1610 from—fro
1610-1612 [as——world]—from C.
DEATH PUTS AN END TO RENOWN.
[QUICUMQUE SOLAM MENTE.]
Who so þat Let him who seeks fame, thinking it to be the sovereign good, look upon the broad universe and this circumscribed earth; and he will then despise a glorious name limited to such a confined space. wiþ ouerþrowyng þouȝt only sekeþ glorie
of fame. and weniþ þat it be souereyne good
¶ Lete hym loke vpon þe brode shewyng contreys of
þe heuen. and vpon þe streite sete of þis erþe. and [1616]
he shal be ashamed of þe encres of his name. þat may
nat fulfille þe litel compas of þe erþe. ¶ O what
coueiten proude folke to liften vpon hire nekkes in
ydel and dedely ȝok of þis worlde. Will splendid titles and renown prolong a man’s life? ¶ For al þouȝ [1620]
[þat] renoune y-spradde passynge to ferne poeples goþ
by dyuerse tonges. and al þouȝ grete houses and kynredes
shyne wiþ clere titles of honours. In the grave there is no distinction between high and low. ȝit naþeles
deeþ dispiseþ al heye glorie of fame. and deeþ wrappeþ [1624]
to gidre þe heye heuedes and þe lowe and makeþ egal
and euene þe heyest[e] to þe lowest[e]. Where is the good Fabricius now? ¶ where
wonen now þe bones of trewe fabricius. Where the noble Brutus, or stern Cato? what is
now brutus or stiern Caton þe þinne fame ȝit lastynge [1628]
of hir ydel names is markid wiþ a fewe lettres. Their empty names still live, but of their persons we know nothing. but
al þouȝ we han knowen þe faire wordes of þe fames of
hem. it is nat ȝeuen to knowe hem þat ben dede and
consumpt. Fame cannot make you known. Liggiþ þanne stille al vtterly vnknowable [1632]
ne fame ne makeþ ȝow nat knowe. and yif ȝe wene
to lyuen þe lenger for wynde of ȝoure mortal name.
whan o cruel day shal rauyshe ȝow. þan is þe secunde
deeþ dwellyng in ȝow. It will be effaced by conquering Time, so that death will be doubly victorious. Glosa. þe first deeþ he clepiþ [1636]
here þe departynge of þe body and þe soule. ¶ and
þe secunde deeþ he clepeþ as here. þe styntynge of
þe renoune of fame.[3] [3] The next three chapters are from the Camb. MS.
1615 Lete—Lat
loke—looken
1616 sete—Cyte
1617 be—ben
1619 vpon—vp
1620 and dedely—in the dedly