned Chaucer, and rare Beaumont lie
A little nearer Spenser, to make room

For Shakespeare in your threefold, fourfold tomb.
To lodge all four in one bed make a shift
Until Doomsday, for hardly will a fift*
Betwixt this day and that by Fate be slain,
For whom your curtains may be drawn again.
If your precedency in death doth bar

A fourth place in your sacred sepulchre,
Under this carvèd marble of thine own,

Sleep, rare Tragedian, Shakespeare, sleep alone:
Thy unmolested peace, unsharèd cave
Possess as lord, not tenant, of thy grave,
That unto us and others it may be
Honour hereafter to be laid by thee.

William Basse,

1602-1653,

* fifth.

SHAKSPEARE

[The seventy-first Sonnet. First printed in "Shakspeare's Sonnets. Never before Imprinted. At London by G. Eld for T. T., and are to be solde by William Apsley, 1609."].

No longer mourn for me when I am dead,
Than you shall hear the surly sullen bell
Give warning to the world that I am fled

From this vile world, with vilest worms to dwell:
Nay, if you read this line, remember not
The hand that writ it; for I love you so
That I in your sweet thoughts would be forgot
If thinking on me then should make you woe.
O, if, I say, you look upon this verse
When I perhaps compounded am with clay,
Do not so much as my poor name rehearse,
But let your love even with my life decay,
Lest the wise world should look into your moan,
And mock you with me after I am gone.
William Shakspeare,
1564-1616.

RALEIGH

[Printed with Raleigh's "Prerogative of Parliaments," 1628: and in his "Remains," 1661, with the title "Found in his Bible in the Gate House at Westminster." The lines are also found as the last stanza of a poem which Mr Bullen has reprinted in his Speculum Amantis from Hart. MS. 6917, fol. 48. The stanza there begins "Oh, cruel Time," and the last two lines are omitted.]

Even such is time that takes in trust,
Our youth, our joys, our all we have,
And pays us but with earth and dust;
Who in the dark and silent grave,

When we have wandered all our ways,
Shuts up the story of our days :

But from this earth, this grave, this dust,
My God shall raise me up, I trust.

Sir Walter Raleigh,

1552-1618.

LAMENT FOR THE MAKARIS *

When he was sick

[Printed by Chepman and Myllar, the earliest Scotch printers, in 1508.]

I that in heill wes, and glaidness,
Am trublit now with gret seikness,
And feblit with infirmitie;

Timor Mortis conturbat me.

Our plesance heir is all vane glory,
This fals warld is bot transitory,

The flesche is brukle, the Feynd is slé;
Timor Mortis conturbat me.

The stait of Man dois change and vary,
Now sound, now seik, now blyth, now sary,
Now dansand mirry, now like to die;
Timor Mortis conturbat me.

No Stait in Erd heir standis sicker;
As with the wynd wavis the wickir,
So wannis this Warldis vanité;

Timor Mortis conturbat me.

Unto the Deid gois all Estaitis,
Princis, Prellattis, and Potestaitis,
Baith riche, and puire of all degré ;
Timor Mortis conturbat me.

Poets. I have thought it undesirable to make any attempt to modernise the spelling of this poem, the earliest included in the section.

D

He takis the Knychtis in to feild,
Anarmit under helme and scheild;
Victour he is at all mellie;

Timor Mortis conturbat me.

That strong unmercifull tyrand
Takis on the Mutheris breist sowkand
The Bab, full of benignité;

Timor Mortis conturbat me.

He takis the Campioun in the stour,*
The Capitane closit in the tour,
The Lady in bour full of bewtie;
Timor Mortis conturbat me.

He spairis no Lord for his piscence,†
Nor Clerk for his intelligence :
His awfull straik may no man flé;
Timor Mortis conturbat me.

Art Magicianis, and Astrologgis,
Rethoris, Logicianis, Theologgis,
Thame helpis no conclusionis slé ;
Timor Mortis conturbat me.

In Medicyne the most Practicianis,
Leichis, Surrigianis, and Phisicianis,
Thame self fra Deth may nocht supplé;
Timor Mortis conturbat me.

I see that Makaris amang the laif
Playis heir thair padyanis,‡ syne gois to graif;
Spairit is nocht thair faculté ;

Timor Mortis conturbat me.

He hes done peteouslie devour,

The noble Chawcer of Makaris flouir,
The Monk of Bery, and Gower all thré;
Timor Mortis conturbat me.

* tumult.

+ puissance.

+ pageants.

The gude Schir Hew of Eglintoun,
Etrik, Heryot, and Wyntoun,

He hes tane out of this Cuntré ;
Timor Mortis conturbat me.

That Scorpioun fell hes done infek
Maister Johne Clerk, and James Afflek,
Fra ballot making and tragedé ;
Timor Mortis conturbat me.

Holland and Barbour he has berevit ;
Allace! that he nocht with us levit
Schir Mungo Lokert of the Lé;
Timor Mortis conturbat me.

Clerk of Tranent eik he hes tane,
That maid the awnteris of Gawane:
Schir Gilbert Hay endit hes he:
Timor Mortis conturbat me.

He hes Blind Hary, and Sandy Traill Slaine with his schot of mortall haill, Quhilk Patrik Johnestoun micht nocht flé; Timor Mortis conturbat me.

He hes reft Merseir his endyte,
That did in luve so lifly write,

So schort, so quyk, of sentence hie;
Timor Mortis conturbat me.

He has tane Roull of Abirdene,
And gentill Roull of Corstorphine :
Two better fallowis did no man sé;
Timor Mortis conturbat me.

In Dunfermelyne he hes tane Broun,
With Maister Robert Henrisoun:
Schir Johne the Ross embraist hes hé;
Timor Mortis conturbat me.