When I past Paules, and travell’d in that walke
Where all oure Brittaine-sinners sweare and talk[36];
Ould Harry-ruffians, bankerupts, southsayers,
And youth, whose cousenage is as ould as theirs;
And then beheld the body of my lord
Trodd under foote by vice that he abhorr’d;
It wounded me the Landlord of all times
Should let long lives and leases to their crimes,
And to _his_ springing honour did afford
Scarce soe much time as to the prophet’s gourd.
Yet since swift flights of virtue have apt ends,
Like breath of angels, which a blessing sends,
And vanisheth withall, whilst fouler deeds
Expect a tedious harvest for bad seeds;
I blame not fame and nature if they gave,
Where they could give no more, their last, a grave.
And wisely doe thy greived freinds forbeare
Bubbles and alabaster boyes to reare
On thy religious dust: for men did know
Thy life, which such illusions cannot show:
For thou hast trod among those happy ones
Who trust not in their superscriptions,
Their hired epitaphs, and perjured stone,
Which oft belyes the soule when shee is gon;
And durst committ thy body, as it lyes,
To tongues of living men, nay unborne eyes.
What profits thee a sheet of lead? What good
If on thy coarse a marble quarry stood?
Let those that feare their rising purchase vaults,
And reare them statues to excuse their faults;
As if, like birds that peck at painted grapes,
Their judge knew not their _persons_ from their _shapes_.
Whilst thou assured, through thy easyer dust
Shall rise at first; they would not though they must.
Nor needs the Chancellor boast, whose pyramis
Above the host and altar reared is[37];
For though thy body fill a viler roome,
Thou shalt not change _deedes_ with him for his _tombe_.