To the Countesse of Bedford. _O'F_, _S96:_ _no heading, and
epistle only_, _A25_, _C_ _The introductory epistle, and
the first ten lines of the epitaph, the whole with heading_
Elegie., _is printed 1635-54 among the_ Funerall Elegies. _The
full epitaph without epistle and with heading_ On himselfe.
_is included among the_ Divine Poems, _where it follows the_
Lamentations of Jeremy. _In his note Chambers_ (II. 234)
_reverses these facts_. _In 1669_ On himselfe. _is transferred
to the_ Funerall Elegies _and is followed immediately by the_
Elegie, _i.e. the epistle and incomplete epitaph_. _They are
here given for the first time in a separate group_]
[5 Others by Wills _1635-69:_ Others by testaments _A25_, _C_,
_O'F_ (_altered to_ wills), _S96:_ Men by testament _B:_ Then
by testament _H40:_ O then by testament _D_, _H49_]
[10 now: _1650-69:_ now, _1635-39_]
[12 there, _1635_, _1669:_ thee, _1639-54_]
_Omnibus._
My Fortune and my choice this custome break,
When we are speechlesse grown, to make stones speak,
Though no stone tell thee what I was, yet thou
In my graves inside seest what thou art now:
Yet thou'art not yet so good, till death us lay 5
To ripe and mellow here, we are stubborne Clay.
Parents make us earth, and soules dignifie
Vs to be glasse; here to grow gold we lie.
Whilst in our soules sinne bred and pamper'd is,
Our soules become wormeaten carkases; 10
So we our selves miraculously destroy.
Here bodies with lesse miracle enjoy
Such priviledges, enabled here to scale
Heaven, when the Trumpets ayre shall them exhale.
Heare this, and mend thy selfe, and thou mendst me, 15
By making me being dead, doe good to thee,
And thinke me well compos'd, that I could now
A last-sicke houre to syllables allow.
[Omnibus. _D_, _H49:_ To all. _H40_, _RP31:_ Another on the
same. (_i.e. M^{rs} Boulstred_) _P:_ On himselfe. _1635-69:_
_no title_, _B_, _S96:_ _in MSS. this complete epitaph follows
the epistle_ (_p._ 291); _but in B they are separated by
various poems and in P the epistle is not given_]
[3 tell] tel _1635_]
[4 seest] see _D_, _H49:_ _compare incomplete version_.]
[5 Yet _1635-69:_ Nay _S96_
thou'art _Ed:_ thou art _1635-69_]
[8 lie. _Ed:_ lie; _1635-69_]
[14 them] then _1669_]
[16 to thee, _B_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_, _O'F_, _S96:_ for thee,
_1635-69_]